David Ruddock
Contributing since June, 2010
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3358articles
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About David Ruddock
David is the former Editor-in-Chief of Android Police and now the EIC of Esper.io. He's been an Android user since the early days - his first smartphone was a Google Nexus One! David graduated from the University of California, Davis where he received his bachelor's degree, and also attended the Pepperdine University School of Law.
Latest Articles
A number of new releases on Google Play Movies have seen their prices for UHD copies lowered substantially, and you've probably got Apple's new 4K version of Apple TV to thank. When Apple announced it would charge the same price for UHD as HD movies (with in-place upgrades - something Play is not offering, sadly), it was probably inevitable that other streaming movie platforms would see their prices drop, as well. Amazon's already doing it, so Play Movies is just playing catch-up here.
Android Pay is adding new banks all the time, and it's even expanding its global presence slowly but surely. This week, I'm asking how many of you actually use it.
Fully wireless earbuds are almost certainly the future of in-ear audio. Apple's Airpods, for all the controversy around them, have kicked an entire industry into high gear trying to capitalize on their various shortcomings. One such competitor is Jaybird, now owned by Logitech, whose products we've given high marks in the past, particularly their X series of Bluetooth headphones. Jaybird headphones, though, have been of the wired-wireless variety, using a cable to keep the two earbuds attached to one another. The X2 and X3 were some of our favorite Bluetooth earbuds ever for their comfort, audio quality, and durability - Jaybird did quite a job with them, wire and all.The RUN are Jaybird's first attempt to do away with the cable completely, and as the name suggests, you're fully expected to be using these in highly active scenarios, something that requires a snug, secure fit. Apple's Airpods have received criticism for their unsealed, just-kind-of-hanging-there design. Jaybird, though, has specifically designed the RUN to stay in your ears no matter what you're doing. And in my opinion, they do.Of course, that's just one part of the larger product, and the RUN aren't perfect. Even with a truly superb fit, there are some notable drawbacks - Bluetooth performance has been iffy at times, battery life is (as you'd expect) not amazing, and audio is decent, if not exceptional. Read on for the full review.
Opinion: The new Pixels will have the same problem as the current ones - they're just Android phones
A little-acknowledged but persistent problem has plagued every Google handset since the original Nexus One: Their most defining characteristics - Google's services and Android itself - are not unique to them.
The iPhone X is, undoubtedly, the most radical rethink of the iPhone to date. Not just for what it adds, but also what it eliminates: no home button, no fingerprint scanner, and no real bezels to speak of. While the design of Apple's new phone isn't exactly unfamiliar, it's still fairly stunning in its own right, and pretty much seals the deal on low-bezel phones being the future.
I'll cut to the chase: if your primary concern with the LG G6 was that it simply didn't seem like a proper flagship phone, I can safely assure you that the new V30 is. Its 6" QHD+ OLED display finally brings LG smartphones into the OLED era, though I do have my concerns with this screen even having only used the phone for under a day. The Snapdragon 835 processor is the best chipset Qualcomm has on offer, so that's an easy sell, and LG's included its Quad DAC in all models of the V30 for maximum audiophile authority (I, for one, am pleased the V30 has a headphone jack at all). The all metal and glass construction combined with a surprisingly low weight make the V30 feel premium and modern - I'd go so far as to say this is a significant visual refinement even upon what LG achieved with the already-handsome G6.
The Galaxy S8 Active is the fifth Samsung S phone to bear the Active name, and it's easily the most refined take on the concept yet. Currently, the S8 Active is only available on AT&T, and that's the model we've received for review, but eventually, Samsung has less than subtly implied it will make its way to other carriers here in the US, as well to the unlocked market.
After spending some time with the new Note, I can tell you it is exactly the phone we would all expect Samsung to build using the Galaxy S8 and S8+ as a starting point. It is the most undifferentiated Note device relative to its S siblings yet, and predictable to a fault. Were the Note7 disaster to never have happened, I have little doubt the Note8 would look just as it does today. Anyone spinning a comeback narrative here is probably seeing things that don't exist.
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- Both the Google Home Mini and Pixelbook have leaked, along with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Check them out for more info.