ARCore Geospatial API helps developers build immersive experiences

During I/O 2022, Google launched its ARCore Geospatial API to help developers build more immersive, richer, and more useful experiences.

Augmented reality experiences are beginning to gain traction beyond Pokémon Go. Now there are AR apps for making floorplans, seeing how furnishings will look in your home, understanding the world around you, and even getting real-time information about the night sky.

Google showed off enhancements to its own AR solution, Lens, during...

12 May 2022 | Android

Android Studio will soon help developers fix broken UIs on Chromebooks

Android Studio will soon make it much easier for developers to fix broken UIs when their apps are used on Chromebooks.

Chromebook users have suffered from all sorts of issues since Google enabled support for Android apps. Many of these problems stem from how apps designed for Android respond when confronted with freeform windows and other desktop features.

The ‘Electric Eel’ release of Android Studio will bring with it the new Desktop Android Virtual Device...

9 May 2022 | Android

Play Store blocks users in Russia from purchasing or updating paid apps

Google is blocking users in Russia from purchasing or updating paid applications as the fallout continues from the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The company paused billing for Russian users on 10 March 2022 due to sanctions imposed on the country. That decision impacted new app purchases, as well as in-app purchases and subscription payments.

However, Google has now updated its policy and says that it is “blocking the downloading of paid apps and updates to paid...

6 May 2022 | Android

Google’s new Play Store section forces developers to explain their data collection

Google is rolling out a new section in Play Store listings that forces developers to explain what data they’re collecting and how it’s being used.

The new section is titled ‘Data safety’ and will appear alongside the usual sections like ‘About this app’ and ‘Ratings and reviews’:

Apple released a similar feature as part of numerous privacy-enhancing features in last year’s iOS 14. Google showed off its version last year but is only beginning to roll...

27 April 2022 | Android

Google’s Project Zero found over twice as many exploits in 2021

Project Zero, Google’s in-house team of experts tasked with finding zero-day exploits, reports that it found over twice as many in 2021.

According to the team’s annual report, it found a record 58 zero-day exploits in 2021. That’s over double the 25 it detected in 2020 and the previous record of 28 detected in 2015.

(Credit: Google)

While such a large uptick may cause alarm, Google puts a positive spin on the news.

“We believe the large...

20 April 2022 | Hacking & Security

Google will hide outdated Android apps to improve security

Google will start hiding outdated apps on the Play Store in a bid to improve security.

With almost three million apps hosted on the Play Store, keeping Android’s three billion users protected is a gargantuan task.

Given the scale of the challenge, Google’s AI-powered security does an admirable job. However, Google’s system is far from perfect and software that poses a threat to users does slip through.

Sometimes the apps that slip past Google’s security...

7 April 2022 | Android

CAF report highlights developers’ plight from anti-competitive practices

A report from the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) highlights the difficulties that developers face due to anti-competitive practices.

CAF is an independent nonprofit with over 60 member companies that advocates for freedom of choice and fair competition across the app ecosystem. Epic Games, which has regularly made headlines for its court battles against Apple over alleged anti-competitive practices, is one of CAF’s founding members.

The industry group is currently...

1 February 2022 | Android

Google wants to increase government collaboration to secure open-source

Google says that it wants to increase government collaboration to help secure open-source after participating in a White House summit.

On Thursday, Google participated in the White House Open Source Software Security Summit with the aim of building on its “work with the Administration to strengthen America’s collective cybersecurity through critical areas like open-source software.”

The past year has been particularly bad for open-source security problems, with...

14 January 2022 | Hacking & Security

Google: Android app engagement on Chrome OS is growing 50% YoY

As we barrel towards 2022, Google has released some interesting statistics about its platforms over the past year.

The demand for software has grown over the past couple of years as enterprises and employees adapt to new ways of working and continuing business in a rapidly-changing world. As consumers, many of us are spending more time at home and relying on software to entertain us and make our lives easier.

Chromebooks are often associated with students as they’re...

21 December 2021 | Android

WearOS rocketed from ~4% of the smartwatch market to 17% in Q3 2021

WearOS got the booster shot it needed from the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4.

Google’s smartwatch operating system has struggled for years to gain traction against not only the might of Apple’s WatchOS but also rival platforms from the likes of Huawei, Fitbit, Amazfit, Garmin, and even Samsung.

Samsung was an early supporter of WearOS but eventually gave up on the platform and switched to its own Tizen-based alternative. Earlier this year, a surprise joint...

22 November 2021 | Platforms