The TV app – which has launched for people in the UK, France, and Germany – lets users view content from TikTok’s ‘For You’ and ‘Following’ feeds, as well as the most liked and viewed content on the platform, which is organised into categories such as gaming, comedy, food, and animals.

“Were excited to bring the creativity and joy of TikTok to Google TV and other Android TV OS devices across Europe,” said Rich Waterworth, General Manager at TikTok UK. “The TikTok on TV experience will be a new way for people to come together and enjoy videos from some of our most popular content categories on the big screen. Whether its learning a new skill or just having some fun together watching what you love, now more than ever, I feel this is a brilliant way for people to be able to enjoy their favourite TikTok content together at home.”

The rollout on Google TV and other Android TV OS devices builds on TikTok’s launch on Samsung TVs in the UK at the end of last year.

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Bauer Media’s apps will be accessible on vehicle dashboards for owners of the cars in the UK, Sweden, and Norway, meaning drivers and passengers can listen to radio stations and audio on-demand from brands such as Magic Radio, RadioPlay, Kiss, and Absolute Radio.

“Connected devices provide new ways for our listeners to access the full range of high-quality content from the radio stations they love and we are constantly innovating our products to meet their evolving expectations,” said Richard Dawkins, COO of Bauer Media Audio. “Audio is intrinsic to the in-car experience and we are excited to be partnering with Google within this exciting future-looking environment.”

The Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 will be the first cars to feature an infotainment system powered by Android with Google Assistant, Maps, and Play all built-in. This will enable drivers and passengers to enjoy radio, podcasts, audiobooks, and music more easily.

“This is the first step in transforming our perception, moving away from the car as only being a mode of transportation and the car as an extension of your digital life,” said Anya Ernest, Business Design at Polestar. “If we can increase the usage and the context of the car then this can help in our long-term goal in creating a more sustainable future.”

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Snaptube, a video and music app available exclusively on Android, has been found making millions of unauthorized transactions without the knowledge of its 40m users. According to Upstream, a specialist mobile technology company, Snaptube was using the same piece of developer software code, Mango SDK, which was used in another fraudulent app, Vidmate.

Earlier this year, video app Vidmate was caught conducting mass scale advertising and premium services’ subscription fraud. Upstream discovered there were other similarities between Vidmate and Snaptube, including the display of common traffic patterns and overlapping fraudulent URL’s and domain names.

Upstream’s security platform, Secure-D -which helps operators by safeguarding digital transactions detecting and blocking mobile fraud- prevented 70m potentially fraudulent transactions from Snaptube, in the last six months alone.

Upstream said the millions of blocked transactions would have cost 4.4m consumers more than $90m in unauthorized charges for exclusive digital services. After lab testing, Upstream found that Snaptube was able to secretly collect and respond to advertising in the app’s background without alerting any of its users.

“Only the app downloads and clicks on the adverts nothing is shown on the handset screens. The video app is literally a screen for the suspicious background activity,” commented Guy Krief, CEO, Upstream.

“Under test conditions we found not just background advertising click fraud, but also countless examples of users being signed up for premium digital services or subscriptions even when the phone is not in use,” said Krief. “No notifications appear on the screen whatsoever and the user has absolutely zero control.”

Through more research, Upstream was able to confirm Snaptube users in Brazil, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and South Africa were at the highest risk of being affected by the illegal transactions.

“Not only does Snaptube share similar characteristics and elements of software code as Vidmate,” Krief continued, “it is also notable that the suspicious activity from Snaptube ceased soon after the publication of a media report about the Vidmate compromise.

“We are blocking new threats every day and we would advise anyone using the Snaptube app to carefully watch their phone bills and report to their operator any subscriptions or charges that they did not authorize” he added. Upstream advises users to delete an app from their phones if they see signs of irregular activity pointing to a suspicious application consuming data in the background,” said Krief.

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Android has announced a few simple branding changes that will take place before the launch of its newest software release, according to Sameer Samat, Android’s VP of product management. Since the company launched, its engineering team has always referred to each new release with an internal codename, inspired by sweet treats, and in alphabetical order. Due to feedback over that past few years, there are some people around the world who couldn’t fully understand the naming system.

“For example, L and R are not distinguishable when spoken in some languages. So, when some people heard us say Android Lollipop out loud, it wasn’t intuitively clear that it referred to the version after KitKat. It’s even harder for new Android users, who are unfamiliar with the naming convention, to understand if their phone is running the latest version. We also know that pies are not a dessert in some places, and that marshmallows, while delicious, are not a popular treat in many parts of the world,” said Samat.

Starting with the upcoming release of Android 10, the company will now be naming updated versions of the platform by simply adding the version number. Android has also changed its logo for the first time since 2014, so that the Android robot could be more simplified and cleaner looking. Additionally, the original green font has been switched from green to black.

“It’s a small change, but we found the green was hard to read, especially for people with visual impairments. The logo is often paired with colors that can make it hard to see—so we came up with a new set of color combinations that improve contrast,” said Samat.

Samat finished, “We’ll officially start using the updated logo in the coming weeks with the final release of Android 10. Thank you to the community for supporting Android and inspiring us over the years.”

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Netflix is tracking the physical activity of some users’ who own Androids, according to The Next Web. Recently, a security researcher found that the Netflix app on his Android requested permission to access the device’s physical activity sensors. The reporter who broke the story also checked and realized the Netflix app on his Pixel 3 XL was already tracking his movements, without his knowledge.

“We are continually testing ways to give our members a better experience,” Netflix told The Next Web. “This was part of a test to see how we can improve video playback quality when a member is on the go. Only some accounts are in the test, and we dont currently have plans to roll it out.”

While it’s unclear why Netflix would want to track physical exercise or movement, it is common for people to use the Netflix app when they are running on the treadmill or commuting on a bus. Some reports suggest Netflix wants to utilize the new activity recognition permission on Android Q to help optimize video streaming while in motion.

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TD Ameritrade, an investment services company, has released a suite of in-vehicle features that will allow investors to link their smartphone to their Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Echo Auto, so they can keep up with markets as they drive. Last year, TD Ameritrade also introduced trading via phone and computer, and launched voice-activated investing through Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.

“In a connected world like ours, we have to meet investors where they are, whether at home, in the office, or on the go,” explains Sunayna Tuteja, head of strategic partnerships and emerging technologies at TD Ameritrade, Inc. “In-vehicle technology offers a new type of connectivity that further breaks down barriers to accessing financial education and markets.”

Investors with Apple CarPlay will be able to tune into the new TDAM Radio app from the TD Ameritrade Network, which will broadcast live news updates. Drivers with Android Auto and Echo Auto will be able to use voice control to receive market performance summaries, sector updates, real-time quotes, check account balances and their portfolio performance.

“From long commutes to the great American road trip, Americans spend a lot of time in cars, and technology has completely changed the way we spend that time. Today, drivers expect their car to map their course, or to play their favorite song. But we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible,” said Vijay Sankaran, chief information officer at TD Ameritrade. “To us, this is a natural next step, building on our unprecedented collaboration momentum and representing yet another way we’re using complex technology to weave investing seamlessly into our daily lives.”

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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found that Google may have used its powerful position in the country to limit the ability of device manufacturers to utilise alternate versions of its Android mobile operating system. News of the probe first came to light in May.

The 14-page order from the CCI, which was reviewed by Reuters, says that Google “reduced the ability and incentive of device manufacturers to develop and sell devices operated on alternate versions of Android”.

The case bears similarities one faced by the tech giant in Europe. Here, the company was hit with a €4.3bn fine for using its position to impose restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators. In particular, it was accused of forcing device makers to set Google as their default search engine and pre-installing the Chrome browser, as well as preventing manufacturers from selling devices powered rival operating systems, and giving device makers and mobile operators financial incentives to ensure they provided Google Search as the only pre-installed option.

Google is also well aware of what it’s like to be slapped with a fine from the CCI. In February 2018, it received a fine of 1.36bn rupees (£15.3m at the time) for abusing its position in both online web search and online search advertising markets.

The post Google may have unfairly used its Android dominance in India appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

According to The Verge, the search giant will give Android users in the UK and France the option to opt-in to RCS chat services provided directly by Google this month. However, there’s no word on when RCS will roll out to other markets.

At the backend of last year, Google made it clear that it would begin to focus heavily on bringing RCS to its Messages app. A month later, in January, it announced it would be adding RCS messaging to its Google Fi mobile virtual network.

The latest move is a shift in strategy from Google, which was previously waiting on carriers to begin offering its service. As such, its decision to bypass these companies is a significant one and will finally bring an iMessage-like experience to Android users.

Research has predicted that 1.01bn people will use RCS messaging across 168 mobile operators around the globe by the end of this year.

Limited support for RCS has already been rolled out by the likes of Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the US, and Vodafone in the UK.

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Current Huawei handset owners will be able to continue using and download app updates, according to Reuters, which first reported the news. Meanwhile, Huawei will still be able to access elements of Android through what is publicly available via open source licensing.

Huawei has ambitions to continue expanding its business outside of China. And, though it has many roadblocks from international governments, it has managed to leapfrog Apple in terms of smartphone sales. Google’s decision throws a spanner in the works of this progress as future versions of Huawei’s Android smartphones will no longer have access to apps such as Google Play, Gmail, and YouTube.

Last week, the US government added Huawei to a trade blacklist, putting restrictions in place that make it difficult for it to engage in business with US companies. However, the US Commerce Department followed this up by saying it was considering removing some of these restrictions, so that current services are not affected.

On the back of Huawei’s blacklisting, chipmakers – including Intel, Qualcomm, Xilinx, and Broadcom – told employees they would not be supplying Huawei with key software and components until further notice.

Huawei has long been aware of the possibility that Google may decided to bar it from using Android and, as such, has been developing its own technology – which is already in use in some products in China, where most Google apps are blocked anyway.
In a statement, Huawei said:
“Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry. Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products covering those have been sold or still in stock globally. We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally.”

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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) begun looking into the complaint last year and, last month, finally came to the conclusion that the accusations may have some weight. As a result, the CCI has ordered its investigation unit to launch a full probe.

The case is said to be similar to the one which saw Google slapped with a €4.34bn fine by the European Commission last year.

“It is a strong case for the CCI, given the EU precedent,” a source told Reuters, which first reported the news. “The CCI has (preliminarily) found Google abused its dominant position.”

In February 2018, the CCI fined Google 1.36bn rupees for abusing its market position within both online web search and online search advertising.

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