For fans of #Google #Hangouts -- you won"t wanna miss this! - http://clapway.com/2015/08/18/google-unveils-a-brand-new-standalone-website-for-hangouts-323/

When it comes to messaging on Android devices, Google offers an impressive amount of ways you can get it done, but it can be overwhelming. There are technically three first-party messaging apps: Messenger, Hangouts, and Voice; plus the myriad of other third-party messaging apps like Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger.

All of that is going to change because Google is now making Hangouts a top level product, and has already launched the app’s very own dedicated website.

Hangouts 4.0

Google has been updating many of Android’s core apps in anticipation of Android Marshmallow, which was confirmed earlier this week. A lot of the changes to Hangouts 4.0 were incredibly welcomed. The app received a sleeker look to it as it was finally updated to support Android 5.0’s material design. That means it’s not only sleeker looking but more touch friendly, and is simpler to navigate all around.

Check out more news from Google here!

Previously, Google’s Messenger app was the go-to for many Android users since it was implemented as a regular SMS replacement app for stock phones. Hangouts was missing some of the simpler features that Messenger already incorporated.

Hangout Features

The inclusion of a standalone website now gives Hangouts a few advantages over its younger brother. Previously users could only use Hangouts through their Gmail, but now users have a beautifully designed website with an intuitive interface. Chats are synced up across all Android, iOS, and any other web-enabled devices, so being connecting is easy.

Voice integration is also a big selling feature, which was already present in previous iterations of Hangouts, but now users are able to use MMS in Voice messages as well.

The standalone site is very simplistic in design. There is a beautiful background image that changes periodically (just like Chromecast), there is a chat bar on the left side along with contacts, phone, and options menu buttons. The main meat of the app simply shows off the gorgeous wallpapers and has three easy buttons that allows users to quickly jump into a phone call, video call, or a quick text message.

Availability

Hangouts 4.0 should now be available to just about everyone at this point. If you don’t already have it then there is probably a notification sitting in your notification panel asking you to update the app. The website can be reached through hangouts.google.com. For users who still want to chat through Gmail, you can do that too! For the time being, Google has no plans to take out the option. So, go check out the new Google Hangouts site and let us know what you think in the comments!

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Google Unveils a Brand New Standalone Website for Hangouts

The Android Is Still Vulnerable to "Stagefright" Flaw - http://clapway.com/2015/08/14/the-android-is-still-vulnerable-to-stagefright-flaw123/

In July, a vulnerability that affected anywhere up to a billion Android phones was made public by software researchers. Google quickly made a patch available, but a security company said that it had been able to bypass the fix. This bug is called the Stagefright bug. The security company that found this update stated how this gives people a false sense of security.

Currently, 90 Percent Of Android Devices Are ASLR Enabled

Google told BBC in an interview that most of the Android users were protected by a security feature called the Address Space Layout Randomization, or the ASLR. At this time, over 90 percent of Android devices have the ASLR enabled. Enabling this is supposed to protect users from these issues.

ASLR is designed to make it harder for an attacker to plan an attack, and introduces more work into the process. This is more than likely to crash a smartphone in comparison to compromising its security.

Another Company Found That The Bug Was Still There And Offered Their Own Patch

However, this vulnerability still remains. In April, another security company found a bug in Android that could potentially let hackers access information and apps on a victim’s phone, just by simply sending a video message.

The company quickly disclosed this information to Google and provided their own patch for the software, which Google made available to phone manufacturers. Details surrounding this new flaw were made public in July, after Google had integrated the patch into the latest version of Android.

Currently, Google pointed out that there haven’t been any reports of anybody exploiting the bug. This week, the first security company said that one of their researchers was able to bypass the patch easily and that the original venerability still remains. On their blog,  they said that the public believes that the current patch in place protects them from this vulnerability, when in fact it does not.

New Bug Could Be The Beginning Of A Bigger Problem

Another researcher from a different security company described the Stagefright bug as an early warning sign to a much bigger problem that could quickly arise. There isn’t currently a comprehensive update solution to the Android bug, since there are so many different device makers that modify the software. Android is an open source operating system that can be modified by a number of different phone companies.

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The Android Is Still Vulnerable to "Stagefright" Flaw

Microsoft Office Available On Android - http://clapway.com/2015/06/24/microsoft-office-available-on-android765/

The Suite Now Downloadable on Android Phones

Microsoft has officially launched Microsoft Office for Android smartphones. Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can now be downloaded as apps, allowing for essays, spreadsheets, and presentations to be made on the go in the palm of your hand. It is a launch that has been predicted for some time, since the apps have previously been available for Android tablets.

Previews Lasted Shorter Than Expected

It would be easy to assume that with a launch as big as this – Microsoft Office is arguably the most well-known computer software translating to one of the most popular type of phones – that this would be previewed and modified for a significant amount of time, so as to get things just right. But surprisingly, these previews only began in May, meaning a scant five weeks to make significant changes. But Microsoft insists that it got plenty of feedback in that short amount of time, testing the Microsoft Office apps on nearly 2,000 Android models, and in 83 countries.

It’s Coming Pre-Loaded in the Future

Those of you with Android phones can download the apps now, no problem. But if that’s still too much work for you and you plan on getting a new phone soon, you are in luck. The plan is for Microsoft Office to soon become a fixture in Android smartphones, as Microsoft is partnering with over thirty phone distributors to make that happen later in 2015. These include LG, Samsung, and Sony.

It’s Free… Mostly

The Microsoft Office apps can be downloaded for free on your Android device. No doubt about it. With this free app, you can edit documents, as well as deliver presentations. If you have OneDrive, you can access your files through there, but thanks to more partnering, you can use other existing apps you may have to access these documents, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. So it’s safe to say the most basic functions you need for Microsoft Office are totally free of charge. But there are additional functions available, and if you want them, you’ll have to subscribe to their Office 365 service. And that’s less free.

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Microsoft Office Available On Android

Google I/O Conference Announces Great New Innovations - http://clapway.com/2015/05/30/google-io-conference-announces-great-new-innovations123/

If you think that Google is just a company that provides maps and driving directions, you’re going to have to adjust your thinking. Google has its fingers in a lot more pies than you could imagine, and it finally presented to us its newest innovations during its annual Google I/O conference in San Francisco this year.

Meeting of Minds at Google I/O Conference

The Google I/O conference is an incredible congregation of creative coders, developers and innovators in the field of consumer electronics. Those attending the conference get a peak at what Google developers are up to. For those who couldn’t attend the conference in person, the conference provided a real-time online live streaming video.

Day One: Android M and Virtual Reality

Day one of this year’s Google I/O conference was somewhat ho-hum and didn’t offer much that the public wasn’t already aware of. Android M took top billing with the announcement of changes that will be more interesting to developers than end users. The biggest news is that there will be an improved battery life for the Android. The phone will have increased features that will shut down uncritical apps when the phone is idle. Other Android M improvements include limited Chrome download results when experiencing poor Internet connection, as well as offline Google Maps.

Day Two: innovation of “smart clothes”

The biggest wow of the second day was the announcement of “smart fabric.” Through its Project Jacquard from the Google Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group, Google is finding ways to integrate connective material into woven fabric so that it will work like a touch pad. The company is collaborating with famous jean maker Levi Strauss to bring interactive clothing to the public. The team has created conductive yarn that works on the same machinery that is used by textile makers. The “brains” for the smart clothes are designed to be about the size of a button, but Google is hoping to make them smaller, so that it becomes nearly unnoticeable.

Other showcases from ATAP at the Google I/O conference included Project Abacus, which is searching for new ways to provide better personal electronics security that will be able to forgo using passwords. Furthermore, Project Soli is working with wearable radar that would provide hand gesture input for personal devices. This device will allow you to do things like play music by just waving your hands in the air.

All in all, this year’s Google I/O conference has provided a lot of excitement for developers and consumers alike. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before the innovations show up in stores.

Google I/O Conference Announces Great New Innovations