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Ryan Whitwam-

Ryan Whitwam

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About Ryan Whitwam

Ryan is a tech/science writer, skeptic, lover of all things electronic, and Android fan. In his spare time he reads golden-age sci-fi and sleeps, but rarely at the same time. His wife tolerates him as few would. He's the author of a sci-fi novel called The Crooked City, which is available on Amazon and Google Play.

Latest Articles

I don't know what it is with airline apps, but they seem to have a very high chance of being ugly. Like, really ugly. The Southwest app was certainly one of the ugly ones, but it just got an update that fixes that. I'll let the screenshots tell the story.

Users of Adobe's Android app have been able to process RAW images in the company's DNG format for a while, but the new update to v2.2 adds much more robust RAW processing. You can directly import RAW files from your camera, edit them, and export to all your devices.

Looking for a little pick-me-up? Why not splurge and get yourself a phone, and another free one while you're at it. This weekend, T-Mobile will give you a free Samsung Galaxy S7 when you buy one. There are, of course, some caveats.

The hotel was so nice when you checked in, then there was that bio-weapon attack and the mutants made it much less nice. With your supplies running low, it's time to venture out into the Skyhill Hotel and look for supplies, but the mutants are still pretty unpleasant. You're going to die a lot, but that's what roguelike games are all about.

Skype, for all its flaws, is one of the most popular VoIP and video chat services in the world. You can help make it a little better by joining Microsoft's new Skype Insiders Program. It's basically a beta program, but they don't call it that. There's also a separate standalone app that you can install alongside the regular one.

You still can't use Android Pay in Canada, but Samsung is now happy to offer mobile payments for whatever it is Canadians buy. Maple syrup, I imagine. If you have an account with CIBC, your card can be added to Samsung Pay as of today. Everyone else will have to wait.

There was a time some years ago that CyanogenMod was the surest way to get the latest build of Android on your phone. It's a little slower these days, but development continues to chug along. The CM team hopes to roll out the first nightly builds of CM14.1 later tonight, but not all devices will be supported right away.

Sony has been toying with a different take on Android for the last year. The company calls it the "Concept for Android" program, and it gives Sony a place to test out new features for its phones with a cleaner build of Android. It's only available on select phones in certain markets, but another one is being added to the list today. The Xperia X in Europe can now download the latest Concept for Android.

Ah, Pokémon GO... those first few weeks over the summer were something magical. Even if you aren't very into Pokémon, it was amazing to see that so many people were experiencing the same thing out in the real world at the same time. Then, Niantic killed the Pokémon tracker and took ages to improve the basics. Pokémon GO is still popular compared to most mobile games, but the developer is looking to regain some momentum with the v0.45.0 release. This is the one with the previously announced daily bonuses.

Huawei has made some great hardware, but the software is another story. The EMUI Android skin has been consistently sluggish, confusing, and redundant. Huawei has been promising a big redesign in EMUI 5.0, and now users of the Honor 8 have a shot at trying it out. You have to apply for inclusion in the beta test, and you can do so (oddly) at XDA.

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Google's monthly Android patches are live, and it's a momentous occasion this time. This is the first cycle that the Pixel and Pixel XL are included in the lineup. In addition to the security patches, which can be read about in the security bulletin, this update should enable Daydream VR support on the Pixel phones. You can either wait for the update, or do it manually.

Google announced it would be making Android Auto available directly on your phone's screen a while back, but it didn't offer any time frame. It was starting to look like it was never happening, but lo and behold, Android Auto on phones is now rolling out. It's part of the Android Auto v2.0 app, and we've got the APK ready for you.

Samsung is pulling out the big guns to encourage Note7 holdouts to turn in their phones. In the coming days, it will send out an OTA to all Note7s in the US that limits the battery to a 60% charge. So, it's not just T-Mobile. The new software will also nag you incessantly about returning the phone.

All of Google's products have adopted the "OK Google" hotword in recent years, but Google Home presents an interesting challenge. What if you have another device around with OK Google enabled? It can be a mess, so now there's also "Hey Google."

When Motorola ramped up its efforts to sell phones directly to consumers, it introduced the Motorola credit account. The account lets you pay off the cost of a device monthly. Not everyone can drop hundreds of dollars up front on an unlocked phone, so this was a welcome option. Not anymore, though. The Motorola credit account is going away.

Today is the day you've been waiting for... maybe. Google Home is available for purchase from Google and other retailers. The voice-activated Assistant hub is priced at $129 and works with many of your smart home devices, assuming you have those.

If you've been waiting for Nougat to miraculously appear on your SHIELD Tablet... keep waiting. This is not the update you're looking for, but it's an update nonetheless. There will be minor improvements to both SHIELD Tablets including, but not limited to, an updated Vulkan API and security patches.

I don't want to say Moto Mods are a universally bad idea, but most of the Mods that have been released so far are mediocre at best, and the prices are crazy. It's been a while since Motorola released a new Mod, but there could be more ideas floating around soon. The company has partnered with crowdfunding site Indiegogo to get developers interested in making Moto Mods.

Huawei has unveiled its latest smartphone, the Mate 9. It's big. How big, you ask? It has a 5.9-inch display, and it's got some big specs to go with it. This is the first phone with Huawei's latest Kirin ARM chip, a revamped version of the EMUI Android skin, and there's a Porche-designed special edition. The price is pretty big for Huawei too at €699 ($776). You might have the option to buy it in the US at some point as well.

After approximately 62 false starts, Google and Capital One have worked everything out and made Capital One cards functional in Android Pay. Caveats... there are some. Not all cards are supported, and the verification process is kind of a mess.

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