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'Fall Guys' update adds new levels, game modes and nicknames
Fall Guys Season 2: Medieval Knockout is available now.
Google app update lets Android users add nicknames for contacts
If you've got someone in your contacts list who's a real jerk, Google now lets you call them by saying just that. Thanks to an update to the Google app on Android, you can give those folks nicknames. The feature was already live for some, but it seems to be available for everyone now (just showed up for me). This means when you say "Call Jerk Face," or use something other term of endearment, your phone will dial them automatically. Upon further examination of the APK, the folks at Android Police discovered Mountain View is progressing towards the Trusted Voice feature that surfaced a few versions ago. That Smart Lock tool will seemingly allow you to unlock a device with a spoken phrase. There's also mention of something called Seamless Hotword, but for now, the name is about the only detail we've seen. If you're not sporting the latest version yet, it's available for download over at Google Play. The more adventurous can snag the APK right here.
Google + Nicknames = Hilarity
Google's so desperate for the boys to come to its yard that it won't be long before it buys a milkshake factory. Until then, it's relaxing its ban on nicknames for Google+ users: now amusingly nicknamed composer W.G. "Snuffy" Walden can get back to being himself. Just remember that any name change will carry through Google's entire online service, so try to avoid anything too raunchy if you also use Gmail for work. If you use a pseudonym (say "Madonna") then you'll have to submit scanned copies of you getting papped in Hollywood before you'll be able to use your assumed name. The service will be quietly rolling out to users in the next week, to add your own hilarious nickname, just edit your profile's name and hit the More Options text to the right.
Call me Ishmael: creating a Siri nickname for yourself
Surely you've heard the joke. You tell Siri, "Call me an ambulance" and Siri responds, "From now on, I'll call you, 'An Ambulance', Okay?" As Leanna Lofte points out in a great writeup over at the iPhone Blog, that this joke can actually be of practical use. You can create a more friendly identity for yourself by telling Siri to call you by your nickname, or simply indulge your monomaniacal streak by instructing her to call you "Master" or "Emperor" or similar. Siri does this by checking out two fields in your primary Contacts entry. The Nickname field takes priority. When you say "Call me 'Master,'" Siri updates your nickname field directly. Keep in mind, though, that the nickname field is considered a canonical part of your contact information, and Fury.com pointed out that if you were to send your vCard to someone else they would see that you prefer to be known as 'Master' -- which, depending on who you like to share contacts with, could be a good thing or a bad thing. Another way to achieve the same result, without adding a nickname to your entry, is to use the phonetic guide fields in your contact record. The Phonetic First Name and Phonetic Last Name fields have been around for quite a while in iOS and OS X. They help you pronounce people's names while calling them. For example, you might enter "Ser Hee Yo" for a contact named Sergio. Siri now uses those fields to override the default pronunciation of your name, as well as for any other contacts that have unusual name pronunciations. You can add these fields in iOS by tapping Edit, scrolling down to Add Field, and then choosing one of the phonetic options.
