Jordan Palmer
Contributing since August, 2016
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1269articles
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About Jordan Palmer
Jordan is an editor for Android Police and a technology enthusiast. He writes frequently, both professionally and as a hobby, loving the process of putting pen to paper... or fingers to a keyboard. Beyond tech journalism, Jordan enjoys writing fiction and spending many of his free seconds world-building for his novels. He also fills his time with video games (like Overwatch), staying fit, and ignoring his house cat.
Latest Articles
Chromebooks compose an interesting product category and provide a new perspective on the question "What do I need my laptop to do?" While I've been a fan of Chrome OS and its accompanying hardware since its inception, I have not been able to convince myself to buy one in recent years. Part of this has been due to the fact that Chromebooks typically don't come in larger screen sizes.
Welcome to the final full week of October. We're nearing the holiday season craziness, so let's enjoy the calm while we can, eh? Anyway, we have a huge list to get through today with only a few notable apps, mainly Forever Entertainment's catalogue.
Connected home items are becoming more and more common, from light bulbs to doorbells and so on. Since the beginning of it all, I've really wanted to join in the smart home thing, mostly because I am lazy and want to control my house with my voice. Cost to entry has been rather prohibitive and I've always rented places, so I figured most of my options would be limited.
In Chromebook land, a lot of the focus is on Google's recently-announced (and expensive) Pixelbook. But for those of you who cannot stomach the $999 starting point of Google's latest, then you might want to consider what Acer has on offer. The new Chromebook 15, model number CB515-1HT, is now up for sale via Best Buy and Acer's store for $399.
The weekend is nigh upon us, which means that it's time for one more round of app sales. After Asmodee's sale on Wednesday, today's list feels a bit anticlimactic, but we trudge on nonetheless.
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- Google has updated its support page to clearly state that the Pixel 2 will get 3 years of software updates and 3 years of security updates. It also published this table below for an easy and clear look at the minimum support dates of each device in the Pixel line.
If you've been caught up in all of the Pixel news today, then you might have overlooked something in the specs page. It would appear that Google is extending its software update promise from two years to a minimum of three years. That's fantastic.
It's the middle of yet another week, so I'm back once again with more app sales. Today's list includes a lot of swill from the likes of Maystarwerk and SaintBerlin. But to counter all of that, the Asmodee board games are on really good sales at the moment, so they're worth checking out.
Pluto TV continues its climb into relevance. For those of you who don't know, Pluto TV is a television service that provides access to news, live sports, and themed channels for free. The company just received a $5 million investment from Samsung of all places. This money will be used to expand Pluto TV's content and marketing reach.
Anyone want to save some money on Google Play credit? If you answered "yes," then you're in luck. Amazon is currently offering a $50 Google Play gift card for $45. Bear in mind that you do have to wait for it to actually arrive in the mail, but you will save $5.Buying apps and games is a lot of fun. For me, it's about supporting my favorite developers and getting all the extra goodies (or even ad removals). Even so, it's sometimes difficult to justify spending my hard-earned cash on things like that and the Opinion Rewards app doesn't throw me enough surveys to keep up with my Play Store wishlist.With the holidays fast approaching, those of you who plan ahead may already be thinking about gift buying. $5 seems paltry, and to some degree it is, but at least you're saving some money, right? Head on over to the source link to pick up your (slightly) discounted gift card, but it's limited to only one per customer.Source: Amazon
Most of us that cover Bluetooth audio here at AP really like Phiaton; the company does an excellent job at providing a blend of good sound quality, stellar battery life, and an attractive price point. Phiaton's latest product, the neckbud-style BT 150 NC, looks to be in the same vein from many appearances.For $149, you get 12mm drivers, an interactive surface for touch controls, 95% ambient noise cancelling, an IPX4 sweat- and splash-resistance rating, and the ability to connect to two devices. The headset will shut itself off after a time if it detects that the earbuds are retracted, it supports Apt-X, and it lasts for six hours (of talk and playback time).
The internet can be a dangerous place, especially for kids. Many routers these days have some sort of parental control settings to help block access to nefarious or unsavory websites. Google's Wifi system is joining the party with the latest update. There's more stuff to be had here, but site blocking is certainly the highlight.
In what could be considered unsurprising, it seems that Sony's Xperia XZ Premium has dropped below $600 over on Amazon. The pink model is currently going for $584.99, meaning you'll save $214, and the silver version is just a tad higher at $585.99, $213 off the launch price of $799.Astute AP readers may recall that, back in August, we brought you a deal alert mentioning that the XZ Premium was already $100 off. That deal still holds for the black version. But for those of you who need a refresher, the XZ Premium sports a 5.5" 4K HDR display, a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 19MP/13MP cameras, a 3,230mAh battery, and a U.S warranty. That rear camera is capable of 960fps slow-motion video — the 4K display is only active during media playback in certain apps.Like many U.S. Sony phones, this one does not feature an active fingerprint sensor, which is disappointing to say to least. Some sort of licensing or legal matter prevents the U.S. models from using the reader, but flashing the international firmware supposedly makes it active. Another bonus is that Sony has promised that Oreo is coming to this phone, and likely soon at that. Remember, the pink model costs $584.99 and the silver $585.99; the black version is still sitting at $699.99.Source: Amazon (1), (2)
Welcome to Monday, everybody. I hope that the beginning of the week is off to a good start for you all. It's time once again for an app sales post — there's some goodies mixed in today (marked with bold text).
OnePlus continues to impress: both of its 2016 flagships, the 3 and 3T, are getting Oreo thanks to the Open Beta program. So if you're running OnePlus' latest and greatest software, then this is an update worth getting excited for. And if you're not living life on the edge yet, then this may encourage you to do so.
October is already almost half-over, if you can believe that. The end of a week is always nice, so why not make it better with some app sales? I promise there are some good ones here today... very good ones. I'm sure you've guessed them by now, but let's get into this.
Facebook is a behemoth, no getting around that. It continues to expand its services, especially in the ever-growing official mobile app. Now the company has announced that you can order food directly through its platform.
In a perfect world, the phone you buy would get relevant and timely updates to add new features and fix security issues for many years after the initial purchase. Sadly, such a world does not exist (though it's easy to understand why in some cases), but at least people who purchased the 2016 Samsung Galaxy J3 (J320A) from AT&T have a significant upgrade waiting for them. The phone is getting Nougat 7.1.1 and the update includes the BlueBorne patch.
Amazon Prime is awesome, let's just get that out of the way. Everyone knows most of the benefits from the subscription service by now, but the thing that I hear that keeps some people away is the cost. Despite it being not unreasonable, it's understandable that not every person can afford it. Students are typically among that category, but Amazon has announced new pricing for college kids. You can get everything Prime-related for $5.49 a month — that's the price of a decent cup of coffee on my campus.Consequently, I don't buy much coffee on campus, but I digress. This student pricing is half of the normal monthly subscription cost, which is pretty neat. In case you don't know, Prime is especially helpful around the start of each semester; two-day shipping on textbooks has saved me more times than I'd like to admit.In addition to the shipping, you get access to Prime Video, Music, Photos, Reading, and Twitch Prime (meaning you can sub to your favorite streamer once a month, which is pretty great). Students who are enrolled at a two- or four-year university can sign up using their .edu email addresses. If you'd rather just get the final cost out of the way, Prime Student is also available at $49 per year (this is, obviously, the cheaper way to go). To sign up, just head over to the second source link below.Source: Amazon (1), (2)
JBL is a strong name in the Bluetooth speaker market, especially when you consider that you can go to Walmart or Target and grab one to suit your budget and needs. One of the most eye-catching models is the colorful Pulse 3 and right now, you can grab one for $179.99 from Best Buy, B&H, Crutchfield, JBL, and Amazon (third-party seller). That's $20 in savings.With twelve hours of battery life, IPX7 water-resistance, and synchronized lighting, the Pulse 3 can go with you almost anywhere. It can also connect with other JBL Connect+-enabled speakers, meaning that you can get a really awesome light show going. It also supports Siri and Google Now (pretty sure there's no Assistant support). Both the white and black models are on sale, too.The retailers linked below do not equal an exhaustive list of where you can get this deal, but it's a good place to start. Pick your store of choice and get going.Source: Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Crutchfield, JBL
The Pixel 2 has the Android world abuzz right now. If you pre-ordered Google's latest phone(s), then you might be in the market for a case. While there are plenty of great options out there, few have drawn as much attention as the Moment photo case. Not only do you get a protective shell for your shiny new toy, but it also supports attaching Moment's wide-angle lens. Right now, the company has two sales going on to help you save some money on some of its products.