SH18 Google Updates: Get a silly-cheap Google Home Mini and score free apps

AFTER A COUPLE of weeks off to reflect, the Google Updates column is back and we're returning to its roots. When we started, the idea was to mop up Google stories that we hadn't been able to cover off elsewhere.

As time has gone on and pressures of time have gone on, we realised we were relying more and more on recapping the stories that we'd already done which is pretty stupid as they're all here.

So starting now, we're going back to finding the bits you may have missed. We're also going back to a new article every week as the feedback was telling us that the continuous format was proving difficult to read. It was also a pig to compile, as it goes.

The one thing that survives is our "apps gone free" section at the end.

On the Pixel range…

It feels like we ought to have an entire section called "what LG got wrong this week". Fortunately(?) we don't have time to set one up, so instead, let's just mention that the Pixel Earbuds have arrived on UK shores ready to be in shops and in your ears by Black Friday. Reactions have been mixed so far, to say the least, compared to the audible gasps and whooping that greeted their announcement. We tried to use the Fast Pair feature on our review set last night. It took 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, as the Pixelbook begins to appear, an advert for it was blocked for violating YouTube's terms of service.

But! Let us not forget that the epic and wonderful Google Home Mini (a far superior beast to even the Google Home in our humble opinion) is just £34 over the Black Friday fortnight (uh…) including the Google online store which has it in Coral, which is slightly less bright red than we thought. Sort of reddy-orangey-pink. Coral coloured.

Security PSA

Another ICYMI moment, this time a warning that the exploit that allows hackers to exploit the "toast" pop-up service in all but the most recent Android versions (it was patched in September) has been seen in the wild and causing big problems.

Watch out for things (in the Play Store) called "app installers". Many have fake reviews that promise more than they deliver. They hold a payload called CLICKAMIGO which simulates ad-clicks to generate money for the hacker. It'll slow your phone down, use your data, and if it can do this, it can do far worse.

Apps gone free

So this is where we point you towards (usually) three apps in the Play Store that you'd normally have to shell out coin for, but are temporarily on sale at zero pounds. Please note that Incisive Media has no control over these apps, the offer is completely in the hands of the developer.

Spanish by MosLingua (£4.99): Psssst… wanna learn a language? Yeah? Want it to be Spanish? Cool. MosLingua do a range of courses in different languages, and occasionally make one of them free. Today it's Spanish. So ¡Quítate ese gusano pulmonar, no soy ese tipo de helecho! And I think we all know what that means.

Music Translator (Recognition) (£0.59): Popular hit paradist Charlie Puth has perfect pitch and recorded most of his album by humming into his phone and transcribing it later. If you don't, perhaps you need this. As long as you can sing it, or play it, this app will turn it into stave or tab notation. How well it works will depend entirely on your singing, we expect.

Cloze Test Generator (£1.79): If you've ever been asked to make a _________ in your ______ for your ________ or _________ to get a grip on, you'll wish you had _______ to help the _________ go in more easily. This one has _______ and the results can be sent straight to your __________ by the _____________ in case you need a course of __________.