Watch Out for These New Cool Updates Coming to Your Android Devices

This year, Google wasted no time in coming up with new features that Android users will surely enjoy. So if you're a proud owner of an Android device or are planning to get one, you might want to know these huge updates that you will soon get to experience.

Google's pace of change has always been impressive, and expect that there will always be new updates like the ones below that you can look forward to on your Android device.

No More Now Launcher

With the fancy new Pixel Launcher basically doing the same job but with a slicker look, the Now Launcher will soon be no more. This however, will be a little frustrating for non-Pixel/Nougat users in the meantime, since the Pixel Launcher isn't yet in the know of everyone, but eventually switching to it may probably makes the most sense.

Offline Reading in Chrome

From Chrome 56 onwards, you will be able to save pages for offline reading simply by tapping the Chrome's menu icon at the upper-right corner, and then tapping the down arrow button (or Download button). The page will then be saved in the Downloads section of Chrome for your offline reading enjoyment.

Useful New Tab Page on Chrome

Another new and helpful feature you will see from Chrome 56 onwards is a New Tab page, which now shows your downloads (including those pages you saved for offline reading), recent bookmarks, and favorite websites. It's a marked improvement on the pretty barebones New Tab page that existed before and makes everything on Chrome that much more interclickable.

Progressive Web Apps

Progressive Web Apps have been Chrome's useful features since 2015, which lets users to add their favorite websites to their Android homescreen, provided the site in question meets certain usability criteria.

Google is now introducing its next stage, which will integrate your favorite websites deeper into Android. If a site develops one of these web apps, and then someone adds it to their home screen, it will now also appear in the user's app drawer (with fully customizable icons) and be treated by Android just like an app. This will allow users to access its App Info page, control its permissions, and have it interact with other apps.

Update to My Apps Screen

If you've owned an Android device for years, then it's safe to assume that you've built up a pile of apps linked to your account over the years. However, the current way the My Apps section of Play Store is designed fails to reflect that, as the only limited organization in it is to toggle between lists of installed and owned apps.

That's all changed with Play Store 7.4, and Google will now have three categories in the My Apps section, namely -- Updates, Installed, and Library. The important part here is that you'll now be able to organize your lists of apps alphabetically, by size, by Last Used, and by Last Update. You will also be able to open them directly from the list, as well as see their size.

4 Reliable Encryption Tools for Pre-Android Marshmallow Devices

If your Android device is running below version 6.0 Marshmallow, it's completely wide open since they weren't encrypted by default. This is fine since encryption isn't a life and death concern, and if you really wanted full encryption, you can do so on your Android device.

Below are some helpful tools that let you arm your pre-Marshmallow Android device with full encryption, which hopefully gets the job done. Check out which supplemental tools will best suit your encryption needs.

Andrognito 2

If you're searching to get your files encrypted on Android, Andrognito 2 is a great way to go. The great thing about this app is that you'll be able to use "military-grade" AES 256-bit encryption to secure your individual files. This means you don't have to worry about prying eyes getting access to your important data. This app also supports invisible mode, a "fake crash" mode to deceive unwanted users, dynamic PIN numbers, automatic backup, file import, and themes.

Boxcryptor

Do you have the need to encrypt something before you share it to a popular cloud storage service? Well that's possible with Boxcryptor. The app supports a multitude of storage providers (mainly Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive). When you lock up your file, it's secured and encrypted with the AES-256 algorithm, and both encryption and decryption is done directly on the device itself.

The free version just allows for basic encryption, but if you buy the Unlimited version of the app, you'll also be able to obfuscate individual filenames as well. Such a feature is incredibly useful when you're looking to secure your data and files from prying eyes.

Vault

Vault is a simple and pretty straightforward, unlike the other apps on this list. In fact, it's an easy-to-understand program, which is perfect for those who don't normally know a lot about encryption. However, if your goal is to just to protect different types of files, this application should be considered a serious contender.

The app supports pdfs, images, videos, and mp3 files. The encryption algorithm used is 256-bit AES, and it also supports password protection, as well as native camera support, automatic logout, break-in alarms, and even a stealth mode. If you need a basic encryption app, then you might just need Vault.

SSE

Even though SSE is not as modern as Andrognito 2, this app proves to be an entire encryption tool set for Android doesn't have to be. With SSE, you get more than just a file encryption tool -- you'll also get a vault to store all your important password information, a text encryption tool to lock up important documents, and the ability to encrypt entire directories or individual files.

In addition to that, the SSE encryption tool also comes with a secure password generation tool and a clipboard cleaner. Everything is run with particularly strong encryption algorithms, such as AES 256-bit, RC6 256-bit, Serpent 256-bit, Blowfish 448-bit, Twofish 256-bit, GOST 256-bit (and more in the pro version).

Apps and Gadgets You Need to Get a Good Night Sleep

Having enough hours of sleep is a huge privilege for anyone. Why? Because not everybody gets to enjoy it. Whether you use up most of your time in front of the TV or PC before going to sleep or you have a sleep disorder, not getting ample sleep hours can disrupt your life. If you are trying to swallow that sleeping pill as your cure for your sleep problems, you might want to choose the healthier way -- and techie that is.

There are lots of apps and gadgets that can help you sleep using different methods, like soothing sounds, hypnosis, meditation, colored lights and some other proven methods. Below we have listed six apps and gadgets that may help you sleep.

Apps to Help You Sleep

Check out these three apps that will help you get a good night sleep using different audio-based techniques.

Relax & Sleep Well Hypnosis

A self hypnosis and meditation app popularized by the famous British hypnotherapist Glenn Harold, Relax & Sleep Well basically consists of recordings of Glenn Harold on multiple self hypnosis types. The free version comes with a 29-minute self hypnosis recording for falling asleep with background sounds and Glenn's calming voice. You will also get a meditation music track of 639 hertz Solfeggio Sonic Meditation that will surely help you relax. As for the rest of the tracks, you will have to buy it as in-app purchases. They each cater to different self hypnosis and meditation needs like relaxing, losing weight, gaining confidence, staying happy, lucid dreams, and smoking cessation.

Relax & Sleep Well is compatible for iOS and Android devices.

Pzizz

The Pzizz app plays a different soundtrack each time you use it to help you relax and fall asleep using sounds, music, voices, and binaural beats all together. The makers of the app claims that it can solve insomnia using its unique random algorithm that generates a new sound track every time you use it. It also claims that there are more than 100 billion combinations, which means it's almost impossible for you to hear the same track twice. Aside from that, it gives full control over track duration (from 10 minutes to 12 hours) and controls individual voices/music/sounds and audio type like stereo or 3D. The best part is that the app is completely free to use now, although it was $9.99 before.

Android and iOS users can get this app.

Sleep Genius

Sleep Genius comes with tracks created using neurosensory algorithms that help your brain get ready to sleep and then guide it during the sleeping cycles. This enables you to sleep easily and deeply the whole night through. It also comes with a unique alarm that takes five minutes to wake you up energized using varying sounds. The app is primarily created for NASA astronauts to help them sleep while in space, and in a NASA 2015 annual publication it was a featured technology. You have to pay $9.99 to enjoy all of the features of Sleep Genius, including power naps and sleep tracking.

Android and iOS users can avail this app.

Gadgets to Help You Sleep

Here are three gadgets that help you sleep using different methods.

Withings Aura

The main function of Withings Aura is sleep tracking, but it also does a great job of helping you fall asleep. Aura comes with a sensor that tucks under your mattress, which tracks body movements, heart rate and breathing cycles, etc. Aura itself works as a lamp and releases light that stimulates melatonin (a hormone responsible for sleep), and it also has soothing soundtracks to help you sleep. If you want a good sleep tracker that also helps you sleep, then you might want to consider Aura.

Price: $299.95

BluBlocker

Do you know that the blue light coming from your PC or TV's screen affects melatonin hormone inversely and makes it hard to sleep afterwards? BluBlocker glasses block the blue light and also UV light to ensure you sleep easily after using a digital device and see things more clearly on them. They come in many styles to suit your styling needs.

Price: $99.95

Drift Light

Drift Light is a bulb that is designed to help you sleep well. This device emits blue light than regular bulbs and comes with a 37-minute dimming time (equal to a sunset) to help you go to sleep. The bulb is capable of emitting light equal to a 40 watt regular bulb, but it only uses 7 watts power.

Price: $24.95