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Qualcomm realizes it has fans, launches new Snapdragon Insiders program
Becoming an insider is just following Snapdragon on Twitter
Intel and AMD have done a fairly good job at engaging with their fans over the years, which in turn has helped cultivate interest in their CPUs and other products. The same isn't really true for Qualcomm, which has historically not done much to promote its tech besides... shipping it. That's changing though, as Qualcomm today announced a new 'Snapdragon Insiders' program.
Assistant smart displays can no longer show photos from Facebook and Flickr
The experimental setting has been removed
Smart displays with Google Assistant have a few different options for what appears when not in use. They can show a full-screen clock, images from Google Photos, or an art gallery. Google also included experimental support for showing images from Facebook or Flickr accounts, but this has now been removed.
Terraria developer and Google finally work out their beef
Re-Logic previously said it would cancel Terraria for Stadia
Terraria is perhaps one of the most successful indie games ever, but earlier this month, the lead developer announced that an in-development version for Google Stadia would be cancelled. The decision came after the creator went on a multi-tweet tirade against Google for shutting down his account (allegedly due to YouTube TOS violations), but now the Stadia port is back on.
Google announced earlier this month that it would close Stadia Games & Entertainment, the game studio that was tasked with producing exclusive titles for the Stadia game streaming service. The closure was seemingly a result of Stadia's slow momentum, and now a new report from Bloomberg sheds some light on the topic.
Google Recorder now has a companion web app for storage and sharing
You'll need the latest v2.2 update
Google Recorder has quickly become one of the best audio recording applications on Android, even though it's only officially available on Google's own Pixel phones. Backup support was announced earlier this week, and now it's finally rolling out.
Samsung produces some of the best budget Chromebooks around, and its 'Chromebook 4' lineup has been especially popular during the past holiday and back-to-school seasons. Now you can get the upgraded 11-inch variant for $199.99, a savings of $80 over the usual price.
Motorola One 5G Ace review: Not good enough for $400
This might be one of the cheapest 5G phones in the US, but that doesn't mean you should buy it
Carriers and manufacturers are super excited to sell you a 5G phone, even if there's very little benefit to buying one in 2021. The feature has slowly trickled down to sub-flagship phones, and Motorola recently started selling its cheapest 5G device yet: the Motorola One 5G Ace. At a price of $400, it's competing directly with phones like the Galaxy A71 5G, Pixel 4a, and Pixel 4a 5G.
HBO Max first launched nearly a year ago, bringing the majority of Time Warner Media's catalog under one roof with select high-profile shows and movies from other companies. The service is likely seeing a boost in subscribers, thanks to all the movies Warner Bros. is releasing on HBO Max (alongside limited theatrical runs), and now there are some improvements in store for TV watching.
Samsung's Galaxy A32 now has an LTE-only option, with other changes under the hood
It might as well have a different name
Read update
Last month, Samsung revealed the Galaxy A32 5G, which is expected to launch in India and other regions soon. However, the company is also prepping a non-5G version, which has now been made official on Samsung's website.
Anker's Bluetooth speakers are up to 31% off for today only
The sale includes three home speakers and a speakerphone
Anker is probably best known for its phone accessories, but the company also sells a wide range of audio products. Now you can get four of Anker's great Bluetooth speakers for up to 31% off the original prices, but only for today (and while supplies last).The first item up for grabs is the $61.99 ($28 off) Soundcore Wakey, pictured above, which has a digital clock on the side and a Qi wireless charging pad on the top. There's also the $44.99 ($15 off) Soundcore Boost, which is more intended for outdoor use, as it has some protection against water splashes and dust (IPX7 rated). The most premium model on sale is the $69.99 ($30 off) Soundcore Motion+, which has the same IPX7 rating paired with 30W speakers and a 12-hour battery.
Samsung rolling out One UI 3.1 update to more Galaxy devices
It's bringing some Galaxy S21 features to older devices
Samsung has already rolled out its Android 11 update to many phones and tablets, branded as One UI 3.0, but the company introduced a minor revision with the Galaxy S21 series. The One UI 3.1 update was already confirmed to arrive on select phones and tablets, and now the wide rollout is in full swing.
PixelJunk Raiders is a rogue-like adventure arriving exclusively on Google Stadia
Release date is set for March 1st
While Google hasn't secured as many exclusive titles for Stadia as competing platforms, there has been a slow trickle of indie games arriving first on the streaming service. Google today announced another game coming to Stadia before anywhere else: PixelJunk Raiders.
Android Auto 6.1 rolling out with fixes for Galaxy S21 series and other phones (APK Download)
A faulty Chrome update was the culprit
Android Auto ended last year by rolling out to 36 more countries, but the infotainment system has been suffering from a few bugs lately. Thankfully, Google is now rolling out an update that should fix compatibility issues with various phones, notably including the Galaxy S21 series.
Samsung's watches now support ECG monitoring in 32 more countries
It still requires a paired Samsung phone
Samsung's Galaxy Watch3 and Watch Active2 both have hardware support for ECG monitoring, but it is taking a long time to show up for everyone, since the feature has to be approved by each country's health agencies. It was exclusive to South Korea until September of last year, when it was enabled for use in the United States, and now it's coming to 32 more countries.
Last year's Pixel 5 was something of a let-down for most fans of Google's phones, since it went for a budget SoC while retaining flagship-level price, and the release of the Galaxy S20 FE didn't help matters. We're now getting our first look at a budget version expected to launch in a few months, and... it looks familiar.
Kodi 19 now available with improved decoding, UI tweaks, and substantial changes to add-ons
Not everyone is happy with the update
Kodi, formerly XBMC, is one of the most popular media center applications ever. It combines many media sources into one easy-to-navigate interface, with support for several operating systems (including Android). Over two years since the last release, Kodi 19 is now rolling out, but not everyone is happy with the upgrade.
Netflix introduced its Smart Downloads feature three years ago, which automatically downloads the next episodes of a show you're watching while on Wi-Fi, for easier viewing away from reliable internet connections (or on capped mobile data plans). Now the company is expanding the feature to automatically download anything Netflix thinks you might want to watch.
Ultimate Ears is perhaps best known for its line of outdoor portable Bluetooth speakers, like the Wonderboom 2, but the company has other products too. The Hyperboom is a massive speaker designed for indoor use (but is still portable), and now you can get it for $340. That's a savings of $60 from the usual price.The Hyperboom is 14.3 inches tall and 7.5 inches across, with music controls on the top and a pullout strap. UE says it should last up to 24 hours on a single charge, but you can also charge other devices from it, using the USB Type-A connector. The speaker itself sadly uses microUSB for power, not Type-C, or you can use the included barrel-plug adapter for quicker charging. In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, the Hyperboom has inputs for 3.5mm and optical audio.
Every Samsung Galaxy Watch3 model is $150 off, starting at $250
Get the best Android-compatible smartwatch around for the best price yet
Samsung's Galaxy Watch3 is (by most accounts) the best Android-compatible smartwatch, with its traditional design, rotating bezel, and good software experience. However, the original starting price of $400 was ridiculous, even compared to Samsung's other smartwatches. Thankfully, the price has now been temporarily reduced by $150 across the board, with the cheapest option dropping to $250.The Galaxy Watch3 is available in two sizes, 41 and 45mm, both sold in LTE and non-LTE configurations. No matter which model you pick, you get a 360x360 circular AMOLED screen, 8GB of internal storage for apps and music, various health sensors, NFC for Samsung Pay, IP68 water resistance, and Samsung's custom Tizen OS software. The watch also supports wireless charging, but only on pads with WPC compatibility, not all Qi chargers.
Samsung has a history of dropping prices on its phones shortly after the initial release, or in some cases, before the full release. Less than two weeks after the Galaxy S21 series became widely available, Samsung has now dropped the price on all three phones by $100-200.The regular Galaxy S21 originally sold for $799, already a $200 reduction in cost from last year's flagship, but is now available for just $699.99. It has a Snapdragon 888 chipset, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, triple rear cameras, and a 6.2" flat AMOLED screen. The Galaxy S21+, with a larger 6.7-inch curved screen and the same RAM/storage/cameras, now starts at $799.99 ($200 off). Finally, the S21 Ultra, with an upgraded camera array, extra RAM, and S Pen support, is on sale for $999.99 ($200 off).
The discounts for each phone are equal to the accessory credit Samsung was providing with pre-orders, so if you didn't get the phones during that period, you can now pocket the savings instead of just spending it on Samsung's own add-ons. The Samsung online store is still selling the phones at MSRP, but with reduced accessory credit (e.g., $50 for S21 orders).You can buy the phones from multiple retailers at the links below. If you're not sure which model is best for you, check out our comparison guide.