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What is network-attached storage (NAS)?
Affordable portable file storage for wide ranging applications
Network-attached storage, commonly known as NAS, is an accessible alternative to a network server. NAS devices range from desktop modules, which are increasingly used for personal and lifestyle use, to larger 16 and 32-bay units capable of supporting business applications like web hosting. Cheaper and more convenient than a full-scale server, NAS is a great solution for managing data securely in a compact single unit.
Google Play now shows app screenshots tailored to specific devices
Watches, smartphones, tablets, oh my!
Google Play as an app faces the difficult task of having to adapt to many different smartphone brands and hardware, which can lead to glitches and bugs popping up out of nowhere, even on Google Pixel phones. This extends to struggles to accurately show what its apps look like on different form factors, such as smartwatches and tablets, rather than just smartphones. When app developers upload screenshots of their software running on non-phone form factors, Google Play forces the user to scroll to the end of a long line of photos to see what it looks like on their device. That will no longer be the case with the addition of device filters on app pages.
What is firmware?
Firmware helps manage all our electronics. Here's how it works, why it's different from software, and more
Along with the standbys "hardware" and "software," the digital world has long used a third description called "firmware." While firmware has been around for several years, it's not always clear to the average user what it refers to or how it differs from previous definitions for software.
Cyber Monday brings the stellar Bose Smart Soundbar 900 down to its lowest price ever
Make your home theater sound (almost) as good as a real theater with this soundbar
Bose truly doesn't mess around when it comes to home theater audio, and its Smart Soundbar 900 is no exception. The biggest issue with Bose, however, is usually the price. Its products, which are made to a high standard with gorgeous craftsmanship, don't come cheap. You do get what you pay for, but who doesn't like saving a bit of money? Best Buy's Black Friday sales event brought this soundbar down to $800, but that's been bested by Cyber Monday pricing. It's now a full $150 off for a $750 final price. If you held out to see just how low it could go, this has to be it as Cyber Monday winds down.
Logitech's gaming handheld is an overpriced entry in a crowded market
$350 is a steep price to pay for a streaming device
Logitech is the latest gaming competitor in the handheld and streaming markets. To contend with the likes of the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, and Luna (as well as your phone), it has entered the Logitech G Cloud as its first offering.
Logitech's G Cloud gaming handheld arrives today with an obscene price tag
Logitech is diving into handheld gaming with a streaming device
At the tail end of August, leaks started popping up for a gaming handheld from Logitech. Not much was known at the time beyond what was surmised by a few screenshots shared by Evan Blass. We gathered that the Logitech G Cloud gaming handheld runs Android, and today it's been officially confirmed. That's right, it's the official launch day, and we have a boatload of info to share, including the price, and it's up there. So let's dig in and see precisely what Logitech's G Cloud gaming handheld has to offer now that it's officially on sale in the US and Canada, though orders won't ship until October.
Banish bloodsucking backyard bugs with this smart mosquito suppression system
Just tell Google Assistant to switch it on — no screen house required
Today's smart home technology offers many conveniences that weren't available just a few years ago, and that’s not just limited to inside the house. Some great outdoor uses include lighting up your backyard for an after-dark gathering, or conserving water by skipping the next sprinkler cycle if the forecast calls for rain. Now, there’s another smart device that promises to help you enjoy your outside space just a little more: Thermacell’s LIV Smart Mosquito Repellent System.
Google made a slick smart light that you can’t buy
Unless the company pays your salary, it won’t take your money
Google has sold some pretty great hardware over the years, including Pixel phones, Home/Nest smart speakers, and the beautiful (albeit pricey) Pixelbook. Now the company is dipping its toe into smart lighting with the “dLight” lamp, but unfortunately you'll likely never be able to buy it — unless Google is signing your paychecks.
Get to know the Surface Duo in Microsoft's 35-minute press briefing video
Microsoft’s well-produced pre-announcement is now available on YouTube for everyone
Like Google, Microsoft decided to go for a low-profile release of the Surface Duo amid the global coronavirus pandemic, publishing only a press release and a short understated video to introduce the new device. But for us journalists, the company went out of its way to create a well-produced, virtual live pre-announcement briefing, going over all the things that make the Surface Duo unique in detail. Microsoft has now published a video of this stream on YouTube, so if you'd like to see the 30+ minute deep dive, go ahead and check it out.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra unveiled with 120 everything: 120Hz screen, 120W charging, 120x zoom
Launch coincides with the company's 10-year anniversary
Read update
- Xiaomi confirmed to GSMArena that the Mi 10 Ultra is exclusive to China and "unlikely" to launch globally. The company has also ruled out a rebranding under a sub-brand like Poco.
For its 10th anniversary, Xiaomi has decided to mix all of the highest specs it could imagine, turn on the blender, and create the Mi 10 Ultra. The flagship's hardware list reads like a collection of almost all the high-end components currently available on the market, and it's packaged in a good looking exterior.
Google discontinues the Pixel 4 and 4 XL before releasing the Pixel 5
Possibly the shortest life of any Pixel or Nexus
Google has just teased its new flagship Pixel 5 (and the Pixel 4a 5G), but the Pixel 4 remains the only high-end phone the company currently sells. After the Pixel 4a launch event, we noticed that the Pixel 4 started disappearing from the Google Store, with its status flip-flopping between available and sold out. The most damning evidence we found is a Google support page that says the Pixel 4 is no longer available in the US. And sure enough, while Google wouldn't tell us what's up, The Verge now says the company has just confirmed that it has discontinued the Pixel 4.Google says in a statement to the publication,
Four new Pixels, including the 5a and a foldable, pop up in an internal Android document
2021 might be an interesting year for Google hardware
After a massive delay, Google has just introduced the Pixel 4a along with giving us a glimpse at the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G. But of course, companies have incredibly long development cycles when it comes to hardware, so it's no surprise that Google is already working on follow-up products. According to an internal Android document obtained by 9to5Google, the company already has software builds for the Pixel 5a, a foldable, and two more, not further specified devices.
Google's in-house laptop/tablet gambit may not be panning out as well as the company had hoped. According to Business Insider, the company is telling dozens of employees on the Google Create division, which oversaw the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate, to temporarily move to other positions within Alphabet amidst "roadmap cutbacks."
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 700 series sits in an odd place in the market, one we don't really see in the US. The not-quite-flagship SoCs don't have quite the oomph the 800 series does, but the differences are strong enough to pull it away from the more mid-range 600 series. The newly announced Snapdragon 712 has an interesting, in-between state itself: On paper, it's essentially a Snapdragon 710 with clock bump.
It's been four years since I shared with you all the gadgets and quirky things that I own and love in my previous What We Use post. In the time since, a lot has changed in my personal life. I met the most awesome, weird, and pun-loving man. We got married, moved into an apartment of our own, and started traveling a little more frequently.But a lot is still the same. I still pull double work duties: I own and manage my pharmacy, and I work here at Android Police, obviously. In between selling drugs and counseling patients, I sit back at my desk, clean up hundreds of emails a day, write a few posts, virtually shout at the entire team if they miss an Oxford comma, and come up with silly or inappropriate jokes. I love every second of it — this job is better than Xanax and has fewer side effects.Talking about side effects, I still have that same gadget addiction interest that I described four years ago. I probably own more stuff now than I did then, but as was the case before, I still only buy and use items after lots of research to make sure they serve their purpose well. It helps a lot that I get to write about most of these things too — the perfect excuse I can give to both my husband and wallet.So without further ado, here is all the stuff I currently use and love.
MediaTek gets a lot of flak—and, at least in part, it's deserved—but the company's products occupy a necessary niche. After pretty much every ARM chipset manufacturer excluding Qualcomm pulled out of the smartphone race in the early 10's, MediaTek was left to fill the entry-level void, and it has. The fact that its chipsets typically end up in lower-end devices means we're especially excited for today's news, as the company is launching the Helio A series destined for low to mid-range hardware, starting with the A22.
Remember a few years ago when smartphone makers were just racing to have the most megapixels possible? Ah, those were quaint times. Now, it's about the number of cameras you can cram into a phone. Huawei is leading the pack with three rear cams on the P20 Pro, but how'd it manage that? The phone-destroyers at iFixit are here to find out. They've taken a P20 Pro apart to find out what's up.
One of the major selling points of smart speakers is integration with third-party services like Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and others. However, the companies making the speakers often try to push their own music services over competitors, like how Play Music is the default on the Google Home. Apple has taken things a step farther with its HomePod speaker, which only supports Apple Music.
Google acquired Nest about four years ago, but it kept the company at arm's length. Nest products are still designed and managed by Nest, an Alphabet company. That may be changing soon. Google says it's merging Nest with the Google hardware team to "supercharge" Nest's mission.
Ever since Google worked with HTC to design and manufacture the original Pixel phones, rumors had been circulating about Google possibly acquiring the company. The news finally became official in September, when Google announced it would pay $1.1 billion for HTC's Pixel hardware team and various hardware licenses.