Droid Life

Pioneer's New In-Dash Receivers Support Wireless Android Auto, Start at $699

Tim — Fri, 25 May 2018 09:09:22 +0000

Pioneer announced a new lineup on in-dash receivers last night, all of which support Android Auto. Not only do they support Google's mobile platform for cars, but they support it wirelessly, meaning there is no need to always plug your phone into your vehicle to initiate Android Auto. For model numbers, we have AVIC-W8400NEX ($1199), AVIC-W6400NEX ($799), and AVH-W4400NEX ($699). The top of the line unit is the 8400, coming in at $1200. For that price, you get a DVD/CD receiver with 7" color touchscreen, Bluetooth, remote control, Miracast capability, Apple CarPlay support (in addition to the Android Auto), built-in navigation, lossless FLAC audio file support via flash drive, plus plenty of expandability via various ports and inputs. Thanks to Android Auto's support of Google Assistant, you can now control basically all aspects of your smart ecosystem from within your car. Let's say you're on your way home from work and you want to make sure the heater is on at home, getting it all toasty for you. To do so, simply tell Google Assistant in Android Auto to set your smart thermostat to a certain temperature. Naturally, you'll need some type of hub, such as a Google Home, as well as the smart thermostat to get that functionality. If you're looking to upgrade your vehicle, check these head units out. Purchase Links

// Pioneer

LG G7 ThinQ Now Up for Pre-Order at Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint

Kellen — Fri, 25 May 2018 08:22:10 +0000

The LG G7 ThinQ is up for pre-order at all of the major US carriers that decided to sell it. That would mean everyone except AT&T, who passed on the device for a re-make of the V30 later this year. The prices you'll find at Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are all pretty comparable, but T-Mobile does ask that you pay $30 as a down payment up front. T-Mobile is also running a BOGO deal, where they'll spread the cost of the 2nd phone out over 2 years. Verizon will give you $100 off in monthly bill credits if you buy it on a payment plan. And Sprint is doing a lease one, get one deal that also works as a bill credit scheme. In case you were wondering how I feel about carrier bill credit schemes, check this out. The G7 ThinQ is by all means a solid phone with all of the right specs. It even has a notch! Tim has been deep into one for a couple of weeks now, offered up the first 10 things you should do with one, plus some tips and tricks. His review will be up shortly. With pre-orders live, launch day for the G7 ThinQ is June 1. LG G7 ThinQ Pre-order Links:

Verizon ($31.25/mo, $750 retail)
T-Mobile ($30 down + $30/mo, $750 retail)
Sprint ($33/mo, $792 retail)

Moto G6 Now Available From Verizon for $240

Kellen — Fri, 25 May 2018 08:07:32 +0000

The Moto G6 is making a slow push into the US, starting with Verizon. Big Red is now offering Motorola's latest mid-tier G line family member at a monthly price of $10 or $240 at full retail. To recap, the Moto G6 sports a 5.7-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display, Snapdragon 450 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (with SD support), 3000mAh battery (with fast charging), fingerprint reader, headphone jack, and dual rear cameras (12MP + 5MP). That's a decent spec list for a $240 phone, especially when you consider the premium design. However, there is a Moto G6 Plus with a real upgrade in specs that Motorola has decided not to sell in the US. That's too bad. Either way, the Moto G6 is first available at Verizon from what I can tell, and the $240 price is cheaper than the $250 Motorola plans to sell it at. Buy Verizon Moto G6

Report: Essential Cancels Next Phone as Company is Put Up for Sale (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 24 May 2018 15:02:16 +0000

Oh no, the end for Essential as we know it may be near, guys. According to a report out of Bloomberg, Essential has canceled the Essential Phone 2 and is looking to sell itself. The report says that Essential has hired Credit Suisse Group AG to advise on a potential sale and may already have interest from at least one suitor. There isn't a specific reason given for Andy Rubin's company deciding that now would be the time to sell and a spokesperson would not comment about the future of the company to Bloomberg. But look, the original Essential Phone was a bust by all means. You know that weird people like me love it, but the phone was filled with all sorts of issues and required a steep and permanent price drop almost immediately in order for the company to move any inventory. Maybe the risk and cost of continuing on just isn't worth it. For now, Essential is said to be looking to sell the entire company, including talent, patents, and hardware products. The report notes that Essential maybe only sold around 150,000 Essential Phones and spent more than $100 million developing it, as well as their other products. And speaking of their other products, Essential has reportedly moved their phone engineers over to their yet-to-be-released smart home product that was teased a year ago. Ugh. This is pretty terrible news. While the original Essential Phone has its fair share of issues, it was something fresh in a sea of bloated Android phones from the same phone makers we've been critiquing for years. Should we learn more, we'll keep you updated. UPDATE: Andy Rubin has already weighed-in, basically confirming that they have indeed canceled their new phone. His Tweet is obviously in response to the just-released report and acknowledges that the company doesn't shy away from ending the life of a product to shift focus. What's interesting here is that he suggests they are putting extra effort into "game-changing" products, which they must believe is their smart home hub. UPDATE 2: The Information picked up an internal email from Rubin to Essential employees where he said that they are "working with bankers to raise money," and that an acquisition might be a part of the discussions. He also seemed miffed by the Bloomberg story above, saying that leaks like that "will not position us well for optimizing" their fundraising efforts and that he is "going to focus on winning not whining." // Bloomberg

VPNhub is a Free VPN Service From Your Friends at Pornhub

Kellen — Thu, 24 May 2018 14:36:43 +0000

This isn't a joke - Pornhub, the site you'll probably deny knowing about as you read this, launched a free VPN service today on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. Seriously, they did! It's called VPNhub and it's not just a porn masker, although, one could use it for just that if they so choose. With VPNhub, you get "free and unlimited" VPN access with privacy that includes hiding your IP and security on public WiFi connections. The free version is limited to a single US server, so you may not see the best speeds on the planet. There are ads involved too. If you want to upgrade out of ads and get access to more servers (including outside of the US) and faster connections, there is indeed a premium tier. Along with the better server selection and lack of ads, VPNhub Premium includes 24/7 support. You can cancel it at any time too. VPNhub Premium costs $11.99 per month. We've got the Google Play link below. For Windows and Mac apps, hit up that source link. Google Play Link // VPNhub

Samsung Teams With Disney Again to Offer 'Incredibles' for AR Emoji

Tim — Thu, 24 May 2018 14:28:48 +0000

Yay, new AR Emoji content! Samsung announced this week that it has partnered with Disney yet again to offer a new pack of goods to owners of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. With this new Incredibles pack, you can turn yourself into Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, Jack-Jack, and Super Frozone. To get them loaded onto your phone, open the camera’s AR Emoji mode, tap the plus icon on the right-hand side, then select the Incredibles AR Emoji pack from the Galaxy Apps Store. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Incredibles 2 opens in theaters on June 15. // Samsung

Google Play Movies Gets a Fresh New Look...on Roku

Kellen — Thu, 24 May 2018 12:05:00 +0000

Google Play Movies & TV is getting a brand new UI that is (for now) only coming to Roku devices. We aren't sure why the limit to Roku, but that's what we're working with. In this new UI, Google is deploying a "simpler" navigation with a nav bar on the left side to help you jump between the various pages of Play Movies, including your favorites. There is now a dedicated TV page for the TV obsessed homies, a better browsing by genre, and an overall modern coat of paint. You can see what it looks like above. Google says to expect it on all Roku devices over the next "few" days. // Google

VIDEO: 20+ LG G7 Tips and Tricks

Tim — Thu, 24 May 2018 09:16:05 +0000

We're getting close to posting up our complete G7 ThinQ review, but before that can happen, it's customary for us to provide you with a detailed tips and tricks video for your viewing pleasure. I know most, if not all of you, don't have this phone in your own hands yet, but if you do plan on picking up a G7 when it's launched next week, this video will get you on the right track for mastering the essentials. We go over the HiFi Quad DAC settings, customizing a ton of the display options, tweaking the Floating Bar, plus a whole lot more. Again, be on the lookout for our LG G7 review coming soon.

And Now Verizon's Galaxy Note 8, S8, and S8+ are Getting May's Security Patch

Kellen — Thu, 24 May 2018 08:46:44 +0000

Yesterday, T-Mobile and Samsung pushed out May's Android security patch to the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8+. Today, Verizon has joined the party by updating all three of its versions of those phones too. For the software builds, the Galaxy Note 8 will see version N950USQS4CRE1, while the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will receive G950USQS3CRE2 and G955USQS3CRE2, respectively. That's the only item included in these updates. To check for them, head into Settings>System updates. // Verizon [2] [3]

YouTube App Gets a Better, Collapsable Mini Player When Browsing

Kellen — Thu, 24 May 2018 08:24:43 +0000

Google is rolling out a subtle, but excellent little change to YouTube on Android. Previously, when you were watching a video and decided to continue browsing, the video would shrink to the bottom right corner as a mini player. While this was originally a pretty good addition to the app, it wasn't great in that it often covered up quite a bit of screen real estate. Now, with today's change, you get a smaller, less-intrusive bar in its place. You can see the change in the images throughout the post, where you'll get a mini player that displays as a bar across the bottom of the app, just above the navigation. You get play and "X" buttons, but you can also swipe it down to dismiss it at any time. Tapping on it or swiping up will expand it again too. What about picture-in-picture? That hasn't changed. If you are playing a video in the mini player bar and tap home, the video then expands to its normal picture-in-picture size. This change seems to be widely rolling out now. Be on the lookout. Google Play Link

NVIDIA SHIELD TV Gets Update to Android 8.0 Oreo With New UI

Kellen — Thu, 24 May 2018 07:14:30 +0000

Both NVIDIA SHIELD TV units are getting a major update to Android 8.0 "Oreo" today, as well as to SHIELD Experience 7.0, that will completely change your experience. This is the new layout of Android TV that Google's Nexus Player has been running for months and certainly takes some getting used to. The UI is now setup sort of like a TV guide, in that the home screen still has an Apps section at the top, but then rolls down into a program guide powered by apps. It's like Google showing you recommendations of content from HBO NOW, Netflix, Google Play Movies, YouTube, or Hulu. Google calls them "Channels," because it really is like a TV guide layout. There is also a "Play Next" section that offers up selections from a variety of sources. Here, this is what it looks like:

In addition to the 8.0 update, Google Assistant should now have the 6 new voices that Google showed off at Google I/O, as well as support for Arlo cameras, Ikea Tradfri, LG Smart appliances, UPS, Dunkin' Donuts, and more. As for other release notes, read the following:

The latest monthly Android security updates

Quick access to Settings when you’re on the home screen by holding the Back button

Support for high polling rate gaming mice for NVIDIA GameStream

Improved support for game controllers:

Customize SHIELD controller thumbstick dead zones (Settings-> Apps-> Input viewer)

Xbox 360 and DualShock 4 v2 controllers

DualShock 4 controllers using USB wireless adapter

Adds “Connect” option to re-pair disconnected Bluetooth accessories (Settings->Accessories)

Ability to connect to Wi-Fi without disconnecting Ethernet (Settings-> Network-> Ethernet)

General stability fixes on SHIELD remote (2017) and controller (2017)

Latest accessory firmware versions:

SHIELD controller (2017): v1.24

SHIELD controller (2015): v1.96/99/3.71/0.32

SHIELD remote (2017): v1.33

SHIELD remote (rechargeable): v.1.30

Go grab that update and let us know what you think of the Oreo layout! // NVIDIA [2]

New Google Lens Features From Google I/O are Rolling Out!

Kellen — Wed, 23 May 2018 15:20:39 +0000

Some of the new Google Lens features that were announced at Google I/O are now available. I'm seeing them on the Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 6 sitting here on my desk, so the rollout could be quite wide. The new features are listed in the screenshots below and include real-time object tracking that can turn into text selections or product matching. This allows you to point your phone and Google Lens at an object and pull text from it, whether that be a phone number, date, address, etc. Along with text selection, Google has added a way to find similar products in front of you (like clothes or furniture) and then shop for them. Not only do we have these new features, but Google Lens' UI has changed some too. When you load it up (open Google Assistant>tap the Lens button) for the first time, you'll be introduced to the new features as well as a bubbly white bottom-placed card that expands to show you results. Again, this all seems to be widely rolling out now. Give it a shot!

// 9to5Google

DIRECTV NOW's Cloud DVR Now Available to Android Users

Tim — Wed, 23 May 2018 15:13:37 +0000

Last week, iOS and Apple TV users were treated to a massive update for DIRECTV NOW. Well, it's now Android's turn, with the update available via Google Play. The big change is the addition of DIRECTV NOW's Cloud DVR feature. With it, users can get up to 20 hours of free recording, regardless of where you are and when it is. So long as a show is saved to your Cloud, you can access it on any device at any time. Here is DIRECTV's detailing of the Cloud DVR feature, which is still in beta.

The feature provides twenty hours of free recording, allowing you to watch, pause, fast forward and rewind your favorite shows or series virtually anytime and anywhere you want for up to 30 days. You’ll be able to record up to 100 hours and keep it stored up to 90 days, for $10 per month, later this summer.

On top of the Cloud DVR, DIRECTV lists UI changes for the platform that emphasizes your most-watched channels and programs, as well as local channel access even if you're not in your home market. As an example, if you watch FOX (WNYW) on DIRECTV NOW at home in New York and are traveling to Dallas (where the local FOX station is available for DIRECTV NOW customers), you’ll be able to watch KDFW during your visit. Check out all of these changes by updated your DIRECTV NOW app. Google Play Link // DIRECTV

T-Mobile Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note 8 Updated With May Security Patch (Updated)

Tim — Wed, 23 May 2018 12:51:33 +0000

T-Mobile and Samsung are pushing updates out to the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8. Inside, owners will find the May security patch, which was released on May 7. Following the update, the S8 will be on build G950USQS3CRE2, the S8+ will show build G955USQS3CRE2, and the Note 8 will have N950USQU4CRE1. If you own of these phones on T-Mobile, get that update. UPDATE: Verizon is pushing the same updates to all three of its phones. // T-Mobile [2] [3]

Vivo's All-Screen Phone With Pop-Up Selfie Cam is Getting World Cup Hype

Kellen — Wed, 23 May 2018 10:58:55 +0000

You may recall one of the random stars of MWC, a Vivo phone that featured an all-display design without a notch, thanks to a clever pop-up selfie camera mechanism. That phone was a concept called APEX. Today, Vivo is back to teasing a similar phone with a pop-up camera in a hype-filled teaser to set the stage for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Vivo has called the phone an "upcoming smartphone," which could mean that they'll sell it some day. They also may never sell the thing and might be using this opportunity to build buzz around their sponsorship of the World Cup, which kicks off in June. In fact, that's probably exactly all they are doing here. In the press note sent to us along with the promo video above, no where do they lay out specs or a release time frame. Good job, Vivo, you got us. Does a phone with a pop-up selfie camera make sense? Sure, if you really want to fast forward to a world without display notches and true all-display fronts. But as almost everyone noted the minute we saw that first Apex concept, more moving parts isn't typically a good thing. Does anyone want to guess what kinds of failure rates a moving selfie camera might run into? I don't. For now, let's just take this Vivo phone (which doesn't have a name, but Vivo wants us to believe is a real product) and nod at their attempt to be a first at implementation a new technology. This is something Vivo is quite good at, actually. During CES, they were the first company to show off in-display fingerprint readers. Anyone interested in a pop-up selfie?

Samsung May Ditch Tizen for Wear OS on New Watch (Updated: Maybe Not)

Kellen — Wed, 23 May 2018 09:42:10 +0000

When Wear OS takes another crack at it this fall with the arrival of Qualcomm's new wearable chipset, Samsung may join the party and release its first Android-powered smartwatch since the original Gear Live back in 2014. That's a huge deal if true. The first report of Samsung making a new smartwatch powered by Wear OS showed up a few days ago on Weibo, with a suggestion that the watch would arrive in the second half of the year. Today, to add to that storyline, @evleaks has Tweeted that Samsung employees have been seen wearing Gear smartwatches running Wear OS, not the company's own Tizen operating system. For those not up on the smartwatch business, just know that Samsung has sold its own smartwatches with its own smartwatch OS for years. The Samsung Gear S2 and S3 and almost anything not known as the Gear Live has run Tizen. Samsung ditched Android Wear (now Wear OS) almost immediately following its launch in favor of their own custom experience. Samsung's Tizen has given Gear watches 3-4 day battery life and a watch UI that often makes more sense than whatever Google is pushing. The problem with Samsung's Gear watches is that there are few apps to choose from. In fact, the app selection on Gear watches is a major problem and could be why Samsung has decided to switch back to Wear OS. While Wear OS is a mostly awful wearable operating system, because it's Android, almost any app you would want on your wrist can be there. That can't be said for Samsung's watches. Why is this a big deal? Because it's Samsung. Samsung is still the biggest in the game and their name carries weight, especially in smartwatches that aren't made by Apple. This would also potentially show that Google has big plans for this fall when Qualcomm's new wearable chip will power a number of new watches, watches that may sport a unique combination of traditional mechanical elements along with smart features. A previous report pegged LG to launch a Wear OS watch that has both mechanical watch hands and a touchscreen. And that matches up to what Qualcomm is selling with their new chip - that smartwatches need to improve in their designs, particularly in ways that make them more of a watch. If Samsung has switched, I'd imagine there are big things coming to Wear OS. UPDATE June 7: The Gear watches that Samsung employees were wearing that ran Wear OS were apparently just one-offs and might mean nothing at all. https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1004752532818874368 // @evleaks | IT Home | Ice Universe

Google Removes 'Trusted Places' From Smart Lock Menu (Updated)

Tim — Wed, 23 May 2018 09:04:01 +0000

One of the first things we do whenever setting up a new Android phone is enable Trusted Places from within the Smart Lock menu. When enabled, this option keeps your phone unlocked automatically whenever you're inside of a certain range of an address you determine, such as your home. In the early hours of this morning, reddit users discovered that the option has been removed from the Smart Lock menu. Google has yet to share information on why it has been removed completely, but as Kellen and I have both witnessed, as well as plenty of others on Google's product forums, the service has become rather unreliable lately. It seems completely within reason to think Google simply removed the option until they get it working properly. We'll keep you posted as this story develops. In the meantime, don't freak out if you see the option disappear from your Smart Lock menu. UPDATE 5/25/18: It's back and still barely works if at all. // reddit

Video: HTC U12+ First Look and Tour!

Kellen — Wed, 23 May 2018 01:00:51 +0000

We know that the HTC U12+ is a fully spec'd out device with an impressive display, pretty liquid glass back, and a bunch of audio features for the audiophile in all of us. We also know that it's kind of expensive and isn't sold at any US carriers. It won't be hard to get, necessarily, but it's not exactly the most accessible device either. Still, there is something unique and interesting about it. Whether it's that backside or HTC's attention to detail or the new pressure sensitive buttons, I kind of like what's happening here. This is an experience I'm excited to dive into knowing that the US didn't get the U11+ last year. I feel like HTC really owes us and they may have delivered. So let's start the tour of the U12+! Buy HTC U12+

HTC U12+ Specs (Official)

Kellen — Wed, 23 May 2018 01:00:50 +0000

You've seen the HTC U12+ announcement and (hopefully) watched our first look video, but if you just want the raw specs, this is the post for you. The HTC U12+, to recap, features a Snapdragon 845 processor, big 6-inch QHD+ Super LCD 6 display, 6GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage (with SD support), 3500mAh battery with fast charging, dual camera setup on the back (12MP + 16MP), dual 8MP front cameras, and Android 8.0 under HTC Sense. What's it missing? Not much. There is no wireless charging or headphone jack, but that's about all I can think of. This is one of the most spec'd out phones of 2018 with a price to match. The full list of HTC U12+ specs is below. Buy HTC U12+

HTC U12+ Specs

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HTC U12+ is Official, Really Pretty With All the Specs, and a Sizable Price

Kellen — Wed, 23 May 2018 01:00:26 +0000

HTC has announced the U12+ and there is a lot to talk about here. If you don't feel like reading about it, that's OK, because we have a full video tour of it. If you still want to take in some text, let's chat. The HTC U12+ is the company's first big phone of 2018. There are a number of good things going on, but it's also very much a similar story that HTC has been a part of the past few years. What I mean by that is that HTC has built what appears to be a heck of a phone with all the bells and whistles you can ask for, plus some special HTC sauce in the audio and design departments. Unfortunately, you won't find it at a carrier in the US, plus it carries a pretty steep price tag for an unlocked phone. You'll find the full HTC U12+ specs here, but the phone really does have almost everything. From its Snapdragon 845 and big 6-inch QHD+ display to its dual camera setup, 3500mAh battery, 6GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage (with SD support), and Android Oreo. It has BoomSound speakers too, as well as IP68 water and dust resistance, and the latest version of HTC's liquid surface glass design, which includes a clear option (Translucent Blue, seen above). It doesn't have wireless charging or a headphone jack, though. The U12+ is built like any other premium phone you'll find with metal and glass everywhere. It has an edge-to-edge display with small bezels without the trendy notch. It's big, but not necessarily bigger than the OnePlus 6 or Galaxy S9+. It feels pretty nice in hand too.

For bonuses, HTC tossed in a new version of Edge Sense, giving you more power when you squeeze the sides of the phone to launch apps or assistants or the camera. You can short or long-squeeze, plus you can now perform a double tap on the phone's sides. And it's smart enough to know which hand you are holding it in, so that it can do tricks like hold screen rotation because it recognizes how you are holding it. That new version of its squeezy side tech brought with it pressure sensitive power and volume buttons too. They will take some getting used to, as they aren't mechanical and are more like Apple's latest touchpads on Macbooks, but I kind of like the new feel of them. HTC is super excited about the U12+'s dual cameras, thanks to a DxoMark score of 103. While that doesn't mean a ton to me, it doesn't shock me that these cameras could be really good. The U11 from last year had one of the best cameras in the business. This new setup of 12MP + 16MP has the features you'll want, like optical image stabilization and portrait and manual modes, as well as HTC's zooming audio feature from last year. Again, it's basically got it all and then some. As for price and availability, this is where things get a bit depressing. The HTC U12+ will go up for pre-order today (May 23) at HTC's site and through Amazon. You won't find it at a carrier, but it is certified to work on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Sorry, Sprint folks. The US is getting Translucent Blue and Ceramic Black. Translucent Blue will cost $799 for the 64GB version and $849 for the 128GB version. Ceramic Black only comes with 64GB and costs $799. While pre-orders are open today, we don't yet know when the phone will ship. June is a good guess, though. Buy HTC U12+

OnePlus 6: First 10 Things to Do!

Kellen — Tue, 22 May 2018 13:26:16 +0000

With the OnePlus 6 now up for purchase, I'd imagine that more than a few of you have one coming. When that shiny new phone shows up, we've got you covered with our latest First 10 Things video. That's right, we've got the first 10 things wet think you should do with your OnePlus 6. This video is quite lengthy, as we go into detail on each feature we recommend setting up out of the box, so hang in there. What you'll find, though, is a walk-through of your navigation button options, how to hide or show the OnePlus 6 notch, where you can setup both fingerprint and facial security, how the alert slider works, the options in the camera worth looking at, how to get the most out of your status bar by hiding icons, and more. Our OnePlus 6 review will be up soon!

Dropbox for Android to Soon Get File Activity, Teamwork Features

Tim — Tue, 22 May 2018 13:23:15 +0000

Dropbox's mobile app for Android and iOS is getting updated this week, with certain changes still marked as "coming soon" for Android. Even though it may not all be live for Android just yet, we can still tell you what's new. According to Dropbox's blog post, they are introducing a new File Activity feature, complete with file previews. Detailed by Dropbox, "When you preview a file in your Dropbox, one tap will pull up a list of events, including edits, shares, and—for Dropbox Professional and Business Advanced users—viewer history. For teams, the company says users will see a "streamlined file preview design" that lets users easily comment right alongside content in their account. At the bottom of any file preview, you can access feedback you've received, add your own, and get file activity updates. Dropbox has also made the sharing buttons more prominent throughout the app. Dropbox says file activity will be available "soon" for Android, but is rolling out today on iOS. Google Play Link // Dropbox

Twitter for Android TV, Couple Other Platforms is Going Bye-Bye This Week

Tim — Tue, 22 May 2018 12:45:59 +0000

Launched in late 2016, Twitter for Android TV is going away this week, probably for good. In a Tweet sent out this morning, Twitter Support says Twitter for Roku, Twitter for Android TV, and Twitter for Xbox will no longer be available starting Thursday, May 24. While you may assume Twitter for any of these platforms is merely an extension of your timeline to a bigger screen, Twitter for Android TV is more about watching videos and scrolling through various Moments. It was also useful when Twitter had a deal to stream Thursday Night Football with the NFL, but that deal has been gone since since the season before last. Anyway, if you use Twitter for Roku, Android TV, or Xbox, be prepared to see it disappear soon. https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/998956840674193409

Google Play Music Collections, Playlists, and Preferences Will Migrate to YouTube Music

Kellen — Tue, 22 May 2018 11:47:21 +0000

Readers of ours have been curious about what might happen to their Google Play Music libraries should Google shut the service down and force everyone onto their new YouTube Music service. Google hadn't made the answer clear, but we now know thanks to T. Jay Fowler, the head of music at YouTube. According to Fowler, who was replying to a question on Twitter, your music collection, playlists, and preferences should all come over to YouTube Music, as YouTube will "do the heavy lifting for you." He actually said that they will be "preserved" as well. Assuming everyone was on the same page during this exchange, that should indeed mean that when you get access to YouTube Music, your Play Music library should come with you. I'd love to tell you if that has happened, but Google is slowing rolling the new music service out and we don't have access yet. Can anyone with YouTube Music confirm for us? https://twitter.com/tjayfowler/status/997180474576453632 // reddit

YouTube Music is Available Today, Sort of...

Kellen — Tue, 22 May 2018 09:30:05 +0000

YouTube Music was announced in the middle of the night last week on a Wednesday, which sure seemed like odd timing for the launch of such a major service. Google said at the time that its new streaming music service would be rolling out on May 22 and we've reached that day. I'd tell you that you can sign-up and start using it, but it really is "rolling" out. In other words, you probably can't sign-up for it at the moment. Am I alone in thinking that a slow rollout of a brand new service that you want to be the future of the streaming music is kind of odd? There seems to be no better way to kill any buzz YouTube Music had than saying it's available, only then not allowing everyone to sign-up at the same time. Like, is your new music service ready or what, Google? As a reminder, the launch of YouTube Music also means that YouTube Red is becoming YouTube Premium and that changes may one day come to Google Play Music, just not right away. Anyone able to sign-up yet? Google Play Link // YouTube Blog

Instagram Now Lets You Mute Accounts Rather Than Unfollow Them

Kellen — Tue, 22 May 2018 08:35:37 +0000

Because Instagram doesn't want you to have to offend the friends you dislike the most on Instagram by unfollowing them, you can now mute them instead. Like Facebook has done for a while, you can follow someone on Instagram and mute them, to never be bothered by their obnoxious wannabe-life-inspiring quote posts ever again. To mute an account, you'll simply tap on the menu button in a corner of a post from someone you want to mute and then choose the "Mute" option. From that point forward, you'll still be following them, still be able to see photos on their profile page, and get notified of comments or posts that you are tagged in, but their posts won't hit your feed. If you want, you can unmute at any time. You can mute posts and stories as well. This change will rollout to your phone over the coming weeks. Google Play Link // Instagram

OnePlus 6 Now Available for Purchase Starting at $529

Kellen — Tue, 22 May 2018 08:14:27 +0000

The OnePlus 6 is now available for purchase! After last week's unveiling, the phone can be ordered in both Mirror Black and Midnight Black colorways, as well is in a variety of configurations. The Mirror Black model is available for $529 with 6GB and 64GB storage or for $579 with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Midnight Black is available for $579 with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage or $629 with 8GB RAM and a whopping 256GB storage. There is also a Silk White version that will cost $579, but it won't arrive for another couple of weeks. The OnePlus 6, for those who need a recap, is OnePlus' latest high-end phone that features almost all of the specs you could ask for in a 2018 top tier phone. You've got the latest processor from Qualcomm, plenty of RAM and storage, slick hardware, an all-display front (notch and all), and a clean and fast version of Android. It has a headphone jack too, but no wireless charging. It's also not really water resistant on any official level. We're deep in testing one at the moment and should have a review up within a week. Do I think this is a phone to buy? I do, actually. There is a lot to like here. The performance is superb, this is one of my favorite Android implementations, the design and that display are quite good, and you just can't beat the price. For downsides, I'd point out the unnecessary use of glass on the back (it's fragile, scratches, and is generally a terrible material for phones), the lack of Verizon support, and the good-just-not-the-best camera setup. But if your budget is under $600, this is probably the phone you should buy. Buy OnePlus 6

DEAL: Anker's Android-Powered Nebula Capsule Projector is $101 Off

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 16:06:58 +0000

The Nebula Capsule by Anker is a soda can-sized smart project that is powered by Android and can create a 100" screen on any wall. It's also a 360-degree speaker that can mirror your screen. It's cool as hell and is $101 off today only. Normally priced at $349, Amazon has the Nebula Capsule dropped to $248 today in a daily deal that will expire in a few hours. This is the best price it has ever been at. It has a dedicated control app to help you install apps like Netlfix or Hulu on it, so that you can stream them to any surface. It has 4-hour battery life when streaming video with quick charging, connects over WiFi, and is incredibly portable at just 15oz. Anker is a pretty reputable company too. Again, this is the best price the Capsule has been at. You've only got a few hours left, though. Buy Anker Nebula Capsule Projector

Hell Yeah, Favoriting Photos Comes to Google Photos

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 15:43:54 +0000

Even though Google Photos is about the best app to be released in four or five years, thanks to all of its smarts like searching, sometimes a curated listed made by you is even more powerful than the computer behind the scenes. This week, that's arriving in the form of a favorite button that has begun rolling out. With this new favorite button, you'll see a star icon within photos attached to your account. If you tap that star, you'll add items to a separate Favorite album that can be accessed within the Albums section. This could be a great place to add the best pictures you've taken in the simplest form. Let us know if you see it show up! Google Play Link https://twitter.com/googlephotos/status/998640890347311105

Wireless Charging is so Overrated 😎

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 14:50:02 +0000

I'm going to catch a whole bunch of (probably deserved) sh*t for this, but I'm just going to say it - wireless charging is overrated. I know that most tech media and some vocal tech bros love to rail against companies who omit wireless charging these days (go look at the drop of OnePlus 6 reviews last night). They do so because we (the tech enthusiast crowd) look for ways to critique phone companies and their new phones as we approach peak smartphone feature set. We nitpick. We tend to go off of a list of current trendy specs that have to be there or we flip the f*ck out, and wireless charging is one, probably largely because Apple invented it recently. The thing is, wireless charging is useful all of 5% of a day, maybe even less. I'm actually struggling to think of a time when wireless charging would be convenient other than when I'm sleeping. And even then, I'm sleeping, so plugging it into a charger before I pass out isn't really making my life that much easier. Wireless charging sucks when you want to use your phone, because using your phone requires picking it up, which detaches it from a charging pad. Sitting at your office desk when wireless charging could be cool? Yeah, not so much if I constantly pick it up to use it as notifications come in or I need to do the Twitter thing or something else on phone. "But Kellen, Samsung has those cool angled wireless charging pads that are fast and you can use your phone without picking it up!" Not really. Have you actually tried using those? It's a nightmare to swipe around a phone without physically holding it. They are great for displaying info, like the time or notifications as they come in, but not much else. You know how I can super fast charge my phone and use it at the same time? By plugging it in. Wireless charging is also incredibly slow compared to today's fast charging solutions. Even Samsung's fast charging isn't that fast. Every single time I'd rather wired charge a phone. I get ratings on wired chargers that tell me they can give me hours and hours of use in 15 minutes or 30 minutes. Wireless chargers, even the fast ones, are ashamed at their supposed fastness and tell us nothing. Of course, I can't help but point out the fact that wireless charging typically means a glass back is required on a phone. As you all know, I view glass as one of the worst "premium" materials in smartphone history. It's fragile, scratches, and requires way too much effort (or a case) in order to preserve it over the life of a smartphone. I'd rather do without it if I can have a metal back or something more durable. And honestly, as lazy as I can be (I'm the smart home guy who would rather talk to his house than get up off the couch and manipulate it), I'm not so lazy that plugging in a phone is a major inconvenience over just setting my phone down on a pad, a pad that may give me zero charge without warning if not properly placed. Maybe that's where wireless charging could shine, though, with better placement of pads. I'm thinking about in cars as you drive. That's convenient! But how many cars have them embedded in consoles or trays? Someone suggested in an airplane seat arm rest, which would be cool. Maybe in a pocket in a bag as you commute? Other than those what other options make more sense than finding an outlet and a cable? Now, before you scream and yell at me (and feel free to), I want you to know that I just asked as many tech bros as I could in my Hangouts list that I knew would bring the heat in support of wireless charging and none cared enough about the tech to try and stop me. The best I got was that it's kind of "sexy" to set your phone down and have it charge. The rest, well, they laughed. I guess I should also point out that few of you really seem to care either. Look at this poll when the iPhone X was announced. 28% of you thought it was a must-have feature when buying a phone. More people (30%) straight up said they don't care, while the rest only considered it a nice bonus. I just feel like we see wireless charging hit headlines when it's not included as if it might be the end of the world and a dealbreaker mistake by a phone company. It's not, though. Wireless charging is overrated. Just plug your phone in. It'll charge faster, in a more stable and efficient manner, and you can use your phone while all of that happens.

Twitter Switches Over to Own Emoji Service for Select Android Users to Combat Missing Emoji

Tim — Mon, 21 May 2018 12:22:01 +0000

Depending on the version of Android your device is running, you may see little boxes with an "X" going through them at times when browsing Twitter. They look like what you see in the header image above. This typically means someone has placed a character or emoji in a tweet that your device doesn't recognize. To combat this, Twitter has switched over to its own Twemoji emoji service for Android KitKat to Nougat users, meaning everyone should soon see all the same emoji goodness, even if they're running an outdated version of Android. According to a design lead at Twitter, who confirmed the following stat to Emojipedia, "At least 50% of eligible Twitter users should now see this change, with the feature being enabled for more users over the course of this week." That's a lot of people about to be seeing certain emoji for the first time. To get an idea of what Twitter's emoji library looks like, you can view it all here. // Emojipedia

Verizon LG G6 Now Getting Android Oreo Update! (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 09:56:58 +0000

The LG G6 on Verizon is now receiving an update to Android Oreo. This is noteworthy, as I do believe this is the first US carrier variant to get Android 8.0. The update weighs in at 1.89GB, so be sure you have open storage on your phone and plenty of battery life to get it installed. This one will take a while. With the update to Android 8.0 "Oreo," LG G6 owners will have access to Android's native picture-in-picture feature, a better notification styling (with more controls), notification badges (which are worthless), and battery and performance improvements. There could be much more, but Verizon has not yet posted the release notes. Once they do, we'll update this post. UPDATE: Verizon has now posted the notes. We've got build VS98820a and the April Android security patch. To check for the update, head into Settings>System update.

Cheers @mouf32!

F*ck All These Bill Credit "Deals"

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 09:33:12 +0000

FREE PHONE!*

BOGO!**

UP TO 50% OFF!***

$150 INSTANT DISCOUNT!****

BEST SAMSUNG FOR LIFE!*****

*With purchase of two phones that we've purposely overpriced by $80, both under equipment installment plan and 24 months worth of bill credits, that probably, maybe start within two billing cycles, assuming we don't forget and force you to call us to fix it, because our systems are so anti-consumer that we wouldn't proactively fix that for you and make sure you are getting the deal we promised. Thanks for calling, though, can we sell you this $59.99 case that Amazon thinks is only worth $6.99? **Buy one, get one, what? Free? Lol. This is "buy one, get one loaned to you for a while that's paid off after we hold you hostage for 2 years and collect boatloads of service payments." We are a wireless service carrier and do not care about you, nor are we willing to give you a real deal that doesn't force you to sign hundreds of dollars away to us, along with 24 months of your life. Want to leave in the middle of your installment plan? Pay-up, son. ***Choose one tier 1 phone, get a second up to 50% off, but only if you trade-in a phone that was just released a month ago and costs more than the phone you are trying to buy right now. What's that? You only have last year's best phone that was the most expensive phone ever? We'll give you up to 20 or 30%, assuming it's mint. Also, that phone you just gave us, that you paid for, we aren't giving you that money back today in a trade. Nope, you just got suckered into being paid out for your owned phone over 24 months, which is hilarious, you dimwit. ****We've been over this - you will never get an instant anything. What we will do is offer you 3 different monthly payment plans that last for varying periods of time, name them confusing things that don't refer to their actual length, then make sure your eyes gloss over at use of words like "Enhanced" and "Plus" and "Beyond" and "Un" before running you through asterisks 1, 2, and 3 above to get you your "discount," all as you confirm a subscription to our streaming TV service that can only be cancelled by calling us and buying a case. *****Holy shit, guy, you fell for this? This is a lease program. You don't want any part of this. You will be looped into an endless cycle of upgrading while paying thousands into an abyss of bad network that is always trying to be sold because it continually invested over the years in network technologies doomed from the beginning. But the monthly payment is low? Hah, of course it is, our network sucks, hence the reason you can stream "unlimited" video at 144p and music at dial-up speeds, ringing dial-tone pre-loading and all.

LG G7 ThinQ Pricing is Here and It's More Expensive Than the Galaxy S9

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 07:31:49 +0000

When LG announced the G7 ThinQ, we knew that the phone was coming to Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint but that AT&T had passed on it in favor of a yet-to-be-announced LG phone. What we didn't know was pricing, although we were told during a briefing to expect pricing near the LG G6. Today, T-Mobile announced pricing for the phone and it's not actually priced near the G6. Instead, the LG G7 ThinQ is priced above the Galaxy S9, which probably isn't a great move. T-Mobile plans to sell the LG G7 ThinQ for $750 at full retail, or $30 per month after a $30 down payment. The Galaxy S9, a phone most would argue is superior to the G7, costs $720 at full retail and doesn't require a down payment to get into one. And in case you were wondering, the LG G6 dropped in at around $650 when it launched last year. While I'm aware that LG packed a lot of specs into the G7 ThinQ, I'm not sure LG is in position to battle with Samsung at a higher price point. You could also argue that Samsung packed even more into the Galaxy S9 (like a better display and camera), yet it starts $30 cheaper. I'm not saying that LG should be bargain-bin-pricing their phones to OnePlus levels, but if I'm standing in a T-Mobile store looking at both and I see that Samsung's new phone is cheaper, why would I go elsewhere? Unless LG can sell me on a benefit that the G7 has over the S9 (because I can't think of one), I don't know why anyone else would do anything differently. T-Mobile is trying to soften that price blow a bit with a BOGO deal on the phone when it goes up for pre-order on May 25. If you buy two G7 ThinQs on equipment installment plans (EIP), you can get a second one free in the form of monthly bill credits. In other words, a 2-year contract. T-Mobile G7 ThinQ Pre-Order Link // T-Mobile

DEAL: eBay has Another 15% Off Everything Code This Week

Kellen — Mon, 21 May 2018 07:12:50 +0000

eBay has clearly seen some success in coupon codes in recent weeks, having launched multiple 15% or 20%-off sales. Today, they have opened up another 15%-off code, only this time you have most of the week to use it, rather than a short few-hour window. This is a pre-Memorial Day sale of sorts. We've talked about a lot of these, but the basics are this - you can get 15% off almost anything at eBay as long as you spend $50. The discount is capped at $50 off, though, so you can't buy a car on eBay and save $5,000 or something like that. This latest code runs from today (May 21) through Friday, May 25 at 11:59PM Pacific. Find an item you want and use code "PMEMDAY" at checkout to get the discount. eBay 15% Off Link

DEAL: Verizon Galaxy S9 is $519.99 and S9+ is $639.99 at Samsung Store, No Trades Required

Kellen — Fri, 18 May 2018 15:25:27 +0000

Best Verizon Galaxy S9 and S9+ deals are at Samsung's Store.

A few weeks back, we told you that the Samsung Store was the best place to buy your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ because no matter what, they were selling models for the same price. What they've done is match the carrier variants to the unlocked prices (which are the lowest priced models), so if you buy the AT&T or Verizon models from Samsung directly, you actually get a discount. With that in mind, Samsung is now offering an additional $200-off discount on the Verizon Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ at the moment. Right now, you can get Verizon Galaxy S9 for $519.99 or a Verizon Galaxy S9+ for $639.99. When compared to Verizon prices, you are looking at $280 and $290 discounts, respectively. That's incredibly cheap for phones this feature-packed. As an additional note: these discounts are straight discounts on the phone. You don't have to trade anything in. All you have to do is buy them with a device payment plan and you get the cheap $519 and $639 prices. For the S9, that's a monthly payment of $21.67. For the S9+, that's a monthly payment of $26.67. Of course, Samsung still has their instant-discount trade-in program going to, so if you do have a decent phone to trade, you could really drop the price of the S9 or S9+ to just a few hundred bucks. Buy Verizon Galaxy S9 | Buy Verizon Galaxy S9+

DEAL: Spend $150 on eBay, Get a Free Google Home Mini

Tim — Fri, 18 May 2018 14:44:53 +0000

Set to end on May 20, whenever you spend $150 or more on eBay, you can get a free Google Home Mini with your purchase. Home Mini has a price of $50 usually, so getting one for free, regardless of what you buy on eBay, is a solid little scoop. If you need suggestions on what to get on eBay, there is a ton of stuff. You can get a Sonos Play:1 speaker for $149, PlayStation VR system for $179, Google Pixel 1st Gen for $189, plus a whole lot of other stuff. If you need more suggestions, click here. To claim the free Home Mini, once you have at least $150 of goods added to your cart, go ahead and add whichever Home Mini color you want from Google's official listing (Chalk, Charcoal). Then, enter the code "PFREEMINI" at checkout. Your free Google Home Mini will then arrive within 10 business days. Now would be a good time to get your Father's Day gift out of the way. eBay Link

Google Play Music Subscribers: You Get Both YouTube Music and YouTube Premium

Kellen — Fri, 18 May 2018 13:37:23 +0000

With the announcements of YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium, there has been some confusion surrounding the level of access that will be available to Google Play Music subscribers, as well as the price they'll pay going forward. Google has tried to make everything as clear as possible, but with so many pieces involved in this awkward transition, people still have questions. So, we have answers for you. If you are a Google Play Music subscriber, this is what you need to know about YouTube Music and YouTube Premium:

You still get to use Google Play Music. Google may kill off Play Music in the future (we think by the end of the year), but for now, you don't have to worry about a thing. In fact, nothing changes for you today at all.
You pay exactly what you are paying today when YouTube Music and Premium arrive. If you are paying $7.99 per month as one of the original Play Music subscribers, you still pay just that! If you pay $9.99 because you signed up later, you still pay $9.99 per month.
You get access to both YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium. Yes, both. Even though YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red) now costs $11.99, you still get it at your current price because you were previously receiving access to YouTube Red. Don't believe me? See the Tweet below.

https://twitter.com/TeamYouTube/status/997531665810407424 We all good now?

Podcast: From I/O to the OnePlus 6

Kellen — Fri, 18 May 2018 09:27:09 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we're back to (finally) recap Google I/O, the latest in Android P and the Android P Beta, the new Google News experience, what's coming later this year to Wear OS, and more from Google's big developer conference. But that's not all! We need to talk OnePlus 6 now that it has been announced, Tim's thoughts on the G7 ThinQ after spending a couple of weeks with it, what we are expecting from the HTC U12+ next week, and what to make of YouTube Music and YouTube Premium. It's going to be a lengthy show, so unfortunately, that means no trivia this week. Apologies for that. It will return with our next show, though! We'll be live at 10AM Pacific (1PM Eastern).

Fortnite Updates Ever so Patient Android Users, Launch Coming This Summer

Tim — Fri, 18 May 2018 08:49:20 +0000

Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, have provided an update for Android users on when they can expect launch of the game. In a blog post published this morning, Epic says Fortnite is indeed still coming to Android and to expect it "this summer."

UPDATE: Fortnite is now available on Android!

Officially, summer in 2018 begins June 21 and ends September 22. Needless to say, we've got some time still. Back in March, when Fortnite was first announced for mobile, Epic said to expect it "in the next few months." We've never had a solid timeframe with regard to the Android version, but as an Android user since the beginning, none of this surprises me. Here's what Epic Games wrote this morning.

We are targeting this summer for the release. We know many of you are excited for this release, and we promise that when we have more information to share, you’ll hear it from us first.

So nothing has really changed and we still don't have a concrete timeframe. Such is life for an Android user. // Epic Games

OnePlus 6 Unboxing and First Look!

Kellen — Fri, 18 May 2018 08:13:28 +0000

For those not subscribed to our YouTube channel, you may have missed this little guy last night. As the day was wrapping up, we tossed out an unboxing of the brand new, shiny and reflective as all hell, OnePlus 6. The unboxing experience is pretty standard OnePlus stuff. In fact, the packaging is identical to previous OnePlus phones, only with a giant "6" on it instead of "5" or "5T." But what you do get in this clip is our first reaction to the OnePlus 6 now that we've got one in-house and in-hand. We have lots of testing to do before we can reveal any final thoughts, but so far, this is living up to this story that I wrote the other day. The combination of price, specs, and hardware are all adding up to a phone that you should seriously, legitimately consider as your next phone purchase, assuming you aren't on Verizon. More to come!

Valve's Steam Link App Now Available for Android in Beta

Tim — Thu, 17 May 2018 14:17:13 +0000

Earlier this month, Valve announced the upcoming launch of an official Steam Link app for Android. Well, the day has come and the Steam Link app for Android is now available in beta. Downloadable straight from Google Play, you can boot up the app, connect to your host machine over your wireless network, then get to playing all of your PC titles. Naturally, the best experience will come when paired with a separate Bluetooth controller (or the official Steam Controller), and don't worry, there are plenty of those on the market. Also of note, this app does support Android TV, so if you own a SHIELD TV from NVIDIA (and you have a SHIELD Controller), then you're really going to have some fun. Have fun, gamers. Google Play Link

Sprint Announces 'Unlimited 55+' Plan to Match T-Mobile's 'Unlimited 55+' Plan

Tim — Thu, 17 May 2018 11:54:22 +0000

T-Mobile and Sprint are in the early stages of joining forces, but that doesn't appear to have stopped Sprint from announcing a new plan, albeit one that has striking similarities to one of T-Mobile's existing plans. Called Unlimited 55+, this plan is intended for customers who are 55+ years old, offering 2 lines of unlimited data for $35/month each with Autopay. In actuality, the first line is $50/month, with the second line being $20/month with Autopay. When combined, Sprint lists them at $35/month each, which I suppose makes the math a bit easier for those who intend on sharing the plan. The lines include the unlimited data, talk, and text, but Sprint mentions just a few limitations with regard to speed. According to Sprint, "You can stream videos in DVD quality with speeds up to 480p+ resolution, music at up to 500kbps, streaming cloud gaming at up to 2Mbps." Sprint does mention an unlimited hotspot capability, but you will be limited to 3G speeds. I mentioned T-Mobile's plan earlier because they have this exact plan under their ONE category. It, too, is called Unlimited 55+ and it also offers two unlimited lines at $35/month each with Autopay. T-Mobile's offering has all of the same features and basically the same limitations in terms of speed, but if you were shopping around and wanted to see about coverage, it's good to know there are options out there. Sprint's Unlimited 55+ plan will be available starting tomorrow, May 18. You can find more info here. // Sprint

YouTube TV Adds TYT Network and Tastemade to Channel Lineup

Kellen — Thu, 17 May 2018 11:49:52 +0000

YouTube TV added two new networks today to its ever-expanding lineup. The TYT Network and Tastemade are now available. Both channels are live right away for those of you who are subscribers/ For those not familiar, TYT (The Young Turks) is a progressive news network, while Tastemade is all about that food game. I just watched 2 minutes of Tastemade and already want to go cook something. You don't have to do anything to watch either, just sign-in and you'll find both channels. https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV/status/997166472181923840 https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV/status/997162163079856128

Sony Pushing Google Assistant Integration to Select Headphones, Earbuds

Tim — Thu, 17 May 2018 09:10:17 +0000

It appears Sony has begun the process of pushing true Google Assistant integration to select models of headphones and earbuds, specifically the WI-1000X and WH-1000XM2. First spotted by Android Police, this update will allow for users to hear notification read backs via Assistant, plus it will let you speak to Assistant more easily for requesting info and issuing commands. If you own one of these first headsets to receive the update, simply update your firmware via the Headphones Connect app on Google Play. If you don't see your Sony headset listed about, don't worry, Sony mentioned earlier this year that it intends to roll out Assistant integration to the WF-1000X, WH-CH900N, and h.ear on 2 WH-H900N in the future. // Android Police

Here is the HTC U12+ and All of Its Specs and Features

Kellen — Thu, 17 May 2018 08:56:56 +0000

HTC plans to announce a new phone next week, a phone we all expect to be dubbed the HTC U12+. Info surrounding the device has leaked here and there, but thanks to another today by @evleaks, we pretty much know it all now. Everything from the colors and design to the specs and features have been revealed early. Where do we begin? How about with a look at the phone itself. The images above showcase both clear and red versions, while you'll find the black version below. HTC is bringing back its Liquid Surface design, which should just mean a cool looking glass back. Overall, the U12+ is quite attractive, even if it does look like an LG V30 hung out too long with a G7 ThinQ. There's no notch, though!

But we've got a big ol' 6" QHD+ Super LCD 6 display, mostly-slim top and bottom bezels, dual camera on the back that's made up of 12MP wide-angle and 16MP telephoto lenses, 6GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage, BoomSound, and a Snapdragon 845. You've got IP68 water and dust resistance too, USonic active noise cancellation, 3500mAh battery with fast charging, and Android 8.0 under HTC Sense. It'll get Android P too, we just don't know when. In other interesting notes, the spec sheet that was leaked talks about a couple of things that caught my eye. For one, HTC Edge Sense 2 is here as the next-gen version of HTC's squeezy sides. You can still squeeze to access apps, but HTC has added a long-hold to rotate the phone or dim it, a double tap for one-handed use, and customizable gestures (launch camera, voice assistant, etc.). The spec sheet also lists "pressure-sensitive buttons and a new touch feedback experience" too. I have no idea what to make of either thing, but expanding functionality to buttons is never a bad thing in my opinion.

The rest of the list of specs is impressive, as is typically the case with HTC phones. It's not often that HTC forgets much and that appears to be the case here too. There isn't wireless charging or a headphone jack, but everything else is there like OIS in the camera, HDR 10 support in the display, fingerprint sensor, hi-res audio, and more. I don't think you should sleep on this phone. It'll be unveiled on May 23.

HTC U12+ Specs

[table id=131 /] // @evleaks

AT&T and Verizon Sign Up to Sell the RED Hydrogen One Phone

Kellen — Thu, 17 May 2018 07:00:04 +0000

It looks like RED found a carrier to get on board with its upcoming holographic RED Hydrogen One phone - AT&T. AT&T has announced this morning that they will carry RED's first phone when it launches later this summer. UPDATE: Verizon has also announced plans to sell the RED Hydrogen One. Apologies, but this is shocking as hell. I thought for sure that RED would sell this phone unlocked with carrier support everywhere, not through an actual carrier. The phone is absurdly expensive and extremely niche - why would a carrier sell this? Most of these carriers won't even sell phones from HTC or LG or Motorola at this point, but AT&T is cool with RED? OK. AT&T didn't announce pricing. However, RED already announced an earlier pricing scheme that starts at around $1,200. I can't imagine AT&T will sell it for much cheaper if at all. If you are interested in this phone, AT&T says that they are giving the public a first look on June 2-3 at AT&T SHAPE at Warner Bros. Studios in LA. If interested, you can sign-up to attend here.

// AT&T

YouTube Red is Now YouTube Premium, Includes YouTube Music Subscription

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 23:05:57 +0000

As was noted earlier in a post about the launch of YouTube Music and YouTube Music Premium, Google has also re-branded YouTube Red to YouTube Premium. YouTube Premium is a paid tier of YouTube that allows you to watch videos without ads, listen to them in the background, download them, and watch original series and movies produced for YouTube. Again, it's just Red, only with a new name that probably makes a lot more sense. The new YouTube Premium costs $11.99 for new customers and includes a YouTube Music Premium subscription. If you already have a YouTube Red subscription, you get to keep your current price. YouTube Premium is rolling out "soon" in existing markets with expansion headed for countries like Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Russia in the near future.

// YouTube

YouTube Music is Here as Google's New Music Service

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 22:59:36 +0000

Google just announced YouTube Music in the middle of the night. The timing is weird, but this is indeed Google's new streaming music service that will be at the forefront of their music push. What the hell is YouTube Music, you ask? It's basically all of the music you find on YouTube, with videos and everything, better put together than the current YouTube Music. That's right, Google already has a YouTube Music app, but it sucks and no one uses it. They now plan to push it, though, with a reimagined experience and a paid tier to hopefully make this your music service of choice. With YouTube Music, you have free and paid tiers. The free tier gives you as much as you can listen to with ads. If you don't want ads, plus also want extra features, you've got YouTube Music Premium to subscribe to. It costs $9.99 and includes background listening, downloads, and no ads. It has both mobile app and desktop experiences, playlists, artist radio, music videos, remixes, covers, and everything else you could ask for in a music service. Oh, and if you already subscribe to Google Play Music, you get a YouTube Music Premium subscription. Sweet.

On that note, Google says that Google Play Music isn't going anywhere (yet). As you know, we reported earlier this year that Play Music would go away in favor of YouTube Music (previously called YouTube Remix), but Google clearly isn't ready to tell everyone that. I say that because they already told us that they would have just one music service in the future, saying that "it’s critical we have one offering that meets the needs of consumers and artists." But for now, Google Play Music subscriptions are safe and they include access to YouTube Music Premium. In addition to YouTube Music Premium, Google is re-branding YouTube Red as YouTube Premium. It costs $11.99 for new customers and includes YouTube Music Premium. If you already subscribe to YouTube Red, your price stays the same. More here. Google will launch YouTube Music on Tuesday (May 22) in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Korea. They plan to expand quickly after that to countries like Canada, Germany, France, Russia, Spain, and Sweden. To sign-up to be notified of the launch, hit up this link. // YouTube [2]

Poll: Buying the OnePlus 6?

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 15:52:33 +0000

Once May 22 rolls around, are you planning to buy the OnePlus 6? I already laid out my reasons for labeling this new OnePlus phone as a no brainer, but I'm curious if you agree. Is there enough value there to get OnePlus on your short list? Is the combination of premium hardware, clean and fast software, and price the right combination? Is there anything missing that's stopping you (like Verizon support)? Is the notch really that big of a deal at this point? Vote! [poll id="482"]

LG G7 ThinQ: First 10 Things to Do!

Tim — Wed, 16 May 2018 15:00:02 +0000

We still have a couple of weeks before the G7 ThinQ (seriously, we're going call it the G7 from now) from LG launches in the US. However, if you're hoping to get a head start on what to do with this phone once you have it in your own hands, allow me to assist you. In this video, we go over a few of the initial setup steps we recommend, tweaking the settings of LG's HiFi Quad DAC that comes equipped on this phone, as well as playing around with the "New Second Screen." Again, seriously, we're going to call it The Notch and be done with it. Expect to see our Tips & Tricks and full review up a little while later. How about you, are you patiently awaiting delivery of your LG G7?

So, the OnePlus 6 Sure Seems Like a No Brainer

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 14:21:46 +0000

I haven't touched a OnePlus 6 yet and I can already tell you that it would easily be one of two or three phones I'd consider buying. And if you throw out the upcoming Pixel 3, since it is still months away, the OnePlus 6 would probably be the phone I'd slap all the cash down on right this minute. Well, on May 22 when it goes on sale. As obnoxious as OnePlus can be as we ramp up to each new phone release of theirs, whether that's through terrible marketing gimmicks, odd explanations about features, or them admitting to being Apple fanboys, you just can't deny that they make pretty incredible handsets that are sold at really reasonable prices. And the OnePlus 6 appears to be just that again.

Higher prices that still aren't that high

The OnePlus 6 is sold in a handful of configurations, but the base model starts at $529 in the US and that includes 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. There are other versions with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage that hit additional price points of $579 and $629. Let's talk about this for a second. The Pixel 2 XL, the phone I'd still tell most people to buy today, has 4GB RAM, either 64GB or 128GB storage, and last year's Snapdragon 835 processor. It starts at $849. The Galaxy S9, which has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, along with this year's Snapdragon 845, starts at $720. Both of those phones have QHD displays, better water resistance than the OnePlus 6, and arguably the best cameras in the business. The S9 also features fast wireless charging and an SD slot. Even with its couple of shortcomings (FHD display, barely-there water resistance, no SD slot, and no wireless charging), you have to appreciate the $200 savings over the Galaxy S9 and $300+ savings over Google's best phone. And you should appreciate that because of what you are still getting, like a big AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845, decent battery size with the best fast charging in the game, OnePlus' signature design, a clean Android experience (with quicker updates lately), a dual camera setup that should be just fine, headphone jack, and all that RAM and storage I just mentioned. Value is a word I often use when referencing OnePlus, even as the prices continue to hike up each year. OnePlus is still pricing its phones much lower than the phones it is competing with. And yes, I do think that OnePlus is trying to compete with Samsung and Google with its phones. It constantly tells press that it only makes and sells "flagships," so who else is it trying to beat? The bottom line is that even at $529 (or maxed out at $629), OnePlus is selling a top-tier phone at prices well under the phone makers it wants to directly battle. Obviously, they can't go much higher or they've really defeated part of their strategy, but for now, it would be hard to argue against the value of the OnePlus 6. [table id=102 /]

This is the software I need

Value aside, OnePlus continues to do one thing that Samsung and LG and Huawei just can't seem to do - take a step back from their heavy-handed software approaches and let it be. Motorola started this years ago, but OnePlus has really done a nice job of using Google's version of Android and then subtly improving it. Outside of Google's Pixel software, OnePlus probably has the next best setup. For one, they offer beta programs, so that you can test software earlier than most. This often includes the opportunity to test new OnePlus features, but also new versions of Android. With the OnePlus 6, you'll actually be able to start testing Android P right away if you want. I don't know that I'd fully recommend that just yet, but again, it's there. And two, the software features they add are pretty great. You'll find a reading mode, gaming mode, a dark theme (!), support for icon packs, additional options for your navigation button setup (including a new gesture navigation), gestures on the lock screen, an audio tuner, and a way to disable annoying status bar icons. The OnePlus software experience isn't obnoxious like Samsung or LG's. It's simple with the right amount of advanced options. It runs smoother and faster than almost any other Android phone, plus it gives you the opportunity to play with the latest from Google.

Hey, the hardware is pretty slick

I'd also point out that OnePlus phones look pretty damn nice. While I am not exactly thrilled at the glass back of the OnePlus 6, it generally looks pleasant from what I've seen so far (the Midnight Black version, that is). When you compare its use of glass and metal to that of Samsung or Google, it matches up comparatively. Which brings us back to price and value. OnePlus is doing similar things with hardware that Samsung is, yet again, we're a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. You've got the sleek curves, the glass-everywhere design, that new display notch that everyone is going to have shortly, and a weight that lets you believe you have an $800 phone in hand, only you paid hundreds less. Hell, it even has an alert slider to quickly silence your phone. I just got done taking the OnePlus 5T for another spin before Google I/O and I can tell you right now that even it is better than most other Android phones today. It's a premium phone like those I keep comparing it to. OnePlus isn't on a lower level because of price. Instead, they are (still) able to set themselves apart as an option no one should ignore, and that continues with the OnePlus 6. Unless you are on Verizon, then ignore everything I just said.

OnePlus Announces Bullets Wireless Earbuds With Google Assistant, Priced at $69

Tim — Wed, 16 May 2018 11:44:21 +0000

Announced ahead of the OnePlus 6 this morning, OnePlus unveiled the Bullets Wireless earbuds, the next iteration of its audio offering. Described as lightweight and stylish, the Bullets Wireless connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Turning the buds on and off is controlled via a magnetic switch -- whenever you connect the buds together, they turn off. When you separate them, they turn on. Charged via USB-C, OnePlus claims you can get up to 5 hours of music playback from only 10 minutes of charging, which is incredibly impressive if accurate. To clarify, OnePlus says its fast charge tech is built directly into the buds, meaning there is no need to use OnePlus' proprietary power adapter or cable to get the benefits of fast charging. Overall, the buds are said to have up to 8 hours of charge when at 100% battery. The Bullets Wireless come with smarts, too. By long pressing the center button of the in-line controls, you can access the device's "Google Assistant integration." After clicking, you can speak commands for playing music, getting weather info and things like that. For sound quality, OnePlus uses Qualcomm's aptX, with the buds tuned to deliver high performance sound. Internally, OnePlus lists a moving coil driver unit of 9.2mm with "Energy Tubes." Bullets Wireless will be available by the end of June for $69. OnePlus Link

Download: OnePlus 6 Wallpapers!

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 10:42:55 +0000

It wouldn't be a OnePlus launch without some fresh wallpapers, right? Thanks once again to Hampus Olsson, the man behind most of the OnePlus wallpapers in recent years, we have OnePlus 6 wallpapers for you now. Below, you'll find a sampling of the full set. If you like any of the options below, just know that these are the 1080p versions. If you want full 4K, those are available too, as well as options with OnePlus' "Never Settle" slogan.

You can download the rest or higher resolution versions right here.

OnePlus 6 Now Official, Starts at $529 and Launches May 22

Tim — Wed, 16 May 2018 09:51:26 +0000

OnePlus made the OnePlus 6 official this morning, with availability starting May 22 for the starting price of $529. For specifications, OnePlus' latest flagship features a 6.28-inch display (19:9) complete with top notch, Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 8GB RAM (there are three configurations in total), up to 256GB storage, dual rear-facing cameras (16MP + 20MP) with OIS and Portrait Mode, 3300mAh battery, Fast Charging, USB-C, rear-facing fingerprint reader, water resistance, and OxygenOS 5.1 based on Android 8.1. OnePlus 6 comes equipped with OxygenOS's gesture based navigation controls, which were introduced earlier this year. If you're ready to ditch on-screen buttons, now you can. For the hardware, OnePlus went with a glass back design, Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 to be exact. According to OnePlus, the OnePlus 6 should be just as resilient as its past devices that didn't have glass backs. OnePlus is also equipping the OnePlus 6 with Face Unlock, capable of unlocking your device in as little as 0.4 seconds. During its press event, OnePlus stressed device updates, highlighting access to the latest Android P beta from Google. Should you be getting a OnePlus 6, you can gain access to the Android P beta right here. OnePlus 6 starts at $529 for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage model. The 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option costs $579, while the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model will coat you $629. Both Midnight Black and Mirror Black colors will be available starting May 22, but OnePlus' new Silk White option won't launch until June 5. What do you think about the OnePlus 6? OnePlus Link

Launch Video

Specs

[table id=130 /]

OnePlus 6 Specs (Official)

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 09:22:25 +0000

OnePlus has announced the OnePlus 6 and we've got the specs for you. As expected, it runs a Snapdragon 845 from Qualcomm, has 6GB or 8GB RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and a dual camera with 16MP and 20MP sensors. It also has a 6.28-inch Full HD Optic AMOLED Screen, 3300mAh battery with Fast Charge, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and "Daily Water Resistance." It'll run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box underneath OxygenOS 5.1, but don't forget, you can test out Android P too. The full list of OnePlus 6 specs is below.

OnePlus 6 Specs

[table id=130 /]

Amazon Prime Members Now Get 10% Off Sale Items, Other Savings at Whole Foods

Tim — Wed, 16 May 2018 08:32:42 +0000

Amazon detailed its plan to give Prime members additional discounts on sale items at Whole Foods locations this week, saying any Prime member can get an extra 10% off their purchase. Not only that, but you'll also see "weekly deep discounts on select best-selling items." It's a good time to be a Prime member. To start getting these benefits, download the Whole Foods Market app, sign in with your Amazon account, then scan the app’s Prime Code at checkout. If you want another way, you can opt in to use your phone number at checkout. According to Amazon, these new benefits will begin immediately for those in Florida near Whole Foods locations, then rolling out to the rest of the country this summer. // Amazon

OnePlus Store Reveals OnePlus 6 Storage/RAM, Network Compatibility, Silk White Color

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 07:52:21 +0000

The OnePlus 6 will be fully revealed in about an hour (watch it here), but some of the remaining details just popped up on OnePlus' own store a bit early. We now know the three color options that will be available out of the gate, as well as the storage options and network compatibility. UPDATE: Here is the official OnePlus 6 specs list. UPDATE 2: We have pricing and all other launch details right here. According to the OnePlus store, we'll get not only Mirror Black and Midnight Black, but a third Silk White colorway is coming (pictured above). This is likely the white model we saw in the hand of OnePlus CEO Pete Lau the other day. It's not bad, assuming you like gold accents.

As for RAM and storage options, the OnePlus store says to expect Mirror Black in 6GB/64GB and 8GB/128GB configurations, Midnight Black in 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB configurations, and Silk White in a 8GB/128GB setup. Additionally, OnePlus store suggests a dual camera setup with 20MP and 16MP sensors, in case you didn't already know that, on top of the Snapdragon 845 processor. And finally, OnePlus 6 network support is as follows for the US, Canada, and UK:

We don't yet know pricing, but will shortly. Until then, enjoy some more official images of the OnePlus 6 below.

// OnePlus

DEAL: Anker's Lumos Smart Bulbs are Only $16.99 Right Now ($5 Off)

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 07:36:27 +0000

d Buy Lumos Smart Bulbs

New Google News App Should be Available to Everyone Now

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 07:21:48 +0000

The brand new Google News experience that was announced last week at Google I/O is now widely available to just about everyone. If you didn't sideload the app out of the gate or pick-up the update through Google Play, you can do so now. To recap, the new Google News is replacing Google Play Newsstand, so if you love that app, you may want to hold off on updating as long as you can. If you don't care and want the new experience, expect a "cleaner" look, a "smarter" briefing, and a 360-degree view of big news stories that includes stories from multiple outlets, social media, and YouTube. As someone who used Newsstand all of twice, I can tell you that I've been using Google News pretty regularly since updating to it. It does a pretty fantastic job of showing me the news I actually care about, the UI is really nice, and I do appreciate the "Full coverage" option to see all of the different angles to a story. I also feel like it's doing a good job of pinging me with important breaking news stories. Give it a spin through the link below. Google Play Link

Watch the OnePlus 6 Launch Event Right Here!

Kellen — Wed, 16 May 2018 06:20:28 +0000

What's that, you forgot? My friend, today is the OnePlus 6 reveal. Yes, today! OnePlus is hosting a launch event in London where they'll announce the phone, talk about its notch, attempt to sell us on glass being a premium material (it's not), possibly mention Android P Beta, and let us know how much more they've hiked the price since the last phone launch. And look, the phone is going to be solid. OnePlus phones almost always are, outside of the OnePlus 2. They are some of our favorite phones each year because of their solid hardware, clean software, and reasonable price. I already know that I want the white one. Or will there also be a woodgrain option? The black options are fine, but man, that white and that wood. Please show those off, OnePlus. Let me buy them. The OnePlus 6 event kicks off at 9AM Pacific (12PM Eastern). You can watch it live through the stream above.

Los Angeles Will be Verizon's 2nd 5G Market for 2018

Kellen — Tue, 15 May 2018 13:25:22 +0000

Verizon is launching 5G in 2018, just not the wireless kind that your phone will get to play with. Instead, Verizon will launch 5G as a home internet service that they'll push into select markets. The first is Sacramento, which Verizon announced months ago. The 2nd was announced today and it's Los Angeles. To recap, this is home broadband internet that Verizon beams to your home wirelessly using equipment from Samsung. You can see that equipment here. The 5G network is powered by millimeter wave (mmW) 5G technology, which is capable of producing ridiculous speeds, just not necessarily over huge distances. It'll probably be perfect for situations like home internet. Verizon acknowledged that Los Angeles and Sacramento are two of four markets they plan to launch 5G in this year. They haven't said what the other two are, but Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam sure talked a lot about Boston today during an interview where he announced Los Angeles. You might want to casually pencil it in as one of the remaining two. Verizon said to expect Los Angeles to get 5G in the fourth quarter of this year. // Verizon

HTC Exodus Coming Later This Year, Powered by Blockchain

Tim — Tue, 15 May 2018 12:50:11 +0000

In what can be seen as an attempt to set itself apart from other Android OEMs and remain relevant in 2018, HTC is set to release a blockchain-powered Android smartphone later this year, called Exodus. According to The Next Web, Exodus will feature a, "universal wallet and a built-in secure hardware enclave to support cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications." What this means is that all of you cryptotraders will have no problems managing your "money" and accessing it via all sorts of avenues. Not only that, but the company also reportedly plans to create its own native blockchain network with all Exodus devices to act as nodes to facilitate crypto trading among users. If that doesn't get you Mr. Robot fanboys going, I don't know what will. Here's what Phil Chen, HTC's lead on this project, said about Exodus.

Through Exodus, we are excited to be supporting underlying protocols such as Bitcoin, Lightning Networks, Ethereum, Dfinity, and more. We would like to support the entire blockchain ecosystem, and in the next few months we'll be announcing many more exciting partnerships together.

It's reported that HTC is pondering the idea to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment for the device, but no price has been set. Honestly, I would find it extremely paradoxical if HTC didn't accept cryptocurrency for its blockchain-powered phone. Exodus is expected in October. Thoughts? // The Next Web

Google's Pixel Buds Get Track Skipping, Better Bluetooth Device Switching

Kellen — Tue, 15 May 2018 11:44:18 +0000

We didn't like the Pixel Buds in our review of them last year, thanks to a confusing Assistant experience, weird charging case, one-fit-for-all sizing, single Bluetooth connection, and the lack of controls like the ability to skip a track without voice. Today, Google begins rolling out an update to address a couple of those things. The first change is an adjustment to the tapping actions you can perform. You can now manually turn on or off your Pixel Buds by triple-tapping on the right earbud. Additionally, if listening to music, you can change the double-tap to allow you to skip tracks (thank, God!) instead of checking for notifications. Finally, Google has made it easier to switch between Bluetooth devices. For example, if you want to jump from your phone to computer, all you have to do is head into the Bluetooth menu on the device you want to connect to and choose the Pixel Buds. It will then switch devices to the new one. Google says that this update is rolling out today and should hit everyone by next week. Buy Google Pixel Buds // Google

Google WiFi Will Now Let You Check Speeds for Individual Devices Throughout Your Home

Tim — Tue, 15 May 2018 11:13:16 +0000

Thanks to an upcoming change that Google says will be rolling out over the next couple of weeks, owners of Google WiFi will be able to check speeds of individual devices connected to their mesh network. As of right now, you can only do a network check on devices that can access the Google WiFi app, such as a phone. However, with this change, you'll be able to see just how fast your Google Home or Wear OS device is running when on your network. To access this change, you'll head into the Network Check menu inside of the Google WiFi app. If you can't find it, its under the shortcuts section of the Settings tab. From here, you'll be able to test the connection of any device connected to the network. With the feature, users should be able to determine better placement of not only their WiFi points, but the devices that are hooked up to them. As Google puts it, "Knowing WiFi coverage is poor in an area of your home can help you pinpoint the exact bottleneck when you notice a connectivity slowdown." I'm not seeing this option available in my app yet, but I'll be on the lookout. If you see it in yours, let us know in the comments. Google Play Link

// Google

Miramar Map Now Available in PUBG Mobile for Android and iOS

Tim — Tue, 15 May 2018 10:04:45 +0000

A new map is available for PUBG Mobile, the Miramar map that went up for desktop players last month. This map not only offers new areas to explore, but new weapons and vehicles, too. Also listed in the changelog is a local quick team feature, which allows players to enter a 6-digit code to team up with friends that are close to you. Let's say you're in class at school and a few of your buddies in the same class want to get in a few games. Now this is easily achievable. Additionally, PUBG says they've added a Secret Stash, where players can purchase special discounted items. What's New

Added local quick team feature: enter a 6-digit code to team up with friends that are next to you.
Added Synergy and Connections: interact with your friends in-game to raise Synergy, then build Connections when your Synergy is high enough.
Added Regions: now you can choose your region and flag.
Added a Secret Stash, where you can purchase special discounted items.

See you out there! Google Play Link

OnePlus Publishes New Open Betas for OnePlus 5, 5T

Tim — Tue, 15 May 2018 09:06:59 +0000

OnePlus has pushed two new open betas this week, Open Beta 10 for the OnePlus 5 and Open Beta 8 for the OnePlus 5T. Inside, both phones will be updated to the May security patch, but on top of that, OnePlus lists several changes for the Launcher app, as well as OnePlus Switch. Here's the changelog for your perusal. What's New System

Updated Android security patch to May

Launcher

Added Toolbox Card in shelf
Added Hidden Space in app drawer
Added support for editing dynamic icons(weather,clock and calendar)

OnePlus Switch

Optimized user interface for backup & restore
Optimized logic for time remaining
General bug fixes and stability improvements

Messages

Added Group MMS

If you're not currently enrolled in OnePlus' beta program, you can do so by flashing the beta builds via adb. For instructions on how to do that, go here. If you are in the beta, you will receive this new build as an OTA update. // OnePlus

Sprint Adds Three New Cities to List of First 5G Markets

Kellen — Tue, 15 May 2018 08:48:01 +0000

Yes, Sprint still wants to merge with T-Mobile, but that hasn't stopped them from moving forward with plans to launch 5G on their own. After all, nothing is guaranteed in the merger-acquisition business. And so with that in mind, today, Sprint announced additional cities that will be the first to get access to their 5G service. The new markets are Kansas City, New York City, and Phoenix. These three markets join the six others that Sprint announced back in February. These new markets will also utilize Sprint's mid-band 2.5GHz spectrum, as well as Massive MIMO cell sites, to deliver "10 times faster" data speeds to customers. The current full list of Sprint's first 5G markets is:

Kansas City
New York City
Phoenix
Atlanta
Chicago
Dallas
Houston
Los Angeles
Washington, DC

When will these first markets go live with 5G? Sprint still says to expect that to happen in the first half of 2019. // Sprint

DEAL: SanDisk's 400GB A1 MicroSD Card is $159.99, Its Lowest Price Yet

Kellen — Tue, 15 May 2018 07:58:55 +0000

The 400GB microSD card from SanDisk has dropped to its lowest price ever today. At just $159.99, you can have enough storage to last you a tech lifetime, assuming you own a phone that can support that much extra storage (most flagships can). This card originally dropped in at $250, so it's down about $90. In recent weeks, it has been priced around $190, so it's still $30 off compared to yesterday. This is the SanDisk 400GB A1 microSD card, with that A1 rating meaning it has been built specifically for use in Android phones. That rating specifies that it can handle applications, unlike older cards. It's fast too, with 100MB/s transfer speeds. Buy SanDisk 400GB A1 microSD

DEAL: LG Watch Style is Just $80 at B&H Photo ($170 Off) (Updated!)

Kellen — Mon, 14 May 2018 14:55:05 +0000

So, umm, the LG Watch Style is just $79.99 right now at B&H Photo. On normal days, it costs $250, so it's probably safe to say that this is a hell of a deal. $170 off, guys! Why is it so cheap? Because this is an "open box" item, which means that the packaging has some signs of wear. Seriously, that's it. The device is still in "pristine condition," according to B&H. In other words, you can have an LG Watch Style for $80 because the box is scuffed. In our review, we actually liked the Watch Style, but thought at the time that its $250 price was a bit much for such a minimal Wear OS watch without NFC or GPS. However, at $80, it's completely worth it for the style, performance, battery life, and size. UPDATE: Annnnnd now it's $99.99. That was quick. Still a good deal! B&H Photo Link

Uber Now Lets You Rate and Tip Drivers During Trips, Not Just After

Tim — Mon, 14 May 2018 14:41:16 +0000

If you've ever taken an Uber before, you'll know that shortly after the trip concludes, the app notifies you that it's time to rate your driver and grants the option to leave a tip. Well, Uber is changing this up a bit, now letting riders rate and tip their driver, as well as send other feedback while a trip is still in progress. According to Uber, "Your positive feedback will be used to recognize top quality drivers and encourage continued outstanding service through a new program launching in June." Now, feedback isn't always good and Uber knows that. The company goes on to say that they will use customer feedback to improve its tech by analyzing rides with specific issues surrounding things like navigation and pickup spots.

Of course, it's entirely possible you will have a good ride, so instead of taking time out of day following the trip to rate and tip your driver, just do it as you're about to be dropped off and be done with it.

This change appears to be rolling out now to the Uber app. Google Play Link // Uber

My 5 Favorite Things About the New Android P Beta

Tim — Mon, 14 May 2018 12:59:43 +0000

When Google released the initial Android P build in March, I skipped flashing it onto my Pixel because I was too busy working with other phones at the time. Kellen being the adb flash master he is, he got it up and running on his Pixel and provided a video showcasing all the new Android P sweetness. Now that the Android Beta for Android P has been released, I've entered my Pixel 2 XL into the beta and I'd like to share 5 of my favorite things so far.

Volume Controls

This may not seem like a major change, but it is a nice tweak that Google has done with the way media volume is controlled when running Android P. Before this change, whenever you'd press up or down on your volume buttons, the default control is over the ringer's volume. After the update, the default is for the media's volume. This makes much more sense when you're consuming videos or games on your phone. Before the update, let's say you are about to start a video and you know it may be loud. You go to press the volume down button but it's for the ringer, meaning the video is going to blast in the background. Now, whenever you tap on the volume up or down buttons, it's always defaulting to the media's volume. Google has gone ahead and placed a separate button for controlling what you want to do with the ringer. This change is subtle, yet insanely clutch.

Battery Status via Ambient Display

Here's another subtle change that I've noticed when using Ambient Display. On Oreo, the Ambient Display would show battery charging status and when enabled, would show music that is playing in the background. When running Android P, there's a constant icon for battery status down at the bottom. With it, instead of having to turn on your display to see what your battery life is at, just give the Ambient Display a glance and you can see that information. Like I said, it's a small change, but one that I've been enjoying.

Gestures

I've seen a lot of fuss on the web about Google's take on gesture navigation, and frankly, I find it unwarranted at this time. Let me preface this by clarifying for everyone that this is a beta and things could be finicky, but for the most part, I think the gesture for the home screen on Android P works fine. When enabled on the Pixel 2 XL (some phones running the beta can't disable it via the Settings menu), Android P removes the Recent Apps and Back buttons when on the home screen, swapping them with a single pill-shaped button at the bottom of the phone. From here, you can swipe up into your recent apps and suggestions, then give it another swipe to see your app drawer. Additionally, when in the recent apps portion after a single swipe, you can scrub the pill button to the right to browse all of the apps that are currently cached in your phone's memory. I find this UI to be rather intuitive, and while I agree that the motion can seem to be a bit clunky, I think Google can smoothen it up before Android P's official launch later this year. Considering this is a major change for Android and the way you navigate the system, it's normal that we'd see a bit of backlash from the Android purest among us. Don't worry, folks, change can be good. To check this gesture navigation in action, be sure to watch Kellen's latest overview of the Android P beta build here.

Adaptive Battery

On stage at I/O, Google mentioned a new feature for Android P called Adaptive Battery. With it, the phone can determine how you're using apps (and not using apps), then properly manage battery life according to the actual stats. As it says in the Settings menu under the Battery section, "To extend battery life, Adaptive Battery limits battery for infrequently used apps. Your phone will learn how you use apps over time." To me, this is the type of smarts we need to focus on more when it comes to showcasing what's new in Android versions. While we're still waiting for some miracle breakthrough in battery tech, Google is continually plugging away on the software side to maximize performance from our phone batteries. As a user, this is greatly appreciated. I'll admit, I've only been using Android P with Adaptive Battery for about a week now, so I can't say for sure if I'm seeing massive battery life improvements, but this is still a beta and I'll report back once I have a better idea at how this feature has affected the phone.

Text Selection Bubble

Coming from the Galaxy S9, I forgot that other Android devices don't have this feature, but at long last, Google has implemented a native text selector bubble in Android, the same thing iOS has had for what seems like a decade. To explain, whenever you hold on the cursor when writing text and then moving it, a bubble will appear over your finger, allowing you to more accurately place the cursor. It's rather elementary, but finally, it's here! There is plenty more to enjoy in this Android P build, all of which you can read about here.

If you're running the Android P beta on your phone, what's your favorite feature so far?

YouTube TV Picks Up Voice Remote Feature

Kellen — Mon, 14 May 2018 12:13:38 +0000

YouTube TV picked up a new feature today called Voice Remote. As the name suggests, you can now control YouTube TV on your phone with only your voice (and a tap of a single button). The command list is pretty extensive too, with controls that not only let you search for content, but ones that let pause, fast forward, rewind, and adjust volume. You can even tell YouTube TV to Cast, record a show, watch a specific sports league, or find content based on actors' names, if they are kid-friendly, etc. Here are a couple of screenshots that show some of the commands I just mentioned.

To get started, you should be prompted to enable Voice Remote in YouTube TV the next time you open it. If not, head into Settings and look for the Voice Remote option to toggle it on. Once done, you'll simply look for the red Voice Remote button throughout the app to perform a voice search or command. At this time, there doesn't appear to be a special hotword to get it to search, though. Sign-up for YouTube TV

Google Just Told Me Which OEMs to Buy Phones From and It's Not Samsung

Kellen — Mon, 14 May 2018 11:43:11 +0000

Essential. OnePlus. Sony. Xiaomi. Nokia. Oppo. Vivo. I'll remember those names the next time I go hunting for a new phone as someone who cares about the software that runs on my phones. Those are the companies that Google has told me to keep an eye on if I like to experience all that is new in Android a bit earlier, none of which are Samsung or Huawei or LG or HTC. I bring this up after spending the past week with Android P Beta running on both my Pixel 2 XL and Essential Phone, because as you'll recall from last week at Google I/O, Google opened up its Android Beta program for the first time to a whole bunch of other phone makers that all offered Android P Developer Preview 2 at the exact same time as Google. Seriously, my Essential Phone is running the same early beta software as Google's. That's a big deal. It's a big deal because if you wanted to test and play with new versions of Android in the past, you had to buy Google's phones. While I tend to prefer Google's phones over others, the fact that I can start considering non-Google phones to get Android P or Android Q or R or S without waiting months and months is an exciting one. It changes Android. In fact, you could almost argue that it makes Android P the biggest update yet (Hey, a post idea!). I know that when the OnePlus 6 is announced in a couple of days and then released a week or so later, I can buy it and then run Android P. If I decide at some point that Sony's overpriced Xperia XZ2 makes sense, I can get one and run Android P. When I import the ridiculously hot Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S in all white, I'm going to put Android P on it and leave MIUI off forever (hopefully). And with Android P, I get to test Google's new hate-it-or-love-it gesture navigation, experience new battery saver and adaptive brightness modes, get used to the new volume controls, tap on suggested replies, utilize a more advanced do not disturb, etc. I get to do all of that on my non-Google phone, just like Google phone owners have always done and taken pride in. While there are no guarantees that these manufacturers will continue doing this whole Android Beta support for life, nor do we really know how they'll maintain beta tracks or updates with new Developer Preview releases, it's still an important step for Android. If anything, I have a list of phone makers to go look to in Google's list of supported Android Beta devices. No doubt these will change over time, but I know where to look for phone manufacturers that support the things in phones that I care about. "But Kellen, Samsung has a beta program!" They sure do! But their program offers a beta on stable software, two months later than Google shipped it to its own phones, and another 5 months before it started rolling out to phones as "stable." With this Android P Beta, you also are getting a pure Android experience, which for some of us, is a big deal. Clean Android experiences are pretty hard to find, yet this P Beta turns phones from companies like Xiaomi into stock experiences. You can own a Sony or Xiaomi or Oppo phone and ditch their skin for Google's Android. It's our Android dream coming true. So until Samsung or LG or HTC or Huawei get in on the action, I think I know who to keep on my list of OEMs to consider buying from.

DEAL: Levi's Commuter Jacket With Google's Jacquard for Only $245, Down From $350

Tim — Mon, 14 May 2018 11:19:04 +0000

At Google I/O in 2016, Google introduced Project Jacquard, which in layman's are touch sensors woven into fabric. When linked to your phone via Bluetooth, you can control music and phone calls, plus get navigation directions all from touching your clothes. The first commercially available piece of Jacquard clothing is the Levi's Commuter Jacket, which went up for sale last October for $350. This week, though, Levi's is hosting a sale on the jacket, taking off 30% from the $350 price, bringing it down to a very reasonable $245. That includes free shipping. I never thought I'd have to wrote up a deal post on clothing, but here we are. After looking up a few reviews, the jacket with Jacquard appears to be very well liked. Not only do you get the sweet Google tech integration, but apparently it's just a really well made jacket. To top it off, the jacket (via the Jacquard app) gets feature updates. Who'd a thunk it? Follow the link below, then enter the coupon code provided to get the 30% off. Levi's Link (Coupon Code: JACQUARD30) Cheers Jackson!

Google Introduces Google One as Its New Paid Storage Service

Kellen — Mon, 14 May 2018 10:19:33 +0000

Google announced Google One today, a new paid storage service that basically replaces the paid Google Drive storage plan you might currently be paying for. With Google One, Google will introduce new features, as well as new pricing options. The new Google One plans will start at 100GB for $1.99, just like Drive currently does, but there will be an additional 200GB plan for $2.99. The current 1TB plan for $9.99 will also double to 2TB. Plans larger than 2TB won't change, in terms of pricing. What kinds of new services or features should you expect with Google One? Again, they added a new pricing tier (200GB) and doubled the 1TB plan, so that's something. Additionally, Google One will include family sharing, so you'll be able to share your plan with up to 5 people, all of which will get their own private storage space, all on a single bill. And that's all we know so far. Google says that Drive storage will flip over to One storage automatically "over the coming months." It will not affect G Suite customers, though. For new customers, you'll be able to join Google One "later this year." Who pays for this kind of thing? Well, anyone who needs more cloud storage. Google gives everyone 15GB of storage to use with Google Photos full-resolution photos, Drive documents and files, and Gmail. If you are running out of storage because you've been using those services for years, paying Google $2/mo may help ease some storage stress. You can sign-up for updates on Google One right here. // Google

Guys, Look at This All-Screen Lenovo Phone 😍

Kellen — Mon, 14 May 2018 09:16:18 +0000

F*ck notches, right? That sure looks like the message Lenovo VP Chang Cheng wants to send with a couple of teasers posted to his Weibo account in recent days. Both images show off a phone called the Lenovo Z5, and um, it has a 95% screen-to-body ratio and (possibly) no notch. It's hot as hell. Is that practical or necessary? I don't care, bro. This phone is nuts if a real product that someone might be able to buy one day. Cheng said in his posts that there are multiple patents involved in this design, likely involving three major challenges he says that would need to be overcome in order to do this. The Google Translation is rough here, but does talk about those challenges involving the screen and the antenna placement/design. The image at the top of this page reminds me of that first Essential Phone teaser from Andy Rubin, only with an added level of craziness because it shows even more phone without a dip for a notch. Does it have a notch at all? It still could in final form, but the sketch below that Cheng shared doesn't suggest there will be one.

So what about a front camera, speaker, or any other sensor? That's a good question! We just don't know. It could have a pop-up camera or perhaps, Lenovo figured out how to embed all of that beneath the display? Again, I have no idea, I just know that it looks hot. I also know that none of us in the US will ever own one, so there's that. // Weibo [2] | CNET

Huawei Watch 2 2018 Adds eSIM Support, Apparently Not Much Else

Tim — Mon, 14 May 2018 09:00:13 +0000

Huawei released the Huawei Watch 2 last year, complete with a plastic body, 1.2″ full circle display, Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, and 420mAh battery. This year, it appears Huawei may soon announce the same thing, should the latest news from @evleaks be accurate. According to Blass, Huawei will essentially re-release the Huawei Watch 2 from last year, but add the 2018 label to its name, as well as support for an eSIM. Blass specifically states, "All other specs and the design remain unchanged." Weak move, Huawei. We see this potentially as a massive fall from grace for Huawei, considering it had one of the more popular original Android Wear devices. It's clear the company thinks focusing more on fitness and activity tracking is key to compete in the world of wearables, but I'd argue many enjoy a more classic timepiece look to their watches. Not everyone can afford TAG's Wear OS watches, so it was nice to have a more affordable option for Android fans. Not only that, but if Huawei does indeed release a new Wear OS device with the same Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, even with Qualcomm launching a new wearable chip soon, then we see absolutely no reason for anyone to spend money on this device. As soon as the Huawei Watch 2 2018 is made official from Huawei, we'll write up all of the details. https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/996015771712131072

OnePlus 6 Will Come in "Mirror Black" and "Midnight Black" Finishes, They Look Like This

Kellen — Mon, 14 May 2018 08:34:50 +0000

The OnePlus 6 will be unveiled in two days, on May 16, at an event in London. There aren't many surprises surrounding it at all, so when the event arrives, do your best to act like the world has forever changed by its tech greatness, or something. Or just sit back and wait for the pre-order links to go live, since it will undoubtedly be a phone to consider, just like several of the last OnePlus phones were. And when it comes time to put in that order, you'll get to choose between Midnight Black or Mirror Black colorways of the OnePlus 6. We know that, thanks to early Amazon listings that have since been pulled, yet detailed the colors, some specs, and possible pricing. The Mirror Black OnePlus 6 (pictured above) will sport a rear glass panel, we're assuming, since that's how we would get a mirror-like finish with all the reflections your fingerprint-enabled phones desire. The Midnight Black OnePlus 6 (pictured below) will more than likely not be glass, and instead feature the soft-touch matte finish from the OnePlus 5 and 5T.

The Amazon listings said that the OnePlus 6 will be available for order on May 22 with a starting price of 519 Euro for 64GB and 569 Euro for 128GB. Will that translate straight across in the US to $519 and $569? I hope so. If not, that would mean $600+ for the 64GB version. Looking back at history, well, $519 actually seems like a possibility. We've seen price jumps from one OnePlus phone to the next at anywhere from $20 to $70. Also, keep in mind that there should be a 256GB model at some point. The white version from the other day was not found. Finally, the Amazon listings showed 16MP + 20MP camera setups with optical image stabilization (OIS). You ready for Wednesday?

// WinFuture

Weekly Recap: Google I/O 2018 is a Wrap!

Tim — Fri, 11 May 2018 17:14:07 +0000

Google I/O 2018 has officially wrapped, but not without giving us exactly what we wanted: Android P DP2! This week, we posted up a hands-on video with the latest build of Android P, highlighted all of the recent changes announced during the I/O keynote, as well as wrote up all of Google's other announcements. It was a busy week. Now it's time for beer. Here's the stuff you don't want to miss from this week!

Have a relaxing weekend, folks!

Major Update Inbound for Philips Hue App, Improved UI and New Scenes

Tim — Fri, 11 May 2018 14:19:49 +0000

Earlier this week, Philips announced a major update that will soon roll out to the Hue app on Android and iOS. Inside, Philips details new features, as well as changes to existing features. Inside its blog post, Philips mentions an improved navigation experience thanks to a completely overhauled look inside of the app. With just a few taps, users will be able to adjust their smart lighting, regardless of whether you want to change your brightness or colors. The app update will offer new color pickers, too, allowing you to group and ungroup lights in a room, as well as easily choose an exact shade of white or colored light from the palette selected. Lastly, Philips announced that it is adding 30 new lighting scenes into the app, "handpicked from our lighting designers." A few examples include London's Soho district, a Honolulu sunset, plus plenty more. Interestingly, Philips says the update has a feature that can pull colors from your favorite photo, then create a new scene based on that. As they detail, "The app extracts the relevant colors from your favorite pictures and intelligently applies them to your lights, bringing your pictures to life. Philips mentions this update will ship this month, so be on the lookout. If you see it rolling out, let us know. Google Play Link // Philips

Xiaomi Adds Google Assistant Support to Several Smart Home Products

Tim — Fri, 11 May 2018 12:35:12 +0000

On the heels of Google I/O, Xiaomi announced this week that it is adding support for Google Assistant to a few of its smart home products, all three of which will soon be available in the US. Specifically, Xiaomi is adding Assistant support to the Mi Bedside Lamp, Mi LED Smart Bulb, and Mi Smart Plug. Each of these products sound pretty straightforward, but just in case you need a breakdown, here we go. The bedside lamp is capable of 16 million color customizations and touch-sensitive panel at the top. With the Mi Home app, owners can use Google Assistant to control the lamp via voice control. For the smart bulbs, they too offer 16 million colors, and with Assistant support, you'll be turning on and off your lights without ever having to get up off the couch. Lastly, the Smart Plug with Google Assistant turns your aging tech into new tech, with the ability to turn things on/off all with your voice or through the Mi Home app. Xiaomi says the bedside lamp will be available in the US this month, followed by the other products. // Xiaomi

Verizon's 'Visible' Startup Offers Unlimited Plan for $40/Month, Doesn't Support Android (Updated)

Tim — Fri, 11 May 2018 11:00:08 +0000

Verizon quietly launched a startup earlier this year, a carrier to be exact, called Visible. What's funny about the name is that Visible has been hardly visible to consumers, and maybe to the shock of some, the carrier doesn't even support Android devices at the moment. How Visible works is pretty cool, though. Much like Project Fi, everything a customers needs from the service can be handled via the Visible app, available only to iOS users. You can sign up for the service (but only if you have an invite code from an existing Visible customer), pay your bill, receive your new SIM, as well as do everything else you may need to from within the app. According to Visible, this is how they keep their pricing so low. As noted on Visible's website, $40/month will get unlimited data, text and calls, all on Verizon's 4G LTE network. However, don't let that unlimited word fool you. While the amount you can consume may be unlimited, that's not the case for the speeds and video quality you'll see while streaming. In big bold letters on its Coverage page, Visible says you'll be capped at 5Mbps while on its network, as well as 480p quality when streaming video. As they put it, "We're built for life on the go, so instead of giving you extra speed you don't need (and making you pay for it), you get unlimited data at a speed that's perfect for streaming." Now, mind you, $40/month for unlimited (even when limited to 5Mbps) isn't bad at all. We sure wouldn't mind seeing Android support come, but Visible says we'll need to "stay tuned" for that. If you have an iOS device and want to look into Visible, follow the link below and be sure to grab the Visible app from Apple's store. Update: To clarify, Visible is not a prepaid carrier. Instead, Visible only offers one option to customers: a month-to-month contract for $40/month. Hope that clears up any potential confusion. Visible Link // TechCrunch

Google to Require OEMs to Push Regular Android Security Updates, Which is a Good Thing

Tim — Fri, 11 May 2018 09:40:48 +0000

Updates in the Android world have always been a pain point. Unsurprisingly, folks don't want to be running outdated software, especially outdated security software. To counter this ongoing issue, Google made mention during its "What's New In Android Security" session at this year's I/O that it will soon be requiring OEMs to push regular security updates to devices. How will they require it, you may ask? Well, Google now has it inside of the OEM agreements, which is great news for consumers. "We've also worked on building security patching into our OEM agreement. This will lead to a massive increase in the number of devices and users receiving regular security patches, so we're really excited about that," Android's security lead Dave Kleidermacher announced. Because we don't have the terms of this OEM agreement in front of us, we can't say exactly what the requirements of the OEM are at this time. Does it mean required monthly patches? Every other month? Are we talking about all OEMs or just particular manufacturers? There are still many questions. What we do know is that Google continues to make updates an important subject, just as we the consumers do. Here's hoping this new requirement really kicks OEMs into security patching gear. We've cued up the portion of the session below, so give it a watch. // XDA | 9to5Google

$199 Polk Assist Combines Google's Smarts With Polk's Audio Prowess, Launches Next Month

Tim — Fri, 11 May 2018 08:35:51 +0000

Last night, Polk Audio introduced Polk Assist, a Google Assistant-powered smart speaker that should interest anyone who takes their in-home audio seriously. Set to be priced at $199, the Polk Assist can do all of the things a typical Google Home can do, but goes a step further in the audio and hardware department. On top of the speaker, there are physical buttons for accessing Assistant, as well as controlling any music that may be playing. For sound, Polk states they designed the tweeter, woofer and amplifier to deliver room-filling sound, all from within this compact speaker package. Polk Assist is set to launch June 4 for $199. I'll admit, this intrigues me very much. Polk Audio Link

Google to Update Home Max for Much Improved Line-In Latency

Tim — Thu, 10 May 2018 14:55:44 +0000

According to TheNextWeb, Google is soon to push an update to the Google Home Max to improve its line-in latency, which is big news for anyone attempting to use Google's $400 smart speaker as a home theater centerpiece. Right now, the Home Max features a line-in delay of 550 milliseconds, making it nearly impossible to sync it with things like a television. However, after this update that is said to come later this month, the line-in delay should be around 39 milliseconds. That's a much better experience. Here's what the product manager behind Google Home Max told TNW.

In launching Max, we knew that a vast majority of users would love using the Google Assistant to stream their favorite artist or album. We also learned that many users enjoyed using line-in to bring their personal collections to life. This performance improvement makes Max an even more frictionless experience for those plugging in their record player, smartphone or other audio source.

Audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts rejoice, you'll soon to be able to use your $400 Google speaker for more than just streaming music. // TheNextWeb

Upcoming Steam Link App for Android Will Have You Playing PC Games on Your Smartphone

Tim — Thu, 10 May 2018 12:07:13 +0000

Steam announced the upcoming launch of the Steam Link app for Android and iOS this week, slated to launch the week of May 21. With Steam Link, gamers can access their library of Steam games, then play them on their smartphone over a 5Ghz network via a compatible host machine (Windows & Mac supported). Think of this like NVIDIA's GameStream, which also allows gamers to stream video games from their computer over a network to compatible NVIDIA SHIELD devices. With Steam Link, though, it's to any Android phone. Steam also details controller support.

The Steam Link App will feature support for the Steam Controller, MFI controllers, and more across both platforms.

As soon as this launches, we'll write it up. // Steam | Polygon

Motorola Shares Which US Carriers Will Sell New Moto G6 and Moto E5 Lineups (Updated)

Tim — Thu, 10 May 2018 11:22:39 +0000

After unveiling its new Moto G6 and Moto E5 lineups back in April, Motorola has now provided which carriers and retailers you'll be able to find them. For the Moto G6, priced at $249, you'll find it at Verizon, as well as retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Fry’s, and B&H Photo. The Moto G6 Play, priced at $199, will be available at prepaid spots like Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless (marketed there as the Moto G6 Forge), Verizon Wireless, Virgin Mobile, while it will be a postpaid device at AT&T. You will also find it unlocked at retailers including Best Buy, Target, Fry’s, and B&H Photo The Moto E5 Plus is shown to cost €169 in Europe (no word on exact US pricing yet), but once launched, you'll find it at Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless (marketed as the Moto E5 Supra), and postpaid at Sprint. Lastly, the Moto E5 Play, available in the coming months, will be found at Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless (marketed as the Moto E5 Cruise), Verizon Wireless, Virgin Mobile, and postpaid at Sprint. Additionally, The the E5 Play will be available through Xfinity Mobile. We're still waiting to hear specific availability dates for each device, but once we get those, we'll update you. Update: Verizon has shared availability specifics for the new Moto device launches. Detailed by the carrier, the Moto E5 Play will be available to prepaid customers starting today, while the Moto G6 Play for prepaid is still "coming soon." On May 24, Verizon will launch the Moto G6 for postpaid customers. // Motorola

Pixel-Branded Smartwatch Said to Launch Alongside Pixel 3 This Year (Updated)

Tim — Thu, 10 May 2018 09:46:03 +0000

According to @evleaks, a Pixel-branded watch will launch later this year, alongside the already expected Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. On top of this news that Google may keep attempting this whole wearable thing, @evleaks also mentions second generation Pixel Buds, a sequel to the Google Assistant-toting earbuds that launched last year after Google I/O.

UPDATE August 31: Google says no Pixel Watch this year.

Now, as for the watch, we have to hope that Google spent a lot of time thinking about what they want to showcase on it. It seems like a safe bet that Google Assistant will play a big role, but unless Google makes Wear OS truly something that can compete with the Apple Watch, it could be another bust. What would you hope to see from a Pixel Watch by Google? https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/994585799235600384

NVIDIA Hosting SHIELD Spring Game Sale, Save 50% on Many Great Titles

Tim — Thu, 10 May 2018 08:41:01 +0000

NVIDIA has a game sale happening for Android right now, calling it the SHIELD Spring Game Sale. That's straightforward enough. As for which games are on sale and how much you can save, NVIDIA has DOOM 3 BFG Edition for just $2.49 (down from $10), Parallax for $5 (down from $10), as well as Tomb Raider for $7.49 (down from $15). Nearly every game NVIDIA lists is a solid 50% off, so if you have any Google Play credit laying around, jump on it. Here are all of the links you need. Google Play Links

Clustertruck (Reg. $14.99, Sale $7.49)
Contrast (Reg. $9.99, Sale $4.99)
Doom 3 (Reg. $9.99, Sale $2.49)
Parallax (Reg. $9.99, Sale $4.99)
Pavilion (Reg. $9.99, Sale $4.99)
Pix the Cat (Reg. $4.99, Sale $2.49)
Q*Bert Rebooted (Reg. $5.99, Sale $2.99)
Super Mega Baseball (Reg. $19.99, Sale $9.99)
The Final Station (Reg. $14.99, Sale $7.49)
Tomb Raider (Reg. $14.99, Sale $7.49)
Ultimate Chicken Horse (Reg. $11.99, Sale $5.99)

// NVIDIA

Question of the Day: Android P Gesture Navigation, Thoughts?

Kellen — Wed, 09 May 2018 13:50:37 +0000

Now that a number of you have had a solid day to play with Android P Beta on your Pixel or Pixel 2 (maybe Essential Phone too!), we need to talk about Android's new gesture navigation. Are you loving it? Hating it? Still not sure about it? If you missed it, I went into a lengthy overview of the fresh new gesture setup in a video yesterday, where I showed off how app switching works, some of the shortcuts Google has included, and that the back button is still there as a thing you can use for some reason, since it hasn't been implemented into the gesture button, even though it should have been (seriously, you should just slide the home button to the left to go back). Do I love it? I'm not sure yet. I think it's a change, possibly for the sake of changing something rather than a meaningful change that has improved the experience. After all, you still just have a navigation bar area that is using up screen space, only now it's filled with semi-confusing swipes instead of simple tapping. I think it could be improved pretty easily (like killing the back button and adding the left wipe I just mentioned, swiping down to access the app switcher to not make the app drawer so confusing, etc.). Obviously, I still need more time with it to see if this is good or not. What about you? Have you come to any conclusions yet? Has this improved Android for you? Have you already gone back to the old-style buttons?

Android Distribution Updated for May, Oreo Now Over 5%!

Tim — Wed, 09 May 2018 12:36:19 +0000

Google has updated the Android Distribution numbers this week, with the major news being... drum roll, please. Oreo has now surpassed 5% of the pie! Woot woot! To be exact, Oreo (a combination of 8.0 and 8.1 builds) now sits at 5.7%, a massive jump from last month's 4.6%. For the other versions, we have Nougat at 31.1%, Marshmallow at 25.5%, Lollipop at 21.4%, KitKat at 10.3%, Jelly Bean at 4.3%, Ice Cream Sandwich at 0.4%, and Gingerbread still hanging on at 0.3%. You can see April's numbers right here. // Android Developers

Wear OS Android P Preview 2 is Out With a New Battery Saver Mode

Kellen — Wed, 09 May 2018 11:45:20 +0000

Google released the 2nd developer preview for Android P on Wear OS today. The update doesn't dramatically change the experience, but does include a new battery saver mode as well as support for Actions on Google. The new and enhanced battery saving mode turns your Wear OS watch into a basic watch that doesn't do much outside of tell you the time. Google says that the new battery saver turns off radios, the touch screen, and tilt to wake, in order to conserve battery. That also means that complications, apps, and interactive watch faces won't work. To check the time, you have to press the physical button on the side of the watch. Don't worry, though, you can get out of it with a long-press of that same watch button to fire off an NFC payment or use other watch smarts. Additionally, Wear OS Developer Preview 2 adds support for Actions on Google. These are the actions for apps that you can access through Google Assistant. An action could be booking a flight or ordering groceries, right from your watch. You'll need developers to buildout these actions, but that's happening. Finally, Google is rolling back one of its battery saving changes from the Developer Preview 1. Initially, Google changed Wear OS to not connect to WiFi when Bluetooth lost connection. This was a power consumption change, but they heard from users and developers that this was a terrible decision. So yeah, that's gone and if you lose Bluetooth connectivity, your watch will hunt for WiFi. You can find the Wear OS DP2 release notes here and the images here. // Android Developers

Smart Compose for Gmail Writes Your Emails for You

Tim — Wed, 09 May 2018 11:12:21 +0000

Yesterday during the Google I/O keynote, Google unveiled Smart Compose for Gmail. To sum it up, AI will be writing your emails from here on out, so don't worry too much if you can't come up with anything clever to say in your messages. In actuality, this new feature uses artificial intelligence to help you draft messages from beginning to end. When enabled, you will compose your email normally, but Smart Compose will work in the background to offer suggestions. When you see a suggestion you want, just hit the Tab button on your keyboard.

What we saw yesterday was Smart Compose write an entire email and it seemed to be quite contextually aware of what it was writing. We've cued up the video below to show you what happened. According to Google, Smart Compose will appear in the new Gmail for consumers, then will be made available for G Suite customers in the coming months. If you want to give Smart Compose a try, ensure you're running the new Gmail. Once done, you can enable it via the settings menu. // Gmail

ZTE Ceases Operations After US Government Ban

Kellen — Wed, 09 May 2018 11:03:01 +0000

ZTE has mostly shut down its main business operations, according to Reuters, after the US government banned US companies from supplying it with components. ZTE did say that it is trying to get a modification or reversal to the ban, though. Because ZTE makes a lot of the products using components from Qualcomm and Intel, a ban on US companies supplying them is a huge hit. We knew it would be when the US government announced the ban, but man, this is all happening very quickly. ZTE can always try to find other suppliers for its components. The problem is, there aren't many alternatives. Mediatek is a mobile chipset maker that could step in to provide some relief. Remember, as you possibly feel bad for ZTE in all of this - the reason they got this US supply ban was because they lied about paying bonuses to workers. They were initially in trouble with the US for supplying electronics to Iran, but after being slapped with heavy fines for that, they failed to follow through on additional rules set by the US government. ZTE was supposed to fire certain employees involved in that Iran deal and also vacate bonuses to a bunch of other employees. When the US government found out that they lied about the bonuses and paid them anyway, that's when this latest, crippling ban happened. We'll keep you updated on ZTE, but things sure do look bad at the moment. // Reuters

Monument Valley is Currently Free on Google Play

Tim — Wed, 09 May 2018 10:29:25 +0000

If you have yet to check out the original Monument Valley game, now would be a great time to do so, considering its usual price of $3.99 has been cut to absolutely free. Seriously, there's a reason this series is so incredibly popular. It mixes fantastic looking visuals with sometimes challenging puzzles, making it a nice game to get lost in at times. And once your done with the original, you can go play Monument Valley 2! Get on it. Google Play Link

Google Maps and Street View + Augmented Reality for Walking Directions Would be Boss

Tim — Wed, 09 May 2018 09:01:53 +0000

Yesterday during the Google I/O keynote, Google showed off work it has been doing to combine the power of AI and computer vision, then implementing that into an existing product like Google Maps and Street View. What we got was a fantastic demo, and hopefully, it doesn't remain a demo forever. As Google mentions, there are times when walking directions based on GPS inside of Maps are less than stellar. That little blue dot that represents your position is sometimes shooting all over the place, which is never helpful when you're in a rush. Thankfully, Google realizes this, with one way to fix it being the combination of your phone's existing camera, then the power of Google's computer vision. Basically, you would hold your phone's camera up to different points on the street, which the software would then recognize. Then, augmented reality jumps in and displays directions for you, allowing for easy navigation through the streets. Google also showed off a little AR fox that can guide you along city streets, but again, this was just a demo. After showing us what computer vision can do inside of Maps and Street View, Google announced the changes for Google Lens. While cool, they certainly aren't as exciting. Fingers crossed something like this becomes a reality soon. I have this portion of the keynote cued up below, so give it a look. After watching, feel free to hammer Google on social media about how we want this now and not a year from now.

Sony's Xperia XZ2 Compact is Now Certified for Use on Verizon

Kellen — Wed, 09 May 2018 08:55:12 +0000

Verizon announced this morning that the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is now certified for use on their network. On the day that Sony announced both the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, they confirmed that the smaller, more plasticky Compact would soon work officially on Verizon's network. The new Xperia phones have only been available for a couple of weeks in the US, so for those holding out until this day, your time has come. As far as we know, the more premium regular XZ2 will not see Verizon certification. Why? We'll probably never have an answer to that. If interested in the XZ2 Compact, just know that you get a very similar experience to the XZ2, only in a smaller package (specs comparison). You can buy it at Best Buy today in a number of colors for $650. Buy Xperia XZ2 Compact

Wear OS Attempts Another Comeback This Fall, Thanks to New Qualcomm Chip

Kellen — Wed, 09 May 2018 08:37:22 +0000

Wear OS, like Android tablets, hasn't exactly been a smashing success of a platform. While Apple seems to be doing well enough with its Apple Watch line, Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) never had a lead watch that could really help with adoption. Part of the blame there, some have argued, is because there just isn't much tech to work with, namely in the chipset side of things. Yes, I'm talking about Qualcomm and the Snapdragon 2100 Android Wear-ready chip they made years ago. It's been 2 years since Qualcomm released that 2100 and no one has stepped up to release anything to compete with it. Since its launch, we've seen companies step away from Wear OS, sell few of the ones they do make, and rarely add to the experience (thickness, battery life, other health features, etc.), likely because there just isn't new silicon to work with that pushes the platform forward. This week, Wareable caught up with Pankaj Kedia, Qualcomm's senior director of wearables, to talk about the future and if Qualcomm has any plans to help revive Android wearables. Kedia said that not only is a new lead watch arriving this fall, but so is a new wearable chipset from Qualcomm that has been built from the "ground up." There's quite a bit to tackle here and I urge you to read Wareable's entire write-up, but the basics are this:

Qualcomm has built a brand new, from "ground up" chipset to be used in wearables that are coming later this year. This chipset isn't just a modified other Snapdragon product that has been tweaked for wearables - it's actually a wearable chip.
This new chipset will allow for "dedicated chips that make your watch look pretty when you're not looking at it, that brings the best fitness and watch experience, and extends battery life," Kedia said.
There will be a focus on watches both looking good and having smartwatch functionality. We've heard about a hybrid LG watch with mechanical hands and a touchscreen, which could be exactly what is being hinted at here. And Kedia is right in that smartwatches look bad when you aren't using them.
Battery life will see a "significant" boost and there will be better health features, like longer heart rate monitoring.
But really, all Kedia wanted to talk about was the look of the watches and the fact that their "platform will significantly change the Wear OS ecosystem, what you expect from a smartwatch."

A "lead" watch is supposed to arrive this fall, followed by many more over the holiday season. Tell me, would you be interested in a smartwatch if it looked more like a normal watch? // Wareable

Phones With Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 Should Get Android P the Quickest

Kellen — Wed, 09 May 2018 07:53:00 +0000

Qualcomm announced this week that it has pre-integrated their software with Google's Android P, which should make it easier than ever for phone manufacturers to update once Android P goes stable. This is all a part of Project Treble, which may already be showing signs of some success. Specifically, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845, 660, and 636 platforms have been pre-integrated. Any phones running those chipsets will have the opportunity to update to Android P quicker than in the past. If anything, Qualcomm has fully put the pressure on companies like Samsung to get their act together and update. Qualcomm noted in its announce that this move ensures "readiness for OEMs to upgrade to Android P at the time of launch." Will they? Heh. As you all know, the Snapdragon 845 is going to be the biggest of 2018 for Android phones. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ run it, so does the G7 and OnePlus 6, and there will be countless others, like the Pixel 3. Is it happening, guys? // Qualcomm

Android TV With Android P Gets Quicker Setup, Autofill, Other Goodies

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 17:13:32 +0000

During the "What's New in Android TV" session at Google I/O 2018, the team talked about Android P making its way to the platform. With Android P, we're actually getting some nice improvements, particularly to the setup process. Once Android TV units get Android P, they will get an improved setup that prompts you through a nearby Android device to finish setup. It'll also ask you which apps it should auto-install, help you autofill logins to apps it doesn't properly restore, and suggest settings to complete that you may have passed the first time around. The Android TV team should really help with performance on lower-end devices too.

On a related note, they gushed over the freshly announced JBL Link Bar during the session, adding some more details to its already impressive set of specs. The Android TV team noted that the Link Bar's most impressive feature might be its 3 HDMI-in ports. With these, you aren't just getting pass-through HDMI. Instead, they are active with Google Assistant, so if you switch from TV to XBOX and talk to Assistant, the Assistant overlay will show on top of whichever active input you are on. Google also said that they are the ones sending the updates to it, including Android P, and that at launch, there will be an optional woofer to go with it. Fall can't get here soon enough.

That Goofy Android TV Dongle From the FCC is Real as the ADT-2

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 16:59:22 +0000

Remember that random dongle that showed up at the FCC a few weeks back, looking like a knockoff Chromecast, 3rd party Android TV unit? It's real! Sort of. Google actually announced it today at I/O as the ADT-2, a developer unit that won't ever be sold in stores. Seriously, that dongle I mocked pretty heavily is real as a developer-only device. So that means it's a proper follow-up to the ADT-1, which was essentially the first Android TV box for developers to test apps for. That device didn't hit retail at any time either. Google didn't talk a lot about it today, only that they think it's a pretty cool unit. It'll run Android P, comes with a Google Assistant remote, and will receive regular updates from Google. If you are a developer, you can sign-up for one right now at this link.

Video: Android P Beta First Look and Tour!

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 16:51:01 +0000

Want to see exactly how to work the new navigation gestures in Android P on a Pixel 2 XL? We've got you, my friend. After playing with the latest Android P Developer Preview for the past couple of hours, we've put together a quick video to show off some of the new changes. In this clip, you'll not only see that fun new gesture navigation, but we dive into the new vibrate "shortcut," show off adaptive brightness and battery settings, suggested replies, and some new do not disturb options. There isn't a ton of new stuff since the first Developer Preview, but the gesture change is a big one. We haven't had navigation change in some time. What are your thoughts so far? Liking the gestures? Gotten used to them yet?

Google News Replaces Play Newsstand, Uses AI to Curate What's Important to You

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 15:46:45 +0000

Google announced a massive update for Google News at I/O this morning, one that incorporates plenty of AI to bring the best of the news straight to your Android device. Set to replace the existing Google News and Weather app on your phone, the new Google News utilizes AI to "find the best of human intelligence," which is just fancy words for the news stories you care about. More specifically, Google says the new app is powered by a set of AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) techniques which synthesizes and organizes information in real time. For features, there is a new daily briefing that is personalized based on topics and interests you select, plus a Full Coverage button allows you to dive deep into a story from within the app. Additionally, users can subscribe to whatever publisher they want and you can access your subscriptions via the web or on mobile. Google's video that we've embedded above goes over all of the important details, so give it a watch. The new Google News replaces the existing Google News and Weather app on mobile, so keep your eye on the link below for when the update goes live this week. Google Play Link // Google

Google Photos Gets New One Tap Actions This Week, Awesome Colorize Feature Coming Later

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 15:27:25 +0000

Hitting Google Photos this week, Google introduced new one tap actions for photos, as well as better sharing capabilities while scrolling through your photos. On top of that, other changes are happening later on, including the addition of new editing tools like Colorize. Right now, users will benefit from added one tap actions that include options to brighten, share, rotate or archive a picture. Described in Google's announcement post, these suggested actions are powered by machine learning, meaning you only see them on relevant photos. For editing, Google is introducing a Color Pop option, which will essentially turn your photo into a B&W photo, but then leaves the color for whatever subject you choose. We've placed an example below to give you an idea of how that works. Also detailed during I/O, Google is working on a feature that will allow you to take your older B&W photos, then convert them to color. You've probably seen something like this done to old photos in other editing programs, so this should be quite neat when launched for mobile devices. We'll let you know when it comes. Google also announced a new program for developers that can bring Google Photos access to 3rd-party apps and devices.

We’re introducing a new Google Photos partner program that gives developers the tools to support Google Photos in their products, so people can choose to access their photos whenever they need them. Look for apps and devices that work with Google Photos in the coming months.

A few of the changes I just explained are already going live in Google Photos today, so go check them out. Google Play Link // Google | Google Developers

Google Maps to Get Even More Personalized With Dining Matches and New Explore Tab

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 14:59:27 +0000

Google Maps received quite a bit of love at this year's Google I/O, with many of the new features announced said to come a little later this year. According to Google, Maps is becoming more assistive and personal, allowing even better discovery or not just food, but activities you may want to check out around you. As detailed, a new Explore tab features everything you need to know about dining, events, and activity options in an area that you’re interested in. When checking out a specific area, Google Maps can list out the top things to do in that area, such as activities and places to eat.

Additionally, Google Maps is receiving better support for group planning. With the upcoming update, you can create a shortlist of places within the app and share it with friends across any platform, so you can quickly vote and decide on a place to go. This is good for trying to pick a spot to meet up on a weekend. The other new feature is all about matches. With this, Google Maps will recommend a spot for you to check out, with an associated match percentage with it. Let's say you love hot dogs. Well, based on your Maps data, Google can determine this, then provide a matched location along with a probability that you'll enjoy it. Kinda, crazy, yeah? Here's how Google puts it.

We use machine learning to generate this number, based on a few factors: what we know about a business, the food and drink preferences you’ve selected in Google Maps, places you’ve been to, and whether you’ve rated a restaurant or added it to a list. Your matches change as your own tastes and preferences evolve over time—it’s like your own expert sidekick, helping you quickly assess your options and confidently make a decision.

Be on the lookout for these changes in the coming months. // Google Maps

Google Lens Getting New Features, Coming to Other Native OEM Camera Apps

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 14:07:41 +0000

Announced at last year's Google I/O, Google Lens is soon to receive an update in the next few weeks to make it more useful. Not only that, but Google announced this morning that it is coming to a ton of other OEM's native camera apps. For changes, Google lists Smart Text Selection. With this, users will point their camera at a word or group of words, and can then manually select what they want more information on via Lens. For example, let's say you're at a fancy restaurant and don't recognize a few of the dishes. Now with Lens, you can pull out your camera, hover over the dish you don't know, then Google Lens will return a photo of the dish and a list of ingredients. Google also mentions this feature will be useful for recipes, gift card codes, or WiFi passwords. And yes, all of the text is selectable for copy & paste action right on your phone. Another new feature is Style Match. With it, instead of discovering what something is, you can find other things are like it. For example, you're in a boutique and notice a shirt, but it costs too much. With Style Match, point your camera at the shirt, then Google can return images and shopping results based on the shirt in front of you. As for Google Lens coming to phones other than Pixel phones, Google details that Lens will be available natively on devices from LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Sony, Nokia, OnePlus, Asus, and others. For exact availability, look for announcements from the various OEMs. We've heard from LG already and they mention the G7 ThinQ will have Google Lens out of the box. // Google

Google Assistant is Getting New Voices, Will Make Calls for You, Plus a Whole Lot More

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 13:21:21 +0000

Google announced a ton of changes and new features for Google Assistant at Google I/O this morning. If you weren't able to catch the stream, let's go over what's new. To start, Google is adding 6 new voices for Google Assistant. A preview of each voice can be listened to below. Additionally, Google also announced that a limited time mode for John Legend's voice will be available later this year, but apparently only for certain contexts. These new voices can be enabled inside of Google Assistant starting today. In the coming weeks, Google says Continued Conversations will be enabled inside of Google Assistant, which will allow for a very natural back and forth between you and your digital assistant. With this, you'll no longer need the "OK, Google" command for a followup request. Already rolling out to Assistant, Multiple Actions was also announced. With this, you can ask multiple things inside of the same query. For example, "OK, Google, what's the weather like in Portland and San Francisco?" Your assistant will return with proper answers for both questions. As an even more complex example, you can ask, "OK, Google, who was president when Kevin Durant was drafted into the NBA and what team drafted him?" With Multiple Actions, Google Assistant perfectly breaks down each question and gives your correct responses.

Assistant Will Begin to Book Appointments Via the Phone

Probably the most exciting Google Assistant addition is the injection of a technology called Google Duplex. With this, which will come later this summer, Google Assistant can actually call businesses and book appointments fon behalf of the user. Let's say you need a haircut. Simply tell Assistant a time and date, then if the business you're attempting to book the appointment through doesn't have an online booking service, Google Assistant makes the call for you. Here's how Google explains.

Powered by a new technology we call Google Duplex, the Assistant can understand complex sentences, fast speech, and long remarks, so it can respond naturally in a phone conversation. Even though the calls will sound very natural, the Assistant will be clear about the intent of the call so businesses understand the context. Once your reservation or appointment is booked, the Assistant will add a calendar reminder for your appointment and allow you to cancel if needed.

Google has a few fantastic examples of real calls Google Assistant has completed and I highly recommend you listen to them. It's absolutely incredible. Google also announced this morning that Assistant is coming to Google Maps later this summer. With this enabled, you can send text messages, play music and podcasts, and get information without leaving the navigation screen. Pretty awesome changes and new additions, am I right? New Voices // Google | Google AI

Here's How to Get Android P on Your Supported, Non-Pixel Device

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 12:31:59 +0000

Google is doing something very special this year, opening up the Android P public beta to devices other than their own Pixel phones. Sweet! If you own an Essential Phone, Nokia 7 Plus, OPPO R15 Pro, OnePlus 6, Sony Xperia XZ2, Vivo X21UD, Vivo X21, or a Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, you too can have fun with Android P. Now, if you're using one of these supported devices, things aren't as easy as it is on a Pixel phone with regard to getting Android P up and running. There are no OTA options, but if you're comfortable with downloading files and flashing them manually via adb (or by OEM client software), you'll be just fine. After following the link below for your device, many of the OEMs offer instructions on getting Android P booted up. For the OnePlus 6, which hasn't yet launched, OnePlus says the beta will open May 16, the same day the phone is launched. Supported Devices and Links to Beta

Enjoy. // Android P Beta

Still Waiting for a Google-Powered Smart Display? They'll be Here in July

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 12:07:05 +0000

At CES in January, we saw multiple Google-powered smart displays being shown off from various electronic manufacturers. There was one from LG, JBL, and Lenovo. If you've been waiting patiently to get one of these smart displays into your home, complete with all of the Google Assistant goodness they have to offer, Google announced today at Google I/O that they will be available beginning in July. The company didn't specify exactly which models will be up for purchase, but as soon as we learn exact details from the various companies, we'll let you know. Remembering back to March, B&H accidentally posted LG's ThinQ smart display as up for pre-order, priced at about $300. That was done in error and the listing has since vanished, but that still gives you an idea at how much you might be dropping for one of these devices. Ready for the smart display revolution?

Android P Features: Here is the Entire List of What's New

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 12:00:39 +0000

Android P Developer Preview 2 is now available in the Android Beta program. If you own a Pixel or Pixel 2, you can grab the update right this minute. But what's new? A lot actually. During today's Google I/O 2018 keynote, we got the list...the full list that Google shares each year at its developer conference. Now, we've talked about a lot of this stuff from the first Developer Preview, so we won't touch on it all here. The stuff we want to focus on, is the stuff that Google showed off today that we had not yet seen. First up, we have the slide below that touches on Google making Android P more simplistic than Android has ever been. Well, it's simple in its looks just not in functionality.

We've got new gesture navigation with a single home button that allows you to swipe up and down to get into app switching, as well as a UI that suggests apps you might use. There is a new Adaptive Battery feature that "prioritizes battery power only for the apps and services you use the most, to help you squeeze the most out of your battery," and Adaptive Brightness that "learns how you like to set the brightness slider given your surroundings." You'll find new App Actions within the app drawer that offer suggestions on things you might want to do, like call someone or go for a workout.

Google has created a new feature called Dashboard, which lets you see how much you are using your phone, its apps, that sort of thing. The idea here is let you unplug more by showing you just how obsessed you are. You'll be able to set app timers to block them out from use, a wind down mode at night that turns your phone to black and white, and utilize an improved do not disturb.

As for the rest, just look at the P image below. This is the big guy that talks about the small tweaks that Google has made that probably won't ever show up in a slide or press release.

More coming, including a first look at Android P Beta!

Android P Developer Preview 2 Now Available!

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 11:27:23 +0000

Google just dropped the Android P Developer Preview 2 on us here at Google I/O 2018. Not only that, but this is the first beta, which means you can sign-up and receive this latest version of P over-the-air. The Android P Developer Preview is only available to the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL. The new builds are arriving as PPP2.180412.013.

Date: May 2018 Build: PPP2.180412.013 Emulator support: x86 & ARM (32/64-bit) Security patch level: May 2018 Google Play services: 12.4.46 API diff: API 27 → DP2, DP1 → DP2

This is the first update to Android P since it first released back in March, so there are a number of major changes, like gesture navigation. Google also shared new Adaptive Brightness setting, better battery management, predictive app actions in the launcher's app drawer, and slices. We'll be diving in now and share everything we find. To sign-up for the Android Beta program, hit this link. If you don't want to wait for the beta to go live, you can grab the new Android P DP2 images here (soon).

Android P Beta Opens Today to Phones From Essential, Nokia, OnePlus, More

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 11:24:53 +0000

Wow. Google just got done showing off the new Android P features that will arrive with the latest Developer Preview 2 that arrives today, and announced a huge expansion of the Android Beta program. Google is allowing non-Google devices to be a part of the program now. As you can see from the image above, Nokia, Essential, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Sony, Vivo, and Oppo are all going to be a part of the Android P Beta. Specifically, the phones are:

Essential Phone
Nokia 7 Plus
Oppo R15 Pro
Sony Xperia XZ2
Vivo X21UD
Vivo X21
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
OnePlus 6

We initially thought that you would be able to sign-up through Google's Android Beta program, but that no longer appears to be the case. Instead, Google is presenting this as a benefit of Project Treble. In other words, the phone makers will provide the updates. You'll have to keep an eye on their support sites and social accounts for announcements.

You Can Now Enroll Your Pixel for the Android P Public Beta!

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 10:57:27 +0000

The Android Beta has flipped the switch to Android P, allowing owners of certain Google devices to opt into the public beta for Android P. If you missed the Android Beta last year, this beta program is used for getting the latest builds of Android via OTA, no sideloading and flashing required. As for which devices are supported by Android Beta, Google states that the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL can take part. To get started, follow the Android Beta link below, select which Google device you want to opt into the beta with, then sit tight for Google to push the Android P beta right to your phone. Of course, if you want to sideload and don't want to wait for an OTA, we'll let you know as soon as the Android P DP2 files are published by Google. Update: Google is changing things up big time this year, opening to the beta to devices from other OEMs. Full details here. Android Beta

LG Pushing Google Assistant to Lineup of 2018 OLED and Super UHD TVs This Month

Tim — Tue, 08 May 2018 08:38:25 +0000

LG announced this week that it is bringing Google Assistant to its lineup of 2018 AI-enabled OLED and Super UHD televisions this month. With this feature enabled, LG TV owners will be able to access all of the same information and controls that you can on your smartphone's Assistant, such as turning on/off lights, checking on other appliances, as well as easy stuff like checking the weather. This Google Assistant functionality is being placed directly alongside the existing webOS-based ThinQ smarts inside of these LG TVs, so owners should have no excuse when it comes to managing different aspects of their smart home right from the couch. For exact timing, here's what LG says.

LG OLED TVs and LG SUPER UHD TVs with ThinQ AI and the Google Assistant will be available in the United States starting in May with key markets in Europe and Asia to follow.

Ready to get your Assistant on, select LG TV owners? // LG

Watch: Google I/O 2018 Keynote! (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 08 May 2018 08:01:10 +0000

You probably figured this out already, but Google I/O 2018 kicks off today! Up first, of course, is a lengthy 1.5 hour long keynote, where Google's Sundar Pichai will take the stage to walk us through all that Google has plans for in the development of their various focuses. He'll talk about AI (probably too much) and Google Assistant, for sure, but we are expecting Android P Developer Preview 2 as well, hopefully in beta. Don't be surprised if more Google Photos features are announced, a new Google News experience, and possibly, YouTube Music taking the place of Google Play Music. Whatever happens, it'll be packed. We're here live for in-person action, but this is Google I/O. That means you get to follow along as well through various livestreams of not only the keynote, but many of the sessions as well. This is a developer conference after all, so yeah, there will be sessions. The keynote kicks off at 10AM Pacific (1PM Eastern). UPDATE: Livestream added to top of post!

Here is the OnePlus 6 in White and Black Colorways

Kellen — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:17:40 +0000

When the OnePlus 6 is fully revealed at an event in London on May 16, there won't be many surprises outside of the date you can order one and how much you'll have to pay. I say that because a new leak involving it surfaces every time I look in the other direction that takes away some of the mystery. Take for example today, where Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan posted a couple of images to Twitter that show off the backside of both white and black versions of the phone. Who knows if he was supposed to post the pictures this early, but he did so while calling out OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, who is featured alongside him in the pictures. He hasn't pulled the images at the time of this post either.

In a close-up of the phones, there is no question that this is the OnePlus 6. The backside designs match up to this leak and this one, as well as others we haven't bothered to post. You've got a centered dual camera housing above a fingerprint reader and the OnePlus logo. This is the first time we are seeing the white version, though. I'm trying to think of something to add to the story here, but look, we've seen this phone a lot now. We know what we're getting. The only thing I can think to mention is that the white version looks really nice, especially if it's not all of that fingerprinty glassness of the black version. What if it's sandstone? Omg. // @SrBachchan

DEAL: Get Insignia's Smart Alarm Clock With Google Assistant for $100 Off, Down to $40

Tim — Mon, 07 May 2018 14:32:28 +0000

Best Buy is hosting a flash sale on its website today, which includes a deal on Insignia's Google Assistant-powered smart speaker/alarm clock. While there are plenty of smart speakers rocking Assistant these days, Insignia's has a digital time readout, which can be good for some to have on the nightstand. Just like a Google Home, this device can control all of your smart home goodies and can be managed from within the Google Home application. Unlike Google Home, though, the Insignia device does not always need to be plugged into an outlet, as it does support battery power. According to the specs listed, it can last up to 5 hours on batteries and playing jams, which isn't bad for this thing. If you're in need an alarm clock with Google Assistant, or just another Assistant-powered smart speaker in your home, check it out. Best Buy Link

Chromecast (2015) Hits FCC Again With Bluetooth Enabled

Kellen — Mon, 07 May 2018 13:28:04 +0000

Randomly over the weekend, Google's Chromecast (2015) showed back up at the FCC. Why would that happen to a device that is this old? Because Google wants to finally enable the Bluetooth chip that's inside of it and needs to file new paperwork to get that approved. OK, wait, so the Chromecast (2nd gen) is back at the FCC only this time with active Bluetooth? Yes, that's correct. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth activation is only coming to new Chromecast devices that Google plans to sell, not your old ones that you already own. In the filing, Google states that they plan to issue a software update to "enable legacy Bluetooth operations," but that the original 2015 Chromecast "will not receive the software update." Here's more on that:

This application is for an enhancement to the existing product approved under FCC ID A4RNC2-6A5. A software change is being implemented to enable legacy Bluetooth operations. Because this new mode requires a new equipment code (DSS) not covered by the original certification for FCC ID A4RNC2-6A5, the new version of device requires a new FCC ID. For clarity, devices bearing FCC ID A4RNC2-6A5 will not receive the software update to enable legacy Bluetooth operations.

The new filing is for a Chromecast device that will fall under FCC ID A4RNC2-6A5B, whereas the original was simply A4RNC2-6A5. Also, the model number for this newish device with active Bluetooth will remain A4RNC2-6A5. The only way you'll be able to tell if a new Chromecast has Bluetooth is by looking at the FCC ID which will have the "B" on the end. It's confusing, I know! My guess is that Google will replace all of its current Chromecast inventory with this new "B" model because they obviously have some plans for Bluetooth and a Chromecast. What will those plans be? I have no idea, to be honest. Maybe to attach a remote to it or gamepad? Possibly to pair it to play audio? Hopefully, we find out tomorrow at I/O. // FCC

Android Auto is Getting New Visuals, Group Messaging and RCS Support, Plus Media Search Improvements

Tim — Mon, 07 May 2018 12:50:57 +0000

It appears Google's keynote tomorrow at I/O will be so jam packed with announcements that a few of them have been pushed up to today, including changes that are coming to Android Auto. Detailed in a blog post from the Android developers, Android Auto is getting new visual templates for developers, allowing for users to see what's most important right from the start. As an example, when an app offers browsable content, selectable objects are front and center, with most of the distractions moved to allow for better discovery. Google is also including media search enhancements. To explain, new search capabilities allow media apps to directly integrate their results into Android Auto. This means drivers can quickly discover tracks that are related to whatever they're currently listening to, such as a song's live version, or a song with the same name from a different artist.

In this upcoming change, Android Auto will support group messaging and RCS. Thanks to the already supported Google Assistant, drivers can control all of their messaging while remaining hands free and watching the road. For us users, none of these changes have a timeframe, but if you're an Android Auto developer, you can sign up to get started right here. // Android Developers

That Was Quick: Essential Already Pushing May Security Update

Tim — Mon, 07 May 2018 11:36:11 +0000

Google dropped the May security patch about an hour ago, but already, Essential Phones are receiving the update via OTA. Listed as build OPM1.180104.166, nothing besides the update to the May patch is listed in the changelog, but provided this is happening so quick, I don't think owners are going to mind. The update weighs in at 91.5MB. https://twitter.com/essential/status/993556671917015040 Cheers Josh!

JBL Link Bar is an Android TV-Powered Soundbar, Launches This Fall

Tim — Mon, 07 May 2018 10:18:31 +0000

Ahead of tomorrow's #IO2018 kickoff, Google and JBL have announced Link Bar, an Android TV-powered soundbar with a healthy amount of ports on its backside and all of the features you'd expect from a set-top box running Android. Said to be available this fall, Link Bar features Google Assistant for controlling your smart home, as well as microphones for hands-free control. On the backside, we can see the Link Bar offers 4 HDMI ports, ethernet, as well as a 3.5mm port.

With Android TV onboard, you can download all of your favorite apps from Google Play, including Netflix and YouTube TV. Since it doubles as a soundbar, you also don't need to worry about casting your music to a specific speaker in your home. With this, just tell Google to start playing music and that's it. Because we're still a ways away from launch, we can't tell you how good it sounds or how much it'll cost, but all of those details will come in due time. If Link Bar is present at I/O this week, we'll be sure to check it out for you. Are you interested in this? // Harman

May's Android Security Update Goes Live for Nexus, Pixel Devices

Kellen — Mon, 07 May 2018 10:09:00 +0000

Google just dropped the May 2018 security patch for Nexus and Pixel devices on us. If that seems odd to you knowing that Android P Developer Preview 2 is probably coming tomorrow, try not to stress. Google (almost) always drops each month's security patch on the first Monday of the month and that happens to be today, the day before Google I/O. Also, a bunch of people won't jump on the Android P DP2 (which will probably be a beta and open to all), so those still on stable Android Oreo need those latest patches. At this time, we already have both factory image and OTA files, so choose whichever works best for you if you don’t feel like waiting for the update to show up on your device. So far, we are seeing new 8.1.0 files for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL (OPM2.171019.029.B1, OPM4.171019.016.B1), Pixel and Pixel XL (OPM4.171019.016.B1), Nexus 6P (OPM2.171019.029.A1), Nexus 5X (OPM4.171019.016.A1), and Pixel C (OPM4.171019.016.C1) Google's phones are getting the May 5 security patch level. Update notes:

For the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google has now updated the notes to show that build 8.1.0 OPM4.171019.016.B1 is for "Fi Carriers."
The Nexus 6P May build has been pulled too.

You can grab each image or OTA file at the links below. For instructions on how to flash a factory image, here you go. For instructions on how to flash an OTA .zip file, here you go. As more files arrive as well as additional details, we’ll update this post. Links:

Android Things Hits 1.0 as Devices From LG, JBL, and Lenovo Ready for Launch

Kellen — Mon, 07 May 2018 09:51:28 +0000

Google's IoT platform, also known as Android Things, reached v1.0 today ahead of Google I/O. With the launch of Android Things 1.0, we're now at the point where the platform is ready for production devices, like Smart Displays. Google said today in a blog post that the Android Things preview, which has been running for months, reached over 100,000 SDK downloads and 10,000 developers. It also now supports System-on-Modules (SoMs) based on the NXP i.MX8M, Qualcomm SDA212, Qualcomm SDA624, and MediaTek MT8516 (some pictured above). For those not familiar with Android Things and the IoT world, just know that this platform "does the heavy lifting with certified hardware, rich developer APIs, and secure managed software updates using Google's back-end infrastructure," to help device makers focus on building amazing products, not the other stuff. It also supports Google technologies like Google Assistant and Google Cast. And speaking of devices, now that Android Things 1.0 is here, we should start to see devices powered by it hit store shelves. Think about the Smart Displays that were shown off at CES earlier this year. These are the Amazon Echo Show-like devices from LG, JBL, and Lenovo that all sport Google Assistant. We aren't expecting them until this summer, but we could always see a shifting timeline now that Android Things is at 1.0. To learn more about Android Things, we've got links for you below. // Android Developers [Release notes]

Fitbit Launches Female Health Tracking, Quick Replies for Versa and Ionic

Tim — Mon, 07 May 2018 09:34:46 +0000

Starting this week, Fitbit users have access to two new features previously announced by the company. Inside of the Fitbit app, you'll find tracking for female health, as well as quick replies for messaging on Versa and Ionic devices. For female health tracking, Fitbit details the ability to track menstrual cycles and symptoms, which should help optimize your health goals and life planning. Should you be prompt in recording cycles and symptoms, the Fitbit app will be able to provide better predictions and enhanced insights over time for your cycles. According to Fitbit, "Female health tracking will automatically be a default tile for all adult users who identify themselves as female in the Fitbit app." For owners of a Versa or Ionic device, there's now quick replies. With it, should you receive a message from an app such as WhatsApp or Messenger, you'll be able to respond to messages with a default or custom reply, as well as emoji. Naturally, for this function to work, your Fitbit device will need to be synced to your smartphone via Bluetooth at the time any messages come in. Have at 'em, Fitbit users. // Fitbit [2]

LG's New Wear OS Watch Hit the FCC Today

Kellen — Mon, 07 May 2018 08:05:54 +0000

We're only hours away from Google I/O kicking off and a new Wear OS watch from LG just showed up at the FCC. Is this the rumored hybrid Wear OS device from LG that's both regular timepiece and smartwatch? Under model number LM-W315, the giveaway that this is running Wear OS is the FCC ID e-label page. The settings screen that shows you how to get to the FCC ID is that of Wear OS, formally Android Wear. Oh, the Google Play logo is sort of a giveaway too. The FCC docs don't reveal much else, other than the tests for Bluetooth and WiFi on this "portable wrist device." The FCC did not test for cellular connectivity, so this watch is a WiFi-only device.

In case you were wondering, the past couple of LG Wear OS watches held model numbers of W280 (Watch Sport) and W270 (Watch Style). The model number of W315 certainly falls in line as being their next device. Will we learn more at Google I/O about this device? Quite possibly. // FCC

You Can Now Set Your Android Phone's Assistant Default to Use Alexa Instead of Google Assistant

Kellen — Mon, 07 May 2018 06:52:48 +0000

I'd imagine there are a few of you out there who purchased a bunch of Amazon Echo devices out of the gate instead of Google Home, since Echo had such a head start on Google's smart speakers. And if that's the case, you might want quicker access to Amazon Alexa from your phone to control your smart home or interact within the Alexa ecosystem. Thanks to an update that arrived within the past few days, Android is now recognizing Alexa as a possible Assistant substitute in the way it has Microsoft's Cortana. In other words, you can set Amazon Alexa to be your default Assist app instead of Google Assistant. How do you make the switch? You'll need the Amazon Alexa app for one. You can find that through the Google Play link below. And two, you'll need to tell your phone to use it. You do that by heading into Settings>Apps>Default apps>Assist & voice input. You could also just search for "Assist" and you'll likely see the "Assist app" option appear. Once you find that, you'll tap on "Assist app" and then choose "Amazon Alexa" instead of Google. With those steps complete, a simple long-press on your home button will load up Amazon Alexa and start listening for your command. So now, you can fire up Alexa and get info or have it complete tasks from any screen where you have access to your home button's long-press action. NOTE: I've tried this on a Pixel 2 XL running Android P and a OnePlus 5T running Android 8.1 and both worked. Google Play Link // reddit

Weekly Recap: AndroidQ isQ FunQ

Kellen — Fri, 04 May 2018 15:46:00 +0000

What happened in Android this week? Oh, a couple of things. T-Mobile and Sprint decided to merge. LG announced the G7 ThinQ. HTC told us when their new phone was coming. Google announced a bunch of stuff before Google I/O, which is next week. Samsung and Verizon showed how much they care about you by agreeing to put more bloatware on your phones. And VR had a moment. It was fun. Now, catch up before next week, because next week is going to be nuts.

Time for a BeerQ.

Various Verizon, T-Mobile Devices Receiving April's Security Update

Tim — Fri, 04 May 2018 15:16:54 +0000

According to their respective websites, various devices on Verizon and T-Mobile are receiving the April security patch. For T-Mobile, the Galaxy S8 (new software version: G950USQU3CRD4) and Galaxy S8+ (G955USQU3CRD4) are receiving the April patch, and over on Verizon, the Galaxy S6 (NRD90M.G920VVRU4DRD2), Galaxy S6 Edge (NRD90M.G925VVRU4DRD2), Moto Z2 Play (NDSS26.118-23-19-6), and Moto Z Play (NDNS26.118-23-12-7-7) are also getting the same thing. If you own one of these devices, get on it. // T-Mobile [2] | Verizon [2] [3] [4]

Download: Celebrate Star Wars Day With These Old School DROID2 R2-D2 Wallpapers

Tim — Fri, 04 May 2018 14:55:33 +0000

What better way to celebrate Star Wars Day (4th of May) than with a Flashback Friday? Way back in late 2010, Verizon and Motorola partnered to launch the DROID2 R2-D2 special edition smartphone. Not only did the phone's exterior match that of the Daring Droid, but the phone came with an exclusive pack of Star Wars themed wallpapers. There are 14 wallpapers in total and we've placed them all below for your usage in 2018. The resolution isn't great, currently at 960 x 854, but that's definitely usable on some devices. They won't look good on your 4K desktop monitor, but they looked fantastic on the DROID2's 3.7" display. Have at 'em!

Podcast: ThinQing About Sprint, T-Mobile

Kellen — Fri, 04 May 2018 12:24:33 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we're looking back at a pretty wild week that kicked off with T-Mobile and Sprint announcing that they are merging before switching to an official announcement of the LG G7 ThinQ. Now that the merger and phone are official, you can imagine that we have some thoughts. After that, it's on to Google I/O, since that kicks off next week. What will we see? What do we want to see? Will there be hardware? You get the idea. If we have time, we'll talk HTC U12+ and OnePlus 6 launches, Pocket Casts acquisition, and more. Trivia is also back! Belkin has offered up prizes for those of you in need of a super fast USB-C, Quick Charge 3.0-enabled charger. We’ll open the show at 1:00PM Pacific (4:00PM Eastern). If you miss us live and/or want the audio version of our podcast, you can subscribe through the various links below.

Google Assistant Now Helps You Find and Purchase Movie Tickets

Kellen — Fri, 04 May 2018 12:00:50 +0000

Google Assistant is getting a new feature today that helps you attend the latest blockbuster movie without lifting a finger. Starting today (and it seems to be live already), you can ask Google Assistant to buy you movie tickets. All you have to do is say "get me tickets to the Avengers" and Google will bring up showtimes that you can choose from in your area. If you choose a time or theater that doesn't have assigned seating, Assistant will ask if you want to go ahead and buy tickets. You can say "Yes" or choose the types you need (adult, child, etc.). If there is assigned seating, Assistant will redirect you to Fandango to complete your purchase.

Google says that you can even use this new feature to buy advanced tickets, like to "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which just opened up ticket sales. Again, the option appears to be live for me. If you aren't getting access to it yet, be sure to update the Google App to the latest version. You may need to join the beta, which you can do by opting-in through a box at the bottom of the link below. Google Play Link

Uh Oh: HTC Uses iPhone 6 Internals to Hype Next Phone

Tim — Fri, 04 May 2018 11:42:52 +0000

If you caught HTC's teaser for its May 23 event where we expect they will announce the U12+, the company had an image of a phone's internals (pictured above). We assumed it was their upcoming device's, but as readers caught over on Anandtech, a portion of these internals belong to the iPhone 6, including the motherboard and other various parts. Thanks to iFixIt's old teardown of the iPhone 6, we can clearly see that many of the components shown in the photo below match those in the photo above. Now, whether HTC did this on purpose as a simply joke or knowingly attempted to pass off these internals as their own, it's pretty embarrassing. We should expect better from their marketing team. HTC's Internals

iPhone 6 Internals // Anandtech

DEAL: eBay Hosting 15% Off Everything Sale With Code

Kellen — Fri, 04 May 2018 10:50:12 +0000

eBay is once again hosting a 15% off everything sale, as long as you plugin a code during checkout. They've run a number of these and the level of savings depending on the product you buy, is pretty incredible. For this sale, you get 15% off anything you buy with a minimum purchase of $50. Also, the discount maxes out at $100 off, so you can't buy a car and get $1,500 off or something. To get the discount, go shopping at eBay, then plugin code "PMAY4TH" at checkout. The sale ends at 7PM Pacific (10PM Eastern). You might want to hurry. UPDATE: eBay extended the deal to 7PM Pacific. eBay Link [Terms]

This is LG V35 ThinQ, That Reported Exclusive LG Phone for AT&T

Tim — Fri, 04 May 2018 10:34:31 +0000

We learned this week that the G7 ThinQ from LG will not be sold at AT&T. That hurts. However, with that same report, we learned that LG will sell an exclusive device for AT&T later this year. Thanks to AndroidHeadlines, we're learning that the exclusive device is the V35 ThinQ, detailed in the photos above and below. Yikes. According to AndroidHeadlines, the V35 ThinQ features a 6-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision display, dual rear-facing cameras, as well as a HiFi Quad DAC. We could still be a bit away from launch, so there aren't many confirmed specifications floating around. At least from what these photos and the few specs detail, there doesn't seem to be too much different between last year's V30 and this reported V35 ThinQ. We at least hope they bump up the processor to a Snapdragon 845. As Kellen so elegantly put it in his writeup of the report from earlier this week, "I hate to say this, but you should probably skip the G7 if AT&T already thinks something better is on the way that they cared enough about to land an exclusive for." Thoughts? // AndroidHeadlines

Gboard Update Adds GIF Maker!

Kellen — Fri, 04 May 2018 09:12:07 +0000

Google's Gboard keyboard picked up an update today that introduced a new "Make a GIF" feature. Since GIFs will never get old, you've got to love this addition to the best keyboard around. To use Gboard's GIF maker, you'll head into the keyboard, tap the emoji icon, then the GIF button, and you should see the option to "Make a GIF" with a big "+" over it. Tap that and you'll be on your way to making a GIF using either your front camera or the camera setup on the back of your phone. You can add effects before pressing the record button to capture your animated magic. From there, you will find options to send, save, or re-do. The "Make a GIF" option appears to only be in the Gboard beta at this moment. To get into the beta, open the link below on your phone, scroll to the very bottom of the listing until you see the box that lets you join the beta program. Opt-in, give in a few minutes, and then the latest beta update will appear. Google Play Link

Lenovo's Standalone Daydream Headset and VR180 Camera are Now Available

Kellen — Fri, 04 May 2018 09:00:39 +0000

We're only days removed from Oculus making the Oculus Go available to all and now Google has made its first standalone VR headset available too. Well, this is actually Lenovo's, but Google has a lot to do with it, since it runs Google's Daydream VR platform. The Lenovo Mirage Solo, as well as Lenovo's Mirage VR180 camera are both up for purchase starting today.

Lenovo Mirage Solo

The Mirage Solo costs $400, runs Google's Daydream, and is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (microSD expansion), 2560x1440 LCD display with 110-degree field of view, and a 4000mAh battery that allows up to 2.5 hours of playing time. It's pretty decked out in terms of specs when you compare it to the Oculus Go. The biggest feature here (outside of the fact that you don't need a phone to run it) is WorldSense, which is an embedded technology within the headset that "understands your movement in space without the need to set up any external sensors," according to Google. In other words, you can jump, dodge, etc. like you might do with the HTC Vive, only you don't need all the fancy laser boxes that Vive needs. This is the next step for VR to become a big deal, although that price isn't the most accessible. Buy Lenovo Mirage Solo:

Amazon
B&H Photo
Best Buy

Lenovo Mirage VR180

With the Lenovo Mirage, you are getting one of the first VR180 cameras that Google wants you to put in place of your point and shoot. This is the type of camera that is small and compact enough that you can travel with it, but the beauty is that its footage can be viewed in 2D or 3D. So you can watch it back as what appears to be normal footage you might take with your old camera, only you can dive deeper into the memory with a VR headset. It could be fun. The camera has dual 13MP fisheye lenses with 180x180 field of view that can record up to 4K. It's also powered by a Snapdragon 626 and 2GB RAM, plus it has WiFi and connects to your phone for easy transfers. You can even record live video and upload automatically to YouTube. Lenovo Mirage costs $300. Buy Lenovo Mirage VR180:

If you are interested in both the Mirage Solo and Mirage VR180, you can save $50 by buying them both. Buy Mirage Solo and Mirage VR180 bundle

Google Play is Celebrating Star Wars Day With In-App Goodies, Discounts on TV and Audiobooks

Tim — Fri, 04 May 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Today is May the 4th, international Star Wars day, a very important day for anyone who considers themself a fan of the series. In honor of this day, Google Play is hosting a massive promotion, granting in-app goodies for select Star Wars games, as well as discounts on entire TV show seasons and audiobooks. For you Star Wars gamers, Google details extra crystals and Han Solo shards inside of Galaxy of Heroes, a free crystal crate in Force Arena, 50% off Star Wars: KOTOR, and even discounts on Star Wars tables inside Star Wars: Pinball 6. Beyond apps and games, we're seeing massive discounts on basically all Star Wars audiobooks. For example, you can get the amazing Thrawn novel for $16.95, down from its usual price of $25. You'll also find discounts on Tarkin, Ahsoka, the pre-order for Thrawn: Alliances, and Lords of the Sith. For TV, it appears Google has marked everything down 50%, which means big savings on entire seasons of Rebels, Clone Wars, as well as the LEGO stuff. Personally, Clone Wars is amazing, so if you've never watched an episode, I highly recommend. It's all canon, too, so bask in its glory of epicness. May the 4th be with you all! Google Play Link

DEAL: Buy Any Google Home, Get $50 Off a Nest Thermostat

Tim — Thu, 03 May 2018 15:05:50 +0000

Google is currently hosting a promotion, granting any buyers of a Google Home, Google Home Mini or Google Home Max a $50 discount on a Nest smart thermostat. To claim, you'll simply need to purchase a Google Home ($129), Google Home Mini ($49), or Google Home Max ($399), then claim the offer from Google. Google will link you to Nest's website, where you'll be able to select your desired Nest thermostat, then purchase it for $50 off the retail price. If you were planning on picking up either one of these products recently, this is a solid little promotion. For the complete rundown from Google, follow the via link below. Google Store Link // Google

Wear OS Gets More Google Assistant Features, Like Smart Suggestions

Kellen — Thu, 03 May 2018 14:50:24 +0000

Google announced new Google Assistant features for Wear OS today that bring it further in line with Assistant on phones. Things like smarter suggestions, spoken answers, and the ability to perform Actions are all now available to Wear OS watches. For smart suggestions, the Assistant on your wrist will do its best to offer up additional bits of relevant information as you complete tasks. For example, after you ask for the weather, sliding up on the screen will show you options that could get you forecasts for this weekend, later today, or show the temperature in Celsius, all without having to ask for them. Additionally, if you ask Assistant for information, you can have your watch speak the answers back to you. You know how you ask your phone or Google Home to tell you about your day? Your watch can do that now too. Finally, Google is bringing Actions to Wear OS, so that means some of the million or so items listed at this directory can now be done from your wrist. Things like starting your smart over or getting the next train schedule are there on your wrist, as well as your phone. Wear OS, guys! // Google

Twitter Recommends You Change Your Password Right Away

Kellen — Thu, 03 May 2018 13:56:25 +0000

Twitter is recommending that all of its users change their passwords today after finding a bug that unmasked passwords internally. After discovering the bug, they investigated it and found no evidence of a breach. Still, they want you to be safe and consider changing your password anyway. The bug had to do with the technology Twitter uses to mask passwords (with a random set of numbers and letters) from their internal systems as they validate you. For whatever reason, this system was creating a log with passwords that were no longer masked. Going forward, Twitter says that they are implementing plans to prevent this bug from surfacing again. To change your Twitter password, head into your Settings. https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/992132808192634881

AT&T is Skipping the LG G7 to Launch Its Own Exclusive LG Device This Summer

Kellen — Thu, 03 May 2018 12:28:51 +0000

If you thought it was somewhat odd that AT&T didn't even mention the LG G7 ThinQ yesterday, you would not be alone. All other major US carriers told us in vague terms when the phone was coming, yet there was silence from AT&T. According to The Verge, they didn't say anything because they don't plan to carry the device at all. Instead, AT&T said that they are skipping the LG G7 because they are "planning to launch a new LG device this summer only from AT&T." In other words, AT&T has an exclusive LG device to sell that will arrive only a couple of months after the G7. What in the... First of all, exclusives in the smartphone industry are always the stupidest of stupid ideas. Think Galaxy S Active and DROID devices and EVO 3D things from the past. How many were ever smashing successes? They almost always flop (original DROID and EVO might be the exception) and no one changes carriers in order to get them. And second, while we can argue that the G7 may not be any sort of game changer, what the hell is LG thinking with this move? AT&T didn't specifically say that their exclusive phone will be equal to the G7, but what else are they saying? They are passing on the G7 because something else is coming that only they will have that could certainly be an upgrade over the G7. I hate to say this, but you should probably skip the G7 if AT&T already thinks something better is on the way that they cared enough about to land an exclusive for. Good lord, this industry is dumb so often. // The Verge

Pocket Casts Acquired by Group That Includes NPR, Nothing Changes for Users

Tim — Thu, 03 May 2018 12:18:25 +0000

Announced today, Pocket Casts, one of the more popular podcast listening and sharing platforms, has been acquired by a group of four large podcast producers. The new owners are NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life. Together, these producers are responsible for over 170 million podcast downloads a month, and with that combined experience, the goal is to, "reach a new generation of listeners and to serve the needs of audio producers across public radio and beyond." Now, according to Pocket Casts, absolutely nothing is changing for users, at least for the time being. Everyone involved on the Pocket Cast team remains, the app's pricing remains the same, and moving forward, "Our aim is to make it better, like we always have, year in, year out." Building on that, "Going forward things are going to be different. We’ll be moving faster, we’ll be more ambitious in the things we do and we’ll have some amazing insights from the top podcast producers in the world to help guide our future steps." No financials have been shared, but the Pocket Casts team specifically states, "Sadly we chose to not sell our souls or you all out for crazy amounts of cash money, which means that you owe us [a yacht]." // NPR | Shift Jelly

Samsung Pay Adds Cash Back Feature, Get Money Back on Select Purchases

Tim — Thu, 03 May 2018 11:07:15 +0000

Samsung Pay announced a new feature for its users today, Cash Back. No, this Cash Back isn't like what you have with your debit card. Instead, when you make a purchase using Samsung Pay at a participating merchant, you'll receive a percentage of money back into your account instantly, ready for use on another purchase anywhere you'd like. Samsung breaks it down simply.

In the new Cash Back section of the Samsung Pay app’s home screen, users will find a range of exclusive offers from leading retailers. When they click on the offer they want and complete a purchase through the participating merchant, the user will receive a percentage back on their purchase which they can then spend toward a purchase—anywhere they use Samsung Pay.

With Cash Back, you're essentially spending money to make a percentage of money, which isn't exactly the best way of creating wealth, although, getting free money for something you were already going to purchase is a fine deal. Check your Samsung Pay app for all of the offers. // Samsung

Google Pay Hits the Web

Kellen — Thu, 03 May 2018 10:13:11 +0000

When Google started the rebranding of Android Pay to Google Pay back in January, they told us that it would take some time before everything flipped over. We've seen the app go through its big change already, but that left us with Google Pay on the web still stuck with Android Pay or Google Checkout branding. This week, that changes now that Google has begun rolling out Pay to browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Going forward, when you head to your favorite stores to pay for items, Google Pay branding will be present and also help you make easier payments. Well, that's assuming they offer Google Pay as a checkout option, which not everyone does just yet. If you see it, though, be excited. As long as you have a credit card attached to Google Pay, it really only takes a couple of taps and little typing to get checked-out. Additionally, if you use Chrome, you can autofill billing or shipping info, since it can save that info across browsers. // Google

DEAL: Save $100 on Razer Phone Today Only, Priced at $599 (Includes Gold Edition)

Tim — Thu, 03 May 2018 09:02:57 +0000

For an extremely limited time, buyers can save $100 on the Razer Phone, bringing the total down to $599. In order to get this price, you'll need to enter the coupon code listed below, directly above the link to Razer's online store. Back in mid-April, the Razer Phone received the Android 8.1 update, plus thanks to other updates, the phone's camera experience has gotten better and it also supports HDR content playback support. It should be noted, this $100 off deal is available for the standard model, as well as the Gold Edition. There isn't anything internally different about the Gold Edition, but it does have a gold Razer logo on the back. Remember, to receive the $100 off, enter promo code "PHONE100" during checkout. Razer Link

Nokia 6.1 (2018) Arrives in US May 6, Priced at Just $269

Kellen — Thu, 03 May 2018 08:10:55 +0000

The Nokia 6.1, HMD Global's upgraded mid-range Nokia phone for 2018, is finally arriving in the US this weekend. Starting May 6, you'll be able to buy the Nokia 6.1 (2018) for just $269 at Amazon and Best Buy. Not familiar with the Nokia 6.1? You should probably pay attention to it if your budget is limited or simply because you love that Nokia heritage coupled with nothing but stock Android and fast updates. The Nokia 6.1 is an Android One device, so you get the cleanest version of Android, as well as pretty quick updates. The phone runs Android Oreo right now, but will undoubtedly pick-up Android P pretty quickly once it goes stable. As for specs, you've got a Snapdragon 630 processor, 5.5-inch FHD IPS LCD display, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (with SD support), 3000mAh battery (with fast charging), 16MP Zeiss camera, 8MP selfie cam, USB-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.0, and an all-aluminum body. Again, all of that for $269. The phone is a GSM-only phone, so it'll work on AT&T and T-Mobile. Buy Nokia 6.1 (2018)

HTC's Next Phone, Possibly the U12+, Will be Announced May 23

Kellen — Thu, 03 May 2018 07:47:35 +0000

HTC just sent over a save-the-date for May 23, as they plan to introduce their next phone at that time. Early reports have suggested that this will be the HTC U12+. The image sent to us by HTC is a set of phone components placed to form an outline of a phone. HTC also included a message of, "Coming soon...A phone that is more than the sum of its specs." The timing is right, if we look back at one report specifically which said to expect the phone in May. That report also spelled out many of the phone's specs, like the 6-inch LCD display, Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB storage, dual selfie cameras, dual rear cameras, 3420mAh battery, and the latest in HTC's squeezy side tech known as Edge Sense. Earlier this week, images of the phone showed up at an HTC Facebook fan page, possibly revealing the goods. Ready for the new HTC phone?

Action Launcher V35 Released, Offers Android P Styling and Folders in the App Drawer

Tim — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:35:51 +0000

A new update is available for Action Launcher, labeled as version 35. There are quite a few changes inside, so let's check it out. According to the changelog, Action Launcher has added the Android P style for the dock's background, but in addition, users can enable a tinted dock effect. This will allow you to switch up the color, which can play nicely with whatever look you're going for on the home screen. The changelog also lists a White on White look for search box icons, folders in the apps drawer (a highly requested feature, apparently), as well as "many optimizations and bug fixes." Here's the full changelog, with a complete writeup from the developer linked below. What's New

Android P style dock background.
'White on white' look for search icons box.
New look All Apps search box.
All Apps folders!
Options to sort and bulk-manage folder contents.
A great many optimizations and bug fixes.

Google Play Link // Action Launcher

RED Hydrogen One Update: Surprise, It's Delayed, but for Good Reasons

Tim — Wed, 02 May 2018 11:08:30 +0000

In July of 2017, RED announced Hydrogen One, its state of the art smartphone running Android. Pre-orders went up, with shipment of the device scheduled for Q1, 2018. This past January, RED stated they were now shooting for a summer of 2018 launch. It's May now, which means we must be getting close to launch, right? In my writeup last year, I specifically mentioned, "I wouldn’t be surprised if RED comes into unforeseen issues along the line. There could even be delays." Unfortunately for everyone who preordered this phone, I was right. Detailed back in mid-April, but oddly not circulated heavily in the Android news realm until now, RED disclosed that it has delayed the launch of Hydrogen One, at least until August. I mention at least because RED says, "The final date will be determined by the carriers and announced as soon as they make the call." RED goes into great detail explaining the cause of the delay, and from a buyer's standpoint, there is a solid explanation, one that should benefit buyers in the long run.

When we announced, you needed a module to shoot 4V with the HYDROGEN ONE. The module was going to have multiple cameras for realtime 4V and was going to sell for about $750-$1000. A few months ago we added 3D cameras front and back to HYDROGEN so you could shoot 3D and convert to 4V without a module. Processing to 4V needed the cloud, your computer or was done VERY SLOWLY on your phone. Much better than a module but still not ideal. Now, with a lot of hardware and software work (which created a good portion of the delay)… you shoot 4V realtime on the phone both sides. You monitor your cameras in 4V. You can Face Chat in 4V realtime. You can post 4V immediately. When you shoot, you also get a companion 2D file in your gallery. Of course, you can still select and shoot just 2D.

According to RED, the development for all of this took extra time, including supply chain adjustments. In short, while the launch will take a bit longer than what was originally expected, it should payoff for buyers. When it comes to launching a new product, I think that's what truly matters, not meeting projected timetables. Plus, if we're being technical, August is still summer, so RED is doing okay. As for the carriers and their certification process, this is where RED loses me a bit. RED doesn't go into as great of detail with this aspect, but here's what they say.

Carrier certification. This is also a big one. This takes more time than we previously thought. Additionally, we are preparing to launch with multiple carriers and organizing a simultaneous launch has proven to be pretty tricky.

This past January, RED's expected carrier support was self described as “unprecedented” and, “as good as it gets.” With words like that, we're expecting full carrier support with all of the LTE bands one may need and RED specifically mentions they intend to launch with multiple carriers simultaneously. Does that mean they intend to partner with carriers to sell the device directly to consumers or do they intend on offering a single unlocked phone at the same time, with support for all carriers via a single sales channel, such as their website? RED's terminology is a bit confusing, so your guess is as good as ours. Furthermore, even larger phone makers like HTC have a hard time getting US carriers to sell its devices, so it's very hard to imagine Verizon or AT&T ponying up retail or even online space for RED. Regardless, RED's plan is incredibly ambitious, especially for a phone that likely won't push too many units compared to a Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone. I mean, the cheapest option is listed at $1300, which is well beyond what most folks would consider dropping on a phone. Do we have anyone here patiently awaiting their Hydrogen One? Are you okay with a delay, so long as you get a better product in the end? // RED

Samsung is Giving Galaxy Owners $500 of In-App Purchases to Select Games Right Now

Kellen — Wed, 02 May 2018 11:02:04 +0000

Want some free sh*t today? Cool, Samsung has a bunch for you, with a value at around $500. How do you get it? Oh, through their obnoxiously-part-of-the-scene Galaxy Apps store. If you own a Galaxy phone (like a Galaxy S9, S8, Note 8, etc.), all you need to do is open the Galaxy Apps app, and tap on the little present icon in the top right corner. That will open up a promotions tab that should include a "CASHE VALUE PACK" with a value of "$500+." If you tap through that promotion, you'll end up back in the Galaxy Apps app to a section filled with dozens of games. I believe that some of the games are free, but the real value is in in-app purchase credits. Most of the apps will list what you get for free, along with their value. For example, Cut the Rope 2 is gifting 10,000 Candy Coins ($15 value). The weird in-app purchase freebie-a-thon started yesterday and runs through May 16. Cheers Mark!

Here are a Few Supposed Photos of the OnePlus 6

Tim — Wed, 02 May 2018 08:52:39 +0000

We're very much anticipating the launch of the OnePlus 6 on May 16, but while we're waiting for that to happen, we might as well as share the latest reported images of the device. While these are certainly not the highest quality photos, we can still get a good look at the phone. We can see the top notch, get an idea on the bezel size, plus side-by-side comparisons to the iPhone X and OnePlus 5T really helps us determine the size. The only thing I'd like to point out is the clock's position in the right side corner of the device. In the last official look we have of the OnePlus 6, where OnePlus talks about the notch, we assume the clock is in the left hand side. In these photos, it's in the right, which goes against what's essentially every UI we've seen on notched devices. It's possible OnePlus will allow users to choose which corner the clock appears in or the photos below are running unfinished software. It's also possible they're well done fakes. Check out the photos then share your opinion below. I know a few of you may not be feeling the notch, but OnePlus' looks like one of the better looking options in the notch realm. // Techtastic

Samsung and Verizon Team Up to Bring All the Yahoo Bloatware to Your Galaxy S9 (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 02 May 2018 08:31:39 +0000

According to a report from Reuters, Samsung and Verizon booked a deal that will place four apps on ~~all~~ Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ devices in the US. The bloatware infestation will expand globally at some point too. ~~In case you missed it, I just said "all," not "Verizon Galaxy S9 phones."~~ The report states that Verizon's Oath, which is a content division made up of AOL and Yahoo, reached an agreement that adds Oath's Newsroom app, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, and Go90 (😂) to Galaxy S9 phones. ~~And we're talking all models, not just Verizon's~~. The deal also opens up advertising space within the Oath apps and Samsung's Galaxy App that the two companies will share revenue from. At this point, we aren't sure how Samsung plans to get these apps onto phones. I'm assuming they'll be bundled into a software update at some point in the near future. At the very least, they will probably be pre-loaded on devices going forward. My guess is that you will be able to uninstall them, though that's still kind of annoying. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do when your flagship phones sales start to slip. UPDATE: I may have missed this last night, but Oath confirmed the details in a news post. They mentioned the loading of the four apps we mentioned above, but acknowledged that Bixby Home will get integration with their brands too. UPDATE 2: Reuters has now changed their initial report to say that this only affects Verizon Galaxy S9 phones. We've edited this post to reflect that. // Reuters

LG G7 ThinQ Release Date: When Can You Buy One? (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 02 May 2018 07:20:10 +0000

Hey, that's a great question - when can you buy the LG G7 ThinQ? At this time, it's looking like June 1, even if LG has left it up to the carriers to announce all of those details and few have said a word. Within minutes of LG announcing the G7 ThinQ, both Sprint and US Cellular told us that the phone arrives on June 1, while T-Mobile suggested "later this spring." Sprint will also open pre-orders on May 25. I'd imagine that ~~Verizon and~~ ~~AT&T~~ will meet those dates. UPDATE: Verizon pre-orders open May 24. UPDATE 5/3: AT&T will not sell the LG G7. Yikes. What about LG G7 ThinQ pricing? No one has shared that info just yet. LG did tell us to expect it to be closer to the G6's price than the V30's. We'll update this post as more carriers announce their plans.

LG G7 ThinQ First Look and Tour!

Kellen — Wed, 02 May 2018 07:00:50 +0000

Alright, enough with the announcements and specs, let's show you the LG G7 ThinQ. We had the opportunity to play with the phone some, film it a touch, and put together some highlights before we dive in deep for a review. During our brief time with the G7 ThinQ (that's pronounced Thin-pause-Q, not think), I'd have to say that I came away pretty impressed. This phone is a clear evolution of LG's improving design skills from a language that started with the G6 and moved through to the V30. In fact, this phone looks very much like a V30, only with an added layer of polish. And that's a good thing, as the V30 was one of the sexier devices of 2017. With this phone, you have all of the proper specs (full list here), a trendy notch within a big 6.1-inch display, dual cameras that should be solid, a Google Assistant button, the removal of that stupid power button on the back (yeah, I said it), and an audiophile's dream setup with a Quad DAC, Boombox speaker, and DTS-X audio. The G7 ThinQ really isn't missing a thing, outside of a revamped software experience.

I thought the phone felt really nice in hand. Sure, it has glass everywhere which is a problem for me, but I'm not going to deny the slickness of its form factor. It might be a bit tall with that 19.5:9 aspect ratio, though I don't think most will mind. As for the notch, yes it’s there. LG is officially calling this a “new second screen,” as if it relates to the V line’s old secondary display. But this one can be turned off with a black background, or you can tweak the colors of it some too, to add some flavor. Outside of that, it doesn’t do anything special, it just meets the trend of the moment, which is a race to make the first full-screen phone. Will this phone help fix LG's mobile problems? That's really tough to say. What I can tell you is that during a briefing with LG representatives, they seemed much more grounded in their pitch on this phone. What I mean is that they matter-of-factly explained this phone to us, rather than through a showy, over-the-top sales song and dance. They didn't even do a massive, live-streamed press event for the public to watch. I don't know if that's a sign that LG will tone down the marketing for the G7 ThinQ as they prepare for something else or if they just want to be realistic after years of struggles in a smartphone world that isn't getting better for anyone. What are your thoughts so far on the G7?

LG G7 ThinQ Announced With Good Specs, Plenty of Smarts

Tim — Wed, 02 May 2018 07:00:22 +0000

LG made the G7 ThinQ official this morning in NYC. The G7 ThinQ features a 6.1" QHD+ FullVision LCD display (complete with notch), Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, 3,000mAh battery, dual rear-facing cameras (16MP 71°, f/1.6 + 16MP 107°, f/1.9), USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, rear-facing fingerprint reader, 32-bit HiFi Quad DAC, water and dust resistance, as well as Android "Oreo" running LG's UX skin with AI Pack 2.0 on top. For the big changes, there is the notch, which LG labels as the "New Second Screen" within the Settings menu. Users can choose between different looks or opt to have the software black out the two top corners for a more traditional look. When the notch is enabled, you have the clock and notifications on the left side, while the connectivity and battery remain on the right. The display itself has already been detailed by LG, described as a 6.1" Super Bright Display. It's LCD, not OLED, with a resolution of 3120×1440 and aspect ratio of 19.5:9. LG expects a 30% reduction in power consumption utilizing this LCD versus previously used displays. LG is also incorporating something it's calling a Boombox Speaker, which was also detailed by LG previously. With it, the G7 ThinQ has a single external speaker on the bottom of the phone, but by utilizing internal reverberation, the phone can get quite loud. We had a bit of hands-on time with the G7 ThinQ recently and it's not bad. The phone actually gets pretty loud when you place it down on a flat surface such as a table. The G7 ThinQ will also come equipped with a HiFi Quad DAC, as well as DTS:X for all of your audiophiles. More details on those things here. For the camera, LG is utilizing dual 16-megapixel shooters, but beyond raw picture taking, LG highlights its AI features inside of the camera app. When enabled, the phone can recognize shots from a massive library of identified images. In recognizing a shot, the camera offers filters based on the scene, which can be hit or miss from our brief experience. The cameras also offer a Portrait Mode, as well as the same Super Wide Angle feature that was showcased in last year's V30 and G6. G7 ThinQ will also come equipped with a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left side of the phone, below the volume buttons. With it, you can quickly gain access to Assistant for speaking commands and doing anything else you use Assistant for. Since we're talking about buttons, now would be a good time to point out that the rear-facing fingerprint reader does not double as the power switch this year. A dedicated power button is now located on the right side of the phone. Honestly, that's one of the best changes. So far, we have availability from US Cellar and Sprint, with both carriers launching the phone June 1. Sprint will host a pre-order beginning May 25. As we receive more availability details, we'll update this post. Will you be picking up a G7 ThinQ? [table id=129 /]

LG G7 Specs (Official)

Kellen — Wed, 02 May 2018 07:00:06 +0000

As you are well aware, the LG G7 ThinQ has been announced by LG and so it's time to start dissecting its every part. We often do that by looking at a phone's specs, which we have for you here. The LG G7 ThinQ packs all of the modern components you would hope to see in a 2018 flagship-level phone. You've got a big 6.1-inch QHD+ LCD display with a notch, Snapdragon 845 processor, and high-end dual camera setup. You also have a 3000mAh battery (fast and wireless charging in there), USB-C port, IP68 water and dust resistance, headphone jack, HiFi Quad-DAC, and Android Oreo. Where the LG G7 ThinQ lacks could potentially be in the RAM and storage department. LG, likely in an attempt to keep the cost down, put 4GB RAM and 64GB storage in the US model. It feels like the standard for this year will be 6GB RAM and upwards of 128GB storage, so that seems like a missed opportunity. Either way, this phone pretty much has it all, including a shiny glass back and metal body.

LG G7 ThinQ Specs

[table id=129 /]

DEAL: Umm, the Pixel 2 XL is $500 Off at Best Buy

Kellen — Tue, 01 May 2018 14:50:31 +0000

Best Buy is currently selling the Google Pixel 2 XL with a $500 discount. That's not a typo. You can get a Pixel 2 XL today and pay as little as $350 for it. That's nuts! What's the catch? Ahh, yes, the catch. The deal is a combination of a $200 Best Buy instant discount followed by $300 worth of bill credits from Verizon when you buy the phone on a device payment plan. So no, it's not just a straight $500 off and you pay $350 up front to walk away. Instead, you have to sign-up and pay for the phone over a 2-year period. OK with that? If you are, the 64GB Pixel 2 XL in Just Black or Black & White will cost you just $14.57/mo. If you want to double the storage to 128GB, then the monthly cost only jumps to $18.74/mo. These are the Verizon models, so you will have to attach them to Verizon. Buy Pixel 2 XL

Oculus Go is Now Available for Just $199, Bringing You That Stand-Alone VR Goodness

Kellen — Tue, 01 May 2018 12:25:41 +0000

At Facebook's F8, Oculus announced that the Oculus Go is now available for purchase. For those not familiar, this is the stand-alone virtual reality (VR) unit, much like the unit that Lenovo has made for Google's Daydream platform. A big differentiator there is price, though. The Oculus Go is quite affordable. With the Oculus Go, you get a VR experience that doesn't require you to have a phone. All of the power you'll need are embedded within the headset, so not only do you not need a phone, you don't need a powerful computer attached to it either like you do with HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. This is probably the future that VR needs if it wants to be widely adopted. The Oculus Go is powered by a Snapdragon 821 (I know, that seems kind of old), 5.5-inch QHD LCD (2560x1440, 538ppi) display, spatial audio, controller, and a battery that can last up to 2.5 hours. Oculus says that the optics in this unit are better than those in their higher-end Oculus Rift and that they've tuned the Snapdragon 821 for better efficiency and to offer smoother frame rates. It comes with either 32GB or 64GB of storage. How much does Oculus Go cost? $199 for the 32GB version or $249 for the 64GB version. Google's new Daydream View, which requires a $650+ phone to power it, costs $99. The Samsung Gear VR, which also requires a phone, costs $129. The Lenovo stand-alone Daydream VR headset costs $400. So again, Oculus Go has all the goods you need and probably one of the better viewing experiences with no phone required, for $200. Oculus announced that for launch, there are "more than 1,000 games and experiences to explore." It's tough to know if there are any great experiences, but companies like Discovery, Hulu, MLB, Netflix, ESPN, Lionsgate, etc. have all created content. There are countless games too. Check out this post to see a bunch of the offerings. As a guy who has had most of the VR headsets, this looks like a winner for VR. Buy Oculus Go // Oculus [2]

Instagram Adds Stories Sharing From Spotify, More Face Filters, and Video Chat

Kellen — Tue, 01 May 2018 11:40:45 +0000

Facebook is hosting their F8 conference this week, so that means they have tons of announcements for all of their products. Instagram, in case you forgot, is one of those and Facebook said that a bunch of big features are on the way, like sharing from 3rd party apps to Stories, letting 3rd parties make face filters, and a full-blown video chatting experience. To start, Instagram has worked with Spotify and GoPro to allow you to share directly from those apps into Instagram Stories (this will work in Facebook too). Why would you do that? Well, you may want to share the song you are playing in Spotify to Instagram or a picture from your GoPro. More apps will be added "soon." As for face filters, Instagram is opening up this feature to 3rd parties, like those that you follow. Instagram has already worked with Ariana Grande, Vogue, and Buzzfeed, to provide new creative effects that you can use in your own experiences. And finally, Instagram really is going to add a video chat feature to the app. They are still testing it, so it could be at least a handful of weeks before anyone gets it. However, it'll work like other video chat apps in that you'll tap a video chat icon to join in small group conversations. Instagram will also allow you to minimize conversations to continue doing other things on Instagram without closing out the chat. Oh, I forgot to mention this, but the Explore page is getting an overhaul too. It'll still be personalized, but you'll find better organization of topic channels. It will look like this:

Google Play Link // Instagram

Didn't Know I Needed a Smart Meat Thermometer Until I Got MEATER

Tim — Tue, 01 May 2018 11:04:39 +0000

At CES in January, I stumbled across a booth for MEATER, a smart meat thermometer that claimed I could cook my meats to perfection using a Bluetooth-enabled thermometer that pairs with an app on my smartphone. I'm usually the first person to think that adding smart to the front of any product is silly, but damn it, MEATER has proved itself to me over a few grilling sessions. I'm no professional chef, but I do enjoy cooking. While I'm pretty confident when it comes to cooking steaks on either a grill or stovetop, there are other meats where I'd rather be safe than sorry. For example, I always use a digital thermometer when cooking chicken or pork, but this is where MEATER comes in. At the start of cooking, you simply insert MEATER into the meat you want to track, then set up the cook inside of the dedicated MEATER application. When setting up the cook in the app, you select the type of meat, the cut, and then the desired temperature (doneness) you want to achieve. As an example, let's say I want my ribeye steak right at 145°, otherwise known as medium. Instead of playing a guessing game or doing the middle finger to thumb then feeling your palm trick, the MEATER app tracks the steak's temperature from beginning to end, no guessing required. Once your slab of meat hits the desired degree, the app alerts you and you're ready to rest it and then devour. Because the app is tracking the cooking progress for you, it's also a handy timer of sorts for those who do their grilling outdoors. Let's say you throw some chicken on the grill, then need to wait a while for them to cook using an indirect heating method. With MEATER, I don't need to continue lifting the lid and checking the temperature manually, the thermometer and app do it all for me while I'm inside on the couch drinking a beer and watching TV. This is the future I've been waiting for.

Now, this next example is where MEATER has really come through in the clutch for me -- my girlfriend. While I trust my beloved to cook certain things very well, I know for an absolute fact that she is not very confident when it comes to cooking things like chicken and beef. I am always tasked with handling those things in the kitchen, but with MEATER in the house, we have what's essentially a foolproof way for cooking meat well. I know the macho men are thinking that cooking meat is in their DNA, but believe me, cooking an expensive cut of meat can be extremely intimidating for some, so instead of having my girlfriend risk undercooking or God forbid overcooking a ribeye, we now use MEATER in this house.

Of course, innovation such as this comes with a price. For a single MEATER, the price is $69. That includes the thermometer, bamboo dock/charger (magnetic for sticking it on the fridge or anywhere else), plus the battery you need for the dock (1 AAA). If you're worried about the battery and charging aspect, I wouldn't, as I've been using MEATER for a bit now and haven't had to replace the battery or even worry about it. For those in need of additional probes, you can buy a 4-pack for $199. I suppose that'd be good for a big time cookout or something. Everything else in your house is getting smart, so why not your meat thermometer? Buy MEATER

Google Unleashes .APP Domain for Web-Based Apps and Games

Tim — Tue, 01 May 2018 08:52:08 +0000

Google announced .app this morning, a TLD (top-level domain) aimed specifically at web-based app and game developers. With it, developers can have a safe place to set up their web-based creations, as well as share trustworthy download links. According to Google, the key benefit to .app is security. From the start, HTTPS is required to connect to all .app websites, which will help protect against ad malware, tracking injections by service providers, and safeguarding against spying on open WiFi networks. As Google describes it, "Because .app will be the first TLD with enforced security made available for general registration, it’s helping move the web to an HTTPS-everywhere future in a big way." If you'd like to secure your .app address right away, go over the details and availability here. // Google

128GB and 256GB Galaxy S9, S9+ Now Up for Pre-Order!

Kellen — Tue, 01 May 2018 08:32:52 +0000

Storage gods, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are now available in 128GB and 256GB configurations. Well, the pre-order for them is live with shipping expected to happen by May 18. How much do these big guys costs? If you go for 128GB, you are looking at a price jump of $50. If you go for 256GB, then add another $50 on top of that. While these phones won't ever be considered cheap, that's not bad. In previous years, companies got away with charging you $100 extra for double the storage, yet Samsung is quadrupling it for that much.

Galaxy S9 128GB: $769.99
Galaxy S9: 256GB: $819.99
Galaxy S9+ 128GB: $889.99
Galaxy S9+ 256GB: $939.99

As a reminder, if you pre-order 128GB or 256GB Galaxy S9 phones (our review), Samsung is tossing in a free pair of Gear IconX (2018) wireless buds ($200 value) or letting you buy one of their Gear S3 smartwatches for $99 ($250 off). These new 128GB and 256GB models are the US unlocked versions, so that means they work on any carrier here in the US. These US unlocked versions are the versions you should buy if buying a Galaxy S9. Samsung Store Pre-order Link

Samsung's 5G Home Router Hits the FCC, Gets Verizon a Step Closer to Launch

Kellen — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 16:37:58 +0000

Back at MWC, Samsung announced that its 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solution had been granted authorization by the FCC, a first for 5G millimeter wave (mmW) products. Specifically, they were talking about their 5G Access Unit (above-center), which hit the FCC on February 23. Since then, we saw their consumer 5G outdoor home router receive approval on March 15 (above-right), before today, where their 5G indoor home router joined the party (above-left). That pretty much puts Samsung in position to launch 5G fixed wireless service with Verizon at any moment, just like they were hoping to in 2018. Again, Samsung confusingly announced part of this news back at MWC, but it's only today that we are seeing the third piece of their 5G FWA, the actual consumer 5G home routers, hit the FCC. This is a big step if Verizon wants to start making its 5G broadband available, which we know will happen in Sacramento first.

The FCC docs aren't the most interesting thing we've ever seen here, but it is pretty wild to see 5G and mmW receive official testing like this. There are mentions of "5G" and mmW throughout, as well as confirmations that this device supports Bluetooth LE, 2x2 MIMO, beamforming, and more. The FCC tested 5G mmW over the 28GHz band, which Verizon holds plenty of:

As a reminder, this is home 5G internet we are talking about here, not mobile 5G. This is where Verizon has decided to start its 5G push, while others are focusing on the mobile side that'll include phones. Sacramento folks, excited? // FCC [2] [3]

Outlook for Android is Getting a Bunch of New Features Like Quick Reply, Draft Syncing

Kellen — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 15:12:37 +0000

Microsoft announced a bunch of new features that are coming to its Outlook mobile apps over the coming months, including on Android and iOS. Things like draft folder syncing, access to Office Lens, quick replies, favorite people tagging, and more, will soon be available. I know this is going to sound lazy as hell, but Microsoft does a pretty good job of explaining each of the new features, as well as when they are coming in their own blog post. So rather than try and explain it all to you in my own words, I'm just going to include their details below. Here are all of the new features coming to Microsoft Outlook mobile apps:

Sync draft folders—We’re adding the ability to draft a message in Outlook on one device and finish it on another. Start a message on your mobile device and finish it when you’re back at your desk—or the other way around! Outlook helps you get things done when the time is right for you. Coming to Outlook for iOS May 2018. Available in Outlook for Windows, Mac, and Android. Office Lens technology in Outlook for Android—When you need to capture and share details in the form of an image, such as a whiteboard, photo, or document, we’ve added a new photo icon to Outlook integrated with Office Lens technology. Simply start a new message in Outlook and touch the new photo icon to capture a whiteboard, document, or photo and get a trimmed and enhanced image instantly embedded in your email message. Outlook integrates the apps and services you need to be productive, so you can quickly and easily share what you need, when you need it, with fewer taps and apps! Coming to Outlook for Android May 2018. Quick reply—We’re making it easier to respond quickly and more meaningfully in Outlook. By keeping your message content in view, and a new reply box at the bottom of your screen, Outlook helps you keep the conversation going with a modern, chat-like experience. Coming to Outlook for Android May 2018 and later this summer to Outlook for Mac. Available in Outlook for iOS. Favorite people—We recently announced the ability to identify groups and email folders in Outlook, and soon we will add the ability to tag your favorite people. Keeping your key contacts front and center in your mobile search experience, as well as on top of your message folders, helps you quickly identify the right people to help you get more done. You will also be able to identify favorite people from Outlook on your mobile device, just as you can today from the web, and these favorite people tags will remain consistent, so you can find them on the web or on the go. Coming to Outlook for iOS and Android June 2018. Office 365 Groups for OneNote and meeting events in Outlook—Staying on top of what’s going on with your Office 365 Groups is made even easier with the ability to view your group events in Outlook, as well as access the group’s OneNote Notebook. You will be able to track events in the group’s contact card and simply launch OneNote from Outlook to access the notes your group compiled in its OneNote. Coming to Outlook for iOS June 2018. Block external content—Images embedded in emails may contain content that alerts the sender that you’ve opened their email. Tracking which emails are opened can be important to digital marketers. But if you don’t want this to be tracked, Outlook now helps to protect you and your inbox and block this external content. Coming to Outlook for Android May 2018. Single Office 365 account in Outlook—Respecting the data security and compliance policies of our largest and highly regulated customers is a key pillar to the Office 365 value. Some companies have a requirement to capture all communications information within their corporate environment. For company managed mobile devices, Outlook will help customers mitigate the risk of users copying information from their company’s Office 365 account to a personal account on a mobile device, or accidentally sending company information from personal accounts. Companies will soon be able to enforce corporate policies on their managed mobile devices to allow a single account in Outlook. Coming to Outlook for iOS and Android June 2018.

Google Play Link // Microsoft

Question of the Day: Who is Your Go-To Android Phone Case Maker?

Tim — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 14:59:41 +0000

There are likely thousands of choices when it comes to case makers for Android phones. However, it's probably not too much of a stretch to assume everyone has a brand they tend to stick with. For me, it's Spigen currently, simply because I really enjoy the ultra thin options they have. To name just a few of the more popular case options, there is OtterBox, Peel, MNML, Ringke, Incipio, Caseology, and Speck. You may also gravitate towards a phone wrap, with a few of the big names being dbrand, Slickwraps, and Toast. Whatever suits your needs, we want to know your favorite! Let's hear it.

Report: Galaxy S9 Not Selling Well, Record Low Sales in Korea

Tim — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 13:11:29 +0000

According to industry data obtained by ET News, the Galaxy S9 is not selling well in South Korea, hitting record low sales numbers when compared to last year's Galaxy S8. From data taken by the country's three largest carriers, it's reported that Samsung was able to sell around 707,000 units in the two month period following launch. Compared to the Galaxy S8, which was around 1 million units sold in that same period last year, things aren't looking good for Samsung's latest. Furthermore, it's reported that Samsung sold only 231,000 units this month, compared to 476,000 units in March. That's a sharp decline, which warrants the worries from industry watchers. From what analysts can tell, buyers don't see much difference between the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9, so they may not see much of a reason to upgrade. Price is also a listed factor why people aren't biting, but at least here in the US, the Galaxy S9 was priced lower at launch than the Galaxy S8's launch price. I think it's safe to say that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 are very similar devices, and if Samsung wants to get people excited for the Galaxy X (aka Galaxy S10 or whatever we're going to call it), we need to see some big changes next year. // The Investor

What Happens to Sprint and Sprint Customers?

Kellen — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:52:26 +0000

What happens to Sprint and Sprint customers in the T-Mobile-Sprint merger? That's the question we keep getting, so we'll try to answer that here. In short, it all becomes T-Mobile. Before we dive into that further, we should probably talk about when this all begins. So with that, you should know that this merger is not even close to being finalized. All we have is an announcement of Sprint and T-Mobile's plans, which leads to them hoping for approval by the US government. Before the new T-Mobile can move forward, they will attempt to convince the US Department of Justice and FCC that this would be beneficial to all parties (competitors, consumers, etc.). Should the US government give them the thumbs-up, they want to be a single company by "no later than the first half of 2019."

Sprint -> T-Mobile

Assuming that all happens, by mid-2019 changes will start to take place. According to the presentation that T-Mobile and Sprint provided after announcing that they were merging, Sprint customers will migrate to T-Mobile's network within 3 years of the merger being finalized. Again - Sprint customers will become T-Mobile customers. T-Mobile and Sprint say that that'll happen "without degrading [the] experience on Sprint's network." They also point out that 20 million Sprint customers already have devices that are compatible with T-Mobile's network. I'd imagine over the next year that that number will increase.

Which network gets used?

As far as the network goes, T-Mobile plans to use its network as the anchor network, while increasing density and coverage with selected Sprint "keep" sites. In other words, not all of Sprint's network infrastructure will remain. With that said, T-Mobile will deploy Sprint's 2.5GHz spectrum across T-Mobile sites and those Sprint "keep" sites will be outfitted to work with AWS and other T-Mobile bands. In addition to that, T-Mobile will build out 85,000 macro sites and 50,000 small cells. Related notes:

What about Sprint's CDMA? T-Mobile will "aggressively" migrate that over to VoLTE.
T-Mobile said that it could take 2-3 years to complete migration and integration, but that they are hoping to finish within 3 years.
BONUS: I should also add that T-Mobile and Sprint announced a roaming agreement that kicks off right away. That means you can roam between networks from either side to have better service. And this agreement will apparently hold even if this merger doesn't happen.

So those are the basics: 1) Sprint customers will become T-Mobile customers; and 2) T-Mobile's network will be the anchor, but they will utilize a lot of Sprint's spectrum, especially for 5G. After listening to portions of the call that executives from each company took following the merger news, they certainly don't sound worried about the migration of the two networks.

HTC U12+ Shown Off From All Sorts of Angles

Tim — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 10:50:49 +0000

Last we heard, the U12+ from HTC is expected in May. Because we're approaching that timeframe, it's only natural that we start seeing this phone pop up in imagery. Thanks to a Facebook fan page for HTC, we're getting just that, with basically all angles of the phone shown off in a photoshoot. No words accompanied the photos, so we'll have to give ourselves the tour. From what we can see, the phone features 4 cameras (2 on the front, 2 on the back), a rear-facing fingerprint reader, USB-C on the bottom, volume buttons and a power button on the right side of the body, and what appears to be one of the thickest profiles for a phone we've seen in some time. We aren't sure if there is a bit of odd lighting and reflections going on, considering the phone looks very bubbly, but look at the below photo. Is this phone not super thick? With that thickness, we assume a large battery is inside the phone, but we don't have any specifics yet. Check out all of the photos, then share your take below.

// HTC Taiwan Fan Page

Samsung Releases Galaxy S9 and S9+ With 128GB and 256GB of Storage

Kellen — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 10:08:15 +0000

UPDATE: Pre-order is now live!

Samsung announced today that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ (our review) will be available this week with 128GB and 256GB of storage. That's a substantial increase in storage from the 64GB model that first arrived back in early March. 128GB is double and 256GB is quadruple, which means you should be able to store all the photos and videos your little fingers can snap. Or, you could just buy a microSD card like this one. Samsung is putting both the S9 and S9+ with these new storage amounts up for pre-order tomorrow, May 1, in Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, and Midnight Black. The phones will ship around May 18. They are going to be sold exclusively through Samsung.com right here. How much do they cost? You are looking at $50 or $100 increase depending on the storage amount.

Galaxy S9 128GB: $769.99
Galaxy S9: 256GB: $819.99
Galaxy S9+ 128GB: $889.99
Galaxy S9+ 256GB: $939.99

Should you buy one of these new S9 models from May 1 through May 17, you'll get to choose a free pair of Gear IconX (2018) buds or a Gear S3 Frontier for $99. // Samsung

So This T-Mobile-Sprint Merger...

Kellen — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 09:45:17 +0000

After yesterday's T-Mobile-Sprint merger news dropped, I've been trying to figure out which side I'm on because this is potentially a really, really big deal for the US wireless industry at multiple levels. At this time, it's hard to say definitively what will happen, even as T-Mobile and Sprint try and say all of the right things about the situation. So let's talk through some of this together and see where we end up. The best place to start is probably with the investor presentation (PDF) that T-Mobile released with yesterday's announcement, as well as this new All for 5G website dedicated to spreading the message of the merger. The message is pretty clear at both: T-Mobile and Sprint together think they can build a 5G network faster than anyone, create jobs, keep up the Un-Carrier moves that have helped T-Mobile gain success in recent years, and...actually, those are the goals.

A first 5G network

If we look at these in order, that lets us dive into their 5G buildout. According to Sprint and T-Mobile, their combined network resources should allow them to "build the first broad and deep nationwide 5G network." They'll do that using the substantial low-band 600MHz spectrum that T-Mobile has, along with Sprint's 2.5GHz mid-band, while filling in higher-trafficked areas with millimeter Wave (mmW) spectrum. That combination offers a pretty compelling case for them to be able to build a 5G network that is indeed "broad and deep." T-Mobile says that it will use the T-Mobile network has the anchor network, while keeping select Sprint sites and increasing density and coverage. They'll then use Sprint's 2.5GHz spectrum throughout T-Mobile sites and build thousands of macro and small cells.

Part of the pitch here is that building this 5G network quickly enables the US to continue leading in global internet advancements. And that's cool, I guess. Being early to a big, fresh wireless tech like 5G can increase innovation, add economic value, and of course, create jobs within this new T-Mobile as well as outside of it. As for their ability to build this 5G network in a hurry, I think on paper it certainly shows that they'll have the assets to do so. Individually, their spectrum holdings probably would have made this a slower process, but together, it kind of seems like a match made in heaven, assuming they can acquire more mmW spectrum.

Job creation will probably happen too

The next big goal of this merger is to add to the economy by creating a ton of jobs. T-Mobile has already made it clear that they think this merger will allow them to do so like it did with MetroPCS, even though people told them their acquisition of MetroPCS would do the opposite. While I'm no job creation specialist, it's pretty obvious that building out a 5G network, along with thousands and thousands of new sites will create jobs, even if temporarily. T-Mobile has estimated 800,000 jobs in construction alone. Sprint and T-Mobile want to build a network that can truly compete with Verizon's, but they also want to do so in a hurry. In order to do that, they are going to have to increase their head count. They'll need a bigger workforce to do that. They'll also need staff in new areas as their retail footprint increases. With that said, there will be consolidation. As these two companies come together, you have to consider the fact that we probably don't need to flip the Sprint store that is two blocks from a T-Mobile store. Of course, support staff will need an increase to address the number of combined customers, but again, there will be overlap in areas that might see cuts.

What about customer prices, though?

Alright, we're finally getting to the part most of you probably all care about as customers - what will prices look like? As I mentioned above, we don't know. T-Mobile and Sprint are promising "unmatched service at lower prices for more consumers." And we know that T-Mobile has certainly done that to an extent with their Un-Carrier moves. We've seen 2-year service contracts end, the return of unlimited data, better international features, etc. But will Sprint and T-Mobile together give us more of that? This merger changes the US wireless landscape from 4 big carriers to 3 big carriers. If we look at Canada, as some have already pointed out, that hasn't exactly been awesome. Canada's wireless costs are stupid expensive, they often lock you into ridiculous 3-year contracts, and the three players haven't had much of a reason to compete with each other. Just imagine that there's a possibility of that happening here. You should also take into account the fact that building out a big, fast 5G network before anyone else will be expensive. What happens when you build out big, expensive things in a hurry? The cost of such buildouts could land on your bill. Look at Verizon as an example of that. Sprint already told us that 5G would bring about price increases too. T-Mobile is suggesting that scaling operations should help them to "sustainably compete at lower prices," but you should be skeptical of that for the next few years as they pour all sorts of cash into their network. So will prices drop with the new T-Mobile in the end? Honestly, that seems like a foolish bet to take. Will Sprint-T-Mobile be able to keep prices lower than Verizon and AT&T? Yeah, maybe, which is all they are saying. If Verizon and AT&T increase prices as they build their own 5G networks, T-Mobile doing the same but at a slightly lower rate is still an increase. Let's not get those two items confused here. Prices will more than likely go up as these wireless companies build 5G networks, it's just that T-Mobile is saying that they should be able to keep their's lower than the big two. I'll let you decide if that's OK.

The takeaway...

I don't know if this is a good idea or not. I wish I had the answer for you. In the short term, if this helps T-Mobile build a bigger, faster 5G network for us all to use, that's got some benefits. There are also potential negatives there in the form of price increases as that happens. But look, creating thousands and thousands of jobs, assuming this merger does that, is never going to be something to complain about. If T-Mobile shows up in areas that it wasn't previously available, that is a new choice for people and new choices are good. Of course, Sprint going away is the removal of another choice too. So yeah, this is a tough one. There are some good things that could come of this, but the long-term future is what should have people worried. Will we be the next Canada or will T-Mobile stay the Un-Carrier and push Verizon and AT&T in the right direction as they have the past few years? Will Sprint not being there at the bottom as a possible check on T-Mobile turn T-Mobile into the two carriers it so despises? Insert shruggy emoji.

LG G7 ThinQ to Have Boombox-Like Sound, Feature DTS:X Immersive Audio

Tim — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 09:16:21 +0000

In typical LG fashion, we're learning more about the upcoming G7 ThinQ via official channels, even though we're 2 days away from an unveiling in NYC. This is fine with us, so long as we get a better understanding of what to expect later this week. Yesterday, LG detailed all of the different audio aspects of the device. For those who cry for dual stereo speakers, that doesn't appear to be the case on the G7 ThinQ. Instead, LG is utilizing a single speaker, but incorporating a design that's essentially an echo chamber. In LG's writeup, they call it a "Boombox speaker," but what's actually happening is a bit more interesting. From what we can piece together using the above header image LG provided and the press release, air is being pushed into the device, a hallowed portion of the body to be exact, which allows for reverberation and the amplifying of your music. While you're playing music, let's say you place your phone on a table or any flat surface. In doing that, that object becomes a makeshift subwoofer for your phone, allowing for further resonation. If this works half as good as LG makes it sound, it should be pretty cool.

DTS:X

In addition to the Boombox speaker, LG details that the G7 ThinQ will offer DTS:X immersive audio via wired connections. DTS:X is comparable to Dolby Atmos, allowing for high-end stereoscopic sound. To explain, you know the surround sound you hear when at the movie theater? When you can tell things are behind, above, left, or to the right of you? That's essentially what this is, with DTS:X offering 7.1 channels without the need for advanced headphones. LG further details that DTS:X will be available during playback of all content, meaning regardless of what you're watching or playing, you should be able to enjoy an immersive audio experience.

HiFi Quad DAC

The last audio enhancement on the G7 ThinQ includes the HiFi Quad DAC, an LG-described top-of-the-line acoustic component that implements four DACs on a single chip. With this, your audio should be insanely clean, close to being what LG offered on last year's V30 and G6. Here's how LG Puts it.

The 'HiFi Quad DAC' applied to the LG G7 ThinQ provides strong high-fidelity output unlike ordinary smartphones, and it enjoys a rich volume even with high-quality headphones that are relatively easy to sound with a relatively high resistance value. It also supports the MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) standard, which allows you to enjoy high-fidelity high-quality streaming with little data capacity.

The G7 ThinQ will be unveiled on May 2. // LG

Official: T-Mobile and Sprint are Merging, Will Just be Called "T-Mobile"

Kellen — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 10:09:31 +0000

UPDATE: Here are some additional thoughts on this, including how it might impact your bill.

Weekend news! T-Mobile and Sprint announced today that they are merging to create a single company, simply called, T-Mobile. This is the end for Sprint, but combined, the two hope to be a true competitor to Verizon and AT&T and build out a 5G network even quicker. Throughout the press release sent by T-Mobile and Sprint, they talk about lower costs, greater economies of scale, better network quality, job creation, and that previously mentioned 5G network buildout. The two will use their 2.5GHz (Sprint) and 600MHz (T-Mobile) spectrum to "create the highest capacity mobile network in US history," with what could be 15x faster speeds "on average" by 2024. Some customers could even see 100x faster speeds than early 4G, the companies suggested. They'll push for rural expansion, which would mean opening stores and creating "thousands of new jobs," possibly delivering another broadband option to those communities, and better competition with Verizon outside of big cities. This will need regulatory approvals to go through, of course. Should that happen, John Legere will remain on as CEO and the company's headquarters will remain in Bellevue, Washington. Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure will stay around as a board member of the new company. They hope to close by the first half of 2019. The combined companies will employ more than 200,000 people and plan to invest some $40 billion into network over the next three years. They hope that forces AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon into doing the same. And this is ultimately the pitch they'll sell regulators on. It'll be, "Look, us combined can force our competitors to do bigger things, which is a win-win for all!" In terms of other details, both boards of directors from T-Mobile and Sprint approved the deal. Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) will hold 42% of ownership, while SoftBank (Sprint) will hold 27%. If you care about none of that stuff, just know that the pitch here is for the combined company, which will be known as T-Mobile, to create jobs, build out a 5G network faster, help fuel competition, and ultimately, reduce prices for you. Should this deal be approved, hold them to that. If you don't see lower prices, you should call them out until you do. // T-Mobile

Weekly Recap: LG G7 and OnePlus 6 Hype, Plus This T-Mobile and Sprint Merger

Tim — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 15:07:08 +0000

The LG G7 ThinQ arrives next week (May 2), with the OnePlus 6 following not too far behind. Because we're getting so close to the unveiling of these devices, the hype is real, so we've been seeing reports and leaks happening all week. Beyond the hype stuff, we're also back to talking about this potential merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. The latest report says it could happen as early as this weekend, so yeah, we'll be here if it does. Here is all of the other good stuff you don't want to miss from this week.

Have a good weekend, folks!

Reports: T-Mobile, Sprint Merger May or May Not Happen as Soon as This Weekend

Tim — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 12:05:42 +0000

It was earlier this month when reports started to heat up again concerning a potential merge between T-Mobile and Sprint. If you missed the all of this craziness, last October we learned that the reported merger was apparently off. Then, in November, we learned it was back on. A week after that, T-Mobile made an official announcement that discussions were ceased and the potential merge was no more. This week, though, both Reuters and The New York Times cite sources close to the matter who claim the merge could take place next week or as early as this weekend. Furthermore, Reuters reports that the companies are in the process of actually finalizing all of the terms right now. We don't know much about the terms, but according to Reuters, "T-Mobile majority-owner Deutsche Telekom will own a little over 40 percent of the combined company, but will be afforded voting control so it can consolidate the company on its books." Naturally, each one of these reports continue to state that the talks could fall through and nothing might happen, just as it did last year. We'll keep you posted. // Reuters [2] | The New York Times

Honor 7X to Receive EMUI 8.0 OTA on April 30, Includes Face Unlock

Tim — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:32:33 +0000

Honor just announced that the Honor 7X will receive the EMUI 8.0 update via OTA in the US starting April 30. With this update, owners will find the Face Unlock feature, a new floating navigation dock, "seamless LinkedIn integration," plus the ability to sync two Bluetooth-enabled devices simultaneously. Not a bad little update for the 7X. Here's the complete list of changes for the 7X. What's New

New floating navigation dock
Updated setting menu and Phone Manager
Phone gallery recycle bin
Seamless LinkedIn integration
Link up two Bluetooth device
Face unlock

Be on the lookout, 7X owners.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery's Fun is Stunted by Energy Caps

Tim — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 09:58:04 +0000

Like many, I was very excited for the launch of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. It was made available for what seems like everyone this week on Google Play, and given the rating (currently at 4.5 stars), I was happy to download and potentially relive the magic that is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts Mystery is an interesting concept because instead of replaying a storyline you already know, like Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts, you play as your very own character off as a first year witch or wizard. Players can choose a gender, customize their appearance, then it's off to play through an entirely new story. Once you get to the school, you can choose which House you land in, then you're off to classes to learn charms, potions, plus all sorts of other things. While you're doing your day-to-day schooling, though, you'll be acquainted with the fact that you're not the first of your family to attend Hogwarts, and in fact, there is quite a bit of drama concerning your brother who went to school at Hogwarts ahead of you. I don't want to spoil much of the story for you, but just know that your time at Hogwarts will definitely be focused on solving an ongoing mystery concerning him. While the game looks cool and the story is pretty intriguing, the gameplay and overall fun is hampered immeasurably due to the game's usage of Energy. You see, you can only do tasks if you have enough energy, with time or actual money being the only thing able to replenish it. This isn't the first game to incorporate something like this and it won't be the last, but you're only able to get so far into the game before your energy is depleted and you're asked to fill it up via a micro transaction or by waiting a few hours to continue on. When we're talking about a game with a narrative, it's hard to have your progress stopped by the running out of energy. Like a book, I want to continue reading to see what happens next. I hate being forced to stop, but sadly, that's the state of things right now for many Android games. I'm probably not the only person who wishes an upfront price could be placed on titles to remove a mechanism such as this from within a game, but I don't think that's ever going to happen. If you have more patience than me, and you really love Hogwarts and the whole Harry Potter world, check it out on Google Play and let me know your thoughts. Google Play Link

Report: LG to Launch Hybrid Wear OS Device Called LG Watch Timepiece

Tim — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 08:45:53 +0000

Besides the rebrand from Android Wear to Wear OS, things have been rather quiet in the Android-powered wearable scene. According to a new report from Android Headlines, that could change next week, though, with LG said to be launching a hybrid wearable called the LG Watch Timepiece. In the report, it's detailed that the Watch Timepiece is indeed a hybrid device, meaning it has Wear OS for smarts, but also features physical hands for telling the time (quartz movement). While you'll use the old fashioned hands to tell time, Wear OS will provide the ability to show notifications and track your fitness endeavors. For specs, the Watch Timepiece is reported to feature a circular 1.2-inch LCD (360 x 360) display, 4GB of storage, 768MB RAM, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a Snapdragon 2100 wearable processor. It doesn't appear that the Watch Timepiece will support GPS or NFC. As for size, it's detailed to be somewhere between a Watch Style and Watch Sport, the watches LG and Google launched early last year. Android Headlines reports an announcement for the Watch Timepiece could be made as early as next Monday, but global availability may not begin until June. I'm all for this hybrid idea, but what's with the name? Watch Timepiece? I'd opt for simply LG Timepiece. // Android Headlines

Amazon Prime Price Increase to $119/Year Takes Effect on May 11

Tim — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:49:20 +0000

Those who sign up for a new Amazon Prime account starting on May 11 will see a new higher price for an annual membership, with Amazon announcing plans to raise the price to $119 up from $99/year during its Q1 earnings call this week. For those already subscribed to Amazon Prime, they too will see the same price increase, but Amazon states it will go into effect for them on June 16. This is the first change to the annual Prime price since 2014 when it was raised to $99/year from $79/year. While those with Prime enjoy free 2-day shipping on select items, access to Prime Video, as well as plenty of other perks (like Whole Foods discounts), Amazon states the price to run the service continues to climb. It seems that a price increase is the best way to counteract that, and honestly, who isn't going to renew their Prime account because of a little price bump? It's still completely worth it, at least in my opinion. Thoughts? // Engadget

T-Mobile Says That 5G Won't be Much Faster Than 4G...at First

Kellen — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:45:50 +0000

With all of the hype surrounding 5G, you wouldn't be out of line to expect a dramatically different experience from your current 4G LTE connection when those first 5G networks go live over the next couple of years. Unless you are talking to T-Mobile, who said yesterday that you might want to cool expectations, at least at first. Speaking with PCMag, Karri Kuoppamaki, T-Mobile's VP of radio network technology development and strategy, said that you should really expect a 25-50% increase in speeds from their network out of the gate, rather than the wild Gigabit+ speeds that others like to show off in demos and speak of in theoretical terms. While it's realistic to think that we will get to multi-Gigabit speeds, it may take some time or depend on the carrier you are attached to. Verizon and AT&T will use millimeter wave (mmW) technology to build out a 5G network, and mmW should increase speeds. The problem there is that mmW cell sites don't cover big areas and are more of a hotspot setup. T-Mobile will use its 600MHz network for 5G at first, which is better at covering distance, rather than giving you short-distance boosts. They'll then build on that with mmW. So that's why you'll see only that 25-50% increase in speeds over 4G LTE at first. Of course, this 5G buildout from everyone is going to take time. Whether you see hotspots of Gigabit speeds or a 50% boost, just know that the long game will be the future you keep hearing about. // PCMag

Here is the OnePlus 6 "Marvel Avengers" Limited Edition

Kellen — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 09:59:07 +0000

The OnePlus India YouTube account posted a video today to confirm that the OnePlus 6 will be available as a Marvel Avengers Limited Edition. We're assuming that's in addition to the standard model, like their other limited colorways, though this might be their biggest collaboration yet. In the clip on YouTube, we get a couple of short Avengers: Infinity War teasers, along with shots of the OnePlus 6's limited edition. There is a quick view of a kevlar/carbon fiber backside, as well as a big reveal of the front (photo above). The notch is there, plus what appear to be curved display edges. Nothing in the video is necessarily surprising, but it is a clean, official look at the phone before it has been announced. The Marvel Avengers Limited Edition version is an exclusive to Amazon in India.

Snooze Function Rolling Out to Gmail for Android

Tim — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 09:47:26 +0000

One of the new features for Gmail on the web is now rolling out to the Gmail app on Android, that being the Snooze function. With this, you can set a Snooze on any email you receive, then receive a followup notification at a time that works for you. This is helpful for all you busy business people doing busy business. To access Snooze, tap on the 3-dot button on the far right, aka the action overflow button. Inside there, you will see the option for Snooze. When you tap on it, a menu will appear (pictured below), giving you options for Later Today, Tomorrow, Someday, or a specific time and date of your choosing. When your selected Snooze time rolls round, you'll receive a new notification for the email. Additionally, inside of the pullout drawer on the left, you'll see an entire section dedicated to Snooze, with this being the place to access all of your Snoozed emails. You can find Snooze inside of the latest Gmail update, rolling out right now on Google Play. Google Play Link

Cheers Michael!

DEAL: SanDisk 200GB A1 MicroSD Card is Just $56 Today

Kellen — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 08:58:28 +0000

SanDisk's made-for-Android 200GB microSD card is a ridiculously low $55.99 today in an Amazon Gold Box deal. This is the A1 card that has been rated for application use. In fact, the description specifically notes that this is built for Android devices, features transfer speeds up to 100MB/s, is UHS Speed Class U1 and Speed Class 10, and also has enough storage to last you through numerous phones. If you own a device with a microSD slot and have not pulled the trigger on a card, now is the time. Amazon Deal Link

HTC U12 Shows Up at Verizon Certification Site

Kellen — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 07:31:12 +0000

The yet-to-be-announced HTC U12 made a public appearance today at Verizon's Open Development portal with some specs listed, as well as a bunch of confusing typos. The listing, calls the phone the "HTC U12," names some key features, mentions network compatibility, and includes contact information for an HTC representative (HTC's VP of US sales). I point that out because while the phone is listed as the U12, a picture of the U11 is shown. Also, the description for the device is quite badly presented, with words like Bluetooth spelled "Blue Tooth," Quick Charge technology listed as version 1.0, and IP68 water and dust resistance only marked as "Splash and Dust proof." It's hard to take it seriously, as well as the specs, with this many weird errors. Still, it's probably worth noting that the listing mentions a 3500mAh battery, 6" Super LCD 6 display (QHD, Gorilla Glass), Cat 12 LTE, and Android 8.0 under HTC's Sense. Some of that matches up to a previous HTC U12 report, or is at least comes close. Then again, the last report on this phone suggested that the U12 wasn't coming and would instead be known as the U12+. See, this listing gave us more questions than answers. What is the Verizon Open Development portal? It's a space where device makers can submit their products for certification with Verizon. As far as I know, HTC would have had to submit this to get the ball rolling on certification. If not, the portal is still legit for other products, like the Xperia XZ2 Compact from Sony, which we know will be certified for use on Verizon's network. The Moto G6 is there now too. Does this mean that Verizon will sell the U12 or U12+? No. As I just noted, the Moto G6 is there, yet we assume that will only be sold unlocked with compatibility with Verizon's network, not necessarily sold directly by them. Same with the Xperia XZ2 Compact. If HTC wants their new phone to work on Verizon, they need to go through the process of certifying it. What should we take from this listing? Good question! The existence of the device? Maybe? If anything, the listing will be worth paying attention to, should it be updated with proper info as we approach what should be an imminent launch of the device. Again, current rumors peg this phone for a May launch and we're almost in May. // Verizon

You'll Soon See an Option for Viewing Your Listening History From Google's 'Now Playing'

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 14:53:56 +0000

On the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, there is an option for your device to be always listening for background music. When it recognizes something, it displays a track and artist name via the Always On display. This feature is called Now Playing, accessible inside of the Sound > Advanced Settings menu. Since launch, there has never been a native way of viewing the history of songs the phone has identified. As a workaround, 3rd-party developers have created apps for this exact use, but thanks to XDA, we're learning that a native option is on the way. In a recent teardown of the Ambient Services app from Google, there is a new string code that specifically states the following.

name="ambient_music_action_open_history">View History

Naturally, Google has yet to flip the switch for this function, but at least this is a good sign that it is indeed coming. We just aren't sure when. To call not having a viewable history at launch for Now Playing a missed opportunity is an understatement, but you know, we're getting there. As soon as this change is implemented, we'll let you know. // XDA

DEAL: Save $100 on a Nest Cam IQ, Down to $199

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 13:39:47 +0000

For the next few hours, Woot! is offering Nest Cam IQ smart cameras at greatly reduced pricing, bringing a single Nest Cam IQ camera down to $199, $100 off its usual price of $299. Furthermore, should you need more than just one, a 2-pack is also available, with the price for two listed at $339 (down from usual price of $499). And yes, these are new cameras, not refurbished or anything of the sort. If you don't know about the Nest Cam IQ, it is Nest's newest indoor smart camera system, capable of detecting motion and sending alerts to your smartphone. It features a 4K sensor, HDR, a big speaker, and 3-microphone array. Speaking of mics, Nest Cam IQ also received an update recently to support Google Assistant. As an added bonus for folks new to Nest, the price of a Nest Aware subscription has also dropped, meaning there's never been a better time to get involved in the Nest ecosystem. If you're looking to upgrade your home's security, check it out. Woot! Link

Huawei Now Under Criminal Investigation by US Government

Kellen — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 12:59:26 +0000

If you are a Chinese phone company, you may want to consider staying as far away from the US as is possible. I say that because we seem to be writing up a new story each week where the US government is going after Huawei or ZTE on some level. For example, today, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the US Justice Department is investigating Huawei over having possibly violated US sanctions related to Iran. Sound familiar? That's because the US government has already gone after ZTE for violating similar sanctions, then again for lying about their actions afterwards. The US has now banned US companies from supplying components to ZTE as punishment. According to today's report, it's unclear how far the Justice Department's investigation into Huawei has advanced or what exactly they are looking for. But if they find anything, it could lead to heavy fines or a similar ban to what ZTE saw recently. ZTE had to pay $892 million because it shipped telecom equipment to Iran illegally. It's hard to think of a way for Huawei to escape their current situation. I'm not sure they can say or do anything to get the US government to let up on this idea that their equipment could pose a security threat. And in the end, that means less tech choices for you, less competition, and likely, less innovation. // Wall Street Journal

LG G7 ThinQ to Feature 6.1" Super Bright LCD

Kellen — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 10:39:48 +0000

LG announced last night that the LG G7 ThinQ will sport a brand new 6.1-inch LCD display with a QHD+ resolution. Not only is that extra big, it's also not an OLED like we saw on the V30. LG's newest display is another FullVision display, but the aspect ratio has changed to 19.5:9 with a resolution of 3120x1440. Where this display stands out is in the brightness department. LG is calling this a Super Bright Display with 1,000 nit brightness, which they claim is the "brightest and most vibrant display on the smartphone market today." They expect a 30% reduction in power consumption too. Even with its size, LG thinks this will be comfortable to use with one hand. For example, the bottom bezel is 50% slimmer than on the G6. As for display controls, LG is giving users a number of settings, all of which can be seen below from the phone's display settings screen. There are Auto, Eco, Cinema, Sports, Game, and Experts modes, with Expert offering the most control.

As you probably noticed, we've got notch confirmation now too. LG didn't reference a notch in the press release they sent us, but the screenshot above shows a screen with a notch as well as another without. So yeah, you'll be able to hide the notch with a black software bar if you want. The LG G7 ThinQ arrives May 2.

New Super Bright Display Allows Stunning Display Quality While Lowering Power Consumption
LG’s upcoming premium smartphone, the LG G7 ThinQ, will be equipped with a brand new 6.1-inch display QHD+ (3120 x 1440 resolution) FullVision display that is rated at a maximum of 1,000 nit, making it the brightest and most vibrant display on the smartphone market today. Powered by LG’s latest LCD technology Super Bright Display, the LG G7 ThinQ allows users the convenience of operating the phone in almost any lighting condition, notably under bright sunlight while reducing power consumption by as much as 30 percent than the LG G6. Building on the well-received LG G6’s display-to-body ratio, the LG G7 ThinQ will be easy and comfortable to operate and hold in one hand, especially with the ergonomic and beautiful curved tempered glass. The previous 18:9 FullVision display of the LG G6 has also been enhanced on the LG G7 ThinQ with a new 19.5:9 FullVision screen ratio complemented by almost 50 percent slimmer bottom bezel than its predecessor. Color tones on the LG G7 ThinQ will look rich and natural even under bright light courtesy of the newly developed Super Bright Display by LG that covers 100 percent of DCI-P3 color space. Additionally, the LG G7 ThinQ can automatically adapt to six screen color settings for different content such as Auto, Eco, Cinema, Sports, Game and Expert. Auto mode enables LG G7 ThinQ to automatically analyze current content, such as video, game, photo or web, and optimize display setting while reducing power consumption. For power users that are looking for total control over their smartphone’s display, the LG G7 ThinQ allows users to fine-tune the screen by conveniently scrolling each RGB color level option while supporting modes are activated. LG has offered a similar feature with its camera in the past for shutterbugs, and it is doing the same for users desiring a higher-level degree of control with their displays.

Google's New Task App is Very Minimal and Borderline Useless

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 10:34:09 +0000

Announced alongside Gmail's redesign this morning, Google Tasks is another new app from Mountain View, aimed at helping you keep track of ongoing tasks you may have. It was specifically announced with Gmail's new look because Tasks is now integrated natively inside of Gmail, meaning you can access your tasks from within it. However, the standalone Tasks app is so barebones and minimal that it borderlines useless and I don't think it's a massive stretch to assume it won't see a lot of usage. I'd usually say, "Let's break it down," with regard to Tasks' features, but honestly, there isn't much to break down. When you open the app, it asks you to start adding tasks. Once you've added a task, you can then choose to mark it as complete or make a new task. With each task, you can add subtasks. You can also add a desired completion date and additional details to the task. And that's it. There are no collaboration options or anything else that would help break away from the many other, more comprehensive tasks apps on the market. Unlike a full blown project management app like Trello, Tasks is designed specifically for individuals, not teams. This is totally fine and there is a place for something like this, but having an app that just lists tasks and provides notifications for them isn't exactly revolutionary, considering you can do this same thing inside of Google Keep. With Keep, you can write down whatever you want and set reminders, but you can even add collaborators and send Keep notes to other people. You know, because sometimes tasks will require work from more than just one person. If you want to check out Tasks for yourself, go grab it on Google Play. You might as well, since it's already implemented into your new Gmail experience. What's your take on Tasks? Am I just not getting it? Google Play Link

That Fresh A** Gmail Redesign With New Features is Rolling Out!

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 09:05:26 +0000

On April 11, Google let the cat out of the bag a bit early with regard to a big Gmail redesign. This morning, it all became official and all of the new features associated with the redesign are also live for the desktop portion of Google's email service. Detailed in Google's big writeup, here are a few of the changes you can look forward to in the redesign. There is Smart Reply, Snooze feature, Nudge, unsubscribe suggestions, and a very cool Confidential Mode. If you have used Inbox, then you'll know about most of these features already. For Smart Reply, the app will suggest a reply to an email using contextual awareness, the same as Google offers in its messaging apps. For Nudge, Gmail will gently remind you that there's an unopened message in your inbox that could be marked as Important. The same goes for emails you have sent, but haven't received a response to. For Snooze, let's say you receive an email, but aren't quite ready to reply. When you select to snooze an email, you can choose when to be re-notified of its arrival at a time that best suits you. Snooze has been an available feature inside of Inbox since the beginning, I think, so this will be nice to have in Gmail. For this Confidential mode, Gmail will help keep your private information secure. When using it, you can opt to disable the recipients ability to forward, copy, download or print messages. This is useful when sending things like a tax return or social security numbers. Additionally, you can make a message expire after a set period of time to help you stay in control of your information.

How Do I Get the New Gmail?

The redesign with these new features is rolling out right now. To enable it, click the Gear (aka Settings button) on the right side of the Gmail window. Once inside the Gear icon, you should see an option for "Try the new Gmail." Click that, then Gmail will reload with the new UI. If you aren't a fan of what you see, you can opt back to the Classic Gmail UI. If you're a G Suite user, ask your domain's administrator to enable the new Gmail from within the G Suite dashboard. As for mobile, we aren't exactly sure when a new UI will come, but it must be on the way. For now, a few of the features, such as high-priority notifications and unsubscribe recommendations, should show up in your Gmail app. Thoughts on the new look and features? Does this mean Inbox will be going away? // Google

OnePlus 6 Will be Unveiled May 16 in London

Kellen — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 07:59:34 +0000

The OnePlus 6 will arrive on May 16 at an event in London called "The Speed You Need." If not in London, don't worry, as the whole thing will be streamed to the rest of the world. OnePlus didn't say when the phone will go on sale, but in the past, they've opened up pre-orders within about a week. I'd imagine they'll do the same here with the OnePlus 6. How much will it cost? Yeah, we don't know that. My guess is it'll hover at around $550 on the low-end if we keep on this trend of price increases from OnePlus. If in London and interested in attending the event, you can buy tickets right here. Why would you buy tickets to an event when everyone else in the industry hosts them for free? Well, most other companies don't open these events up to the public and instead let only press in. OnePlus is at least giving you a chance to go, but the space is limited so they are selling spots. Still find that annoying? You shouldn't really. Last year, they gave OnePlus 5T ticket buyers $40 off a 5T, plus a backpack full of swag. At this London event, they'll do the same. OnePlus tells us that the "value of the swag bag collected at the launch event far exceeds the price of the ticket." May 16!

Source: YouTube Remix Will Bring the End of Google Play Music

Kellen — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:22:28 +0000

When Google finally launches its rumored YouTube Remix platform this year, one of its other services will be put to rest. According to a reliable source, Google Play Music will be replaced as Google's go-to music service with YouTube Remix. Not only that, but users will be forced off of Play Music by the end of 2018 and onto Remix. If you haven't been following this story, looking back to December 2017 is the place to start. An initial report stated that Google had plans to create a Spotify-like music experience with a product called YouTube Remix that would offer better recommendations and the ability to play clips alongside music. A follow-up report surfaced weeks later suggesting that Google, YouTube, and major music industry labels had come to an agreement on terms that would allow YouTube to launch this new music subscription service. The agreement satisfied complaints that music industry folks had over copyright issues stemming from YouTube. Fast forward to this March where YouTube's global head of music, Lyor Cohen, confirmed some details of YouTube Remix during a chat at SXSW. He didn't fully dive into pricing or launch, but did acknowledge that it would provide “the best of Google Play Music’s context server” and YouTube’s, “breadth and depth of catalogue.” He continued by saying that it's OK that they are "late" with this launch because they are "making an enormous investment to launch a product that you will be proud of." Our source echoed Cohen's comparison of YouTube Remix being based around recommendations, with smarter playlists, music depending on the time of day, where you are, that sort of thing. Google Play Music picked all of that up back at the end of 2016. That news aside, the end of Google Play Music probably makes quite a bit of sense if Google has put this much time and effort into YouTube Remix. While they already allow you to experience an ad-free YouTube with a YouTube Red subscription, the separation of YouTube, Red, and Play Music is awkward. Toss in the YouTube Music app that lacks a web experience and this is all kind of a mess. Our source didn't elaborate on how Play Music will die, only that Google will do a forced adoption of Remix by the end of this year. That'll likely mean heavy notifications within Play Music that the end is near. I'd imagine that your playlists and libraries will somehow sync or carry over to Remix, though that hasn't been confirmed. Should we learn more, we'll be sure to pass the info along. UPDATE: A YouTube spokesperson reached out with the following statement--

We've previously announced the combination of the YouTube Music and Google Play product teams -- music is very important to Google so it’s critical we have one offering that meets the needs of consumers and artists. Nothing will change for users today and we’ll provide plenty of notice before any changes are made.

Take from that what you will.

Amazon's Upcoming Fire TV Cube Sounds and Looks Kinda Sweet

Tim — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:13:06 +0000

What happens when you combine the smarts of Amazon Alexa and the functionality of an Amazon Echo, then spin them around in a cube-shaped can that doubles as a Fire TV OS-powered set-top box? The Fire TV Cube, of course. Spotted by AFTVnews, Amazon has posted a signup page for this upcoming device, but currently, all we really know is the Fire TV Cube name. Thanks to previous reports dating back to last year, it's believed this Fire TV Cube will be a combination of an Echo smart speaker and Fire TV, Amazon's current hardware offering for those invested in Amazon's media ecosystem. Here is a reported image of the Fire TV Cube, alongside the currently available Fire TV (Pendant) and Alexa Voice Remote. What really separates this set-top box from others is the idea of being able to speak to it, not having to rely on an Alexa Voice Remote. Because the Fire TV Cube would have plenty of mics as well as a speaker, you'll be able to use it as a typical Echo device, even if the TV is turned off. Unfortunately, Amazon's sign-up page doesn't offer any details, except for a "Details coming soon" line. You can subscribe to updates for the Fire TV Cube by following this link. This makes me want an Android TV-powered set-top box I can control with my voice and Google Assistant, no remote necessary. // AFTVnews | The Verge

DEAL: Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Wireless Headphones are Just $21.99 With Code

Kellen — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 13:12:19 +0000

Anker's SoundBuds Slim+ wireless headphones are discounted at the moment from their usual $29.99 price. With coupon code, you can get into the wireless earbuds game for $21.99. The SoundBuds Slim+ buds last up to 7.5 hours on a single charge, can be fully charged in 1.5 hours, feature aptX high-res sound, have a sweat guard to protection against your workouts, and include multiple ear tips and wings to help you get the best fit. In a world that continues to drop headphone jacks and push us to wireless, this is a good deal. All you have to do is hit that link below and use code "ANKER411" at checkout. That should drop the price to $21.99. Amazon Deal Link

You Can Now Mass Upload Photos and Videos to Instagram Stories

Tim — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 10:58:39 +0000

Instagram is pushing a change to Stories this week for Android, with the change set to come to iOS devices in the coming weeks. Side note, yes, Android rules and iOS drools. Moving on. With the update, users can now mass upload photos and videos to Stories, no longer requiring the upload of single pictures and videos. When you go to the Upload portion of the app, you'll see a new icon for mass uploading in the top right. Tap on that icon, then choose all of the media you want to upload to a story. You can also choose to edit portions at that time, then publish it.

On the edit screen, you’ll see a preview of all the media you’ve selected lined up at the bottom, you can tap each one to edit individually with stickers, text and all the other creative tools in Instagram Stories. When you’re done, all of the photos and videos in your preview will upload at once in the order you selected them.

This update is now live for Android, so go grab it on Google Play. Google Play Link // Instagram

Google Announces This Year's Google Play Awards Nominees, Winners Coming at I/O

Kellen — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 10:14:27 +0000

Google announced the 2018 Google Play Awards nominees today to celebrate the best experiences in Android. The Google Play Awards, for those not familiar, are a celebration of the applications and games that "represent some of the best experiences available on Android." Google selects the apps that are up for awards, but they also need to meet select criteria like a high Play rating or having launched a major update since April of last year. The categories of awards include Standout Well-Being App, Best Social Impact, Standout Indie, Best AR or VR Experience, and Best Breakthrough Hit. In those categories, you'll find apps like Drops, Moovit, Khan Academy, Figment AR, Universal Copy, and Headspace. To see all of the Google Play Award nominees, hit up this link. Google will announce the winners at Google I/O on May 7. // Android Developers

Spotify Adds a Bunch of New Features to Free Offering

Kellen — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 08:54:24 +0000

Spotify announced big changes to its free offering today, likely in an attempt to get you to convert over to a paying customer. What they've done is make the experience more personalized, added like and hide buttons, gave you the ability to create your own playlists, that sort of thing. Specifically, Free on Spotify is getting 15 new on-demand playlists that let users pick and play any track without skipping or waiting on shuffle. They'll be unique to users, which will only get more personal as you continue using the Like❤️ or HIDE🚫 buttons regularly and tell Spotify what you love the most during sign-up. But in even bigger news, Free on Spotify will now let you create your own playlists. As you create those, Spotify will do its best to recommend additional songs based on your preferences. And finally, Spotify has created a new Data Saver feature to let you listen to music without emptying your data bucket. The changes will roll out over the "coming weeks" to both iOS and Android. Google Play Link // Spotify

Amazon Now Also Wants Access to Your Car for Delivering Packages

Tim — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 08:52:09 +0000

Amazon announced Amazon Key last year, the service that allows Amazon's delivery drivers to access your home and place packages inside, instead of leaving them on the porch. While most people seemed to recognize Amazon Key's usefulness, it seems many others couldn't get over the idea of letting a stranger into their home to drop off a package. That's totally understandable, so no judgement coming from me. Following this trend where Amazon wants access to all of your stuff, Amazon Key is taking it a step past your house, asking folks to now give the company access to their vehicles for delivering packages straight to cars. As an example, let's say you're at work, but really need something delivered and waiting for you in the car. Well, Amazon Key can now make that happen, so long as you have a compatible vehicle and live in a supported city. To walk you through the experience, you link your existing Amazon account with the Amazon Key app. Then you will shop Amazon normally, but at checkout, you'll select the In-Car delivery option. Whether you're at home with the kiddo napping or you want your car to be an Amazon Locker of sorts while at work, the delivery person will gain access to your vehicle via an encrypted authentication process. Customers will receive a notification once the delivery has been made and the vehicle has been relocked. According to Amazon, in-car delivery is available to Prime members with a compatible 2015 or newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac vehicle with an active OnStar account, as well as customers with a 2015 or newer Volvo vehicle with an active Volvo On Call account. As detailed, support for even more vehicle makes and models will be added over time. If you want to check availability in your area and eligibility for your vehicle, click here. // Amazon

Fine, Here's One More LG G7 ThinQ Picture Because It Shows Every Damn Angle

Kellen — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 16:04:39 +0000

I know that we just got done saying that we were finished posting up unofficial renders of the LG G7 ThinQ, but another one showed up today that reveals every single angle of the phone's exterior. Thanks to the image provided by @evleaks, we get to see the front, back, top, bottom, and both sides. We get a new shot of the front notch, the dual camera setup on the back with fingerprint reader, side power and volume buttons, as well as an extra button that could be for the Google Assistant. And finally, we can see the bottom speaker sitting next to a USB-C port and headphone jack. The color of this particular G7 ThinQ is grey or silver and it looks fine. It looks like a lot of the phones we know are coming in 2018 with notches and bottom chins. My biggest concern with this phone is over what the software will be like. We just asked people what they thought the worst Android OEM skin was and I'd be shocked if LG wasn't up towards the top. Software has held them back for years and we have no indication that things are changing for 2018. Hopefully, they do. https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/988528748457873408

Monday Poll: The Worst OEM Skin in Android is?

Tim — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 15:34:30 +0000

All the way back in 2011, we asked our readers what they thought was the worst Android OEM skin. Motorola came in with 48% of the vote with Moto Blur, followed by Samsung's TouchWiz at 32%. Well, considering Android OEM skins are still a thing, it's time to update our feelings on this. Now, a lot of the names have changed over the years. For example, TouchWiz from Samsung is now Samsung Experience. Motorola's Moto Blur name is long gone, too, and LG's Home is now LG UX. Regardless of what they're calling them, we want to know who you think has the worst. Vote, then share your thoughts on why you chose that skin as the worst in the comments. [poll id="481"]

Why Does Everyone Think All-Glass Smartphones are Premium?

Kellen — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 13:16:58 +0000

OnePlus announced today that the OnePlus 6 will be its first phone with a glass back. LG went this route recently with the V30. Apple just did it with the iPhone X, as did Huawei with the P20. HTC also turned to glass after the HTC 10 with its HTC U Ultra and U11. Samsung, well, they've been all-glass since at least the Galaxy S6. All of these manufacturers refer to glass as being premium while suggesting this is a move that truly advanced their industrial design, and I can't help but ask - why? You see, dating back to that just-mentioned Galaxy S6, glass has been all the rage. In fact, I hilariously referred to the S6 as being "strong, elegant, and premium." I mean...come on, Kellen. I don't think I'm alone it such a eyeroll-worthy statement because glass is shiny, see-through, and offers this sort of gem-esque experience with depth that metal just can't do. Glass does look pretty! Look at the P20 Pro and that gradient colorway! But as I've mentioned in recent videos and posts, I think it's time we stop calling glass "premium." The word "premium" when defined as an adjective means "of exceptional quality or amount." When you think of glass, do you think of it as a material that brings exceptional quality to something? Sure, an overall design can give off that premium feel, which I'm sure OnePlus and all of these other manufacturers are going for here, but it's hard for me to think that a material as scratch-able, breakable, and fingerprint-able as glass is truly "premium."

For those who don't know, I'm a caseless guy. All phones stay naked in this house because I like phone design. I want to see and feel a phone's design when I'm using it. If you are a phone maker that stands on stage to brag about the premium feel your phone gives off when in hand, then I want to experience that. And I sure as hell am not going to experience all that your marketing department has come up with to describe your curved glass with a f*cking case slapped around the outside of it. In fact, on cases for a minute - is there any clearer way for customers to tell phone makers that their phone's glass isn't premium when they toss a case on it within the first hour of owning one because they are scared to death that a single drop will shatter their $1,000 phone? Think about it. Your "premium," all-glass phone, with premium standing for "exceptional quality," needs a case in order to survive an hour let-alone 2 years that most people will own it. Yeah, sure, that sounds great, guys. And look, I get why people buy cases. They do want to protect their phones. It's just that a truly premium phone, would probably be one that is basically drop-proof. One that doesn't need a case at all times, just in case. A premium, "of exceptional quality" phone, at least in my mind, would be a phone that doesn't scare you to use it. Maybe that's just me? Take a look at the short GIF below that I made. Again, I'm the naked phone guy, so here is an animation that shows the Galaxy S9, S8, S7, and Galaxy S8+ in a row before getting to the HTC 10. All of the Samsung phones have scratches and scuffs in the exact same spots, though some have more that you just can't see here. These all happened with regular use. No drops. Nothing crazy in usage. Just on my desk and off it to in my pocket and out of it, to the local growler shop counter and back home again. The HTC 10 doesn't have a mark on it. Not a single mark. Why? Because it's not glass!

Here's another thing to keep in mind. I only use phones for a few months at a time, yet all of my Samsung phones look the same. I can't imagine what these might look like in a full year or two of use (Someone should post a picture of theirs in the comments!). The back might look artfully scuffed, but it sure won't look premium. And again, I could put a case on these. Except that then hides the design. It hides the supposed premium material set that Samsung or LG or OnePlus shipped as a product they were proud of. You also shouldn't forget that drop testing phones was once a thing that people cared about for a minute and made entire YouTube channels famous. During those drop tests, we talked about how strong the glass panel on the front of a phone was. Gorilla Glass came in and did its thing to try and help, which it sort of did. But then companies started slapping glass on the back too! Guess how those drop tests went? It took all of the fun out of it and I couldn't tell you the last time anyone cared. We all know what happens when you drop a phone with dual glass panels from any sort of reasonable distance onto a solid surface. It SHATTERS. And I know first hand after dropping a review device late last year a single time on its backside. The phone, which I won't bother naming, cracked all up and down its left rear with a spread as far as the opposite side where there was no drop. A single drop where the phone didn't quite make it all the way into my pocket. That's unacceptably not premium. Honestly, it was bad enough that we all had to worry about the front side of our phones being damaged. Now, with glass everywhere, these companies have doubled the level of stress. I not only worry about dropping my phone, but doing something as simple as setting it down on a counter makes me pause. Should I wipe the surface off first? What's the table or desk or counter made of? Will it scratch my phone? Should I just put a stupid case on this thing? Does anyone want to talk about fingerprints? I know that fingerprints all over a glass panel has nothing to do with being premium or not, but one of the worst aspects of a glass panel is just that. It doesn't take much for your phone to acknowledge the fact that you just crushed a double cheeseburger with a side of loaded fries, setting your pre-summer diet plan back an extra week after already setting it back from the prior week's "I had a long week" burger bender.

What should companies be using if not glass, you ask? How about anything but glass? The OnePlus 5T's all-metal backside feels and looks great. The HTC 10 looked and felt great too. The Pixel 2 feels slightly plasticky, thanks to the coating that sits on top of its metal frame, but that sh*t won't crack. The regular Pixel 2 seems to be pretty scratch resistant too. Oh, and then you have the Essential phone, which features a titanium frame and ceramic backside. Above is what my white Essential Phone looks like at the moment. I've struggled to find many marks on it. There are other materials out there. We could also, you know, invest in trying out new ideas that aren't helping pad the pockets of phone insurance brokers. UBreakIFix is about to become a gazillion dollar company at the pace it's expanding and partnering to help swap out all that glass. The point here is that phone manufacturers have sold you on this idea that glass is premium. Except, when tested at all, it doesn't take much to scratch or crack a phone covered in a material like this. You either invest in a case from the get-go and never enjoy your phone's true design or spend the rest of ownership worrying. There's nothing exceptional about that.

PayPal Support Goes Live for Samsung Pay, 9 Months After Initial Announcement

Tim — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 13:15:34 +0000

In July of last year, Samsung announced PayPal as a supported payment option within Samsung Pay. Even though that announcement was made, it appears the ability to actually make purchases using your PayPal account via Samsung Pay wasn't available, but this week, that changes. This morning, PayPal announced users can now make purchases, "at the millions of retailers that accept Samsung Pay." We had no idea that the partnership announcement from last July would ultimately lead to this day, 9 months later, but here we are. To get started buying goods with your PayPal funds within Samsung Pay, follow these instructions.

Tap “+” on upper right hand of Samsung Pay home screen
Select “Add PayPal” in the “Add payment card section”
If you have One Touch enabled, the account will be provisioned. If not, you’ll need to input your account credentials.
Press “Next” and enter a pin for in-store purchases
Select a Debit or bank funding source to top-up the account
Press “Agree & Continue” and you’re all set!

Are you Samsung Pay users seeing this support yet in your app? // PayPal

Flickr Acquired by SmugMug, Experience Won't Change Until May 25

Tim — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 09:30:58 +0000

SmugMug announced late last week that is has acquired Flickr, the photo sharing platform owned by Yahoo since 2005. No terms were revealed, but more importantly, Flickr states that nothing with regard to the user experience will change until next month. However, on May 25, all of Flickr's user data will be transferred to SmugMug. If you don't want that to happen to your data, you can opt for it not to via your Flickr account. To get a sense of what SmugMug + Flickr means for you, the user, watch the video below. In short, both communities are coming together, creating what SmugMug believes to be, "the world's most influential photographer-centric community." Bye bye, Flickr. https://www.youtube.com/watch?=1&v=T4B_qlaN8C4 // SmugMug

T-Mobile Customers Can Get $4 Tickets to Deadpool 2 on May 15

Tim — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:48:28 +0000

Thanks to T-Mobile Tuesdays, customers of T-Mobile can snag $4 tickets to Deadpool 2 starting May 15, just in time for the film's debut on May 18. If you're feeling lucky, T-Mobile is also hosting a Deadpool Dream Trip this week (starts tomorrow), where someone is going to win a trip to see the film before it hits theaters. Actually, the way T-Mobile details this Dream Trip sounds pretty dope.

Experience the ultimate ninja masterclass at one of the oldest Dojos in New York, and see Deadpool 2 before it hits theaters! You’ll get trained by an expert sensei, learn how to master Deadpool’s Katana swords, and practice taking down ninjas in a specially choreographed fight scheme inspired by the movie! This once-in-a-lifetime trip includes three nights’ luxury accommodations for you and a guest.

I think I may try for that. // T-Mobile

OnePlus 6 has Glass Back That Adds a "Sense of Value" and "Premium Hand-Feel"

Kellen — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:31:53 +0000

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau announced this morning that the OnePlus 6 will have a glass back. Lau suggests that this new glass back will bring a "sense of value" to customers, as well as a "premium hand-feel." I think he misspelled "fragile," but we'll come back to that. This is the first use of glass on the backside for OnePlus, so it's kind of a big deal. Lau talked about OnePlus' approach to glass, acknowledging the fact that they aren't even close to being the first to use it. He does think they've done it differently by going through over 70 prototypes of glass to find the best one, while also using an extra couple of layers of Nanotech Coating to present a "stronger impression of depth" to users. I'm sure it will look fine. Well, this leaked image doesn't look fine, but the finished product could. My questions are: what happened to that wood-grain we saw a few weeks back that is at the top of this post? Hopefully, that's not just a skin and will be an actual option. Why not give us another sandstone after OnePlus just made a big deal on the OnePlus 5T about sandstone coming back? Glass wins this round, I guess. I'm working up an extra spicy Monday morning rant on the use of glass (here it is!), so hang with us if that sounds like fun. Otherwise, enjoy the thought of glass on the OnePlus 6. // OnePlus

DEAL: US Unlocked Galaxy S9, S9+ are $50 Off + Free $250 SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

Kellen — Sat, 21 Apr 2018 20:39:01 +0000

Best Buy just dropped the US unlocked Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ price by $50 in one of the first major deals we've seen on these models. Originally priced at $719.99 and $839.99, you can get the smaller Galaxy S9 for $669.99 or the bigger Galaxy S9+ with dual cameras for $789.99. Couple those $50 discounts with the free $250 SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit they are including and you've got yourself a super deal. That's right, not only is Best Buy slashing $50 off each S9 and S9+, they are including a free Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit that typically runs $250. It includes the SmartThings Hub, two multipurpose sensors, a motion sensor, and a smart outlet. There is one catch, though. The Best Buy $50-off price only works if you activate the phones right away on a carrier. At this time, it looks like they are forcing you to do that on Verizon. So yeah, that kind of sucks. If you just want a straight up $50 price drop with no extra fuss, Amazon has you covered, only without the free SmartThings kit. As of this posting, Amazon has the Midnight Black version of the Galaxy S9+ dropped to the $789.99 price, but both the Lilac Purple and Coral Blue models are under $800 too, which is still $40 off. The regular Galaxy S9 has not dropped in price just yet at Amazon. If it does (and I'm sure it will), we'll update this post. Remember, these US unlocked Galaxy S9 phones work on all carriers, including Verizon. Our Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ review is right here. Best Buy Links:

Galaxy S9 ($669.99)
Galaxy S9+ ($789.99)
SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

Amazon Links:

Galaxy S9+ ($789.99)
Galaxy S9

Weekly Recap: Has Google Found the Messaging Answer?

Kellen — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 15:09:58 +0000

As we head into the weekend, it's time once again to take a look back at the week's biggest Android stories. We spent a lot of time talking about Google's plans for messaging, which includes an RCS re-branding to "Chat," what we want to see in the Pixel 3, and why it's obvious that Android manufacturers agree with Apple on the iPhone X. We also hosted another DL Show with fabulous trivia prizes provided by Razer, gave AT&T a thumbs-up for their new prepaid options, and grabbed all the 8.1 updates. Be sure to catch-up on the week before we get to Google I/O!

Blazers in 7.

AT&T CEO Announces $15/Month 'Watch' TV Streaming Service While Testifying in Federal Court

Tim — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 14:34:49 +0000

During his testimony in federal court for an ongoing antitrust trial, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson shared plans for AT&T Watch, an upcoming TV streaming service that will cost only $15/month. The awkwardly timed announcement came as an example for why the federal government should allow AT&T to purchase Time Warner. While the federal government says this deal could hurt US consumers, AT&T's CEO states AT&T Watch could be one of the benefits from a purchase. While details are still scarce, AT&T Watch will essentially be a skinny bundle of cable channels that users can stream to their smartphones or anywhere else it's accessible. Unlike AT&T's DIRECTV NOW, AT&T Watch will not support any sports, allowing them to cut the price down to just $15/month. One interesting aspect is availability, which AT&T did provide details for. According to AT&T, Watch will be available to anyone, regardless of their wireless or broadband provider. Additionally, it will be provided free of charge to those with AT&T unlimited wireless service. AT&T mentions Watch should launch within the next several weeks. So, a skinny streamable TV package with no sports. Are you interested? // CNN

AT&T 5G Evolution Expands to More Than 100 New Markets

Kellen — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 14:28:37 +0000

AT&T's 5G Evolution, which isn't 5G by any means and is just upgraded 4G LTE, has expanded to a whole bunch of new markets. AT&T says to expect it in more than 100 as of today, which should mean an upgraded network experience for a whole bunch of their customers. On AT&T 5G Evolution, supported devices can see theoretic peak speeds of up to 400Mbps. Will your phone see those? Eh, probably depends on how close you are to a tower and how many others are hammering on it with you. Either way, it's a faster connection speed on 5G Evolution than what you are used to. The total number of AT&T 5G Evolution markets now sits at 141, thanks to the 117 added. Here is a list of all of those 5G Evolution markets: Alabama

Anniston
Tuscaloosa

Alaska

Anchorage

Arkansas

Cleburne
Fayetteville
Fort Smith
Garland
Little Rock
Pine Bluff

California

Alpine
Chico
El Dorado
Fresno
Kings
Los Angeles
Madera
Modesto
Mono
Oxnard-Ventura
Sacramento
Salinas-Seaside-Monterey
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Cruz
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Sierra
Stockton
Tehama
Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa
Visalia-Tulare-Porterville
Yuba City

Connecticut

Bridgeport
Hartford

Florida

Collier
Fort Pierce
Hardee
Melbourne
Miami
Orlando
Pensacola
Putnam
Sarasota
West Palm Beach

Georgia

Atlanta
Chattooga
Dawson

Hawaii

Hawaii

Illinois

Aurora
Chicago
Joliet

Indiana

Anderson
Bloomington
Evansville
Indianapolis
Kokomo
Miami
Muncie
Terre Haute
Warren

Kansas

Brown
Lawrence
Trego
Wichita

Kentucky

Lexington
Louisville
Madison
Mason
Trimble
Union

Louisiana

Alexandria
Baton Rouge
Beauregard
Claiborne
De Soto
Houma
Iberville
Lafayette
Lake Charles
Monroe
New Orleans
St. James
Plaquemines
West Feliciana

Massachusetts

Boston

Minnesota

Minneapolis

Mississippi

Benton
Claiborne
Leake
Jackson

Missouri

St. Joseph

Nevada

Reno
Storey

Ohio

Columbus

Oklahoma

Lawton
Oklahoma City
Seminole
Tulsa

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Puerto Rico

Adjuntas
Aguadilla
Culebra
San Juan-Caguas

South Carolina

Columbia
Greenville

Tennessee

Hamblen
Knoxville
Maury
Memphis
Nashville

Texas

bilene
Amarillo
Atascosa
Beaumont
Brownsville-Harlingen
Burleson
Chambers
Cherokee
Corpus Christi
Dallas
Edwards
El Paso
Galveston
Houston, TX
Killeen
Laredo
Longview-Marshall
Lubbock
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Midland
Newton
Odessa
Reeves
San Antonio
Sherman-Dension
Tyler
Victoria
Waco
Wilson

AT&T estimates that 5G Evolution technologies will be available in over 500 markets later this year, including Baltimore, Charlotte (NC), Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Las Vegas, NYC, Philadelphia, Portland, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Washington DC. In addition to today's 5G Evolution news, AT&T also launched LTE-LAA technology in 3 new markets: Boston, Sacramento, and McAllen, Texas. Make fun of 5G Evolution all you want (and AT&T deserves it), but it's hard to complain against network improvements. // AT&T

Verizon LG V30 Becomes V30 ThinQ With Update Today, Gets AI Things

Kellen — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 12:37:58 +0000

Verizon started pushing a new update to the LG V30 today, an update that turns LG's media powerhouse into the V30 ThinQ. The new software also includes some of the AI smarts that LG hopes will help it sell a few more phones in 2018. Users will notice during boot-up that the phone's splash screen will say "LG V30 ThinQ" going forward. That's supposed to point out the new AI integrations, like AI Camera, which introduces new camera filters as well as scene recommendations. You can learn more about LG's AI features at this post. The AT&T LG V30 received a similar update at the end of March. The update weighs in at 843MB and software version VS99620b. It includes the March security patch, not April's. To check for it, head into Settings>System update.

// Verizon Cheers @LegendaryScoop!

Podcast: "Chat"

Kellen — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:17:06 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we're talking heavily about Google's latest messaging adventure, which is their rebranding of RCS Universal Profile to "Chat." We'll talk about what this means for the future of Android messaging, if you should care, and when you can expect to enjoy it. After that, it's onto our Pixel 3 wishlist, the latest on the LG G7, Moto G6 and E5 announcements, and more! Trivia is once again back, this time with some fabulous prizes from Razer. Yes, that Razer. We've got a whole bunch of Hammerhead earbuds to giveaway, both Bluetooth and USB-C!

We’ll open the show at 11:00AM Pacific (2:00PM Eastern). If you miss us live and/or want the audio version of our podcast, you can subscribe through the various links below.

Rylo Gets New 180° and Motion Blur Modes, Plus Bluetooth and Timed Captures

Tim — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:06:54 +0000

We recently wrote up the launch of the Rylo camera for Android and already there is a major update for the device and the dedicated Rylo app. With the update, users can take advantage of a new shooting mode, editing effect, and a new way to capture shots. The new shooting mode is called 180° Mode, and with it, you only get video from the front-facing camera, not the entire 360° shot from both. This is ideal for chest-mounted Rylo cameras, considering the back camera is only picking up your chest. The newly added editing mode is a Motion Blur effect, which adds a customizable amount of blur to your videos. This is great for timelapse videos where a lot of movement is taking place. And since Rylo provides a fantastic stabilization feature, the Motion Blur can really help make scenes pop. Lastly, Rylo has also added a new way to snap shots. Instead of having to press the record button on the actual device, you can now use your smartphone as a Bluetooth remote. Inside the app, a new UI will show how much battery the camera has, amount of recording time left, as well as a button for changing the shooting mode and recording. Basically, once you have Rylo set up for a shot, all of the controls can be done from the phone, which is a real bonus. To update your Rylo, get the app update from Google Play, they hook your Rylo up to your phone to update the device. Google Play Link // Rylo

LG G7 ThinQ's Dedicated AI Button May Actually be for Google Assistant

Tim — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 08:58:00 +0000

Earlier this month, we learned that a dedicated hardware button on the upcoming G7 ThinQ from LG would provide quick access to some type of AI, similar to what Samsung does for Bixby on the Galaxy S9. However, we weren't entirely sure what digital assistant LG would use, whether it's a new AI of their own making or something else. Thanks to a new report from CNET, we're learning that it may just be a dedicated Google Assistant button, which is a huge relief. If this dedicated button is indeed a Google Assistant button, we believe this is the first of its kind. While the Pixel phones have a squeeze-to-access feature for Assistant, no 3rd-party phone comes to mind that has a dedicated button specifically for Google's digital assistant. In doing this, buyers should have quick access to all of Assistant's features, like toggling system settings, setting reminders, plus a whole lot more. We're expecting to see the LG G7 ThinQ unveiled on May 2 in NYC. // CNET

DEAL: And Now the Essential Phone is Just $350 (Another $50 Off)

Kellen — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:48:47 +0000

Earlier in the week, the Essential Phone dropped to $399.99 in a temporary sale at both Best Buy and Amazon. Today, the Black Moon version has dropped further to $349.99. That's a really, really good deal. I don't want to keep re-writing the story of the Essential Phone every time a deal drops, though. It's had some ups and downs, but overall, Essential has done a good job at improving it over its first year. Do I think it's worth buying at $350? For sure. If you need more info, watch this, read this, and this. Also, don't forget that Amazon Warehouse is still hosting a 20% off deal. You can get a used Essential Phone for less than $250.

Essential Phone Links:

Amazon ($349.99)
Amazon Warehouse ($237.99)
Best Buy ($349.99)

Verizon Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge Now Getting Android Oreo Update (Updated: No!)

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 22:07:34 +0000

So, this is a bit surprising as we head into the weekend, but Verizon is ready to push Android Oreo updates to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. UPDATE: Those who have picked up the update have told us that this is not Oreo and is instead just a security patch. Verizon's changelogs sure do say Oreo, so I guess they got a little ahead of their own schedule.

UPDATE 4/20: Verizon has now realized that the update is not Oreo and went ahead and pulled that changelog we showed you above. Just a security patch!

9Verizon has dated the updates as being ready on April 18, though I'd imagine they'll begin rolling out tomorrow April 19. Still, the full changelogs are posted and this sure looks like the real deal. Verizon says to expect build G930VVRS4BRC3 on the Galaxy S7 and G935VVRS4BRC3 on the Galaxy S7 Edge. They didn't provide size estimates, but going off of the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 Oreo updates, I'd imagine these will be north of 1GB. Be sure you have plenty of battery and a solid WiFi connection before updating. What's new? Oh, the standard Oreo stuff that was announced last August. You'll get access to Android's autofill feature for passwords, background limits on running apps, picture-in-picture support for apps like YouTube and Netflix, notification dots, a brand new dialer app, improved keyboard, and more. The list of Android Oreo changes can be found here. To check for the update, head into Settings>About phone>Software updates>Check for updates. // Verizon [2]

Ugh, Let's Talk About Google and RCS and "Chat" and the Death of Allo and...Ugh

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 20:58:43 +0000

It's Thursday evening, I've got a cold glass of sake in hand, the Blazers ~~are getting~~ just got torched, and I'm nursing a stuffy nose, all while awaiting J. Cole's new album, and The Verge drops the most frustrating Google-related messaging story on us I've read in some time. And I'm not talking about their reporting, which is pleasantly detailed and a great explainer. No, I'm just talking about Google and messaging and the fact that every time you mention those two things together, along with the word "new," that I just instantly get a headache before I bang my head against a wall. So yeah, let's talk about tonight's big report and how I'm interpreting it all after following this saga, including Google's RCS push, for the past few years.

2 Big Bits of Info

To get off to a clean start, we should establish the two big bits of info that The Verge revealed tonight. Those are:

Google has apparently (finally) convinced 50 or so carriers and a dozen phone makers across the globe that RCS (rich communication services) messaging is the future. All of these partners have apparently signed on to a branding of RCS as "Chat," which isn't an app, but a name for RCS as a group of services. Holy f*ck, that is the most ridiculous sentence ever written...hang with me, though.
Allo is basically dead. That's fine because no one uses Allo, even if it has some sweet features and potential. Google is pulling the team behind it and moving them over to make sure RCS and "Chat" are adopted as quickly as possible.

OK, we all clear on the two big pieces of info? I hope so, because we are going to try and break this all down.

RCS vs. "Chat"

According to tonight's report, Google has everyone that matters outside of Apple ready to adopt RCS and its Universal Profile. Universal Profile, for those not familiar, is a standard set of features and technical specs for the adoption and deployment of RCS from carriers and phone makers. At some point within the past couple of years, everyone in wireless you care about signed up to be a part of Universal Profile, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, LG, Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, Huawei, ASUS, etc. You can see the list of partners here. Not sure what RCS is? You can read about it's features here. Just know that it's advanced messaging and is waaaaaay better than your typical SMS and much like Apple's iMessage. To be clear, the Universal Profile and its partners is not actually new info. We wrote about it in March when T-Mobile said they were ready to deploy RCS Universal Profile on their network. What's new tonight is the fact that Google and its friends have come up with a name for it that isn't RCS Universal Profile. Instead, they'll call it "Chat," which is dumb as hell. Why is it dumb as hell? Because it's not a universal app that we'll all use. Chat is simply RCS Universal Profile with a catchier name. It doesn't actually mean anything. I'm not actually sure anyone will ever market Chat or talk about it in any sense, other than when referring to RCS. Google isn't launching an app called Chat. Nor is Samsung or LG or Verizon or AT&T. Instead, they'll all just adopt Chat services within other messaging apps (like Android Messages or Samsung's Messages app), which is the adoption of RCS Universal Profile that they all already agreed to adopt anyway. Is this making sense?

When will you get Chat?

Google doesn't really know. Wait, so how does that change from the past 2 years worth of RCS pushing by Google? There really isn't a change at all other than Google seems to think they are closer than ever to having everyone on board with Universal Profile. Then again, tonight's report is pretty clear that Verizon and AT&T weren't up for commenting, even if they are a part of the group. So for you and I in the US, we already have Sprint with live RCS and T-Mobile hoping to launch it soon, but the two biggest carriers remain silent with their own plans. Google's Anil Sabharwal, who has moved over from Google Photos to make Chat an actual thing, told The Verge that, "By the end of this year, we’ll be in a really great state, and by mid-next year, we’ll be in a place where a large percentage of users [will have] this experience." He said that this isn't a 3-5 year play and that they really want everyone to support Chat "within the next couple of years." I promise I'm not trying to be the downer of all downers, but Google started this RCS push in 2016, so we're already 2 years in. Another 2 years before we have a decent adoption? Man.

Does it work with iMessage?

Ummm, probably like it does now, as far as I know. Apple wouldn't comment on adopting Chat either, though there is some hope they could some day. That basically means that Apple controls iMessage and everyone else will be on Chat/RCS messaging. There will still be issues, just maybe not as bad? Hopefully? Chat and RCS perform similarly to iMessage in that they first attempt to send an advanced message to a recipient. If that recipient can't receive the RCS/Chat message, it'll revert back to good ol' SMS. In a perfect world, we'll all be on RCS, including those with iPhones. I'm sure Apple could pretty easily get in on this action and build-in RCS support to iMessage, but this is Apple and they are a bunch of dicks who like closed ecosystems and don't like to party with others.

Why didn't Google just build it's own iMessage?

This is probably the most frustrating part of it all. According to The Verge, Google thought about it. They thought long and hard about building just what we've all asked for and possibly threatened carriers with that very notion. But in the end, the carriers and partners (likely) caved into supporting RCS Universal Profile and so here we are. Instead of Google saying, "F*ck it" and doing it themselves, they stuck with this, "We're so open, brah," thing and worked together. And that's probably fine! That's fine as long as Verizon and AT&T show up on time, with gift in hand, possibly a couple of drinks deep, and ready to dance that RCS dance.

So what's next?

This might be the most boring launch ever, on par with Gigabit LTE. This will happen and you may or may not know it. I say that because your carrier will have to adopt Chat services. The phone you own, yep, it'll have to support Chat services. You might already own one that does, but that's part of the deal. You need to be on a carrier that supports it, with a phone whose messaging app does too. Android Messages will be ready for Chat when your carrier fires it up. As I already said, Sprint is live and T-Mobile will be soon. The big story will be when Verizon and AT&T turn on RCS Universal Profile and (hopefully) don't limit it to two Samsung phones and their own proprietary garbage messaging apps. If Google is right, this could all happen fairly quickly throughout the rest of 2018 and into mid-2019. That's not actually that far away if you think about it. Before you know it, you could be sending advanced messages to friends and family that own Android phones. In due time, that could also mean that your iPhone friends are the minority and Chat is king. OK, maybe not in the US, but elsewhere in the world that will likely happen.

Allo is really dead?

No, not dead dead. The six people who use it will still get to use it. But like Hangouts, it's doubtful that Google will build out new features for it. I'm sure they will squash bugs and make sure it runs OK, just don't expect Allo to ever be the future of Google's messaging ambitions again. The new features will move into Android Messages, like built-in Google Assistant and better connectivity with Photos or GIFs or Stickers. Android Messages, which is already a really nice SMS app, will keep getting better and better.

Oh, want to see something cool?

Here is Android Messages' web client, which has now been confirmed, thanks to a photo posted by The Verge. Yep, the Android Messages web portal is coming!

And so I think that's it. Your takeaway should be that Google thinks it finally has carriers and phone makers on board to push out RCS Universal Profile which they have dubbed "Chat." As that rolls out through your carrier, you will have advanced messaging and can ditch Allo and Hangouts if you want. It'll be like having iMessage features (better group chat, high-res images, read receipts, etc.) on an Android phone, only it probably still won't play that nicely with iMessage. We'll do our best to let you know when your carrier fires up Chat. // The Verge [2]

LOL at This Awful New Google Feed

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 15:56:33 +0000

Ignore that top photo.

Google frequently likes to test things that involve the Google app, which means everything from search bar launcher locations and stupid text within them to the Feed and the never-ending-suckification of it. Today, Pixel owners are noticing another adjustment to the awfulness that is the Google Feed in what might be the biggest laugher tweak yet. Look at this thing that was posted by a user at reddit.

What in the... It's like a mash-up of all of the worst parts that Google has introduced to the Feed in recent months. You've got a touch of transparency and bubble effect going on, as well as separated topic sections (with big category pill identifiers), a whole bunch of unnecessary padding surrounding each bubble, and a pretty worthless utilization of space in general. This particular screenshot appears to show the Google app confused by the user's wallpaper color, so it's showing white bars across category subsections, rather than transparency. And I say that because the folks at Android Police have similar shots from another user who had this new Feed with a dark background that was rendered properly with transparency around category pills. This one looks especially f*cking ridiculous, though, because of those white bars. I don't even know what else to say. Google destroyed what was once Google Now because it thought we all wanted a glorified news reader curated by our Search habits instead, only it hasn't ever turned this Feed product into a good product that anyone wants to use. Hopefully, none of you ever have to deal with this. My god, Google. // reddit | Android Police

Verizon's Smart Family App Gives You All the Control Over Your Kids' Phones

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 12:50:23 +0000

Starting today, Verizon says that parents now have "access to the most comprehensive mobile parenting tools in the industry" with their new Verizon Smart Family service. Formerly Verizon FamilyBase, this paid-for service gives you control over almost everything on your kids' smartphones. With the Verizon Smart Family app, you'll be able to track the location of your child, control the content they see on the internet and in apps, block social media, messaging and gaming apps, and take back family time by setting limits on usage. You can also see the battery life of their phones, monitor text and call history, and even control the experience whether they are on WiFi or data. For pricing (What, you thought this was free?), you can use Verizon Smart Family for $4.99 per month. That price includes everything I listed above except for location tracking. If you want location tracking as a part of the plan, you'll pay $9.99 per month. For more info, head over to Verizon's Smart Family site. Google Play Link // Verizon

Netflix Brings Previews to Mobile, Coming Soon to Android

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 10:41:42 +0000

The Netflix mobile app is getting previews! Well, the iOS version is getting previews right away and the Android version will "soon." Still, for anyone who has used Netflix over the years and wanted to see clips from a show that looked interesting, we're almost there. If you use Netflix on your TV, you'll know about previews. Netflix introduced them last year as video clips that play as you jump from show to show or movie to movie. Netflix says that these aren't just trailers and are instead "specially designed video synopses" that give you an overview of each. I don't really care, I just know that I love them. On mobile, you'll get see these Netflix previews vertically, so you can keep browsing as they play without having to turn your phone sideways. You can swipe or tap on your screen to get to the next preview too. If you look at the image at the top of this post, you'll see what that new Previews section will look like. We'll let you know when Previews rollout on Android. // Netflix

AT&T is Adding a New Prepaid Option, Upgrading Other Plans, Offering $10 Off for AutoPay

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 09:14:36 +0000

If you are a part of AT&T Prepaid or were considering it, we've got some changes to discuss that will go into effect tomorrow. AT&T will add a new option to its prepaid line, upgrade its best unlimited plan, and offer bigger autopay discounts on select plans. They are also tweaking the prepaid multi-line discount system some. Starting tomorrow, the new AT&T Prepaid plans line-up will look like this:

$35 - 1GB
$45 - 6GB
$50 - 8GB (new)
$65 - Unlimited
$85 - Unlimited

The new $50 plan that will be available starting tomorrow, April 19.

More data, bigger autopay discounts

As for other changes, AT&T is upgrading the amount of high-speed mobile hotspot data on its $85-unlimited plan to 10GB per month, from 6GB. With autopay discounts, AT&T is now offering $10 discounts on the new $50 plan, as well as the $65-unlimited and $85-unlimited plans. So if you sign-up for any of those three upper-tier plans, you could pay $40 (8GB), $55 (unlimited), or $75 (unlimited). Why would you sign-up for the $45-6GB plan then, since it only gets a $5 discount for autopay? I have no idea.

Multi-line changes

If you are already in AT&T Prepaid and receive a multi-line discount, those prices are now changing on some tiers. For the 2nd line, you now get a $10 discount vs. the previous $5 discount. The other change comes in line 4, where the discount has been upped to $20 from $14.

You can sign-up for AT&T Prepaid right here.

Motorola Announces Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play, Starting at $199

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 07:00:51 +0000

Motorola unwrapped the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play today, two phones that should help them continue to fill up the budget arena in a meaningful way. The Moto G line has always been one of the best bets in the $200-$300 range and that probably won't change here. The Moto G6 line features Motorola's 3D glass that we first saw in the Moto X4 last year, big batteries, mid-tier Snapdragon processors, fast charging, and prices that'll have you nodding in approval. The Moto G6 starts are $249, while the Moto G6 Play starts at $199. What's the difference? The Moto G6 is the higher-end of the two with a 5.7" Full HD 18:9 LCD display, up to 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, a dual camera, USB-C port, 3000mAh battery, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor. The Moto G6 Play also sports a 5.7" display, but only at 720p. It's other internals include storage up 32GB and RAM to 3GB, single 13MP shooter, 4000mAh battery, and Snapdragon 427 quad-core processor. You'll find the full Moto G6 specs at a table below. What happened to the Moto G6 Plus that we revealed back in January with its better processor and additional RAM? We don't know. This is all that Motorola has announced today. UPDATE: Motorola is not selling the G6 Plus in the US. Instead, it will arrive in Brazil and Mexico first, followed by Asia Pacific, Europe, and other Latin American countries. Both phones will arrive this Spring in Deep Indigo colorways. The regular Moto G6 will also be available in Black. You'll be able to buy both Moto G6 phones at the Motorola Store.

Moto G6

Moto G6 Play

Moto G6, Moto G6 Play Specs

[table id=126 /]

Motorola Also Announces the Ultra-Budget Moto E5 Plus With 5000mAh Battery

Kellen — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 07:00:47 +0000

In addition to the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play, Motorola also announced the Moto E5 Plus and Moto E5 Play today. These are a tier below the Moto G6 line, but that doesn't mean they won't be great budget choices for those on a...budget. These are going to hit carriers, so Motorola wouldn't reveal pricing to us (we'll update this post as we get it). You should expect them priced below the Moto G6 phones, though, which could mean $100-$200 and a heck of a value. The Moto E5 Plus looks like it belongs in the Moto G6 family and features a 6" HD+ display, 12MP camera, massive 5000mAh battery, 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, and a Snapdragon 435 processor. The Moto E5 Play is almost an entirely different device with removable 2800mAh battery, 8MP rear camera, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, and a Snapdragon 425 or 427. The Moto E5 line will hit the US this spring. You'll be able to buy both from the Motorola Store.

Moto E5 Plus

Moto E5 Play

Moto E5 Plus, Moto E5 Play Specs

[table id=128 /]

DEAL: Get a Nest Thermostat E for Only $109, Save $60

Tim — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 15:38:04 +0000

Woot! is offering new Nest Thermostat E units for just $109.99, down from their usual price of $169.99. That's $60 off on a brand new Nest smart thermostat. If you're unfamiliar with the Thermostat E, it's the less expensive model in Nest's lineup of smart thermostats. It has all of the same functionality as the more expensive units, but comes with a 24-bit color LCD display and a bit more plastic. It also only comes in White, so as long as you think it'll look good on your wall, it's not a bad deal. Before buying, ensure your home is wired for a Nest thermostat. If it is, follow the link below to take advantage of the savings. Woot! Link

Pixel 3 Wishlist: Give Me These Goodies, Google

Kellen — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 14:54:49 +0000

Since the Pixel 2 XL is my iPhone, it makes sense that the phone I'm most looking forward to in 2018 is the Pixel 3, assuming that's what Google calls it. It's not that I think the OnePlus 6 will be bad or the next Essential Phone will still have touch screen issues or the LG G7 won't impress me with its notch, it's just that Google currently makes the phones that do everything I need. I love their cameras, their software, and even their quirky hardware designs. With that in mind, Google has some things to work on from the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Let's run through some of those ideas here in a Pixel 3 wishlist.

1. Let's find a common design.

The original Pixel and Pixel XL were solid phones with few flaws, outside of their iPhone-esque appearances. But one thing that we loved was their identical designs that only differed in sizes. That was due largely to HTC making both, which was great because you either went small or big Pixel and got the same phone with the same specs. With the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google (for reasons they'll probably never confirm) split the hardware up between HTC and LG. While the phones look mostly similar and do indeed have matching specs, they feel more like past Nexus releases made by two companies, rather than a part of Google's cohesive Pixel brand. Their rear textures don't feel the same, the HTC-made Pixel 2 is slightly edgier, and their bezels come from different planets. But even the little things differ, like the placement of their cameras and the flashes or other sensors around them. For the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, we haven't heard much in terms of who is building these, though we're assuming it's the HTC crew that Google paid over $1 billion for. And if that's the case, then that should mean back to the original matchy-matchy combo of design from the Pixel and Pixel XL. I know this may not seem like the most important tweak, but it helps strengthen the brand, in my opinion. I would imagine it would help in manufacturing too, possibly helping eliminate hardware issues, since you've got one group doing the same work over and over again to two devices.

2. Design tweaks are needed too.

I like the two-tone or dual-panel backsides that Google has included in the Pixel lines for the past two years. They are certainly unique in a category of product that is all starting to look far too similar. So let's keep that setup going, but maybe play with more colors this time around. I'm still somewhat surprised that Google hasn't created any other special colors of the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL and sold them in limited fashion through the Google Store. This current design seems so ripe for that. Where Google can improve is through the front designs. As I mentioned above, we first need the same group to build them. Once we establish that, then it we need to work on bezels. Even the Pixel 2 XL, with its somewhat slimmer profile compared to the regular Pixel 2, is a big phone that needs to be re-worked. I know that Google will stand by this design because of the dual speakers it used, but Samsung is a great example of how stereo speakers can work with a slimmer package. The S9 and S9+ speakers are solid and stereo and left room for a big display without extra bulk. And that leads me to size, which kind of relates back to bezels. If you start trimming excess, you get smaller phones that still have big displays. I'm totally fine with the Pixel 2 XL's 6-inch display size, but I'd like it in a smaller overall package. The Pixel 2 XL is a big ass phone. The Galaxy S9 with its 5.8-inch display and the Essential Phone with its 5.7-inch display are both about a full inch shorter than the 2 XL. I think there's room to improve there, Google.

3. The displays have to get better.

You all remember the overblown controversy surrounding the Pixel 2 XL display, right? I'm hoping that Google will learn from that and not buy displays that are setup for press to freak the f*ck out over because they are bored at the end of the year and happen to find pleasure in nitpicking Google products. Yes, we need a better display in the Pixel 2 XL. If that means not buying them from LG, that's fine. Just source the OLED panels from someone who isn't only in their 3rd generation of OLED production and that thought it was OK to ship a panel that had a massive blue shift when tilted sideways. I don't know who Google is going to get them from, just make them good. And keep the color profiles too. What if they include a notch? I don't really care. At this point, we should assume the Pixel 3 will have a notch since that's the hot trend of the year and Google has built notch support into Android P. I just want the display to be good because the anti-notch battle is one I'm not going to win. Sure, I'll complain heavily about it and continue mocking companies for copying Apple, but I'm not about to let a notch deter me what should be an otherwise amazing couple of phones.

4. Please, don't go glass back.

As I mentioned in my Galaxy S9 review to mixed reactions, I'm so over all of the glass that manufacturers continue to slap all over the backs of phones. Please, Google, do not go full-glass backside on the Pixel 3. I don't care if you keep the glass patch up top, just don't stretch it. Glass isn't a premium material. It's fragile, scratches easy, and is quickly gunked-up with fingerprints within 10 seconds of touching it. SKIP. THE. GLASS. On that note, I'd suggest something other than this plasticy coating on the Pixel 2 XL. It has a nice in-hand feel to it that isn't slippery, but my Black & White version is pretty crazily scuffed already and the phone isn't even a year old. The texture used on the regular HTC-made Pixel 2 seems to be holding up much better. And look, I'm fine with a phone that feels somewhat like plastic, as the Pixel 2 and 2 XL do, knowing they have a solid metal frame underneath. Let's just find a coating or material that is more with-standing to daily usage. I mean, Essential sure knocked it out of the park with its titanium and ceramic, why can't Google?

5. Carriers, guys. Carriers.

This one doesn't necessarily affect me, since I'll just buy the phones direct from Google and love life. However, Google needs to get its phones on carriers not named Verizon. And I say that because I want others to be able to enjoy these phones, yet I understand that a lot of people still don't buy phones outside of their wireless carrier. I'd imagine that Verizon will have another exclusive on the Pixel 3, though I hope I'm wrong. I hope I'm wrong for your sake, guy who doesn't read Droid Life to know that you can buy phones at better prices, with financing from people who aren't trying to lock you into a 2-year contract and rob you each month over wireless service that keeps getting worse.

6. Keep doing this with your cameras.

I promise this isn't me telling Google to relax and not improve its cameras, but I want them to stay on this path. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL cameras are the best there are in the US. I say that specifically because the Huawei P20 Pro is probably the current king. However, I'd still take Google's single shooter cameras over Samsung's and LG's and OnePlus' and whoever else has released a phone recently. Google is doing magic with cameras today and so I don't really want them to change much. I don't need a dual camera. I just need what I've already got. Let's not go messing around with camera gimmicks, Google.

7. The rest of the stuff I want--

Keep the fingerprint reader: Please, do not copy Apple. Fingerprint readers are still and will always be better than anyone's garbage facial recognition. Sure, add some fun facial stuff if you want, but leave us the option of a fingerprint reader too.
Let's match industry specs again: This probably doesn't need to be said, but yeah, let's make sure we get the current set of industry specs. That'll mean the Snapdragon 845, as well as a bump in RAM to 6GB, IP68 water and dust resistance, maybe a base of 128GB storage, that sort of thing. Wireless charging isn't a must-have, but I'm sure some would love it in there.
Give me headphones: If you are going to take away the headphone jack and go with a USB-C port, you should include headphones in the box. Just give me some simple USB-C wired buds like HTC does with its phones and I'll be totally happy. I want a dongle too, but this is 2018 and if we're paying close to $1,000 for a phone, I think Google can find a way (like Apple and Samsung do) to slip in their own Pixel headphones.
Keep Active Edge: I didn't think I'd love Active Edge as much as I do, so let's keep that with the Pixel 3. My only request there is to possible expand what it can do or let folks customize its command to something other than Google Assistant. I will continue on with it as Assistant, but we've heard the cries for change from others. Let's give that to them.

So those are the changes I'd like to see in the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, what do you want to see?

BLU Vivo XL3 Seems Like a No-Brainer at $129

Tim — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 13:40:11 +0000

Recently released for sale through Amazon, the Vivo XL3 from BLU could be a no-brainer for those who appreciate the less expensive alternatives to Android flagship devices. Priced at $129, the Vivo XL3 features a few things you hear about on top-tier smartphones, but of course, it lacks many others. For specs, the Vivo XL3 features a 5.5" HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. On the back you have a 13-megapixel camera and fingerprint reader, plus another 13MP camera sensor on the front. Internally, there is a quad-core MediaTek processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage (supports expandable storage), 3,000mAh battery, but maybe most importantly, it comes running Android 8.0 Oreo. This is a highlight because given BLU's history with regards to major OS upgrades, you'd want to be running what's close to the latest version of Android possible in case you don't see many updates after purchase. I've had a Vivo XL3 in-house for about a week now, and I must say, the hardware is pretty legit. My biggest concerns are the lack of a USB-C port (definitely a result of BLU's need to keep the price down), plus the haptic motor inside of the device feels incredibly cheap. However, for being $129, the camera is actually pretty good. The auto focus is very fast and it even has a Slow Motion video capture feature. Did I mention this Silver color, too? In the right light, it lets off a Blue-ish look, which is quite nice. If you're looking to not spend too much on an Android device, the Vivo XL3 is available on Amazon for $129. Amazon Link

The Room: Old Sins Released Early, Available on Google Play for $5

Tim — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 12:35:17 +0000

The latest addition to The Room series, The Room: Old Sins, is available one day early for Android. Priced at $4.99, Old Sins features what the game's developers call the Ultimate Puzzle Box. Simply, it's a "deviously" complex dollhouse that transforms into portals that opens new environments within the game. Within these environments, you'll find countless puzzles to drive you mad. Coupled with cloud saves and what I hear is a fantastic soundtrack, this should be one of the best titles in The Room series. Out of nearly the 300 reviews it has garnered so far on Google Play, it has a nearly perfect 5 star rating, so that's saying something. Go get it! Google Play Link ($4.99) Cheers Craig!

Poll: Which Android Launcher are You Using?

Kellen — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 11:36:06 +0000

A reader asked us earlier today if we could run a poll or question on which Android launchers you are all using these days, so let's do that. After looking back, this is a more-than-overdue topic that hasn't been asked since 2014 or something. Yikes! Things have changed some since then, but for the most part we still have many of the same players. Nova Launcher is probably the king, Action Launcher is regularly updated with new features, and you have other major players like GO and Evie Launcher with big install numbers. But you also have sideloadable launchers that mimic the Pixel Launcher experience, plus a general overall improvement of many stock launchers. So tell us, which Android launcher are you using today? Feel free to tell us which one and why in the comments too. [poll id="480"]

T-Mobile's New ONE Military Plan Saves Service Members 50% on Family Plans

Tim — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 10:31:12 +0000

Starting April 22, T-Mobile will be offering military members a T-Mobile ONE Military deal, which includes all the features of an unlimited family plan at 50% off. Specifically, the first line in the family plan will cost $55/month (usual price), but every line afterwards added to the plan will be priced at 50% off. That means line 2 will cost $25/month, followed by line 3 through 6 at $10/month. All of these prices include the Auto Pay discount, plus taxes and fees included. Not only can service members get discounted rates on a family plan, but T-Mobile also says you can get the latest Samsung flagship devices at 50% off by way of monthly bill credits when you activate a T-Mobile ONE Military plan. As a reminder, T-Mobile's ONE plans come with unlimited talk, text, and data, unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada (plus up to 5GB of data), free Gogo in-flight texting and one hour of free data, an allotment of free mobile hotspot data, and the Netflix On Us promotion. It's quite the package for any family. If you're okay with verifying your military status, which T-Mobile says should take only 10 minutes, then be on the lookout for this new ONE Military plan starting April 22. // T-Mobile Cheers Roy!

Chrome 66 Stable Rolling Out, Blocks Auto-Playing Videos and More

Tim — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 09:33:34 +0000

The stable version of Chrome is picking up an update to version 66, specifically 66.0.3359.106. Inside, the only thing Google lists is the ability to find your stored passwords more easily, but thanks to the digging of others through Chromium, as well as changes we've noted from the Chrome 66 Beta, we know there is a bit more to Chrome 66. The most major change is to the auto-play functionality for videos. With the update, you should no longer experience any auto-playing videos, which should include advertisements. Up to this point, whenever a video would start playing automatically, Chrome utilized resources that should now remain reserved until you decide to watch media. Another change is something that was present in the beta, being the removal of Chrome Home and its replacement with Chrome Home Duplex. Duplex is a split bar system where the Chrome navigation bar sits up top, but the bottom of the browser features a new bar that can be swiped up to access history and your most-visited sites. Google also included a tool for exporting your saved passwords into an CSV file. To do this, head into Advanced > Passwords and forms > Manage passwords > Saved Passwords menu. Once there, you'll need to input your computer's password, then you can download your passwords and input them wherever you would like. Go grab that Chrome update. Google Play Link // Chrome | Chromium

DEAL: Samsung Store Drops Galaxy S9 Carrier Prices to Match Unlocked, Slashes $200 More Off AT&T

Kellen — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 08:33:50 +0000

When the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ were first introduced, we praised Samsung heavily for their pricing on the US unlocked models. We certainly didn't expect one to be cheaper (S9, $719.99) than last year's and the other only slightly more expensive (S9+, $839.99), given the upgrades. But as happy as we were about the unlocked pricing, we wanted to slap most of the carriers for jacking up the prices on theirs. Verizon, for example, wants $80 more for their Galaxy S9 and $90 more for their S9+. AT&T's prices are similar to that. Today, Samsung has fixed that on their end by dropping all of the carrier prices through their own store to match the unlocked models. A better way to put that would be: you just got the best reason to never buy from the carriers ever again and just go direct to the Samsung Store. They not only have matched pricing (S9 for $719.99, S9+ for $839.99), they offer financing too. Additionally, they are running a deal on the AT&T models with an extra $150 off the Galaxy S9 and $200 off the Galaxy S9+. That gets you into a regular S9 on AT&T for $569.99 or S9+ for $639.99. Oh, and if you buy now, they are giving away the new Dex Pad as a bonus. Plus, if you have a phone to trade, you can get up to $300 off instantly. Here's our Galaxy S9, S9+ review too.

Samsung Store Link

Returner 77 for Android Plays Awesome and Looks Amazing

Tim — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 14:57:34 +0000

Humanity is in trouble and it's up to you, Returner 77, to save it. Recently published to Google Play, Returner 77 is a sci-fi mystery puzzle game, tasking you with solving complex puzzles aboard an alien spaceship. To sum up the current crisis, humans sent a number of survivors into space in a state of cryosleep. Unfortunately, it appears only you and one other Returner is alive, while Earth has been rendered uninhabitable. To start the game, you attempt to meet with your fellow Returner, Colonel T. Ling. Once aboard this alien spaceship, the puzzles begin. The first few are very easy as you gain entry to the ship, with the game helping you understand the controls for movement and puzzle manipulation. After that, though, you're on your own and from my play experience, the puzzles get very complex. While I know many of you enjoy puzzle games, such as The Room series, I want to draw your attention to the game's graphics and audio. Right at the beginning of booting the game, the developers suggest you wear headphones for getting more immersed in the experience, which I also recommend. Additionally, if you have a phone with a high-resolution display, ensure that it's cranked up. The game looks and feels amazing, so do everything in your power to allocate the resources to this application. I don't want to spoil too much of the experience for anyone, so go download it from Google Play, then share your thoughts below. And remember, take note of your surroundings from time to time. It's a gorgeous game to look at. Google Play Link ($4.99)

Android Manufacturers Agree With Apple, the iPhone X is the Future

Kellen — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 12:48:55 +0000

Covering Android since 2009 has allowed me to see all of the highs and lows of this platform. We were there during the early battles with Apple fans, the ones who considered Android nothing but a cheap knock-off of the product they had begun to cultishly, blindly follow. We were there as Android manufacturers were all cashing in on the Android boom as its adoption spread globally to help it quickly become number 1. We saw innovation at a breakneck pace that left us giggling at Apple seemingly left behind in tech trends and feature parity. Of course, those were highs. For lows, we have had Android tablet flopfests, regularly scheduled security vulnerability scare reports, and never-ending frustrations over timely software updates. It's also impossibly hard not to look at the current smartphone landscape and realize that few of the original power players are having any success in Android. Samsung and Huawei are, OnePlus might be on a smaller level, and almost everyone else is either losing money, laying off folks, being acquired, or refusing to tell us how many phones they've actually sold. I actually think that those constant struggles by so many have led us to the next notch (😉) in Android history that could be a high or low depending on how you take it. It will surely annoy fans like me, but that's mostly from a pride standpoint than anything. I'm talking about the fact that Android manufacturers have admitted that Apple was right: the iPhone X is the future of smartphones.

Now look, we've talked plenty about the iPhone X's display notch and that Android manufacturers are lining up to copy the look. We know that Google has baked notch support in Android P already. We know that the LG G7, OnePlus 6, ASUS ZenSomething phone, and recent Huawei releases all have notches. Motorola is likely working on phones with notches. No one should be surprised if Google is too. And Samsung. It's the trend of the moment. Outside of Essential's take on it, it's pretty obvious that the industry thinks Apple's version is what people want. We're not just talking about the notch, though. If you look at the iPhone X's overall design, with glass back, vertically placed camera housing, and notch, we're seeing companies unapologetically mimic Apple. Huawei's P20 and P20 Pro, as well as ASUS' ZenFruit Phone, are the perfect examples, but you'd struggle to argue with me that the OnePlus 6 and LG G7 backs we've seen don't give you an Apple vibe too. Unfortunately, as OnePlus confessed, companies can copy most of what Apple did with the iPhone X, but won't take it all the way because of cost and engineering difficulties involving the bottom chin area. Take into account that Samsung even took on Apple's Animoji, which were first introduced alongside the iPhone X. Samsung's version sucks, but the power of Apple is so evident there. Companies are also talking more and more about facial recognition, thanks to the iPhone X, even though no one will (again) go as far as Apple did with the variety of sensors and the (likely) cost involved.

And in the most recent addition to the iPhone X copycatting, we're seeing the evolution of Android navigation is turning to gestures. OnePlus was one of the first out of the gate with their own implementation of this (Motorola is doing it too), but Android P is going to get it natively. That means the future of Android from Android P and beyond will involve the slow removal of traditional Home, Back, and App Switcher buttons in favor of an experience similar to that of the iPhone X. The gestures in Android P, according to 9to5Google, will involve a pill-shaped home button that can still be tapped to head home. The gesture part will arrive through a swipe up on that button to bring up the app switcher experience, which Google has apparently changed to look very similarly to Apple's horizontal, full-page card layout. We'll still have a back button, thankfully, though it won't be present at all times. I'm sure I could keep going, but what I'm getting at here is that Apple wins this round. They do. We've had plenty of time to mock them over the years as they've picked Android feature after feature to sell as their own, but with the iPhone X, they showed the world that Apple is still fully capable and that everyone should keep paying attention. While it frustrates me to see all of these Android manufacturers just fall in line behind them, I also understand why they might want to. Companies aren't selling phones like they once were. They tried to differentiate with modular devices and poured baskets of cash into awful software experiences and their own unique gimmicks. Most of that failed. It cost some of them dearly. Maybe they should copy the guy who can't help but stack the bank with billions. And even as the jury may still be out on whether or not the iPhone X has been a smashing success, it's already proven to be a winner in the competitive landscape. I'd imagine Apple knows this. In fact, I'd be shocked if they don't make a special shoutout at their next big phone event to all of their industry colleagues on one of those obnoxious slides where they used to poke fun at Android adoption rates. Hey, good job, Apple.

Eufy's EverCam is a Wire-Free FHD Security Camera With Year-Long Battery Life

Tim — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 11:32:37 +0000

The Eufy EverCam is up on Kickstarter, already bringing in nearly three quarters of a million dollars, well over its set goal of $50,000. If you don't know about Eufy, it's a subset of Anker, a brand all Android owners should know because they make fantastic charging accessories and much more. I mention this because I'm not typically a fan of random companies on Kickstarter, but I know Anker and I trust they will actually launch this product. As for EverCam, it's a completely wireless security camera, capable of recording Full HD video, complete with motion detection and facial recognition software. It also sports plenty of water resistance making it ideal for outdoor settings, and when compared to offerings from Nest or others, it has zero monthly price attached to it.

Thanks to its design, which centers around magnets, the installation looks to be a breeze. You can attach the magnetic dock anywhere you'd like via screws, then place EverCam on it or stick EverCam to essentially anything metallic and magnetic. Because it's completely wire-free, this really opens up the places where you can install it. You would think because it operates on WiFi and is wireless that you'd have to charge the thing once every couple of months or so. Apparently, that's not the case. According to Eufy, EverCam will last 365 days on a single charge, which when compared to other brands, sounds lovely. For pricing, the cheapest you can get EverCam is for $219. That includes a single camera and the necessary HomeBase. You also get a microSD card, cables, plus all of the other things you need to get it mounted and setup. When launched, EverCam will carry a retail price of $329, so if you're interested, you may want to get on that. While I suggest you check out the official product video on the Kickstarter page, there is also a very rudimentary video on YouTube, too. The quality isn't great, but it's more real than a fancily edited video on Kickstarter. Kickstarter Link

Mobvoi Announces TicPods Free Wireless Buds With Google Assistant, Early Bird Pricing at $59

Kellen — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 10:01:37 +0000

Mobvoi is a company you may not have heard a lot about at this point, but it's one that you should probably start paying attention to if a fan of affordable tech that typically plays well with Android. For one, they make two of the better Wear OS watches in the TicWatch E and S. They also make one of the first portable Google Assistant speakers. Today, they are expanding their line-up with an AirPods-inspired product called TicPods Free. The TicPods Free are now up for pre-order on Indiegogo and you should probably jump on these if you've ever wanted an AirPods alternative for Android. I say that because they have early bird pricing at $59, which is down from the $129 price point they plan to sell them at after this Indiegogo pre-order is done. NOTE: Once the $59 price is gone (and it will be any minute now), there is another early bird tier at $79, followed by a $99 tier. What are the TicPods Free? Let's run through some of the features.

Assistants: Mobvoi claims that they'll work on Android and iOS, as well as with Google Assistant, Siri, and Amazon Alexa. How they are going to pull that off is beyond me, but that's the pitch.
AirPods Style: Yes, they look similar to AirPods in that they are separated wireless earbuds, but they do come in three colors - red, white, and blue.
Charging and Battery Life: They fast charge within a case that provides up to 18 hours of battery life. Out of the case, Mobvoi claims that they should last for up to 4 hours of use.
Audio Stuff: For audio bits, the TicPods Free have automatic in-ear detection, call audio in both ears, some form of noise cancellation, and a 95 dB SPL speaker.
Touch Panel: The ear buds feature a touch panel on their sides, so you can swipe around to navigate your music, answer/end calls, and long-press to activate a voice assistant.
Water Resistance: They are IPX5 rated, so that means rain and sweat resistant.
Bluetooth 4.2: Yep, they connect over Bluetooth.

Again, these launch in pre-order on Indiegogo today with early bird pricing as low as $59. Mobvoi is targeting July 2018 for shipping.

Indiegogo Link

The market's top-rated VPN is 75% off [Sponsored]

Sponsor — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 09:56:43 +0000

This sponsored post was written by StackCommerce.

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This is the Last Unofficial LG G7 ThinQ Render We're Posting

Tim — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 08:50:05 +0000

All the rumors, reports, leaks, and speculations have led to this... Another LG G7 ThinQ render, this time courtesy of @evleaks. What separates this render from others we have already seen is obviously its quality. This is clearly our best look yet at LG's upcoming flagship, and because it's so good, this will likely be the last unofficial render we post until LG makes the device official on May 2. From this image, we get a very good sense at how large the bezels at the bottom and top of the device are, along with the top display notch. Unfortunately, we can't see the backside (we're expecting to see a fingerprint reader and dual camera setup), but maybe more importantly, we also can't see the left side of the device where it's reported LG is placing a dedicated ThinQ AI button (like Samsung's Bixby button on the Galaxy S lineup). Still, as I mentioned, this is our best look at the G7 ThinQ yet and if we continue to post up every render we come across, we won't be very surprised by anything when LG hosts its unveiling event on May 2. What's your final take on the G7 ThinQ ahead of LG's event? Are you feeling it yet? Definitely not feeling it? We need to know. https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/986032573318037510

Verizon Slashes $300 Off Galaxy S9+, Note 8 (No Trade-In Needed)

Kellen — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 08:01:29 +0000

As I just mentioned, Verizon is running a heck of a deal right now on the Pixel 2 XL that gets you not only $300 off, but a free Google bundle too, one that includes YouTube TV, a Chromecast, and a Google Home Mini. If you aren't interested in Google's phone from last year, that's OK, because Verizon is also dropping $300 off the Galaxy S9+ and Galaxy Note 8, or $200 off the regular S9. The deal for the S9+, S9, and Note 8 is the same as the Pixel 2 XL deal in that Verizon is locking you in for 2 years if you take it. They are spreading the $300-off and $200-off over a 24-month device payment plan, which should reduce your monthly payment to a more reasonable amount. And that's it. This is a limited run deal and no trade-in is required. Verizon Links:

Samsung Galaxy S9+ ($300 off)
Samsung Galaxy S9 ($200 off)
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 ($300 off)
Google Pixel 2 XL ($300 off)

DEAL: Pixel 2 XL is $300 Off at Verizon, Includes Free Google Bundle Still

Kellen — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 07:54:08 +0000

Verizon kicked off another solid deal this morning on its top Android phones that will land you $300 off (no trade-in required). The Pixel 2 XL happens to have the best of the deals, though, thanks to that free Google bundle that is still included. With this Pixel 2 XL deal, you get a $300-off discount that is spread out over a 24-month device payment plan. I know, these deals are obnoxious, but that's the game that carriers are playing these days to sign you up for 2 years. If anything, at least you are getting a cheaper monthly payment on a top tier phone. The 64GB Pixel 2 XL would drop to around $22/mo and the 128GB model would be around $27/mo. In addition to that $300 off deal, Verizon and Google are tossing in 2 free months of YouTube TV, a free Chromecast, and a free Google Home Mini. Do some quick math there and you are looking at $165 in free Google goodies. Both deals are only available for a limited time. Verizon Links:

Google Pixel 2 XL

Cheers Ken and VerizonGuy2018!

DEAL: Chromecast is Just $25 Right Now at Target

Kellen — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 15:52:23 +0000

Google's 2nd generation Chromecast is discounted almost everywhere right now, but Target has the best price. While most have this HDMI dongle at $5 off, Target is a full $10 off. Keep in mind that if you have it shipped, that extra savings will be wiped by shipping, unless you buy other goodies to get you over $35. Or, you could buy it online at $25 and pick it up in-store, which wouldn't cost anything extra. Get after it. Target Deal Link

US Government Crushes ZTE With Ban on US Companies Providing It Components

Kellen — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:48:36 +0000

The US government's assault in Chinese electronics makers continued today with news that the US had slapped ZTE with a 7-year ban for violating an agreement between the two. That ban stops US companies from supplying ZTE with components, which could be devastating to a company that possibly gets between 25 and 30% of its parts from the US. The agreement that was violated stemmed from ZTE's attempt at conspiring to illegally ship US goods to Iran a few years back, which it had already paid heavy fines from. A report today from Bloomberg suggests that the violation comes from ZTE agreeing to fire four employees, while disciplining others as well as taking away their bonuses. ZTE apparently did fire the four workers, but did not discipline the others and still gave them bonuses. ZTE may have lied about all of that too, which is what pissed off the US government. So what does this mean for ZTE? Well, companies like Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Intel all supply ZTE with components. Without those, I'd imagine life might be tough on ZTE unless they can find replacements. But come on, we're talking about three of the biggest tech companies in the world that you can no longer buy products from. That's going to hurt. This news arrives on the heels of the US government recommending that US consumers avoid buying products from both ZTE and Huawei. So not only has ZTE's reputation been hit in the US, it can't use the US to build its devices any longer. // Bloomberg

Android Distribution Numbers Updated for the First Time in 2 Months

Kellen — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:35:02 +0000

Today, after more than two months, Google has updated the Android distribution numbers that show the percentages for each version of Android still alive in the ecosystem. We aren't sure why there was this gap, but we are at least happy to report that Oreo's adoption has had a massive jump since then. Massive, guys. For April, Google shows that Oreo (both 8.0 and 8.1 combined) have reached 4.6% of the Android pie, which is up from the 1.1% back in February. See, massive. For other versions, we've got Nougat at 30.8%, Marshmallow at 26.0%, Lollipop at 22.9%, KitKat at 10.5%, Jelly Bean at 4.5%, Ice Cream Sandwich at 0.4%, and Gingerbread still hanging on at 0.3%. Outside of Oreo on the rise, Nougat is the only other version that jumped up (Nougat was at 28.5% in February). All of the other versions saw their percentages drop or stay the same. You can see February's numbers right here.

// Android Developers

OnePlus Pushes Stable Android 8.1 Update to 5 and 5T, Stable Navigation Gestures Too

Kellen — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:11:05 +0000

OnePlus is pushing a stable update of OxygenOS 5.1.0 today to the OnePlus 5 and 5T that brings each phone up to Android 8.1. The update includes full-screen gesture support on the 5T as well, similar to those seen on the iPhone X. For those on the OnePlus stable track, the update will roll out incrementally over the coming days, so don't be surprised if you don't see it right away. Your best bet is to keep checking each morning to see if your phone has made the cut. Head into Settings>System updates to check. Previously, we saw OnePlus beta testing Android 8.1 on both phones back in March. We also saw navigation gestures hit the 5T in January. If you want to see how those work, watch the video below. The update includes the April security patch, new optimizations in gaming mode, a network boost, category tags in the app drawer, and auto names for folders based on category. It's a decent little update. // OnePlus

Razer Pushing Android 8.1 Update to Razer Phone Owners

Tim — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:03:31 +0000

Announced this morning, Razer is now pushing out the Android 8.1 update to owners of the Razer Phone. For what's new, Razer doesn't appear to provide a specific changelog, but does link everyone to Google's overall 8.1 changelog. That includes changes for Autofill, notification enhancements, and more. We've written and filmed the changes in Android 8.1, so feel free to check that out. Since Razer skipped Android 8.0 and went straight to 8.1, here is a solid list of changes for 8.0 in case you're curious. According to Razer, all owners should have the update within 10 days, since they're utilizing a gradual rollout method. Leave it to the newcomers to show these major Android OEMs how it's done. https://twitter.com/Razer/status/985910700752039936

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Arrives This Summer, Features 5.8" 4K HDR Display and Dual Cameras

Tim — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 09:09:58 +0000

Sony announced the Xperia XZ2 lineup at MWC in February, with pre-orders going live last week. On the heels of that, another Xperia XZ2 device has been announced, the Xperia XZ2 Premium. Fittingly, given the Premium moniker, the device features a solid list of specs, as well as a similar design to the other Xperia XZ2 devices. It features a 5.8" 4K HDR display (2160 x 3840) with a healthy amount of bezels, Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, stereo speakers, dual rear-facing cameras (19MP Motion Eye RGB + 12MP B&W), 13MP front-facing camera, 3540mAh battery, headphone jack, water and dust resistance, wireless charging, and runs Android Oreo out of the box. In the press release, Sony highlights the 4K HDR TRILUMINOS display and dual camera setup on the backside. For the 4K HDR display, Sony states it has 765 pixels per inch, while using BRAVIA TV technology to up-convert everything to near-HDR quality. That means better contrast, color, and clarity when watching your media. For the cameras, Sony appears to have spared no expense. Capable of shooting video in 4K HDR as well as 960FPS in HD or FHD, the 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera comes with an AUBE fusion image signal processor and BIONZ for image-processing. It also features Predictive Hybrid Autofocus, 5-axis stabilization, plus x8 digital zoom. Needless to say, it should be able to snap some really good photos. For more info on the camera, check out Sony's latest video below that highlights it all. We don't yet have specific availability information or pricing, but Sony says the XZ2 Premium will launch globally this summer. // Sony

DEAL: Amazon Warehouse Drops 20% Off Items This Week, Like a Note 8 for $550

Kellen — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 08:04:08 +0000

To celebrate Earth Week, Amazon is dropping an additional 20% off a bunch of items from its Amazon Warehouse site, where they sell used products (probably items that were returned). Since these are used items, they already carry low prices, but at an extra 20% off you can really get some incredible deals. I spent all of 5 minute searching for products on Warehouse and found the US unlocked Galaxy Note 8 for $550.22, US unlocked Galaxy S8+ for $452.94, Essential Phone for $271.99, LG OLED 4K TVs at $400+ off, Chromebooks with discounts, etc. How does Amazon Warehouse work? These are used items that pass a 20-point Amazon inspection, are backed by Amazon's 30-day return policy, and should have their condition listed. They may not ship to you in a retail box, but Amazon suggests the products will be solid. Prime shipping works on them, plus many are still backed by manufacturer warranties. Hit up that link below and search for something you've been hunting for to see if it's available on Warehouse and with the 20% off. (20% off will be marked and shown in cart.) Amazon Warehouse Deals [FAQ] Other Deals:

Galaxy Note 8 ($550.22)
Galaxy S8+ ($452.94)
Essential Phone ($271.99)

DEAL: Essential Drops to $399, Lowest Price Since Black Friday

Kellen — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 07:34:21 +0000

Guys, the Essential Phone has dropped once again to $399.99. That's $100 off and its lowest price since that crazy Black Friday deal we freaked out over. While this doesn't include a free 360 Camera, this is still a hell of a deal. At $399.99, you can choose either Black Moon, Pure White, or Halo Grey. ~~The Amazon exclusive Halo Grey is still $499.99~~. Is this worth it now? Honestly, I think so. As you guys know, I'm somewhat of an Essential Phone fanboy, flaws and all. I've actually been using the white model for the past week and really like it still. Sure, it has touch sensitivity issues compared to the Pixel 2 and it's camera isn't ever going to be as good as the Galaxy S9's, but man, this hardware is great and the regular updates, as well as the clean Android experience, are something you don't see often. Yeah, I'd say $399 makes it worth it. If you need more info, watch this, read this, and this.

Essential Phone Deal Links:

Amazon Link
Best Buy Link

Weekly Recap: Essential Already Getting Us Hyped for Sequel

Tim — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 16:00:26 +0000

If you happened to miss any of the Android happenings this week, you done goofed up. Don't worry, though, that's why we're here! Let's catch you right up! Sony's new Xperia XZ2 lineup is now up for pre-order in the US, we basically reviewed the Nest Hello video doorbell and Nest x Yale smart lock, learned the LG G7 ThinQ will be announced May 2, Essential said they're going to "do it better" with regard to their next smartphone camera, and Google gave us an indication that Android P might be all about the gestures. Here are thing items from this week you don't want to miss.

Watch: Droid Life Show - Episode 170 [Subscribe]
Android P: Google might've slipped and shown off Android P's new nav bar and gestures.
Video: Peel vs. MNML cases.
Nest: We're really liking the Nest Hello and Next x Yale lock.
It's our belief that the Essential 2 could easily be Phone of the Year.
Essential says they're gonna "do it better" next time around.
Android Auto Wireless now live for supported head units and Nexus, Pixel devices.
Sony: Xperia XZ2, XZ2 Compact now up for pre-order in the US.
G7 ThinQ: May 2 is LG G7 ThinQ day!
And here's another look at the G7 ThinQ.
IKEA's smart lighting system now works with Google Assistant.
Ring: Ring's video doorbell gets new everyday price of $99.
LG is apparently taking software updates seriously now.
This really isn't Google's next Android-powered dongle, is it?
We'll soon see a major Gmail redesign.
Merger: T-Mobile and Sprint are talking mergers again.
RIP: Google no longer selling OG Pixel and Pixel XL.

Have a great weekend, folks!

DEAL: Anker's PowerWave Fast Wireless Charger With Quick Charge 3.0 Adapter is $14 Off

Kellen — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 15:11:15 +0000

Anker sells a PowerWave fast wireless charger on Amazon that is powered by a Quick Charge 3.0 adapter for even faster charges when wired directly. That means you can use the wireless charging pad to get that wireless action (fast with Samsung phones), but if you need to top off even quicker, you can plug directly into the QC 3.0 adapter to get faster speeds. For the next couple of days, this charger has dropped from $45.99 to $31.99, which is a pretty good deal. For comparison, the newest Samsung fast wireless charging stand with quick charger runs $50 after a $20 discount. No code is needed for the discount and Prime shipping is available. Amazon Deal Link

Did Google Just Out Android P's Revamped Navigation Bar With Gesture Support?

Kellen — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:37:53 +0000

Google posted to the Android Developers Blog today a story about DNS over TLS support in Android P. It's a fun story, if care about things like a built-in Private DNS mode. If you don't, then you may be interested in another part of this story - the screenshot that was initially shared. Anything seem different to you in the image above or below? Yep, that's a new navigation bar setup. Google has since pulled the screenshot and replaced it with an image that lacks a navigation bar, likely because they realized that they outed something early.

We don't know exactly what's going on here, but that area in this screenshot shows a back button, along with a single pill-shaped icon. That could be a home button and it could also be a button that utilizes gestures. If it's a gesture-based system, I'm envisioning a tap to go home or a swipe to get into or out of apps. Maybe Google has something else planned? Either way, there is no longer an app switcher button displayed on the right, something that has been there for years. And we know that Android OEMs are adopting gesture systems. Motorola imagery we revealed shows something similar, plus OnePlus is definitely going with gestures in the OnePlus 6 (this is how they work). Maybe this is Google realizing that they need to adjust the navigation system on Android to meet trends, just like they appear to be doing with notch support. What do you guys think? // Android Developers

Podcast: Essential 2, Phone of the Year

Kellen — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:17:42 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we're back to discuss the latest in Android rumors surrounding upcoming devices like the Pixel 3, OnePlus 6, and LG G7 ThinQ. We've got dates for some of their unveilings, confirmed specs on others, and pure mystery surrounding Google's next phone. Outside of those phone round-ups, we'll dive into life with Nest products, why Samsung fans are OK with slow updates, and what to make of Essential admitting that their camera is garbage. To end the show, we'll do trivia once again, this time with prizes provided by iFixit! We’ll open the show at 12:00PM Pacific (3:00PM Eastern). If you miss us live and/or want the audio version of our podcast, you can subscribe through the various links below.

Android Auto Wireless Gets Enabled for Pixel, Nexus Devices in Latest Update

Tim — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 09:23:45 +0000

Should you be the owner of a compatible head unit and Android device, you can now utilize Android Auto wirelessly inside of your vehicle. To get Android Auto Wireless working properly, you will need a head unit that features WiFi connectivity. If you need specifics, check out Kenwood or JVC's latest offerings that were debuted at CES. Once you have that set up, you will need either a Pixel or Nexus device and the Android Auto v3.1 update. That is the update that enables this functionality. Once you have all of the components, connect your smartphone to the head unit via a USB cable, then sync the devices. Once WiFi has been established, you can unplug the USB cable, then control your head unit using voice commands or wirelessly from your smartphone. If you use anything besides a Nexus or Pixel phone, I wouldn't hold my breath for Android Auto Wireless support. As noted by Android Police who has word from an Android Auto team member, "For non-Google devices, we are actively working with phone manufacturers on adding software compatibility and hope to share more updates soon." Enjoy, Android Auto people. Google Play Link // Android Police

Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact Now Up for Pre-Order in US

Kellen — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 08:02:07 +0000

Sony has struggled in the US smartphone market for years due to a number of factors. Their lack of a carrier partner, stale design language, and often delayed releases haven't helped get their phones back on the map. This year, that has changed some with the release of the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, two phones that up the design game for the first time in years and arrive before we've all forgotten about them. The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact are now up for pre-order in the US at Best Buy, with arrival scheduled for next Friday, April 20. Best Buy has all of the colors you might want too, including the tasty greens, pinks, and silvers, as well as black. For pricing, these phones certainly aren't cheap, but they are mostly packed full of the most current specs. The XZ2 runs $799.99, while the XZ2 Compact will cost you $649.99. These phones will work perfectly one AT&T and T-Mobile, but neither is listed as working on Sprint or Verizon. We were told that the XZ2 Compact would be certified for Verizon use, though. UPDATE: Verizon has the XZ2 Compact listed on its Open Development site as being certified. If you do pick one up, it should work just fine. Any takers? We'll certainly get our hands on both to give Sony a good spin for the first time in years. We are actually pretty excited about it too.

Best Buy Links:

Sony Xperia XZ2 ($799.99)
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact ($649.99)

T-Mobile Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Receive April Security Patch

Tim — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:39:36 +0000

T-Mobile is shipping out the April security patch to owners of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Following the update, the Galaxy S7 will run build number G930TUVS4BRC1, while the S7 Edge will show G935TUVS4BRC1. Also listed are "various bug fixes," but no there are no specifics. As owners will already know, these devices have yet to receive Oreo, but fingers crossed for all of you that it's coming soon. // T-Mobile [2]

Android P's Navigation Bar Rotation Suggestion Button is a Sneaky Good Feature

Kellen — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 14:32:58 +0000

Android P has introduced quite a few changes over Android Oreo that have been fun to play with these past few weeks. We detailed most of them here, but one that we haven't talked much about yet is the new rotation suggestion button in the navigation bar. This is one of those sneaky good features that I probably won't be able to live without going forward. Google actually laid out quite a bit of information about the new rotation behaviors in the Android P documentation (here too). They talk about these being "significant" changes to how your phone rotates and what the auto rotate lock button does. For one, portrait mode is now called rotation lock, because Android P offers up rotation suggestions via button in the navigation bar. In other words, you turn off auto rotate to enable rotation lock, but rotation suggestions will now let you flip the orientation and keep it locked there. That may sound somewhat confusing, so to explain that, look at that GIF below.

See that magic? When you have auto rotate turned off, your phone's rotation is locked, probably to portrait mode at first. However, as you rotate your phone within an app, you'll get a rotation suggestion in the navigation bar that allows you to flip the rotation. If you tap the button, it then flips the orientation and locks it to that until you rotate back and tap that suggestion button again. It's slick as hell! I'm the type of person that never leaves auto rotate on, because few things drive me more insane that a subtle shift sideways from upright and your phone deciding it should flip to landscape mode. Still, there are times that I do want to go landscape (like in YouTube or watching a video on Twitter or something), but the current process to get me out of rotation lock and back to rotating is by pulling down the notification area and turning auto rotate back on. That's a pain! With this new rotation suggestion, I can always leave my phone with rotation lock on, yet still quickly flip from portrait to landscape without ever leaving the app I'm currently in or reaching for the notification shade. Ahhh Android P, you've got some nice tricks up your sleeves.

Google's Beat Blender Uses Machine Learning to Help You With Your 🔥 Demo Tape

Tim — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:50:42 +0000

There is no shortage of drum machine software available for download to your Windows or Mac machine, but what if I told you there was a new tool right on the web that utilizes machine learning and AI to help you discover beats you may have never thought of? Called Beat Blender, a project for Experiments from Google, users are opened to a whole world of new beats. Thanks to the ability to set not just the tempo, but actual style-specific accents, you can come across some pretty sweet loops with a bit of experimentation. The whole UI is pretty easy to master. Each of the four corners represents a single and unique drum beat. Using machine learning, each square within the larger square is a mixture of the four corners. Now, each corner can be customized to different presets such as Rock, Break, Half Beat, Bossa, and Samba. When you customize each of the four corners, then let the machine learning fill in the blanks within the larger square, you're met with whole mess of interesting sounds. You can hear all of the different beats by either clicking on single boxes or drawing across the square. If you're digging a few of the beats you come across, you can export the beat via midi out to any music-making software you have on your computer. Now, go make some music! Beat Blender

IKEA TRÅDFRI Smart Lighting Now Works With Google Assistant

Kellen — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 11:29:06 +0000

IKEA TRÅDFRI smart lighting, an affordable IKEA-backed lighting option that compares to Philips Hue, now works with Google Assistant and Google Home. This might shock you, but Assistant integration was missing up until today, while Siri and Amazon Alexa were there from early on. To get setup, you'll open up the TRÅDFRI app, head into its settings, find "integrations," and then choose Google Assistant. Once that is complete, you'll head into the Google Home app, open the side menu and choose Home Control, then hit the blue "+" button to add a new device, scroll until you find "TRÅDFRI - IKEA smart lighting," and tap it. It'll then walk you through the steps you need to finish off the connection. With that connection made, you'll be able say, "Hey Google, turn on my bedroom lights," through your phone or Google Home units. You can buy IKEA TRÅDFRI lights right here. Also, if you own Philips Hue products, IKEA recently updated TRÅDFRI to work with your Hue bridge too. Google Play Link

ESPN App Gets Big Update as ESPN+ Streaming Service Goes Live With Free Trial

Kellen — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:51:04 +0000

ESPN and Disney's new ESPN+ streaming service has finally launched after months of hype. Along with the launch of this subscription service, a new ESPN is here with a pretty dramatic redesign. The design of the app starts off with a Home section that includes a dynamic feed filled with video clips, personalized content based on your teams and preferences, scores, highlights, etc. It's a lot like the ESPN home page, only in mobile form. Additionally, you'll find sections for Scores, Watch, Listen (podcasts), and Sports. These are all pretty self explanatory, but the Watch section is where you'll find access to ESPN's channels as well as ESPN+. I've attached ESPN's explanation of ESPN+ below, where they discuss the types of features and content you'll find in the $4.99/mo service. You'll get HD streams at 60fps, playback controls (pause, rewind, etc.), limited ads, and ways to sign-up for additional premium sports packages, like MLB.TV. Overall, the app redesign looks pretty slick if you like ESPN's way of presenting content. It's a lot like theScore's recent positive changes following their disastrous initial overhaul. The content is separated into proper sections, your teams are always highlighted, and the Watch section is there for all that ESPN shows across its line-up of channels. As a loyal theScore user, I'm actually going to give this ESPN update a fair spin. What's new in the ESPN app:

HOME: The most personalized and complete content experience. A dynamic feed that allows each fan to be presented with any type of relevant ESPN content and coverage — scores, news, video clips, live events, features, analysis, graphics, statistics and more. The home feed balances what is important to each individual fan and the most important and compelling content that ESPN knows sports fans need.

SCORES: Immediate access to all the latest scores that fans follow every day, prioritizing favorite teams and sports right at the top.

WATCH: A new, completely re-imagined and fully integrated live and on-demand video experience featuring three tiers of video access, all powered by BAMTECH Media’s best-in-class video platform:

Video Clips and Highlights – accessible to all users, ESPN offers the most complete library of highlights, clips and short-form sports video – logging hundreds of millions of views every month;

“TV Everywhere” Streaming – for pay TV subscribers, live and on-demand access to ESPN’s U.S. linear and digital networks;

ESPN+ – for subscribers of the direct-to-consumer streaming service, access to thousands of additional live sporting events, original content and shows, and on-demand video library.

LISTEN: The leading library of sports audio content, including live ESPN Radio streaming and a lineup of top sports podcasts accessible on demand.

SPORTS: One-click access to a fan’s favorite teams, leagues and sports and quick navigation to complete coverage of any of the dozens of sports and leagues ESPN covers around the world.

Features of ESPN+:

Value & Flexibility – 7-day free trial, followed by a subscription fee of just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with the ability to cancel at any time. During the first week of launch (April 12-18) fans are being offered a special extended 30-day free trial subscription backed by American Express;

HD Streaming – high-definition, 60 frames per second stream quality makes the action crisper and cleaner;

Live Pause, Rewind and Restart – pause, rewind and start-from-the-beginning functionality for all live and on-demand content, all with the ability to multitask on devices while streaming;

Limited Advertising – ESPN+ subscribers get a differentiated advertising experience throughout the entire ESPN App or website, with no display ads and no pre-roll ads within video content (ads remain in the natural advertising breaks of live sports content);

Sports Marketplace – the ability to also subscribe to additional premium streaming services like MLB.TV (and NHL.TV, beginning in 2018-19) all within the ESPN app environment.

The update is live right now for all. Google Play Link // ESPN

SwiftKey Adds Exclusive Halo Stickers for Android

Tim — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:41:14 +0000

If you consider yourself a Spartan, you may want to check out the latest update to SwiftKey. Inside, you'll find an exclusive Halo sticker pack, with a mixture of the stickers being animated and non-animated. From what I can see, you'll find a Master Chief helmet sticker, an Elite wielding an Energy Sword, as well as a Goblin vehicle. On top of the Halo sticker pack, SwiftKey also mentions that you’ll find a selection of 24 of Skype’s animated emoticons, making this the first time any of these emoticons are available outside of Skype. To start sharing these Halo stickers, go grab the update from Google Play. Google Play Link // SwiftKey

Ring Video Doorbell Gets New $99 Price as Amazon Finalizes Acquisition

Tim — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:03:53 +0000

Thanks to Amazon closing its deal to acquire Ring, the company's video doorbell is getting a lower everyday price of $99, improving the odds of more people considering a purchase. Spoken by Jamie Siminoff, CEO and Chief Inventor of Ring, “Together with Amazon, we will accelerate our mission dramatically by connecting more neighbors globally and making our security devices and systems more affordable and accessible. The entire Ring team is excited to continue working hard to create products and services that bring real benefits to people’s lives and build safer communities for all our neighbors.” Obviously, if you've been in the market for a Ring or some other type of video doorbell, now would be a good time to try it out. With the Ring dropping to $99, it's never been cheaper to up your home's security. If you want to try the latest from Nest and its Hello video doorbell, check out our writeup on that here. Do you use a video doorbell at your home? How do you like it? Amazon Link // Amazon

DEAL: Google Pixel 2 at Woot Today for Just $499

Kellen — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 08:17:23 +0000

Google's Pixel 2 popped up at Woot today as a daily deal with a good price. For as little as $499.99, you can get into Google's newest smaller Pixel phone. Woot currently has all Pixel 2 color options (Just Black, Clearly White, and Kinda Blue) and most storage options (64GB or 128GB). The 64GB variants are $499.99 and the 128GB units are $549.99. This particular Pixel 2 is technically the Verizon version, but as you know, all Pixel 2 phones are unlocked and built to work on all carriers. The only issue here is that it'll likely be bootloader locked out of the box because it was sold by Verizon at one point. For most people, that doesn't mean a thing, nor does it change anything about how the phone works. These are "certified refurbished" units that come with a limited Woot warranty. Woot Deal Link Cheers Ryan and Chris!

Verizon HTC 10 Gets Android 8.0 Oreo Update

Kellen — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 08:04:57 +0000

The Verizon HTC 10 is the latest Android device to pick-up the update to Android 8.0 Oreo. The update happens to arrive on the phone's 2-year anniversary too, which is a fun little note. The update for Verizon's variant of the HTC 10 is software version 3.18.605.13. Oddly, this only includes the January 2018 security patch, according to Big Red, which is kind of frightening being mid-April. The update is a big one that includes picture-in-picture mode, improved notification design, notification dots, and more. To check for the update, head into Settings>Software update. // Verizon

LG is Taking Software Updates Seriously Now, Opens Software Upgrade Center

Kellen — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 18:12:17 +0000

LG just made a pretty big announcement surrounding the future of software updates as they relate to their smartphone business. The Korean electronics giant opened the doors to a new Software Upgrade Center that's purpose is to deliver "faster, timelier, smartphone operating system and software updates" worldwide. LG says that they are investing "significant" resources into this Software Upgrade Center, which will develop and deliver regular OS updates to their smartphones. Not only that, but this facility will ensure a "consistent user experience on LG devices by continuously testing the stability and compatibility between hardware and software after updates." This new Software Upgrade Center will try to roll out OS updates at a faster rate in the countries where they sell phones, so that should mean not only in Korea, but in the US too. The first update out of this new facility will be the Android Oreo update for the LG G6 in Korea, followed by additional markets. Ummm, yeah, this seems like huge news, especially if you were looking forward to May's unveiling of the LG G7 ThinQ. // LG

Wednesday Poll: Do You Use Chromecast or Android TV?

Tim — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:04:15 +0000

With all this discussion around what's either Google's next Android-powered dongle or just a knockoff going through the FCC, it got us thinking about our current living room setups with respect to Android TV and Chromecast. Personally, I use Android TV via a SHIELD TV set-top box from NVIDIA, but a Chromecast can do a lot of things too. If you're fine with browsing all of your content via a phone or tablet, then casting whatever you want to watch to your TV, then a Chromecast can be very clutch. What do you use primarily and why? [poll id="479"]

Moto Z DROID Getting Oreo Update "in a Few Weeks"

Kellen — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 14:21:52 +0000

If you own a Moto Z DROID or Moto Z Force DROID and head into your settings to check for an update, Motorola has left you a sweet little message. It reads, "We're planning an Android 8.0 Oreo update for your device..." Oh, you don't say? When, though? Well, it won't be for "a few weeks," the message continues. While that's not the type of tease that will have you sweating over your "Check for updates" button, at least we know it is coming pretty soon. Motorola previously confirmed that the Moto Z and Moto Z Force would get Oreo updates, we just weren't sure when. Not that this is super, duper early, but for a 2016 phone, this doesn't seem terrible. It's not like Samsung has updated its Galaxy S7 yet. We'll let you know once it goes live.

Cheers Themik and @NotEged!

DEAL: UE Blast Speaker With Amazon Alexa is $99 Today ($130 Off)

Kellen — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 13:59:42 +0000

UE Blast, one of the newest UE Bluetooth speakers that features Amazon Alexa, is a part of a crazy 1-day sale today. You can grab the blue or black versions of the UE Blast for just $99.99 at either Amazon or Best Buy. In case you were wondering, that's $130 off the normal price. The UE Blast is a lot like the UE Boom line, only it has been upgraded with Alexa onboard. You've got the cylindrical design to offer 360-degree audio (2 35mm active drivers, 2 passive radiators), IP67 water and dust resistance, dual-band WiFi (330 foot range), Bluetooth (150 foot range), and 12 hours of battery life. The Alexa integration works over WiFi and picks up your voice using far field voice recognition. It's as if you have a portable Amazon Echo device. Not that you need an Alexa recap, but this gives you access to voice control over your music, your smart home, game playing, recipe gathering, trivia, etc. You guys know how Amazon Alexa works. This UE Blast deal is listed as Amazon's deal of the day, so it may not be around long.

UE Blast Links:

Amazon
Best Buy

Come on, Man, This Can't Really be the Next Google Android TV

Kellen — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 12:25:38 +0000

Yesterday, the internet discovered an FCC listing for a Chromecast-like device made by a Chinese manufacturer that was splattered with Google's "G" logo, a Google Assistant button, and talk of a 4K Android TV experience. On Twitter, I mocked it heavily as being nothing but some sort of fake knockoff device. I still think it is, to be clear, but now that Google has refused to comment on it and the FCC has buried photos of it behind a confidentiality letter, I feel like we should at least tell you about it. OK, so here is the device (you can see it above too):

And here are a couple of pages from its supposed user guide, which shows the device, its remote, and specs:

Before you start laughing, let's talk about this. The device was submitted under model number 2AOVU-SN5B6AD to the FCC and is manufactured by Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. They have a website (here) that is filled with similar devices to this. That's a generic way of saying that they make other knockoff-ish devices, including a "Android TV 4K HDMI Stick" called the Verimatrix Ultra. It basically has the same specs as this "G" device: 4K at 60fps, H.265 HEVC, and a Amlogic S905X processor. OK, those are identical specs. Many have noted that it has a Google Assistant remote. Sure, it does indeed have a remote with Google Assistant branding. That remote also includes a home button design that Google hasn't used in years, as well as a menu button that Google killed in Android further back than I can remember. Then again, we don't have real imagery of the remote, so this could just be a concept of sorts. The guide itself is filled with odd descriptions ("Android Media Box") and bad grammar, though I guess it could just be a quick mock-up before a final guide is done. Or it was written to describe the types of products produced by Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. You decide.

As for that model number (2AOVU-SN5B6AD) and someone else making this for Google, there are some things to be aware of. For one, Google does indeed have a lot of other companies make shit for it. The Pixel Buds were made by someone else and you can see that FCC listing here. LG made the Pixel 2 XL and submitted the FCC paperwork. HTC did the same with the Pixel 2. Those devices do have one thing in common, though - almost all of their model numbers, even at the FCC, included a "G" at the front as if to signal that they were made for Google. The Pixel 2 had a model number of G011A, Pixel 2 XL was G011C, and the Pixel Buds were G015B. That was the same with the original Pixel (G-2PW2100) and Pixel XL (G-2PW4100), both made by HTC. Does that immediately disqualify this dongle device because it isn't "GSN5B6AD?" Well, no, but these things are starting to add up.

I'd also note that the Amlogic S905X is basically the standard processor for all HDMI dongles like this today. All of the random off-brand devices use it, plus the newest Fire TV 4K Stick uses a similar version. Would Google really just use this, the industry standard? They certainly could! It would probably help keep costs down. Oh, it also does run Android 8.0.0. Is any other Android TV box running that outside of the Nexus Player?

Alright, so why are we even entertaining this thing? Because it has a "G" logo on it, as well as a Google Assistant button on its remote. Apparently, because no one has ever sold a product before with someone else's logo on it (/s). Also, when other press asked Google to comment on it, they would only say that they don't "comment on rumors or speculation," adding to the mystery. And then today, an updated confidentiality agreement buried the photos, citing the public disclosure as being "harmful to our company and would give competitors an unfair advantage in the market." The new agreement hid the info for the next 180 days. All of that has left enough questions for this to be a thing. If that's not hype... I'd point out that the timing of this hitting the FCC is super odd in relation to Google product releases. For the past two years, Google hosted a late-Fall hardware event where they announced new devices. They took a hell of a lot of pride in the fact that they had an entire line-up of similarly designed hardware to show off on October 4 of last year. With this device hitting the FCC already and only a 180-day confidentiality agreement, we'd know what this device was again before we got to October. That just doesn't match up, even with Google I/O around the corner. With all of that said and my skepticism aside, this thing would be sweet! We need a new Android TV product from Google and I think a number of us would rather have a fully-powered Android TV dongle vs. a box we would need to find shelf space for. At 4K, with a similar processor to competitors, and enough RAM and storage to get us by, this thing here could easily be priced with Amazon's newest Fire TV 4K. Or maybe just give me this. Your thoughts? // FCC | Arstechnica

Motorola's New Stereo Speaker Mod Now Available for $60

Tim — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:56:23 +0000

Motorola has a new mod for its Moto Mod-supported device lineup this week, the Moto Stereo Speaker. Priced at $59.99, this speaker attachment features a kickstand for sitting your device up, but more importantly, comes with two 28mm diameter speakers for stereo sound capable of a listed 80dB at 50cm. That's pretty loud. The speaker comes in either Black, Red, or Blue (pictured above), working simply by snapping it onto the back of any Moto Z device. There is no charging necessary and no syncing necessary, you know, like any good Moto Mod. This new speaker is available for purchase right now on Motorola's website, but you can also finance it for $10/month via Affirm if that's the route you want to take. Motorola Link

Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact Up for Pre-Order This Week, Pricing Starts at $650

Tim — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 08:48:17 +0000

After having been announced at this year's MWC in February, US availability for the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact from Sony has just gone official. Pre-orders for both devices will start later this week on April 13 at Best Buy, with the pre-order period ending April 19 (next Thursday). Following that, they will be available for purchase through Best Buy starting April 20, with in-store availability beginning May 6. On May 20, the devices will hit Amazon and other participating retailers. The Xperia XZ2 Compact starts at $649.99, while the Xperia XZ2 starts at $799.99. In terms of Xperia XZ2 specs, you’ve got Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage with microSD support up to 400GB, a 5.7-inch FHD+ display (2160×1080, 18:9, HDR), 3,180mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and fast wireless charging, water resistance, rear-mounted fingerprint reader, an updated 19MP camera, and Android 8.0 Oreo. For the Compact, there is a 5-inch FHD+ display with HDR, Snapdragon 845, 4GB RAM, 19MP camera, fingerprint reader, and stereo speakers. Like other Xperia Compact phones, it’s a smaller phone, but with all the specs you want. To see a complete spec breakdown, look here. We're still very much excited about these. // The Verge

Here Comes the Big Gmail Redesign, Plus Snooze and Smart Reply (Updated)

Kellen — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 07:45:11 +0000

Google announced today to its G Suite customers that a "new design" is coming to the Gmail web interface, along with a bunch of new features. The update will first arrive as an Early Adopter Program (EAP) experience in the coming weeks, before rolling out to others. What will this new experience be like? Google didn't share pictures, only that it will be "a fresh, clean look" for Gmail. It probably looks like this, though, which was first spotted back in September.

But with the new design, you'll have easier access to Calendar, ability to Smart Reply to emails (like you do in the Gmail app), the option to snooze emails and choose when they reappear (like in Inbox), as well as offline support. According to Google, the offline support will be native and arrive in June 2018. While this redesign info was shared with G Suite customers, you have to expect that everyone who uses Gmail will get this new experience. When, we don't know, but the EAP starts for G Suite within the coming weeks. We'll let you know when it's ready. UPDATE: A Google spokesperson reached out to add the following --

"We’re working on some major updates to Gmail (they’re still in draft phase). We need a bit more time to compose ourselves, so can’t share anything yet—archive this for now, and we’ll let you know when it’s time to hit send."

Cute.

Nest Hello Doorbell and Nest x Yale Lock Are Sweet Additions to Any Smart Home

Tim — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:40:43 +0000

I had both the Nest Hello video doorbell and Nest x Yale smart lock installed in my home recently, and so far, I'm loving them. Before these two products, I never had any sort of smart home tech toward the front of my home. The only things I considered smart in my house before the recent installation were my ecobee thermostat, the Google Home units scattered throughout, as well as an Amazon Cloud Cam for spying on my dogs when I'm away. After installing these new Nest units, though, I get the sense that my home has not only gotten a bit more secure, but smarter. While the upfront investment is something that always kept me away from fully diving into the smart home game, I can now see why so many people are flocking towards smart stuff. To give you an idea of how much the whole process cost, the Nest Hello costs $229, while the Nest x Yale lock costs $249 (or $279 with an included Nest Connect). If you're like me and want to make sure things are set up properly, you're looking at an additional charge for a Nest Pro to come to your house and install everything, too. While it's entirely up to you if you want to self install, and Nest provides plenty of instructions and installation guides, it's nice that there are trained professionals who specialize in the installation of Nest products.

Nest Hello

To give you an overview of the products, let's start with Nest Hello video doorbell. Nest Hello replaces your existing doorbell, allowing you to see who is at the door without ever having to leave the couch. You can even pretend you are at home with the built-in audio function inside of the Nest application and mic/speaker package in the doorbell. This is handy for when a stranger, aka solicitor, comes knocking and you want to shoo them off. No, I do not need that $3,000 vacuum and no you cannot come into my home and showcase its super sucking power on a portion of my carpet. Nest Hello ventures into the realm of being smart by recognizing faces, a feature only accessible via a Nest Aware subscription. With Familiar Faces, Nest Hello takes snapshots of faces it sees, then you can label these faces inside of the Nest app. Whenever these people come up to the door, Nest Hello alerts you that it has spotted someone familiar. Furthermore, if you sync your Nest Hello with Google Assistant, should that familiar person ring the doorbell, your Google Home will announce exactly who is at the door. So far, I've had my doorbell recognize the lovely lady who goes around the neighborhood selling tamales and my charismatic FedEx delivery person. Now whenever they come by, I know who is knocking when I'm upstairs working.

As for its person detecting skills, the Nest Hello is quite sensitive. I live on a block that sees moderate foot traffic when the schools around me are in session, so over the course of any given week, I'm getting quite a few notifications whenever Nest Hello spots somebody. Inside the app, there is no option for taming the device's sensitivity, but I'd rather it be overly sensitivity than not catching people walking by at all. Users can also choose from a People and an All Other Motion notification set, but I leave the All Other Motion option unselected because it would likely pick up all of the different animals, cars, and other stuff that happens outside my place. The always-on aspect of Nest Hello is one of my favorite things about it, too. At the end of the day, should someone approach your door but not ring the bell, the camera is still recording and will alert you to their presence. I imagine a device like this would ruin the plot of many horror movies, and for that, I'm thankful. Whenever a video is recorded, you can access it via the Nest application, scroll through all of your past recordings, create clips for saving and sharing, as well as filter events by Motion, Doorbell Rings, Unfamiliar Faces, Motion, Persons, and Familiar Faces. To sum it up, the Nest Hello is a must have for anyone looking to make their home a little smarter, but does come with that initial price tag and monthly price for Nest Aware. And if you're going to ask if Nest Aware is necessary for Nest Hello, that's a judgement call on your part. I enjoy having the 24/7 continuous recording and Familiar Face detection, so it seems like a good value to me, but your needs could differ. Nest recently introduced a $5/month tier that includes 5 days of video history, but even without it, you get all of the essential features, so don't worry if paying the monthly price for Nest Aware doesn't exactly interest you. Buy Nest Hello

Nest x Yale Lock

Nest x Yale lock replaces your existing deadbolt, leaving a keyless touchpad device in its place. It's not exactly smart, but it does make accessing your home a more futuristic process, as well as improves the method of granting friends and others access to your home. After installation, you create a master passcode for unlocking the deadbolt. With that code, whenever the deadbolt is locked, you can unlock it by entering that passcode. To make things feel a bit more 2018, you can also lock and unlock the deadbolt via the Nest application on your phone. Now, where things get cool is the lock's ability to recognize secondary passcodes that you create, then give out to those you trust with access to your pad. For example, let's say I give my dog walker access so they can let the pooches out during the day to do their thing. I can go into the app, create a secondary passcode, send them the passcode, then they can enter the house and walk the dogs only during a scheduled time. If they attempt to enter that code at a non-scheduled time, they can't gain entry. Additionally, the Nest app will alert me whenever one of those codes is entered, so as the homeowner I'm always aware of who is coming and going. Of course, if you couple this lock with Nest Hello, you'll be very much in the know of what's happening at the homestead. Other features that come along with the Nest x Yale lock are a Privacy Mode, which disables the outside touchpad so unlocking the deadbolt can only be done via the Nest app, a complete history overview of events for the lock (locks and unlocks), One-touch Locking that lets you lock the deadbolt by pressing the Yale logo on the front, as well as an Auto-Lock feature that lets you manage how long the lock will wait before automatically locking itself. Now, in terms of value, it's hard to justify the $279 price for Nest x Yale lock (I didn't have a Nest Connect, so I had to opt for the higher price), but once it's installed and you feel as if it's a deadbolt you will take with you whenever and if ever you move, it's not a terrible investment. I quite enjoy the concept of never needing to get keys made for friends and family, but that means I also can't ever lock my doorknob.

Something also important to note, I would typically not lock my door when walking my dogs around the block. It's a pain to carry keys with me, but with this Nest x Yale lock now installed, the door locks right behind me and I get back into my house by entering a code. If anything, this smart deadbolt is helping my property stay safe without me having to put forth any effort. For that reason, I see it as an easy purchase. Buy Nest x Yale Lock

Verdict

These two new products from Nest are great when coupled together, but also very useful when separate. Again, as someone who never dove headfirst into the smart home gadget market, I am very happy about installing these. With them, I'm becoming more aware of what's happening outside my home when I'm not around, and frankly, I love the look on the face of my friends whenever they go to press my doorbell and I start talking to them via the Nest Hello. On top of that, granting access to others to my home without me having to be even in the same state is going to be extremely helpful once our travel season picks up. This is a sweet setup and definitely one you should check out if you're looking to upgrade your home with some gadgetry.

Google Phone App Gets Beta Program on Play Store

Kellen — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:27:22 +0000

Want to get into another beta version of a Google app? The Google Phone app now has a beta program and you can sign-up this minute. All you have to do is hit that Google Play link below on your phone and scroll to the bottom of the app listing to find the "Become a beta tester" box. Then tap the "I'm in" button to join up. It's that simple. You'll then likely receive an update to the app to get you on the beta version track. What's new in the first update? It doesn't appear that there is anything just yet (maybe the bottom bar?). However, these beta tracks of Google apps are the best way to get the latest in app features. I'd imagine we'll get another update soon with fancy new Phone stuff. We like stuff. Google Play Link // Android Police

🙄: T-Mobile and Sprint are Talking Merger Again, Again

Kellen — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:27:44 +0000

T-Mobile and Sprint are reportedly talking about a merger again. The latest report comes out of the Wall Street Journal, which notes that this is the third time in four years the two have discussed such a move. This time around, no one has any idea what's different about these talks or how things have changed. In other words, we aren't placing any bets over this actually happening this time. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if this kicks off another couple-of-month-long rounds of reporting, followed by another walk-away by one of the parties. Again, these talks have been going on for years. You may recall last year when Sprint pulled the plug at the last minute on a supposedly agreed-to-deal because their board (Softbank) didn't want to give up control to T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom). Are they now willing to do that - give up control? Or what's the angle this time? We don't know. Should the two combine, Sprint and T-Mobile would instantly become the #2 carrier in the US, ahead of AT&T. The merger would give them around 100 million subscribers compared to AT&T's 93 million. Verizon would still be king with around 116 million. We'll let you know if anything changes here. // Wall Street Journal

YouTube TV Adds Five New Markets

Tim — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:23:42 +0000

YouTube TV has added five new markets this week. The new markets are listed below, but just to name a few, residents of Wichita, Burlington, and Columbia, SC can get down with YouTube's alternative to cable TV. If you didn't hear the news, the price for YouTube TV was recently raised to $40/month, up from its launch price of $35/month. Still, at $40/month, YouTube TV is one helluva value thanks to its unlimited cloud DVR functionality, account sharing, plus a growing list of supported networks. New Markets

Burlington
Champaign & Springfield-Decatur
Columbia, SC
Wichita
Wilkes Barre-Scranton-Hztn

// YouTube

Instagram Launches Focus Effect for All That Sweet Artificial Bokeh

Tim — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 10:14:58 +0000

Instagram announced a new effect for those who take pictures and videos directly inside of the IG app, one that brings all of that amazing artificial bokeh right to your device. Titled Focus, you'll find it right next to the Superzoom and Rewind effects inside of Instagram. The concept is pretty straightforward. Whenever you're inside Focus, the subject of your shot will remain in focus, while the background will become blurry. Think of it like a portrait mode, but instead of the blur being an effect of your camera's aperture, it's all being done digitally. I've tested it out just a little bit and it seems to do the job just fine, though, those who wear glasses or hats may find the bokeh effect to be rather odd around hard corners. As mentioned by Instagram, why stop there? When you're done snapping your photo or video using Focus, you can add more tools like filters and stickers, as well as text to your photo or video. This change is rolling out right now to select Android devices, as well as all iPhone models. Google Play Link

// Instagram

Pixel and Pixel XL No Longer Available From Google Store

Kellen — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 09:42:06 +0000

The original Google Pixel and Pixel XL, following a $100 price reduction with the introduction of the Pixel 2 last year, have been pulled from the Google Store and are no longer available for sale. RIP, friends. If you need one, you can still buy one from Verizon, plus they are likely to pop up here and there at daily sale sites, on eBay, or even on Amazon. The Google Store does still have some Pixel and XL accessories. It was a good run, original Pixel, but it's probably time to go, especially if a new mid-range Pixel is one the way. Also, you still have software support for some time, Pixel owners. // Google Store

Limited Time — TREBLAB Z2 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones At 69% Off [Sponsored]

Sponsor — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 09:17:36 +0000

This sponsored post was written by StackCommerce.

The fundamental advantages of a wireless Bluetooth headset are hard to ignore. There’s something incredibly nice about going for a sound-tracked walk on the town without dangling cords to annoy you, or just listening while you work around the house without having to fidget with your phone constantly. The limiting factor for most has always been cost, especially if you’re looking for a set that packs a decent battery life, range, and sound quality. TRELAB seems to be filling a much-needed niche in the wireless headphone market, providing sought-after features for a reasonable price. If you’ve been looking for the right option, but reluctant to spend hundreds of dollars for cordless freedom, this could be your time. StackSocial, a platform designed to provide early access to trending tech deals, is currently offering the TREBLAB Z2 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones at an astounding 69% off their normal price.

TRELAB says the “2” is a reference to having twice the sound, battery life, and comfort compared to competing options. This may sound like a marketing gimmick, but there’s a reason this pair scores 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon. The phones’ Sound2.0™ technology provides crystal-clear audio up to 38 feet away through high-grade 40mm speakers, allowing you incredible flexibility to switch between a variety of tasks throughout the home or office. And their T-Quiet™ active noise cancellation makes short work of any distractions. What’s more, the USB-rechargeable battery lasts a whopping 35 hours. All this comes together with ergonomically designed ear cups that hug your natural ear-line so that you’ll hardly notice the thing’s on your head.

If you’re looking for a set of Bluetooth headphones that will immerse you in a seamless, top-shelf audio experience as you go about your day, but you want to keep your spending down, it’s hard to think of a better option than the TREBLAB Z2’s. StackSocial is currently offering the set at a staggering price of $78.99—that’s down 69% from $259.99. This deal ends in 2 days, so get it while it lasts!

LG Will Unveil the G7 ThinQ on May 2!

Kellen — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 08:06:23 +0000

LG announced this morning that the LG G7 ThinQ will be unveiled formally on May 2 in New York! And in case you were wondering, yep, that is the official name. LG didn't reveal any other details, only that the G7 ThinQ is "an evolution of the foundation laid by the LG V30S ThinQ," with its AI smarts. That'll mean - at the very least - better "interconnectivity with LG devices such as home appliances, TVs, and more," plus some camera tricks and more than likely a bad AI button that no one asked for on the side of the phone. So yeah, May 2 is the day that LG will show off the G7 ThinQ. Here is the phone in case you haven't seen it yet.

// LG

DEAL: Best Buy Drops $100 Off Pixel 2 XL - Includes Free Google Home Mini, Chromecast, Daydream, YouTube TV

Kellen — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:12:10 +0000

On Friday, Verizon kicked off (and is still running) a pretty stunning Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL deal. If you have a phone to trade in, they are giving you up to 50% off a Pixel 2 and tossing in a free Google pack that includes a Google Home Mini, Chromecast, and 2 free months of YouTube TV. Today, Best Buy launched a similar, possibly better deal. At Best Buy, you'll now find the Pixel 2 XL at $100 off, no trade required. In other words, if you don't have a fancy phone to trade-in to Verizon, Best Buy will just give you a discounted rate anyway. On top of that discount, their free Google bundle features a Google Home Mini, Chromecast, 2 free months of YouTube TV, and a Daydream View. So $100 off and an additional freebie (Daydream View). Not bad! The free Google bundle comes with Pixel 2 orders as well, but there is no other discount on the regular Pixel 2. Best Buy Pixel 2 XL Link | Deal Details

Essential Phone 2 Doesn't Need to Change Much to be the Phone of the Year

Kellen — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 14:41:19 +0000

After spending this past weekend using almost nothing but the Essential Phone, I'm not even close to kidding with that title. Essential doesn't need to change much on the upcoming 2nd generation Essential Phone if it wants to make one of the best phones of 2018. And in my opinion, a couple of tweaks to a specific couple of areas could easily get us to crown it the best of them all. Before we get there, though, let's refresh what's wrong with the current Essential Phone. Because after all, we can't improve without acknowledging flaws, right?

It's camera is...bad. OK, it has improved, thanks to a dozen software updates, but it is no where near as good as Google's or Samsung's or Apple's cameras. In good light, it does it's thing acceptably, and in poor lighting or indoors, it typically embarrasses itself. Essential admitted as much over the weekend, vowing to change that in the next phone. Not only is the camera bad, but there has been this frustrating combination of software jitters and touch latency problems from the beginning. Essential claims that they have fixed some of the jitters, but the touch latency issues have never gone away. What I'm talking about is a failure of the phone to recognize that you are touching it, often with the first touch. From there, it's fine for the most part, although it never quite seems to precisely recognize a scroll or touch like other phones. Something is off here, whether it's a component issue or software-related, it needs to be a major focus for the next device. Finally...actually, that's pretty much it. The Essential Phone has two major flaws: a combo-issue between performance and the display, as well as a less-than-stellar camera. I think some would toss out cellular connectivity issues too (Verizon connectivity was not good for a long time), I just haven't experienced them on any major level.

And so that brings us back around to why the 2nd Essential Phone could be the king. If Essential fixes whatever the hell is wrong with the display from the 1st phone (and I'm assuming they will and have realized what they did wrong) and then spends as much time as they can on the new phone's camera, the rest is already done for them. That's a good thing because the rest has been up there with the best in the business from the beginning. I've reviewed and re-reviewed the Essential Phone a couple of times at this point. Each time, I walk away frustrated at the same couple of issues and take a break, yet then find myself coming back for another taste, just like I did this past weekend as if it has some sort of magical elixir I can't get enough of. What keeps bringing me back? Everything I look for in a smartphone, that's what. The Essential Phone still has the best hardware in the business. It's design is striking and different as a notch pioneer. The materials (titanium and ceramic) used here present one of the most premium feeling phones around, without the fragility of Samsung's Galaxy S9 or the plastic cheapness of the Pixel 2 XL. It's the perfect size for a phone too, with its body that is dramatically shorter than the smaller Galaxy S9 phone, with almost the exact display size. I even prefer its squared off edges to the overly curved, not-wide-enough S9. Of course, you can't mention the Essential Phone without talking about Essential's track record in software updates. They are almost as good as Google is at updating their phones. Some months, they even manage to push out monthly security patches before Google has, if you can believe that. They also updated to Android 8.1, a version everyone else in the industry skipped, and will probably release Android P in stable as soon as they are allowed to. Not only that, but Essential ships clean, stock Android that you get to customize to your liking, rather than have peel away all of the fluff you probably don't need. It's a lot like the Pixel's software experience, which I tend to prefer over all others. The Essential Phone also has super fast charging, universal carrier support (Verizon included), specs that keep up with everyone else in the game, a minimal footprint without logos, and a weird way of letting you know that it's not just any other phone. There is something special about the feeling you get when this phone is in hand. I don't know if it's the weight of it, that lack of logos I just mentioned, or the exclusivity and fact that no one else you know will own one, but it feels unique.

What I'm trying to say here, is that the Essential Phone 2 could be the same exact phone as last year's Essential Phone, only with a properly installed and tuned display panel, as well as a new camera. Because honestly, there is nothing in the design and hardware that I don't like. Toss in some upgraded 2018 specs (Snapdragon 845, 6GB RAM, and as much storage as they can) and I'll buy two of 'em. What we'll have to worry about on some level is price. When the Essential Phone launched, Andy Rubin's crew wanted to charge a premium ($699 out of the gate) because this was supposed to be as high-end as it gets. It was supposed to be an exclusive experience that no one else was offering. A quick and permanent price drop to $500 arrived soon after launch because of its many early flaws, which has probably allowed Essential to sell some. But what will they do the second time around? Will Rubin and Essential go back to that original thought - that this premium, exclusive experience shouldn't come cheaply? Or do they decide to play in the budget arena with OnePlus? I think it's safe to say that we'd all be happy with Essential 2 in the $500-$600 range, I just don't know that I believe that will happen. Essential didn't start out to be another OnePlus. Essential set its sights on Apple, Samsung, and Google and probably wants to get back there. Either way, after spending months with the original Essential Phone and all of its flaws, $500 or $700 and I'm still in, as long as we fix those couple of trouble spots.

New Render Shows the LG G7 ThinQ Looks Similar to the Galaxy S9, But With a Display Notch

Tim — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 14:09:44 +0000

We're getting a new look at the upcoming LG G7 ThinQ this week, courtesy of Android Headlines, but I'd be lying to you if I didn't mention how similar it looks to the Galaxy S9. Of course, that's if the Galaxy S9 had a display notch. The reason I mention the notch and the Galaxy S9 is solely because LG is obviously incorporating the notch, yet still keeping the phone's bottom chin and top forehead. What makes the notch work for the iPhone X is its lack of chin and the inclusion of gesture inputs. For Android devices, the process of bending a display panel at the bottom for connection to the logic board is apparently too expensive, meaning every Android phone we're seeing with this damned notch also comes with a bottom chin. In the G7 ThinQ's case, it's also getting a solid forehead, too, looking about the same size as the Galaxy S9's. It's one of more ridiculous fails to follow a trend we've come across. Other than the notch, let's talk about other stuff we can take away from this image. According to Android Headlines, the G7 ThinQ will come in a variety of colors, including Aurora Black, Platinum Grey, Moroccan Blue, Moroccan Blue (Matte), and Raspberry Rose. That's an improvement over just White or Black, so props to LG there. On the backside we can see a dual camera setup and a fingerprint reader, but what's important there is, it may not double as the power button this time around. Instead, a dedicated power button will go along the right side of the device, as well as a dedicated ThinQ AI button on the left side, just below the volume rocker. At least, this is all we've gathered from the various reports over the past few weeks. Is anyone else bored with display notches yet? // Android Headlines

Huawei P20 Pro With Triple Leica Camera Setup Gets Torn Down

Tim — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 13:07:29 +0000

Remember Huawei? They were cool. These days, unfortunately, living in the US means we aren't able to easily go out and buy Huawei's latest devices, such as the P20 Pro, but thanks to the good folks at iFixIt, we can still get a look at what makes this dope looking phone tick. For those who missed our announcement writeup, the P20 Pro features not just a top display notch, but a triple Leica camera setup consisting of a 20-megapixel sensor (monochrome, f/1.6), 40-megapixel sensor (RGB, f/1.8), and 8-megapixel sensor (telephoto, f/2.4, OIS). Yes, you read that correctly, it has a 40-megapixel camera on the backside. 😮 And yes, DxOMark says the camera is very good.

Left to Right: Monochrome, RGB, Telephoto

If you do happen to pick this device up and import it to the US, iFixIt gives it a semi-decent repairability score of 4 out of 10. Compared to the Galaxy S9+, which also scored a 4 out of 10, the P20 Pro appears to be built quite solidly. According to iFixIt, many of the pieces are modular, meaning replacement is possible, but the main things, like the battery and display, won't be too easily replaced. Specifically, if you want to remove and replace the battery, you'll have to spend quite a bit of time doing so. For the display, you'll have to go through, "at least two layers of adhesive and some disassembly." We really wish this device was coming to the US. Dang it. // iFixIt

Video: Peel vs. MNML Cases, the Ultra-Thin Case Showdown

Kellen — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:36:39 +0000

Ultra minimal cases are kind of an in-thing right now. And it makes sense why - with phones looking as pretty as they do, people want to enjoy their $1000 phone while still covering them with some protection. I'm sure you have heard of Peel, one of the pioneers in this ultra-thin case craze, but there are others out there, most notably a brand called MNML. We looked at Peel's Galaxy S8 cases last year. In that post, a number of you pointed out that MNML offers a similar case to Peel with a lower price. So we decided we'd finally look at both side-by-side in case you were trying to decide which to purchase. Both Peel and MNML offer up minimal cases for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Galaxy S9 and S9+, iPhone X and iPhone 8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy Note 8, and original Pixel line. If you own a flagship phone at the moment from Samsung, Apple, or Google, these companies have you covered. Which should you buy? The video above dives into all of the details, but we've also laid out the basics below.

Peel vs. MNML Case

Price: MNML offers the same experience as Peel, but is about half the price ($14.99 vs. $24.99).
Colors: Again, MNML offers more here by giving you more color choices with some phones.
Shipping: Peel charges $5 for shipping while MNML is available on Amazon with Prime shipping.
Availability: Peel can only be purchased from Peel's store whereas MNML sells through Amazon and their own store.
Protection: Neither offers much, but if you cared about protection you wouldn't be buying this type of case.

As I mention in the video, it would be tough to recommend Peel over MNML because they really do offer the exact same experience only MNML costs about half the price when you factor in shipping. Plus, more color choices are never a bad thing, right? Buy MNML Cases | Buy Peel Cases

HP Intros $599 Chrome OS Tablet With Attachable Keyboard and Stylus Support

Tim — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:02:21 +0000

In late March, Acer introduced the first Chrome OS-powered tablet. This week, HP is introducing one of their own, but it's a whole lot nicer than that Acer one. Called the Chromebook x2, this device comes with a large 12.3-inch display, bundled with a keyboard cover and stylus, all for $599. For specs, the Chromebook x2 has a 7th Gen Intel Core processor, 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 32GB of built-in storage with microSD support, 100GB cloud storage (expires after 2 years), front and rear cameras, headphone jack, as well as dual speakers. For battery life, HP estimates the Chromebook x2 will last you 10 hours unplugged. In its presser, HP emphasizes this device's support for the included stylus, as well as the attachable keyboard cover. According to them, "The magnetic hinge allows for easy detaching of the tablet and provides the strength and rigidity to keep it attached and upright when used as a laptop." Not only that, but the hinge design will allow users to have the tablet set at multiple angles so you can get just the right layout for your work to get done. We don't have much experience when it comes to Chrome OS running on a tablet, but we're definitely interested in checking it out. You can purchase your very own Chromebook x2 starting June 10 at Best Buy. // HP

Verizon Galaxy S8, S8+ Pick Up March Security Update

Tim — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 10:24:51 +0000

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ on Verizon are picking up the March security update this week. Following the update, the Galaxy S8 will be run build number R16NW.G950USQU2CRC5, while the S8+ will show R16NW.G955USQU2CRC5. As for the changelog, nothing is shown by Verizon besides the March security patch. Let us know if you see anything different. Go grab that update! // Verizon [2] Cheers Phil!

Samsung DeX Pad for Galaxy S9 Up for Pre-Order, Priced at $99 and Ships Next Month

Tim — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:14:08 +0000

Samsung's DeX Pad was made official alongside the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, and at long last, the device that turns your Galaxy S9 into a docked touchpad is up for pre-order priced at $99. To utilize DeX and Samsung's Galaxy Desktop software, you'll need a desktop monitor along with this new DeX Pad. Should you have one ready to go, you'll simply take your S9 or S9+ and plug it into DeX Pad, then you'll be cruising through a desktop UI powered by your smartphone. For more DeX info, check this post. As listed by Samsung, the DeX Pad comes equipped with 2 USB-A ports, HDMI, as well as a USB-C port. The Dex Pad begins shipping the week of May 13. Pre-Order Link // Samsung

Essential Says They'll "Do It Better" With Their Next Phone's Camera

Kellen — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 07:45:34 +0000

For the next Essential Phone, Andy Rubin's company says that they "heard you" and plan to "do it better." No, they aren't talking about the phone in general, which was mostly great. Instead, they are talking about the camera because it was widely panned and still, even after numerous updates, lags behind its competitors. In a brief interview with Business Insider, Essential's head of industrial design Linda Jiang admitted that they "got hit hard" with the quality of their camera by reviewers. We certainly weren't nice to it during our initial review and re-review, particularly the camera app that Essential shipped with it. Jiang told BI that they are "looking forward to improving [the camera] with our next-gen, making sure that we're listening to customers and their pain points." And that's exactly what you hope to hear from a company that did a lot of things right with its first phone, but missed the marked badly in a couple of key areas (performance and camera). I think Essential can without a doubt improve performance, but cameras aren't that easy. For years, Google kept telling us that their new Nexus phone would have an incredible camera, only to ship a sub-par camera when compared to those from Samsung or Apple. Only in the last two years did Google finally up its camera game to leader status with its Pixel phones. The timing of this news couldn't be better, since I actually just spent the entire weekend, randomly with the Essential Phone again. I took a couple of pictures that turned out fine, not great. But the time spent has me itching to write more about this device, because after all these months, I still really, really like almost everything going on here. As I mentioned in my reviews, this is one of the first phones in some time that I don't ever want to put down, even with its flaws. That still stands even today. More on that later. For now, consider what Essential Phone (2nd gen) could be with that original idea and a good camera joining the party. // Business Insider

Weekly Recap: Pixel 3 Gets AOSP Mention, LG G7 ThinQ Spotted, and Potential 4K Chromebook

Tim — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 16:15:36 +0000

Another week in the books here at DL. This week, a Pixel 3 mention was spotted inside of AOSP, so let the hypetrain begin. We also got to see more of the upcoming LG G7 "ThinQ," OnePlus confirmed a few OnePlus 6 specs and told us we can hide the top notch with software, plus we learned that Twitter is playing hardball with 3rd-party app developers. Here are the stories you don't want to miss.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Essential Phone Picks Up April Security Patch, Bluetooth 5.0 Certification

Kellen — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 13:36:52 +0000

Another first week of a month, another update for the Essential Phone.

That's right, Essential is pushing the April security patch to the Essential Phone already, just days after Google first made it available to its own Pixel and Nexus devices. That's the norm for Essential, though, so don't take that as me being surprised. They are really good at pushing out monthly updates. In this update, which rolls out as Android 8.1 and build OPM1.180104.141, you not only get the latest security patches, you are also getting Bluetooth 5.0 certification, modem stability fixes, proper handling of external game controllers, and performance and bug fixes. The update weighs in at 127.6MB and is available right now. As you can see from the images up top, I fired mine up, opening Settings>System>System update and it was there for me to download and install. https://twitter.com/essential/status/982317856992866306

DEAL: Amazon Galaxy S9, S9+ Deal Adds $400 Bonus Accessory Bundle for Just $100 Extra

Kellen — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 12:46:44 +0000

Shortly after Samsung started selling the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, they offered up a couple of bonus accessory bundles that included up to $400 worth of accessories for an extra $100. Samsung's store no longer has that deal, but Amazon picked it up today and is offering the same bundle at that great value. The accessory bundle ("Ultimate") amounts to a Gear VR with Controller (2017 model), Gear IconX wireless buds (2018 model), and a Samsung Qi Fast Wireless Charging Stand (2018 model). The total of those accessories, if purchased individually, sits at around $400. But with this deal, you get all of those with your Galaxy S9 or S9+ by paying an extra $100. For pricing, that means the US unlocked Galaxy S9 with bundle costs $$819.98 and the US unlocked S9+ with bundle costs $939.98. The deal includes Prime shipping, plus these are the US unlocked versions, so they work on all major US carriers. They are the versions of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ you should buy over the carrier models. Our Galaxy S9 review can be found right here, in case you need more info. Amazon Deal Links:

Twitter is Close to Rendering All 3rd-Party Apps Useless (Update)

Tim — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 11:12:49 +0000

Until this morning, we had no idea things were so dire for 3rd-party Twitter applications. According to Apps of a Feather, which appears to be a possible consortium of 3rd-party Twitter app developers, once June 19 of this year comes, something called "streaming services" at Twitter will be removed. In short, this means two things for 3rd-party Twitter apps like Talon, Tweetbot, and others: Push notifications will no longer arrive and timelines will not refresh automatically. Obviously, if you're a user of a 3rd-party app, this is an issue in terms of usability. If you're a developer, it means your app is about to become useless to users and probably means you'll have to shut it down. If Twitter was in the business of helping these 3rd-party developers, they would likely reach out and talk about ways the developers could go about recreating this soon to be lost functionality. According to Apps of a Feather, that has yet to happen and developers have not been provided access to the new Account Activity API that is currently in testing. For a more detailed explanation of what's happening on the backend, I'll let the professionals fill you in.

Third-party apps open a network connection to Twitter and receive a continuous stream of updates (hence the name). For push notifications, this connection is done on the developer’s server and used to generate messages that are sent to your devices. For timeline updates, the stream is opened directly on your mobile device or desktop computer. This streaming connection is being replaced by an Account Activity API. This new infrastructure is based on “webhooks” that Twitter uses to contact your server when there’s activity for an account. But there are problems for app developers…

Now, even if 3rd-party developers were provided access and they worked out a way to implement push notifications again, another issue is Twitter's limit on how many accounts can be run through a "standard level" of the API. The current limit is 35 Twitter accounts. When we're talking about multiple 3rd-party apps that have been around for quite some time, that amounts to potentially hundreds of thousands of accounts, meaning there is no way to make it work unless developers opt to pay for an Enterprise level of service with unlimited accounts. As you might expect, an Enterprise level will not be cheap, creating yet another issue for 3rd-party developers to face. For some time, Twitter has specifically stated that they do not want 3rd-party apps to simply mimic the official Twitter client, regardless of whether a given platform has a native client or not. In creating these apps, the developers have gone against Twitter's wishes, which could be why Twitter really doesn't care how their actions affect others. As end users, though, all we want is the best Twitter experience possible and whether people get that from Twitter's native app or a 3rd-party app shouldn't really matter so long as people are using the service. Given Twitter is now a publicly traded company, ads and the idea that these 3rd-party apps are essentially taking money away from Twitter could be playing a big role in this whole debacle, but that is a another story for different time. As users, there could be something you can do about all of this. Let Twitter know how you feel. Whether or not they listen, who knows, but at least you can try. Feel free to reach out to @TwitterDev on Twitter using the hashtag #BreakingMyTwitter and share your thoughts. Good luck, 3rd-party Twitter apps. Update: Twitter has announced it is delaying its June 19 deprecation date, but isn't providing much else. Developers looking to get beta access to the Activity API can apply here. Keep up the pressure, folks. https://twitter.com/TwitterDev/status/982346370882461696 // Apps of a Feather

Here's Another Look at the LG G7, ThinQ Branding and All

Kellen — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 09:25:29 +0000

The folks at TechRadar posted a couple of new LG G7 photos today, giving us yet another look at the upcoming notch boss. We don't actually learn anything dramatically new from these pictures, but we are getting to see "LG G7 ThinQ" branding from the boot screen, which is branding we all expected to be there after watching LG talk non-stop about ThinQ back at CES. They even branded the LG V30 with ThinQ and then decided to re-sell it. ThinQ, for those not familiar, is LG's marketing term for the artificial intelligence (AI) they are putting in all products. We also get to see a model number of LM-G710TM for the G7, clock move to the left side like Apple and Android P do it, and cutouts in a case that suggest there really will be a side button for AI. TechRadar adds that the phone runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

LG still hasn't talked much about future plans, but current reports peg the LG G7 unveiling for sometime in May. // TechRadar

Flamingo Twitter Client Unpublished Because of Twitter's Stupid Token Limit

Tim — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 09:17:34 +0000

We wrote up the launch of Flamingo in mid-2016, which at the time, was simply another Twitter client of the already solid number of 3rd-party apps for the tweet-sharing service. This week, I'm sad to report that Flamingo is near to reaching its allotment of tokens from Twitter, which has forced the developer to remove it from Google Play. You see, Twitter provides a certain amount of tokens to 3rd-party apps. Each token represents a user, essentially placing a user cap on clients. Once those those tokens are exhausted, the 3rd-party services can no longer add users, thereby losing any way to make money, unless they change to a subscription model to get current users paying for the service. This isn't the first drama we've seen involving Twitter's tokens and it surely won't be the last. Back in April of 2016, Fenix was having a similar issue, but apparently worked something out with Twitter that granted him the resources to keep Fenix up and running. We're not entirely sure if Flamingo can do the same thing, but there is always a possibility. On the bright side for those who already installed and used Flamingo, it's still listed in your Library of apps. That means you can keep using it. Unfortunately, if you never downloaded Flamingo, your opportunity to do so has now vanished. According to a tweet the developer behind Flamingo sent out on April 4, he has no plans for a sequel at this time. RIP, Flamingo! https://twitter.com/Sam_Ruston/status/981550935561441281

5 Reasons the Galaxy S9, S9+ Are Worth Buying

Tim — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 14:18:23 +0000

We thought last year's Galaxy S8 and S8+ had everything we needed from a Samsung device, but in typical Samsung fashion, the company was able to bring certain additions to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ to get potential buyers and even myself excited about them. In our full reviews, we came away mostly positive with the phones, though, there is always room for improvement. The 2018 Galaxy S devices feature dual stereo speakers, a first for Galaxy S devices, plus Samsung continued to deliver exceptional mobile cameras, opting for a dual shooter on the Galaxy S9+. My main criticism is the software experience, but hey, we can overcome that. Overall, the phones are packed with goodies, but let's break them down into something more easily digestible if reading a full review isn't something you have time for. Here are 5 reasons the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are worth buying.

1. It's a Complete Package

A lot of times when a new phone is announced, there's something clearly missing, like a feature or spec. With Galaxy devices from Samsung in general, that is hardly the case. If anything, there's too damn much, leaving you with a phone priced as much as your monthly mortgage payment. For Android fans who want it all, though, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ meet all demands, offering high-end displays, good cameras, a well-placed fingerprint reader, fast wireless charging, expandable storage, a headphone jack, water resistance, iris scanning which we tend to forget, and now they even have dual stereo speakers and an ultra slow motion shooting mode for the camera. While the looks haven't changed much year-over-year, Samsung is still cramming in new stuff. Like I just mentioned, Samsung could probably get away with charging more for these devices than they are, but the fact that they aren't charging $1,000 is, like, really awesome. Before pricing was confirmed, Kellen and I had guesses for pricing, but both of us were way off when Samsung announced that the US unlocked Galaxy S9 would start at $719.99 and the unlocked Galaxy S9+ would cost $839.99. If you end up getting a less expensive device, you will notice big differences, too. A lot of the less expensive devices won't have the IP68 rating, as good of a camera experience, and forget things like wireless charging and iris scanning. Compared to other devices on the market, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ offer the most at this point in time.

2. Camera

Samsung has been putting out good cameras for its flagship devices for years now, with the S9 and S9+ being no exception. Things were changed a bit this year, though. In the past, both Galaxy S models came with a single backside shooter, but this year, the S9 came with the usual single camera (12MP Dual Pixel w/ OIS) while the S9+ was equipped with a dual rear-facing camera setup (12MP Wide Angle + 12MP Telephoto both w/ OIS). Essentially, the S9+ has the same setup as the Galaxy Note 8, but instead of being placed horizontally, it's vertical. The camera on the S9 and S9+ not only take good pictures when pointing and shooting, but there is a ton of software and features to play with. There is a Pro mode for really getting into controlling certain aspects and values, as well as filters, an AR Emoji feature for turning yourself into a shareable emoji, plus that slow motion aspect I previously mentioned. With that, the camera can capture video at 960 frames per second (FPS), meaning the videos of your dog running through water or tall grass are going to look super awesome when you share them on Instagram. We have many words to share about the S9 and S9+ camera in our full review, but I'll go ahead and place a few samples below just to give you an idea of what you're working with.

3. Size Options

Like past years from Samsung, as well as Google and its Pixel devices, you're getting two options for the Galaxy S9. You can go the smaller, more compact Galaxy S9 route, or upgrade to the Galaxy S9+. The choice is yours, but let's break down the exact differences. The most noticeable is size, of course. The S9+ comes with a 6.2" display over the standard S9's 5.8" display. The S9+ also packs a bigger 3,500mAh battery, while the S9 has a 3,000mAh battery. Other differences include more RAM (2GB more at 6GB, to be exact), plus the dual rear-facing cameras (Wide Angle + Telephoto) instead of a single camera (Wide Angle). For the bigger display and battery, plus more RAM and an additional telephoto lens on the back, buyers are asked to pay $120 more for the unlocked Galaxy S9+. That's not bad at all. If you were to ask my opinion on which one to get, I'd tell you to go with the S9+. I'm a sucker for bigger batteries!

4. Tons of Software Features

Samsung is in the business of piling features on top of features for its flagship devices, with both the S9 and S9+ bursting at the adhesive with stuff. Users can utilize an Edge Panel, Bixby AI voice commands, Samsung+, enhanced gaming modes, plus so much else. Couple all of that Samsung software with Google's own Android features and you have a smartphone that is essentially ready for anything and everything. While I stress that I'm not the user of all things you'll find baked into these phones, I can confirm that much of it could be useful to other people. I can certainly appreciate someone else's needs, so even though I'm not a huge advocate for everything Samsung builds into its software, I at least realize that Samsung isn't building every phone with just me in mind. Yes, the narcissistic a-hole inside of me hates that, but I've come to live with it. While it would take all day to do a complete rundown of the different software features on the Galaxy S9 and S9+, let's go over just a few that I think you can get some good usage out of. There is the aforementioned Edge Panel, which has a few panels for quickly accessing contacts and different applications (and even sports scores!), Game Launcher for game organization and enhanced features inside of games (recording, etc.), as well as Samsung's Multi Window that has been around way longer than Android's native Multi Window and Picture-in-Picture features. The point is, even if you don't think you'll use some of these features, they are there if you need them! Let's say you don't care for most of what Samsung offers here. That's totally fine. Thanks to tweaks you can easily perform, why not turn your Galaxy S9 into a Pixel?

5. Updates Should be Better

The S9 and S9+ are the first Samsung devices to launch with Oreo, meaning they're also the first devices to launch with Google's Project Treble. Treble's goal is to make major Android software updates less difficult for OEMs and we have our fingers crossed Google's work pays off for consumers. As we know, Samsung just rolled out Oreo to last year's Galaxy S8 and S8+, a solid half of a year after Oreo's official release. I don't know about you, but waiting a half year to get a highly anticipated update isn't what I'm about. I know many might shy away from anything that isn't a Google device specifically because of updates, but Treble should alleviate that feeling a bit for you. While we can't put a timeline on when the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will receive Android P, we have to assume it will come quicker than Oreo, thanks to Treble. For more info on Treble, I recommend you read this.

Buy the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+

Chrooma Keyboard Launches Hydrogen Build With Redesign, Removal of Ads

Kellen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 13:24:38 +0000

Chrooma Keyboard picked up a sizable update today that introduces their new Hydrogen version. Chrooma tells us that this is a "complete redesign" that includes features like a proofreading service, quick toolbar, and typing stats. It also ditches the ads on the free version after listening to user feedback. The Chrooma team is sure that this Hydrogen build will bring a "new path for the development" of the once incredibly popular keyboard that we haven't written about in well over a year. Let's talk about the new stuff to see if you should give Chrooma another shot.

New features

Proofreader service: Within the app, you can ask the proofreader tool to check your text for errors. I'd tell you whether it's good or not, but it's a premium feature that requires a subscription to Chrooma.
Typing statistics: Chrooma will now tell you about your typing skills while helping you get "better and faster." It shows you typing speed, the apps you type in the most, different words you use, you accuracy, etc.
QuickToolbar: This toolbar gives you quick access to GIFs, images, the clipboard, additional settings, and the stats I mentioned above.
Neural network prediction engine: Chrooma first brought the neural network to their keyboard back in December of 2016 and has now rewritten it to "increase its speed and accuracy."
Asynchronous suggestions: The upgrade suggestions system reduces writing latency and should provide an overall smoother typing experience.
App redesign: The actual Chrooma app where you setup your settings and features has been redesigned to make it easier to tune your keyboard.
New themes, gestures: You'll find new ways to style Chrooma now, improvements to older themes, and suggestion word inserting with a swipe gesture on the spacebar.

And again, Chrooma is now free to use without ads. If you want some of the premium features I just talked about, you'll need to subscribe. Chrooma costs $5.99 per year, but they are running a Hydrogen launch promo that drops the subscription price to $3.49 per year. Google Play Link

It's Open Enrollment Time at Verizon Again - Fresh Chance to Get Phone Protection

Kellen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 12:48:05 +0000

Verizon's open enrollment period for protection plans is back again, giving you the chance to sign-up for phone protection if you chose not to do so at the time of purchase. You can choose from any of their plans too, not just the most expensive option, Total Mobile Protection. Why would you sign-up for phone protection now? Maybe you realized that you are much more clumsy than originally thought. Maybe you learned the hard way and dropped a phone that broke without protection and had to pay full price for a new one? There are many factors, but no matter what your situation, now is the time to get signed-up if interested. From Verizon you have a number of options:

Extended Warranty ($3/mo): This simply extends the warranty that comes with your phone to cover defects. It doesn't cover for drop or loss, that sort of thing, so it's limited in scope.
Wireless Phone Protection ($6.75/mo): WPP does cover for lost, stolen, or damaged phones up to 3 times per year with deductible paid.
Total Equipment Coverage ($9/mo). TEC is the same as Wireless Phone Protection, only it includes the Extended Warranty too.
Total Mobile Protection ($13/mo) You should probably ignore TMP unless you need a tech coach (lol) or are considering covering a ton of devices. Seriously, it's just TEC with a coach.

You have until May 31 to sign-up. Sign-up for Verizon Total Mobile Protection. [table id=125 responsive=scroll /]

Thursday Poll: Do You Own a Smart Speaker?

Kellen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 11:38:15 +0000

I'm one of those weirdos who blindly ignores any and all privacy concerns that come with products like Google Home or Amazon Echo because I'm a fan of future tech, especially when it allows me to control my smart home without ever lifting a finger. In fact, the NVIDIA Spot was probably the product from 2017 that I most looked forward to, because it was going to give me a voice controlled house without breaking the bank. Of course the Spot never arrived, so I'm the guy with a Google Home or Mini in each room instead. Again, straight weirdo. I'm curious what your take is on Google Home and Amazon Alexa full-home saturation or general acceptance. And what I mean by that is - do you own one? If so, how many? Did you go Google Home or Amazon Echo? Are you really whacky and using both? How's that playing out? If you are still avoiding a smart speaker, I'd also love to know why. Vote, y'all. [poll id="478"]

'Atlas' Could Feature First Chromebook 4K Display

Tim — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 09:24:00 +0000

For those who need a high pixel density on their Chrome OS-powered laptop, Google's Pixelbook is currently one of your better options, featuring a 12.3" display with a resolution of 2400 x 1600 (235 ppi, 3:2 aspect ratio). However, according to a recent entry in a Chromium boards.yaml file, a codenamed Atlas Chromebook with a 4K display could be on the way. As written in the file, this Atlas laptop would feature a display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, making it not only 4K, but 16:9. Compared to the Pixelbook's 3:2 ratio, this is a very good thing with regard to media consumption. Sadly, that's all we really know at this point. 2018's Google I/O is right around the corner in May, but there is no indication that we will see Atlas at Google's annual developer conference. It's entirely in the realm of possibility, but definitely not a sure thing. 4K on a Chromebook. Do you want it? // reddit | XDA

Hello, "Pixel 3" Mention at AOSP!

Kellen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 08:19:39 +0000

Pixel 3 mention, we've got a Pixel 3 mention!

We don't have specs or any other details, but Googlers have officially mentioned the "Pixel 3" in an AOSP commit. The reference actually popped up in early March, it's just that no one noticed until now. What does the commit tell us? Do we care? It's a Pixel 3 mention! In all seriousness, the commit talks about a new Auto Selection Network UI in relation to HAL V_1_2, which is apparently only available to the Pixel 3. No, I have no idea what that's talking about, but we do know that HAL relates on some level to Project Treble, where Google has separated layers of Android to make it easier to update. I know that still doesn't tell you much, but it is at least interesting to see it referred to as "HAL V_1_2 only supports Pixel 3." If anything this could be a sign of improvements coming to Treble?

Pixel 3 mention, though! // XDA

DEAL: 50% Off Verizon Pixel 2 or 2 XL - Plus Free Home Mini, Chromecast, YouTube TV

Kellen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 07:30:44 +0000

Verizon kicked off a new deal this morning that they have been hyping for days. It's a 50% off deal on a number of phones (S9, Note 8, iPhone X, Pixel 2, etc.), but the extra bonuses, should you opt for Google's new phones, sure do sweeten things quite a bit. For a limited time, if you buy a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, you could save up to 50% off (with trade-in) and receive a free Chromecast, Google Home Mini, and 2 months of YouTube TV. See, solid bonuses!

Verizon's new Pixel 2, 2 XL deal

Of course, the fine print here is as nuts as you imagined, so let me try and break it down. You have to buy the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL on a device payment plan (up to $949.99) and activate it by May 30. Then, depending on the phone you trade in, you'll get up to $424.99 back, applied as a credit spread out over 24 months (2-year contract!). As for the bonuses, expect your Google Home Mini and Chromecast within 2-3 weeks (sent to billing address), and a quick sign-up of YouTube TV at tv.youtube.com. Which phones can you trade-in to get up to 50% off? There are quite a few options, actually, including phones as old as the LG G5 and HTC 10, which will at least get you 35% off. Here is the full list:

To get 50 percent off Pixel 2, trade: iPhone 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, GS8, GS8+, Note 8, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, LG G6, LG V30, Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z Force. To get 35 percent off, trade Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, Samsung GS7, Note 5, GS6, GS6 Edge, Gs6 Edge+, LG G5, LG V20, Moto Z Droid, Moto Z2 Play, HTC 10. To get 50 percent off Pixel 2 XL, trade: Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, Samsung GS8, GS8+ Note 8, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, LG V30, Moto Z2 Force. To get 35 percent off, trade iPhone 6S, 6S+, Samsung GS7/Edge, Note 5, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, LG G6, LG V20, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z Force, HTC 10.

Keep in mind that if you don't have a phone to trade, you can still buy a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL and get the free bonuses.

Verizon Deal Link

NOTE: Clarified that some phones are only a 35% off discount. Apologies for any confusion.

This Website Lets You Play With Google's Fuchsia Operating System Right Now

Kellen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 15:49:07 +0000

Google's Fuchsia operating system is a mysterious littler bugger. We know that Google continues to work on it, that it's an all-Google OS, that it'll be for phones and computers (you can try and run it on a Pixelbook right now), and that it wants to run fast and possibly be the future of computing for the search giant. But we have no idea when it's coming, what it'll look like as a finished product, etc. However, someone put together a website that brings you the current Fuchsia experience, so that you can get a feel for where Google is at and how different it is from your typical Android UX. All you have to do is head to this link. You can go there from both computer or phone, though I'd suggest phone to get that more involved experience. Once there, you may run into an error because of the number of requests it has serviced today, but the majority of the experience works. Tap on the (+) button in the bottom right and then "Guest." Give it a second and it should then load up Fuchsia. You can tap the center button to load up some settings, tap on the faux notifications to see how an app may load, scroll through what I'm assuming are placeholders for currently running apps, and....yeah, that's mostly it. Hey, the transitions are fun at least, right? Let us know what you think! Could this user experience be a nice change of pace or is this still too confusing in its current form? // reddit

Google Voice is Getting WiFi Calling and You Can Test It

Kellen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 15:26:35 +0000

Google Voice is adding WiFi Calling after all these years and Google is letting users test it right now. The feature and beta program were announced this morning, so you should still have a chance to get in and start testing. With Google Voice WiFi Calling, Google says that it'll allow you to reduce roaming charges, make calls even when you don't have good cell service (because the calls are over WiFi), and place calls from almost any device, not just phones. Right now, if you try and place a Google Voice call from the web, it asks you which phone you'd like to call from before initiating it through that phone. Going forward, you'll be able to make WiFi Calls in Google Voice within Chrome. If you decide you want to beta test, you'll be able to test on Android and the web for now, with iOS support not far behind. To get started, hit up the link below for full instructions and also fill out this form. // Google Voice Help Forum

Video: Let's Turn Your Galaxy S9 Into a Pixel 2

Kellen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:25:51 +0000

To say that I prefer the software experience on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to the software on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ is a ridiculous understatement. It's the biggest reason I won't be moving from a Pixel 2 XL to a Galaxy S9+ full-time. After reading through comments on our Galaxy S9 reviews, I get the feeling that new owners of the S9 are feeling similarly. A number of people noticed that Tim and I had a setup where our Galaxy S9 navigation buttons sure looked a lot like the Pixel buttons and wanted in on that action. I would hate for anyone to miss out on a Pixel 2 experience even if they did buy the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+, so let's talk about how to change not only the navigation buttons, but some other items as well, like launcher and apps. Let's turn that S9 into a Pixel 2. Note: This would work for any newish Samsung phone, like the Galaxy S8, Note 8, and probably the S7 line too.

Turn your Galaxy S9 into a Pixel 2

1. Install the Rootless Pixel Launcher.

The biggest change to make is going to be on the launcher front. You can always go with Nova Launcher or another advanced launcher to get the ultimate custom experience, but to keep this simple, we'll simply suggest one of the Rootless Pixel Launcher options. We've got a direct link below to get you the newest version out of XDA. This launcher is a port of a Pixel Launcher that happens to have some Android P and possible Pixel 3 features within. It includes the Google Feed side panel as well as a few other customizations that give you the right amount of power without being overwhelming. Hit that link below, install it, and then set it as your default by tapping the home button and choosing it. Download Rootless Pixel Launcher Note: We're sideloading this, so if you are new just understand that we're installing an app outside of the Google Play store. There is a security risk there and Google doesn't recommend doing this, but the developer behind this is trusted.

2. Switch to the Pixelize or PixelizeD Theme.

Once you've installed Rootless Pixel Launcher and set it as default, you'll want to head through the links below to change up your theme to a Pixel theme. This is where your notification shade and many of your apps will change color schemes to better match something that Google would release. This is also where your navigation buttons will change to the Pixel style and away from Samsung's weird line-infested buttons. We are suggesting Pixelize and PixelizeD because they do a great job of theming the right spaces, plus they are free. Tap the links below from your Galaxy S9 or S9+ to get right to their theme store listings.

Pixelize (lighter theme)
PixelizeD (darker theme)

3. Consider switching default apps, turning off notifications.

After those first two steps are done, you are basically 95% of the way there. From here, we'd recommend possibly going into your default app settings to choose apps other than Samsung's browser or messaging app (if you want the Google experience, going with Chrome and Android Messages there are good choices) and even turning off notifications from Samsung's doubled-up apps like Calendar and Messages. To get into those areas, head into Settings>Apps>Menu>Default apps or Settings>Notifications.

4. In the future, the Google Camera may arrive.

While not available yet, I think it's only a matter of time before someone ports over the Google Camera app to the Galaxy S9. At the time of this posting, one that worked well wasn't available. Should there be one, we'll update this post. Why would you want the Google Camera app over Samsung's? Because of HDR+ that Google does better than anyone, as well as Portrait mode, which again, Google basically does better than anyone. And that's it! With those steps, you can basically turn any current Samsung phone's experience into one that better resembles a Google Pixel phone experience.

Wednesday Poll: Case or No Case for Your Phone?

Tim — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:40:24 +0000

To go along with our DL mega case giveaway, which could have you score one of the nearly 100 cases we're giving away, we're asking for your take on cases. For the longest time, I wasn't a case guy. I still wouldn't consider myself a case guy, but since Samsung continues to make their phones out of glass, I feel the need to protect it. Thankfully, plenty of cases don't add much bulk and do help protect the phone from getting scratched and dinged, so using a case hasn't become very detrimental to my overall hardware experience. How about you, though? Do you use a case for your Android phone? If so, what kind do you prefer? Bulky and super protective or slim and not as protective? [poll id="477"] Again, don't forget to enter for a chance to win one of 97 cases we're giving away by following the link below. All you need to do is follow the link below, then fill out the info and tell us which phone you want a case for. For more details, check the official giveaway post here.

LINK TO GIVEAWAY

OnePlus 6 Software Will Let You Hide the Notch

Kellen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:56:20 +0000

I'm sure you are as sick of talking about display notches as we are at this point, but I have actual news surrounding the trend today as it relates to the upcoming OnePlus 6. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau shared some thoughts about the ability to be able to hide or disguise the notch via software, which is good news for those who aren't fans of the Apple-inspired display setup. In response to a comment on Lau's thread about displays and the OP6's notch, he said that because they "respect your feedback," they will add a software tweak that will allow you to "black out the background of the notifications status bar." It won't be there at launch, since it was a feature they were initially working on but scrapped. Instead, it'll arrive via software update down the road. What does that mean? Well, if you blackout the notification area, that should then give you a flat black bar up top, just as you have on most phones today. It'll disguise the area that houses the notch, though I'm assuming that the notification and status icons will stay on each side of it, only with a flip to white on top of the black bar. That make sense? Again, this won't be there at launch, so if you do buy a OnePlus 6, you will have a good opportunity to get used to the notch before deciding whether or not to ditch it. Ditch the notch or nah? // OnePlus

New Calendar, Location Shortcuts Added to SwiftKey 7.0 Toolbar

Tim — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:02:34 +0000

In mid-March, Microsoft launched SwiftKey 7.0, introducing a new toolbar feature for quickly accessing certain features for the keyboard. This week, SwiftKey is updating that toolbar with two functions the company did mention would soon arrive when they launched 7.0: The ability to share calendar events as well as your current location with just a couple of taps. For the calendar, you can now share events with contacts, such as dinner plans or work plans, all through SwiftKey's toolbar. The same goes for location. If someone needs to know where you are, you can send them the exact address of your location all from the toolbar. According to SwiftKey, this new functionality is rolling out to US users now, with additional SwiftKey markets soon to receive it. Have at it, SwiftKey fans. Google Play Link

And Finally, the US Unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ are Getting Oreo

Kellen — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:11:07 +0000

The US unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are now receiving their Oreo updates. I'm not sure why it took this long knowing that the unlocked units were one of the beta test participants, but Samsung would have you believe that they are really, really, really hard to update because networks or something. The stable build is rolling out as G950U1UEU2CRB9 for the Galaxy S8 and G955U1UEU2CRB9 for the Galaxy S8+. I'd imagine the update will be over 1GB in size, unless you are on the Oreo beta. If you are, then your update will be a smallish 248MB in size.

What's new in Oreo for the Galaxy S8?

Biometrics To improve your security, features that use biometrics (face, fingerprints, and irises) are only available when you use a secure screen lock type (pattern, PIN, or password). When you switch to a non-secure screen lock type (Swipe or None), biometric authentication is suspended for unlocking and for verification in apps like Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass. If you're using biometrics now without a secure screen lock type, you'll be able to continue after the upgrade, but changing to a secure screen lock type is recommended. Quick Panel - Manage notifications for each app with notification categories (supported apps only). - Icons will be shown at the bottom of the notification panel for notifications that aren't currently visible. Home Screen - Touch and hold an app to display shortcuts to common or recommended tasks within the app (supported apps only). - Notification badges on app icons are linked with the notification panel. Clear a notification in one location, and it will also be cleared in the other location. Samsung Keyboard - The toolbar gives quick access to useful functions. - The GIF keyboard lets you send GIFs. - More high-contrast keyboards are available. System Performance - Background services are limited to improve performance and battery life. - Currently running apps will always be shown in the notification panel. Edge screen - Improved font size, color, and other settings for better Edge panel visibility. - Touch and hold the Edge panel handle to change its position. - Added 3 more Edge lighting effects and color customization for apps. Lock Screen and Always On Display - New clock styles for the Lock screen and Always On Display. - Adjust the transparency of notifications to get the look you want. Smart View - Let your phone's screen go dark when mirroring to another screen. Samsung account - Control your account settings and profile information for multiple apps. - Tap your profile picture on the main Settings page to access your profile information and account settings. Samsung Cloud - View and manage photos and notes stored only in Samsung Cloud. - Store any type of file in Samsung Cloud Drive. - Select specific items to delete or restore from your backups. - See how big each backup is and how many items it contains. Samsung Dual Messenger - Install a second copy of a messaging app so you can use two accounts at the same time. For apps that verify accounts using phone numbers, you'll need a different phone number for each account. - Touch and hold a messaging app on the Home or Apps screen to install the second account or go to Settings - Advanced features - Dual Messenger. Find My Mobile - Back up Secure Folder to Samsung Cloud remotely when your phone is lost. - Lock Samsung Pass using Find My Mobile. Samsung DeX - See more apps at once by changing the app list view to full-screen. - Use Game launcher in Samsung DeX for a full-screen gaming experience. - Added support for 2 additional Samsung covers (LED View Cover, Clear View Standing Cover). Other improvements - Bluetooth now supports high-quality audio codecs, including AAC and Sony LDAC. - Video player includes auto repeat and 2x speed option. - Voice Recorder provides smart tips to conveniently block calls while recording. - Email lets you flag Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync emails. - Samsung Health's new sticky notification lets you see your step count at a glance. - Clock now includes a Landscape mode and timer sound options. - The digital clock widget goes directly to the Clock app when you tap it. - Samsung Pass added the ability to manage usernames and passwords in third-party apps.

To check for the update, head into Settings>Software update. I think that covers just about all of the S8s and Note 8s at this point, so we'll probably set our sights on the Galaxy S7. 🙃

Cheers Steven, Brian, me, and everyone else!

Verizon Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, Moto Z2 Force, and Moto E4 Pick-Up Updates

Kellen — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 14:05:53 +0000

New month, fresh updates.

Verizon began pushing out another wave of updates to kick off the month. The recipients this time are the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, as well as the Moto Z2 Force and Moto E4. All are March security patches, which is fine. The new software versions for each phone will be:

Samsung Galaxy S7: G930VVRU4BRC2
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: G935VVRU4BRC2
Motorola Moto Z2 Force: ODXS27.109-34-7
Motorola Moto E4: NDQS26.69-64-2

To check for updates, head into Settings>System update. // Verizon [2] [3] [4]

A Mid-Range Google Pixel Phone Could be Sweet

Kellen — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 12:51:12 +0000

Google has spent the better part of the past two years building out a legitimate hardware portfolio that covers almost all of your entertainment and tech needs. You've got the Pixelbook for heavy lifting, Google Home line for tunes and help around the crib, WiFi for whole-home connectivity, Chromecast for media consumption, Clips for weirdness, Pixel Buds for on-the-go beats, and of course, the Pixel phones for your daily do-it-all devices. Still, if Google wants to become a hardware king and compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple, it should probably consider a phone that is more accessible to more people. According to the Economic Times out of India, they may be doing just that with the launch of a mid-range Pixel phone this summer. The report from Economic Times suggests that Google will push this phone into India and other price-sensitive markets and that's basically as far as they go. They don't suggest a price or what level of mid-range we're talking about either, only that the phone could hit India around July or August. Since there isn't much else there, let's talk about a mid-range Pixel and what that could mean, because I think it could be pretty sweet.

I'd take a mid-range Pixel phone

When I hear "mid-range Pixel," I basically think about the Moto X4. While I didn't love any of the Moto X4 variants during my review last year because of performance issues, the thought of a $300-$400 Pixel phone setup like the Android One Moto X4 is a glorious one. We're talking about an affordable Pixel experience, with the custom Android version from Google, the styling of Pixel, connectivity with all carriers, all the updates your boy could ask for, and quite possibly, a set of specs that everyone could get behind. You see, with a Pixel-branded phone, that would mean designed by Google from top to bottom. So you would have Google fine-tuning a Snapdragon 630 or other mid-range processor to get the most out of Android. If Motorola can do it as well as they do with their Moto G line, I'd imagine that Google could take that a step further. And think about the camera? While the camera would likely be a step lower than the flagship Pixel 2 and 2 XL, there is a good possibility that Google's camera magic will be baked right in and offer a similar experience. I bet a few people would buy a decently-priced phone with a camera as good, if not better, than most flagships.

Would Google sell it here?

Probably. Why wouldn't they? I can't really think of a Google device was made in recent years that wasn't sold in the US. Even though Economic Times is talking about India, that doesn't mean Google won't sell this mid-range Pixel phone unlocked through the Google Store, on Project Fi, through Best Buy or a particular carrier. If Google wants to continue growing, they should work on doing so here as well as around the world. On a related note, you'll recall that a reliable source of ours told us to expect three Pixel devices this year, two that are "premium" and another that is "high" end. Another way to look at that could be the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, along with a third Pixel phone that is a level below. Would you buy a more affordable Pixel phone? // Economic Times

Google Revamps Searching for Movies, Theaters on Your Mobile Phone

Tim — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 12:43:48 +0000

Google is all about making normal things we do more easy via our smartphones and Google Search. This week, the company is introducing slight changes to the way we go about looking up movies and showtimes inside of Google Search. Moving forward, whenever you search for "showtimes" or "movies," you'll see a list of Movie Showtimes. From here, you can now filter your searches based on the date, genre, screen type (IMAX, 3D, etc.), ratings, critic scores, theater chains, language, and time. Furthermore, you can look at specific theaters near you. When this tab is selected, you'll be shown all of the theaters around you, plus how many movies they are showing. Once a theater is chosen, you can choose which movie and which showtime, then of course, are offered a link directly to Fandango for ticket purchasing. It's a pretty streamlined experience, and come to think of it, I should probably go see Ready Player One. // Google

ANOTHER DL MEGA CASE GIVEAWAY: We Have 97 Cases That Need New Homes (Ended)

Tim — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 11:10:48 +0000

Phone cases are cool. Even cooler? Free phone cases! Just as we did a while back, where we gave away 80 some odd phone cases, we're back this year with another 97 cases that are in need of new homes. We have cases for all sorts of phones, specifically the LG G5, LG G6, LG V30, HTC 10, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL. It's a serious amount of cases and we need your help getting rid of them. The cases are from brands you know and love, too. You'll find Spigen, Patchworks, Speck, and even OtterBox in there. Some have been briefly reviewed or fondled for a few minutes, but most are brand new and have never been out of the box. I hope if you win one and it has been touched by a finger or two, you won’t mind. After all, it’s a free case. So what do you say? Who wants a free case?

This is how to enter to win a free case.

In order to get one, we are going to try and keep this dead simple. Below, you’ll find a link to a Google Form (survey) that you will need to fill out. The survey will ask which phone you own (so we can get you the correct case) and what your shipping info is. It will also require you to login with a Google account. You can only submit a response once that way, so make sure you submit one for the correct phone. Because we have so many cases to giveaway, this is the most efficient way for us to do this. If you don’t feel comfortable filling out this private survey whose results only we (Kellen and myself) have access to, I fully understand. If you don’t feel like submitting a response with a Google account, I also understand. But that’s how this is going down, because again, we want this to be simple in the end, so that we can easily choose winners and get them shipped out. Obviously, we have about 100 cases, but there could be more than 100 entries. Not everyone will win. If you win, you’ll know because you’ll receive a random case in the mail for the phone you selected. If you receive nothing, then you didn’t win. We’ll do our best to mail all cases out within the next week. Once the survey and giveaway are over with (meaning we sent all cases out), we will delete the survey responses. We have no need for your addresses other than to giveaway some cases that are taking up space in our office. This is a US only giveaway. Sorry, forgot to say that initially. All good? Click the link below and fill out the simple survey in order to enter for a chance to win. Update: We have all the entires we will need. Thank you and be on the lookout for a case to possibly hit your mailbox soon.

LINK TO SURVEY

Unlocked Galaxy Note 8 Getting Oreo Update Too

Kellen — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:52:56 +0000

And now the unlocked US Galaxy Note 8 is getting its Oreo update! Like the Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint models, this not only includes Android 8.0, but Samsung Experience 9.0 too. This update rolls out as build N950U1UEU3CRC1 and weighs in at 1.1GB. To find out what's new, this post has a lengthy Samsung changelog for Oreo. You'll get improved biometrics, notification dots, better management of notifications, access to Android's autofill, picture-in-picture, background app limits to help with battery life, and more. To grab it, head into Settings>Software update.

Cheers Luckar, @markm_io, @windroidguy, and everyone else!

Looking For a Dropbox Alternative? We’ve Got 4 Suggestions [Sponsored]

Sponsor — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:27:04 +0000

This sponsored post was written by StackCommerce.

Like Kleenex, Band-Aid, and Thermos before them, Dropbox wants to be the brand name synonymous with cloud services. As in, “hold on... let me go Dropbox this video.” And with over a decade on the beat and more than 500 million users, Dropbox has earned its position as the market leader among cloud storage providers. But Dropbox competitors continue to crop up for a reason. Heavy cloud users will let you in on the dirty little secret: there are some prominent holes in Dropbox’s game. StackSocial has carved out a niche as well, scouring the web to compile all the best deals on and early-bird access to top-notch gadgets, apps, web services and other tech-related goodies. Right now, they’re offering up discounts from 60 to over 90 percent on four cloud storage alternatives that not only rival Dropbox but surpass the cloud titan in some key areas. Want uncapped bandwidth? Try Zoolz ($49.99, 2TB lifetime plan; over 90 percent off)

If your team shares lots of files or if you traffick regularly in videos and other hefty-sized transfers, Dropbox’s 200GB per day/6TB per month data caps should concern you. You'll have no such worries with London-based Zoolz, who put absolutely no daily or monthly limits on file size or transfer speeds. That guarantee ensures you can push data back and forth through the cloud as hard as your data plan will allow. Meanwhile, Zoolz’s “Tribrid” Backup system balances instant, cold and local storage needs for prioritized distribution of your data for peak protection and service at the lowest possible price. A $3,600 value, a lifetime of Zoolz Cloud service with 2TB of storage space is only $49.99 right now. Want elite-level security? Try pCloud ($29.99, 2TB 1-year plan; 68 percent off)

How does Switzerland-born upstart pCloud (6 million worldwide users) outclass the Dropbox behemoth in the ultra-critical area of data protection? Four words: end to end encryption. Dropbox uses 128-bit AES and TLS/SSL to encrypt files before they’re uploaded, then performs the process all over again once your data is on their server. Meanwhile, pCloud employs even faster 256-bit AES, “zero-knowledge” encryption. With pCloud’s Crypto add-on, all your data is encrypted right on your system before it travels anywhere — and it doesn’t get decrypted until you decide to download it back to your device. Dropbox’s process means your files can (and are) viewable by the company, but pCloud offers end to end coverage that’s virtually impregnable, even by pCloud itself. A one-year subscription for 2TB of pCloud storage is available now for just $29.99. Want to back up your device? Try IDrive ($19.99, Unlimited backup lifetime plan; 60 percent off)

Assuming you’ve got the storage space, Dropbox does allow you to backup the critical components of your mobile device’s operating system. However, that backup comes with a very significant caveat: it doesn’t copy your file structure. And without that structure in place, booting up and running your backed up OS is virtually impossible. California’s IDrive was designed with backup drive storage in mind. While they’ll absolutely store all your different folders and files in the cloud, they’ll also maintain your device’s unique file structure so you can quickly rebuild or reinstall it from the backup when necessary. If one of your primary cloud priorities is to create rock-solid backups that sync effortlessly to your device data to make sure none of that data gets lost or stolen, you’re looking right in IDrive’s wheelhouse. IDrive currently offers an unlimited mobile backup plan covering up to five devices for life for only $19.99. Want more space for your money? Try Degoo ($64.99, 3TB lifetime plan; over 90 percent off)

We all love speedy service, top-notch security, nifty features and the rest. But let’s face facts — cost is, has been and always will be a prime factor in any purchase. So when assessing a cloud service, you’ll likely come back to a simple equation: how much cloud space do I get for the price? For Dropbox Plus service (its most basic service tier), you can expect to spend about $99 a year for 1TB of cloud storage. Then there’s Degoo, the Swedish company who made a name for themselves offering an unprecedented 100GB of entirely free storage space. While spacious, that’s not enough room to cover backups on many of today’s devices. So instead, Degoo has a plan that’s triple the size of Dropbox Plus (3TB) for a much longer term (lifetime access) for less than Dropbox’s annual price — $64.99. That includes a recent price drop that slashes an additional $9 off the total. Degoo sports high speeds and premium security like Dropbox, but at a price that makes the decision a somewhat stark contrast.

OnePlus 6 Specs Include Snapdragon 845, Up to 8GB RAM and 256GB Storage

Kellen — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 09:36:48 +0000

After telling us to get ready for the OnePlus 6 and confirming that it will indeed have a notch (with a chin), OnePlus has confirmed a few of the key specs for the phone too. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau took to the OnePlus forums today to talk about those specs and how they are creating the "best possible" phone for you through a "burdenless user experience" with no unnecessary features. He's talking about a combination of processor, RAM, etc. and their simple OxygenOS skin (which we really like) that doesn't mess with stock Android much, but still manages to enhance it just the right amount both in terms of features and performance. With the OnePlus 6, they'll continue that by bringing all the power. He also talked about a special R&D team at OnePlus called Team FSE (Fast, Stable, Efficient) that focuses "solely on maximizing the power of [their] flagship devices." In other words, Team FSE attempts to bring the "fastest, and smoothest, user experience available." To get that experience, Lau said that the OnePlus 6 will run a Snapdragon 845 (shocker) and include up to 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Since he went with "up to" there, that should mean a 6GB RAM option with 128GB or 64GB of storage available too. Yeah, I'd say that's plenty of the right stuff to get us going. If you have ever used a OnePlus phone, all of this performance talk should make a lot of sense. There are few phones that run Android as smoothly as a OnePlus phone. With the OnePlus 6, should expect nothing different. // OnePlus

Report: LG G7 "Mystery Button" is Your Worst Nightmare, a Dedicated AI Button

Tim — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 09:12:50 +0000

To put the news I'm about to share with you all into context, let's go back to last year. When Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and S8+, they decided to incorporate a dedicated hardware button for Bixby, right below the volume rocker on the left side, allowing users to access the company's digital assistant more quickly. As it turns out, many people don't care for Bixby, meaning that the button either goes completely unused or has been manually remapped by now to open up some other application. Long story short, Samsung added a dedicated hardware button for Bixby, but it seems most people end up disabling it within a couple days. Yesterday, we got a new look at the LG G7, via a CAD-based render video. For those who don't realize the significance of CAD renders, they are based on the exact measurements that are sent out to case makers which allows them to have accessories ready to go for when the device hits the market. Inside that video, we got to see what appears to be a dedicated hardware button, right below the volume rocker. Detailed in a new report straight from South Korea, it looks as though that mystery button is the sum of our worst fears, being that LG has decided to incorporate its own AI digital assistant into the G7 and has gone ahead and placed a hardware button on the side of the phone for all of us to accidentally press and get frustrated with. For the AI aspect, we assume it be essentially the same thing LG announced with the V30S ThinQ. That includes Voice AI, which is a set of voice commands tailored to the device, AI CAM for scene scanning then the recommendation of shooting modes and QR code scanning (😒), as well as an ability to recognize products inside of a picture that can lead you where to find said product online for purchase. For branding, the report claims we will see names such as Q Lens and Q Voice for these features. Now, don't get me wrong, we'll definitely open our arms to these features so as to get a good sense for how well they have been developed and implemented, but let's just say our hopes are not high. As I mentioned, Samsung's dedicated Bixby button gets absolutely zero usage in my household, so LG has a ways to go in convincing me it's something I want. According to ETNews, the LG G7 will launch late April in Korea, followed by a global release. // ETNews

DEAL: Motorola Shaves $150 Off Moto Z2 Play, $100 Off Moto X4 and G5S Plus

Kellen — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 08:00:20 +0000

Likely because they need to clean house before releasing the Moto G6 (it's actually billed as a 45-year anniversary sale), Motorola has dropped the prices on a few of its best budget-friendly phones today. At up to 30% off, you can grab the Moto G5S Plus, Moto X4, or Moto Z2 Play with substantial discounts. The Moto G5S Plus with 64GB storage and Moto X4 are both $100 off ($249.99 and $299.99). If you want a Moto Z phone, the Moto Z2 Play with Moto Mods support is $150 off ($349.99). If none of those phones sound appealing, Motorola has also dropped $75 off the Moto G5 Plus, $40 off the Moto E4 Plus, and 25% off Moto Mods. All of these phones have universal US wireless carrier support, so they'll work on all of the big carriers, including Verizon. The sale lasts until April 4 at 11:59PM CT. Motorola Links:

Moto Z2 Play ($349.99)
Moto X4 ($299.99)
Moto G5S Plus 64GB ($249.99)
Moto Mods (25% off)

DEAL: Huawei Mate 10 Pro Price Down to $650 ($150 Off), Mate SE to $229 ($20 Off) for Limited Time

Tim — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 15:49:58 +0000

Starting this week to April 14, buyers can get a Huawei Mate 10 Pro or Mate SE at a discounted price via Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. For pricing, the Mate 10 Pro is dropping to $650 during this limited time, which is $150 off. For the Mate SE, its price is dropping $229, which is $20 off. In case you missed it, we recently published our full Mate 10 Pro review, taking away that it has a great camera experience and hardware appeal, but the software does leaving us wanting. However, with Android being the way it is, changing up your UI isn't all too difficult. If you're looking to score this device or the less expensive Mate SE at a discounted rate, have at it. Purchase Links Amazon

Best Buy

Mate 10 Pro
Mate SE (Price change not live yet)

Newegg

Mate 10 Pro
Mate SE (Price change not live yet)

Question of the Day: Samsung Fans, Why are You OK With Waiting This Long for Updates?

Kellen — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 14:30:10 +0000

We've spent much of the past two weeks talking about Samsung's 2017 phones getting their big updates to Android 8.0 "Oreo" and Samsung Experience 9.0. It's been fun re-hashing features from a version of Android that was first announced a year ago in preview before reaching stable over 7 months ago. That's sarcasm, by the way. All of these updates got me thinking last night - I wonder why Samsung fans put up with this? And when I ask that now openly to you, I'm doing so in a serious manner. I'm genuinely curious why it is that with all of the talk about Samsung being terrible at updating phones to the new versions of Android, that you are cool with continuing to buy their products? Is it because of the hardware and design, set of specs and features, or the custom skin that Samsung uses outweighs the need for the newest version of Android? Is it a brand loyalty thing? Something else? Let us know.

DEAL: Get AUKEY USB-C Power Delivery Chargers at a Good Discount Thanks to These Coupon Codes

Tim — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 13:20:02 +0000

AUKEY has been one of the accessory makers producing quality chargers and other various accessories for Android devices for some time, even getting the thumbs up from the USB-C grand master Benson Leung. If he says it's a good charger, meeting all the various tech compliances set forth, then you know it must be legit. If you have been in need of a new wall charger or car charger, AUKEY has many options available on Amazon, and with the help of a few coupon codes we have, you can score them at a great price. In particular, we have codes for two types of USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 wall chargers (one with a single port and one with a dual USB-C port setup), as well as a USB-C car charger. Curious what Power Delivery is? It's a safer, quicker charging solution to power not just phones and tablets, but even laptop computers. Versus a standard 5W charger, Power Delivery (or PD, for short) can charge any given device up to 70% faster. Meanwhile, it's safer because the chipset inside these chargers automatically detects the attached device, delivering the exact power required for a fast charge, but not too much so as not to damage circuitry. For pricing, the dual port charger usually costs $35, but with the code, the price goes down to $26.24. For the single port charger, it typically runs $22, but you can get it for $16.93 with the code. Lastly, the car charger is usually $20, but thanks to the code, you can get it for $15. All items are eligible for Amazon Prime, so if you order today, you can have them later this week. Take note, these coupon codes are set to expire April 6, so get those orders in before expiration. Amazon Links

USB-C Charger 46W PD 3.0 - $26.24 with code AUKEYPD0
USB-C Charger 27W PD 3.0 - $16.93 with code AUKEYPD8
USB-C Car Charger 27W - $14.99 with code AUKEYPD9

OnePlus Tells Us to Get Ready for OnePlus 6

Tim — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 11:45:47 +0000

In a tweet sent this morning, OnePlus has gone ahead and confirmed that its next flagship will definitely be called the OnePlus 6. Shocking development, I know, considering the name has seemingly been official since last month's interview Carl Pei did with The Verge. Along with that, the company is using a tagline for the phone or maybe just a hype phrase for the tweet declaring, "The Speed You Need." This could be in reference to the Snapdragon 845 processor we expect to see or maybe the speed of the camera, we don't know. The tweet doesn't provide anything else -- no launch date, no pricing, no nothing. But yes, it'll be called the OnePlus 6. Sweet. https://twitter.com/oneplus/status/980822167255441408

ESPN+ Will Launch April 12 Priced at $4.99/Month, Features Live Sports and Original Content

Tim — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 10:35:40 +0000

This past February, we learned that ESPN+ would launch this spring for the price of $4.99/month. Today, we're learning that the service will launch April 12 to be exact, along with a "redesigned and reimagined" ESPN app. According to the announcement, ESPN+ will feature an absolute ton of stuff, including live sports, on-demand programming, original content, plus an entire library of sports-related goodness to consume. Here's what you need to know with regard to accessing ESPN+ once it is launched.

ESPN+ will be an integrated part of a completely redesigned and reimagined ESPN App that will be the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. ESPN+ will also be available through ESPN.com. The new ESPN App and ESPN+ showcase the culture of breakthrough innovation at ESPN and across The Walt Disney Company.

As which live sports you will get through ESPN+, the announcement specifically mentions MLB games, NHL matches, boxing bouts, MLS snoozefests, PGA tournaments, Tennis Grand Slams, plus thousands of college sports matchups. ESPN also mentions that diehard baseball fans can subscribe to the MLB.TV Out of Market service for $24.99/month, directly through the ESPN app. Speaking on the app, we don't know exactly when the new app will launch (we assume ahead of April 12), but ESPN does mention the new app can be highly personalized to each user and that the, "reimagined ESPN App will be the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans." Again, ESPN+ will launch later this month for $4.99/month or $49.99/year. // ESPN

April's Android Security Update Goes Live for Nexus, Pixel Devices (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 10:09:47 +0000

Google just dropped the April 2018 security patch for Nexus and Pixel devices on us. At this time, we already have both factory image and OTA files, so choose whichever works best for you if you don’t feel like waiting for the update to show up on your device. So far, we are seeing new 8.1.0 files for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL (OPM2.171019.029, OPM4.171019.015.A1), Pixel and Pixel XL (OPM2.171019.029), Nexus 6P (OPM3.171019.019, OPM5.171019.019), Nexus 5X (OPM2.171019.029), and Pixel C (OPM1.171019.026). From what we can tell, there is only an April 5 security patch level for this month. Update notes:

Google has not provided a difference between the two Nexus 6P builds. Should they, we'll update this post.
UPDATE 4/9 Google posted a new OPM4.171019.015.A1 build for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. This new build is for users on Telus and Koodo.

Functional updates for Pixel/Nexus: [table id=123 responsive=scroll /] You can grab each image or OTA file at the links below. For instructions on how to flash a factory image, here you go. For instructions on how to flash an OTA .zip file, here you go. As more files arrive as well as additional details, we’ll update this post. Links:

LG G7 CAD-Based Render Details 6" Bezel-Less Display and Dual Cameras, Oh, Plus a Notch

Tim — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 10:04:20 +0000

In a new video published this weekend, OnLeaks and TheMrPhone are providing us with a 360-degree look at what could be the LG G7, with a few changes I think you're going to be interested in. For starters, let's go ahead and talk about the notch. According to TheMrPhone, the LG G7 will sport a 6" bezel-less display, complete with display cutout. To go along with that notch, there is a little bit of bottom chin and top forehead, meaning LG isn't going quite iPhone X clone. Besides the notch, there is a button addition that has even TheMrPhone a little confused. Apparently, the G7 has a button where you'd typically find a Power button on the right side, as well as a separate button on the left side, directly under the volume up and down rocker. It's the same setup as found on the Galaxy S9, but LG doesn't have a pre-loaded digital assistant to cram down our throats, at least that we know of. It's speculated that LG has done away with the fingerprint reader doubling as the power button, but that still doesn't account for the extra button below the volume rocker. Ugh, I really do hate mystery buttons. Other notable things include the vertical dual camera setup, LED flash, USB Type-C port, plus a headphone jack. What these renders cannot tell us is if the G7 will sport dual stereo speakers. If LG does what Samsung did this year, where they have the earpiece doubling as a speaker, then it's entirely possible. Watch the video, breathe deeply, then share your thoughts down below. // Mr Phone

Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, and S6 Active Won't Receive Anymore Security Updates (Updated)

Tim — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 09:00:01 +0000

According to Samsung's security website, the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, and Galaxy S6 Active are done receiving Android security updates.

UPDATE 4/2 (6:31PM): Samsung added the S6 Edge+ and S6 Active back to their security update list tonight after having removed them for almost a day. That could be (and likely is) because those two phones aren't quite 3 years old like the S6 and S6 Edge are.

First launched in April of 2015, the Galaxy S6 lineup was released with Lollipop, but through a series of updates over the past couple years, it appears the phone will be laid to rest running Nougat. As for security updates, this series should be running February's security patch, which isn't bad at all. That's nearly three years of patches, so props to Samsung for that. Because these phones won't see any new security updates or major OS updates, it may be time to upgrade if you're still running one of these devices. If bumping up to the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ has been on your mind, check out our full review. RIP, Galaxy S6 lineup. // Samsung

Moto G6 Shows Up at Fry's With $250 Price, May Launch

Kellen — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 08:20:29 +0000

As we mentioned at the end of last week, the Moto G6 family must be days away from an unveiling. In fact, it's looking more and more like April 3 (tomorrow) might be the day, as has been suggested on promotional imagery since we first outed them back in January. After retail listings showed up for each phone from an overseas retailer, Fry's outed both the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play over the weekend. We didn't necessarily learn anything new in terms of specs. The info Fry's provided matches up to that story we broke in January, so we're good there. What the Fry's listing did tell us is price and possible launch date. The Moto G6 with 32GB of storage is listed at $249.99 with a "ship by" date of May 10. The Moto G6 Play is listed at $199.99 with a "ship by" date of May 17. The Moto G6 Plus wasn't listed. However, I'd expect the price to come in close to $300.

Moto G6

Moto G6 Play

Moto G6 Specs

[table id=122 responsive=scroll /] // Fry's [2]

T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8 Joins the Oreo Update Party

Kellen — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 07:29:34 +0000

Following AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint Galaxy Note 8 units picking up updates to Oreo last week, T-Mobile joined the fun over the weekend. The update sure seems to be live for everyone who owns it, as a number of readers let us know about it. The T-Mobile Galaxy Note 8's update is a solid 1.3GB in size and arrives as software version N950USQU3CRC2. It's Android 8.0, like the others, as well as the March security patch. Want to know what’s new with Oreo on the Note 8? This changelog from the Galaxy S8’s Oreo update offers a good list of the changes. If reading through that sounds like hell, well, be on the lookout for picture-in-picture with apps like YouTube, notification dots on icons, limits on background tasks to help with battery life, an improved Edge panel and Always On Display, that sort of thing. You can see a list of a few of the changes below. To grab the update, head into Settings>Software update.

Cheers Jeff, Mark, @DJTopherLee, and everyone else!

Weekly Recap: Easter Bunny x S9 Reviews

Kellen — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 15:14:17 +0000

Another big week around these parts! We posted both written and video reviews of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. Our opinions on both are probably what most expected, even if Samsung fankids are throwing some fits. Overall, we found both to be really good phones, but maybe not our preferred cup of tea. And that's fine! Outside of S9 talk, we learned a lot about the OnePlus 6, drooled over the Huawei P20 Pro, got a small supposed taste of the Pixel 3, and are expecting the Moto G6 at any moment now. Be sure to catch up on all the biggest Android news below!

Time to dominate some egg hunts.

Always On Display for Galaxy S8, Note 8 Updated to Support GIFs

Tim — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 13:43:24 +0000

An update for Always On Display on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8 includes GIF support, just as it is on the new Galaxy S9 and S9+. With this, users can select from a number of fancy preloaded GIF animations to play on their Always On Display, but it appears you should also be able to use whatever GIF you want that's loaded onto your device. Memelords, today is your day. To start utilizing this on your newly supported phone, head into the Always On Display settings and select the option that shows a "+" symbol for adding your own photo. From there, find the perfect GIF, then apply it. I'm gonna rock this toaster GIF for a bit.

// SamMobile

You can Download and Use the Pixel 3's Double Bubble Launcher Right Now

Kellen — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 13:25:58 +0000

Yesterday, the folks at XDA discovered what they believed to be a new Pixel Launcher search bar style that was being built for the upcoming Pixel 3 or Pixel 2018. It featured a double bubble layout, with the microphone for Google Assistant sitting on its own next to the manual search bar. Thanks to the Rootless Pixel Launcher that anyone can install to get the Pixel experience, we can now have that supposed Pixel 3 setup. The new version is a modded version of Rootless Pixel Launcher that drops in as v5.2.0. Once installed, you will have to long-press on your home screen and choose Home Settings>Customizations>New search bar style, in order to switch to this new style. If you run into issues, that could be because you have an older version of Rootless Pixel Launcher installed. You may need to uninstall, then re-install this new version. Also, you will need to be running at least Android 7.0. You can download the Rootless Pixel 2 .apk right here. // XDA

Podcast: Galaxy S9 Reviews are In!

Kellen — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 09:59:15 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we're sharing those final thoughts on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+! Both written and video reviews are in, so you'll want to tune in to find out if we're sticking with either phone going forward. After that we'll move on to Huawei's new P20 and P20 Pro, because that P20 Pro camera looks nuts. We'll also dive into LG asking about notches, OnePlus starting to confirm OnePlus 6 details, Chrome OS tablets, and more! Oh, you want trivia again? We’ve got trivia again! We’ll open the show at 10:30AM Pacific (1:30PM Eastern). If you miss us live and/or want the audio version of our podcast, you can subscribe through the various links below.

MyFitnessPal Informs Users of Data Breach, Usernames and Passwords Compromised

Tim — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 09:38:54 +0000

Yesterday, MyFitnessPal announced a data breach, one that affects its database of usernames, email addresses, and passwords associated with those accounts (the majority with the hashing function called bcrypt used to secure passwords). While MyFitnessPal investigates the breach, it is recommending that all users change up their account passwords immediately. And, if your account's username and password is the same for multiple accounts, you better go and change those other account passwords, too. Here is MyFitnessPal's post in its entirety.

To the MyFitnessPal Community: We are writing to notify you about an issue that may involve your MyFitnessPal account information. We understand that you value your privacy and we take the protection of your information seriously.
What Happened?
On March 25, 2018, we became aware that during February of this year an unauthorized party acquired data associated with MyFitnessPal user accounts.
What Information Was Involved?
The affected information included usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords - the majority with the hashing function called bcrypt used to secure passwords.
What We Are Doing
Once we became aware, we quickly took steps to determine the nature and scope of the issue. We are working with leading data security firms to assist in our investigation. We have also notified and are coordinating with law enforcement authorities. We are taking steps to protect our community, including the following:

We are notifying MyFitnessPal users to provide information on how they can protect their data.

We will be requiring MyFitnessPal users to change their passwords and urge users to do so immediately.

We continue to monitor for suspicious activity and to coordinate with law enforcement authorities.

We continue to make enhancements to our systems to detect and prevent unauthorized access to user information.

What You Can Do
We take our obligation to safeguard your personal data very seriously and are alerting you about this issue so you can take steps to help protect your information. We recommend you:

Change your password for any other account on which you used the same or similar information used for your MyFitnessPal account.

Review your accounts for suspicious activity.

Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal data or refer you to a web page asking for personal data.

Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.

For More Information
For more information, please go to https://content.myfitnesspal.com/security-information/FAQ.html. Sincerely, Paul Fipps Chief Digital Officer

// MyFitnessPal

Video: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ Review

Kellen — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 09:26:01 +0000

After posting our Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ written review earlier in the week, our video version is now ready for those ~~who can't read~~ like visuals. It's the overview of sorts, where we dive into some good, some bad, and share the (well, my) general takeway after spending a couple of weeks with both phones. My thoughts on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are similar to Tim's. I enjoyed the camera, think the phones are ridiculously pretty, was impressed by performance, can easily admit that no one else puts together a full package quite like Samsung, and am quite shocked at the pricing (for the unlocked models). The differences between us are really just in the battery department, where I ran into nothing but shaky battery life on both phones. I also point out in the video that I just can't take much more of this fragile, scratch-magnet glass covering that companies keep using and that software is key these days to making a phone decision, because everyone makes good hardware and has good enough cameras. For the dirty details, you really should read the full written review. But if you just want the general 🔥 or to see if the Galaxy S9 will replace the Pixel 2 XL in my pocket (it is my iPhone), this video version is ready. Enjoy!

Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play Hit Retailer, Revealing Almost All Details

Kellen — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 08:03:18 +0000

Back in January, we revealed almost all of Motorola's 2018 line-up, including the upcoming Moto G6 family. In that reveal, we showed you the Moto G6, G6 Plus, and G6 Play, along with a number of specs. Today, most of that has been confirmed, thanks to a retailer who jumped the gun a bit. Even the images we posted are now official. So what's the story? Well, we don't know when Motorola is going to announce these, but if these stuff is showing up at retailers in full, we must be close. The Moto G6 family is looking to be another top notch mid-tier line of phones that'll satisfy any budget. Assuming these phones will carry on the legacy of past G series Motorola phones, I'd expect them to be really, really good. Up top, you'll find a picture of the Moto G6 Plus followed by the G6 and G6 Play below. Again, we showed you these images months ago.

Moto G6

Moto G6 Play

With this new G6 line, Motorola is diving into the 2:1 or 18:9 display ratio game, trimming bezels, and adding the 3D glass from the Moto X4. We've got fingerprint readers on the bottom fronts of the G6 and G6 Plus, along with dual cameras on their backs. The G6 Play only features a single camera and what appears to be a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. We've got upgrades in specs (new Snapdragon processors, what should be better cameras, decent sized batteries, etc.), which you can see in the table below. Only thing we need now is pricing and a release date. April 3 is blasted on the images as a possible date to keep an eye on, but again, that was there in January when we first shared these.

Moto G6, G6 Plus, G6 Play Specs

[table id=122 responsive=scroll /] // Alza [2] [3] | Fone Arena

Verizon Galaxy Note 8 Gets Oreo Update (Updated: Sprint Too!)

Kellen — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 00:06:22 +0000

Verizon is pushing an Oreo update to the Galaxy Note 8 tonight! A number of our readers all picked up the update by heading into Settings>Software update, so it should be live for all. The update is similar to the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update that went out to AT&T owners earlier in the week, though. It includes Android 8.0, Samsung Experience 9.0, the March security patch, and build version N950USQU3CRC2. Want to know what's new? This changelog from the Galaxy S8's Oreo update should cover just about everything. If that sounds like work, well, be on the lookout for picture-in-picture with apps like YouTube, notification dots on icons, limits on background tasks to help with battery life, that sort of thing. We'll update this post shortly! UPDATE: We've got the build! UPDATE 2: Sprint users in the comments and on Twitter have picked up the Oreo update too. I guess that only leaves T-Mobile at this point.

Cheers Glenn, Nick, Randy, Rick, Kevin, and James!

The Room: Old Sins Gets an Android Launch Date, April 19

Tim — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 15:29:58 +0000

It's been over two years since the last The Room title launched for Android, with The Room Three launching January 8, 2016. This week, the makers behind the very popular series confirmed that The Room: Old Sins will launch for Android on April 19. The game has been available for iOS since early this year, but at long last, the developers say, "A massive thank you goes out to our Android fans for staying patient and supportive throughout the final weeks of development." As of right now, The Room: Old Sins holds a 4.9 star rating on Apple's App Store, which makes me even more excited for its launch. According to the studio, pre-registration and even beta information will be announced soon, so keep an eye on their Twitter if you're hoping to play it early on your Android device. // Fireproof Games

Google is Testing a Funky 'Double Bubble' Search Bar for the Pixel Launcher

Tim — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 13:56:28 +0000

Thanks to the top shelf folks at XDA, we're getting a look at something Google appears to be testing on the Pixel Launcher, the standard launcher app that comes with its Pixel devices. Apparently, Google loves to mess with our search bar. If you'll recall, they recently placed the word "Search..." on the bar, which ruffled our feathers just a bit. Thankfully, that change was reverted. Now, it appears the company wants to split the Search bubble into two bubbles, making it a double bubble. You'd have the dedicated bubble for text searches, plus a separate bubble for voice searches. You can see this double bubble in action via the images above and below, thanks to XDA member paphonb. Again, this was only discovered via the tweaking of code found in the Pixel Launcher, meaning it's not confirmed to roll out to devices anytime soon or be there when the Pixel 3 is announced later this year. For all we know, this is Google simply testing out appearances and nothing more. However, it could also be something that will hit Pixel devices, so I don't know, freak out or jump for joy if you feel so inclined. As for me, I'm all about that double bubble life. // XDA

LG is Asking for Your Opinion on Notches, so Let's Give it to Them

Tim — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 13:01:53 +0000

There has been a whole lot of discussion concerning top notches in the Android community as of late, with some saying it's not a good look, while others don't necessarily mind the look. Regardless of your stance, the official LG Support account over on reddit is asking for the opinion of everyday Android users, opinions that will then be shared with the company's R&D department. From information that has been available since MWC in February, we believe LG's next flagship device will feature a top notch. Because we may be very close to LG's launch of this device, it's odd that they would be asking such a question, as if they had time to change whatever their plan is at this point. Here is LG's complete post from reddit.

We’ve seen a LOT of comments around “The Notch” over the past few weeks, from people who love the quick access to the menu to those that hate the wasted screen space. We would love to gather some more feedback to share with our R&D team- and this is where you come in. So…what do you think? Love the Notch? Or is it Notch your thing?

Whether you want to head on over to reddit to post your thoughts or down in our comments section (we'll link this post's comments to LG for them to see), let's go ahead and tell LG how we really feel about top notches. // reddit

Audiobooks From Google Play Get Smart Resume, Greater Speed Controls, and More

Tim — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 11:35:58 +0000

Audiobooks were launched for Google Play only a couple months ago, but already, Google is rolling out a major update that should make listening to your books a bit more easy and enjoyable. To sum up the changes, Google states there is a new feature called Smart Resume. With this, whenever you abruptly have to stop listening to an audiobook, the track will intelligently rewind to the last sentence when the stoppage occurred. This means no more losing your place. Additionally, users will have greater speed controls inside of audiobooks, with Google adding options for 3x speed to get through your book even faster, or slow books down to 0.5x. While there are other changes, the last one I'd like to mention is the ability to share your audiobook or ebook with up to five family members for free, depending on the book. According to Google, shared books can then be read on Android, iOS and the web. These and more changes are rolling out today. Google Play Link // Google

Razer Phone Going Straight to Android 8.1 Next Month, Developer Preview Available Now

Tim — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 10:12:30 +0000

The Razer Phone launched with Nougat, and ever since then, owners have been wanting that sweet update to Oreo. Announced this morning, Razer is skipping the update to Android 8.0, and will push an Android 8.1 update to the device in mid to late-April. If you don't feel like waiting around until next month, Razer has published a developer preview for the update, available to those who wish to sideload it right now. Let me warn you, though, it does involve unlocking your bootloader and having basic knowledge of using ADB commands on your computer. If you want to take the dive straight into Android 8.1 with the developer preview, follow the link below. For instructions on how to go about flashing it, look here. As soon as the update rolls out via OTA, we'll let you know! Developer Preview Download https://twitter.com/Razer/status/979395268876660736

Marvel Strike Force is Here to Consume Your Time and Take Your Money

Tim — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 09:14:46 +0000

Many of you likely hear me talk about a game called Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Well, a new title published by ForNext Games is just like that game I play on a daily basis, but instead of Star Wars characters, it's based on Marvel characters. Called Marvel Strike Force, you will collect different toons, including all of your favorite Marvel characters, then pair them up in squads to face opposing Marvel squads. As you advance in the game, your characters can become stronger with new abilities unlocked, but of course, your enemies will become stronger, too. Each character has a set role in a squad. Some are healers, tanks (have more health), attackers, etc, The main difference you'll see in this title versus Galaxy of Heroes are the combat visuals. The developer behind this game has obviously put a ton of time into making the battles appear much more cinematic, with sweet camera angles and visual effects. It's a solid looking game, but undoubtedly one that will take a very long time to progress in, with money always being an option to advance in a shorter amount of time. Marvel Strike Force is available for download right now on Google Play. Google Play Link

DEAL: Newegg has SanDisk A1 400GB MicroSD at $188 ($52 Off), 128GB Just $36

Kellen — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 08:05:03 +0000

Galaxy S9 owners (or anyone in need of massive amounts of storage), Newegg has a hell of a deal running right now on SanDisk Ultra A1 microSD cards. If you have been eyeing the 400GB card, you have a day left to get it at $52 off. Maybe that's too much storage and you'd rather access the cheaper 128GB option? It's also discounted by $4. Right now, with special coupon code, the 400GB card drops to $187.99 and the 128GB card drops to $35.99. That 400GB card is still not inexpensive by any means, but think about how cheap 128GB cards have become? Just a couple of years ago they retailed for $200 and weren't the A1 special class that was built to run Android apps. Crazy. You have until 3/30 to take advantage. Codes below.

Newegg Links:

SanDisk Ultra A1 128GB - $35.99 ($4 off)
128GB CODE: EMCPSRY57
SanDisk Ultra A1 400GB - $187.99 ($52 off)
400GB CODE: EMCPSRY58

VIDEO: Here Are a Few of the Galaxy S9, S9+ Cases and Accessories You Should Check Out

Tim — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 16:25:41 +0000

Last year for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, we published a video highlighting a few cases to help you find the proper protection for your new phone. This year is no different, with all accessory makers pushing plenty of different cases, accessories, and screen protectors for Samsung's latest flagship devices, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. In this video, we'll go over quite a few of the different models from top brands like OtterBox and Patchworks, as well as wireless and car chargers from Belkin, and even glass screen protectors. Seriously, there are a lot of different things you can buy for these phones. As you will hear near the end of this video, we'll be hosting a massive giveaway for all of this stuff. Be on the lookout for details concerning that later this week. If you're interested in purchasing any of the cases or accessories mentioned in this video, follow the links below. Patchworks

ITG for Galaxy S9
ITG for Galaxy S9+
Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy S9
Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy S9+
Wireless Charging Car Mount

Spigen

OtterBox

Speck

Lifeproof

Belkin

AT&T's LG V30 Now Getting Oreo Update Too, Adds ThinQ Features

Kellen — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 14:03:13 +0000

Following Verizon's Oreo push to the LG V30, AT&T has stepped in to do the same today. This particular update may one-up Verizon, though, as users are reporting that it includes LG's new ThinQ branding and software. AT&T's LG V30 Oreo update is a big one at around 1.8GB. It includes Android 8.0.0 as well as the March 2018 security patch, according to reddit users. Once complete, the boot screen changes to show "V30 ThinQ," plus at least one user said that they have access to LG's new AI CAM. You may recall that the newly announced LG V30S was unveiled with a lot of ThinQ and AI talk. This is LG's way of spicing up a 2017 phone with "artificial intelligence" and software enhancements. Since the internals didn't change much for the V30S, we all assumed that original V30 units would get many of the new features and that is now happening. To check for the update, head into Settings>Software update. // reddit [2]

Chrome Will Soon Let You Cast Local Files

Kellen — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:39:32 +0000

Ever wanted to Cast something from your desktop or laptop that wasn't just a tab? Google has added a new "Cast file" option to Chrome Beta that will let you Cast local audio or video files. The option isn't showing for me yet, but it will show as a Cast option when you select a source to Cast from, along with "Cast tab" and "Cast desktop." You can apparently force the feature to show using instructions found here. Google doesn't exactly recommend doing that, though, so being patient might be best here. Once there, the idea of being able to grab a local music file or video file that you'd like played on a big screen or Cast-enabled audio device would be incredibly handy. Anyone seeing it yet? // +Francois Beaufort

Google Lets Bluetooth Speakers Join the Multi-Room Google Home Party

Kellen — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:05:02 +0000

Google Home's multi-room audio feature welcomed in Bluetooth speakers to the party today. The addition means voice control over your Bluetooth speaker's volume too. Once you've paired a Bluetooth speaker through the Google Home app, going forward you'll be able to say, "Hey Google, turn up the volume" or "Shuffle my party playlist" to allow Home devices (including Mini and Max) to work their magic. Assuming you don't have a bunch of Bluetooth devices around and connected, you may not even have to say the name of the device. Those same Bluetooth devices can be added to groups for multi-room playback. From my understanding, that means groups with other Home units or Bluetooth speakers, not just Bluetooth groups. That's a pretty big deal for those not interested in buying up Chromecast Audio devices or Home units because you have multiple Bluetooth speakers on hand already, yet want music everywhere in your house, played simultaneously. To get started, make sure you have the newest Google Home app. To pair Bluetooth devices, we've got instructions here. Google Play Link // Google

Android P Comes to Wear OS in New Developer Preview

Kellen — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 11:08:33 +0000

Google just dropped a new developer preview on us, only this time it's not for phones. Instead, their rebranded wearables platform, Wear OS, is getting updated to Android P. For now, Google is only making this first Android P Wear OS preview available to the Huawei Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 Classic. If you own either and want to give it a spin, you'll find the files and setup instructions right here. In this Android P Wear OS preview, the update is supposed to introduce "Android P platform features to wearables." The list of standout features isn't jumping at me just yet, but here are a few of the details that Google provided:

Dark UI system theme: This actually showed up in a recent update, but it becomes the default in Android P. Google hopes this should "improve the glanceability for wear apps."
Limited background activity: Apps no longer run in the background unless your watch is on a charger. The only exception is watch faces and complications that are currently selected. Google says that Wear OS is going "further with Android's app standby feature than some other form factors." I guess we'll see how that plays with your app-loaded watches.
Turning off radios when off body: When you take your watch off, Wear OS will now try to turn off Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular radios to improve power consumption and extend battery life.
WiFi off when Bluetooth is disconnected: When disconnected from Bluetooth, your watch will no longer automatically switch and connect to WiFi. Like the previous bullet, this is for power consumption improvement.

We're working on getting this up and running right now, so stay tuned. We will update this should we find more goodies. Wear OS Preview 1: Release Notes // Android Developers

I'm Not Sure OnePlus Would Have Any Ideas Without Apple

Kellen — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 10:16:18 +0000

The smartphone business is a really tough business to be in these days. Most companies, even if they are able to make a good phone, can't sell any. HTC keeps posting losses on losses. LG is re-thinking its entire strategy after years of lackluster sales. Motorola keeps laying people off because of its struggling smartphone business. The list goes on. Then you have OnePlus, a company that keeps telling us they are growing and blowing past expectations and goals. They have a rabid fan base who loves their phones. Shit, we like their phones a lot. They run clean, fast Android and offer up top tier specs at a price few can match. The thing is, we're starting to notice a pattern with OnePlus - they sure do love Apple. Maybe better put, they love Apple's ideas. Now, I'm not just talking about the fact that they announced today that their upcoming flagship (likely the OnePlus 6) will sport a notch, just like Apple's iPhone X. You see, most Android manufacturers outside of Samsung are copying Apple's notch. But OnePlus seems to have no shame in admitting that they aren't just following the trend and are instead actually copying whatever Apple is doing. Let's walk through the interview that OnePlus' Carl Pei did with The Verge today. He started off by talking about how the notch on an Android phone would help move up the notification bar to give you more screen real estate to use. Hey, that's cool. He then tried to sell the OnePlus notch by taking a stab at Essential's design (which is a better design) before using the OnePlus NFC-omitting excuse-o-rama around Apple's Face ID tech, because they won't go all-in. But from there it became a chat around how amazing Apple is and that they are the trendsetter that OnePlus can't help but imitate. The OnePlus 6 will have navigation gestures, which as we showed you on video, work just like they do on the iPhone X. Pei even admitted that they might not have implemented them this quickly "if Apple hadn't done it." Same goes for the notch. Would OnePlus have done a notch on this phone before Apple? "Maybe not as fast," he said. They are moving the clock to the left side too, just like Apple does it. Their new phone, may say "Designed by OnePlus" on it. Gee, wonder who else puts that kind of branding on the bottoms of their phones? And let's not forget that with the launch of the OnePlus 5, the first phone from OnePlus with a dual camera, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said that they thought about implementing a dual camera, but decided not to. Apple then did it, so OnePlus followed and thanked them for "educating the market about the dual-camera." Also, look at this picture, then keep scrolling and look at Apple's.

Ugh.

UGH.

I can sort of understand the argument that Pei adds surrounding manufacturers offering up items that probably wouldn't exist without Apple. For example, display makers are probably pumping out as many notch displays as is possible because they know companies will want them for their phones, thanks to Apple. Is that the correct move every time, though? Do we want to all be known as followers of Apple when we're supposed to be competitors and leaders in our own right? I may just never stop beating my head on my desk for the entirety of 2018. As I've already mentioned, many of us chose Android because we weren't fans of Apple's iPhone. We want Android phones, not iPhones. At least OnePlus is keeping the headphone jack, right?

Official: Here's the OnePlus 6 Top Notch

Tim — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 09:03:33 +0000

With everyone sharing the hottest of takes concerning top notches lately, OnePlus has reached out to The Verge exclusively, letting everyone on the internet know that its next smartphone, presumably called the OnePlus 6, will definitely have a top notch and we'll all just have to deal with it. According to OnePlus' Carl Pei, the top notch is the company's way of providing more screen real estate to buyers. That's, like, the main reasoning behind it.

What you are essentially doing is moving the entire notification bar up, giving users more content on their screen.

To go along with the top notch, OnePlus is also going to incorporate its gestures, which have already been in testing and showcased by us in a recent video. Interesting, Pei doesn't shy away from the fact that without the iPhone X, a lot of what OnePlus is implementing wouldn't be happening.

We saw the implementation [of gestures] on the iPhone. Maybe it would have taken longer if Apple hadn’t done it. Maybe not as fast. But we have access to the roadmaps of all the screen manufacturers, and when they gave us the opportunity to make cutouts at the top of the screen, it just made sense.

Pei's discussion also goes into top notches and their relation to bottom chins. On the iPhone X, the phone's OLED display curves internally to allow for it to connect to the logic board on the backside. This solution is apparently quite expensive, and due to that fact, no Android OEM has attempted it. Not even Samsung who produces the displays for the iPhone X has opted for ditching the bottom chin, but as we all know, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ doesn't have a top notch. Whether you're feeling the top notch or hating on the top notch, Carl Pei has some parting words for you.

It’s a very clear decision: more real estate for the user. In conclusion, learn to love the notch.

We expect the OnePlus 6 to be announced in the near future. // The Verge

DEAL: Best Buy 1-Day Flash Sale Drops $135 Off Galaxy S8+, $20 Off SHIELD TV, More

Kellen — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 08:35:27 +0000

Did I miss something or does everyone seem to be hosting all sorts of deals this week? Either way, Best Buy is up after yesterday's eBay sale, with a full 24-hour flash sale on a number of categories of items. We're talking $135 off the unlocked Galaxy S8+, $20 off NVIDIA SHIELD TV, a Google Home Max + Home Mini bundle that essentially gives you a free Mini, $200 off Bragi's The Dash wireless earbuds, and more. Also, if you need nothing related to Android, they are also hosting huge discounts on all Macbooks. The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Best Buy 24-Hour Flash Sale:

The full deal list
Unlocked Galaxy S8+ - $689.99 ($135 off)
NVIDIA SHIELD TV with Controller - $179.99 ($20 off)
Google Home Max + Home Mini Combo - $399 ($49 off)
Google Home Mini 2-pack - $78 ($20 off)
Amazon Echo Show - $159.99 ($70 off)
Bragi The Dash True Wireless Earbuds - $99.99 ($200 off)
Jaybird RUN True Wireless Earbuds - $159.99 ($20 off)
TP-Link Kasa Cam Indoor - $109.99 ($20 off)

Xiaomi Continues to Laugh at All Your Dumb Notches With Mi MIX 2S

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 15:30:33 +0000

Xiaomi announced the Mi MIX 2S today, the 2nd generation version of the Mi MIX 2 from late 2017. You'll never be able to buy this phone in the US, but it's worth mentioning because it is a part of one of the first phone lines to usher in the all-display craze, only this line did it the best out of the gate and continues to do so here with the 2S. In fact, this design absolutely puts all of the notch copycats to shame. With the Mi MIX 2S, you've got upgrades in a couple of places. For one, it now runs a Snapdragon 845 vs. the Snapdragon 835 in the original Mi MIX 2. It also comes equipped with a dual camera with Dual Pixel technology and 1.4um, plus a bunch of image processing help from the Snapdragon 845 inside and support for Google's ARCore. It features fast wireless charging, as well as up to 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage (there will be 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB options too). The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S arrives April 3, just not in the US, because Xiaomi never sells phones here. Well, you can often buy them on Amazon eventually, I just don't know how officially supported they are through there.

That's all beside the point, though. Look at this beauty of a smartphone. No notch. No software tweaks to hide said notch. No iPhone X copycatting. We just get a simple, all-display front with a bit of a chin to house that front camera. I'll take this every single day over whatever it is that Huawei and ASUS are doing. // Mi

Digg Reader has Officially Shut Down

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 14:45:46 +0000

Back in 2013 when Google killed Google Reader and pissed off the internet's outspoken batch of journalists, a bunch of alternatives launched to try and save RSS. Feedly was (and likely still is) the most popular, but others were there to try and steal some of the spotlight, like Digg Reader. If you were one of those who passed on Feedly for Digg, I have bad news for you - Digg Reader has shut down. Digg announced that the end was near a couple of weeks ago, and boy, time sure does fly. They are sending emails today to confirm the death, but accessing the Digg Reader site has stopped today as well. If you were using Digg Reader, you can still download you feeds, Diggs, and saves by heading to digg.com/settings. Is anyone still on this RSS thing? If so, which service are you using? We're a Feedly crew, here at Droid Life.

Google Maps Rolls Out Support for 39 New Languages

Tim — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 14:00:55 +0000

39 new languages have gained support in Google Maps this week, opening the service to at least 1.25 billion additional people across the world. While all languages are notable, a few of the big additions are Filipino, Hebrew, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Norwegian. Google mentions these added languages are supported starting today, so check your iOS, Android, and desktop for them. Check all of the newly supported languages below. New Languages Supported

Afrikaans
Albanian
Amharic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Bosnian
Burmese
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Georgian
Hebrew
Icelandic
Indonesian
Kazakh
Khmer
Kyrgyz
Lao
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Mongolian
Norwegian
Persian
Romanian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Zulu

// Google

DEAL: eBay is Doing Another 15% Off Everything Discount

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 13:15:36 +0000

eBay just kicked off another one of their 15%-off everything discounts. This is the third of these types of deals they've run in about a week, so I'm sure you know the drill. If not, it works like this:

Use code "PREPSPRING" at checkout to get 15% off almost everything
There is a minimum $25 purchase requirement to get the discount
Your max discount is $50
The deal ends at 8PM Pacific (11PM Eastern) tonight, March 27

Go get 'em. eBay Deal Link

Google Acquires Tenor GIF Platform, Will Still Operate as Separate Brand

Tim — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:43:43 +0000

Tenor, makers of the GIF Keyboard available on Google Play and the operators of a GIF-finding platform that sees 10 billion GIF searches a month, have just been acquired by Google. According to Google, this acquisition is all about the GIFs.

Most people now use Google Images to find more information about a topic, and to help them communicate and express themselves—case in point, we see millions of searches for GIFs every day. We’ve continued to evolve Google Images to meet both of these needs, and today we’re bringing GIFs more closely into the fold by acquiring Tenor, a GIF platform for Android, iOS and desktop.

Google goes on to state that they will use Tenor's expertise on all things GIFs to help Google Image searches return better GIF results, not only on the web but inside of the Gboard keyboard as well. At this time, Tenor will continue to operate as a separate brand, but Google is, "looking forward to investing in their technology and relationships with content and API partners."

// Google

Moment Intros $150 Anamorphic Lens for Your Galaxy or Pixel on Kickstarter

Tim — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:53:56 +0000

In the world of filmmaking, anamorphic lenses play a key role in the way certain shots look. You've likely seen them used before, but unless you're familiar with what they are and exactly what they do, you probably didn't realize it. Typically, an anamorphic lens can cost you quite a bit for your DSLR, anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Today, though, Moment has announced a pre-order on Kickstarter for an anamorphic lens designed exclusively for smartphones. Priced at $149, but with Early Bird specials available, Moment's anamorphic lens brings a 1.33x horizontal squeeze with a de-squeezed aspect ratio of 2.4:1 to mobile filmmakers, typically only available to those with plenty of money to spend. For a layman such as myself, the major takeaway from shooting with this anamorphic lens on your phone will be a letterbox effect on your video as well as loads of lens flare. In an even more simplified way of putting it, your mobile videos will look cinematic. Thanks to a purchasable case for Galaxy S, Galaxy Note, and Pixel devices, Moment's new creation is available for Android peeps as well as iOS users, but you'll need the accompanying application to shoot your videos. Check out the specs for the anamorphic lens below, then follow the Kickstarter link below if you're wanting to up your mobile filmmaking game. Anamorphic Tech Specs

Magnification : 1.33x horizontal squeeze
Aspect Ratio (video) after desqueeze: 2.4:1
Lateral Color: Minimized
Distortion: Yes please
Flare: Vintage style anti-reflection coatings create desirable horizontal flares
Orientation: Can be rotated 90 degrees depending on mobile device

The good folks at Moment made this really long vlog that has a lot of shots taken with the anamorphic lens that I recommend you watch to get a feeling for what to expect. From what we can tell, it's a pretty exceptional little piece of hardware for all you mobile content creators. Kickstarter Link

Fresh OnePlus 6 Image Shows a Wood-Grain Back That's "Designed by OnePlus"

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:41:04 +0000

I get the feeling that OnePlus may be tired of pricks like us referring to their new phones each year as nothing but OPPO re-hashes with slightly upgraded specs. And I say that because the first clean image of the OnePlus 6 just showed up, courtesy of @evleaks, and it most definitely wants us to know on its wood-grained backside that it was "Designed by OnePlus." Today's image reveal did not include any other details, only those that can we pull from the picture itself. To start, as you can see, we've got a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and speaker at the bottom of the device, just like we have had on other OnePlus phones. In addition to that area, we can see a centered rear-fingerprint reader under a camera housing. It's not obvious if that is a dual camera, but I'd bet that it is, since this device looks like the OnePlus 6 image that leaked a few weeks back, only with a wood-grain texture on the back. Speaking of that wood-grain - oh my, that is pretty. Will OnePlus really sell a phone with a wood texture like that? I wouldn't be shocked. As you might recall, OnePlus played with textured backsides and different colors on a couple of occasions last year. Not only did they give us that hot Lava Red, but they brought back Sandstone again for the first time outside of a case in years. OnePlus has shown that they are open to experimenting and this would be a welcomed option, assuming it isn't just some trash skin that will be the sponsor before every tech YouTube video.

Back on that inscription on the bottom, though - 👀. We see you, OnePlus, and we are here for you to have a unique identity in phones that separates you from your parent company's other brands. Let's do this. Yep, I need your thoughts now. // @evleaks

Google is Handing Out Free $2 Google Play Credits Right Now

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:17:33 +0000

Hit those inboxes up!

Google started sending out free $2 Google Play credits today for use on your next Play purchase. The email focuses on games, saying "Dive into a new game," but it appears to be a straight $2 credit that can be used on anything. You will need to get the promo email we included above in order to get the credit, as the promotion is tied to email, from what we understand. Then again, you could always check the Google Play Games section for a banner that will offer you the credit. Once you "claim your offer," Google will add $2 to your Play account balance. Again, hit those inboxes up and check for this email!

Google Play Movies & TV is Getting a Huge Update

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 10:36:09 +0000

Google Play Movies & TV has always been a stand-alone movie and TV store like iTunes. If you wanted to shop for a movie and TV show to buy or rent, you could do it through there. It was pretty standard stuff. That's about to change, though, thanks to pretty sizable update headed out today. Going forward, Google Play Movies & TV will be more than just a store for Google to sell media. Instead, it'll change to a content discovery platform that still allows you to buy and rent, but it'll also show you availability on other platforms while it recommends options too. Once you get the latest update, these are the changes you will find:

Streaming service integration: When you pull up a show or movie, you won't just see the Google Play Movies & TV buy/rent option. If the show you want is available on HBO or FOX NOW or HGTV or Hulu, options to watch there will be included. To start, Google is including support with ABC, CBS, FOX NOW, NBC, Hulu, HBO NOW, HBO Go, Showtime, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Now, HGTV, BET Now, and Comedy Central. They have plans to add even more - see the full list here.
Recommendations: Play Movies & TV is going to allow you to search for items you might be in the mood for with just a few taps. They are including a new scrollable bar that lets you choose things like a category, when it was released, and whether or not it was rated well, to help narrow down selections.
What you like and don't like: I'm surprised this just made it in, but Play Movies will now show you films and TV shows based on "what you watch and what you like" using a thumbs up or down rating system.
Long-pressing: In this new update, you will be able to long-press on items to quickly vote them up/down or add them to your Watchlist.

Google says that all of this is available "now," but it's likely a slow rollout. Google Play Link // Google

Porsche Design's $2100 Huawei Mate RS Includes In-Display Fingerprint Reader, 512GB Storage Option

Tim — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 10:24:46 +0000

Set to hit Europe next month, Porsche Design has teamed up with Huawei again, this time announcing the Mate RS. For anyone looking to spend way too much on an Android device, the Mate RS should suit you well, with the phone featuring specs you literally won't find anywhere else. For starters, the Mate RS has two (2!) fingerprints readers, one on its backside and one in-display, a 512GB storage option, plus the triple Leica camera (40MP + 8MP + 20MP) setup announced for the Huawei P20 Pro. Other specs include a 6-inch OLED display, Kirin 970 processor, 6GB RAM, stereo speakers, 4,000mAh battery, no top notch, and quite a bit more. As far as we can tell, the Mate RS is not coming to the US, but you'll probably be able to import it if you so desire. The phone is extremely pricey, though. The base model with 256GB is priced at about $2100, while the 512GB option goes all the way up to $2600. All things considered, this would pair lovely with my new $1,200 TAG Heuer Wear OS watch. Sarcasm, of course. // Huawei

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Sponsor — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 09:00:05 +0000

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Huawei Announces the P20 and P20 Pro With Triple Leica Cameras, Not Coming to US

Tim — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 08:53:16 +0000

Huawei made the P20 and P20 Pro official this morning, but before you go getting all excited about the potential for triple Leica cameras and top notches, even though there is still enough bezel to place a front-facing fingerprint reader, they aren't coming to the US. Both devices are marketed more as cameras, not phones, powered by artificial intelligence. The AI comes from Huawei's Kirin 970 processor, with the P20 Pro featuring a 6.1" OLED FHD display, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, three Leica co-developed rear-facing cameras, 4,000mAh battery, and EMUI 8.1 on top of Oreo at launch. For those cameras, Huawei has apparently spared no expense. Included on this phone is a 40-megapixel RGB sensor (f/1.8 aperture), 20-megapixel Monochrome sensor (f/1.6 aperture), plus an 8-megapixel Telephoto sensor (f/2.4 aperture). To go along with these sensors is a string of AI capabilities baked into the software to help anyone shoot like a pro photographer. On the P20 there is a dual camera setup, consisting of a 12-megapixel RGB sensor (f/1.8 aperture) and 20-megapixel Monochrome sensor (f/1.6 aperture). Other specs include a 5.8" LCD FHD display, 4GB RAM, and 3,400mAh battery.

As mentioned, US buyers will not find these devices available for purchase anywhere, which is pretty disappointing. Thanks to a lot of recent drama between the US government and China-based tech companies, who knows if we'll see Huawei make any new pushes in our neck of the woods any time soon. If the P20 or P20 Pro did come to the US, would you be interested? // Huawei

YouTube TV is Rolling Out a Live Guide Editor for Custom Channel Line-Ups

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 08:39:15 +0000

YouTube TV, the streaming TV service that Tim and I can't shut up about, is getting a new feature this week that will let you customize its channel order or Live Guide. Buried in the Settings, a new Live Guide option is rolling out now that lets you not only re-order your channel line-up in YouTube TV, but remove channels as well. As you can see in the screenshots here, you'll get check boxes next to channels in case you want to hide or show them, along with buttons to drag and drop into an order you prefer. Then, once viewing your guide, you'll now have a button that will let you toggle between the "Default" or the "Custom" Live Guide you just setup. This really would have come in handy during those first couple of NCAA Tourney rounds where I had to dig deep in the depths of Earth's core to find Tru TV. I did survive, but you get the struggle. Again, the feature is rolling out now and will be available on the web and in the YouTube TV app. It does not appear to be triggered by an update and is instead a server-side change. Google Play Link | YouTube TV Sign-Up Cheers Brent!

AT&T Galaxy Note 8 Getting Oreo Update Right Now!

Kellen — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 07:52:21 +0000

We've got our first Galaxy Note 8 Oreo update rolling out! To our surprise, it's coming from AT&T, not Verizon or T-Mobile or Sprint. The update weighs in at 1.4GB and brings with it Android 8.0 to the Galaxy Note 8 as well as software build number N950USQU3CRC2. A reader first tipped us to the update, but a whole bunch of reddit users were able to pull it as well. So if you haven't already, head into Settings>Software update to try and grab it. It should be live.

What's new in Oreo on the Galaxy Note 8? Quite a bit! You can read through the full changelog here, but do expect an updated Samsung Keyboard, better notification management, app shortcuts (just long-press on them), notification badges, an improved Edge Screen, Samsung's Dual Messenger, and more. Cheer David!

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ Review

Tim — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 14:32:27 +0000

Samsung's back, offering the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in 2018. As usual, these will likely be the most popular Android devices sold among average Android consumers and that's pretty high praise in an ecosystem with quite the assortment of devices from numerous OEMs. As they say, cream rises to the top, with Samsung's latest hardware and camera experiences hardly ever straying from that idiom. Samsung has been dominating the Android market with a consistent experience, one that seems very reliable for all of its buyers. Will the Galaxy S9 and S9+ be more of the same from the Android king? Let's find out. This is our Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ review! Note: Tim spent his review period with the Galaxy S9+, while Kellen used both the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The bulk of this review is from Tim's perspective on the Galaxy S9+, with additional insights from Kellen on both the S9 and S9+.

The Good

Specs

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ have all the specs you'd expect in 2018 and then some. For the S9+, it has a 6.2" QHD+ Curved Super AMOLED (18.5:9, 529ppi) display, Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM, 64GB storage, dual rear-facing cameras both with OIS (Wide-angle: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor (F1.5/F2.4) - Telephoto: 12MP AF sensor (F2.4)), 8MP front-facing camera, 3,500mAh battery, Fast Wireless Charging, USB Type-C, rear-facing fingerprint reader, iris scanner, AKG-tuned stereo speakers, IP68 water and dust resistance, and Android "Oreo" with Samsung's custom Experience 9.0 skin on top. For the Galaxy S9, everything is the same with exception to the screen size, battery size, RAM allotment, and number of cameras. Specifically, the S9 has a 5.8" display (same curved Super AMOLED with the same resolution), 3,000mAh battery, single 12-megapixel Dual Pixel camera, and 4GB RAM. For a side-by-side spec sheet with the smaller Galaxy S9, see here. While you'll find things like dual cameras or stereo speakers on other devices currently available, the fact is, the Galaxy S9+ has everything you'd desire in a single package. It has the dual cameras, water resistance, large battery, wireless charging, headphone jack, plus 6GB of RAM. I can't actually think of anything this phone is missing, so if that's not a good thing, I don't know what is.

Display

Last year's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ had basically identical displays to this year's S9 and S9+, even featuring the exact same pixel per inch (PPI) numbers (570 for the S9 and 529 for the S9+). Just because they're the same, though, doesn't mean any potential buyer should be upset. They're darn good looking displays. These displays' colors are great, with Samsung's software offering different profiles to choose from based on your personal preference, plus the curved aspect of the panel and hardware itself makes for an eye catching aesthetic. If you want punchy, overblown colors, you can have them. If you want a more natural color profile, you've got that too. Brightness levels are excellent on both ends, with highs good enough to make visibility outdoors an enjoyable experience, and lows dropping down in darker situations to ease eye strain. Oh, and there isn't a weird blue shift like people complained about with the Pixel 2 XL, but there are plenty of reports of dead spots that Samsung is looking into. Also inside the settings menu for the display, users can choose which resolution to use (HD+, FHD+, WQHD+), but this is also where you can set up your blue light filter. It took Samsung a while to incorporate this feature, but it's still there, so I'm happy. Samsung is also still utilizing Always On Display, another feature I can't seem to live without, but thanks to it being used on basically all Android devices these days, you'll be happy to know it is accessible on these phones, too. If you have ever watched one of our tips and tricks videos, you probably know how much we love Always On Display. I think it's safe to say that the displays Samsung used in the S9 and S9+ are some of the best we've ever seen.

Camera

The Galaxy S9+ comes with a dual camera setup, while the regular S9 only comes with a single shooter. From my experience so far, I'm not exactly sure that having two cameras is necessarily better, but I suppose it's an added bonus when getting the larger device. Both sensors have optical image stabilization (OIS), which helps to keep your captures steady while shooting and recording, and to top it off, the wide-angle lens (the top sensor) features Samsung's unique dual-aperture mechanism. To sum that feature up, it essentially allows for the phone to deliver better shots in super bright or super dark conditions. With a very wide aperture of f/1.5, many shots could end up being blown out with light, but with dual-aperture, the phone's Auto mode should be able to determine which aperture is best for any given shot. In my testing, I couldn't determine if this is just marketing mumbo jumbo or actually useful, but it's there. I also haven't heard much praise for it in other reviews, so I believe the jury might still be out. Regardless, though, the S9+ takes some very good shots, which is no surprise for a flagship Samsung device. Like other smartphone cameras, your best shots will come when lighting is abundant, but too much light can also cause issues from what I found. In one photo you will see below, the one that is set in a bar, there are neon signs and TVs providing additional light to the photo which look pretty terrible when the camera is determining what to focus on. In this case, you chose the pool tables directly in front of it, which is what I wanted, but when the rest of the photo looks blown out, it's not something I'd share to social media. Should your lighting be good, the cameras are extremely quick to focus on subjects, then are instantly ready to snap shots. The S9+ was almost as quick as the Pixel 2 XL in terms of focusing and shooting in a recent shootout I conducted, which is a good outcome to have. When looking at samples from both the Galaxy S9+ and Pixel 2 XL, there is a noticeable difference in contrast and exposure levels, with my preference leaning towards the darker and more contrast-heavy shots. The S9+ seems to take in a whole lot of light which can either be great or detrimental for the shot you're trying to capture. As for the secondary telephoto lens on the Galaxy S9+, I didn't find it to be all too helpful in most cases. It's as if you need to go out of your way to utilize it, because typically, you just assume the zoom functionality on your phone isn't going to turn out well. On the S9+, the results are fine when using it, but it's not something I would find myself using over the standard wide-angle lens. It's good to have it there, but if I was asked whether I want a single camera that does an assortment things very well (such as the Pixel 2 XL) or the Galaxy S9+'s dual camera setup, I'd likely opt for the single camera in most cases. AR Emoji was also introduced with the S9 and S9+, but of course, I was somewhat let down by this feature. Basically, the camera scans your face, then turns your head into an emoji, which can then follow your facial movements for winking, smiling, frowning, and other little movements. Samsung also creates a few shareable GIFs for you, but they aren't anything to write your mom about. On top of your own face, there are usable animal emojis you can use, as well as new packs that you can download, such as a Mickey and Minnie Mouse pack. Overall, it's neat, but nothing more than a me-too feature to counter Apple's Animoji feature. Another new feature Samsung has included on the S9 and S9+ is Super Slow Motion. I was quite excited about this, given Samsung claims the camera can capture video at 960 frames per second. Unfortunately, I didn't find it to be all that great, mostly because the software is quite confusing at first. Typically in other slow motion modes, you enable it, then just shoot. With Samsung's, you enable it, make sure you're holding the phone incredibly steady, then when something happens within a box that the UI places on top of the viewfinder, the slow motion is activated. After taking a few Super Slow Motion videos, then going into the Gallery to see that no slow motion was recorded, I was actually quite frustrated. Not only that, but in other slow motion models, you can select which part of the video you want to be slow motion. Not on Samsung's. In this mode, the phone chooses what will be slow motion, based on movement within the square. It's not the worst implementation, it's just a lot harder to use than I was hoping. Once you actually have a video shot in slow motion, you don't have access to the audio either. You must select between mute or from a library of terrible samples that Samsung offers. For being a marquee feature, and something I was incredibly excited about, I'm not a fan. Kellen's camera notes: Dancing between both the S9 and S9+ has given a good feel for each's different camera setup. I can't exactly say that I prefer one over the other or that one is necessarily better, but there are some things to be aware of. For one, the regular S9 doesn't have Samsung's Live Focus, which is basically their Portrait Mode. What does that mean? That you don't get the full bokeh/background blur experience or the dual capture mode that tries to really separate stand-out objects. This is likely due to Samsung's camera software relying on the S9+'s secondary zoom lens. Speaking of that, without it on the S9, you don't get to 2X zoom on objects. Just saying. As for quality, I think both take excellent pictures with a more natural color profile than Google's Pixels do. They don't go wild on the contrast or color reproduction, even if some of us prefer Google's look. The camera's are mostly fast enough too, although I did notice both struggling here and there to lock focus on the objects I wanted it to focus on. Overall, though, the cameras here are top notch and most of my complaints are just nitpicks.

Super Slow Motion Sample (Complete with bad Samsung music.)

Hardware

I think we're all a bit curious what Samsung has in store for next year's hardware design, given the Galaxy S9 and last year's Galaxy S8 are twins. The concern is, "What can Samsung improve that they already haven't?" Will they make the bezels even smaller than they already are or maybe even add a notch because that's the trend? In my mind, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ feature some of the slickest hardware you can find on the market, with a gorgeous meld of metal and glass. How do you improve upon this? In-hand, the S9+ is a fantastic size, and even throwing a case on it isn't too cumbersome. The look is also very noteworthy, with Samsung using a more metallic aesthetic on the backside, instead of the matte look we had last year. I'm also a big fan of the Lilac Purple units we have and the Midnight Black, but Samsung's Coral Blue color can just go away. It's very dull in appearance. The major hardware change this year would be the fingerprint reader's placement. Last year, the reader was placed besides the camera on the backside, but Samsung appears to have listened to us and moved it below the cameras. With this, I have actually found myself using the fingerprint reader as I normally would, instead of opting for different unlocking methods like I did on the Galaxy S8. I'm sorry, but I'm not about getting my camera lens all greasy from fingerprints. As I've said since last year's Galaxy S8 review, Samsung's hardware feels years ahead of most other Android OEMs, but it's the software that should have people pause. My opinion hasn't changed much, with me loving this hardware and the support Samsung has from nearly all of the 3rd-party case and accessory makers, but having a less than desirable software and software update experience.

Battery

Here's a little bit of a spoiler for Kellen's upcoming video review of these devices, but don't expect too much praise for the battery. For me, though, I have very positive things to say about the S9+'s battery. My usual day is 7:30AM to about 10 or 11PM, and I was going to bed every night with between 30-40% battery left, with four hours of screen on time consistently. During that day I am playing my Star Wars game and other games quite a bit, listening to music via Bluetooth and watching YouTube videos with the stereo speakers cranked, basically using it as my go-to daily driver. It's been a while since I've used a phone with this consistent of battery life, and I must say, I can dig it. I know that if there's a night I want to go out, I'll still have plenty of juice for whatever I may need, with that being a luxury a lot of phone owners don't have. I must say, though, your battery life could vary greatly like any other aspect. I've seen not only Kellen struggle with the Galaxy S9 battery, but other reviewers as well, so it's impossible to determine what kind of battery life a potential buyer will see. If you're making the jump to the S9+ from another Samsung phone, then you probably won't see much of a difference, that is unless you're going from Galaxy S8 to S9+, for example. To help keep your battery charged when you need it, the S9 and S9+ offer Fast Charging and Fast Wireless Charging, which can provide about 50% of battery in around 30 minutes. Kellen's battery notes: I think battery life on the S9 and S9+ is pretty subpar and completely disappointing. I have an S9 running on T-Mobile and an S9+ running on AT&T. I generally use one for a day or two, then switch to the other to get a feel for each and test the differences in battery. Each day has been mostly bad when compared to other phones I've used over the past year. I'm talking about taking the phone off the charger in the morning, getting 4 hours of screen on time, and needing to hit the charger by 9PM because the battery has dipped below 20%. And this has been steady and consistent with both phones using a combination of mostly WiFi and a little 4G LTE.

Performance

This phone is the first interaction I've had with the Snapdragon 845 processor, and coupled with the 6GB RAM, I think it has been performing lovely. I mentioned on our podcast recently that on other phones, there is a tendency to close down apps when I wasn't quite done with them. That does not happen on this phone. From what I can tell, the phone is quite good about keeping apps running for a longer period of time in the background and I haven't noticed this affecting my overall battery life. As for jank, there isn't much to be seen. Everything with regards to the UI appears very smooth and because JankWiz is a term I see get tossed around with Samsung devices frequently, I feel that it's my duty to inform you that the phone performs great. I can whip in and out of apps quickly, open the camera and start firing off shots, and the mobile games I play have been performing flawlessly. I've been dominating some PUBG Mobile and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes on this phone, but I'm also interested in testing out some AR games once they are available for these devices. Kellen's performance notes: I'll have to second what Tim just said in that these phones perform really well. Even the Galaxy S9, with its 4GB RAM doesn't have an issues. From unlocking to loading apps and getting that camera openly quickly, so that you don't miss a shot, these phones hardly skip a beat. My only issue is with the fingerprint reader, because it's slow and not fun to use at all, even in this proper position. Everyone else in Android is doing capacitive-style fingerprint readers that are better than Samsung's.

Stereo Speakers

Stereo speakers are new for the Galaxy S line, an addition I have been enjoying a lot. I consume a ton of media on my smartphone, so sound and sound quality have always been very important to me. Samsung states that these speakers are AKG-tuned, and while I can't quite say they sound better than they would if they weren't AKG-tuned, they do sound pretty good. It's pretty easy to tell that the bulk of sound gets emitted from the bottom-facing speaker, with the top speaker acting as sort of a booster and enricher of the sound. The overall sound is crisp and doesn't get overly distorted when the volume is cranked to the max, which is good when you're listening to your Cannibal Corpse and Slayer tracks. There is a solid amount of low end, but nothing quite like HTC's BoomSound that was reminiscent of having a subwoofer built into the phone itself. My fingers are officially crossed that Samsung continues the stereo speakers on future devices. It's a good addition and it was implemented nicely.

Somewhere in the Middle

Software

Full disclosure, I like Pixel phones. I like Pixel phones because of the software. Samsung's Experience 9.0 is not the same as the software found on the Pixel. However, I've played with worse and I always stress that we must give credit where credit is due. Am I huge fan of the software on the Galaxy S9+? Not really, but it does have its advantages in some cases, so let's go over those and maybe discuss ways Samsung could improve the software experience overall. I could start by saying I don't like the looks of the skin, but with the ability to apply custom themes and icon packs from Samsung, or even installing these types of things from Google Play, I'm not going to talk much about the aesthetic. To start, let me point out the things I don't think should be included, only because they don't really solve a problem or have a proper place. For me, Edge Screen can go. I always disable it after the first day because I dislike swiping it open by accident, and really, all of the features in there are handled by various apps that I can access with a couple of clicks. I don't need most of the things inside Edge Screen handled by the OS when I have better-developed apps to do it. For example, there is a Yelp panel that shows places to eat by you and their ratings. You know what else does this? The dedicated Yelp app as well as Google Maps. There is also a Sports panel, but there are numerous apps dedicated to sports. Heck, even Google Now also can provide sports scores. It's like these panels exist only for the sake of existing, not actually doing anything better than their app counterparts. Because of this, let's go ahead and axe the whole thing. One issue Kellen brought up on the Droid Life Show recently is how the phone handles the labeling of screenshots and the problem is causes for Google Photos. On the new Galaxy S phones, whenever you snap a screenshot, it gets labeled as a regular photo inside of Google Photos and is automatically backed up to the cloud. They are typically listed as a screenshot in a separate folder, not taking up precious space in your cloud. In Samsung's Gallery app they are labeled correctly, but for whatever reason, Google Photos sees them as a screenshot, which is a slight annoyance, although an annoyance nevertheless. As for what like about the software, there are many features baked in that I use, such as the ability to easily customize the look that I previously mentioned, a slick one-handed mode that allows you to tap on the home button three times to shrink the UI to a more easily manageable size with one hand, multi-window for better multitasking, as well as gestures built into the fingerprint reader for opening and closing your notification panel. Like I've said, Samsung's software isn't the greatest, but it's certainly gotten better over the years and there is no shame in admitting that. Now, the biggest thing when it comes to Samsung and its software are updates. As we all know, updates are very important, but Samsung continues to act as if they don't see them as importantly as their customers do. Last year's Galaxy S8 is only now receiving Oreo, a solid half year after it was released by Google. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ launch with Oreo, but does anyone want to take a bet on when they could see Android P, the latest iteration already in testing by Google? If we want to know how positive of an impact as Google's Project Treble will have, let's use these phones as the example. As Google explains Treble, "It's a major re-architect of the Android OS framework designed to make it easier, faster, and less costly for manufacturers to update devices to a new version of Android." Will it really help? Let's be patient and find out. If it still takes Samsung six months after Android P is publicly available to update the Galaxy S9 and S9+, then we know something is amiss. Kellen's software notes: I'd imagine this won't come as a surprise to many, but Samsung's software isn't my favorite and I'd pass on it over a Google phone's software 10 times out of 10. That's mostly because I prefer Google's way of thinking and design when it comes to software. With that said, Samsung's Experience 9.0 has some nice items going for it, which Tim just mentioned. I'd mention the fact that Samsung's audio and sound settings are fantastic. Whether you want to change your phone's vibration pattern or setup a custom ear profile when using headphones, you can do that here. Samsung will even attempt to upscale the audio coming through, let you stream to two devices at once, and sync media volume controls with your phone. You can customize the navigation bar to your liking, the restore process through your Samsung account when setting up the phone is far better than Google's, and there are things like a download booster. Plus, this is Android, so if you don't like the look of Samsung's software, you can change almost all of it.

The Not-so-Good

Bixby

Oh, Bixby, you're still a thing? I understand Samsung's want to have its own slice of the digital assistant pie, especially with regard to its ecosystem and intertwining with the smart appliances and SmartThings and all of that. I totally get it. Personally, I haven't bought into it, simply because I have already invested myself into Google's ecosystem and Google Assistant. I think many are like me, but it's not exactly like we had a choice. Google Assistant and Google's smart ecosystem was launched much before Bixby, and when you're as late to the game as Samsung has been with Bixby, it's not going to be easy to get folks using the service. When I first booted up the phone and got everything set up, you'll come across the setup process for Bixby. Good lord, it takes half a year to learn how to use all of the commands and features it offers. No doubt, it's a truly comprehensive assistant, capable of a ton, but I'll go out on a limb and say that it's just too overwhelming to even get started. I don't feel like using a service that I have to teach. Instead, I'd rather have something like Google Assistant that is just there in the background when I need it and doesn't get in the way, asking me to speak a bunch of sentences to help it understand the English language. Also, can we talk about the Bixby button? Yes, it's back and in just as inconvenient of a location. You'll want to turn it off or else prepare to mistakenly hit it almost every time you try and lock your phone. And no, you still can't customize to do whatever you want it to do. Sorry, but I'm not a Bixby fan.

Other Notes

Headphone Jack - Yes, there's a headphone jack! Long live the headphone jack!
Girlfriend Impressions - I really enjoy the display and how little bezel there is. The weight is good and feels premium. It's a bit taller than other phones, but not too hard to hold and use with one hand. Good placement of the fingerprint reader, but I would like it better if it was in the shape of a circle and not this rectangle shape. I would recommend a case because how quick the glass collects fingerprints. I'm not a fan of the dedicated Bixby button. Overall it's a really solid and good looking phone.

Availability and Pricing

Like all past Samsung flagships, these devices are purchasable basically everywhere. You can get them through your local carrier store, Best Buy, or through Samsung's own website. For pricing, this is where things get gross. The Galaxy S9 is $720, while the S9+ is $840. That is the price directly from Samsung for the unlocked models, but carriers have opted to stray from this, offering the phones at a bit more. I mean, carrier executives have to eat, too, right? The highest price you can pay for a standard Galaxy S9 is through Verizon, where customers will end up paying $800, which is $80 more than what Samsung sells it for. AT&T isn't much better, offering the phone for $790. This is a problem because at Samsung's pricing, the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ could really make a potential iPhone X buyer think about which phone they want to try. The cheapest iPhone X is $999, so with Samsung undercutting that by $280, it's enough to make someone think. However, with carriers narrowing that price difference, folks may just stick to Apple and not want to venture into the world of Android. It's disappointing, but carriers will be carriers and there isn't much we can do besides suggesting you stick to the unlocked models (they work on all carriers).

Buy the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+

Videos

Unboxing First 10 Things to Do 20+ Tips and Tricks

Gallery

The Verdict

I always look at phones as packages, a combination of different aspects varying in quality that will ultimately satisfy or dis-satisfy differing needs. In the case of the Galaxy S9 or S9+, I give it two thumbs up, with gorgeous hardware and software that should please the customizers among us as well as those who want loads and loads of additional features. You may not need them, but you aren't forced to use them. For example, I refuse to use Bixby, but it's there if I change my mind. I may not like Edge Panel this time around, but again, it's there should I want it. Beyond just the software things that I don't care for, the phone is truly the most complete package currently available and it has everything that diehard Android fans want. It has the wireless charging, dual cameras, great water resistance, and even dual speakers. It's a very solid workhorse, one that also happens to be supported by one of the world's largest companies and all of the various 3rd-party accessory makers. It's basically Android's iPhone, so if you're into that sort of thing, then getting the latest Galaxy is never a bad option. As I stressed already, though, Samsung is not known for timely software updates. If you value running the latest and greatest Android version, you'll want to stay away. Beyond that, though, I think you'll love this phone.

Motorola's First 2018 Phones are Coming Next Month

Kellen — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 11:07:10 +0000

In addition to announcing that Sergio Buniac was taking over as chairman and president of Motorola, the Lenovo-owned brand subtly announced that its first phones of 2018 will be here next month. We're days away from April, so be on the lookout. Motorola said today that they are "excited for what 2018 (and beyond!) is going to bring [them] and look forward to sharing [their] first products of the year." I'd imagine they are referring to the Moto E5 and Moto G6, since both have been circulating the tech news wire for weeks now. The new Moto E5 will land in the budget bin of phones, while the Moto G6 will be a phone to seriously consider. The Moto G line has always been one of the best values in all of smartphones and the G6, from info we first exclusively revealed, shows no signs of changing that. We should get a range of specs and models in the G6 line (G6, G6 Plus, and G6 Play), with big 18:9 displays, the newest processors from Qualcomm (Snapdragon 450, Snapdragon 630), big batteries (up to 4000mAh), dual cameras, design tweaks to look more premium, and prices that won't offend. In past years, the Moto G line has hit Amazon with network connectivity on all carriers, as well as Prime models that drop in at even lower prices. That should happen again. Any bets on Moto G6 pricing?

HTC's Software Update Guy Departs, Motorola Gets a New President

Kellen — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 10:45:30 +0000

To kick off the week, we're saying goodbye to two faces in the Android world, one from HTC and another from Motorola. Since both companies have gone through recent layoffs, departures by some of the regulars we've come to know were somewhat expected. HTC's Mo Versi is the most notable of the two, and I say that because he was the face of HTC's software update schedules. For years, Versi was the guy who took to Twitter to tell us when this phone was getting Nougat and that phone was getting Marshmallow or Oreo. He was not the norm in Android, which is probably why we appreciated his presence so much. Most companies refuse to be open about their update processes, while HTC and Versi did their best to keep everyone in the loop. Versi was the VP of product management at HTC and was with the company for 8 years. https://twitter.com/moversi/status/978242621792571392?s=09 As for Motorola's departure, it's arguably a much bigger change, it's just that few probably know anything about him. Aymar de Lencquesaing took over as Motorola president back in April 2016 just after Rick Osterloh left for Google, but will now be replaced by 20-year Motorola veteran, Sergio Buniac. de Lencquesaing is apparently done with all the travel required, which led Motorola to find a replacement. Who knows what Buniac will bring to the table. Maybe he'll bring about the change needed for Motorola to attempt another comeback. One can hope. // Motorola

Chrome OS Tablets are Officially Here!

Kellen — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 09:42:34 +0000

Chrome OS on tablets is now a real thing, not just a side-story in a convertible novel. This morning, Acer and Google announced the Chromebook Tab 10, the first tablet that runs nothing but Chrome OS. This first tablet was built with education in mind, so that's where it's being pushed first - the classroom. It costs $329 and will arrive in April, though you should be able to buy one even if you aren't a K-12 student. The Tab 10 features a 9.7-inch QXGA IPS touch display (2048x1536, 264ppi), 2MP HD front camera, 5MP rear camera, dual speakers, 9-hour battery life, OP1 processor (same as in Samsung Chromebook Plus), 4GB RAM, 32GB on-board storage (with microSD reader), 802.11ac WiFi, USB-C port (USB 3.1), headphone jack, and Bluetooth 4.1. It has a stylus too.

Of course, being a newer Chromebook product, it not only runs Chrome OS, but Google Play apps as well. So while it should be solid as a productivity device with access to the full Chrome browser and Google Drive, it'll open Android apps too, including games. Now, the bigger story here outside of this specific tablet is the future from Chrome OS on additional tablet devices. This won't be the last Chomebook tablet, that's for sure. If anything, don't be surprised if we get a wave of them throughout the next year as manufacturers test those tablet waters again after the big Android tablet bust, but also because Google likely has even more planned to make Chrome OS a great tablet experience. Pretty exciting, right? // Google

OnePlus 5T is Done in the US

Kellen — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 08:13:51 +0000

You can't buy the OnePlus 5T in the US anymore. It's out of stock, as we noted last week, and won't be returning. OnePlus confirmed the news to Engadget on Friday, stating that they sold through already, thanks to stronger-than-expected demand. That may seem a bit wild, but it's pretty much how OnePlus operates. They release a single phone at a time, sell it for a while until they sell through their target, then kill the phone off from production until the next phone arrives. While selling quicker than you expected is always a good problem to have (OnePlus 5T arrived only 4 months ago), that creates another - they don't have any phones to sell in the US. Remember, we expect a OnePlus 6 soon, but OnePlus hasn't announced it yet. Hopefully, you got those 5T orders in because time is up. // Engadget

US Unlocked Galaxy S8, Note 8 Will See Oreo Update in 2-3 Weeks

Kellen — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 07:58:46 +0000

After seeing all of the US carrier variants of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ pick-up Oreo updates within the past two weeks, it's no wonder that a number of you have asked us about the unlocked versions. Why haven't the US unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ been updated yet (same for the Note 8)? According to Samsung, they take longer to prepare, so the update will be another 2-3 weeks out. A Samsung community moderator posted an update to the Oreo situation for US unlocked models on Friday, stating that these unlocked units "must go through more rigorous testing than Carrier-specific devices" because Samsung needs to make sure they work on all supported networks. And that certainly makes sense when said in a vacuum. But then you remember that the unlocked units are the testing units for Oreo, likely because they are easier to test because they are so open to all networks and should require less carrier interference. Either way, Samsung is saying that we're 2-3 weeks out from these devices, which again, were a part of the entire Oreo beta test, from receiving the stable build. Meanwhile, phones like Verizon's S8 and S8+, which were not a part of the Oreo beta, picked up stable Oreo first. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Then again, we told you in November that Samsung had already begun slipping on US unlocked updates. So, apologies if I don't seem that open to this idea that these units in particular are the hardest to update. Also, if it wasn't clear, they did suggest that the unlocked Note 8 will grab the update at around the same time. // Samsung

Weekly Recap: RIP Nexus Player, No More Huawei at Best Buy, and LG V30 Giveaway

Tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 15:30:39 +0000

It's wrap for this week, but we had fun, didn't we? We're still running our giveaway in partnership with LG to give away three very special V30 units in Raspberry Rose (ends this upcoming Monday at 10AM Pacific), learned the Nexus Player will no longer receive any type of update, while Huawei and Best Buy's relationship has come to an abrupt end. If you missed any of the action, look below.

Have a great weekend, all!

Verizon Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+, and Moto G Play Updated With March Security Patch

Tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 14:13:51 +0000

Three devices on Verizon are receiving security updates this week, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, as well as the Moto G Play. Each are receiving the March security patch. The Galaxy Note 5 update will be labeled NRD90M.N920VVRS3CRC1, the S6 Edge+ will see NRD90M.G928VVRS3CRC1, and the Moto G Play update will see NPIS26.48-38-3. If you're rocking one of these devices, be on the lookout for that OTA action. // Verizon [2] [3]

These Alleged Specs for the OnePlus 6 Shouldn't Surprise Anyone

Tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 11:32:21 +0000

We're expecting OnePlus to announce the OnePlus 6 a bit later this year, but due to the hype surrounding this device, we're already starting to see reports popping up regarding possible specifications. According to a post on Weibo spotted by The Verge, the OnePlus 6 could feature a 6.2" display (complete with top notch), Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, dual rear-facing cameras (12-megapixel + 20-megapixel), as well as the Dash Charge fast charging. None of this screams fake, as it sounds pretty par for the course in 2018, plus they're nearly the same specs that have been passed around already. Thanks to OPPO's recent unveiling of the R15, we have a pretty good idea of what the OnePlus 6 will look like. As for pricing, your guess is as good as anyone's. We're probably still too far away from launch to take any pricing info too seriously, but as we near the OnePlus 6's launch, we'll keep you posted. Are you excited for the OnePlus 6 and its notch? // The Verge

Question of the Day: Best Android Phone You Ever Bought?

Tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 10:52:15 +0000

We recently asked about the worst Android phone you ever bought, so it's only fitting that we now ask about the best phone you ever bought. Whether it's the phone you're rocking now or one of your first that made you fall in love with Android, we want to hear about it. For me, I'd have to say it's a tie between the Motorola "OG" DROID and the Pixel 2 XL. Nothing will ever compare to how I feel about the DROID because it really is the phone that put me on this journey. At the time, it had an insane developer community supporting it with custom ROMs and kernels for overclocking, so there was something new to play with every day it seemed like. It was a very special time in Android's history. As for the best overall experience I've ever had, that has to go to the Pixel 2 XL. The software and camera make it a special phone, one that I probably wouldn't trade for anything else at this point. That is, maybe until the next Pixel comes around. What about you? What's the best Android phone you ever bought?

Sign-Up for AT&T Prepaid and You'll Get Your 2nd Month Free

Kellen — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 09:48:10 +0000

Switching to AT&T Prepaid has a pretty solid bonus to it right now - a free 2nd month of service. According to the terms, all you need to do is buy a SIM kit (they cost $1), toss the SIM in your own phone while choosing a $35, $45, $65, or $85 plan, and then sign up for autopay within the first 27 days. That's really it. Well, you could buy a prepaid phone from them, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that. Their prepaid selection isn't great, plus there are countless other unlocked phones that work on AT&T, like the Galaxy S9, Essential Phone, Moto X4, or OnePlus 5T, if it ever comes back in stock. For those new to AT&T Prepaid, here is the chart of available plans: I know Tim has been an AT&T Prepaid user for years and refuses to leave it, so they must be doing something right. I was also on it for years before switching, but do remember that their plans constantly improved without any price hikes. AT&T Prepaid has always been a solid value. AT&T Links:

AT&T Prepaid SIM ($0.99)
AT&T Prepaid Plans

DEAL: Unlocked Dual-SIM Galaxy S9 for $675, Galaxy S9+ for $785

Kellen — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 09:20:26 +0000

Looking for the best price on an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ and don't mind dancing with an international model? eBay currently has all of that and then some, with a Galaxy S9 dual-SIM model priced at just $674.99 and the S9+ at $784.99. For comparison, those prices are well below the US unlocked pricing from Samsung. The regular US unlocked S9 runs $720, while the S9+ runs $840. So we're talking $45 and $55 discounts. Not bad, right? As for other details, these phones are dual-SIM, which makes them great for traveling or in case you happen to need access to different wireless networks in the US. Keep in mind that they are GSM-only, so no Verizon or Sprint here. Colors are selling fast at this price as well. Free shipping is included.

eBay Links:

Galaxy S9 Dual-SIM ($674.99)
Galaxy S9+ Dual-SIM ($784.99)

Samsung Investigating Galaxy S9, S9+ 'Dead Spot' Touchscreen Issue

Tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 09:09:52 +0000

Owners of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are reporting dead spot issues on their touchscreens, essentially rendering part of their screens unusable. Multiple complaints have been posted to Samsung's official forum, as well as on reddit. Due to the number of complaints, Samsung has responded with a pretty standard statement, acknowledging the issue, then offering customers a way to reach out if anyone else is noticing the problem. At this time, we aren't exactly sure how widespread the issue is, simply because we don't know how many Galaxy S9 and S9+ devices are out in the wild. While we haven't had any dead spot issues on our own S9 and S9+ models, we don't doubt others are having the problem. Here is the statement from Samsung.

At Samsung, customer satisfaction is core to our business and we aim to deliver the best possible experience. We are looking into a limited number of reports of Galaxy S9/S9+ touchscreen responsiveness issues. We are working with affected customers and investigating. We encourage any customer with questions to contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG.

We must say, a dead spot problem certainly isn't the worst issue to have. Yes, it's absolutely annoying and you'll likely have to be shipped a replacement phone, but at least your phone isn't exploding due to a faulty battery. 👀 Have you noticed this problem on your own S9 or S9+? // Engadget | Samsung Forums

Software and Security Updates are Done for the Nexus Player

Tim — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 08:40:28 +0000

The Nexus Player was launched in late 2014, which is basically three and a half years ago. This week, we're getting confirmation from Google by way of Android Police that updates, both software and security, are officially done for Google's streaming box. We would be saddened by this news, but in reality, Google supported this box for quite some time. It continued to receive major OS updates as well as security updates, as it should've, but even with its pretty mid-range specs, it kept on going. The box originally launched with Lollipop, so the fact that it's going to die with Oreo is quite honorable. It's now time to upgrade your Android TV box, folks. If you're looking for a recommendation, I'd still suggest the SHIELD TV from NVIDIA. // Android Police

Google's Files Go App Updated With File Search, Duplicate Spotting, and Backed Up Photo Removal

Tim — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 15:25:29 +0000

Files Go was launched only a few months ago, but already, Google is taking feedback it received for the app and implementing changes. In this update, Google is adding a file search function to help you spot the files you've been looking for. To enhance the feature, it is completely usable offline. Additionally, users can now easily spot duplicate files for easy removal and clearing up of storage, as well as take advantage of Files Go working with Google Photos. For this, whenever a photo or video is backed up on Google Photos, Files Go will inform you that it is now safe to remove the file from your device, freeing up more space for new photos and videos. Here's a detailed rundown from Google for what's being added.

File search: You should be able to search for files on your phone just like you search the internet. Files Go is now bringing Google’s expertise at search—including instant results, search history, autocomplete and filters—to file management. Now, when you open the Files tab, you can tap the search icon and find all of your files on your phone in a split second. And best of all, it works offline.

Show the location of duplicates: From the start, Files Go has made it easy to free up space by removing duplicate files, but people have told us that they’d like to see where these files are located on the phone before they get deleted. So now when Files Go suggests duplicate files for removal, you can long press on the thumbnail, tap the “i” icon and see the location of the file.

Remove backed up photos and videos: Files Go now works seamlessly with Google Photos. Once your photos and videos are safely backed up in Google Photos, Files Go can detect that and prompt you to delete those files so you free up more space.

The three new features are rolling out to the app right now, downloadable on Google Play. Google Play Link // Google

20+ Galaxy S9, S9+ Tips and Tricks!

Tim — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:15:47 +0000

We'll soon have up our full review of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, but as we build up to that, here's a video to help you become a real pro of your new Samsung device. In this Tips and Tricks installment, we'll go over setting camera shortcuts, getting the most out of AR Emoji, deciding on what to do with Bixby, notification management, making Samsung's custom UI easier on the eyes, optimizing your battery life, plus a whole lot more. There are a ton of features packed into these phones, so be sure to make the most of them.

Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ to Soon See ARCore Support

Tim — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:17:54 +0000

If you aren't big on the augmented reality lingo that is circulating, ARCore is Android's SDK for creating AR applications. As of right now, ARCore 1.0 is only supported on a handful of devices, such as the Pixel phones, OnePlus 5, LG V30, and the 2017 models of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lineups. That is soon changing, though. According to a comment left on Github from a member of the ARCore team, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will soon receive support for ARCore, but in addition, an update for the platform is also coming. The team member specifies that the launch should take place in the coming weeks. With ARCore support inbound for these sure-to-be-popular devices, adoption rates for ARCore should go up, meaning more AR experiences for us end users to enjoy. If you haven't checked out ARCore for yourself on one of your supported phones, check it out on Google Play here. // XDA | Github Cheers Javier Ceballos-Leon!

Reminder: Enter to Win 1 of 3 LG V30s in Raspberry Rose

Tim — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 12:13:58 +0000

As a friendly reminder, on next Monday morning at 10AM Pacific, we will be selecting our winners for three very special Raspberry Rose LG V30 units. This colorway for the V30 is not sold in the US, so if you happen to win one, you'll likely be the only person in your town with it. That's what we like to call super excloos. Below is your way of entry into this contest, with plenty of options available to get in a few entries. We try to make these giveaways as easy as possible for everyone. Shoutout again to LG for hooking us up with these great prizes.

Wait, the Galaxy Note 9 Will Have an In-Display Fingerprint Reader After All?

Tim — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 10:22:18 +0000

The under/in-display fingerprint reader stories for the Galaxy Note 9 have been causing a bit of whiplash lately, with differing reports popping up all of the time. The last report we wrote up stated that the Galaxy Note 9 would not have an in-display fingerprint reader, citing the tech simply wouldn't be ready. The report before that, dated last October, said it might. Today, though, the latest news straight from South Korea details that Samsung Display has provided 3 to 4 solutions to Samsung Electronics with regard to placing a fingerprint reader inside the phone's display. Like I said, we're getting whiplash over here. According to the report, Samsung is heavily considering one of the solutions and a final decision should be made later this month on whether they implement it or not. Apparently, Samsung Display has been working for years on this technology, but nothing has quite met the expectations of its parent company. However, in an attempt to help differentiate themselves against Chinese rivals like Huawei and Vivo, Samsung may finally pull the trigger. Spoken by one source of the Korea Herald's, "There is enough time for the display company to improve the technology to meet the handset maker’s expectations before the launch of the Note 9 in late August." My fingers are officially crossed for Samsung to implement this. I played with Vivo's implementation back at CES and loved it, so I'm quite interested to see Samsung's iteration. // Korea Herald

Instagram Might Actually be Fixing Your Feed

Tim — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:43:10 +0000

Instagram announced major changes for your feed this morning, changes that could rock the very foundations our society is built upon. In June, 2016, Instagram announced that it would move away from a feed in chronological order, instead, showing pictures it thinks you'll be more interested in near the top. That is whether they're old or not. Today, Instagram says this is changing, meaning we could be seeing a chronological feed again! This is such major news, I'll let Instagram say it themselves.

Based on your feedback, we’re also making changes to ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in feed. With these changes, your feed will feel more fresh, and you won’t miss the moments you care about. So if your best friend shares a selfie from her vacation in Australia, it will be waiting for you when you wake up.

Even more, Instagram also states it is adding a "New Posts" button, which allows you to jump straight to the top of your feed, instead of Instagram automatically refreshing your feed and sending you to the top upon startup. Seriously, another super annoying thing getting fixed? This might be the best Thursday ever! Prepare yourself, Instagram fans, these changes are rolling out now. // Instagram

DEAL: Amazon Thanks You by Taking at Least 20% Off Alexa Devices, Today Only

Kellen — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:21:34 +0000

Amazon gets rated well in a lot of polls that have to do with company satisfaction or reputation or blah-blah, which most of us do not care a lick about. That is, until that poll turns into Amazon handing out steep discounts as our reward for...I don't care, we've got discounts! For today only, as a "thank you" for voting them #1 in corporation reputation, Amazon is slashing 20% or more off most of their Alexa-enabled devices. That amounts to $30 off the Echo Plus, $26 off Echo Spot, $70 off Echo Show, and $15 off Fire TV 4K. There are big discounts on Fire Tablets too. Again, this deal is for today only, so don't be shy. Shop Amazon Alexa Devices

Google Assistant Can Now Send or Receive Payments, Thanks to Google Pay

Kellen — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:00:26 +0000

Starting today, you'll be able to fire up Google Assistant and either ask for cash from your buddy for that sucker bet he lost, or send off the $5 you owe for losing in similar fashion. Yep, payments through Google Assistant are here and they are powered by Google Pay. To get started, all you'll do is say to one of your contacts, "Hey Google, request $5 from Joel for last night's beers," or "Hey Google, send $15 to Tim for the burger." The first time you do it, you'll walk through a quick setup process that ropes in Google Pay and cards or payment accounts you have setup there. Once you are done, the command will still request either a Google account password or your fingerprint before any money moves around.

What happens if the recipient doesn't have Google Pay setup? They'll get a text, email, or notification (if Google Pay is installed) that will help them cash out the funds you sent. This new Google Pay feature is only available on both Android and iOS, but it'll come to Google Home units in the "coming months." Be sure you have the latest Google app update, as well as Google Pay. Google Play Links:

// Google

Report: Best Buy Wants No Part of Huawei Either

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 18:39:42 +0000

Huawei out at Best Buy.

It's going to be hard to find a Huawei phone in the US here pretty soon. Outside of Amazon or Huawei's own retail store, not many are willing to carry the Chinese phone maker's products at this point. Best Buy, according to CNET, is the latest to pull the plug and stop selling Huawei's phones. Neither Best Buy nor Huawei would confirm that their partnership has ended, so we're going off a source of CNET here. If true, Best Buy has already stopped ordering Huawei phones and will cease selling them within a few weeks. With terrible news after terrible news surrounding Huawei's status here in the US, this isn't really a shocker. As you may recall, the 2018 campaign for Huawei was shaping up to be a big one as we approached CES. Huawei was adamant in December that they would be on US carriers this year. That news was followed up by a report stating that AT&T would be the first to carry Huawei phones as early as February, with a big advertising campaign to boot. Then, CES hit and AT&T backed out. No one would confirm what happened, but Huawei was left on stage, during a moment where they were supposed to be celebrating their biggest move yet to the US, ranting about being burned by the industry. Since CES, it had been one report after another suggesting that the US government doesn't trust Huawei and has urged US carriers to back away from not only their phones, but their network equipment too. To put any rumor to bed, six US intelligence agencies went on the record to state as much. And now here we are with US retailers apparently distancing themselves as well. While Huawei had its own Best Buy rough patch recently, I'd imagine this has little to do with fake reviews. Curious to hear your thoughts in the comments. // CNET

DEAL: Moto Z2 as Low as $280, Moto Z at $170, Plus More

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:57:47 +0000

Both the Moto Z and Moto Z2 lines popped up at Daily Steals today with rock bottom prices. That includes the Moto Z2 Force and Z2 Play, Moto Z and Moto Z Force, and Moto Z Play with prices starting as low as $159.99. You've got the Moto Z2 Force for $280, Moto Z2 Play for $240, Moto Z for $170, Moto Z Force for $180, and Moto Z Play for $160. Remember, the Moto Z2 Force originally retailed for somewhere around $700. Now, these are all "B grade refurbished," which the listing says results in restoring to "good cosmetic condition and will show minor scratches and/or scuff marks on corners and/or screen." So these aren't new, if that wasn't already obvious with these prices. The Daily Steals listing suggest these are Verizon models, but that they are unlocked to work on GSM carriers too. If that's the case, I don't know that I would use these outside of Verizon. Most Verizon phones do work on GSM carriers, but the full accessibility to all GSM bands isn't typically there. Daily Steals Links:

Moto Z2 Force DROID ($279.99)
Moto Z2 Play ($239.99)
Moto Z DROID ($169.99)
Moto Z Force DROID ($179.99)
Moto Z Play ($159.99)

Shadowgun Legends is Now Available for Download on Google Play

Tim — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 14:13:52 +0000

Madfinger, the makers behind the original Shadowgun series, are back with another intense PVP title, Shadowgun Legends. In this title, humanity is under attack from a deadly alien invader. What else is new? During the campaign, you will level up your character over 200+ missions taking place on 4 diverse planets. That's just the campaign, though. The real action will take place in the PVP mode, where you will take on other players in various arenas. If you can remember Shadowgun: DeadZone, then you'll know what to expect from the PVP aspect of the game. Shadowgun: Legends is free to download and play, but you should expect to see plenty of in-app purchases available. Google Play Link

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 Will Help Usher in the Next Wave of VR Experiences

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:56:10 +0000

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has taken place throughout most of this week, hence the reason for all of Google's ARCore talk, news about instant games on Google Play, etc. Qualcomm had a big announcement today too, and it involves VR. With their new Snapdragon 845 processor, Qualcomm wants to help take any pain out of developing for VR. Their new VR kit is called the Snapdragon 845 Mobile VR Platform and it'll help with the development of "truly immersive experiences." Like with other Qualcomm development kits, the goal here is to make it easier than ever to build out related products. While I'm sure this kit could be used for building new VR headsets, Qualcomm said that they built this with software development in mind, as a way to get good hardware in the hands of VR experience makers. With this Snapdragon 845 VR platform, developers will be able to create room-scale applications, thanks to its room-scale 6DoF SLAM ("six degrees of freedom with inside-out simultaneous localization mapping"). That's a fancy way of saying that you'll be able to walk around a room while in VR without wires or lazers. This new VR kit also takes into account eye tracking, supports better visual performance by boosting the center field of vision, and supports a boundary system to help visualize real-world spatial contraints. This new kit will be available in Q2 of this year. // Qualcomm

Question of the Day: Worst Android Phone You Ever Bought?

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 12:52:57 +0000

The folks at reddit sparked up a fun question today, so yeah, I'm stealing the damn thing. Let's talk about the worst Android smartphone purchase we've ever made. It could be something old, something newer, or even something you currently have in your pocket, but we all should have a phone that we look back and shake our heads at, right? For me, it's tough because I buy a dozen phones every year, mostly for review purposes or just to keep them on-hand for the long-run. To choose one would be hard. I rarely stay on the same phone long enough for things to get as bad as I'm sure it gets for many of you However, I'd say it has to be the DROID Bionic. I looked back at our DROID Bionic review and it brought back all the pain. A PenTile qHD display with blue everywhere. That weird hump. That awful battery life, which was good at the time only because all other LTE phones were that bad. The camera was slow as hell. The headphone jack had a hissing noise. MotoBlur...oh god, it was peak MotoBlur. This was one of the phones that carried on Moto's war with bootloader locking. And that's all outside of the fact that the original Bionic was scrapped for this Bionic, a phone that was still such a disappointment. It was the originator of the hypebeast coverage. It was an awful time. What about you? What's the worst Android phone you ever bought?

Hublot Introduces Special Edition $5,200 Wear OS Watch

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 11:54:22 +0000

You probably won't buy one, because it would be silly unless you are stupidly rich and give no f*cks, but Hublot announced a ~~Android Wear~~ Wear OS watch today at Baselworld. It costs $5,200 and is a part of their Big Bang line. Its official name is Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. This watch is worth noting to soccer fans because it's the special edition FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia timepiece. That means it's limited, y'all. Not only that, but referees will apparently wear this watch during World Cup matches. For specs, it sports a 49mm case size (!), polished and satin-finished titanium case and bezel, sapphire crystal face over a 1.39" AMOLED display with a 400x400 resolution, black rubber strap, black composite deployant buckle clasp, 5ATM water resistance, 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z34XX dual-core chipset within, 512MB RAM, 410mAh battery, and NFC. You'll be able to buy this little guy on May 1. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgl6lEzjxbz/?taken-by=hublot // Hublot | Wareable

You Can Now Add Hashtags and Profile Links to Your Instagram Bio

Tim — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 10:49:35 +0000

Instagram is adding the ability to place live hashtags and profile links directly in your bio this week. With this, you can add your favorite hashtag directly to your profile or even link straight to your bae's profile so everyone knows you're in a relationship and miserable. As you can see in the header image above, whenever you add a "#" in the bio, Instagram will recommend a few hashtags you might be looking for. You can add whichever you might want. The same goes for profiles. When you place a "@" during the editing process, you'll see your list of friends that you can add. Once saved, the links are live and anyone that visits your profile can click them and see what you're all about. For profiles in particular, Instagram explains, "When you mention someone else’s profile in your bio, they will receive a notification and can choose to remove the link to their profile. Their profile will remain in your bio but without a link." These changes are rolling out right now, so be sure to add your bae! // Instagram

Verizon CEO Thinks 5G Will Give Your Phone Month-Long Battery Life.

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 09:29:58 +0000

Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, you are a wild man, sir.

Speaking at IBM's Think 2018 conference this week, McAdam spent some time on the subject of 5G and said one thing in particular that took us through an array of emotions within a 30 second span. It went something like this: 👀 😮 🤔 🍸. What did he say? Oh, only that with 5G, your phone will eventually have month-long battery life. During his chat with IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, McAdam was in full 5G hype mode, referring to it as being able to usher in the 4th industrial revolution. He then focused on throughput from 5G and this idea that they'll have the ability to attach 1000x more devices to a cell site and hit at least 1Gbps speeds, but those could easily eclipse the multi-Gigabit speed mile marker on the regular. In fact, McAdam suggested that their test sites are already doing 25Gbps speeds. But you are here for the battery talk, right? After talking 5G throughput, McAdam switched to latency, suggesting that it'll drop from 100ms to less than 1ms in 5G. What will that do? It'll move much of the "computing power" from on-device, the stuff that sucks up battery life so much, to the mobile edge. With that shift, you'll get thinner devices as well as ridiculous battery life, Specifically, here is the quote that is drawing attention today:

"By the way, in an IoT setting, 5G will have 10-year battery life. And we expect that in a mobile phone environment, you'll probably charge your phone once a month."

Is your jaw on the floor too, or just mine? OK, wait, is this really possible? Maybe? In theory, it makes a lot of sense. Less computing happening on your phone should mean less battery drain. Less constant, slow-moving connectivity to cell sites should certainly help improve battery life. But how long before that happens? Probably a while. The beginning of 5G is still very much not happening until next year. While latency lowering and throughput increasing is awesome, most networks aren't going to have the full 5G setup for years to come. Most will start with a single band and then work to migrate the rest to 5G to give you what Lowell is talking about. We're also only getting the first 5G devices next year that probably won't change much of the current battery situation. Still, the future could be as McAdam describes. If anything, it's an idea that tech companies can focus on making a reality. To watch Verizon's CEO talk about 5G, hit up the link below and fast forward to around the 30-minute mark. // IBM

NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet, Tablet K1 Updated With January Security Patch

Tim — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 08:53:38 +0000

Updates are rolling out to the SHIELD Tablet and SHIELD Tablet K1 from NVIDIA, both getting the January Android security update that focuses on patching the Spectre vulnerability. While it's not Oreo and never will be, it's nice to see NVIDIA still updating these tablets with important security patches. If you're rocking a SHIELD Tablet or Tablet K1, get on it. // NVIDIA [2]

DEAL: Newest Daydream View VR Headset is 50% Today Only, Just $49.50

Kellen — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 08:16:20 +0000

The newest Daydream View VR headset from Google is today's Best Buy Deal of the Day and down to just $49.50. That's 50% off! I know that not everyone is into VR, but if you've never tried it, these viewers that use your phone the best ones to get your first taste. And this Daydream View headset has been upgraded over the original with a better material casing, more support (a new strap!), upgraded 100-degree field of view, and a new optical lens design, as well as a heatsink. It's little remote is pretty great too. Maybe it's time for some new thoughts on VR, because Google's Daydream setup is pretty slick, assuming you have a supported device. Best Buy Link

The Latest Android Minis Remind Me of Peeps and That Makes Me Hungry

Tim — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 15:03:00 +0000

A new set of Android Minis from Dead Zebra are up for pre-order priced at $24, this time focusing on the arrival of Spring. As you can see, these little Bugdroids and accompanying package are inspired by Peeps, the delicious marshmallow treats that should already be infesting your local grocery store in time for Easter. The Sweet Spring collection as its called contains three figures, the same size as most other minis, 3 x 3". There is currently a pre-order taking place, with the minis set to ship the week of March 26. Get that pre-order in now if you're interested. Dead Zebra Link

YouTube TV Adds Two New Markets

Kellen — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:58:06 +0000

After adding Turner networks (TNT, TBS, NBA TV, etc.) and adding a bunch of new markets, YouTube TV has expanded once again. Today, the streaming TV service that recently adopted a price increase to $40 per month added two new markets. Those markets are:

Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV

I know that Charleston, SC was one of the previously announced markets from back in mid-February, but it was only added to the list of available markets today. That's it. // YouTube TV Help

AT&T Galaxy S8 Now Also Receiving Oreo Update

Tim — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:49:57 +0000

Following Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, it appears owners of the Galaxy S8 on AT&T are beginning to receive Oreo. The update should also be rolling out to the Galaxy S8+, but we're waiting to hear from owners that's the case. For the Galaxy S8, the build is labeled as R16NW.G950USQU2CRB9, weighing in at around 1.5GB. Because of its size, ensure you're on WiFi before attempting to download the OTA. While we don't have confirmation that the Galaxy S8+ is also receiving Oreo just yet, it should be nearly identical build numbers, with the S8+ being R16NW.G955USQU2CRB9. AT&T S8 and S8+ owners, are you seeing it? To check for updates, head into Settings>System update. // reddit [2] Cheers Jeff!

Google's White Framed Adaptive Icons Sure are Pissing Off Galaxy S8 Owners Who Just Got Oreo

Kellen — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 11:54:45 +0000

Now that Oreo is rolling out to most Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ units in the US, we're seeing in real-time as one of the biggest groups of Android users on the planet finally gets a taste of Google's newest stable mobile OS. That means they are finding stuff they like and also stuff that has left them a bit frustrated. Like the icon frame situation, for example, which is kind of comical. Not sure what I'm talking about? Let me try to explain. The other day, we got roped into a Tweet where a Galaxy S8 owner was pissed at both Verizon and Samsung over the fact that his newly updated S8's icon setup now looked like white-framed garbage, even though he had turned off the icon frames setting from Samsung. What that person didn't realize, was that most of the icons still showing white frames after disabling the setting were Google apps. I pointed that out, before getting roped into a second conversation from another couple of Galaxy S8 owners who were complaining about the same thing. That then led me to Google and found that people all over the place really aren't happy (here, here, here, here, and here to point out a few) at all with the icon frames they are now seeing, thanks to Oreo.

For those not familiar with what's going on, all you have to do is look back to the original Oreo announcement that talked about Adaptive Icons. Yes, Adaptive Icons are likely the culprit here, as well as the fact that Google just designed their icons to be shitty and sit on top of a white frame, whether its a circle, squircle, teardop, or square. You've now got a Galaxy S8 taking on Oreo's Adaptive Icons and being stuck with what Google is delivering, whereas previously, they may have been forcing through non-Adaptive Icons that didn't sit atop these ugly as hell frames. Samsung's software is more than likely pulling the system default shape of Google's icons, which on a Samsung phone, happens to be a squircle with an icon on a white frame. I attempted to show you this in the two GIFs here. You've got the Galaxy S9 with Oreo up top switching between frames and no frames. You can see that no matter what, most of the Google icons always have that stupid white frame around them in a squircle shape, outside of Hangouts. Then below, you've got a Pixel 2 showing the same exact thing, where no matter the shape (outside of Hangouts and Chrome), Google has set its icon set as that with an identifier atop a frame. It's ugly! We know!

What can you do to get your old setup back? Eh, you could try a third party launcher like Nova Launcher, which gives you pretty powerful controls over how icons look. You may not be able to avoid the white frames in all situations, so an icon pack may be an additional step you'll need to take. Otherwise, welcome to Oreo.

Keeper Password Manager Now Fully Integrated With Autofill in Android 8.1

Tim — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 10:49:11 +0000

Announced this week, Keeper Password Manager is now fully integrated with Android 8.1's Autofill API, meaning logging into apps and services on your Oreo-powered device just got super painless. The Autofill API is one of the more overlooked changes that came with Oreo, simply because a lot of developers have yet to integrate it into their apps. However, we are getting there, and with Keeper now allowing for seamless usage, keeping your passwords safe but still easily accessible when logging into apps is a step forward. According to Keeper, "Over the past few months, the Keeper team has worked closely with the Google Android team to offer this enhanced capability, allowing for better security, seamless integration and increased performance." The way this will work should be rather straightforward. If you have Keeper installed on your device, with all of your passwords stored inside, anytime you open an app on Android 8.1+, Keeper should automatically popup and offer your username and password for the service. Bless you, Autofill API. Google Play Link // Keeper

HTC Desire 12, 12+ Detailed With Underwhelming Specs, No Availability or Pricing

Tim — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 09:27:01 +0000

HTC is kicking off its 2018 by detailing the new Desire 12 and Desire 12+, but try not to get overly excited just yet. Both of these devices are to be considered in the upper low to mid-range, with specs that should make them rather affordable once actual pricing and availability is detailed. For the Desire 12, it sports a 5.5 inch HD+ (720 x 1440 pixels) 18:9 IPS display, MediaTek MT6739 quad-core processor, 2 or 3GB RAM (depends on the market), expandable storage, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 2,730mAh battery, microUSB port, and apparently ships with Android "Nougat." I'll just go ahead and say that you should not buy this phone, regardless of whatever price HTC offers it at. It has no Oreo at launch, a microUSB port, plus a MediaTek processor. Who knows when it will receive Oreo, let alone Android P. As for the Desire 12+, it comes with a 6 inch HD+ display (720 x 1440 pixels) 18:9 IPS LCD display, Snapdragon 450 processor, 3GB RAM, expandable storage, fingerprint reader, 13MP + 2MP rear-facing camera setup, 2,965mAh battery, microUSB port, and Android "Oreo." The Desire 12+ is a bit more safe in terms of longevity, but still, I'm disappointed in HTC's move for microUSB. Likely a cost cutting decision. We still don't have word from HTC with regard to US pricing or availability, with word being that as the phones are announced for each region, we'll then receive all of those important details. While I appreciate the look and design, nothing else about these phones should be seen as attractive. // HTC

DEAL: eBay Running 15% Off Everything Sale for Next 10 Hours, 20% Off Select Items

Kellen — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 09:17:34 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, eBay ran a hell-of-a-deal that dropped 20% off anything you ordered, with a max discount of $100. It worked on anything too. Today, the deal is mostly returning, only this time as a 15% off coupon code with a max discount of $50. It's not quite the same, but still solid. To get the deal, you just shop on eBay and then enter code "PSPRINGTIME" at checkout with a minimum $25 purchase. A few deals that have caught my eye:

And again, the 15% is off anything, not just tech. Feel free to browse around and pick up anything you've had your eye on, then just enter that eBay coupon code. The deal starts right now, running from 9AM to 7PM PST (12PM to 10PM EST).

eBay 15% Off Link

BONUS: eBay is also running a 20% off deal on "select" home and tech products. The code for that deal is "PRETTYDAY." You may as well try that first before the 15% off code.

Google Makes It Easier to Subscribe to Premium News Content, View Only That Content

Kellen — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 08:44:22 +0000

Google announced a bunch of news-related stuff today that touches on a number of subjects related to news gathering and sharing. For the most part, it's Google providing what they believe to be solutions to pretty serious problems that have evolved from this wonderful world we live in where people just make sh*t up and spam it off as news that games enough of Google's systems to show up at the worst possible times (like during mass shootings, for example). They talk about increasing the integrity of the information that you see when breaking news drops, making sure that there are trust indicators next to stories to help you distinguish realness from fakeness, and investments in future programs to make sure young people aren't having their brains melted by constant fiction portrayed as news. You should read about their plans here and here.

Subscribe with Google

On a related note, they also announced a new program that will help you subscribe to your favorite premium news outlets in an easier way, while also getting that info first in search results. It's called Subscribe with Google and it'll soon go live through select publishers. Subscribe with Google will let you buy subscriptions using your Google account and the payment methods attached to it. It should all happen within a couple of taps, plus you'll be able to sign-in easier on your phone or the web or wherever else you try to. It'll make it easier to bypass login credential screens In addition to subscribing to news outlets, you'll find articles from those you subscribe to with highlights in Google Search results. Google has created a new module in Search that shows your subscriptions and articles from it, so you can get the news from the sources you trust first. Of course, not all premium publishers are ready to offer this, so you'll have to be patient. For now, current participants in Subscribe include Les Échos, Fairfax Media, Le Figaro, the Financial Times, Gannett, Gatehouse Media, Grupo Globo, The Mainichi, McClatchy, La Nación, The New York Times, NRC Group, Le Parisien, Reforma, la Republica, The Telegraph, and The Washington Post. Be on the lookout the next time you decide to support real journalism. You may just find a Google sign-in option. // Google

DEAL: Essential Phone is $50 Off at Best Buy, Plus You Get a $25 Gift Card (Updated: Amazon Too)

Kellen — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 07:59:42 +0000

The Essential Phone is such an odd little beast. On one hand, I still love this phone. It has Android 8.1 already! It's hardware is phenomenal. It keeps getting better with updates! It's a ridiculously good deal when you consider the package. But it, of course, has some flaws in the touch performance department and camera that are keeping it from being one of the best. That said, when it drops to $449.99 regularly, it's impossible not to recommend it. And today, Best Buy has it not only at that price (which is $50 off), but with a free $25 gift card for purchasing, too. UPDATE: Amazon is also running the $50 off deal, while throwing in a pair of free Essential Earphones|HD, which are $99 earbuds. Best Buy currently has the black and white versions in stock at $449.99. They are including a $25 Best Buy e-gift card with purchase, so you get to walk away with a striking phone that is as up-to-date as a Google phone for $50 cheaper than usual as well as a bonus $25 to spend on more goodies. Best Buy Link | Amazon Link

Google's Just a Line AR App is Pretty Fun

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:42:31 +0000

In the battle over VR and AR, I think it's safe to assume that AR games and apps will find it easier to see a wider adoption for the simple fact that they'll be usable by just about everyone, thanks to the phone in their pocket. With augmented reality (AR) experiences, you don't need extra hardware (like a VR headset) in order get up and running within minutes. And there is no better example of that than Google's Just a Line app that was released today as one of their AR Experiments. In Just a Line, you get to draw on a screen with a white marker, then record a simple video utilizing whatever it is you just drew. You need to be somewhat clever or creative to make the most fun of Just a Line, but I'm sure you can do that. There aren't many controls outside of the draw tool and record button. The rest is up to you. If you need some examples, watch Google's video above. After looking at the list of supported devices, it's looking like Just a Line works on ARCore supported phones. You can find a list of those here. Google Play Link

DEAL: Buy a Huawei Mate 10 Pro for $699 Online This Week Only, That's $100 Off

Tim — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:29:23 +0000

For this whole week, Huawei has slashed the price of its newly available Mate 10 Pro, bringing the price of the device down to $699 from $799. We aren't exactly sure why Huawei is doing this (they don't mention a St. Paddy's Day sale or anything), but it seems like a legitimate assumption that Huawei isn't seeing great sales and by lowering the price, the company can get a few more customers. If you have had your eye on the Mate 10 Pro, it's not a bad phone, at least in terms of the camera and hardware. Both of those qualities are great. The only real downside to the phone is its software, but if you're the tinkering type, you shouldn't have many problems customizing it to however you see fit. For more insight on the Mate 10 Pro, check out our full review. Follow the links below to take advantage of the deal. Purchase Links

Amazon
Best Buy
Newegg
B&H

What Do You Guys Think About Google Home Routines So Far?

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 14:58:17 +0000

Google Home Routines went live last week for just about everyone. That means we can all fire up our Google Home app today and set up six different Routines that allow Google Home and Assistant to run through a series of activities depending on the situation. I'm curious, though - what do you guys think about Routines so far? For those not caught up yet, let's recap Routines.

Google Home Routines

Google added a feature called Routines that includes six specific activities for you to activate with a single command in order to accomplish multiple things. There will likely be more, but for now, you get to control your life in the morning, at bedtime, when you are leaving or arriving home, and when you are commuting to and from work. Each routine has a number of items that can be customized. For example, you could say, "Hey Google, bedtime" and have Assistant and Home initiate a series of actions that adjust your lights, silence your phone, tell you tomorrow's temperature, help with an alarm, adjust your temperature, and even play some music. You could also say, "Hey Google, Let's go home" and have Assistant broadcast throughout your home that you are on your way, send a text to someone to let them know the same thing, read unread texts aloud, adjust your home thermostat, fire up some music, and tell you about your upcoming commute. You get the idea right?

I spent the weekend trying to get a few of them setup, specifically the Bedtime and Leaving Home commands. Leaving Home I have setup to respond to "Hey Google, We're leaving" and to then turn off lights and adjust my Nest Thermostat. I have the Bedtime command adjust lighting, my thermostat, and media volume, plus put my phone on silent. So far, they work OK. As Google Home attempts to run through the series of commands, it often tells me that there are errors and that it couldn't complete some. I can't tell if that's a bug that needs fixing or if it's getting mad that the lights it's trying to turn off aren't on or responding. But almost every time, I've had an error of some kind, as other tasks are completed. Sometimes, it just seems to not do some of the stuff it's supposed to do. I know it's early days here, but it feels like Routines should have been here a while ago, let alone now with issues. You tell me - how have Google Home Routines been? Working fine? Any issues? Any features you'd like to see added?

Camera Shootout: Galaxy S9+ vs. Pixel 2 XL

Tim — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 13:49:49 +0000

We've got the Galaxy S9+ in the building, and while we're working to have our complete review up this week, we'd like to take a bit to focus on a primary aspect of Samsung's latest, that of course being the dual rear-facing cameras. Samsung has been known to release some great mobile cameras, with the Galaxy S9+ being the first to feature dual shooters on the backside in the Galaxy S lineup. The Galaxy Note 8 launched with dual cameras last year, and on this phone, it's nearly the same setup. On the S9+, there is a wide-angle 12-megapixel with dual aperture functionality (F1.5/F2.4), as well as a telephoto 12-megapixel sensor (F2.4). Both sensors feature optical image stabilization (OIS), which means better shots when you're moving around. To get a sense of just how good the Galaxy S9+ can shoot, we're putting it up against another one of the best mobile photography experiences, the Pixel 2 XL. As we all know, the Pixel 2 XL is capable of great shots, with very fast auto focus and impeccable color accuracy. In terms of raw point and shoot capability, it doesn't get much better than the Pixel 2 XL, so putting these two devices against one another only seems right. For software, the S9+ has a lot more going on than the Pixel 2 XL. There is a comprehensive Pro mode for tweaking individual values for shots, Hyperlapse, a mode for shooting food exclusively, as well as live filters for setting the mood in a shot. This is much more than the Pixel 2 XL offers, but that's not so surprising. As for simply pulling the camera out and shooting, which is what this shootout mainly focuses on, both cameras perform very well. The S9+ is quick to focus and I found that you can get a lot of shots off in a small amount of time should your lighting be alright. The less the camera has to think, the faster it is. I'll get more in the nitty gritty of the camera later this week, but it's really safe to say that probably any flagship smartphone this year will have a solid camera experience. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. No editing besides resizing has been done to them.

Galaxy S9+ (left), Pixel 2 XL (right)

What's your take? They both seem worthy of praise in my book.

PUBG Now Available on Android in US

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:56:25 +0000

UPDATE 3/19: PUBG is now live for all Android users in the US!

PUBG, short for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, is one of if not the biggest battle royale game in the world right now. Yes, I know, Fortnite is also popular, but I'm not here to discuss Steam rankings or anything of the sort. Earlier this month, Epic Games, the studio behind Fortnite, announced a mobile version for its insanely popular Battle Royale game mode. Well, PUBG has now done the same, providing a soft launch of PUBG Mobile in Canada published by Tencent Games. And yes, before you have to ask, this is an officially licensed port of the PC version running Unreal Engine 4. It should be pretty dope. In this game, you will drop onto an island with 99 other players, searching for loot and guns, then eliminating all of your opponents. Should you be the last to survive not just enemy players, but an always decreasing map size, you win. If you follow the link below and you're in the US, expect to see none of your devices compatible to download. As soon as we hear about US availability, we'll let you know. Google Play Link // Touch Arcade

👀 Is Google Testing the Pixel TV We Asked For?

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:03:51 +0000

Google's Nexus Player was never really a great device in terms of specs or performance, but Google still got the most out of it. For three years, Google updated this Android TV box to showcase new features, even as it stopped selling it and update after update only slowed things down. It's most certainly time for a replacement, especially if Google wants to continue pushing forward its TV platform. According to a commit in AOSP, the next device may be in the works. XDA found a reference to a device codenamed "elfin" that could be our replacement. The device was first spotted in reference to an Android Q (!) bug fix that was being worked on alongside "taimen," which is the Pixel 2 XL. Knowing that name, an additional commit was found with a reference to "elfin" that attached it to a WiFi bug for another device called "fugu." What's "fugu?" The Nexus Player, of course. While this isn't definitive proof that "elfin" is another Android TV box or Nexus Player replacement, the mention here puts the two together ("this is not the case in fugu/elfin"), as if they are something similar or are the only two devices experiencing this issue. Again, that doesn't give us the proof we need, but it is an unknown device being referenced next to a device that is on its last legs, no longer seeing Android support. I should point out that "elfin" isn't a fish or aquatic name, which is typically what Google names their devices after. Be the Pixel TV/Google Home TV we need. Please. // XDA

IKEA Place App Comes to Android, Powered by ARCore

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 11:39:21 +0000

Google's ARCore has allowed IKEA Place to make its way to Android. IKEA announced the move today, giving IKEA fans with supported phones the ability to place pieces of IKEA furniture in spaces to see how they might look. It's a bit of a test drive app. IKEA Place includes 3D representations of more that 3,200 IKEA products that you can place in your office, bedroom, living room, etc. You can adjust them in place, make sure the size is right, that sort of thing. It's a similar experience to the one IKEA launched with iOS 11 back in September 2017. In addition to the 3D modeling, IKEA Place has a visual search feature that lets you take a picture of any furniture and the app will find let you know which IKEA product it is or if there is something similar that IKEA sells. IKEA Place is available now for ARCore supported phones. That list is somewhat limited, but does include Pixel and Pixel 2 phones, LG's V30, OnePlus 5, and recent Samsung phones dating back to the Galaxy S7 (S9 support should come soon too). Google Play Links:

// IKEA

Google Introduces Instant Apps for Games, Branding It as Google Play Instant

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 10:30:47 +0000

Google announced today that it has advanced its instant apps framework by allowing games to take advantage of the tech too. That means you can now almost instantly try out select games before having to download the entire experience. We first learned about instant apps back at Google I/O in 2016, where Google said they were working with select developers to offer up instant experiences of apps, almost like web experiences. They have since expanded instant apps, but this is the first time they are bringing games into the fold. The feature has been rebranded today to Google Play Instant and it works like instant apps did. If a particular game has an instant version, you'll see a new "TRY NOW" button next to "INSTALL." If you tap "TRY NOW," a version of the app will load up quicker than an install and let you take it for a spin. During that time, you'll see a constant "INSTALL" button within to let you know that you can/should install the full game. Instant is still in a closed beta, but Google is working to rollout the experience to more people and is working with Unity, Cocos, and IDE to make building instant apps even easier. To checkout the current crop of Google Play Instant games, hit this link. // Android Developers | Google

GIVEAWAY: Win 1 of 3 Raspberry Rose LG V30s From Droid Life and LG

Tim — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 10:00:10 +0000

At CES this year, LG announced the new Raspberry Rose color for the V30 (pictured above), but unfortunately, the phone never made its way to the US in a retail capacity. Because of this, anyone with a Raspberry Rose V30 in the US is pretty darn lucky, and wouldn't you know, we have three of them to give away! LG is quite proud of this color and in an effort to get a few in the hands of folks here in the US, we have partnered with them to find three Droid Life readers who will love the color pink as much as we obviously do. Other than the color, these are the same V30 devices that are sold through the carriers, featuring a 6.0" Quad HD+ FullVision display, Snapdragon 835, 4GB RAM, dual rear-facing cameras (16MP, f/1.6, 71° + 13MP wide-angle, f/1.9, 120°), 3300mAh, IP68 rating, Quad DAC, plus an Oreo update should be ready to go for the phone. If you need more info on the V30, check out our full review. The phones themselves are unlocked models, meaning they will work on any major GSM network here in the States. You won't have network support on Verizon or Sprint, though. Keep that in mind if you plan on entering the giveaway. Ready for your chance to win one? Let's do it!

How to Enter

How can you win one of the three LG V30 Raspberry Rose phones that we have to give away? The entry form is below and it’s very simple. We need your name and email (since we have to contact you should you win), followed by however many ways you’d like to enter. Things like subscribing to us on YouTube or following LG Mobile USA on Twitter are just a couple of examples. You have until March 26th at 10AM Pacific to enter. And yep, we’ll email the winners that day. Good luck! This is a US only giveaway.

OnePlus 6 Preview is Here in the Form of the OPPO R15

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 09:51:27 +0000

That is (more than likely) your OnePlus 6. I know it has OPPO branding and the OnePlus 6 may not be out for a few more months, but if history repeats itself, we know that OPPO phones offer the best previews for upcoming OnePlus devices. Today, OPPO announced the R15 and this is it. It has a notch, because of course it does, but it also continues similar styling from OPPO phones that we have seen move along into OnePlus phones. You may recall the OPPO R11? It was the OnePlus 5. The OPPO R11s? It turned out to be the OnePlus 5T. Now, in the jump from OPPO to OnePlus, we'll see microphones move or alert sliders added, but the general design, including camera placement and other features (like fingerprint reader) have matched up perfectly over the past couple of releases. Why is that? Because they are owned by the same company. They likely share designs and the same manufacturing facilities.

With the OPPO R15, you've got a Snapdragon 660 processor (OnePlus 6 will have the Snapdragon 845), 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3400mAh battery, 20MP front camera, dual rear camera (16MP + 20MP), and a 6.28" OLED FHD display (2280x1080, 401ppi). Outside of the processor, don't be surprised if this is a similar spec line-up to the OnePlus 6. When will the OnePlus 6 arrive? We don't know for sure. However, the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 5 both showed up in June. The OnePlus 2 was announced in July, while the original OnePlus One had a weird launch that started in March. Unless they go back their original weird schedule and announce a phone any day, I'd imagine we should get something closer to June. iPhone X notch aside, how does the OnePlus 6 look?

DEAL: Google Gives $200 Back on 2 XL Purchase if Financed, Free Charger Too

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 08:10:57 +0000

Even with the Galaxy S9 now available, I'd argue that you should still be looking for the best deal on Google's Pixel 2 XL if in the market for a new phone. Why? Because it offers the best Android experience you can currently get, in my opinion. And as of right now, Google's offer through its own store may be the cleanest on them. If you buy a Pixel 2 XL with Google Store financing from today through March 31, Google will hand you a $200 finance credit within two billing periods. That's a $200 discount that will show up within a couple of months on your bill to help reduce the cost of the phone. As far as I can tell, this isn't one of those garbage 24-month-long deals that carriers try to rope you into either. This is $200 off within 1-2 cycles. Oh, and as a bonus, Google is tossing in an 18W USB-C rapid charger for free ($35 value). Just make sure you choose the unlocked version! Google Store Links:

RELATED DEAL:

Verizon is hosting their $300 off bill credit discount on both phones.

NOTE: Deal is only on the Pixel 2 XL. Updated post to be accurate.

Sprint, T-Mobile Galaxy S8 and S8+ Pick Up Oreo Update Too

Kellen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 07:53:03 +0000

Verizon may have been first to update the Galaxy S8 an Galaxy S8+ to Oreo last week, but T-Mobile and Sprint weren't far behind. As the weekend kicked off, both carriers began pushing the same update to their variants of Samsung's 2017 flagships. Both updates include not only Android 8.0 Oreo, but Samsung Experience version 9.0 as well. Sprint and T-Mobile's Oreo updates are rolling out as G950USQU2CRB9 for the S8 and G955USQU2CRB9 for the S8+. The size of each file will depend on the software you currently have on your phone. For early Oreo beta testers, that could mean a 347MB update, but for those still on Nougat, expect a larger one. To check for updates, head into Settings>System update.

Sprint, T-Mobile

Cheers DimStyle, Tony, and @antjphotog!

Weekly Recap: Galaxy S9 and S9+ are in the House, Android Wear is Now Wear OS

Tim — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 16:00:16 +0000

We have both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in-house now, with our full reviews expected up next week. We'll also have other posts to go along with those, so be on the lookout for those if you're still on the fence concerning Samsung's latest. In other news, Google made the rebranding for Android Wear to Wear OS official, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ on Verizon are receiving Oreo(!), and Nest made a few new products available this week that have us smart home fans very excited. Here are the stories you don't want to miss from this week!

Have a great weekend, folks!

Samsung Now Offering Special Discounted Galaxy S9 Add-On Bundles ($400 Value for $99)

Kellen — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 15:28:02 +0000

In previous years, Samsung almost always kicked off the pre-order period for their new flagship phone by offering up either a valuable freebie or at the very least, a discounted bundle of goods that was priced well below its total value. For the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, Samsung did no thing. However, now that we are at launch day, Samsung is offering up a couple of bundles - the "Power Bundle" and "Ultimate Play Bundle." If you go ahead and purchase a Galaxy S9 or S9+ from Samsung, during the checkout process, you'll be able to choose one of those two bundles. The Power Bundle costs $49 and includes a wireless charging pad, battery pack, and car charger. The Ultimate Play Bundle costs $99 and includes a wireless charging stand, IconX wireless buds, and a Gear VR. I'm not sure what the total individual price would be of the Power Bundle (Updated: $170 value), but the Ultimate Play Bundle is estimated at around $400, yet you pay just $99.

Let's not forget that Samsung always runs a really good trade-in deal too (up to $300 off immediately), so if you trade-in your current phone for a Galaxy S9 or S9+, you could get a big discount on the phone plus a bunch of goodies for an extra $100. This bundle deal is available from March 16 to April 6.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Link

Podcast: Ditching the Android Part

Kellen — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:54:44 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we want to talk more about the Galaxy S9 and S9+ now that they are readily available at your local wireless shop. We've had each phone for over a week, but that means we have new thoughts on whether or not this phone is a keeper. After that, we'll dive into Android Wear dropping the "Android" part of its name and switching to Wear OS, followed by the latest in G7 and U12 rumors, some Google Home updates worth noting, and other various device announcements. Oh, you want trivia gain? We've got trivia again! We’ll open the show at 1:00PM Pacific (4:00PM Eastern). If you miss us live and/or want the audio version of our podcast, you can subscribe through the various links below.

Chrome Beta 66 on Android Picks Up New Chrome Duplex Option, Removes Chrome Home

Kellen — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:18:15 +0000

Chrome Beta for Android picked up an update to v66.0.3359.30 today and it arrives with Chrome Duplex, the possible replacement for Chrome Home. Its arrival appears to mean the end for Chrome Home, as the option to switch to Duplex's predecessor is now gone. Confused? Let's catch up. Chrome Home was a new experience that Google was testing in Chrome on Android. It moved the navigation bar to the bottom of the browser, likely to reduce the number of times you had to reach up to the top of your giant phone's screen. (I hated at first, but quickly grew to love it.) Within months of it becoming the default setup on Chrome Beta, Google scrapped development on it and never did push it to Chrome stable. And then Chrome Duplex showed up in its place through Chrome Canary around a month ago. Today, it moved up to Beta, a step away from stable. What is Duplex? It's a split bar system where the Chrome navigation bar sits up top, but the bottom of the browser features a new bar that can be swiped up to access history and your most-visited sites. I'm not sure it's the worst thing I've ever used, but the bottom bar needs to be reduced in size by about 75%. It takes up an enormous amount of space that our mobile devices already lack. You can see what it looks like below. Thankfully, it's not on by default and you have to enable it if you want to use it. You'll do so by heading into "chrome://flags" in your browser, searching for "Duplex" and then enabling it. Anyone liking Duplex? Anyone else wish they'd just gone with Chrome Home? Google Play Link

// Chrome Releases

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Masks Now Available for Galaxy S9's AR Emoji

Tim — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 08:51:43 +0000

To help get folks excited for AR Emoji, one of the marquee features for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, Samsung has teamed up with Disney to launch a Mickey Mouse add-on. With this free downloadable extension, anyone can Face/Off (reference to the '97 film, not the TV show) with Mickey or Minnie Mouse, pose for a few photos, and then share them to your heart's content. Sadly, only Mickey and Minnie are available at this time, but we hope we could see other lovable toons in the future. I want Goofy, Donald Duck, and all the other old school toons. To grab this AR Emoji add-on, head into your camera on the Galaxy S9 or S9+, swipe over to AR Emoji, then where you see the different packs, hit the "+" symbol. From there, download the Disney pack and use it. // Samsung

Galaxy S9 Hit Stores Today and Everyone is Running BOGO or 50% Off Deals

Kellen — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 08:47:02 +0000

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ arrived in stores this morning, so if you were considering one and didn't want to pre-order, now is the time to head on in and pick one up. If you did wait, you might have made a pretty good decision too, since most US carriers are running new promos today that are either a buy one, get one free scenario or an up-to-50% off deal. Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint all have deals.

Verizon's Galaxy S9 Deal

Verizon is running a BOGO type deal where they'll give you $799.99 towards a second S9 or S9+ if you first buy one. In other words, they will cover the cost of a second Galaxy S9, but not the full cost of a Galaxy S9+. You see, a Galaxy S9+ runs $929.99 from Big Red, so $799.99 isn't exactly washing that cost out and you'll have to pay up the rest. The other details for this deal include having to activate the second phone on a new line of service. Also, the $799.99 they'll give you for the second phone is one of those garbage bill credit scenarios where they lock you into service for 24 months in order to see the full discount. Hey, it's cool if you have zero plans to leave Verizon over the next two years, but not that cool if you aren't a fan of selling your life to a US wireless carrier. Additionally, you don't need to trade anything in to get this deal, just be aware that the bill credits don't start for 1-2 billing cycles.

AT&T's Galaxy S9 Deal

AT&T is running a "50%" off deal. I put that in quotes because it's only 50% off a Galaxy S9, not the S9+. To be clear, though, you can still get a big discount on the S9+, just not the full 50%. Let me explain. AT&T is requiring that you buy either the S9 or S9+ on an AT&T Next device payment plan (they have various lengths on these things) with a new line of service. They'll then give you a max series of bill credits over the term of that Next plan to the total of $395. You'll need autopay and other things, plus as I just mentioned, you have to add a new line.

T-Mobile's Galaxy S9 Deal

T-Mobile is running the same 50% off deal that they were running during pre-orders. It requires a trade-in in order to get the 50% off, so yeah, it's not that great of a deal.

Sprint's Galaxy S9 Deal

Sprint is doing a BOGO deal on a Galaxy S9 lease, where you lease a S9 or S9+ and they'll get you into a second S9 at no monthly cost. You'll need to lock-in to two 18-month leases, which means either 2 new lines or 1 new line and 1 upgraded line.

Sprint Galaxy S9
Sprint Galaxy S9+

FuboTV Picks Up 4.0 Update With Complete Redesign, New Startover Feature

Kellen — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 15:42:28 +0000

FuboTV, which is the best streaming TV service for soccer fans, has always had trash apps. I know that sounds harsh, but the fuboTV Android TV app currently sits with a rating of 1.5 stars, while the regular Android app sits hardly higher at 3.3 stars. These are bad apps. With that said, fuboTV announced a major update to v4.0 today for the regular Android app! This could be the start of something great. The app sports a "complete design overhaul and enhanced user interface," as well as improved content discovery, a better program guide, and a new central location for managing streams or DVR recordings, called My Fubo. Additionally, across the platform, fuboTV is introducing a new feature called "Startover." With Startover, users who tune-in slightly late to a live game or TV show can jump to the very beginning to start playing catch-up. This is only available on select channels to start, with more on the way. Since this appears to be an update for the mobile Android app only, we'll cross fingers that the Android TV app gets updated similarly before long. You can sign-up for fuboTV right here. Google Play Link

Here's the Full List of Android Wear Devices That Will See the Platform Update to Wear OS

Tim — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 15:27:09 +0000

Google made the rebranding of Android Wear to Wear OS official this morning, so if you're curious as to whether your current smartwatch will see the platform update, we have you covered. According to the complete list, there's a solid number of devices that should see the update to Wear OS, even though for the time being it's solely a name change. Don't expect some crazy new features or anything just yet. For now, this is simply cosmetic. The full list has been placed below. Watches That Are Currently Pursuing the Wear OS Update

Casio PRO TREK Smart WSD-F20
Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch
Diesel Full Guard
Emporio Armani Connected
Fossil Q Control
Fossil Q Explorist
Fossil Q Founder 2.0
Fossil Q Marshal
Fossil Q Venture
Fossil Q Wander
Guess Connect
Gc Connect
Huawei Watch 2 (both cellular & non-cellular versions)
Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch
Kate Spade Scallop
LG Watch Sport
LG Watch Style
Louis Vuitton Tambour
Misfit Vapor
Michael Kors Access Bradshaw
Michael Kors Access Dylan
Michael Kors Access Grayson
Michael Kors Sofie
Montblanc Summit
Movado Connect
Mobvoi Ticwatch S & E
Nixon Mission
Polar M600
Skagen Falster Smartwatch
TAG Heuer Connected Modular 41
TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45
Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You
ZTE Quartz

// Google

Verizon Galaxy S8, S8+ Oreo Update Rolling Out Now! (Updated)

Kellen — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:36:47 +0000

Whoa, we've got an Oreo update rolling out in the US to a Samsung phone - I almost can't believe it. Verizon folks who own the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ should check for an update to see if they can pull it. We've heard from two readers who both were pushed the update earlier today, at almost the same time. The build for the Galaxy S8+ is arriving as G955USQU2CRB9. The new software for the Galaxy S8 will be G950USQU2CRB9. The update for both phones includes the Samsung Experience version 9.0 and February's security patch, as well as Oreo's picture-in-picture and autofill features. I should point out that we've asked a handful of other Verizon Galaxy S8 owners and most aren't seeing an update available. This could be a slower-than-usual rollout from Big Red and Samsung. UPDATE: We've got more info! Verizon has now posted the details for each phone's update and dated the update as rolling out on March 15 (today!). We've updated this post some, but for the full list of changes, hit those links at the bottom of this post. If you own a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ on Verizon, head into Settings>System update.

// Verizon [2] Cheers Chad and Ron!

YouTube's Global Head of Music Talks About Upcoming Music Subscription Service, Still Completely Baffles Us

Tim — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 12:48:29 +0000

Last December, we heard of a reported music subscription service from YouTube, internally referred to as Remix. Remix is confusing because YouTube is already a place of ad-supported music and videos, with YouTube Red being an option to remove the aforementioned advertisements from the service. With Remix, people would pay a monthly subscription, then get more of a Spotify and Apple Music-like experience, but allowing more revenue to be shared with the music industry at large. Keep in mind, a subscription to YouTube Red includes a free subscription to Google Play Music and vice versa. So, needless to say, another subscription service, one catered solely for music, doesn't quite add up in terms of upside to the consumer. However, this week at SXSW, YouTube's global head of music, Lyor Cohen, has provided a few more details to wet our beak on, but ultimately, leaves me with more questions than answers. According to Cohen, the new service will combine, “the best of Google Play Music’s context server” and YouTube’s, “breadth and depth of catalogue.” To be more exact, what will differentiate YouTube's music subscription service is its recommendation system. As Cohen asks, "Did you know that 80 percent of all of watch time on YouTube is recommended by a recommendation engine?" By providing that stat, I suppose we're expected to think this upcoming service will have an unbelievable recommendation system, leading to discovering new music and new acts getting recognized by being paired with known artists. There are still a lot of questions concerning this service, such as all of the labels that are signed on to boost the library of accessible tunes, but also why users will need to pay for this when YouTube essentially offers everything you need for the price of absolutely free, unless you want to pay for the ad-free experience and Google Play Music. What's your take on this reported service from YouTube? Does it fit into the current market and can it actually compete with Spotify and Apple Music? // TechCrunch

Google Adds Doorbell Support to Google Home for Video Streams, Notifications When Someone Rings It

Kellen — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 12:04:50 +0000

Now that Nest Hello is available and ready for mounting in place of your current doorbell, it makes sense that Google would prepare its Assistant and Home units to work with it. And today, they've already done that, by allowing you to pull up doorbell feeds with a simple voice command, as well as hear notifications when someone shows up at your door. Like they did with video feeds from smart home cameras, Google has added doorbell support, starting with Nest Hello. Once everything has been setup properly, saying "Hey Google, show doorbell" (or whatever nickname you've given it) will bring up a feed from your Nest Hello on Chromecast devices. You can use the command from your phone too. Additionally, with doorbells like Nest Hello, you can have your Google Home units tell you when someone rings your doorbell. While I haven't tried it just yet, in theory you should get a voice prompt from Google Home that says, "Someone is at your door," the minute the button on it is pushed. To get all of that setup, you'll want to hit the link below as it has all of the step-by-step instructions. // Google Home Support

PUBG Mobile Soft Launches in Canada for Android, No Word Yet on US Release (Updated)

Tim — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:44:15 +0000

UPDATE 3/19: PUBG is now live for all Android users in the US!

Swiftkey 7.0 Brings New Toolbar, Editable Stickers

Kellen — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:17:22 +0000

Swiftkey, the second most popular keyboard on Android behind Google's Gboard, received a big update today. In fact, Swiftkey is calling this the biggest update since they were bought by Microsoft. That's a weird way to announce an update, but let's move on.

The update includes a new Toolbar, which is an expandable menu that gives you quick access to the features you use the most. You'll access it with a "+" button on the left side of the prediction bar. In addition to the Toolbar, Swiftkey has added a bunch of stickers, as well as a way to edit them to your liking. Stickers are like emoji, only often animated and a bit bigger and more colorful. Android Messages has these for a long time, but it makes sense for others to get in on this action - we love colorful, shareable things, right? Finally, in the US, users will be able to share location and calendars within conversations. The update arrives as Swiftkey 7.0 and you can download it right away. Google Play Link

// Microsoft

Report: HTC U12+, Not the U12, Now Expected in May

Tim — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 09:21:26 +0000

Thanks to a new report from VentureBeat, we're getting what could be our first look at the U12+ from HTC, expected to launch this upcoming May. According to VentureBeat, the U12+ will not be accompanied by a U12, which is the name we all assumed HTC would use for its next flagship device. The name isn't that big of a deal, though. What's more important are the specs and HTC's plan to market the device, so let's go over those more interesting details. As reported, the U12+ features a 6-inch LCD panel with WQHD+ resolution, Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB internal storage, dual selfie cameras (both 8-megapixel), dual rear-facing cameras (16-megapixel and a 12-megapixel), 3,420mAh battery, the second generation of HTC's Edge Sense (squeezy sides), and should launch with Android 8.0+ "Oreo." Most of these specs align with past reports we've shared. Interestingly, it is said that a bump in the road was encountered during the process of making this device, leading HTC to push back the launch of the U12+ from April to May. We aren't sure of the details, but so long as HTC launches a good phone that will directly compete with the Galaxy S9+, we won't hold a delay against them. While anyone can hope this device is sweet and sells well, it will undoubtedly come down to whether HTC attempts to get a carrier partner to help get this phone into the hands of consumers. With last year's U11 being solely an online purchase at a somewhat steep price, we saw hardly any adoption, followed by months of sad news coming out of HTC. Last year was a bad year for HTC, so we'll see what 2018 has in store. // VentureBeat

'Wheelchair Accessible' Routes Incorporated Into Google Maps

Tim — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 08:57:54 +0000

Navigating city centers, as well as bus and train stations can sometimes be complicated for those in a wheelchair or with other mobility needs. To help those, Google Maps now offers a selectable Wheelchair Accessible route option, hopefully leading to easier trips around town for those who need it. To access this function, type your desired destination into Google Maps, tap Directions, then select the public transportation icon. Once there, tap Options and under the Routes section, you will find “wheelchair accessible” as a new route type. When you select this option, Google Maps will show you a list of possible routes that take mobility needs into consideration. According to Google, this feature is rolling out in major metropolitan transit centers around the world, starting with London, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Boston, and Sydney. As Google continues to work with transportation agencies around the world, this list will continue to grow. Google Play Link

// Google

Yep, Android Wear is Officially Wear OS

Kellen — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 08:20:32 +0000

You know how we talked a couple of days ago about Android Wear becoming Wear OS? It happened this morning. The Android Wear site now redirects to wearos.google.com and the OS is indeed called Wear OS. We aren't sure what else has changed, outside of the branding. My guess is that Google has this all under embargo for the next couple of hours and will announce the change soon enough. For now, let's just assume that nothing changes other than the name and that this is really to help convince iPhone users that these watches work with their phones too. UPDATE: Google has now announced it, and yep, it's just a name change. Google did say that the new name will arrive in the phone app and on watches within the next few weeks. There should be new features and improvements coming to Wear OS in the coming weeks and months too. Here is a link to the new Wear OS site. You'll find them on Twitter here.

Nest Hello Doorbell, Yale Smartlock Now Available - New Temperature Sensor Up for Pre-Order

Kellen — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 07:22:43 +0000

Man, Nest really dropped all the goods on us last night. The Nest Hello doorbell and Nest x Yale Lock are both now available, plus, we're finally getting a temperature sensor to go along with our Nest Thermostats. It's legitimately raining Nestness over here, y'all. To catch you up, let's recap all three products.

Nest Hello doorbell: It's a smart doorbell, like the ones that Ring has been making for a while. This one is sleek and simple in design, takes in HD video at a 4:3 ratio in HDR, has night vision, makes a 24/7 stream available, and has a 160-degree field of view. It does person, motion, and sound alerts, can recognize family and friends, is able to send pre-recorded messages to people, and maybe most importantly, works within the Nest app, so that you no longer have a separate doorbell app outside of your Nest products. It costs $229.
Nest x Yale Lock: It's a smart lock, like the ones made by August or other various companies. Yale is a known lock brand, though, and Nest has be working on this particular lock with them for at least a year, maybe more. You can unlock it within the Nest app, but it also contains a touchpad for entry when your phone isn't around. You can handout custom codes to friends and family, and also decide when they should work. When locked or unlocked, it can toggle your Nest Secure system, or you can have it automatically do that through a variety of ways. It costs $249 by itself, or $279 with a Nest Connect.
Nest Temperature Sensor: It's a temperature sensor, like the ones Ecobee has been shipping with their thermostat for years. You can buy multiple if you want and you set them throughout your house to check on the temperature in rooms. You can use them to tell your Nest Thermostat to make those rooms a priority, so that it then heats or cools your house until specific rooms are the temperature you want them to be. This is awesome! These sensors will now ship with Thermostats, but you can pre-order them alone right now. They cost $39.

Alright, so when can you buy all of this? The Nest Hello and Nest x Yale are available now. The new Temperature Sensor will come bundled in new Thermostat purchases, while stand-alone units will ship soon. Maybe April? Nest Links:

// Nest

LG's ThinQ Smart Display and Google Assistant Speaker Go Up for Pre-Order Too

Kellen — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 15:09:37 +0000

Add LG's upcoming Google Assistant-powered smart speakers to the list of devices that are now up for pre-order at B&H Photo. We noticed that Lenovo's stand-alone Daydream headset and VR180 camera were live earlier, but just stumbled onto LG's speakers too. The two products here are the LG ThinQ Google Assistant Touch Screen Speaker (WK9) and the LG ThinQ Google Assistant Speaker (WK7). The touch screen speaker is one of the first Google Smart Displays that will act as a Google Home with a touch screen, while the speaker is an LG-powered Google Home, basically. We saw these at CES, like Lenovo's products, only we didn't necessarily receive many details on them from LG including specifics for availability or price. Assuming B&H is correct here, we now know that the LG Smart Display will cost close to $300, while the regular LG Google Assistant speaker will run close to $200. B&H does not have an expected ship date just yet. In terms of specs, we know that both speakers were tuned with Merdian Audio technologies, have Chromecast built-in, and that the regular speaker is a certified Hi-Res audio device. We know that the Smart Display will feature an 8" display and front-facing camera too. The rest of the story is mostly a mystery.

B&H Links:

LG ThinQ Google Assistant Smart Display ($296.99)
LG ThinQ Google Assistant Smart Speaker ($196.99)

Lenovo's Stand-Alone Daydream VR Headset, VR180 Camera Up for Pre-Order With May 11 Ship Date

Kellen — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:32:47 +0000

After showing off its stand-alone Daydream VR headset and VR180 camera at CES, Lenovo would only tell press that each device would arrive at some point in Q2. We knew pricing ($400 for the Mirage Solo VR headset, $300 for the VR180 camera), but not a specific date. Today, we think we have an idea when each will hit stores. B&H Photo has posted each device up for pre-order with an "expected availability" of May 11. The prices match what we were previously told: $399.99 for the Mirage Solo with Daydream; $299.99 for the Mirage VR180 camera. The date may be just a coincidence, but May 11 is the Friday following Google I/O, which takes place May 8-10. It could very well be that Google and Lenovo are timing the release then because talking about each at I/O sure would get another big set of eyeballs on them. You could possibly hand them out to I/O attendees, but mostly just show off how far the tech has come and that they can now be bought right away. As a VR kind of guy, I'm actually pretty excited for the Mirage Solo. You don't need a phone. You don't need a computer. You just get to do cool VR stuff in a wire-free environment. Anyone want to pre-order?

B&H Links:

Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream ($399.99)
Lenovo Mirage VR180 Camera ($299.99)

Galaxy S9 and S9+ Units Already Picking Up First Update With Face Unlock, Camera Fixes

Kellen — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 13:14:02 +0000

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ units are already picking up updates before the phones launch later this week. The update provides stability to two of the phone's biggest features. As you can see from the screenshot below, taken from one of our unlocked Galaxy S9 units, the update weighs in at around 286MB. It updates the S9 to software version G960U1UEU1ARBG. For the S9+, you should see G965U1UEU1ARBG. In the update, Samsung is introducing stability improvements to Face Unlock and the camera, specifically. They acknowledge the possibility of there being additional improvements or bug fixes too, just not that they want to call out. The update keeps the Galaxy S9 on the February security patch, even though we are well into March. You can check for Galaxy S9 updates by heading into Settings>Software update.

Amazon's Follow-Up Mode for Alexa Devices Would be Great With Google Home

Kellen — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 12:40:13 +0000

At the end of last week, Amazon announced a new Follow-Up Mode for Alexa devices that allows you to ask follow-up questions without having to repeat the wake word over and over again between each. I finally got around to playing with it today, and yeah, I need this now on Google Home. It works like this. You open the Alexa app on your phone, jump into settings and tap on the device you want to enable this new Follow-Up Mode for (it's off by default, as it should be). You should see the option's toggle just below the device's wake word setting. Once enabled, you can wake your Echo device, ask it a question, listen to the response, and then continue asking follow-ups. You'll know that follow-up mode is on because the blue Alexa light will continue to pulse after each question has been answered by your Echo. If you want it to stop, Amazon says that you can say, "Stop" or "Thank you" or "Go to sleep." It should stop if audio is playing too, or if it detects a bunch of background noise. You could let it time out too, as it'll stop listening within a few seconds of you not talking to it. Why would we want this on Google Home? Because saying "OK Google" or "Hey Google" has always been chalkboard-scratchy obnoxious and often times, frustrating. Having to say it multiple times in a row after realizing you have multiple commands you need fulfilled is even worse. Sure, Google Home can complete two commands at once, but that's somewhat limited. I can't tell you how many times I've asked Home for info, then realized I need something else done as the answer is being spoken back to me. With a follow-up option, which would keep Home listening for another few seconds, a process like that becomes easy like it is now on Amazon devices. Also, I'll take any opportunity to not have to say "OK Google." // Amazon

You Can Now Set Location-Based Reminders on Google Home

Tim — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 11:58:29 +0000

It's not easy remembering everything, but thanks to the enabling of location-based reminders on Google Home, it's now getting easier to be reminded. Let's say you're in the kitchen and notice you need more coffee. Starting now, you can tell your Google Home to remind you to pick up coffee the next time you're at the grocery store. Then, once you're at the grocery store, your smartphone recognizes this, then alerts you of the reminder to buy coffee. Super slick, right? This feature can be applied to all sorts of different things, so give it a try and let us know what you think. I'm interested to start using this myself. https://twitter.com/madebygoogle/status/973936821750108161

Google Opens Up the Maps API to Game Developers

Tim — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 10:27:13 +0000

We may soon see an explosion of real-world based games using augmented reality, thanks to the opening up of the Google Maps API to game developers. With this, developers will be able to create new worlds on top of our existing one, using all of the data found inside of Google Maps. For example, let's say you wanted to create a zombie game using your own neighborhood. Google has gone ahead and integrated the Google Maps data into the Unity game engine, meaning developers only need to texturize and stylize the map to fit their needs, then of course, make the game itself. Here's how Google puts it.

Game studios can easily reimagine our world as a medieval fantasy, a bubble gum candy land, or a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic city. With Google Maps’ real-time updates and rich location data, developers can find the best places for playing games, no matter where their players are.

In the end, I believe Google and a few game studios envision a worldwide game that can be played by anyone and anywhere, similar to what we saw with Pokemon GO. There is probably a long ways to go before we ever see that, but this is the first step. // Google Maps

You Can Now Get Your Samsung Galaxy Phone Fixed, Officially, at uBreakiFix Shops

Kellen — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 08:32:02 +0000

When it comes to phone repairs, I don't think anyone can deny that Apple has a pretty sweet setup. If you drop an iPhone and break its screen, you can head into an Apple Store to get it fixed. If you own most Android phones, that's not an option, since there isn't much of a retail presence outside of carrier and electronics stores. Samsung is attempting to change that somewhat today, with an announcement that they are teaming with uBreakiFix to offer quick repairs for your Galaxy phones. Starting March 15 (tomorrow), if you run into an issue with your Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6, Galaxy Note 8, or Galaxy Note 5, there is a good chance that your nearby uBreakiFix store can help. Samsung is calling more than 300 uBreakiFix locations "Samsung Care authorized," so you shouldn't have much trouble finding one. Samsung plans to add another 200 or so by next year too. At a uBreakiFix service location, you'll get your Samsung phone fixed within two hours in most situations, plus they use genuine parts. You may recall that Google announced a similar partnership with uBreakiFix for Pixel and Pixel 2 devices. Without physical retail locations, they are turning into the go-to service repair shop for phone manufacturers. To find nearby locations, hit up this link. // Samsung

DEAL: Buy Philips Hue White and Color Starter Kit, Get 2 Free Google Home Minis

Kellen — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 08:03:34 +0000

To get going on a smart home setup, there is no better place to start than with some smart lighting. Your house needs lighting. Voice controlling that lighting is awesome. When you can throw in some fun colors to that lighting, things get even more interesting. If you want to jump into the world of Philips Hue smart lights, Best Buy is currently running a deal on a Philips Hue Starter Kit that includes four White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs, plus the hub should you want to add more lights later. It costs $200. However, the deal here is over the included freebies, which amount to two free Google Home Mini units with purchase. Two of 'em! Each Google Home Mini costs $50, so that's a solid $100 in freebies that give you smart home control by voice when your phone isn't nearby. They also place music, can tell you about the weather and your day, and recently picked up Google's Routines feature. To get the deal, you hit that link below and add the Philips Hue kit to cart. It'll include the Home Minis with it. Best Buy Deal Link

DEAL: Anker Quick Chargers, USB C Cables, Power Banks Up to 33% Off Today Only

Kellen — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:39:17 +0000

Anker nabbed Amazon's deal of the day today with a batch of products that are all up to 33% off. It's a bunch of power-related accessories, so that means a Quick Charge 3.0 adapter, multi-port car charger, USB-C cable, and a couple of big ol' power banks. If you are in need of some juice grabbers, today is a good day. As of right now, they still have the following available:

Anker PowerCore 15600mAh Battery Pack - $23.99
Anker PowerCore 20000mAh Battery Pack - $41.99
Anker USB-A to USB-C Cable (6ft) - $9.79
Anker 4-Port Car Charger - $11.19
Anker Quick Charge 3.0 Dual Port Wall Charger - $17.98

You can access them all at the link below. This is a 1-day only deal, and all have Prime shipping. Amazon Deal Link

Report: LG G7 Launch Expected in May and Priced Around $800, LG V40 Pushed to November

Tim — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:57:17 +0000

We have a new report concerning the LG G7 this week, plus a little bit on the LG V40. According to Korea's ETNews, LG will look to launch the G7 in Korea this May, following an unveiling event next month in April. Detailed in the report, the G7 will be priced a bit higher than last year's G6, coming in around $800. For specs, based on the photos we saw of the G7 at MWC, we're expecting a top notch (aka display cutaway), Snapdragon 845 processor, rear-facing fingerprint reader, premium audio components, and dual rear-facing 16-megapixel cameras. It's also reported that a LG G7 Pro model will be available in select markets, offering bumps in storage and RAM. For the LG V40, its launch has apparently been pushed from September to November. Considering we haven't really begun reporting on the V40, we can't quite call this a delay, but simply an updated estimation for when we expect the device to launch. We're coming up on April, so we can expect much more G7 news to come. // ETNews

T-Mobile Will Launch RCS Universal Profile Support in Q2

Kellen — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:25:45 +0000

The world of messaging is a confusing one at times. Whether it's iMessage or WhatsApp or classic text messaging, finding a solution that everyone has and uses is never easy. With RCS (rich communication services), we were under the impression that we might have the solution we need, especially with Google leading its charge, along with the GSMA. You may recall that back in 2016, Google and the GSMA announced the RCS Universal Profile. This was their attempt to create a global advanced messaging standard that all carriers could adopt to make messaging better for everyone no matter their phone or wireless provider. Unfortunately, that standard (Universal Profile) has not been met by many in the US, outside of Sprint. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon have all said that they'll support it at some point, it just hasn't happened yet. I should say, until today, because T-Mobile just said that their network is ready. In Q2 of this year, T-Mobile customers will receive software updates on their phones that enable support for RCS Universal Profile. This is huge news because it will mean advanced RCS messaging services between carriers, which is something that isn't currently happening. You see, T-Mobile and AT&T have their own advanced messaging services, but they only really work within their networks, not across them. Sure, T-Mobile says that their current solution should technically work everywhere. However, I'm not aware of it playing nicely with other carrier solutions. AT&T isn't even hiding the fact that their's is an AT&T-only thing. Once this starts rolling out, we're still going to need Verizon and AT&T to jump on board with support in order for this to make messaging great everywhere. If anything, this at least gives us Universal Profile between T-Mobile and Sprint. It could also mean support within the Android Messages app. We'll bring you updates as we learn more. // T-Mobile

White House Issues Order Prohibiting Broadcom's Bid for Qualcomm (Updated)

Kellen — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:16:49 +0000

You guys know this already, but Broadcom and Qualcomm have been going back and forth over several months now after Broadcom attempted to acquire the US chipmaker. It's been somewhat nasty, often drama-filled, and possibly a little too greasy for my taste. But with Broadcom playing countless takeover-related tricks to move closer and closer to being able to buy Qualcomm, the White House and Trump administration has stepped in to block it all. Yesterday, the President issued an executive order prohibiting the takeover of Qualcomm by Broadcom, as well as "any substantially equivalent merger, acquisition, or takeover, whether effected directly or indirectly, is also prohibited." He also ordered them to "immediately and permanently" abandon anything the two had been working on. OK, then! The White House suggested like there is "credible evidence" that Broadcom and its partners may "take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States," should they acquire Qualcomm. Additionally, the executive order prohibits a list of 15 Broadcom people from serving as a director with Qualcomm, plus Qualcomm can't even accept nominations or votes for any of them. You can read the full executive order right here. Qualcomm acknowledged the order in a statement. UPDATE 3/14: Broadcam has withdrawn and terminated its offer to acquire Qualcomm following the White House's executive order. // New York Times | Qualcomm | Broadcom

Google Assistant Now Available on the iPad

Tim — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:51:54 +0000

In May of last year, Google announced it was bringing Google Assistant to iPhones. Today, the same can be said for iPads. Hooray, iPads! As you can see in the header image above, with iOS 11, iPad owners can multitask pretty well with an Assistant panel open alongside other apps. Other than that, it should be the same Assistant you know and love, capable of controlling your smart home, checking weather, calendar events, plus everything else. Need a few examples of things you can do with Google Assistant on your iPad?

Set the mood by having the Assistant “dim the lights”
Cast to your TV by asking the Assistant to “watch the latest news on the living room TV”
Stay in touch by asking the Assistant to “video call mom” or “text Lauren”
Keep up with your chores by asking the Assistant to “remind me to take out the recycling at 8 PM”

Assistant for iPads is rolling out today! // Google

Essential Releases Android 8.1 Update for Essential Phone!

Kellen — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:14:27 +0000

Essential just pushed the Android 8.1 update to the Essential Phone! The stable version! The news comes as a bit of a surprise, since they only recently announced the Android 8.1 beta, with OTA-opt-in support. Not that we're complaining over here - we love updates. The update is arriving to all right now as build OPM1.180104.092 with the March security patch. If you are in the beta, the update weighs in at 275.8MB. If you aren't, well, I don't know what the size is. I'll have to let someone not on the beta let us know in the comments. Either way, expect a decent-sized update to Oreo! Here's the changelog:

New Features Include:

Smart text selection, instant apps, picture-in-picture

Faster startup and app sign-in

Google Play Protect security scans

Essential Products Features Include:

Google Security Patches 2018-03

Dynamic Calendar and Clock icons

Slow Scrolling Jitter Fix

To grab it, head into Settings>System>System update. https://twitter.com/essential/status/973605611542753280

Oh, Dark Mode for YouTube Android App is Coming Soon

Tim — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:06:32 +0000

YouTube recently rolled out a Dark Mode to its website, and frankly, it's hot. All Dark Modes are hot. According to The Verge, a Dark Mode will now also come to the YouTube app for both iOS and Android. With the Dark Mode, essentially all of the White you see in the UI will be turned Black, making for a much darker browsing and viewing experience. The iOS version is apparently rolling out today, with the Android version "coming soon." Not the first time we've heard that phrase as Android users, but that's life. Let us know if you see Dark Mode hit your YouTube app at some point! // The Verge

Galaxy S9: First 10 Things to Do!

Kellen — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 09:46:50 +0000

As we mentioned yesterday, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ pre-orders have shipped with some arriving as early as today. Because of that, we get that a number of you are going to have your phones out of the box and setup within minutes of their arrival. Soooooo, we've got your "First 10 things to do" video right here to get you going on maximizing all that the S9 has to offer. In this video, like we other First 10 Things videos, we walk through a series of items we think are most beneficial to setup right away. We look at items like lock screen security and the various options there (fingerprints, biometric scans, Smart Lock, etc.), making sure Always-on Display is configured, how you can disable (or access) Bixby, tweaking Edge Screen to your liking, setting-and-forgetting DND and the Blue Light filter, and whether or not any of the Advanced Features Samsung includes are worth using. It's all there to get you slaying the S9 game. We should have tips and tricks before the end of the week, too, followed by our Galaxy S9 review.

ecobee Switch+ is a $99 Light Switch With Amazon Alexa Built-In, Pre-Order Now Live

Tim — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 09:13:23 +0000

ecobee, the makers of the smart thermostat that I use in my own home, have the Switch+ smart light switch up for pre-order starting today, priced at $99. So, what makes a light switch smart? The Switch+ comes with Amazon Alexa, meaning you can simply tell Alexa to turn on the lights, play some music, get traffic information, or anything else that Alexa is capable of doing. It also means you can control other aspects of your smart home, all from your light switch. The Switch+ is priced at $99, which doesn't seem terrible when you think about the cost of every other smart home gadget. Something important to note, while the Switch+ ships Alexa, specifically labeled on ecobee's website is support for Google Assistant. My assumption without having used this device is that you can use Assistant to turn on the lights through this device, but not much else in terms of functionality. It would actually be great if ecobee made two models, one with Alexa and one with Assistant, but oh well. You can pre-order the Switch+ by following one of the links below. Shipments will roll out later this month. Pre-Order Links: Amazon Link | ecobee Link

Fitbit's New Versa Watch is Official, Priced Well, and Might be a Serious Contender

Kellen — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 08:42:54 +0000

In the world of smartwatches, there aren't many players left. You've got Apple dominating with the Apple Watch followed by...I have no idea. No one buys smartwatches that aren't Apple Watches. Fitbit is hoping to change that with their newly announced Fitbit Versa, a watch that might actually give Apple a run. The Fitbit Versa is up for pre-order right now, is priced at $199.95, and ships in April. It features a modern design that reminds me of a Pebble watch (a company they bought), unlike that awful looking thing they shipped previously, called the Ionic. This thing is essentially a squircle with a square watch display and a super thin body. It'll come in a handful of colors, as well as a couple of special edition models (with a $30 price hike) and a bunch of accessories. Fitbit has clearly designed this to be a watch that you could wear anywhere without feeling like you are wearing a smart-watchy nerd contraption on your wrist, like you did with the Ionic. So what's good or new about Fitbit Versa? Quite a bit. For specs, you've got a "hi-res" touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 3 on top and up to 1000 nits brightness, 50M water resistance, 4+ day battery life, heart rate sensor (24/7 tracking), Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to headphones, and connectivity to both Android and iOS devices. It only has a connected GPS, though, so not a stand-alone GPS. It has NFC for making payments with Fitbit Pay, but only in the special edition models. As for software experiences, you've got Fitbit's OS 2.0 with a new personalized dashboard for your day, on-screen workouts (15+ exercise modes), automatic workout and sleep tracking, easy access to stats (daily and weekly goals, heart rate, exercise summaries, sleep, etc.), other reminders and social happenings, more watch faces, smarter notifications (at least on Android, with quick replies), and music playback. Fitbit is also going to add female health tracking, so that women can better track their menstrual cycles. If interested in that, you can learn more here. Overall, I think this looks pretty slick, and that's coming from someone who uses these types of watches regularly. While the missing stand-alone GPS might kill this for some, the rest is pretty spot-on for fitness and life tracking needs. And the price isn't bad either. Again, pre-orders are open now and Fitbit expects the Versa to ship in April. Fitbit Versa Pre-order Link ($199.95) // Fitbit

Galaxy S9 Pre-Orders Shipping Nice and Early

Kellen — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:12:12 +0000

Like we've seen for a number of years now, Samsung is shipping pre-orders of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ nice and early. That should lead to many of you having the newest Galaxy S well before launch day, which is this Friday, March 16. In previous years, we reminded you that pre-order shipping notifications don't mean much until a phone is actually on a truck. Carriers often create shipping labels with arrival estimates, only to hold items for days without actually shipping them. According to our pre-orders from Samsung's store, the opposite is happening - ours are not only on trucks, they will be here tomorrow, March 13. Another reader of ours with T-Mobile service has been charged for his order, which is often a sign that the order will ship very soon. There's a sizable reddit thread keeping track too, with many showing early arrival dates. Has your Galaxy S9 shipped yet?

Googler: We're in the Process of Making Allo Usable on Independent Devices

Tim — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:34:03 +0000

For people like myself, Allo is difficult to use. While I appreciate the mobile app experience, things fall apart when it comes to using the web client and app simultaneously, then switching phones every now and then. As of right now, using Allo on the web means opening the Allo app on your phone, then scanning a QR code to gain access to your account. It's not just a simple login system, since Allo specifically requires a mobile number for usage. Don't ask me why Google decided on this, but that's what we have. However, good news may be on the horizon. According to Justin Uberti on Twitter, a lead engineer at Google working on the Duo and Allo services, "We are in the process of migrating the backend system to support completely independent devices." Independent devices, you say? If this change occurs, it means users should be able to use the Allo service independently from one another, meaning no more QR code scanning to gain access via the web client. This would definitely be a step in the right direction, but could take some time considering we're talking about the migration of the entire backend system. There's no way to know what that all entails for Allo, but I assume it's complicated. So, yeah. Allo could soon be more useful for people like me and this makes me happy! https://twitter.com/juberti/status/971862716380934144

Google Has a 4.3" OLED Display for Virtual Reality With a Bonkers Pixel Density of 1,443 PPI

Tim — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 13:28:41 +0000

This upcoming May at SDI, Google is set to introduce a 4.3" OLED display, catered for usage with virtual reality. Apparently, this little display packs some serious heat, featuring a resolution of around 5500 x 3000, listing its pixel density at 1,443 PPI, plus a refresh rate of 120Hz. Just to compare those numbers to something we're familiar with, the Galaxy S8 has a PPI of 571, while the Pixel 2 XL has a PPI of 538. Take those numbers and nearly triple them and you've got this new OLED panel from Google. If you're interested in the technology that makes such a high density possible, you're barking up the wrong tree. However, I can point you in the right direction. According to Sunic Systems, it was able to achieve 1,500 PPI using plane source evaporation, and with it, could lead to PPIs of 2,250. Because this panel has not yet been seen or detailed, we have no information regarding whether or not we'll see this in marketed devices any time soon. We hope it is, but we'll have to wait for SDI this May to get any indication. Did Google just make VR interesting again? // OLED Info

Google Posts Details for Google Home's Routines, Which Likely Means They're Rolling Out (Updated)

Kellen — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:59:00 +0000

After telling us back at MWC that Google Home's Routines feature was finally ready to rollout in a few weeks, Google looks like it has taken the next step towards making that happen. This afternoon, they posted new support pages for Google Home Routines, filling in many of the blanks we were curious about from this latest feature that may be one of Google Home's best. According to Google, Routines have now replaced the My Day feature that you used to access on Google Home. So when you go into the Google Home app here shortly and head into "More settings," you'll see that Routines will have taken the place of My Day. And that's not a bad thing, since Routines are far more powerful than the previous My Day morning command. Out of the gate, you'll have 6 Routines that you can customize (good morning, bedtime, leaving home, I'm home, commuting to work, and commuting home). In the "good morning" command, you'll say "Hey Google, good morning...," to have it take your phone off silent (if initiated from your phone), adjust lights/plugs/thermostats/etc., tell you about the day's weather or commute or calendar or reminders, and adjust media volume. You could then have it finish off by playing music or news, the radio, and audiobook, or nothing. The bedtime command will do things like silent your phone, tell you about tomorrow's weather or calendar items, set alarms, adjust lights and other smart home products, and adjust media volumes. You can even have it trigger music or sleep sounds. With other Routines commands like "I'm home" or "Let's go to work" or "I'm leaving," Google Home and the Assistant will do exactly what you think they will: tell you about commutes and the weather, adjust smart home products (lights, thermostats, smart plugs, and more), send text messages (ex: a text to family that you are on your way home), broadcast to Google Home's that you are coming home, and play music or news, that sort of thing. Again, Routines should be rolling out shortly, now that Google has posted all of the details surrounding them. Be sure to update your Google Home app and head into "More settings" to look for the option. UPDATE 3/19: You should all have Routines as an option now. // Google Support

Philips Hue Reveals Pricing, Details for New Outdoor Light Line-Up

Kellen — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:26:52 +0000

After announcing at CES that a new app and outdoor lighting were on the way, Philips Hue delivered more details on that new lighting line-up today. The outdoor light choices will include both white and white and color options at various price points, starting at $29.99 and going up to almost $300. The Philips Hue outdoor line-up will feature:

Lily spotlight base unit pack: $279.99 - Includes 3 light points and accessories
Calla bollard: $129.99
Lucca, Tuar, Turaco, Ludere wall lights: From $49.99
PAR38 lamp: $29.99 single, $49.99 double pack

The entire outdoor line-up is supposed to be "easy to install" and is based on a plug and play system that works with the Hue app. Like your indoor lights, you'll be able to tap to turn lights off or on, set schedules, and even have lights automatically turn on when you approach home. These new lights will work with Assistant too. The color temperature range is 2200-6500 Kelvin and there are 16 million colors available from the color lights. Philips says to expect the new line-up in July in the US and Europe.

// Philips

Galaxy S9+ Gets Torn Down, Guts Exposed, Proves to be Very Difficult to Repair

Tim — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 11:43:54 +0000

iFixIt has published its teardown of the Galaxy S9+, letting all of the DIY-ers out there get a sense of just how hard it will be to perform self repairs on their new phone. On the 1 to 10 scale iFixIt publishes, the Galaxy S9+ scores a 4, which isn't the worst we've seen. Compared to last year's Galaxy S8, though, the score remains the same. On the bright side, iFixIt says many components of the device are modular, making particular replacements not very hard. However, breaking into the phone is where everything is dangerous. There is also a heavy amount of adhesive, so you must be very careful when prying and prodding. In these teardowns, we get to see all of the phone's components, such as camera modules and chipsets. It also reminds us every year, we wish someone would release a phone with a transparent backside. I'm telling you, it would be sweet. Check out a bit of iFixIt's gallery below and bask in the teardown magic. // iFixIt

Contest: Enter the DL Bracket Challenge 2018, Win a Google Home Max!

Kellen — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 11:01:38 +0000

The 9th annual DL Bracket Challenge is here! We've picked the prize, the teams and brackets are set, and the contest is open for business. This year, we're giving away a Google Home Max, the newest smart speaker from Google. Being the biggest and most expensive of the Home line-up, we're going to let the winner choose the color they prefer and ship it right away in the US. For those new, just know that this is a pretty standard NCAA bracket tournament challenge. We run it through ESPN’s Tourney Challenge, because they do all of the hard work, like calculating scores and picking winners. We just use it to funnel thousands of you there to make the competition more fun in preparation to give you awesome prizes. You fill out a bracket at ESPN’s site by picking winners, submit it before the tourney kicks off, install an app or two to keep track, and then sit back and pray for upsets that match yours. It’s pretty simple. Entry is free and you’ll find all of the instructions below! You ready?

Contest

ESPN Group: Droid Life 2018 Password: droidlife Prize: Winner takes home a Google Home Max ($399 value). How to enter:

Entry is free. (Need to be in the US, where we can ship the prize.)
Join the Droid Life group from above (create an ESPN account if you need to).
Fill out your bracket and submit before the “Round of 64” games start Thursday morning (March 15).
There are games tomorrow and Wednesday, but you still have until Thursday before you need to be entered.
Winner with the highest total points following the NCAA Championship is our winner.
We use ESPN and their scoring system, along with their tiebreaker system.
This is a “winner takes all” competition.

Two rules:

We use the “Locked” setting, which means you can’t swap out brackets once the competition starts.
We only allow 1 entry per person.

Winner: UPDATE: Our winner is mrbishop87! Congrats on the wild win from a tournament that was all over the place.

On the morning following the NCAA Championship game, which takes place on April 2, we're asking that the winner email us. Once that happens, we have ways to verify the winner. We have to do this because ESPN took away all messaging means from their platform. Unfortunately, all of the other NCAA Tourney options won't work any better. Feel free to invite your friends and family members – the more competition, the more fun we have. Good luck, all! Apps:

ESPN Tournament Challenge (manage your brackets)
NCAA March Madness Live (watch all games live)

OnePlus Beta Testing Android 8.1 on OnePlus 5, 5T Right Now

Tim — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:39:33 +0000

Owners of a OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T can download the latest beta this week, bringing their phones up to Android 8.1, otherwise known OxygenOS Open Beta 6 for the OP5 and Open Beta 4 for the OP5T. Besides the bump to Android 8.1 OnePlus is incorporating its new auto pick up gesture, which can answer an incoming call by raising the phone. On top of that, both phones will get the February Android security patch, new optimizations for the Gaming Mode, as well as OnePlus Switch. If you want to try the latest beta, here's how it works. If you're already opted into the Open Beta, you'll receive this update as an OTA. If you're not in the beta, you'll need to flash the beta build, with full instructions and downloads here. Once in the beta, you'll continue to receive updates from the beta. If you want to exit the beta, you'll need to wipe your phone and install a public version. Hurry up, OEMs, Android P is right around the corner! // OnePlus [2]

Android Wear Could be Seeing a Rebrand to Wear OS

Tim — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:05:26 +0000

During the process of setting up an Android Wear device, a reddit user has spotted something quite peculiar. As you'll see in the screenshot below, Google looks to be testing a new logo for its wearable platform, but that's not even the biggest news here. Also from this screenshot, we can see that Google might even be looking to rename Android Wear to Wear OS. We have yet to hear anything official from Google at this point, but a rebrand makes sense. For starters, Android Wear is not exclusive to just Android devices. While Android Wear is technically Android, it could be that Google wants the name to be more inclusive for its compatibility with other mobile operating systems. This could sway a few iOS peeps to give it a try.

For the logo, it looks like a W comprised of two tilted lines with a mix of Google Assistant's dots. It does remind me of Westworld just a bit, but maybe that's a good thing. Keep in mind, Google is no stranger to rebrands at the moment. We literally just got through with the Android Pay to Google Pay rebrand, and so far, that one seems to be going well. I'd expect we see something official from Google quite soon. Are you liking the new logo? // reddit

Galaxy Note 8, S8, and Galaxy S9 Get Access to Camera-Based Google Lens Experience

Kellen — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 08:41:20 +0000

Back at MWC, Google announced that Google Lens would rollout to Google Photos for everyone (And it did!), but that the camera-based version would also show up on "compatible flagship devices" within the coming weeks. Since that announcement, the Galaxy S8 line and Galaxy Note 8 have slowly picked it up, plus we noticed that our Galaxy S9 review unit has it as well. What is camera-based Google Lens? I hate to compare anything to Bixby, but that's sort of what we've got. You fire up Google Assistant and look for the Google Lens logo in the bottom right corner. Tapping that opens into a camera UI that asks you to tap on items you want more info on. If it recognizes them, it'll give you links to gather more info and it can turn images into text for copying too. It's useful for quickly adding business card info to your contacts, finding info on monuments or attractions, and deciding which of the nearest burger shops you want to stop at right now, because it's always the right time for a burger.

You may need to be in the Google App Beta in order to get this. If you aren't already enrolled and want to, hit this link. Google didn't specify that Samsung's flagships would all get Lens when they announced it, we just assumed they would. What I'm getting at is the fact that the LG V30 could (and probably will) very soon, as will other of the top-tier devices you own. Be on the lookout! Cheers Brian!

Weekly Recap: Android P or Galaxy S9?

Kellen — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:19:03 +0000

We had an incredibly fun week here at Droid Life. The festivities kicked off with March's Android security update, followed by an unboxing of the $1,225 Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design. We then got the first developer preview of Android P, flashed it and played with it for hours, and documented all of its biggest changes. Then we got our hands on a Galaxy S9+ to review before hosting another DL Show with trivia and prizes for the first time. I'm telling you, this week was awesome. Be sure to catch up on all of the action, because a ton of stuff happened. Also, it's only going to get wilder.

WATCH: Droid Life Show Episode 167 | Subscribe
Android P Developer Preview 1 released
Video: What's new in Android P?
Android P feature list: The fun stuff
Android P feature list: The developer stuff
Android P release timeline
Download: Android P's Markup tool!
Download: Android P's Pixel Launcher
Android P kills Substratum themeing
I am not a fan of the Android P clock
Sad: No more big updates for Nexus 6P, 5X, Pixel C
March's Android security update arrived this week
Video: Galaxy S9 unboxing!
Here's the Huawei P-Notch-20
Motorola struggles continue with layoffs, phone cuts
Reminder: Last weekend to lock-in $35 YouTube TV
YouTube TV adds NBA TV, MLB Network
Fortnite Battle Royale is coming to Android!
HTC U12 specs, anyone?
Google Duo adds video messages to video calls
Galaxy Note 9 may not have in-display fingerprint reader
Verizon's LG V30 grabs Oreo update!
Video: Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design unboxing!
Ookla's Speedtest app gets a big 4.0 update
T-Mobile LTE-LAA speeds are incredibly fast

First beer of the weekend.

Motorola to Release VR Headset That's a Moto Mod, or Maybe It's a Moto Mod That's a VR Headset

Tim — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:35:17 +0000

If there's one thing the world doesn't need more of, it's VR headsets. There are countless iterations available from all sorts of companies, but according to a new tweet from @evleaks, Motorola thinks they have a pretty innovative idea for them. As we can see in the image above, Motorola wants to turn a VR Headset into a Moto Mod, or maybe it's VR Headset that is also a Moto Mod? Either way you slice it, the headset looks to be called Virtual Viewer and it should be downright easy to use, just like any other Moto Mod accessory. We aren't aware of any release information, price, or specs per se, but we assume you simply throw your phone into the headset, then have access to Google's library of VR apps and services on Google Play. Is VR dead yet? https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/972164530309607424

DEAL: Amazon's Deal of the Day is Certified Refurbished Nexus 5X for $140, Nexus 6P for $219

Kellen — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 13:12:04 +0000

I know that both the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X just got cut off from major Android OS updates with Android P, but they still might be a good buy for someone who wants a Google phone that will continue to be kept up-to-date on security patches for the next several months. Hey, they also run Android 8.1, unlike almost every single-non-Google phone on the planet. And I bring them up because Amazon's Deal of the Day is for certified refurbished versions of each at really, really low prices. The Nexus 5X is available in all colors and can be had for as low as $140.79. Similarly, the Nexus 6P in a variety of colors can be had for just $219.99. A few of the listings include Prime shipping, but not all. If interested, dive through that link below and find the version you crave.

Amazon Deal Link

Cheers enigmaco!

Motorola Lays Off More Employees, Moto X5 May Have Been Cut Too

Kellen — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 12:52:24 +0000

We've got levels of bad news today out of Motorola, as the company has confirmed that they are laying off a number of employees from their Chicago office. The confirmation comes after reports surfaced suggesting that 50% of remaining staff may have been let go and that the Moto Z line's future could be in jeopardy. In a statement to 9to5Google, Motorola said the following:

In late 2017, Lenovo announced a worldwide resource action that would occur over the next several quarters, and impacting less than two percent of its global workforce. This week’s employment reductions are a continuation of that process. We are reducing our Motorola operations in Chicago however this did not impact half of our workforce there and our Moto Z family will continue.

So let's break that statement down a bit. They didn't layoff half of their staff in Chicago, but they didn't say exactly how many either. It could be 40% or 1/3, as has been suggested by others. Either way, it's safe to say that it's a fair amount of the remaining crew at Motorola HQ, which already had a diminished number after cuts in 2016. As for the Moto Z line and Moto confirming that it "will continue," that statement doesn't say for how long. We know that Motorola confirmed a couple of years ago to supporting Moto Mods for three years, so "will continue" could just fall in line with that level of thinking. Motorola may very well release another Moto Z line (its third), but there's just no telling if they will after that. In terms of other Motorola bad news, Android Police is reporting that Moto may have already cut the Moto X5, a phone we leaked back in January and has yet to be officially announced. A source of theirs claims that Motorola will cut back its offerings this year to Moto E, G, and Z phones, leaving the X line out once again. Their source also claims that the future of Moto Z Moto Mods will include less niche offerings (like that Gamepad no one bought) and lean more on profit-turners. Does that mean more shells and battery packs that can be made cheaply and sold with a hell of a markup? I hope not. Motorola declined to comment to Android Police. Soooooooo, this is all unfortunate news on a Friday. We know that Motorola hasn't performed well under Lenovo, but to see additional layoffs out of Chicago and the future of product lines up-in-the-air, we aren't sure what Motorola can do at this point to pull itself back up. Is leaning on E, G, and Z lines the right move? Those lines are perhaps the reason we're in this situation to begin with, no? // 9to5Google | Android Police

REMINDER: This is the Last Weekend to Get YouTube TV at $35/Month

Tim — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 12:48:55 +0000

Last month, we learned YouTube TV was getting a price increase for new subscribers, going from $35/month to $40/month, set to take place on March 13 (this upcoming Tuesday). Well, consider this is your friendly reminder that you only have a few days left to get in at the $35/month price. As Google stated, those already subscribed at $35/month won't see a change to their bill, at least for the time being. There's always a chance everyone could see their monthly subscription price increase, but for now, it's staying at $35/month. Now would also be a good time to tell you that YouTube TV keeps getting better and better. Subscribers now have access to Turner Network channels, as well as the MLB Network and NBA TV. YouTube TV has helped me kill off my necessity for Comcast, and for that, I am very grateful. If you want to give YouTube TV a test run, follow the link below and get yourself signed up. YouTube TV Link

Podcast: Android P x Galaxy S9

Kellen — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 10:07:24 +0000

On this episode of the Droid Life Show, we're running through the week's biggest news - the first developer preview of Android P. It's hard to believe that we're already talking about another new version of Android, but that's where we are and it is glorious. Along with the release of Android P, we finally have a Galaxy S9 in house and will share our first thoughts on it. After those two biggies, it's onto the Huawei Notch20 line-up, Essential's next design change, HTC U12's specs, Fortnite to mobile, and then some trivia. Yep, trivia is back for the second week in a row! We’ll open the show at 10:30AM Pacific (1:30PM Eastern). If you miss us live and/or want the audio version of our podcast, you can subscribe through the various links below.

Appears the Galaxy Note 9 Won't Have the Under-Display Fingerprint Reader Either

Tim — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:51:54 +0000

The issue with reporting news so far in advance of official announcements, otherwise known as rumors, is that things tend to change. They're always changing and as I always say, nothing is confirmed. As is the case with the latest insights from KGI's analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who reports that Samsung's implementation of an under-display fingerprint reader won't be ready in time for the Galaxy Note 9 later this year. In late 2016, we heard about the potential for Samsung to incorporate Synaptic's display-embedded optical fingerprint reader for the Galaxy S8, but that never came to be. We later learned it didn't make the final build because time ran out. In October of last year, we wrote up a report that the Galaxy Note 9 may have this fingerprint tech, but that leads us to today's latest news... The Galaxy Note 9 probably won't have an under-display fingerprint reader. Surprise! According to Kuo, whatever Samsung is trying to accomplish with this implementation isn't meeting their standards. Maybe the reader isn't unlocking the phone as well as they want it to or the tech just isn't quite ready yet, but regardless of why, it seems we won't see this sweet unlocking goodness from Samsung later this year. As Kuo writes, "To our understanding of the technologies, under-display fingerprint solutions may currently have many technical issues (e.g. screen protectors and different environments affecting recognition rates and power-consumption)." Now that we know this, let's go ahead and fire up the "Galaxy S10 will have an under-display fingerprint reader" rumor mill. // Apple Insider Cheers Flosserelli!

Verizon LG V30 is Getting Its Oreo Update Right Now! (Updated)

Kellen — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:34:59 +0000

We just got word from multiple readers that the LG V30 on Verizon is receiving its update to Android 8.0 "Oreo" right now! Verizon has not yet posted any of the details for the update, but as you can see in the screenshot below, it is Android 8.0 and not 8.1. As expected, the update is quite large at 1.7GB. You'll want to be on WiFi for this one. The LG V30 Oreo update drops in as software version VS99620a. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first LG Oreo update in the US. To check for the update, head into Settings>System update. Go! Go! Go! UPDATE: Verizon is also updating the LG G6 today, just not to Oreo. It'll see the February security patch and software version VS98816A. UPDATE 3/13: Verizon posted the full changelog. You can find it at the source link below.

UPDATE 3/28: AT&T LG V30 is now getting the same update, only it includes ThinQ branding and new AI features. // Verizon [2] Cheers Bart and Jonathan!

Deal: Super Mario Run's Full Game In-App Purchase Down 50% to $4.99

Tim — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:53:07 +0000

The in-app purchase (IAP) inside of Super Mario Run that unlocks the full game is typically priced at $9.99. Today, though, the price is set to $4.99, making it 50% off. If you've been waiting for this day to come, now would be a good time to pick this title up. Super Mario Run never seemed to catch on in popularity for Android as it did for iOS. To me, this is thanks to the exclusivity period iOS had for quite a while, so by the time it came to Android, people weren't as excited for it. Not only that, but $10 is quite a bit to spend on a mobile game, even if it's Mario related. If you're ready to run, jump, and scream "Woohoo," follow the link below. Google Play Link

DEAL: eBay Drops 20% Off Everything for Next 12 Hours

Kellen — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:14:25 +0000

Every so often, eBay runs a sitewide discount that drops the price on just about everything. The thing is, you have to be quick as they are almost always limited in time. And today, they've got a 20% off code that only lasts for 12 hours (8AM PT - 8PM PT). If you cruise through the eBay deals page for tech stuff, you'll find things like a Chromecast Audio + Google Home Mini bundle for $74 that drops to $59.20 with this code. Or, the Nest Thermostat E for $129.99 (which is $40 off) with code drops to just $103.99. Drone fan? You can get a DJI Spark for as little as $319.20. Good stuff to be had, for sure. There are two things to be aware of with this code. You have to spend at least $25 in order to get 20% off. Also, the discount maxes out at $100 off something, so basically you only get 20% off on the first $500 you spend. Still, that's not bad. To get the 20% off, just use code "PSPRING20" when you checkout. eBay 20% Off Promo | eBay Tech Deals

Fortnite Battle Royale is Coming to iOS and Android!

Tim — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 17:19:18 +0000

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Just announced by Epic Games, Fortnite Battle Royale is coming to mobile! If you're unaware, Battle Royale is a game mode for the Fortnite title that has solo players going up against 99 other players on an island littered with guns, traps, and materials to build forts. While you're busy trying to eliminate other players, you must also watch out for a deadly storm that makes its way onto the island. If you're trapped in the storm for too long, you're eliminated. I could go on and on about Battle Royale because I love it so much, but anyway, back to this epic announcement. Unfortunately, the first mobile launch will be for iOS devices, but Android device support will come, "in the next few months." Here's the full announcement from Epic Games.

Hey Fortnite Community, Fortnite Battle Royale is coming to mobile devices! On phones and tablets, Fortnite is the same 100-player game you know from PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Mac. Same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates. Starting Monday, you can sign-up for the Invite Event on iOS. Support for Android will be coming in the next few months. In partnership with our friends at Sony, Fortnite Battle Royale will support Cross Play and Cross Progression between PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and eventually Android. This means players across devices can squad up with friends and play together. We believe this is the future of games. The same game on all platforms. Console quality graphics and action. Play when you want, where you want.

According to Epic, anyone with an iOS device can sign up for an invite starting March 12 through the Fortnite website. Following that, email invites will begin rolling out. If you're lucky enough to get an invite, you will also be given codes for friends, allowing you and your squad to get down on some Battle Royale action. As for required mobile devices, Epic states you'll need iOS 11 on at least an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad 2017 devices. I know, there's nothing about Android yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear something. https://twitter.com/FortniteGame/status/971905987874574336 // Epic Games

Video: Galaxy S9+ Unboxing!

Kellen — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 14:14:48 +0000

Woohoo, look what we've got! It's a Galaxy S9+! We'll review it at some point down the road (hopefully within a couple of weeks), give you all the fresh tips and tricks, camera shootouts, etc. Before we get there, though, we figured we might as well keep the tradition going and unbox the little guy. This is the AT&T model of the Samsung Galaxy S9+ in Lilac, which is probably the version most should get if they are considering the S9. It's got the bigger battery, more RAM, dual camera, and the hottest of all the colors. Yes, purple is 🔥. Also, big shout out to AT&T for the review hookup. Thanks for continuing to support us.

Download: Install the New Markup App From Android P!

Tim — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 12:54:00 +0000

Google has included a new feature/app called Markup inside of Android P that allows anyone who snaps a screenshot to quickly edit it with drawing and cropping. Well, the Markup app has been stripped out of Android P and is now downloadable on a number of devices for sideloading and usage. Once you install the APK (linked below), which should work on basically any device running Oreo and below, simply tap on the "Share" option in the notification pulldown after you've taken the screenshot. From the assortment of sharing options, open the Markup app you have installed. Once the screenshot is opened, you can draw to your heart's content and also crop your screenies. After you save your edits, you may notice a new folder inside of your Gallery app. On my Pixel 2 XL, the screenshots are saved to a new folder called Pictures inside of Google Photos. This is separate from my usual Camera album, so you should have everything separate and neatly organized. For a look at other cool things inside of Android P, check out our updating list. Download Link // XDA

Hopefully, This Left Clock Dies With Android P Developer Preview 1

Kellen — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 11:08:17 +0000

Seeing less info is rarely a good thing.

Before we get too deep into this and everyone freaks out, let's make something clear: Android P Developer Preview 1 is the first preview of 5 as we get to stable Android P. That means Google can and will more than likely change a lot of what we are seeing in this first preview as people react, they take feedback, and their minds change from one day to the next. In other words, chill. With that said, let me get a little pissy about the clock moving from the right side (where it has been for life) of the status bar over to the left, because it's already bugging the hell out of me. Here's to hoping this change is one that doesn't stick around as we inch closer to stable Android P. What's the problem, you ask? There are many. Let's walk through some.

1. The clock has been on the right side for as long as I can remember.

That's me saying that Android users are trained to look to the top-right in order to see the time. Moving a basic piece of info that we have relied on being a specific location isn't always welcomed. Not that I'm opposed to changes, this one just doesn't seem to make much sense, which I'll now explain further.

2. The left side is for notifications.

Not that anyone needed to be told this, but notification icons fill up the left side of the Android status bar. That's how it has always worked. We know that we get status info and time on the right, as if the right side were the static info section of the status bar, and constantly-changing information on the left (like notifications that come and go). If you add a clock into that mix (static info), that shifts everything. Now, when you look to the top left, instead of simply dealing with the new information of which notifications are showing, you also have to consider time being there to add to what could be information overload. Do I start with the time or do I start just to the right of that to see notifications? Either way, there is a new piece of info in that area that you need to digest that I'd rather not.

3. The clock is taking up useful space here.

This might be the biggest deal of them all, but the clock on the left is now taking up space that could be used for notification icons. I'll get to what this will mean for Android phones with notches in the next point, but as the image directly above shows, Android P is already limiting the number of notification icons we see, partly because of that damn clock placement. See that? In this setup on Android P Developer Preview 1, I've got a clock, followed by 4 notification icons and then a "..." that tells me there are more notifications beyond what it is showing me. For comparison sake, I'm looking at my Pixel 2 running Android 8.1 right now and it is showing me a full 8 notification icons that I could check on. While it doesn't have the "..." to tell me there are more, I still get 4 more icons than what P shows.

4. This becomes worse with notches.

Android P has built-in support for the wave of Android phones that will incorporate a top notch, mostly like the iPhone X's, but also like Essential's. With this move of the clock from right to left, I'm assuming Google was attempting to add some balance when there are no notifications, especially with a notched phone. That's fine and I'm all for balance, but take a look at the three shots below that show off the three different notch versions that developers can build their apps for.

Obviously, this is a first version of notch support, but you can already tell depending on the notch size, how the clock move is really stressing the area for notifications. In two of the notch setups, you still get clock+3 notifications. However, in a wide notch, which we'll probably see plenty of, you get a clock+3 notifications. That's not very many! On the flip side, that area with status bar icons has plenty of unused space in all of those notch versions. Why would we want unused space in an area that rarely changes and less space in an area that constantly changes? It makes no sense.

What's the solution?

Not build notches into displays like Apple did? We could start there, since you know, it not only looks bad from a copycat perspective, it also clearly doesn't work well with what Android has always been, which is the master of notifications. Maybe we just need more control over how that area looks and works, in case we aren't fine with Google's current vision of Android P's status bar? Or maybe we keep the clock and other status icons where they were, on the right side, and toss in the "..." if there are more of them than can be viewed on that side. I'd much rather see more notification icons than be reminded constantly with an icon that my phone is on vibrate or what my carrier network signal strength is when I'm on WiFi, not using a carrier network. Who needs to constantly see the NFC logo or Bluetooth icon? The hell with balance.

Gmail for Android Will Now Support 'Inbox Types'

Tim — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 10:42:54 +0000

On the web version of Gmail, users can specifically choose how they want their inbox to act. For example, you can opt for seeing unread messages first or even starred messages, but the Gmail app for Android has never had this ability. That's changing now. Thanks to an update that should be rolling out starting today, the Gmail for Android app will support Inbox types. With this, instead of the two options we have (Default and Priority), we'll have five options, just like on the web. There is the default inbox, Important first, Unread first, Starred first, and Priority Inbox.

Old vs. New

Google states that it could take up to 15 days to see this hit your device, so be on the lookout. // Google

Android P Apparently Blocks Substratum Theme Engine, People Aren't Pleased

Tim — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 09:20:11 +0000

Android users are typically of the mindset that the ability to tweak the look of the UI on their device is a very good thing. Whether that's with official software like the ones found on LG and Samsung devices or alternative, more 3rd-party oriented means, themeing has been a part of Android since the very beginning. According to XDA, Android P, at least Developer Preview 1, breaks the ability to install custom overlays, which means Substratum can no longer work. For those who have retired from the theme game, Substratum utilizes Sony’s Overlay Manager Service (OMS) that was introduced in Android 8.0. With the Substratum theme engine app installed plus a necessary add-on app straight from Google Play, users could apply downloadable themes to nearly their entire phone all without the need for root access. It was quite the breakthrough, but of course, seemingly never legitimized or supported by Google and the Android team. Now, Android P breaks this service and the folks who use it are not pleased. Rightfully so, though. According to XDA, the team behind this software will start an online petition for Google to recognize the issue and correct it, but that seems like a long shot. Much of this issue could be fixed if Google would hurry up and provide a Dark Theme, but even after all these years, we're still waiting. C'mon, Google. // XDA

Lol...Chromecast Disappears From Amazon Again

Kellen — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 08:16:40 +0000

Who knows why, but Amazon's listing for the Google Chromecast that appeared in December, just as word creeped out that the online retail giant would slow its petty war with Google and begin selling the streaming dongle, has now disappeared (it was there on March 4). If you head to the previously live Chromecast page (linked below), you'll be met with a "Sorry, we couldn't find that page" notice. You can still view the Chromecast Ultra page, but as has been the case for months, you can't actually buy one. You can buy a sweet knock-off, though! What's the deal? Tough to say, but back in December, Amazon did confirm that they would begin selling both Chromecast and Apple TV devices following a couple of years worth of not doing so. You can buy an Apple TV right now. As far as I know, you have been able to for months. But Amazon never did start selling the Chromecast again, only listing it. After a never-ending back and forth between the two over YouTube streaming on Fire devices, maybe these two just can't seem to find any middle ground on this situation. That's unfortunate for customers. Amazon Link

Cheers laheelahee!

Ookla's Speedtest Gets Big 4.0 Update With Fresh New UI, New Features

Kellen — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 07:51:42 +0000

While we were busy doing that whole Android P thing yesterday, I hadn't even noticed that Ookla's Speedtest app received an update that brought with it a refreshed UI, as well as some new features. The update bumps up the popular speed test app to v4.0 and includes not only that new look (see above), but it now measures packet loss and jitter, helps you easily find new servers, and lets you adjust between Mbps or MB/s, as well as the scale, since speeds just keep climbing. The update is live already, so go grab it. WHAT'S NEW

- All-new design and improved user experience - Speedtest now measures packet loss & jitter - Easier server selection with built-in search - Adjust your Speedtest gauge to use Mbps or MB/s, or increase the scale for higher speed connections

Google Play Link

Video: What's New in Android P!

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 15:05:14 +0000

Today has been fun, right?

After sharing the download for the Android P Developer Preview 1, listing out the developer changes coming with P, giving you the new Pixel Launcher from P, letting you know that the 6P/5X/Pixel C are all done, and that we have an ongoing list of changes you'll notice, we've now got a big ass Android P overview for you to watch. This is almost 18 minutes of Android P changes that developers will be able to take advantage of through their apps, plus we walk through a lot of the UI tweaks you and I will most certainly notice. While we are documenting most of this stuff at this post, this video does highlight Android P's notch support, the refreshed notifications panel, what's changed in settings, updated volume controls, and more. Android P may not be a massive UI refresh, but there are plenty of changes to talk about.

Notches: Here's a Good Look at Huawei's P20 Lineup

Tim — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 14:37:42 +0000

During MWC, we got a look at Huawei's upcoming P20 Lite. While the Lite version isn't necessarily the one everyone is clamoring for, it made headlines because it features a prominent notch at the top of its display. Thanks to @evleaks, we can now take a look at the entire P20 lineup, and oh yes, they all have notches. We still don't have complete specs for each variant of P20, but from these pictures we can take away quite a bit. In the below image from top to bottom, the P20 features not only a notch on top, but a fingerprint reader below the front display. It also has dual rear-facing cameras. The P20 Lite features the notch, but the fingerprint reader is placed on the backside, with just a Huawei logo gracing the bottom portion below the display. For the P20 Pro, it has the notch, fingerprint reader on the front below the display, but appears to come equipped with three (3!) Leica-branded rear-facing cameras. We can't wait to hear Huawei's marketing spin for that. Huawei's P lineup doesn't usually make waves here in the US, but you can expect some of what the P series offers to make its way to the future Mate lineup and maybe even Honor devices. If you're not a fan of the notches, I'm sorry. If you kinda dig the notches like I do, then this is shaping up to be a good year. Thoughts? // @evleaks

Android P's Fun New Features: An Updating List

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 14:30:06 +0000

On the developer side of Android P, we know what's new, thanks to a blog post and entire Android P Developer Preview portal from Google. But what about the other stuff? What about the UI changes or subtle tweaks to Android that maybe didn't get a big callout from Google? We figure that you'll still want to know about them all, so here's a list of the fun new Android P features we're stumbling on. (We'll be updating this regularly.)

Updated Pixel Launcher

We already showed off the updated Pixel Launcher at this post, but yeah, we should still mention that it's getting an update with Android P. The changes are minor and mostly just include a subtle shading to the bottom tray, as well as a microphone button in the Google bar. You can download it here.

Side volume controls, device menu

Another UI tweak I think most of you will love is the change to volume controls. When pressing your volume buttons, you'll now see a vertical volume menu, similar to the power menu introduced with Android 8.0. You have a volume slide on-screen that you scroll up or down, a mute button, and separate button to change your phone to silent, vibrate, or volume-on. Not only that, but there is now a device menu, where you can see the devices you are connected to, their battery life, etc. You access that by tapping on the "Media" area at the top of this new volume menu.

Power menu gets screenshot button

Hey, look at that, a screenshot button in the power menu! That's pretty handy. Of course, you can still press and hold volume down + power for a second to do the same action, but this is neat, for those times where you can't make that double-button-pressing-action happen.

New "Markup" screenshot editor

Speaking of screenshots - after taking a screenshot on Android P and tapping the "Edit" button in the notification for it, you'll get to choose whether you want to edit that screenshot in Google Photos or a new Markup tool. If you choose Markup, you'll get quick access to cropping, as well as pens and highlighters (with color options). When done, you'll tap a check mark that'll save your edited screenshot to your Photos library for sharing.

Additionally, you can access Markup while viewing an image in Google Photos' edit tool by tapping the bottom right corner, where Photos offers up additional apps to edit in.

Clock moves to the left, ugh.

I'll let you decide how you feel about this.

Refreshed notification panel arrives

The biggest UI change I think everyone will notice is in the notification area. Not only is Google adding even more features to notifications (like full images, clearer contact info, etc.), they've given us a rounded-corner card appearance now. In addition to the cards, the notification quick settings panel is no longer paginated, plus some items have moved around. For example, the date and time have moved to the top left, the carrier has moved to the bottom left of the quick settings panel, and battery sits alone in the top right corner.

Outside of the re-arrangement and rounded corners, you'll notice we now have color circles to let us know when settings are on or off. The dropdown menus for certain items (like WiFi or Bluetooth) are gone, so you'll have to long-press each if you want more settings.

We have text zooming!

OMG.

We're back to describing drag actions on the home screen.

Google can't seem to decide what it wants to do when it comes to grabbing and dragging icons on a home screen. For a long time, it showed "Remove," "App info," and "Uninstall," before removing the words in stable Oreo. Now, in Android P DP1, they are back.

About Phone menu changes

Google has once again rearranged the About Phone menu. The phone number, along with WiFi MAC, IP, and Bluetooth addresses are now on the About page. Also, to access the security patch level, you tap on the Android Version, which shows you a pop-up with kernel, build, and baseband. You can still tap like crazy on the Android version in this new pop-up to get to the Easter Egg.

Curious about Android P notch support?

With this first Android P Developer Preview, we get to see how Google plans to treat all of the notches that are coming to Android phones. So far, I'm not a fan, and that's because they moved the clock over to the left in the status bar, which is an area that notifications are supposed to live in. That's a bad move since the notch is already killing space for notification icons. You can see that even on a phone like the Pixel 2 XL, this notch setup will only show me 2 notifications before the "..." arrives to tell me there are more. Swiping on either side provides the same pulldown action. In other words, Google isn't copying Apple's take on the notch, which gives you different actions depending on which side of the notch you swipe from. Also, this is how a notch will treat items that want to go full screen, like photos. It's not pretty, unless you love black bars surrounding your content. https://twitter.com/iamkellex/status/971487173814833152

Do Not Disturb separates from Volume control

Do Not Disturb (DND) controls are now a separate setting outside of volume. In the past, you could shoot your volume all of the way down and it would trigger DND. That's no longer the case. Now, you have to toggle DND on or off, or set a time for it to expire. If you just want to silence your phone, you have to do that through the volume settings panel I mentioned above.

You can still set schedules and define DND by rule type. There are a couple of new settings, though, both that allow you to decide what happens to notifications when your screen is off or on. For now, the best way to get into DND is to tap the DND shortcut in quick settings or set a schedule.

New Lockdown Mode arrives

Android P adds a new "lockdown" mode that is enabled through lock screen preferences. With this enabled, it kills the fingerprint reader temporarily, as well as extended access. In order to get into your phone, you'll need to enter your pattern, password, or PIN. Once you do, it opens back up like normal.

Always-on Display now shows battery percentage

Cool, right? MORE COMING.

Nexus 5X, 6P, and Pixel C Won't Receive Android P

Tim — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 14:17:42 +0000

In September of last year, we reminded you that no more major OS updates would come for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P after Oreo. Thanks to Ars Technica who has now confirmed with Google, the end has come for not just those two phones, but the Pixel C tablet, too. While you won't see any major OS updates after you're on Android 8.1, don't worry, as Google should still roll out security updates until November, 2018, a full 3 years after the devices were first launched. If you're still using a Nexus 5X, 6P, or Pixel C tablet, and you want to make sure you receive Android P at some point, you may want to consider upgrading your device to a new one. Goodnight, sweet princes. // Ars Technica

Google Publishes Timeline for Android P Developer Preview Rollout, Final Release Set for Q3

Tim — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:17:58 +0000

Google has released its timeline for the Developer Preview of Android P. Much like last year, the Android team is targeting Q3 for final release of the new platform, but before that happens, we'll have five previews in total. According to the graph, we can expect Preview 2 to launch in early May, right around the time Google I/O happens (May 8-10). After that, final APIs will be published in Preview 3, with Preview 4 appearing to follow shortly thereafter. Once Preview 5 comes around, it should be as close to ready for the public as ever.

Preview 1 (initial release, alpha)
Preview 2 (incremental update, beta)
Preview 3 (final APIs and official SDK, Play publishing, beta)
Preview 4 (release candidate for testing)
Preview 5 (release candidate for final testing)
Final release to AOSP and ecosystem

Importantly for us non-developers, Google did not make Preview 1 available via the Android Beta system, but our hunch is that Preview 2 will have public beta access and OTA availability via this portal. How exciting. // Android Developers

Download: Install the New Pixel Launcher From Android P!

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 11:16:00 +0000

We're still taking in as much of the Android P Developer Preview 1 as we can, so that we can share all of the new bits of information from it. Before we get to a big overview video and after you've read through the list of changes that Google shared, we thought we'd give you a bonus to get started yourself. Here is the new Android P Pixel Launcher! Both Tim and I installed this without an issue on our Pixel 2 XL units running Android 8.1. I also was able to install it on an Essential Phone running their 8.1 beta. Those are all the devices I have in front of me at the moment, so I can't test on anything lower than that, unfortunately. This is Pixel Launcher v9-4623511 for those curious. Feel free to give it a shot. Let us know if your device is able to run it or not in the comments and we'll update this post with notes. Download Link The big change here is that bottom area. It's now more of a panel that sits on top of the home screen that you swipe up. The Google Search bar also has a voice icon now too.

Here's Everything New in Android P (Developer Stuff)

Tim — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 10:50:05 +0000

The first Developer Preview for Android P was just released, and with it, we're beginning to learn what Android P is all about. Of course, the Android developers haven't spoiled everything, but with the publishing of Android P's features overview, we can start piecing everything together. As was reported, we are seeing native support for top notches in displays, platform support for indoor positioning with Wi-Fi RTT (aka IEEE 802.11mc WiFi protocol), enhancements for notifications, simplified Notification Channels, and more. Let's dive right in!

Display Cutout Support

Let's start with this, shall we? Inside Android P, "display cutouts" will receive native support, allowing Android to conform to however Android OEMs are implementing their notices. As we can see in the image below, there will be all different kinds of cutaways -- Narrow, Tall, and Wide. There's also a None option, which is good, since there are still phones out there that won't have a cutout.

According to Google, "Android P offers support for the latest edge-to-edge screens with a display cutout for camera and speaker. The new DisplayCutout class lets you find out the location and shape of the non-functional areas where content shouldn't be displayed." The Android team even goes so far as to add a cutout simulator for any device running Android P, inside of the Developer Options. From inside that menu, click Drawing > Simulate a display with a cutout, then select the size of cutout you want to preview. The notches are coming.

Indoor Positioning with Wi-Fi RTT

Android P adds platform support for the IEEE 802.11mc Wi-Fi protocol, aka the WiFi Round-Trip-Time (RTT). With this, you can take advantage of indoor positioning inside of your apps.

To put it in the most layman's way possible, your phone, when using a particular app with this functionality, will bounce its location off of local WiFi Access Points (APs), determining your exact position inside of a structure such as a shopping mall or airport. As the Android team puts it, "If your device knows the distance to 3 or more APs, the API uses a multilateration algorithm to estimate the device position that best fits those measurements. The result is typically accurate within 1 to 2 meters."

Notifications

Building on the work done inside of Oreo, Android P offers enhancements to the notification system for Android. In particular, the Android team focused on Notification Channels, adding full images inside of notifications, simplified support for conversation participants, ability to save replies as drafts, as well as the native ability to recognize if a conversation is a group conversation. Not only will you see the aforementioned enhanced abilities inside of notifications, but Google specifically mentions that the Android P platform supports, "the same suggested replies available in your messaging app." So, yeah, suggested replies will be system-wide now.

As for Notifications Channels...

Blocking channel groups: Users can now block entire groups of channels within the notification settings for an app.
New broadcast intent types: The Android system now sends broadcast intents when the blocking state of notification channels and channel groups’ changes.

Android's Do Not Disturb mode wasn't left out either. The Android team details new priority categories, which include the following.

New Do Not Disturb priority categories: NotificationManager.Policy has two new policy constants: PRIORITY_CATEGORY_ALARMS (alarms are prioritized) and PRIORITY_CATEGORY_MEDIA_SYSTEM_OTHER (media, system, and game sounds are prioritized).

Multi-camera support and camera updates

For you camera lovers, Android P has something nifty for you, too. Apparently, you can now access streams simultaneously from two or more physical cameras on devices running Android P. Furthermore, on devices with either dual-front or dual-back cameras, developers can now create, "innovative features not possible with just a single camera, such as seamless zoom, bokeh, and stereo vision."

Those are the big things. Below, I'll list out a lot of the developer-focused changes, but for more details, be sure to follow this link to see Google's complete writeup on Android P.

ImageDecoder for bitmaps and drawables

Android P introduces ImageDecoder to provide a modernized approach for decoding images. You should use ImageDecoder to decode an image rather than the BitmapFactory and BitmapFactory.Options APIs.

Animation

Android P introduces a new AnimatedImageDrawable class for drawing and displaying GIF and WebP animated images.

HDR VP9 Video, HEIF image compression, and Media APIs

Android P adds built-in support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) VP9 Profile 2, so you can now deliver HDR-enabled movies to your users from YouTube, Play Movies, and other sources on HDR-capable devices.

Data cost sensitivity in JobScheduler

With Android P, JobScheduler has been improved to let it better handle network-related jobs for the user, in coordination with network status signals provided separately by carriers.

Neural Networks API 1.1

The Neural Networks API was introduced in Android 8.1 (API level 27)to accelerate on-device machine learning on Android. Android P expands and improving the API, adding support for nine new ops — Pad, BatchToSpaceND, SpaceToBatchND, Transpose, Strided Slice, Mean, Div, Sub, and Squeeze.

Autofill framework

Android 8.0 (API level 26) introduced the autofill framework, which makes it easier to fill out forms in apps. Android P introduces multiple improvements that autofill services can implement to further enhance the user experience when filling out forms.

Security enhancements

Android P introduces a number of new security features, including a unified fingerprint authentication dialog and high-assurance user confirmation of sensitive transactions.

Client-side encryption of Android backups

Android P enables encryption of Android backups with a client-side secret. Because of this privacy measure, the device's PIN, pattern, or password is required to restore data from the backups made by the user's device.

Android P introduces several actions, attributes, and methods to make it easier for you to work with the accessibility framework in order to enhance accessibility services for users.

// Android Developers

YouTube TV Adds NBA TV and MLB Network to Channel Lineup Today

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 10:16:28 +0000

Today, YouTube TV added NBA TV and MLB Network to its channel lineup. We were told to expect both channels "soon" after the Turner networks went live a couple of weeks ago and they arrived moments ago. They are already live. As for NBA League Pass and MLB.TV subscriptions through YouTube TV, which we were also told were coming soon, we are still waiting on those. YouTube TV support says those options will show up "in the coming months." YouTube TV, man, how are you not on this? You can sign-up for it here. // YouTube TV Support

First Android P Developer Preview Released and Now Available!

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 10:03:09 +0000

Android P is now available in a first Developer Preview! It's currently available to the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL. This is the first Android P build and is labeled as an "alpha" release. It's for developers here, rather than you and I with our daily phones. In other words, you probably shouldn't flash this as there could be plenty of stuff that is broken. This is not a beta, so this isn't available in the Android Beta Program.

Android P Developer Preview 1 Release Notes

Date: March 2018 Build: PPP1.180208.014 (Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL) Emulator support: x86 & ARM (32/64-bit) Security patch level: March 2018 Google Play services: 12.4.46 API diff: API 27 → DP1

The current schedule for Android P Developer Preview shows a preview 2 arrival in May (at Google I/O), followed by preview 3 in June, preview 4 in July, preview 5 shortly after, and then a stable release in Q3. You can download the Preview 1 images right here. Instructions on how to flash a factory image can be found here.

MORE ANDROID P:

Google Duo Just Got a Hell of a Lot More Fun With Video Messages

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 09:16:54 +0000

Google is updating Duo this week to add in video messaging and instantly make the app more fun and useful. Going forward, if you use Duo to place a video call to someone, you can leave them a video message should they not answer or if you don't actually want to talk to them live. To access video messages, just call someone over duo and as it's ringing, look for the new "Leave video message" button above the end-call button. If you tap that, you'll be able to record up to 30 seconds worth of video to someone. On the other end, they can view those video messages, save them for later, or call you right back. After you've watched one, they'll automatically disappear, though, so keep that in mind. As for other details about Duo video messages, be aware that if you call someone and they don't answer within 60 seconds, Duo will start recording a message automatically. Additionally, if you do save your video messages for later, they'll back up to your Google Drive account, as well as to your phone. More details on that here. This new update begins rolling out right away, so grab it below. Google Play Link // Google

Upcoming Jurassic World Alive Game Looks Like a Pokemon GO Clone

Tim — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 08:59:01 +0000

Pre-registration on Google Play is now up for Jurassic World Alive, a game that bears a striking resemblance to Pokemon GO. Not that that's a bad thing, just something worth pointing out. You see, Jurassic World Alive will have you walking around your neighborhood, utilizing augmented reality (AR) technology to spot dinosaurs, then somehow capturing DNA from these once extinct animals for your collection. Once you have the DNA, you'll begin creating hybrids inside of your home lab (on your phone, of course), then taking these genetic hybrids and assembling a "Strike Team" to battle other Strike Teams in a PvP arena. So you're getting dinosaurs, genetically modifying them to be better killers, then battling them against other genetically modified dinosaurs? My Lord, humans could not be more deranged. In my mind, the big draw to this game will be seeing dinosaurs in augmented reality. I'll definitely be interested myself in taking a look at a T-Rex through the lens of my smartphone. Go pre-register if you feel inclined, then we'll let you know when it's available for download. Play Link

Let's Stop Putting Glass on the Backs of Phones, OK?

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 08:37:47 +0000

DEAL: US Unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ are Up to $135 Off

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 08:08:48 +0000

With the Galaxy S9 and S9+ up for pre-order, deal hunters might want to keep an eye on last year's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, which will surely see regularly scheduled steep discounts over the coming months. The first sign of that happening is a big discount on both US unlocked versions at almost any retailer that sells them. We're talking $125 off the Galaxy S8 and $135 off the Galaxy S8+. Samsung's store has this price drop, as does Best Buy and Amazon. Of course, Samsung is coupling their discount with their best-in-industry trade-in deal, where they'll give you an instant $300 off depending on the phone you want to get rid of. If anything, you should have no trouble getting an additional $150-$200 off by trading in an old phone. The deal is likely only for a limited time, but again, almost every retailer has this new price. These US unlocked Galaxy S8 phones work on all US carriers, including Verizon, and come in blue or black.

Unlocked Galaxy S8 Links:

Galaxy S8: Samsung | Amazon | Best Buy
Galaxy S8+: Samsung | Amazon | Best Buy

Android P Will Probably Let Your Phone Act as a Bluetooth Keyboard or Mouse

Kellen — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 07:52:30 +0000

Android P is mostly a mystery still. While we think there is a good chance that the first developer preview of it may arrive this month (because Android O's first developer preview did last year), we don't know how Google is going to sell this. Will we get a UI refresh? What types of features will be baked in to make this a major upgrade? Please tell me it isn't just notch support. The folks at XDA think one of the features will be the implementation of the HID Bluetooth profile, which will mean that your phone running Android P will be able to turn into an input device, like a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard. That could be useful, I'd imagine. Should you need an input device in a pinch, your phone is almost always around. The change for the Human Interface Device (HID) was only recently set to "true," which is the flag to essentially turn it on in Android. The thing is, it is still set to "false" in the latest Android 8.1 release and only "true" in Android's master branch that isn't yet released. Who knows how powerful or feature-rich Google's version will be that they've built into Android. As XDA notes, companies like Samsung have created software that turns their phones into fully-working workstations (DeX). It seems doubtful that Google is on any sort of trajectory to do that, but we'll still take more useful Bluetooth tools. // XDA

Gboard Adds Support for Another 22 Languages, Including Korean and Chinese

Tim — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 13:47:04 +0000

Google's very own keyboard app, Gboard, just received support for another 22 languages this morning, bringing the total of supported language varieties to over 300, covering 74% of the world’s population. Nice. While Google didn't go and list each new language supported, they did specifically mention two: Chinese (traditional and simplified), as well as Korean. Gboard users have apparently been clamoring for Chinese and Korean support, so there you go!

To see each and every single supported language on Gboard, look here. Play Link // Google

I Want to Go Hunt Down T-Mobile LAA Towers After Seeing These Speeds

Kellen — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 11:50:00 +0000

Before we get to a world filled with 5G, there is a good chance we'll see one big Gigabit LTE push from carriers that is fueled by a technology we've referenced pretty frequently in recent months, called License Assisted Access (LAA). LAA provides a boost to your LTE connection by using the 5GHz WiFi band to allow your download speeds to go bonkers. We're talking theoretic gigabit speeds, although in a real world setting, they could hover around 500Mbps. Who wants to complain about that, though? Anyone? The folks at PCMag teamed up with Ookla (the Speedtest guys) this week, as they discovered a T-Mobile cell site in New York City that was outfitted with LAA and happened to be live. They ran some speed tests and averaged 503Mbps down and 42.27Mbps up. AVERAGED.

T-Mobile announced back in November that they were going to start setting up LAA small cells throughout the year. This is in addition to other Gigabit LTE technologies they've begun to deploy (like carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, and 256 QAM) in hundreds of markets. The LAA stuff is where we might really see the huge download speeds, though, assuming you can find a cell site and stay close to it. With License Assisted Access, you've got a cell site that combines use of the 5GHz unlicensed WiFi band and licensed spectrum from a carrier (T-Mobile's Band 4 here). LAA treats that 5GHz band like an LTE band, so don't think of this as you needing to connect to a WiFi network in order to utilize its benefits. Unfortunately, these small cells don't reach far (a few blocks), so we may only see them in densely populated areas that are in need of a boost, like in NYC. Still, those damn speeds are what I need. Of course, you'll need a phone that is compatible with LAA, but there is a good chance you have one. Samsung's newest phones (S8 line, S9 line, and Note8), as well as LG's V30 are all ready for LAA. The Moto Z2 Force should be compatible too. T-Mobile isn't the only one deploying LAA, in case you were curious. AT&T has started pushing LAA cell sites. Verizon has talked enough about it that I'm sure they are too. Who wants to go hunt LAA towers with me? // PCMag

From Disneyland to Disney World, 11 Disney Parks Now Detailed in Google's Street View

Tim — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 10:21:19 +0000

If you're headed out to a Disney park or maybe just want to take a tour via your computer, 11 Disney parks are now supported inside of Street View and Google Maps. As you'd imagine, this support will allow you to get a ground-level tour of the parks, maybe to help you route your way through attractions and crowds, but can also help you relive a few memories. As a kid I specifically remember being inside of Mickey and Minnie's house at Disneyland, but couldn't remember what the outside looked like. Thanks to this, now I remember. You should fine all of this Disney goodness inside of Google Maps starting today, so with summer around the corner, start prepping the family wagon! Play Link // Google

Instagram Reported to Soon Offer Its Own In-App Portrait Mode

Tim — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 08:50:09 +0000

According to TechCrunch, Instagram will soon launch an in-app Portrait Mode, meaning anyone with a phone who doesn't already have a kickass selfie mode in their camera's software can now rely on Instagram. Apparently, this unannounced and unofficial setting has been sitting inside of the app's code for some time, discovered during a recent APK teardown. From what we can tell, you will access this "Portrait Shutter" just like you would Boomerang or Superzoom. When inside of Instagram's camera, just swipe the screen until you find the mode you're looking for. With this mode, it seems like a safe bet that software will allow for the blurring effect you see in most Portrait Modes. You know, that super sexy bokeh look that brings out all of the beautiful details in your face. We have no official word from Instagram regarding this mode's release, but considering it appears to be in the app, we could be close. // TechCrunch

Google Lens is Rolling Out Today to Everyone

Kellen — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 08:10:27 +0000

Google Lens is rolling out to all Android users today through Google Photos. That means you'll be able to look up info on pictures of monuments you just took, grab text from a business card you were just handed, or scan all the cat pictures in your library to see if Google can figure out which kind they are. To activate Lens, you'll open up a picture in Google Photos, then look for the Lens icon (see below), and tap it. Lens will work its magic and hopefully return results, depending on what you are looking at. Again, it can tell you info about landmarks or buildings, read some text, lookup info on plants, and even tell you a specific type of cat. It can't currently recognize people.

Google told us to expect Lens within Google Photos on non-Pixel phones within a few weeks, but this seems like they delivered in a hurry. The Lens feature will be available in the latest Photos app. Be sure to look for an update. Google Play Link https://twitter.com/googlephotos/status/970788927765278720?s=19

Video: Unboxing the $1,225 Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design

Kellen — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 15:02:33 +0000

Porsche Design has become somewhat of a household name in the tech sphere over the years, thanks to partnerships with phone manufacturers who allow the design firm to put their spin on recently released products. They have partnered with Blackberry in the past, and Huawei most recently, which brings us to today's unboxing video. We received a Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design device this morning (because it just went on sale in the US) and promptly opened it up on camera. You see, even though we just reviewed the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, this is something special. For one, it's a $1,225 phone that's at least worth diving into for a minute to see what the fuss is all about. And two, it really does look as hot as you hoped it would.

For those still not familiar with Porsche Design and what they do to products, I'll attempt to explain. They take a phone, like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and tweak the design (original Mate 10 Pro design) to their liking to put their own stamp on it. They don't mess with specs necessarily, though this happens to be most spec'd out model of the Mate 10 Pro you can get. They often include better packaging, more accessories than you would typically get, and attempt to give off a luxurious tone to the products they get behind. In fact, there is no way to put it other than by saying Porsche Design products are luxury items. So again, we simply took the phone through a quick unboxing to show it off, since we already reviewed the regular version. If you love Huawei and Porsche Design, and live in the US, your time has come. You can buy the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design at the Porsche Design store.

Looks Like Google Found a Buyer for Zagat

Tim — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 14:33:25 +0000

In early January, a report surfaced that detailed Google's desire to sell off Zagat. According to the latest news, Google has found a buyer. As detailed, The Infatuation has reached an agreement with Google to take possession of Zagat, though, no financials of the deal have been disclosed. If you're unfamiliar with The Infatuation, it's a grub finder service that can pair you up with a dining experience in many cities across the world. Stated by The Infatuation, they will maintain Zagat as a separate brand, "while expanding its user surveys and developing a new technology platform for the brand." If we ever do get financial information on this deal, keep in mind that Google paid $151 million for Zagat back in 2011. Who's to say if Mountain View got its money's worth. // Bloomberg

OMG, THE "CHECK FOR UPDATE" BUTTON WORKED.

Kellen — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:00:23 +0000

IT WORKS. LOOK AT THAT. TRY IT. YESSSSSSSS. But you'll need to be in the Google Play Services beta, more than likely, assuming you try on your Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, or Pixel 2 XL to pull this month's security update and it fails. You can enroll in that here. How fun. What. A. Day. (Need history on what I'm talking about and why I'm so excited? Start here. Then go here. Then finish here.) Annnnnd, now what do we do? Anyone know any good books? Dinner recommendation?

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