Monday, September 19, 2016

Evening brief: A day in the life of Google, Twitter, and Samsung

Google has a busy Monday, and potential Note 7 buyers may have to wait until October.

Woke up, got out of bed, ran a comb across my head. Make my way downstairs and drank a cup and, sitting up, I noticed that Google released a bunch of apps and updates on a Monday!

Seriously, Google Trips is going to be super useful when I'm visiting a city I'm not familiar with. (Google uses Barcelona in its promotional material and, after attending MWC in 2015, it's the city I most want to explore further.) At this point, the fact that Google is trolling all of my emails to find relevant information is a well-understood compromise, and the more they justify it with experiences like Trips (which has been in beta since April), the more I am willing to give them. Of course, Google wins, too, because it can use Trips as another vehicle for advertisers, so everyone wins.

Speaking of #winning, Twitter no longer counts photos, GIFs, quotes and polls towards its 140-character limit. Can't see myself ever being nostalgic for the days of that artificial limit, but there was always something tremendously satisfying about culling an overlong tweet just enough to fit. It was like a puzzle and a language lesson wrapped in one.

And with that, the news you need to know this evening.

OxygenOS 3.2.6 now available for OnePlus 3

Changes in the latest update for the OnePlus 3 include call quality and battery fixes, along with camera and adaptive brightness improvements, according to OnePlus. The update will begin rolling out to users gradually starting today.

Samsung confirms update to limit recalled Note 7s to 60% battery, change battery icon for safe devices

The OTA will begin rolling out from September 20, limiting potentially unsafe UK Notes to 60% battery capacity, and changing the battery icon in the status bar and power menu from white to green in safe devices. As we reported earlier, the Note 7 UK exchange program also begins today. More

Google Photos makes sharing even simpler

The latest update to the Google Photos app on Android, iOS and the web lets you share to people, rather than apps, letting Photos pick the best way to share — inside Photos, email or SMS. You'll soon have more to share as well, with a fresh set of automatic "creations" rolling out also. More

Google Trips is a great travel companion

A new Google app today brings travel documents, itineraries and recommendations into one place. Google Trips, which has been in beta since April, is a great resource for those looking to cut down on the number of apps they use while traveling — and because it has offline support, it can go anywhere. More

Samsung to re-enter U.S. market same day as LG V20 debut

We're spreading a healthy amount of salt on these two rumors, but Evan Blass of Venturebeat suggests that the 'splosion-free Galaxy Note 7 will go back on sale in the U.S. on October 21, the same day as the debut of the LG V20. The lead time between replacement units for existing buyers, which are expected to ship this week, and the re-release suggests to us that Samsung will be inventory-constrained for some time.

Waze partners with INRIX to help you find the best parking spot

Waze, owned by Google, helps millions of people every day avoid congestion, accidents, and other driving hazards (except maybe flying cows), and now it will help them find a great parking spot. Working with the team at INRIX, the data will improve Waze's new "Where to park" feature, according to The Verge.

Twitter now lets you ramble for longer

Twitter finally finally finally fulfilled its promise to stop counting certain types of media — photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and Quote Tweets — towards your 140-character limit. Links still count, but that is expected to change, too, in a coming update.

Have a great evening!