About Manuel Vonau
Manuel Vonau is Android Police's Google Editor, with expertise in Android, Chrome, and other Google products — the very core of Android Police’s content. He has been covering tech news and reviewing devices since joining Android Police as a news writer in 2019. He lives in Berlin, Germany.
Manuel studied Media and Culture studies in Düsseldorf, finishing his university career with a master's thesis titled "The Aesthetics of Tech YouTube Channels: Production of Proximity and Authenticity." His background gives him a unique perspective on the ever-evolving world of technology and its implications on society. He isn't shy to dig into technical backgrounds and the nitty-gritty developer details, either.
Manuel's first steps into the Android world were plagued by issues. After his HTC One S refused to connect to mobile internet despite three warranty repairs, he quickly switched to a Nexus 4, which he considers his true first Android phone. Since then, he has mostly been faithful to the Google phone lineup, though these days, he is also carrying an iPhone in addition to his Pixel phone. This helps him gain perspective on the mobile industry at large and gives him multiple points of reference in his coverage.
Outside of work, Manuel enjoys a good film or TV show, loves to travel, and you will find him roaming one of Berlin's many museums, cafés, cinemas, and restaurants occasionally.
Latest Articles
Google offering free Nest Mini to YouTube Premium subscribers
First come first serve, so you better hurry if you want one
A few weeks ago, Google sent out offers for a free Nest Mini to YouTube Premium subscribers, but people looking to redeem the voucher quickly noticed that it wasn't valid. Google backtracked, saying that the promo was a mistake on their end. But it looks like someone at the company simply turned on the UI for the present too early — YouTube and Google Play Music subscribers are now receiving an actually working offer to get a free Nest Mini on the Google Store.
Samsung shares more information on its debit card, launching in the US this summer
Apple doeth, Samsung followeth
Following in Apple's footsteps, Samsung recently announced that it wants to introduce its own debit card. Today, the company has finally shared more information on that enterprise, calling it Samsung Money by SoFi as it's backed by said institution (which notably isn't a bank, as it states itself). The account-fee-free service is slated to launch "later this summer" in the US and will offer higher-than-average interest rates and rewards for saving money.
WarnerMedia has finally launched its new streaming platform HBO Max today, joining the other online entertainment services under the AT&T umbrella. The service comes with a number of original series on top of the content already available through the other HBO channels, like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Loony Toons, and DC Universe content. The US-exclusive service is free for HBO subscribers and will cost $14.99 a month for everyone else, with an option for a free seven-day trial.
Pokémon will soon be able to hide behind real-world objects in Pokémon GO
The feature will be tested with a random selection of gamers in June
Pokémon GO might not be as popular as it used to be, especially amid a pandemic that has many of us staying home as much as we can, but the company behind it is nevertheless working on improving the game. As such, Niantic has announced that it will start testing reality blending next month, which will allow Pokémon to hide behind real-world objects that block your view, just as though they were real.
Xiaomi Germany just confirmed the existence of the Mi TV Stick
It has been rumored for a long time
During a live event announcing the Redmi Note 9 series in Germany, Xiaomi offered a first glimpse at its long-rumored Mi TV Stick. Other than the image above and the orally delivered slogan "for a better and simpler TV experience," no further details have been given, though these tidbits already help us guess quite a few things about the device.
T-Mobile now connects to Google’s RCS servers
Allowing T-Mobile subscribers to chat with more people using RCS
RCS has always been advertised as the next-generation SMS replacement, but carriers haven't exactly been rushing to roll out the new chat features. That's why Google took matters into its own hands and rolled out its Jibe-supported network via its Messages app, but solutions like T-Mobile's Advanced Messaging haven't been compatible. That's changing, as T-Mobile and Google have teamed up to upgrade the carrier's RCS implementation and make it work with any network connected to Jibe across the globe.
ScreenHits TV wants be your one-stop video streaming subscription hub
Details are sparse, but you can apparently use the service to sign up for multiple platforms
The streaming service landscape is quickly becoming convoluted with every TV network, production company, and entrepreneur launching their own exclusive platforms. That's where ScreenHits TV wants to come in. The company will soon launch a service in the US and the UK that lets you aggregate Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, BBC iPlayer, and more into one single interface and subscription.
Huawei and Honor may have to ditch their own Kirin chips due to US sanctions
In talks with MediaTek and UNISOC to use their chips
Huawei may soon have to forgo its own Kirin silicon in favor of chips from other manufacturers. That's because the US Department of Commerce's new licensing restrictions for international businesses using US software and technology are stifling the production of the homemade chipsets. Huawei and its subsidiary Honor are thus considering working with MediaTek and UNISOC silicon in anticipation of homegrown chip supply issues, according to reports from CNMO and Nikkei.
How to preserve some privacy when you're using a Google Assistant speaker
You don't have to forgo a Google Home completely
Google Assistant speakers can be great tools, giving you an easy entry into voice-controlled home automation, but they can also feel like spies giving Google intimate insights into your life and daily routines. If you don't want to go without the convenience an Assistant speaker offers, there are at least some things you can do to make it less invasive.
SwiftKey picks up Emoji 12.0 support, more conspicuous Microsoft branding
Four years after the acquisition, Microsoft puts its name front and center
Microsoft acquired SwiftKey about four years ago, and apart from some additions like optional Microsoft accounts, Bing, and the company's translate feature, it didn't change too much about the popular third-party keyboard. Earlier this year, though, Microsoft's name got more prominent in the app's settings, and now, the Redmond giant has decided it's about time to make it even more obvious whose keyboard you're using. Following a beta test run, the latest stable version of SwiftKey is now called "Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard" and comes with a refreshed logo. On the feature front, it only offers new emoji for Android 10 users.
Google's Action Blocks let you create widgets for often-used Assistant tasks (APK download)
The accessibility app might come in handy for anyone using Assistant extensively
Google is working on making Android as inclusive as possible, only recently updating features like Live Transcribe and Sound Amplifier. Along with announcing the improvements to these accessibility functions, the company has also shared that it's launching a new app called Action Blocks. The app is targeted at people with cognitive disabilities, but it certainly looks like it can be useful for anybody. It lets you create single-tap actions for Google Assistant in the form of widgets instead of having to say them over and over.
First renders of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 show off an S20-esque camera bump
It looks like the new phone is almost as big as the Note10+
This week, Samsung shared the unsurprising news that the next Galaxy Note series will be presented during an online-only event, and now, some of the first renders of the Note20 have been leaked by Pigtou and xleaks7. There are only small changes compared to its predecessor except for the size and a bunch of design cues from the S20 models.
Wink further delays its mandatory subscription, confuses users even more
This soap opera is getting ridiculous at this point
Read update
Earlier this May, Wink announced out of the blue that it would charge customers $4.99 a month to continue using its services, or else their hardware would stop working. Following understandable customer backlash, the company first extended the cut-off deadline by a week, and has now indefinitely back-paddled, saying that it'll look for a new start date of the subscription.
Google Photos tests its latest interface tweaks
Tests ranging from three to five tabs in the in-app navigation bar, plus a new Library tab
Read update
Google Photos hasn't seen any substantial interface changes since its inception as a standalone app, minus the addition of the bottom bar in 2016. Bigger changes are headed our way, though, following the introduction of the new account picker on the heels. They come in the form of a redesigned UI that does away with the always accessible search bar up top and the hamburger menu. However, it also makes the bottom bar more intuitive and gives us long-awaited features.
Wavelet is a rootless EQ app with individual presets for over 2,000 models of headphones
Sure, you can also just go ahead and boost that bass
Most proper EQ apps only work with rooted devices, but as it turns out, rooting isn't necessarily a prerequisite. There have even been some rootless apps like Music Equalizer for a long time, but many of them are rather clunky to use. Thus, a new app called Wavelet decided to go ahead and try to occupy that easy-to-use niche. It comes with a sleek interface that offers extensive customization options and a library of 2,000+ headphone profiles that helps you get the most neutral sound possible with the option to fine-tune, and it can even enhance some phone speakers.
Google Meet might soon get background blurring
No need to tidy up your house when you're on a call
Google only recently opened up Meet to everyone in preparation of shutting down Hangouts altogether and is now taking action to make the platform as feature-complete as possible. In that vein, Google seems to be working on background blurring for Meet, a function that's been available in competing products for ages, including Google's own Duo video-calling service.
TikTok rating plummets to 2.0 stars as an Indian YouTuber's fanbase orchestrates one-star campaign
The social media platform finds itself caught in the crossfire
TikTok is a platform that sparks a lot of controversies and is currently dealing with a US investigation concerned with censorship and security issues. Now, another problem is on the rise for the platform, and it's a prime example of how quickly online communities can grow toxic. In what appears to be some form of war between some Indian YouTubers' fans and popular TikTokers, the app has been caught in the crossfire and is receiving low rating after low rating. It's already down to an average of 2.0 when it sat at about 4.5 stars only a few days ago.
Hiroshi Lockheimer personally apologizes for Podcast Addict Play Store takedown, app now restored
The app became collateral damage in Google’s fight against coronavirus misinformation
Read update
Another month, another wrongful removal from the Play Store. Google booted Podcast Addict off the Play Store because it references the novel coronavirus outbreak — or rather, it offers you to listen to podcasts that do, just like any other podcast player out there. For some reason, Podcast Addict has been singled out by Google, with the company asking the developer to prove that his product is endorsed by some government, or remove any references to COVID-19.
Google will fix the Pixel 2 wallpaper bug responsible for endless crashes in a future Android release
The two-year old bug might soon finally be history
Read update
For some reason, Pixel phones tend to exhibit the strangest bugs, and we might have just run into yet another weird one. Pixel 2 and 2 XL owners have been reporting for more than two years that some images available through the Google Wallpapers app make their SystemUI crash repeatedly to the point of a device shutdown. With no chance to change the wallpaper in that timeframe, they have to factory reset their devices to make them functional again.
Google Lens might soon introduce a more advanced math equation solver
Two plus x is four. Quick maths.
Google Lens is an incredibly powerful tool already — just point your camera at an object of interest around you and it'll offer you search results depending on what it recognizes. It also makes text it sees machine-readable, letting you call phone numbers and solve simple math problems. Google is apparently looking to expand the latter capability, as APK teardowns conducted by XDA Developers and 9to5Google have found. You might soon be able to point your phone at math problems and get some help to solve for x.