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ASUS has been improving on its ZenFones with every generation, which means we have high hopes for the ZenFone 7 line. A YouTube live stream event for the ZenFone 7 launch has just been listed for August 26th, less than two weeks away.
Netflix adds HDR10 support for Samsung's latest flagships, plus HD streaming for lesser Samsung devices
Oh, and two TCL phones get HDR10 and HD support
As is typical with the weeks following major device releases, Netflix has updated its HD and HDR10 support list with the latest and greatest that phone and tablet manufacturers have to offer. This time around, the list is dominated by Samsung devices, with two TCL phones making it in as well.
Galaxy Note20 Ultra holds up well against JerryRigEverything's wrath
Nothing too noteworthy from Samsung's new flagship
Samsung usually launches the latest Galaxy Note phones in August, and this year was no different. Like with the Note10 series, there are two Galaxy Note20 variants: the Note20 and Note20 Ultra. In this video, Zack of JerryRigEverything gets his hands on the Ultra model, with no legitimate flaws revealing themselves.
Arlo Ultra one-camera kit drops to $290 ($110 off) on Amazon
It's an all-time low price for this security camera system
The Arlo Ultra is no longer the newest version out, with the Ultra 2 having debuted last month. That said, the Ultra 2 doesn't add much aside from better Wi-Fi connectivity, which means that you could save a whole lot without sacrificing much at all with the first-gen Ultra. The single-camera Ultra kit is down to just 0 at Amazon, representing a discount of $109.99 from its MSRP.When it launched in 2018, the Ultra was a bit of a mess, but the issues have since been smoothed out. In our review, we noted that the Ultra was a good camera overall, with the biggest letdown being the price. Obviously, the price has been addressed with this deal. The Ultra's pluses include great-looking 4K video, a long-lasting battery, local storage, an integrated spotlight, and a well-designed housing.
T-Mobile Tuesdays weekly contests have been getting owned by bots
The "Un-carrier" says it's more closely monitoring them now
If there's something that has the potential to be cheated, people will usually try to cheat it. T-Mobile Tuesdays is the latest victim, as eagle-eyed redditors discovered a month or two ago. For some reason, a huge portion of winners were coming from a small town in Pennsylvania, with T-Mobile admitting to CNBC that bots were to blame.
Here's how to get the MIUI 12 Faraway Rings live wallpaper on any Android 8.0+ phone
You can choose to view Saturn's rings vertically or horizontally
When MIUI 12 debuted around three months ago, we published a post about a few of its "super" wallpapers being ported to other Android devices. The developer who ported the others, "linuxct" on XDA Forums, has now ported another MIUI 12 wallpaper. This one's called Faraway Rings, and as you might be able to guess, it depicts Saturn's rings.
Facebook launches paid online events, waives fees for 'at least the next year'
Pages in 20 countries that qualify for monetization can participate
Most small businesses are no doubt taking a hit with everyone stuck at home, but Facebook's new feature might be able to ease the pain a bit. Zuckerberg and co have added a paid element to Facebook Events, offering an additional revenue stream for businesses and creators. Plus, it won't charge any fees for "at least the next year."
Here's how to get the Pixel 4a's Eclipse live wallpaper on any phone
If you like bluish gradients, this is your wallpaper
It's pretty common for wallpapers from the latest phones to be ported to others, and the Pixel 4a is the latest subject of this. A developer on the XDA Forums by the name of Pranav Pandey has ported the 4a's Eclipse live wallpaper, and we have the download over at APK Mirror.
Samsung cheaped out on shipping the Note20 with earbuds in the US, but you can still get a pair
Please, sir, can I have some more (AKG-branded USB-C earbuds)?
Samsung has decided to stop including wired earbuds with its flagship phones in North America, saying that customers here are opting for Bluetooth solutions instead. That said, we're hearing that Samsung USA's customer service will ship you a pair of the wired earbuds for your Galaxy Note20 or Note20 Ultra if you ask nicely.The AKG-branded USB-C earbuds are included in the retail box for Note20s sold in Europe, but Samsung USA says that "usage of wired headphones... has steadily declined," and thus made the decision not to include them here. That sucks for those of us in North America, as those USB-C buds are of pretty decent quality, but there's apparently a way to request and receive them, presumably for free.According to SamMobile, Samsung USA has stated, "for those customers that prefer the USB-C wired headphones, our customer care team can offer them on request." It's not explicitly said anywhere that Samsung is sending them to any Note20 buyer who asks for them for free, but it seems only logical if the company went as far as to make this statement. Otherwise, I would imagine Samsung would simply point to the link on their website, where the earbuds can be purchased for .99. (They're also available for .99 on Amazon, for what it's worth.)So if you're in the US and buying a Note20 or Note20 Ultra, and you want your USB-C earbuds, calling, emailing, or live chatting Samsung support should be a good start.Source: SamMobile
Galaxy Watch3 getting VO2max monitoring, ECG functionality approved for US
Lots of new health features coming this smartwatch's way
Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy Watch3 a couple days ago after plenty of leaks and speculation, but we're not done with the Watch3 news just yet. The Samsung Health app is currently being updated to support VO2max monitoring, and the FDA has approved its electrocardiogram (ECG) functionality for the US.
Google Maps speed limit coverage upgraded in US and 17 other regions, downgraded in 100 others
Good news for some of us, not-so-good news for many others
Google will usually adjust its Maps speed limit support for a handful of countries every so often. Last we saw, Google had upgraded it in nine regions, but downgraded it in nine others. This time around, many more regions are involved — 18 regions, including the US, have had their speed limit coverage improved, but a whopping 100 others have had theirs worsened.
Cash App, Square's mobile payment app, is currently experimenting with short-term loans of up to $200. Given the state of the economy right now, this might come in handy for some. That said, the interest rates start stacking up pretty quickly if not paid off after a month.
Twitter gives users new settings for who's allowed to reply to your tweets
Just a little more control in the chaotic Twittersphere
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People online can sometimes be a little less civil than they would be in person, which is probably why Twitter is now introducing settings to restrict who can reply to your tweets. Assuming your profile isn't set to private, people will still be able to see, like, and retweet (with and without comments).
Chrome Web Store apps have been flailing for a while now. Google announced in 2016 that these Chrome Apps would be phased out by 2018 — that obviously didn't happen. Earlier in the year, Google committed to a timeline to slowly end support for them, but the company has just released a revised schedule that extends end-of-life dates on all platforms due to "feedback from customers and partners."
TWRP arrives for Snapdragon Galaxy Note9, Motorola One phones, and many more
18 newly supported devices in total since our last post
TWRP is the only major Android recovery these days (anyone remember Clockworkmod?). Since we last posted back in May, 18 more devices have joined the TWRP roster. Highlights include the Snapdragon-powered Note9 (the Exynos one was included last time) and three of Motorola's One phones.
OxygenOS 10.5.4 for the OnePlus Nord delivers camera and display improvements
Plus, more camera improvements coming soon according to OnePlus
The OnePlus Nord hasn't even been out for two weeks, but it's now receiving its second update. This one is OxygenOS 10.5.4; it's not a major update by any means, but it does bring some optimizations to the cameras and the display. It also has some small bug fixes.
HP's 14" Chromebook x360 14c 2-in-1 is $399 ($230 off) for students at Best Buy
This model comes with a Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage
If you're after a snappy-looking Chromebook, but last week's $799 Galaxy Chromebook was a bit out of budget, we've got something for half the price. This model of the 14" HP Chromebook x360 14c is currently just 9 (0 off) at Best Buy. The only catch is that you have to be registered as a student with your Best Buy account.
Get a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for $100 ($50 off) on Woot
Easy to recommend at the $150 MSRP, even easier to at $100
If you missed out on the Galaxy Buds+ deal from around a week ago, you're in luck. Woot is currently offering the same (well, technically a dollar pricier) deal: the Buds+ for .99. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you get free shipping as well.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite with Book Cover is $300 ($80 off) at Costco
As with all Costco deals, it's members-only
Good Android tablets are far and few between, but the new Galaxy Tab S6 Lite from Samsung is one of the better ones out there. Stickering at $349.99, the 64GB Tab S6 Lite is currently down to $299.99 with a Samsung Book Cover ($69.99 value) included. The only catch is that you need to be a Costco member to take advantage of this deal.
OnePlus One gets Android 10 thanks to LineageOS 17.1, available now
A six-year-old phone getting the latest version of Android 10 is pretty incredible
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Custom ROMs are no longer as popular as they once were, but they still have their place in the Android world. Here's an example: the OnePlus One, a phone that came out in 2014, is now able to run stable Android 10 by way of LineageOS 17.1, which has just been released to the open-source project's download page.