Latest Articles
It's been almost a year since Google unveiled Android Go, now technically known as Android Oreo (Go Edition), but devices you can actually buy are few and far between. In fact, only ZTE has committed to launching a Go device in the US. Now, Alcatel is announcing plans to launch the 1X in the US, too. The phone was shown off at MWC a few weeks ago. The specs are modest, but it'll cost under $100.
For many people, YouTube is their primary source for music. The release of YouTube Red a few years back made the listening experience better by ditching the ads. It also includes some non-music video content. Then there's Play Music, which includes Red. Now, Google's Lyor Cohen says in a talk at SXSW that his team is preparing a YouTube Music streaming service. Okay...
Facebook launched the Facebook Lite app in 2015 for use in developing countries with poor connectivity. However, people all over the world were sideloading the Lite app as an alternative to the notorious bloated regular app. You don't have to mess around with sideloads anymore, though. Facebook Lite is now available in more places like the US.
Big things are happening at Nest with the release of products like the Nest Hello and Yale Door Lock. That alone requires an app update just to add support, but Nest is throwing in a few more features. You'll be able to peruse your alerts more easily, and there are a few other UI tweaks.
Read update
Pocket seeks to organize web content so you can read it later—in fact, "read it later" used to be the name of the app. But I digress. The Pocket app just got an update with a long-awaited feature. Now you can find out about how long it'll take you to plow through the articles you've saved.
Google has the best public mapping data, but game developers haven't been able to get in there and play with it. Even Niantic, a former Google division, couldn't use Maps data for its smash hit Pokémon Go. This will change soon with the introduction of new Google Maps APIs for games. Developers will be able to build virtual worlds on top of real, live data from Google Maps, and there are already three Maps-enabled games on the way.
Remember how long it took Google to make reminders work on Google Home? I won't bore you by recounting the whole sage, but the wait was substantial. At least adding new reminder features isn't taking too long. We heard some weeks back about location-based reminders in Assistant for phones, but the Home release was "in the coming weeks." For once, Google actually meant "in the coming weeks." It's live right now on a Home near you.
Messaging can be confusing or downright aggravating these days. Google can't seem to figure out what it wants to do, and there are tons of alternatives all with their own insular user bases. You might just end up sending a text message, but thankfully text messages will get better thanks to RCS. T-Mobile was quick to deploy RCS messaging on its network back in 2015, and many Tmo subscribers are already using it without realizing. However, it hasn't committed to using the Universal Profile until now. Tmo now says it will start using the standard in the coming months.
Rumors from inside Facebook suggest the social network is looking to roll out news content to its video section this summer. The previously announced Facebook Watch platform features video content created for Facebook. The news videos will apparently come from traditional publishers, as well as online-focused ones. This leak also includes some details on what that content will look like.
Cleaning your own home is so tedious and unpleasant, but paying people to do it can get expensive over time. If only there were some way to enslave a small robot and make it clean up after you. Actually, that's been a thing for years. The Neato Botvac D7 is new, though. This robot vacuum comes with voice assistant integrations and smart features most enslaved robots can only dream about.
Amazon's Cloud Cam offers a compelling price tag for anyone looking to pick up a security camera on the cheap, but it's lacking in features compared to many of the more established players. Amazon is closing the gap somewhat with a web interface, more voice commands, and integration with Amazon's other hardware.
Read update
Smart lighting is almost commonplace now, but Hue is still one of the biggest names in this smart home category. At CES, the company has announced several initiatives for 2018. A new app is on the way for everyone, and it'll tie into some interesting synchronization options for those with color-changing lights. There are also new lights coming out that are specifically designed for outdoor environments.
OnePlus is most likely forging ahead with a new flagship phone that will launch this summer, but it hasn't completely forgotten about the flagships of yesteryear. The OnePlus 3 and 3T are getting new open beta versions today. The changes appear to be the same, but the version numbers are different. The OP3 gets v32 and the OP3T is v23.
Google has slowly expanded control over notifications in the last few major updates, culminating with notification channels in Android 8.0. In Android P, Google is testing a system to suggest blocking notifications from certain apps. Which apps? Any app whose notifications you frequently dismiss.
In the era before Doze Mode, BetterBatteryStats was an essential app to track down Android's frequent wakelocks. Android doesn't have the same battery issues anymore, but you might still want to keep tabs on certain apps and services. Luckily, the latest update for BetterBatteryStats added full support for unrooted phones via ADB commands. There's also better Oreo support and various bug fixes.
The Galaxy S9 is just starting to make its way out to pre-order customers, but Samsung is wasting no time getting the device updated. The first OTA for Samsung's latest phone is hitting devices, but deployment will probably vary by region and carriers. When you do get the update, it'll bump your phone to the latest security patches that just rolled out to Pixels the other day.
Motorola has been pushing Moto Mods for its Z-series phones over the last few years, but few of the Mods have been any good. Serial leaker Evan Blass just outed an upcoming Moto Mod that will most likely continue that tradition. The Motorola Virtual Viewer is billed as a Mod, but it'll probably just be another Daydream headset.
Google sometimes stealthily deploys new features here and there in Assistant without telling us, but today's update is a big one with some fanfare. There are changes on the way to media playback, Assistant-enabled devices, and subscriptions. Some of these features are rolling out now, and others will be live in the near future. It's a colossal Assistant update overall.
Android is designed to be gentle with your mobile data, but all bets are off when you get on WiFi. Your phone will likely save large downloads until the instant you reconnect to WiFi, but not all networks should be treated the same. Some WiFi hotspots are metered, and Android P makes it quicker and easier to tell the device when that is the case.