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Although Microsoft did confirm the cosmetic changes that have been leaked about Windows 11, it managed to drop a few surprises on our laps today, some good, some bad, and some just puzzling. Its revelation that its next free Windows upgrade will support running Android apps may actually cover all those three cases. While the idea of being able to access your favorite mobile apps on your desktop or laptop might be exciting, the fact that it will be powered by Amazon's Android ecosystem could dampen a bit of that enthusiasm.

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Google Play Store is home to hundreds of apps and games, many of which you probably wouldn't have discovered on your own. Many of those you might not even be interested in trying because of the upfront price tag attached. As a promotion strategy as well added source of revenue for Google and developers, Google Play Pass offers these Android experiences for free in exchange for a monthly fee. That subscription service, clearly meant to rival Apple Arcade, has now expanded its reach both in the number of countries it is available in as well as the number of games it offers.

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The University of Exeter has published a brain-training app for Android and iOS called 'Food Trainer' that is designed to help users break their junk food habits. Data from the app was used for a new study on whether this kind of brain-training application can actually improve one's eating habits -- and, according to the researchers, it can.

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This morning Niantic revealed information about Pokemon GO Fest 2021, a celebration of the 5th anniversary of the launch of Pokemon GO! This event will feature a drastically reduced price for tickets, apparently thanks to the fact that this is, indeed, the 5th anniversary of the game. Instead of $15, tickets this year will be $5.

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When Huawei got slapped with severe US sanctions, it took down its many subsidiaries and business with it. That included Honor, which was expected to be a rising star before that fate befell its parent company. Late last year, Honor officially and legally cut its ties with Huawei, which freed it to make partnerships that the larger company couldn't. That seems to be true with Qualcomm, whose Snapdragon chip will power the upcoming Honor 50 series. Whether that phone will also see the return of Google Play apps and services, however, is still up in the air.

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Google released a notice today about the future of Android and user data transparency. While not a direct response to Apple's update with iOS 14.5 - at least not explicitly - Google's "pre-announcement" of an upcoming safety section in Google Play should effectively keep the two operating systems in-step on several privacy-centric fronts. The new section in Google Play for Android apps will "help people understand the data an app collects or shares, if that data is secured, and additional details that impact privacy and security."

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Google revealed a new Android tablet experience called Entertainment Space in May of 2021. This new experience - a new home screen replacement of sorts - is a different approach to Android. It's difficult to see what they presented with Entertainment Space without thinking about Amazon's series of Fire Tablet devices and their take on Android. The software, as Google showed it on May 5, 2021, centers on Google-hosted media - everything from the Google Play app store, books store, videos, shows, and games.

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Google released the schedule of events set for Google I/O 2021, including keynotes, sessions, and breakouts of several sorts. On the first day of Google I/O 2021, Google will deliver sessions and keynotes in three key areas: Android, Google Play, and "web platform." They also have Chrome in the title of events on the schedule - same for "Wear", but they're not part of the big three on day 1.

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It would appear that Google has a new way to share files in the mix with Android. Per the latest version of Google Play Services and some creative work looking at the code for the system, Nearby Share with "everyone mode" is nearly ready for the pubic. This update would add "Everyone" to device visibility right next to "Contacts" and "Hidden" in Nearby Share.

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Google is notorious for having a handful of overlapping and sometimes redundant messaging platforms but it seems to be a trait shared by almost all of the company's digital content services. Until just last year, YouTube Music and Play Music competed for attention and subscriptions and Google also had multiple news and magazine apps. It has recently also been trying to consolidate its videos and movies catalog and it is Google Play Movies & TV that will be getting the short end of the stick, especially on some smart TV brands.

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A new and malicious Android malware was discovered on the Google Play Store. The malware was disguised as a Netflix content enabling app called "FlixOnline." The malware spreads itself via malicious automatic replies to WhatsApp messages sent to the user. Payloads for the malware are received from a remote command and control server.

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When Apple launched its Arcade subscription service, it was expected that Google would also soon follow suit. Unlike Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, in theory, includes not just games but also apps, though the focus, unsurprisingly, has been on the entertainment side of mobile software. So when Google announced the new members of its growing Google Play Pass family, it's no surprise that they are almost all made up of games, ranging from some obscure titles to popular hits like Dead Cells.

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