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Aviate's 'Smart Stream' is Yahoo's version of Google Now
Yahoo has given Aviate its first major makeover since acquiring it in 2014, completely replacing its contextual panel called "Spaces" with a new feature called "Smart Stream." This "stream" surfaces different cards throughout the day, depending on your location and activity. Sound familiar? Yep, the company might not admit it, but it's obviously Mayer and team's answer to Google Now. According to its official announcement, a card can pop up with nearby restos once you walk into a different city or town. It can also show live scores of games you've been waiting for and can put music apps to the top of the app list when you plug in a pair of headphones. Unfortunately, a quick peek at the reviews on Google Play shows that a lot of users aren't happy with the drastic change -- one reviewer even exclaimed "We don't need another Google Now!" After all, people who do like Google Now will use it instead of something that looks like it.
Yahoo's Android home screen adds search outside of the US
Aviate's contextual home screen was clever, but if you didn't live in the US, you weren't able to search the web without opening a browser window. Now the app has finally -- perhaps belatedly -- added the feature to the platform to everyone whose addresses don't end in America. If you're not caught up, Aviate is an Android home screen that changes through the day to suit your needs, showing you weather information as you get up and travel tips when you leave for work. Yahoo picked up the company at the start of 2014 and launched it under the name Yahoo Aviate the following June. It's free to download from Google Play, as always, and will work everywhere, oh, except China.
Aviate's ever-changing Android home screen is now available to everyone
Just several months after it first surfaced, Aviate's self-organizing Android home screen is now available to everyone, with no invitation required. The finished launcher remains focused on presenting just the apps and info you need at the time you need them. You may get news when you're at home in the morning, navigation apps during your commute or restaurant reviews when out at night. It also categorizes apps to help you find them a little sooner, and plugging in your headphones will both show relevant apps as well as online content related to the tracks you're playing.
Yahoo acquires Aviate to build context-sensitive Android apps
That was quick -- Aviate hasn't even finished developing its context-aware Android home screen, and it's already an acquisition target. Yahoo has announced at CES that it's buying Aviate for an undisclosed amount; the web giant wants to use Aviate's simplified, ever-changing interface as a "central part" of its Android software in 2014. While it's not clear just what that entails, the launcher replacement will live on for the foreseeable future -- in fact, the first 25,000 people to use the code "YAHOO" will get into the ongoing private beta.
Aviate for Android enters private beta, adapts your home screen to your lifestyle (hands-on)
ThumbsUp Labs believes that our smartphone screens are too messy -- we have to wade through pages of apps to find just the right tool at a given moment. The company hopes to clean things up by releasing the private beta of Aviate, an Android launcher that builds context-aware home screens and task-oriented "Spaces" based on app data and locations. It will show news apps and weather when you're at home in the morning, for example, but switch to travel-friendly apps and check-in shortcuts when you head out. The launcher will also recommend new apps for given categories based on popularity and the user's habits. While only Aviate's alpha testers will get first crack at the beta, each of those early adopters can now invite five friends; the company is also offering beta access to the first 500 people who use the code "ENGADGET" to sign up. Check out our hands-on after the break. Update: Invitation codes have run out! If you're the giving kind, please share any invitations in the comments.