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Friday, 9 October 2015

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Preview


Another massive treat or a little dusting of Sugar?

Now steady on Google! Only recently have I managed to obtain a working stable copy of 5.1 Lollipop.....and you're knocking this out? ? No sooner do I get my hands on something I could call working and up to date the big announcement came from Google Towers to say at all new Nexus Tablets will be getting this 'Marshmallow'. I hate Marshmallows. 
So not to waste too much of my valuable time on this I decided I would highlight the 'changes' and point out exactly what benefits an upgrade would bring.



#1: App Permissions
You will now have the ability to accept or deny individual Permissions when you like, an improvement that cannot be sniffed at.

#2: Customisable Chrome 'Tabs'
Allows Developers to build things into the web browser. Like a twitter posting button or Pintrest posting button or something along those lines. The benefits to me are not obvious, everyone else on the other hand who multitasks and ficks between Chrome browser something else then the advantages are clear.... Less time switching between apps, more productivity, faster posting youre stuff online etc etc. 

#3: Fingerprint recognition support
Hmmm.... A feature of limited use? Apparently Phones which support FPR will have the ability to make over the counter shop payments! My own personal experience with older FPR devices is strewn with bad memories. I will leave that topic there.

4#: Mobile Phone Payments
Apparently an improved version of Android Pay is included. So in essence you can pay for your shopping with your NFC enabled blower. (Like you can on Apple devices already) nah, not that interested myself at the moment.

#5: App Links

I feel another system polish coming to the fore with this offering as we see Google attempt to improve the 'Open With' dialogue which is displayed when you try and open something and Android can't work out which App to launch. Happens quite a bit normally as it happens but as a feature it seems a minor dusting of Sugar. 

#6: Battery life and Charging your device
Google has introduced a new feature called 'Doze' to 6.0. 
Using motion detection and some clever code your Tablet will miraculously start shutting down all unnecessary background processes when it realises youve finished using it.  It does this by using the gyroscope presumeably? Needless to say Google boffins have boasted they can get double the standby time on devices using this function. I'm liking the sound of this! 
This package also includes USB-C support.

#7 Copy and Paste improvements
Really? What's wrong with it now? It seems that some people struggle with interpreting what the symbols mean when copy/pasting?! Instead Goggle have added the words 'Copy' and 'Paste' and 'Cut' appear as if by magic.! 

Well if this collection of updates warrants a new release number and name then they need to try harder! As this release won't be featuring any big UI changes its seems like nothing more than an update. 

5.0 Lollipop was a huge overhaul of Android.... 6.0 is the Lollipop with a splash of perfume...