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Reports of missing text messages on the original Pixel and Pixel XL began popping up as soon as the Oreo update rolled out several weeks back. Owners of affected devices collected their experiences in the Google Product Forums, and Google pledged to look into the matter. That was just a few days ago, and now Google says it's tracked down the cause. You can expect a fix soon.
Most of Samsung's mobile products are designed to be sleek and modern, but the Active series puts function ahead of form. You might call them clunky, but they can take more of a beating than standard Samsung Galaxy devices. There's a new active device today, and it's not a phone. This is the Galaxy Tab Active2, a rugged tablet aimed mostly at businesses.
Google has long maintained various reward programs for its own apps and services like Chrome and Android. However, most independent developers can't afford to run a similar program. Today, Google is stepping in to support Android app security with the Google Play Security Rewards Program. It's like Google's bug bounties, but for third-party apps.
Who wants to use buttons and apps to start streaming video when you can just yell at your virtual assistant? No one, that's who. Google Assistant added support for starting Netflix streams a while back, but other services have been slow to follow. There's a new one today, though. HBO Now subscribers can plug into Assistant in just a few steps.
For those of you down under, Google's latest and greatest phones are now available for purchase. I hope you've been saving up, though. The Pixel 2 starts at more than a thousand bucks, and it'll cost you a few hundred more for the XL. Time to smash that piggy bank. Do you guys have those? Or are there like... platypus banks? I hope there are.
As is tradition when a new phone is released, the Pixel 2 XL has appeared on the sacrificial altar of iFixit. Not only do we get to find out how easy this phone is to repair, it's a chance to see how things work in there. After tearing down Google's latest flagship, the team at iFixit has granted the phone a repairability score of 6 out of 10, which is better than many other devices.
Motorola had hit a rough patch when Google came calling back in 2011. It took some time to clear out the queue of sub-standard devices, but the first true Google-backed Motorola effort came in 2013 with the launch of the Moto X. This device broke new ground with clever software features like Moto Display (called Active Display at the time) and a customizable design. Motorola made a few more Moto X phones, all of which were excellent devices. Lenovo didn't keep the Moto X going when it took over from Google, preferring to sell devices like the modular Moto Z.
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Before Google announced the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, it pushed a new app listing to the Play Store that offered some details about the rumored always-on music ID feature. It turns out there's another interesting tidbit in that listing: the Pixel 2 will be able to automatically toggle on Do Not Disturb mode when you're driving.
The LG V30 was announced way back at IFA almost two months ago, but it's only just started shipping to consumers. This phone is almost unbelievably light but that doesn't mean it's not sturdy. The latest LG phone has gone through usual JerryRigEverything durability tests and it managed to remain in one piece.
Samsung likes to have its own custom version of things as a differentiating feature. Android Pay? How about Samsung Pay? Play Store? Galaxy Apps. Assistant? S Voice... I mean, Bixby. Just six months after launching Bixby on the Galaxy S8, Samsung is announcing the next iteration. Bixby 2.0 will bring together the company's products under a single smart assistant banner, but details are a bit scarce right now.
Google provides various tools to keep your account secure like login alerts and 2-factor authentication. If you're extra paranoid, Google just launched a program tailored to you. The Advanced Protection Program adds a set of stronger protections to your account, and it's available right now for all personal Google accounts. Why isn't it rolling out to everyone? Because Advanced Protection Program isn't going to be very convenient.
Sometimes the battery in your phone just isn't enough, but you can't swap batteries on most devices anymore. That's when you need an external power bank, and RAVPower makes some good ones. One of its latest models (20,100mAh, Type-C) is on sale for an all-time low price today, and there are some added bonuses to entice you to buy.The 21,100mAh battery is on sale for $39.99, which is the lowest it's been. I actually bought this same battery a few months ago when it was more expensive, and I quite like it. You can fast-charge QC 3.0 devices, and it does USB-PD up to 15W for the Pixels and similar devices. The only drawback: it doesn't come with a Type-C cable—just microUSB with an adapter.The $40 price tag is good enough, but you can also get one of the following discounts or freebies with purchase. This should take care of the missing Type-C cable above.
There's a lot to like about the new Pixel phones—they're fast, the battery life is improved, and Google fixed the Bluetooth. You also get a lot of thoughtful software features that aren't available on other phones. For example, the launcher theme changes automatically based on your wallpaper.
We were all a little concerned to see the Nexus program come to an end, but Google assuaged our fears with the 2016 Pixel phones. They weren't the prettiest devices on the market, but the Pixels showed what was possible when Google got serious about making a phone. These devices had terrific cameras and consistently fast performance—even to this day the Pixel and Pixel XL are robust experiences. They were not perfect, though.
Google is in the process of making some changes to the Pixel Launcher, and that means it's time for the third-party launchers to play catch-up. Action Launcher has been in the lead when it comes to adopting Pixel things, but here comes Nova Launcher with a revamped search box, Pixel 2-style notification dots, and more. You'll need the full version to get all the new stuff, though.
Fresh off its controversial acquisition announcement, Humble Bundle has launched a new bundle deal that features games from developer Herocraft. You can get as many as 12 games, which is a boatload for Humble Bundle. You can also pay a lot more for some in-app content you probably don't want. Yeah... probably gonna pass on that.
In just a few years Huawei has gone from a brand unfamiliar to consumers outside of China to the world's second largest smartphone maker. Even if you've never owned a Huawei phone, there are people around you who do. The company's Mate 9 flagship launched in the US in early 2017, and speculation about the Mate 10 has been picking up recently. The phone has finally been revealed today in Munich—or rather, the phones have been revealed. The Mate 10 will come in two flavors: the standard Mate 10 and the Mate 10 Pro.
I have bad news, and I have good news. The bad news is headphone jacks are dying, and Google is helping to kill them. That means you need adapters to keep using your existing audio devices with 3.5mm jacks. The good news is you can buy a Type-C adapter on the Google Store for much less money than you could a few days ago. Silver lining, and all that.
Google has a long and often complicated history with messaging. For a time, there was no core Android SMS app while Google dabbled with SMS in Hangouts. Well, the Nexus 6 debuted with the Messenger app, later renamed Android Messages. Hangouts has since lost SMS capabilities, and now the Messages app has hit 100 million downloads in the Play Store.
It's been a few years since NVIDIA released a SHIELD Tablet, but it's been keeping them up to date with regular OTAs. However, this appears to be the end of the line. NVIDIA won't push an update to Oreo for the SHIELD Tablet and Tablet K1.