Latest Articles
Sony releases Android 13 for an all-too-rare affordable Xperia
Some Sony flagships have already been updated to the newest Android version
Sony smartphones don't really enjoy any meaningful market share, but that hasn’t deterred the company from continuing to produce handsets with some standout features. After pushing Android 13 out to many of its higher-end models from the past two years, Sony is now delivering its latest update for the Xperia 10 IV.
The Google Pixel Fold might beat the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in one key area
A new display folding mechanism could be superior to Samsung’s current implementation
As the long-rumored Google foldable inches closer to what we can only hope is a big, official unveiling, more and more leaks have started to surface. Until now, we had only seen the Google Pixel Fold in some CAD-based renders, and while they did reveal how it the phone will possibly look, they didn’t give us much insight into the real experience of operating the device — perhaps one of the most important factors when it comes to foldables. Thankfully, a video hands-on with a dummy unit has now given us a better idea of what to expect from using the Pixel Fold.
Amazon doesn’t want Fire TV to play nice with content discovery apps
Services like JustWatch and Plex Discover have been left in the lurch
With so many streaming services jostling for your attention, it makes sense to centralize your watchlist with a service like Plex Discover to make keeping track of your shows more convenient. Even TV operating systems like Google TV and Fire TV have started offering their own solutions for recommendations and watchlist management. But Amazon is going a little overboard with promoting its own alternative aggressively by thwarting third-party content discovery apps.
Motorola’s upcoming budget phones are all but official in exhaustive leak
Marketing photos and the rumored specs of the Moto G53 and G73 have surfaced
Even though Motorola makes some decent flagships and is eager to draw attention to its nostalgia-themed foldables, it's still the affordable Moto G series that shines in its portfolio. And with the promised Android 13 update, those are all becoming an even better bang for your buck. Motorola is reportedly looking to add two new budget phones to its lineup this year, the Moto G53 and the G73, and now the latest leak gives away almost everything about theses two handsets.
Google’s Discover feed makes better use of your Android tablet’s display space
The three-column layout packs even more suggestions on the same screen
With the arrival of Android 12L, Google doubled down on its commitment to tablets, especially in the lead up to the Pixel Tablet. While there are plenty of apps optimized specifically for the top Android tablets on the market, the search giant has lately been focused on making its first-party apps suitable for the big-screen experience. In line with that, Google has tweaked the Discover feed to better utilize the ample screen space on tablets.
WhatsApp is making it easier to block your most annoying acquaintances
The latest beta adds a couple of easy ways to block spam
WhatsApp is used by billions of people around the world, making it a lucrative target for spammers. While it offers a few basic tools to manage unsolicited messaging, blocking any spammy contacts is by far the best way to keep your inbox clean. To help it stay that way, WhatsApp is working on adding a couple of new shortcuts to make it extra easy to block annoying people and businesses.
Google Meet will now save you from embarrassing memory lapses during presentations
Speaker notes are now much easier to access during a presentation
Google Meet makes it super easy to present with Slides, thanks to its tight integration with Google’s app ecosystem. But while you’re presenting to all your colleagues on a video call, it’s your personal notes that save you from any faux pas. To make your speaker notes easier to access, Google Meet is adding a new tool that will put your notes right next to your presentation.
Official Samsung Galaxy S23 press renders have arrived for your viewing pleasure
Plus new rumors hype steadier photos and bassier speakers for the Galaxy S23 Ultra
In the lead up to the Samsung Galaxy S23 official launch next month, we've been hearing just a ton about this upcoming flagship lineup, and already have a pretty fair idea of what upgrades to expect and how these these phones are going to look. Earlier leaks already revealed the four color options we'll have to choose from, and now some newly leaked official renders of the Galaxy S23 show just how they'll arrive.
Twitter now forces you into its algorithmic feed with a new tabbed interface
These changes are yet to go live on Android
Twitter has been in the spotlight lately, and not necessarily for good reasons. Ever since Elon Musk took over the company’s day-to-day operations, we've seen changes-a-plenty — both controversial and a few welcome. In a lot of ways, it really feels like the social media platform has been heedlessly fiddling with its existing features — the most notable example being its overly complicated system for issuing checkmarks and badges. For its latest contentious move, Twitter will now default to an algorithm-generated feed.
YouTube Music’s refreshed Library UI is now rolling out to everyone
The new Library design will appear both on the web and on the mobile app
Many of us prefer YouTube Music over other music streaming services like Spotify because of its vast library of cover songs borrowed from YouTube. But the YouTube Music app itself pales against the competition without many everyday features like synced lyrics. Google has been working on making things better for its music streaming service by adding new features and design tweaks every now and then. In line with that, YouTube Music is getting the long-awaited redesign for the Library tab, which is now rolling out widely.
Google Docs matures with its latest tool for the most demanding editing die-hards
It now lets you view non-printing characters while editing
Google Docs isn't just one of the most widely used word processors around because it’s available for free with every Gmail account — it's also decently powerful. But while both personal and Workspace users rely on Docs for all their writing needs, there are plenty of diehards out there who still swear by Microsoft Word, pointing to the availability of its more advanced features. Google Docs keeps expanding functionality to narrow that gap, and with this latest addition, it’s even closer to that goal than ever.
Google Play Store's missing app changelogs should be back 'soon'
How soon changelogs will return to the Play Store on the web is still up in the air
The Google Play Store is a window to a vast world of millions of apps for your favorite Android phone. But you will often find Google introducing more bugs to the Play Store than it fixes — it was missing app update notifications some time ago, and it’s disappearing app changelogs now. But it appears that Google didn’t intend to remove app changelogs from the Play Store for the web, and a fix could be just around the corner.
Amazon Fire HD 10 vs. Fire HD 8: Which tablet is right for you?
Amazon hardware for the Amazon ecosystem, but which Fire tablet makes more sense?
They aren't exactly powerhouses, but Amazon Fire tablets are among the most affordable offerings on the market that are actually worth using. They're great for basic stuff like catching up with your favorite shows or answering emails and are especially useful for people who are heavily invested in the Amazon ecosystem. 2021 and 2022 saw refreshes of the popular Fire HD 10 and the Fire HD 8 tablets with moderate improvements to hardware and features like faster processors and USB Type-C charging ports, bringing them up to speed with many budget Android tablets. Besides their obvious difference in screen size, there are a few other specs that separate the two.
WhatsApp needs to make fighting spam its top priority
You can block it and then bother WhatsApp about it
kYou may be asked for your phone number when visiting a store, whether you're there to get something fixed or to purchase something. Then, within seconds of sharing it, you might receive messages from the store on WhatsApp, and some of those may have nothing to do with your recent visit. Why did this happen when the store didn't ask for your consent to deliver updates and ads on WhatsApp? You may have noticed that the employee tablets have the option to toggle it off. However, it curiously stays on by default.
Microsoft isn’t giving up on its ambitious Surface Duo foldable just yet
The Surface Duo 2 has been hard to find but not because everybody wants one
Microsoft has tried and failed to make it big in the smartphone world dominated by Google and Apple many times — even its Nokia bet didn’t pay off back in the day. The Windows maker’s third big attempt at smartphones was an Android-powered foldable Surface Duo that was unlike any other foldable on the market. While Microsoft has had a hard time selling its novel foldable, it is still optimistic about the Surface smartphone lineup.
The Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 now support a single third-party app
These smartwatches are also getting new watch faces, but they aren't free
One big reason the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 didn’t make it to our favorite smartwatches list was their lack of smart features. They dropped support for third-party apps even though their predecessor supported them. Ever since Google took Fitbit under its wing, the two premium watches have been picking up native support for apps like Google Wallet and Maps. And it now looks like third-party apps may soon make their way back to the Sense 2 and Versa 4 after much outcry.
The 8 most tempting smart home products from CES 2023
You can bet this year’s CES has something for every room in your house!
This year’s CES is back in full swing after a couple of years of limited activity — and boy, is it back! As is the case for most things in the 21st century, most new devices that were showcased at the event have some sort of connected feature built in. And as you’d definitely expect from a tech extravaganza based in Las Vegas, a whole lot of those gadgets got real weird. But after the champagne flights and our long working nights, we now bring to you some of the best smart home devices from CES 2023 that you might actually consider living with.
Plex will soon be your one-stop place to access all your streaming services
That’s one more thing Plex can do for you
You might know Plex for its ability to arrange your scattered movies and TV collection into a user-friendly Netflix-like interface. While it does an excellent job of managing your media stored in say, one of the best Synology NAS enclosures, Plex has been branching out with more stuff to keep you hooked to its app. Plex Discover is one such venture that lets you find new shows and movies and even directs you to where to find them. Discover has been in beta for a while, and now we finally know when it will be rolled out as a standard feature.
Roborock’s new S8 Pro Ultra robot vacuum sucks even more — no, literally
The company also unveiled a new handheld wet and dry cleaner at CES 2023
Roborock’s range of vacuums is usually on the higher side of the price spectrum, but its products easily make for our favorite robot vacuum cleaners on the market. At the ongoing CES 2023, the company unveiled its latest S8 series of robot vacuums that can clean your house as well as itself without your intervention. But if you like handheld cleaning, there’s a new Roborock product for that, too.
Citizen’s new smartwatch is shooting for the stars to boost your alertness
Citizen has unveiled its NASA-inspired Wear OS smartwatch at CES 2023
Citizen announced its first Wear OS watch a couple of years back, but it failed to match all the excellent smartwatches from Fossil and other brands. It ended up being merely a mediocre watch with a premium price. Citizen is now trying to get back in the game with its follow-up that packs an exclusive alertness tracker that takes inspiration from what NASA uses to assess fatigue levels in its astronauts.