Google Assistant soon to be assisting other Android phone owners

Initially an exclusive feature of Google’s Pixel phones, the Google Assistant will soon be available for download on other Android smartphones.

A Google blogpost indicated that the Assistant is set to be made available to a wider range of smartphones currently running Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Starting this week, users in the United States—to be followed by those in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom—will be able to install the Google Assistant in their compatible phones.

The ‘assistant’ will also be coming to German-speaking users. Support for other languages will be rolled out next year.

Google Assistant is also expected to appear with some of the latest crop of smartphones fresh from the Mobile World Congress, happening now in Barcelona, Spain.

If you’ve been looking forward to having Google Assistant in your device, it’s about time to brush up on your “Ok Google” along with already drawing up a mental list of all the tasks you’d want Assistant to help you with. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Android unveils sweet surprise: Android 6.0 Marshmallow

The ‘M’ in ‘Android M’ apparently stands for ‘marshmallow.’ In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Android revealed the final Developer Preview update for their new operating system and its final software development kit (SDK). They also announced that developers can now also publish their Marshmallow-targeted apps on Google Play.

The final Android 6.0 Marshmallow SDK can be downloaded using the SDK Manager in Android Studio. “With the Android 6.0 SDK you have access to the final Android APIs and the latest build tools so that you can target [application program interface] API 23,” the blog post said.

 According to tech site The Verge, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow is set for release in the latter part of 2015.

“Along with the new platform features like fingerprint support and Doze power saving mode, Android Marshmallow features a new permissions model that streamlines the app install and update process,” the Android blog post said. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com