latest
Google's return to Android TV hardware is long overdue and I'm here for it
Google kicked off Android TV with the Nexus Player. We've been waiting for a new device ever since. It appears that time is finally here.
Google's relationship with media streaming hardware is a bit haphazard. While the company has sold several generations of Chromecast devices, they've had a mostly hands-off approach to Android TV. Interestingly, Google actually released the very first Android TV device, the Nexus Player, which stopped receiving support back in early 2018. We've been waiting ever since for a new Google-branded Android TV device (and one that's not a developer device). Thankfully, it appears that time may finally be coming, as can be seen in the renders we exclusively obtained of Google's upcoming Android TV dongle.
LineageOS 15.1 Changelog 18: Reader Mode, "Chrome Home" in Jelly, Per-app network restrictions, and more
Since the last release of LineageOS 15.1, a ton of new features and devices have been added. We go over what's new in LineageOS including features like Reader Mode, a new reachability Chrome Home-like feature in Jelly browser, per-app network restrictions, and more.
On all supported devices, LineageOS 15.1 is released on a weekly basis. It can be hard to keep up with what's new in the popular AOSP-based custom ROM unless you religiously follow their Gerrit, so the team has put together a changelog to keep you updated on what's new in the ROM. Today, the team has published their 18th changelog, and there's a lot of features to cover since their last changelog post on April 1st. Here's what's new:
Google Nexus Player and OnePlus 2 receive official LineageOS 15.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo
The Google Nexus Player and OnePlus 2, both popular devices that have ceased receiving software upgrades, can now enjoy Android 8.1 Oreo thanks to official LineageOS 15.1 support.
Google and OnePlus devices are among the most popular devices on our forums because of the respective companies' openness to customization. The Google Nexus Player was one of the few popular Android TV devices on the market, and it had a long life. It launched with Android Lollipop and upgrades until Android Oreo. While the OnePlus 2 also launched with Lollipop, support for that device unfortunately ended with Android Marshmallow. Thanks to official LineageOS 15.1, however, both devices now have a fairly stable release of Android 8.1 Oreo.
Despite Removal, You Can Still Customize Nav Bar & Lockscreen in Android O DP3 -- Here's How
Android O Developer Preview 3 removes nav bar and lockscreen shortcut customization; here's how you can still customize them.
The Android O Developer Preview has now reached its third release, meaning the final APIs are ready and Google is readying up for an imminent and proximate release with only minor bug fixes to be expected in the remaining Developer Preview. With previous Android O previews, we saw tons of refinements to the user interface as well as some additional customization features, some of which were likely being tested and might not be available in later releases.
For the last few weeks, Google has been pretty active at delivering various updates. One of the least expected updates surfaced just a moment ago, as our beloved Android has been updated to version 5.1.1. The first device that got the update to Android 5.1.1 is the Google Nexus Player, released alongside Lollipop 5.0. The factory image and binary files required to compile the system are already available on the relevant webpage. Images for other supported devices (hopefully including Nexus 9) should be posted in the next few days.