Latest Articles
The 'You' in YouTube matters very little when it comes to video recommendations
The company says that dislike button doesn't do what you think it does
Non-profit tech outfit Mozilla has lobbed a hand grenade at Google-owned social video platform YouTube in the form of a 47-page report damning negative feedback methods (i.e., the Dislike button) its users have to control their viewing as being ineffective, citing thousands of analyzed user experiences. YouTube rejects the criticism, saying that the methodology doesn't take into account how its controls actually work.
You might be enjoying the little quality-of-life improvements that Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 brings. Or, maybe you're not. At the end of the beta process, Pixel users will be enjoying a mid-cycle update that will bring prominent fixes as well as neat features like support for the LC3 audio codec and call clarity enhancement. But to get those changes right, Google is hoping beta testers will give their feedback and it has opened up an opportunity to do just that.
BeReal wants to get real about making money off of its users
An in-app subscription appears to the most likely bet
Up and coming social media platform BeReal has garnered a decent user base as an app that prioritizes in-the-moment authenticity yet can only be used once a day. While it has ambitions fo continue growing that base, the app also wants to make money off of it. The word's out there that it'll do so relatively soon.
Android Studio Dolphin brings much-needed aid to Wear OS dev workflow
Gradle basically gets virtual fleet management
Android Studio is back with a new stable update, the fourth major one since the 2021 revamp that turned the progression of version numbers into a series of animals in alphabetical order. As such, we're looking at 'D' for 'Dolphin,' and a whole bunch of improvements to the workflows for Wear OS development and Jetpack Compose.
Appeals court sides with Texas and its social media anti-censorship law
We'll see if Big Tech brings this to SCOTUS
Back in May, we reported on a controversial Texas law that would prohibit operators of web platforms with more than 50 million monthly active users from censoring or banning users for lawful expression of a citizen's "viewpoint," potentially curtailing their ability to moderate inciting content or hate speech. A consortium of tech giants challenged the law on the grounds that the First Amendment protects citizens from the government's control of expression and that operators have the unreserved right to manage speech on private platforms. That argument, though, hasn't resonated with judges.
Samsung uploads Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 kernel sources to the joy of ROM makers
Maybe your foldable deserves something a little more special than One UI
Do you absolutely despise Samsung for shipping One UI 5 on your Galaxy Z Flip 4 or Fold 4? Okay, well, settle down — this stuff isn't worth getting terribly mad about. But if you would rather use another graphical interface that suits your taste or stretch the limits of what your folding phablet or clamshell can do, well, there's some good news and bad news.
Tim Cook threw us for a loop this week when he told us to go buy our moms iPhones as a way to "solve" the problem of iMessage not supporting RCS as a "texting" and "chatting" app. Whatever those terms mean. We get into a spirited debate on that topic, other Apple issues (of course), and a heaping plate of Google as our main course with this edition of the Android Police podcast. Yes, we're glad we're back.
Privacy fans using Firefox Relay may soon be able to farm phone numbers
You can forward messages to your main number or let the spam pile up
Firefox Relay began as a way for people to set up modest email farms to field and forward signups, logins, and spam to or away from their primary accounts. It's grown to be a bit more than that with some improvements in March including a beefier attachment limit. Now, as it prepares take its Relay Premium program up a notch, there's word of new features that'll be coming along for the ride.
The Pixel 7's Tensor G2 has a lot of surprises for a boring upgrade
We may have some reliable intel in, of all things, a benchmark run
Google doesn't like to make a big show of it, but it's an open secret that it's been working with Samsung to produce its custom Tensor SoC for its Pixel 6 lineup of phones. This year, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are expected to sport a Tensor G2 — there's already been plenty said about what to expect with that chip, but it looks like some new intel is going to lock things in for us. But that's not all we're learning about here.
The great thing about the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is that if you pick one up today, you'll still be getting one of Samsung's best mobile phones with a foldable display. You'll just be getting one at a lower price. And, for the next three hours, you can grab one for an even lower price, direct from Samsung.
Google apps want in on iOS 16's lock screen widgets and we're not at all jealous or anything
Widgets of all shapes and sizes are coming soon
iOS 16 goes live today and for many iPhone users, it's all going to be about the lock screen: fonts, colors, object-layer relationships — all of it meant to bring customization and personality to a place that really matters on the phone. It's something device owners will see dozens if not hundreds of times a day, perhaps catching the eyes of those nearby. An important part of the lock screen tweaking formula Apple's going with here is widgets and you can bet it's got APIs for app makers to utilize. With lots of users and limited space to work with, Google is making its case for sporting its widgets.
OnePlus 11 Pro renders show camera hump traded for camera lump
Don't call it a comeback for the alert slider
In the mobile world, corporate insiders know brands are fighting for firsts wherever they can get them. If they aren't out-engineering their flagships, they're calling dibs on unique or new parts first. It may be, then, that the OnePlus 11 Pro could be first out of the gate next year with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. But we haven't even seen what it will look like yet... that is, until now.
As Android wants to get rid of hole-punch cameras, Apple doubles down with Dynamic Island
Will Android phone makers feel the need to imitate?
It's often said that when Apple does something, whole industries follow its lead. Most of the time, it's a painfully true axiom. While the company doesn't have a hold over the global smartphone market, it is strong in the premium space, and it's a trendsetter more often than not. We saw the headphone jack die off on the iPhone first, then the wall charger disappeared from the iPhone box. Both of those moves slowly made their way to the Android ecosystem. This year, Apple's cadre of engineers and designers took the iPhone 14 Pro, got rid of the notch, and introduced a pill-shaped camera and equipment cut-out called the Dynamic Island with some unique functionality.
The unreleased Nest Doorbell (Wired) waves 'hello' in these crisp renders
The new art is housed in a Google Home update
It's been more than four years since Google-owned Nest came out with its Hello video doorbell. Consumer demands have evolved since then and with last year's Nest Doorbell (Battery) unable to record video continuously, even Google was made to admit it's been overdue for an update to its Hello doorbell. We know Nest will have new products out during the Made by Google event on October 6, but we now know exactly what one of them will look like.
Samsung asks when Apple's foldable iPhones are coming, gets little fanfare
We should note that the company has its own problems to solve
Apple has had its yearly iPhone announcement this week, so it's only appropriate that Samsung get its own pre-buttal and rebuttal. The pre-buttal was the launch of its Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 foldable phones which attracted critical acclaim. The rebuttal? Well, that part isn't as classy.
ChromeOS may step up to add background blur and other camera effects for video conferencing
Who knows if your chat client will make it a paid feature in the future?
Video conferencing is a big deal, period. Never mind the ongoing ordeal that we're still living, video conferencing would have gone big one way or another. So much so, a number of chat clients including Google Meet have integrated cloud-powered background blurring effects for the many of us that are stuck in our messy, unpresentable bedrooms. For Chromebook owners, though, you might be getting more blur for your buck soon with OS-level capabilities.
New YouTube feature for schools will make classroom video-watching way less sketchy
No ads, no awkward video suggestion autoplays
YouTube is home to billions of videos. Most of them are of dubious quality, so one would hope Google's algorithms would bring users substantive and enjoyable content. Of course, there are many challenges surrounding the platform — especially when we're talking about kids as viewers and educators as creators. That's why the company is announcing a few big changes for those user groups, including a video player dedicated for educational use.
Anker's new USB-C cables are more corny, less plasticky
40% of the cables' material is derived from plants
Plastics are a hell of a problem in our modern world. From microparticles polluting our water to bisphenol A to its origin in petroleum production, it's certainly had a turn in its "wonder material" reputation back in the 1950's. As industry begins considering alternatives, manufacturer Anker is out today with a new line of USB-C cables that trade away the plastic outer sheath for one made partly of plants.
What used to be the Berlin radio show has become the inimitable IFA, and you'll find anything and everything here if it's on a PCB. There have been many changes to the show over the years, especially with the recent shows being disturbed by world events. Still, our editor Manuel Vonau was on the ground at IFA 2022, and the team has discussed at length what the highlights of the show have been. We've marked our ballots and are ready to announce Android Police's Best of IFA 2022.
Google remixes its Material You take on the YouTube Music icon
Your home screen double take is justified
Got an Android device with Material You theming? Are your playlists a priority? Perhaps you noticed something a little bit off with your home screen this past week. You might not have been able to pin it down at first, but if you use YouTube Music for your listening pleasure, we can say it's a change that happened.