Latest Articles
Android 14 will make scrolling in Chrome as smooth as iOS
The new nanosecond API can help reduce Chrome scrolling jank up to 2x
Let’s face it: Google Chrome on Android often doesn’t feel quite as smooth as it does on iOS. Chrome engineers acknowledge as much themselves, and with Android 14, they wanted to get to the bottom of why scrolling feels more natural and less janky on iOS than on the Google OS. This is where a new API in Android 14 comes in that allows Chrome — and even other apps later down the road — to deal with touch input sampling much better, resulting in up to 2x less visible jank in Chrome 116.
Android 14 could stop your one-time passwords from leaking
A toggle will make it possible to require encryption for phone calls and SMS
The first stable release of Android 14 is almost here, with a launch slated for sometime after July 2023. Ahead of that, Google is drumming up some more excitement around the new Android version with a security-focused announcement. After the company already introduced an option to turn off potentially insecure 2G connections two years ago with Android 12, Google is adding further measures to combat mobile connectivity attacks that leverage poor encryption standards for phone calls and SMS messages.
How the Google Pixel Fold compares to the most affordable foldable
The Pixel Fold and the Tecno Phantom V Fold may not be sold in the same markets, but they make for a fascinating comparison nonetheless
The Google Pixel Fold has received a lot of criticism over its build quality, with at least one review unit failing right after the publication received it. It’s very clear that the Pixel Fold is a first-generation device, and its numerous issues make it hard to recommend at Google's $1,800 asking price. That begs the question: How does Google’s foldable compare to the most affordable alternative out there, the roughly $700 cheaper Tecno Phantom V Fold? Even with this massive price discrepancy in mind, you may be quite surprised at just how well the Pixel Fold fares.
Inbox's spiritual successor Shortwave has finally come to Android
Launching as version 1.0 after a long beta testing period
Shortwave, Google Inbox’s spiritual successor, has announced that it’s finally launching its Android app on the Play Store after previewing it with a small group of beta testers over the last one and a half years. From what we can tell, the app still isn’t a native Android app but rather a web app, but it’s much closer to its iOS counterpart than it’s ever been, complete with an exclusive bottom-based navigation.
Your Chromebook could soon decouple Chrome from ChromeOS
ChromeOS 116 might kick off the long-planned split between Chrome and ChromeOS
Google may just be on the finishing line when it comes to separating Chrome and ChromeOS on Chromebooks. The move has been in the works for years, and new evidence in the code shows that the company might start switching Chromebooks over to a decoupled browser, codenamed Lacros, with the next release of ChromeOS.
Take a first look at Google’s new At a Glance widget for non-Pixel phones
A much-needed overhaul of the dated design third-party phones had to rely on
Google’s At a Glance widget is a staple feature on Pixel phones, giving you quick access to upcoming appointments, weather alerts, flight info, and more, available on your home and lock screen as well as the always-on display. An older version of it is also available on other phones, though it offers less information and looks more dated, more in line with the design Google first introduced it in. We already know that the company has a redesign in the works, but now, we’re seeing it in action for the first time.
Google is still committed to adding Nest Protect to Home app
A community manager confirms that it’s still on the roadmap
Nest products could be some of the best smart home devices out there, if it wasn't for some software woes. Google has been in the process of transitioning legacy Nest devices to its Home app for years now, and customers are frustrated with the slow pace and the lack of some key features. Nest Protect smoke and CO detectors are among the devices that still haven’t made the transition to the Home app, and it almost started to look like they were left in the dust. A Google community manager has now confirmed that they are still on the roadmap, though.
Google Play Store experiments with new bottom bar behavior
Showing up in more places and carrying different shortcuts
The Google Play Store has been through various redesigns over the years, with the most recent one turning most interface elements blue rather than green, likely in preparation of full Material You support. That’s not the only thing Google is working on, as new variations of the Play Store’s bottom bar have been spotted.
How to purchase digital content in Amazon apps on Android
Amazon has removed payment functions in its Android apps, but there are ways to work around that
Before May 2022, picking up the latest movies, captivating e-books, and exciting music on Amazon was as easy as grabbing a new pair of shoes or a comforter set. The digital and physical shopping worlds blended seamlessly. However, you'll notice that things have since changed. While everyday items that need a delivery truck are still just a click away in Amazon's apps, buying digital content requires a little extra work. Here's your roadmap to help you purchase Amazon's digital content on your Android device.
Google needs to bring the Pixel Fold's frosted glass back to all of its phones
The Pixel Fold’s back reminds me of the good old days of my Pixel 3
The Google Pixel Fold is a product I'm reluctant to recommend, but it still gets a few key things right — I made as much clear in my ode to the Pixel Fold's way of handling screen rotation. While I wish that the Pixel Fold's screen rotation behavior could come to other manufacturers' foldables, the Pixel Fold has another quality that I wish some other phones and products would get — specifically, other Pixel phones. I'm talking about the Pixel Fold's silky smooth frosted glass back.
The Google Maps API is getting a competitor from Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft
Taking on Google by offering third parties cheaper access to data for their projects
Google Maps is pretty much the mapping service to use if you want mostly reliable navigation and location data anywhere in the world, and the same is true for developers who need to integrate maps into their apps. Google is the only viable commercial option for many, and it’s become prohibitively expensive to license the data. That’s where the Linux Foundation-backed Overture Maps comes in, which wants to present itself as a viable alternative to Google Maps for developers.
Samsung just all but confirmed the Galaxy S23 FE, coming soon
The budget flagship Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is imminent
The hotly anticipated Samsung Unpacked event has come and gone, and for the most part, there weren't any true surprises. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 are the most iterative updates to the company's foldable lineup in a long time, and we already knew that new tablets and watches were coming thanks to extensive leaks. However, there is one more device many people are waiting for this year, and that's the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, which would be the company's latest budget flagship phone. It might be closer than you should think at this point.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs. Pixel Fold: Portrait or landscape?
The two foldables share the same idea but differ vastly in execution
After years of rumors, the Google Pixel Fold was finally released in summer 2023, and now, its most important competitor is out, too: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. The two foldables are going head-to-head in the US market, offering much of the same book-folding form factor with two very different approaches to the idea. The Pixel Fold is a first-generation device while the Z Fold 5 only offers choice improvements over its predecessor. So the question is: Now that we finally have some options in the US when it comes to book-style foldables, which one should you get?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 are here to face a vastly different mobile world
With more competition than ever, Samsung's most iterative Fold meets a slightly improved Flip
Samsung is without a doubt the brand to popularize folding phones. It pioneered the market with its ill-fated Galaxy Fold that was plagued by durability issues, only to rise from the ashes as a vastly improved second version, complete with the first Z Flip coming a little later.
Following Sonos lawsuit, Google is in hot water for Chromecast tech
A Texas jury ordered the company to pay more than $300 million in damages while Google wants to appeal the decision
Google got into a lengthy legal dispute with Sonos over its smart speakers and their audio casting capabilities, with the audio company winning a $32.5 million trial against the California behemoth. This isn’t the only trouble Google is in for its casting endeavors, though. A Texas jury has decided that the company violated patents with its Chromecast’s video streaming capabilities, and is supposed to pay $338.7 million in damages.
Google Street View is back in Germany after 10+ year halt
The company left Street View footage languishing for more than a decade
Read update
Google Maps revolutionized how we view the world when it introduced Street View in 2007, spreading throughout the world in subsequent years. However, the service wasn’t met with open arms everywhere in the world. One of the countries to shun the service early on was Germany, where privacy outcries and lawsuits led to Google halt the Street View rollout in 2011 after only covering about 20 big cities, shortly after it was launched in the country. Fast-forward to 2023, and the company is finally returning to the European country, allowing tourists and residents to explore sights and neighborhoods with up-to-date imagery.
Samsung reportedly wants to switch back to Exynos in some regions
The Galaxy S23 FE and the S24 series might come with Exynos chips again
The Samsung Unpacked event is right around the corner, and we almost know everything there is to know about what devices will be released and what they will pack thanks to extensive leaks. It’s clear that Samsung is looking further ahead already, likely developing the next generation of phones and foldables at this very moment. According to a new report, the next-generation Galaxy flagship phones might not be good news for everyone, as Samsung could switch back to its Exynos chips in Europe and other regions.
Say goodbye to Twitter and hello to X
As threatened on the weekend, Twitter’s new logo and brand identity are going live
Twitter is all but disappearing as a brand. Twitter owner Elon Musk went through with his promise from this weekend to rebrand the platform to X, with x.com currently redirecting to twitter.com. The website now features a new X logo that was first posted by @SawyerMerritt, who previously offered the logo of his discontinued podcast to the company.
The Google Pixel Fold has the smartest way to handle auto-rotate yet
Google's foldable treats the outer and inner screens separately
The Google Pixel Fold may not quite measure up to Samsung's fourth-generation foldable when it comes to hardware durability and build quality, but to be fair, that sort of thing has never been Google's strongest suit. Instead, the Pixel Fold's appeal lies in its approach to software, include an assortment of smart features that mostly stay out of the way, but that can make a real difference when using the handset. One highlight is the way Google implements auto-rotation across the Pixel Fold's internal and external screen, which I would like to highlight today.
Sergey Brin is back at Google to help advance its AI efforts
The co-founder of the company is taking a more active role again
Google’s founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have long taken a hands-off approach to their company, even though they are still in full control over it thanks to their voting power. While Larry Page seems to stick to this, Sergey Brin is reportedly showing up at Google much more often recently, with him helping the company to advance in its AI endeavors like ChatGPT competitor Google Bard.