Browsing: Android

Several years ago, Android introduced the ability to “bubble” a text conversation, or move that app to a floating bubble on your home screen. It’s a convenient way to keep a conversation easily accessible.

It was only a matter of time. After rolling out Gemini across Android Auto and cars with Google built-in late last year, the Mountain View giant is now launching phase two of its AI world domination. Sorry, I mean… launching enhancements to the AI assistant to help you live more productively.

Because you probably don’t want your stereo on at full blast the moment you start your car.

What good is a phone that can’t keep up with the average person’s day-to-day needs?

Wireless Android Auto is easily one of the most convenient things for drivers, especially if they rely on their phones for navigation, music and hands-free communication. As with any wireless technology, the appeal is obvious because there are no cables involved, there’s no fumbling around to plug the cable into the phone’s port and the…

If you already have a perfectly functional cable that supports Android Auto, upgrading to a 5Gbps cable isn’t going to make Spotify sound like you rebuilt the stereo. Yes, a broken or poorly built cable can lead to dropouts, disconnects and other frustrations, but additional bandwidth won’t improve an intact digital audio stream.

Chances are there’s a connection issue between your phone and car if Android auto isn’t working.

If you have an old Android phone gathering dust in a drawer somewhere, you may already have everything you need to fix the dead zones in your home Wi-Fi network. Instead of buying new hardware, be it an extender, a mesh node or a more powerful router, you could just use an old Android device. 

The differences between the iPhone and Android show up when you connect them to your car, as well.

I recently wrote about the problems Gemini has with reliably making hands-free calls. Given that Assistant handled this task with ease and predictability, it’s worrisome that Google is set on permanently tossing Assistant aside, without having solved this hands-free issue.