There are a number of great launchers for those who like to customize their Android phones from top to bottom. Yahoo’s Aviate launcher is now a whole lot smarter, thanks to a new feature called Smart Stream, which refreshes with relevant content throughout your day.
Much like Google Now, Yahoo’s Smart Stream relies on context to bring you the most important information exactly when you need it. Since Aviate is your new home screen, you’ll see up-to-the-minute information as soon as you unlock your phone. Over time, Smart Stream starts to learn your preferences and gets smarter the more you use it. It’ll bring up information from all your favorite apps based on where you are, the time of day, and other factors.
So if you’re walking around town at lunch time, the Smart Stream will show you a bunch of good places to eat nearby. If your favorite team is playing, it’ll send you live score updates. Should you plug in your headphones, it’ll bring up your music apps. In the event that Smart Stream gets it wrong, you can always search for the app you’re looking for on the Focus menu, which is right next to the search bar.
The Smart Stream feature replaces Aviate’s Spaces section, and while some are sure to love the update, many of those who have been using Aviate for a while now are upset by the change, and are venting their feelings on the Google Play Store with many one-star reviews.
Although Aviate’s new feature is a lot like Google Now, Yahoo’s Smart Stream has a different look and a few additional features that may appeal to many Android users. If you’re interested, keep in mind that it’s only available to English users in the U.S. with phones running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and up. You can download it now from the Google Play Store.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.