When it comes to email apps on our phones, there are many options for users to choose from. There is always the default email app that comes bundled with your phone, or you can turn to alternatives like Gmail, Outlook, Spark, and more. But if you're looking for another option, Mozilla has announced the release of its Thunderbird email client on Android.
For those unfamiliar, Thunderbird is an email client developed by Mozilla. One of the main differences compared to other clients is that Thunderbird is open-source. It is also more privacy-focused as it basically follows the same principles that Mozilla used when developing its Firefox browser.
The Thunderbird email client was previously available on other platforms such as Windows and Linux, but if you were looking forward to using it on mobile, it is now available on Android. Mozilla announced a couple of years ago that they were planning to create a version for Android. The app launched in beta just recently, but it is now available for all users.
Users can download it via the Play Store and users will need to have Android 5.0 or higher on their phones in order to use it. It is also a free-to-use app, but the company is accepting donations for those who want to help keep development going.
Android has a feature that lets users decide how long of inactivity takes place before the phone screen is turned off. It even has a smart feature called "Screen attention" that detects if you're looking at your phone and won't turn off the display. But now in the third beta of Android 15, there's a new option called "Adaptive timeout".
According to the caption of the feature, it says that it "automatically turns off your screen if you're not using your device". At this point in time it is unclear how that works. The folks at 9to5Google installed the Android 15 beta but it appears that it isn't working right now, but it is quite intriguing.
We're not sure how it will differ from the Screen attention feature. The publication speculates that it could rely on things like the hardware sensors in your phone, like the front-facing camera or proximity sensors to come to a decision. We imagine that it could come in handy for situations where you're browsing a website but turn your attention away for a minute.
This way, it will keep the phone's display unlocked and the website loaded. This is because sometimes a website might reload when your phone's display is off for an extended period of time, so it could save users some time instead of waiting for it to reload. In any case, we'll have to wait until a later build of Android 15 to get a better idea of what to expect.
If you've used Android for a long time, then you're probably very familiar with the interface and how to use it. For those less tech savvy, using a new phone or new platform can be confusing. This is something Google is looking to correct in a new feature that's coming to Android 15.
An APK teardown by Android Authority has revealed that a new feature in Android 15 could make using Android a lot easier for newbies. This comes in the form of a feature called "easy pre-set". Basically what it does is it optimizes the Android UI for improved readability and ease of navigation. It will enlarge icons and text and make it more contrasty and bolder.
This is great for users who might have vision issues, or older folks whose eyesight might not be as good as before. This isn't a groundbreaking feature per se. Other Android OEMs have similar features, but it's good to see it part of base Android. It will make it easier for other OEMs to implement if they don't have the feature already.
The feature isn't live yet but it is speculated that it could be part of the Android 15 update. Google will most likely launch the developer preview of Android 15 next month. The public release will take place towards the end of the year, so we should have more details about its overall features soon enough.
If you own the Nothing Phone (1) and you've been waiting for the Android 14 update, then you're in luck as the wait is finally over. Nothing has announced that they are rolling out the update to users as we speak.
The company initially released the open beta for Nothing OS 2.5 (Android 14) towards the end of 2023. They also released the stable update for the Nothing Phone (2), so it's good to see that OG owners of the Nothing Phone (1) are finally getting the update as well.
Nothing notes that this is a staggered release. This means that not all Nothing Phone (1) owners will get the Android 14 update at the same time. This is done to ensure that the rollout is smooth.
It will also allow the company to address any potential issues that might pop up. So if you don't get the notification that the update is ready for your phone, don't worry as it should eventually make its way to you.
Nothing OS 2.5 will introduce all the features that Google announced for Android 14. It will also come with additional updates exclusive for the Nothing Phone series. This includes improved customization features, the Glyph interface, additional gestures, new widgets, and just overall improvements.
When developers introduce updates for their apps, it might land on one platform first before making its way to another. This is the case with the audio and video calling features on X, where it initially arrived on iOS last year before making its way onto Android now.
An X employee confirmed the rollout of audio and video calling for Android in a post on the platform. They noted that the feature is rolling out "slowly". This means that not all users will see it right away, but as long as you're using the latest version, you should get it eventually.
That being said, there is something you will want to take note of before you get too excited. The app's audio and video calling features are only available to X Premium users. All users can receive calls, but only those who are subscribed to the Premium will be able to make AND receive calls.
If you don't really plan to use the platform to make calls we suppose it's not a big deal. There are plenty of other messaging apps that you are using that offer it for free. If anything, these features on X are more about convenience than being a must-have.
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