Control your phone with your face

Plus my favorite geeky goodies  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [The Hustle logo]()​ This sounds completely crazy, I know — but I can summon my Android phone's notification panel by rolling my eyes. No joke. I can zap back to my most recently used app by raising my eyebrows, too. And I can head back to my home screen simply by smiling. This may all seem like a combination of science fiction and the ramblings of a madman. But while I can't completely deny the latter, I swear: This is 100% real. And it's something you can do, too — on virtually any Android phone this second, with about 90 seconds of simple setup. I'll show ya the secret in this week's Things to Try section, below, and also introduce you to a neat new resource I've been eager to share with you for a while now — a sprawling collection of my favorite geeky goodies and some super-personal thoughts on why I love 'em so much. This issue's gonna be a fun one. Let's get into it, shall we? [JR Raphael, Author] JR A quick programming note... 👋 I'll be taking a handful of days off for a short spring break with my family next week (whether they like it or not!). ⛔ That means there'll be no new Android Intelligence newsletter next Friday, while I attempt to disconnect a bit and recharge my rusty ol' noggin. 📅 We'll pick back up with our regularly scheduled programming the following week, on March 18th. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 30 seconds [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Your phone may soon set its own custom launch phrases ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: How awesome would it be if instead of relying on "Hey Google," your phone intelligently detected what phrases you naturally say to demand its attention — and then automatically started responding to those? Based on a newly surfaced patent, that could one day happen. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Google recently filed a patent for "automated assistant interaction prediction using fusion of visual and audio input," and my goodness, does it have some interesting stuff. - The patent acknowledges that requiring us all to bark out the same standard launch phrase for an assistant can be "cumbersome" and suggests replacing those "hot words" with "hot commands" (ooh, baby!). - The commands could involve Android recognizing what phrases you say or even what facial expressions or gazing patterns you make (topical, no?!) and then mapping those movements to specific actions on your phone — all based on your interpreted intent. - There's a ton of uncertainty over how exactly this would work and how well it'd work, too, but it sure seems significant that the effort is underway and something we could conceivably experience. 📌 READ MORE: Peruse [the full patent filing]() or skim over [this smart summary](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. The dream of Android apps on Windows is dead ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft raised plenty of eyebrows when it announced it was adding support for Android apps on Windows a while back — but now, the company is killing off the concept before it ever fully got off the ground. 🔎 KNOW MORE: This move could have been consequential not only from a Windows perspective but also for the Android ecosystem as a whole. - By bringing Android apps into the world's dominant desktop operating system, Microsoft stood to significantly expand our platform's reach and give developers extra incentive to prioritize Android development in order to address that larger audience. - We all know many companies tend to treat iOS apps as a priority, and this could have — at least in theory — gone a long way toward leveling that field. - Unfortunately, Microsoft partnered with Amazon on the effort and offered direct access only to the Amazon Appstore, which has a small and subpar selection of often outdated titles. In contrast to the full and quite advantageous Play Store presence on ChromeOS, it's not entirely surprising that that offering failed to catch on. 📌 READ MORE: Gaze uponst [Microsoft's terse announcement]( — and join me in pouring one out for this short-lived, ill-fated experiment. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Google's got a new app market in the works ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Well, how's this for a transition? While the idea of Android apps on Windows is fizzling, Google's gearing up to introduce a whole new kind of app market for its own desktop platform. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Android apps have been available to install on Chromebooks for nearly eight years now, but the reality of app discovery on ChromeOS remains a murky mess. - Chromebooks currently support Android apps along with regular web apps, progressive web apps, Linux apps, and in some cases even Windows apps (!). - I've been writing for years about how this makes for a fantastic (and woefully underappreciated) practical advantage but also for an overwhelmingly convoluted experience of trying to figure out which type of app to use in what scenario and where to find it. - After working toward turning the Play Store into an all-purpose hub for all kinds of app discovery — a move that was poised to expand onto Android as well — Google now seems ready to launch a new ChromeOS-specific "App Mall" that'd bring all these options together into a single streamlined space specific to Chromebooks. 📌 READ MORE: Get [an early peek at the "App Mall" concept]( and then look back to [this analysis]( of how we got into this mess and how Google almost fixed it in a much simpler way. SPONSORED MESSAGE FREE RESOURCE: 100 ChatGPT prompts for work 💪 [Man cheering in front of "Game changer" sign]()​ ChatGPT has been a total game-changer, eliminating rote work and skyrocketing productivity for savvy professionals. But how can you make the most of this powerful tool? ​[Download the free guide: How to Use ChatGPT at Work](), by HubSpot! Created by the same folks who write The Hustle (read by 3+ million professionals), it’s your crash course to effectively leverage ChatGPT in your job: 💡 Understand the what’s, why’s, and how’s of ChatGPT’s capabilities 🙌 Discover practical applications, efficiency hacks, and best practices 🚀 Learn ChatGPT email composition, content generation, data analysis — more ➜[Ready to work smarter, not harder? Download How to Use ChatGPT at Work today!]()​ [​ACCESS 100 INSANELY USEFUL CHATGPT PROMPTS​ ➜]() ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Control your phone with your face My friend, prepare to feel like you're from the future. ➜ This sounds insane, I realize, but Android has a laughably easy way for you to control your phone....with your face. ⌚ All you've gotta do is take roughly 90 seconds to set the system up, and you can then fly around your device and make all sorts of stuff happen with a series of simple face movements — a glance in a certain direction, a coy-looking eyebrow raise, even a subtle smile. It is truly a wild thing to experience. And it works almost shockingly well. - The system is technically considered an accessibility feature — and while it's easy to see how it'd be invaluable for someone who doesn't have fine control of their limbs or appendages, it can also be a worthwhile tool for just about anyone. - All novelty aside, think about the advantage of interacting with your phone like this when you're cooking, working out, or in any other position where reaching out and swiping around on your screen wouldn't be practical. - Best of all? The whole setup is already built right into Android, and it couldn't be much easier to get going. 📌 [Head over to my in-depth guide]() to try it out this instant. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Find a speedy new way to scan with your phone 'Twas a time, not so long ago, when scanning a physical document required the use of a large, patience-testing machine called "a scanner." (Creative naming, I know.) These days, you can capture a high-quality scan with nothing more than the phone in your pantaloons and/or pursey-pouch. And now, you've got an extra-speedy option to do exactly that on your favorite Android companion. ➜ Following up on [its recent addition of a simple text-scanning feature in Gboard](, Google's now in the midst of rolling out the ability to scan an entire document with a couple quick taps in its Google Files app. ⌚ Once you have the option in front of you, it'll take a whopping seven seconds to use: - Just open up the Files app and look for the newly added Scan button in the app's lower-right corner. - Tap it, then position any paper within the viewfinder. - The app will then automatically find and photograph the paper and give you a neatly cropped scan along with tools to make additional adjustments. [The Files by Google app's scanning interface] [A scanned document in the Files by Google app] 📌 You can [grab the Google Files app for free in the Play Store](=), if it isn't already present on your phone. (And if you aren't seeing the Scan button within it yet, check back in a few days. It should show up for you soon!) --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Share in the joy of my favorite geeky goodies As someone who constantly chews over and obsesses over all sorts of titillating technology, alleged humans are always asking me about my favorite stuff — what sorts of gizmos and gadgets I actually use in my own day-to-day life and recommend to my friends and family. So after approximately 744 years of writing about this stuff, I decided to put together a definitive answer. ➜ It's a sprawling guide to all of my favorite geeky goodies — everything from Android-associated devices and accessories to core computer components, home office must-haves, and the rare smart home products that are actually worth owning. ⌚ There's an awful lot of awesomeness here, but it shouldn't take you more than maybe five minutes to at least scan through it all. (And I'll update this page regularly, too, as new or different devices come into the mix for me.) 📌 [Check out my favorite geeky goodies for yourself]( — and let me know what else you would add into the list! [] ​ [And Just for Funsies...] A fun new topic came up in our [Intelligence Insider Community]( this week, courtesy of the great @iJohnK — and that's the subject of how billionaires organize their workspaces. I don't know about you, but I'm endlessly fascinated by seeing how other people set up their stuff. It's true for virtual environments like home screens, and it's absolutely true for physical spaces like our desks. To me, seeing the way someone sets stuff up is both fun and illuminating. It tells you something about that person's personality, and once in a while, it even inspires you with a new idea you can put to use. The thread includes everything from the humble, homey workspace of Bill Gates.... [A photo of Bill Gates' present-day workspace] ...to the fuss-free setup of confirmed cyborg Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. [Mark Zuckerberg workspace] ​ And, of course, it offers up a glimpse at the surprisingly mundane (if presumably still magical) surroundings of a certain Steve Jobs. [Steve Jobs workspace] ​ Beyond just billionaires, folks from our community have been adding fun photos of their own workspaces into the mix. So while I'm far from being a billionaire or even a nillionaire myself, in the spirit of sharing, I give you this rarely seen peek at my personal view from the celebrated (if suspiciously musty) The Intelligence International Headquarters, here in the basement of my humble home: [A photo of JR's desk] ​ The real clutter is off to the left, where photography is strictly prohibited. See ya in two weeks Remember: No new Android Intelligence issue next Friday, while I'll be attempting to recharge and enjoy a little rest and relaxation with my adoring tolerant family. You will still get a tops tips digest on Monday, though, as well as a new Cool Tools tip from my colleague and companion Chris on Wednesday. Have yourself a wonderful several days, won't ya? I'll see ya right back here for even more Googley goodness on the week of the 18th. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. 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