Google Play Music might soon let Android users play songs right from search

It looks like Google is working to bring a feature some music lovers might want: the ability to play songs right from Google search’s interface. This feature debuted on the web interface a few months back and now it looks like Google is trying it out for Android users. According to GSMArena it doesn’t seem to be tied to a specific version of Google Play Music for Android so that could mean it’s happening on the server side. It’s a test though so you may or may not be lucky enough to get the feature.

As seen in the screenshots above, it shows the result above with the album’s cover on the left and the Play button on the right side. Below that are the auto suggestions, in case what the app is showing isn’t the song you’re looking for. If it’s a song or album you’re looking for, when you press play, it’ll start playing the song. For artists, you get a random song from the musician.

Engineers of Android O to hold Reddit AMA

The engineering team behind Android O is giving fans and everyone else a chance to ask their burning questions ahead of the public release of the new Android mobile operating system at an upcoming Reddit AMA. The page is already up and it makes it clear that the engineers will only answer questions related to the engineering of the OS and not whether Android O stands for Android Oreo or something. We can expect them to be asked about Project Treble, though, which is seen as the company’s way to reduce fragmentation between Android devices made by different manufacturers. Theoretically, it’ll let companies update Android devices quicker without having to go through their chip partners. Google has previously said new devices coming out with Android O out of the gate get full Project Treble treatment.

A new developer preview of the OS is expected to come out ahead of the official release of Android O before the end of September. If you’re interested in the AMA, it’s going to start on Wednesday, July 19 at 12:00 PM PST (3:00 PM EST) and will continue for an hour and a half.

Source: Android Authority

Google Allo adds reactions to individual messages

You’ve seen this on Facebook Messenger for a while, now Google is bringing it into its own messaging app, Allo. The Android app will let you “heart” an individual message with a simple tap. There are no other reactions available yet but we won’t be surprised if Google will bring that in soon. The number of people who like the post will also be shown as a badge. It’s a useful feature for large group chats and you just want to react to a specific statement without having to make a pithy statement. Version 14 of the app just started rolling out so it may or may not come on your device just yet. Do you use Allo? What’s your favorite thing about it?

Source: GSMArena

The Emoji Movie partners with popular apps to celebrate World Emoji Day!

 

Happy World Emoji Day! On July 17th we're celebrating the commonly used form of communication. When you think about it, emojis know no boundaries. It crosses borders and languages. So, why not have something fun on a Monday to celebrate? Sony Pictures Animation is joining in the fun by orchestrating a series of events and appearances.

"Emojis help us express ourselves in ways we don't have time to express, or don't have the forethought to express, or are afraid to express -- or don't have the language to express," said Tony Leondis, co-writer/director of The Emoji Movie (coming to theatres July 28).  "It's perfectly fitting for everyone around the world to celebrate World Emoji Day, because emojis really do bring us all closer together - in this world of technology, the human heart has found a way to connect."

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