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Here's the behind-the-scenes story on Fairphone's big camera update
The 2021 Fairphone 4 got a huge camera update, and we talked to the team about it
Fairphone is known for its sustainable and repairable phones that are built to last, long before Google and Samsung started offering seven years of software upgrades on their flagship phones. But a long software update cycle means nothing if you don’t keep adding new features during the lifespan of a device. Fairphone proved how it’s done with a big upgrade for the Fairphone 4’s camera. I sat down with Fairphone’s Technical Product Manager, Javier Manique, to find out how the company achieved this.
Your Pixel makes moving from voice to video call a one-tap action
The Google phone app now puts a seamless switch to Meet front and center
Sometimes, it’s much nicer to actually see who you’re talking to when you’re on the phone with someone. You may also just want to show the other party something that you see right now. That’s where a new chip in the Google Phone app comes in, which lets you seamlessly switch to a Google Meet call — if the other party has Meet, that is.
Google Files' document scanner is finally rolling out more widely
Not everyone uses Drive, so having the scanner in more Google apps is great
Google recently introduced a new document scanner to Drive on Android that takes a lot of hassle out of the scanning process. It then turned out that this scanning feature is actually a part of Google’s ML kit, available for use for any Android app. That’s exactly what Google Files now taps into, with the local file organization app now widely rolling out the familiar document scanner.
I tested Apple’s EU-only iOS 17.4, and it doesn't feel any closer to Android (yet)
The EU forced Apple to open up its platform, but there isn’t much to see right now
Last year, the EU introduced new rules for big tech companies deemed gatekeepers as part of its Digital Markets Act (DMA). Among the targeted companies are Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, but also Apple. While Google only had to change a few details about the way it handles Android with some small Android 14 upgrades, Apple was forced to drastically change its iPhone app store model, opening up its platform for third-party app markets and allowing more types of previously forbidden apps.
Chrome could simplify exiting full screen mode on desktops
Just press and hold the Esc key rather than a convoluted key combination
Google Chrome has offered a fullscreen mode on desktops for ages, but it’s never been particularly standardized how to access and exit it across platforms. That may be changing, as Google introduced a flag that gives you an easy-to-use keyboard shortcut to exit full screen. It's far more intuitive than the disparate options currently available.
This popular Android screen-mirroring tool gets better keyboard support and more
Scrcpy v2.4 adds some much-needed refinements
With tools like Link to Windows or ChromeOS’s Phone Hub long available, scrcpy may not be the star of the show anymore. The ADB-based command-line tool allows you to remotely view and control your Android phone from your computer, but ever since Google nerfed its ability to view and record secure apps, it’s not as vital for many people as it used to be. The open-source program is nevertheless still actively developed and used by many people, and the latest update to version 2.4 adds some much-needed refinements.
Google and Samsung are holding my favorite new feature hostage
Why is Circle to Search still only available on a handful of phones?
At the Samsung launch event earlier this year, we didn’t just see the Galaxy S24 series. There was also a surprise Google announcement, showing off its new “Circle to Search” feature on the newly released phone lineup. Like the name implies, you can circle anything on your screen to search, but the feature has a few more neat tricks up its sleeve. Almost two months after Galaxy Unpacked 2024, this wonderful feature still hasn’t made it to more than three phone series. As it stands, Samsung and Google are holding my favorite new Android feature hostage.
Facebook and Instagram were down big time this morning
Many people across the world reported they can't access Meta and some Google services
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Meta experienced issues with some of its most important services this morning. People across the globe reported that they couldn't access Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Some people were also not able to access Google services for a time, though that situation seems to have resolved itself much faster.
Google's March Feature Drop is here, but not for you
The new release will roll out March 11 in the US, while everyone else will get it starting today
It’s the first Monday of March, and you know what this means. Google is back with a new round of updates for its Pixels as part of its Pixel Feature Drop initiative, adding a bunch of capabilities to its devices every three months. Many of the additions were already in testing in Android 14 QPR2, and they’re now finally coming to everyone with a recent Google device. If you’re in the US, you’ll have to wait just a little longer, though. While the Feature Drop rolls out internationally today, Google says you’ll have to wait until March 11.
Satellite SOS may come to Pixel phones sooner than you think
A new ‘Satellite SOS’ page was spotted in Google's Safety & Emergency settings
Satellite messaging and phone calls may not be a brand-new thing, but Apple arguably popularized it with its “Emergency SOS” feature that it introduced with the iPhone 14 in 2022. Two years later, Google seems to be getting ready to launch a similar feature on its Pixel phones, though it’s unclear which exactly will be supported. A settings page reveals a new “Satellite SOS” feature that doesn’t work just yet.
Google Maps tests showing building entrances
You might soon see exactly where you can enter a building
Google Maps has become an invaluable tool to navigate and to find the best spots to eat, get coffee, or to see sights. But with some bigger buildings and attractions, it can get hard to find the entrance. That’s where a new experiment comes in that Google appears to be testing with a few users and buildings, with an icon indicating where to exit and enter a place when it’s selected.
This man wearing a naked female body shirt at a tech event shows the industry's big problem
A room mostly filled with men discusses the future of AI. What could go wrong?
Picture this: a big tech company creates a generative AI model that’s supposed to be more powerful, but also inclusive than what came before it. However, due to a likely lack of diverse enough data sets, the model is supposed to overcorrect for diversity, leading to generated images that are historically inaccurate.
Wild new Google Search buttons have appeared in beta for some
Google looks set to make its core app more colorful, but no, it’s not Material You
While the Google Search app still hasn’t been updated to follow Material You colors, introduced all the way back in Android 12, the company behind the search engine is busy with another interface update for its core app. As spotted by AssembleDebug, some beta testers currently see a new homepage design with a revamped search bar and colorful quick action buttons.
Let’s face it: Bitwarden may be one of the best password managers out there, but it’s never been the prettiest. Its Android app is as barebones as it gets, with an outdated design that doesn’t follow the latest Material You guidelines anymore. That’s about to change. Bitwarden has announced that it will soon launch a fully redesigned app for Android and iOS, based on native code that is accompanied by a much-needed facelift.
I controlled a car with my eyes in this whimsical tech demo
Honor's eye-tracking demo is delightfully dumb, and I'm here for it
When big tech companies announce their next big thing, they're usually going all in on selling us how it will instantly change our lives, routinely overpromising and underdelivering. At MWC 2024, Honor decided to mix things up with a delightfully dumb but fun demo showcasing its new eye-tracking technology on its Magic 6 Pro flagship. It posed the most hilarious scenario: what if you could control a car by looking at boxes on your phone?
This new wireless standard could be the fix for your congested network
Light-based wireless connectivity could be the future of your smart home and phone
Let’s face it: you’ve probably run into some issues with both your Wi-Fi and 5G connection before. That may be that dumb corner of your house with spotty connection or your neighbor’s fancy new router that drowns out the signal from your own. And if you’re using 5G fixed access as your cable replacement, you may not get the speeds you were promised. pureLiFi, a brand championing the Li-Fi standard that was introduced last year, promises a fix for all that and then some at MWC 2024.
Your next Android phone could leave iPhone's Face ID in the dust
Metalenz and Samsung have teamed up to bring biometric face identification to Android at a fraction of the size and cost of Apple’s Face ID
Apple’s Face ID is convenient, secure, and fast — but it also has some pretty big limitations. The technology takes up significantly more space than the single front-facing selfie camera you see on most great Android phones, and it also costs more. That’s where Metalenz, a startup spun up out of a Havard lab, wants to come in. Thanks to a partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm, it wants to bring its new Polar ID technology to future Android phones, all while eliminating the cost and size disadvantages of Apple’s approach. I sat down with Metalenz to talk about the future of face unlock at MWC 2024.
This concept phone wants you to go app-free, but not entirely
It’s not unlike the Rabbit R1, but in a more familiar form factor
Imagine a phone that knows what you want to do next and that proactively helps you move forward with your tasks. That’s what T-Mobile parent Telekom and the folks at Brain AI have teamed up to achieve, presenting their Concept AI Phone at MWC 2024. The vision is to replace the familiar app-based interface and workflow with an AI that naturally processes your requests and generates its own UI on the fly. In practice, things are a little less glamorous right now, but it’s still an interesting attempt at reinventing the smartphone wheel.
Energizer just slapped a phone into a powerbank
This 28,000mAh battery has a fully functional phone in it
Phones used to last days and sometimes a week on a single charge, but in the smartphone era, that's a dream long past. Many of the best handsets out there can be lucky if they last a full day, but usually not much more beyond that. If you want to return to these good old days and value battery life above literally anything else, Energizer’s new 28,000mAh smartphone brickphone might be for you.
Google is starting spring with a big Android feature roundup
Get ready for Gemini in Messages, Spotify Connect integration, Wear OS updates, and more
The Pixels’ March feature drop should be just around the corner, but before then, Google has good news for all Android users. As part of MWC 2024, the company announced a slew of new Android and Wear OS features that have either started rolling out or will become available soon. The announcement includes some important accessibility updates, but there are also some much-needed quality of life improvements.