Notes from Google Play: wrapping up 2024

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Reflecting on 2024, looking ahead to 2025

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DJI Mavic Air: could this be the definitive drone?

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DJI showcased its new Mavic Air drone in New York. The third quadcopter in this series is of similar quality to its predecessors and can also fold its arms for better portability. For its size, no competitor offers so much in terms of photo quality. Release date and price The DJI Mavic Air can be ordered through the official DJI website  and is also available from other retailers. The drone is available in three colors: marengo grey, white and red. We can buy the Mavic Air in a basic pack with remote control, protections, charger, cover, propeller replacement and a battery from US$799 (£769 in the UK). Often, one battery is not enough so there is a more complete pack available with three batteries, charger for four batteries and two propeller replacements from $999 (£949 in the UK). The red model reminds me of a Porsche. / © AndroidPIT Design and build quality In essence, it is th...
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How Google Maps Made The Navigation Industry “Sweat”

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The arrival of contemporary smartphones and mobile apps in the late 2000s didn't just fundamentally change what consumers expect from their handsets, it also ended up disrupting a wide variety of industries, with mobile navigation being its first target.  Founded in 1999, Santa Clara, California-based Telenav was enjoying a relatively successful first decade of existence, having worked with major U.S. carriers such as AT&T and Sprint on offering navigation services. Following the arrival of Google Maps, it suddenly found itself having to rethink its flagship product after after Google's solution, offering a comparable navigation service free of charge, became available on every new smartphone.  "It made the industry sweat quite a bit at the time," Telenav Executive Director of Strategy Ky Tang recalled in an interview with Android Headlines, asserting Google Maps had changed the navigation game significantly. At a time when smartphones were enjoying massive globa...
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Google’s Pixel Buds gain new gesture controls

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Rocking a pair of Pixel Buds? Then you'll be glad to know that Google just announced it has added new gestures to your earphones. The new controls are accessible when you're using your Pixel Buds in concert with your Pixel phone or any other Android phone that has the Google Assistant on it. The Pixel Buds get more versatile Starting this week, Pixel Buds owners can manually turn their earphones on or off by triple tapping on the right earbud. Make sure you remember it's the right earbud, not the left or the feature won't work. Furthermore, Google makes it easier to skip to the next track by double tapping on the right earbud. Until now using this gesture would have allowed you to hear notifications. The good news is that Google lets you choose what exactly the double tap gesture will do. So if you want to continue using the double tapping action to hear notifications you can. Google allows you to set up your Pixel Buds the way you want it via the ...
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Telenav Seeks Disruption With Free In-Car Services

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Location-based solution provider Telenav is seeking to disrupt the in-car services industry with a new monetization platform designed to offer a variety of in-car services such as free navigation to consumers and monetize them through advertising. Originally announced at Las Vegas, Nevada-based Consumer Electronics Show in January, Telenav's offering is effectively targeted at bringing the ad-supported software business model that already proved its worth in the mobile industry to the in-vehicle tech segment. The company's internal studies and a number of independent surveys suggest the vast majority of consumers "would prefer free in-car services monetized through ads rather than pay for them" like they would traditionally, Telenav Executive Director of Strategy Ky Tang told AndroidHeadlines in an interview. Telenav says its in-car solution can be applied to a wide variety of use cases and technologies that consumers have come to expect from contemporary vehicles....
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