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GoPro cameras are designed to go wherever you go, shooting video the whole time. That can mean a lot of video, and editing video can be a pain. The latest version of the GoPro app has something to ease the burden; it's called QuikStory. You press a button and the app spits out a compilation of your clips, ready for sharing.
Archos has tried its hand at making various cheap, media-focused Android tablets, none of which were very good. It eventually released a version of its video player app on the Play Store, where it garnered a few million downloads. Now, Archos has released the source code for its video player app. You can head over to Git Hub to download the source, but it's still on the Play Store, too.
Huawei announced a permanent price reduction for the Mate 9 and Honor 6X just yesterday, but that's not as low as the Honor 6X will go. This phone is already on sale for $175 via Amazon, which is $25 off the already reduced price. This is getting to be a pretty attractive deal.The Honor 6X was not a terribly popular phone when it launched earlier this year. It has a Kirin 655 SoC, a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD, a dual camera array, and 3GB of RAM. It's capable and has been updated to Android 7.0 Nougat. That includes Huawei's revamped EMUI skin, which is much less annoying.
Google announced an incredible, revolutionary thing in 2010. No, not Android 2.2 Froyo. I'm talking about Instant Search, a feature that would load suggestions and search results dynamically as you typed. It was hailed as a major advance in 2010, but today Google announced Instant Search is dead, and it was mobile that killed it.
Google can't seem to decide on a chat protocol and stick with it for any length of time, but SMS has been around for years and will continue to exist long into the future. The problem: it's tied to your phone. Some third-party apps can sync notifications to your computer, but Google looks to be preparing a built-in SMS connection for Chrome OS.
Nova Launcher developer Kevin Barry just got done rolling out Google Feed integration, and before we can even catch our breath, there's another significant improvement on the way. In the latest beta of Nova, there's built-in support for Sesame Shortcuts, which is an app of which you probably haven't heard. The gist is Sesame lets Nova deep link into your apps.
Motorola is now into its second generation of Mod-enabled phones with the release of the Moto Z2 Play a few weeks ago and now the Moto Z2 Force. As far as we know, there won't be a regular Z2 variant this year, so Moto seems to have split the difference between the last-gen Z and Z Force. The Z2 Force is a bit slimmer than its predecessor with a smaller battery, but it still has the shatter-proof POLED display.
The Fleksy keyboard app had a dedicated group of users who were dismayed when the developers seemed to vanish last year. At the time, Fleksy announced that its development team was acquired by Pinterest, but the fate of the actual keyboard app was uncertain. Now, Fleksy is back under a new parent company called Thingthing, and there's an updated version in the Play Store for the first time since April 2016.
The Z2 series was kicked off last month with the Moto Z2 Play, and now the step-up version is official. The often leaked Moto Z2 Force is coming on August 10th, and you can preorder it now. Unlike last time, you'll be able to get this phone on any carrier—AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon. There will also be an unlocked version. The pricing is really getting up there, though. You're looking at $799.99 for the phone, and then there are mods. Motorola is also announcing a new 360-degree camera Moto Mod, and that one will set you back $300.
Google tried several times to gain a foothold in the living room in the early days of Android. Remember the Nexus Q? And what about the Google TV debacle? Google didn't have a real hit until it simplified its approach and launched the Chromecast. That happened four years ago today on July 24, 2013. This continues to be one of Google's best media products.
We're getting very, very close to the release of Android O. Google has put out three developer previews for Android O, and today is the fourth and final dev release. The OTA for devices in the Android Beta Program is rolling out as we speak, and there are system images so you can flash the new preview manually. This one should be representative of the final build.
Samsung has always had budget-oriented phones alongside its flagship products, but they've rarely been sold widely as unlocked phones in the US. Today, it's doing just that. The Galaxy J3 (right) and J7 (left) are being released in the US as unlocked phones on July 28th.
Remember the days when you would just have one router? How did we ever survive? Today's home WiFi systems come with mutliple access points connected in a mesh network for better coverage and throughput. Google has Google Wifi, Linksys has Velop, and there are many more. Today, Asus' new Lyra mesh networking system is available for purchase. It's a bit more spendy than some of the competition, though.[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dau1_y-O5pY&feature=em-uploademail[/EMBED_YT]A three-pack of Asus Lyra routers will cost you $399.99. Like most other routers in this product category, Lyra supports 802.11ac and can cover a few thousand square feet of indoor space. The hubs communicate with each other over the 5GHz band, then you can have both 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals for connecting your devices.
Google-owned Nest gained notoriety for its smart thermostat, but Google's acquisition of Dropcam instantly catapulted Nest to the forefront of this product category. Nest has traditionally made very good cameras, and they come with a premium price tag to match. That's still the case with the new Nest Cam IQ, which packs a 4K image sensor, new software smarts, and a $300 price tag. You could get two cameras from another maker for that price, and I think most people probably will. However, the Nest Cam IQ is leading the pack when it comes to facial recognition and image quality. This might be the camera you've been waiting for in terms of features, but it also might be far too expensive as a long-term commitment.
Netflix launched a speed test tool a while back in part because ISPs have been caught in the past doing shady things with Netflix traffic. The fast.com speed testing tool this week revealed Verizon has started throttling Netflix, and users report YouTube is also affected. So, what gives? Verizon says it's just testing some "video optimization" technology, whatever that means.
The Pixel and Pixel XL are both great phones, although they're getting a bit long in the tooth. Buying one for full price is a tough sell right now, but it's about time for some deals. If the Pixel 2 hype hasn't completely taken you over, you can pick up one of these devices for a good price at Best Buy, assuming you're cool with using it on Verizon.
Smartphone startup Essential is headed by Android founder Andy Rubin, but that doesn't mean it's immune from delays. After promising to launch the Essential Phone in June, the company missed the deadline with nary a word. Rubin has now relayed a message to those who registered to buy the phone, informing them it'll just be a few more weeks.
Most VR experiences so far have been games and 360-degree videos, but Google is exploring the idea that VR can be a way to learn real life skills. The skill it chose to use as a test of this hypothesis is making coffee. So of course, it created a coffee making simulator in VR. The result was surprisingly supportive of VR learning.
Pokémon GO launched just over a year ago, and instantly became a cultural phenomenon. Its popularity has waned since then, but there's still a dedicated player base. Those still venturing out to play Pokémon GO will soon be able to capture legendary Pokémon, which have been conspicuously absent since launch.
We're just a few days from Motorola's (likely) unveiling of the Moto Z2 Force, and Venture Beat has some details on the device. According to VB's Evan Blass, Motorola is taking a similar approach to the Z2 Force as it did with the Z2 Play that came out a few weeks ago—it'll be thinner with a reduced battery capacity compared to last year's phone.