+101 - Vote for the best Android Applications

• Chrome will completely remove Flash support at the end of 2020
  

  The web has changed quite a bit over the past few years. All major browsers now release updates on a strict schedule, HTTPS is becoming the norm rather than the exception (before you ask, we’re working on it!), and web plugins like Adobe Flash and Jav…

• Google Maps v9.58 beta prepares to add crowdsourced Q&A sections and user-contributed videos [APK Teardown]
  

  

  There’s a new version of Google Maps making the rounds through the beta channel. So far, no major changes are showing up with regular usage of the app, but there is evidence of a couple really huge new features on the horizon. A teardown of the apk reveals that the Maps team is preparing to launch a Q&A section for places that would allow users to ask and answer questions for each other.

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  Google Maps v9.58 beta prepares to add crowdsourced Q&A sections and user-contributed videos [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Fleksy keyboard is back with a new owner and dev team
  

  

  The Fleksy keyboard app had a dedicated group of users who were dismayed when the developers seemed to vanish last year. At the time, Fleksy announced that its development team was acquired by Pinterest, but the fate of the actual keyboard app was uncertain. Now, Fleksy is back under a new parent company called Thingthing, and there’s an updated version in the Play Store for the first time since April 2016.

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  Fleksy keyboard is back with a new owner and dev team was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Best Philips Hue Alternatives
  

  What’s the best alternative to Philips Hue? Here are our favorites!

  Philips Hue smart lights are some of the coolest on the market and they’re definitely some of the most popular, but they can be quite expensive, especially once you get into colored bulbs. If you’re looking for a less expensive alternative or just something other than what’s popular, then check out these other awesome options.

  GE Link Starter Kit
  LIFX A19 Wi-Fi Smart Bulb
  Lucero A19 Smart Bulb
  Cree BA19 LED Bulb
  Sylvania Lightify by Osram
  Flux Bluetooth Smart LED bulb
  Z-Wave

  GE Link Starter Kit

  This starter kit from GE features two A19 LED bulbs and a link hub, allowing you to control all GE bulbs through the Wink mobile app. Although these bulbs only come in a soft white, they’re great for general use around your home, while still having complete control over scheduling. The GE Link starter kit is also compatible with Amazon Echo, but requires the Wink hub. Pricing starts around $35.

  See at Amazon

  LIFX …

• Google adds SOS alerts and disaster info to search results and Maps
  

  

  Back in 2014, Facebook introduced ‘Safety Check,’ which allows users to verify they are safe after a natural disaster or other terrible local event. Google has been working on something similar, but more geared towards keeping people informed if they’re in the midst of a crisis. The feature is called ‘SOS alerts,’ and it’s being rolled out today.

    

  If you search for something related to an ongoing disaster, you will now see a series of cards with official updates from governments, affected areas, and phone numbers to call for information.

  Read More

  Google adds SOS alerts and disaster info to search results and Maps was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

• Here’s why some OnePlus 5s rebooted when calling 911, and how OnePlus fixed it
  

  This is what you’d call a ‘showstopper’ bug … if you actually find it.

  OnePlus has offered up more information on the worrisome bug found by some OnePlus 5 owners that would reboot the phone when trying to place an emergency call. After some investigation, it turns out a confluence of issues combined to cause phones to sometimes reboot when calling over VoLTE to emergency numbers that supported OTDOA positioning information.

  OTDOA, as you likely aren’t aware, is a system that uses LTE signals to determine a phone’s location by pinging multiple cell towers and measuring how long it takes each signal to reach the tower. If the emergency number you’re calling supports the system, the phone will report the its approximate location using OTDOA. As you can imagine, that kind of location information is extremely useful in an emergency situation.

  An immensely helpful OnePlus 5 owner helped the company quickly pinpoint and fix the problem.

  As we found out in the days following the i…

• A Wallflower smart plug means you’ll never forget to turn off the stove
  

  There are two kinds of people in this world: those who know they turned off the stove and everyone else.

  For the latter group (at least for those with electric stoves), there’s a new product that aims to give some peace of mind. Wallflower turns your dumb range into a semi-smart (more on that in a second) stove that provides some insurance should things be left cooking.

  It takes about 2 minutes to make your dumb stove smart.

  This whole thing is cleverly simple: Wallflower is a plug that fits between your stove and the power outlet and can tell when juice is flowing. You set up an account with Wallflower, and it lets you know via your phone — Android and iPhone, of course — when the stove is in use or when you’ve left it on.

  That’s it.

  The hardest part of all this is getting to your stove’s plug. For me, that was simply a matter of pulling out the drawer underneath and then plugging everything in. (Note that Wallflower is a little larger than a standar…

• YouTube: Ultimate Guide
  

  YouTube started as a simple video site, but today it’s much, much more.

  YouTube is so much more than cute cats and mindless pranks; it’s where millions come for education, information, and live, late-breaking news. YouTube streams more than just Google keynotes; it streams important political debates and allows users to stream from almost anywhere in the world with an internet connection. It’s important to understand YouTube and how to use it, and whether you’re just looking to watch your videos without Autoplay plaguing you or you’re looking to turn your feed into a legitimate cord-cutter cornucopia of enticing entertainment, we’re here to help you get it done.

  Finding your way around

  First things first: let’s find where we find videos on YouTube and how we start curating our content so that YouTube’s algorithms can start working to bring us more of what we want. Want to get started with YouTube? Start here.

  How to use YouTube for Android

  Managing YouTube

  YouTube can run…

• Moto Z2 Force Edition pre-orders have begun, priced from $750
  

  A new phone is only as good as how easy it is to buy.

  In the year since the original Moto Z launched, Motorola made big improvements to its launch strategy. Not only is the Moto Z2 Force Edition coming to all major U.S. carriers, it’s available for pre-order right away after the announcement with deliveries just two weeks away on August 10. Here’s where, when and for how much you can buy the Moto Z2 Force.

  U.S. carriers

  Complete U.S. carrier support, you say? Absolutely, take your pick of the top five.

  Verizon

  Verizon has the best pricing at launch, with a total retail price of $756 but also a really great deal if you choose to finance the phone. Customers with unlimited data plans can get the Z2 Force for just $15 per month, or $360 in total, assuming they finance over the course of two years. The free Projector Mod you’ve been hearing about still applies.

  You can pick from black or gold at Verizon.

  See at Verizon

  AT&T

  AT&T has quoted a price of $27 per month for th…

• Honor 6X is now one of the best phones under $200
  

  The Honor 6X was a pretty great phone at $250. Now it’s an essential buy at under $200.

  The Honor 6X had a rough start to its life, mainly because it was running an older version of Android that had a few problems. But that was quickly corrected with an update to Android 7.0 and EMUI 5.0 back in May, and since then things have been smooth sailing for the mid-range value handset — even at its former price of $250.

  Now, the Honor 6X is receiving a permanent prince drop to $200 — well, $199.99, since every penny counts — make it even more affordable and accessible to the average buyer looking for an unlocked phone.

  There aren’t a lot of really compelling devices at that price range in the unlocked space — really, only the Moto G5 Plus comes to mind, and it starts at $229.99 for a model that isn’t as well-equipped as the Honor 6X. Here’s what Florence Ion said about the phone in her review back in January:

  I like the look of and feel of this thing. Whereas …

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