Bertel King, Jr.
Contributing since April, 2013
-
3518articles
Page 24
About Bertel King, Jr.
Bertel is a Linux user who likes budget smartphones more than flagships, uses a custom ROM, and gets his apps from F-Droid. When he isn't writing short stories for Android Police, you might find him penning the fictional kind. Otherwise, look for him reading pixels that were converted to ink and paper.
Latest Articles
There are many ways you could go about filling your home with connected devices. You can pick a standard like ZigBee or Z-Wave and stick to it. You could try looking for anything that mentions SmartThings compatibility on the page. Or you could buy all of your products from a single company. That's the approach LG would like you to take.
In 2016, Samsung wants you to make one of its new Smart TVs the center of your smart home (assuming your home is smart, that is). The company has announced that each of its upcoming models will be able to connect to other Samsung devices and serve as SmartThings hubs, allowing them to connect to all SmartThing-compatible devices.
Christmas is coming, but many family members won't get to spend this time face to face. Millions will be placing phone calls, and another large number will be hopping on Skype. The latest update adds more ways to integrate Skype into your holiday plans.
Netflix is a pretty straightforward service, but sometimes things go wrong. Whether it's trouble with accounts, billing, or stuff failing to stream despite a strong Internet connection, occasionally folks need to ask for help.
One of a smartphone's core functions is to contact your contacts, so you probably have a bunch of them. Some, maybe even most, folks would consider the default contacts app on their phone sufficient, but Microsoft is working on a piece of software for people who would say otherwise.
I may have said this before, but point-and-click adventures are my favorite type of game to play on an Android device (if you haven't, check out Gemini Rue). There is quite the selection available in the Play Store, and now you can add one more to that list. Peter Moorhead's Murder has made its way to our mobile platform of choice.
A few years ago, the Samsung Galaxy S III was everywhere. It didn't have the build quality of an iPhone, but the screen was bigger, and Android apps were really coming into their own. The phone began its life running Ice Cream Sandwich, and most variants stopped at Jelly Bean with no hope of ever getting Lollipop.
USB cables aren't particularly exciting, except when they are, and during those times, it's kind of annoying. That guy you know who always has a different phone every time you see him will tell you why USB Type C cables are worth jumping up and down over, while a regular person will grumble over the need to replace every cable in their house.You will find both types here at Android Police, sometimes contained within the same person. As much as I would love not caring which direction my plug is facing when I charge my phone, I just got a new phone a couple months ago, and it doesn't have a Type C port. Neither does anything in my house that draws power over USB. I'm easily a year or two or three away from owning anything with Type C, let alone switching over everything.But some of you are starting that process. The progress of replacing every microUSB cable in the house can add up, so here's a way to save a few bucks. Tronsmart is selling USB cables in a bunch of configurations, and you can use coupon codes to save $3 off each 2-pack.
Skype means business, and towards the end of the summer, it let people sign up to test a preview of the upcoming Android app. That testing period is over. The official Skype for Business app is now available in the Play Store.
Android Pay has been around for a few months, and while not everyone is yet able to use their phones to make purchases, more banks are showing their interest. Yesterday we saw TD Bank customers get the news, and now it's M&T Bank's turn. Folks scattered from western New York down to Virginia now have the option to add their cards.
I used to have a copy of Scribblenauts Unlimited for the Wii U. I caught it during a black Friday sale for $10 or $20 or so. For a console game, that was cheap. But now the title has made its way to mobile devices, and there it goes for a significantly cheaper $4.99.
Apple and Sonos aren't BFFs just yet, but they're working on it. Today is December 15th, and as promised, beta Apple Music support has arrived. The news is visible in black and white in the changelog that accompanies the latest app update.
Part of the appeal of smartwatches is using them in place of a dedicated activity tracker. Pebble watches have had a number of third-party options available, but now Pebble is making a full effort of its own. The company has rolled out Pebble Health, watch software that tracks your steps and monitors your sleeping.
Samsung is upping its microSD card game. Today the company announced its new 128GB PRO Plus memory cards. Compared to the existing 128GB EVO Plus cards, these offer significantly faster write speeds.
You start with a song. Ten seconds in, you decide that this one isn't your style. You give it a thumbs down, and the track goes away. Another song begins. You love it, and give it a thumbs up. You don't particularly like or dislike the next one, but you give a few of the songs after more approval. Then you create another station, and you start the process again.
The words "in-app purchases" aren't generally what we want to see in a headline, but in this case, they're not out to rip you off. App developers can now use Android Pay to manage their in-app purchases.
Since Android Pay launched in September, Toronto-Dominion Bank customers have had to do without support. The option to add their TD Bank cards simply hasn't been an option. Well, it looks like that may be changing. The Android Pay website now lists TD Bank as supported.
Shoe maker and producer of other athletic gear Adidas has released a beta version of its Train & Run app. But it's not going with a Play Store beta program. Instead, it has created a separate entry on Google Play.
The LG Watch Urbane is easily one of the most premium Android Wear devices around, as the accessory started out at $349.99 for the cheapest model back when it first launched. Fortunately, you don't have to pay nearly that much right now.
Some people view the quantified self as a way of life. Others see it as a game. Others do both. Those folks got together and created HabitRPG, a to-do list app of sorts that lets you turn the mundane trials of everyday life into a video game.