Michael Crider
Contributing since December, 2013
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3608articles
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About Michael Crider
Michael is a born Texan and a former graphic designer. He's been covering technology in general and Android in particular since 2011. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order. He wrote a novel called Good Intentions: A Supervillain Story, and it's available on Amazon.
Latest Articles
The latest OxygenOS Beta for the OnePlus Nord includes Ambient Display tweaks
You can watch a little cartoon of yourself! Woo!
OnePlus Nord owners who are part of the company's open beta program should check their phones now: there's a new update headed down the pipe. It's not amazing in terms of content; the biggest practical addition is that the Android security patch is bumped up to August. But there's some big stuff in there if you really like the always-on display.
Local TV re-streaming service Locast shut down by network lawsuit
Wait a second, isn't this one a rerun?
And another one bites the dust. Locast, a service that gathered local terrestrial television signals to stream them over the internet, has been felled by the lawers of said TV stations and their owners. The service had streaming apps on every major platform, including Android and Android TV, now unceremoniously shut down.
Get a 55-inch 4K Toshiba Fire TV and a free Echo Dot speaker for just $380
Best Buy's offering a sweet Amazon combo
If you're all-in on Amazon's Alexa assistant platform, or you're looking to start, we've got a hell of a deal for you. Today only Best Buy is selling a 55-inch Toshiba 4K TV, powered by Amazon's Fire TV platform, for just $379.99. Not only is that $100 off, but they'll throw in a freebie Echo Dot third-gen, a $40 value.
YouTube Music reaches 50 million premium subscribers, driven by emerging markets and Gen Z
It was definitely worth killing Google Play Music, right? Right?
Google's introduction of the branded YouTube Music service, and its cold-blooded murder shutdown of the older Google Play Music service, hasn't been all that smooth. But apparently it's been profitable. Google's Global Head of Music for YouTube, Lyor Cohen, says that the service now has 50 million subscribers across the various options.
South Korea could be the first country to legislate open app store payments
It's the most aggressive action taken by any country to loosen the stranglehold on mobile app monetization
South Korea is set to regulate an end to exclusive payment terms on app stores, striking an economic blow against the integrated mobile systems of Google and Apple. A bill approved by the National Assembly this week would force both companies to allow app developers to accept payments from third-party systems, on the Play Store and App Store, respectively. This would threaten the lucrative cut (between 15% and 30%) they receive on each digital transaction.
You can now test Chrome for Android's permanent Desktop View switch
It's working in the latest Canary release
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Most websites (like this one) adjust their formatting automatically to account for screens of different size and density. But on tablets (and foldables), formatting often has the tendency to go weird and switch you to mobile view, and you just gotta pretend you're on your proper desktop computer to get the full website experience. If you haven't switched to a different browser to achieve this globally yet, Chrome is about to make your life easier. The latest under-development version of the browser has added an option to enable "Request Desktop Site" permanently, finally giving you the power to always use your tablet or foldable with full website experiences.
Samsung Internet Beta 16 adds updated search in URL bar and blocks tracking pixels
Whether it's a good change or not is up to you
Did you know that there are tiny, invisible pixels hidden on a lot of websites, nefariously tracking your every movement across the web? Well there are. It's not really dangerous, just kind of rude and annoying. The newest version of Samsung's Android browser, one of the few tools that it shares with the rest of the Android world, detects and blocks this practice. So sayeth the changelog!
Jabra's true wireless earbuds have been a reliable alternative to high-end offerings from Apple and Samsung ever since they were introduced, with high marks for audio quality, connection, and comfort. The latest model is on sale at eBay today at its lowest price yet, as long as you're okay with a refurbished set of buds.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Buds Pro firmware brings features from the Buds2
Including a lot more control over Ambient Sound mode
Samsung is one of the few manufacturers that consistently brings features from newer designs to older hardware via software upgrades. Usually it's phones (like the older Galaxy Z Flip series this morning, for example), but Samsung's also looking after its galaxy of accessories. Today the Galaxy Buds Pro get some of the newer features developed for the non-pro Galaxy Buds2.
Samsung adds one of the Apple Watch's best features to the Galaxy Watch4
Dick Tracy would be proud
Apple Watch users have found that the device's built-in walkie talkie feature is a great boon for those who are out and about and don't want to bother with full calls. Samsung took notice of this, and added a WalkieTalkie app for its latest smartwatch. It's available to download now, but unfortunately it's only for its latest smartwatch.
Pixel 3 and 3 XL phones are getting stuck in EDL Mode and seemingly bricked
There doesn't appear to be any clear solution to the issue
For months users of the three-year-old Pixel 3 series have been complaining of a common and dreadful problem: seemingly random shutdowns that completely lock their devices. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been plagued by the "EDL Mode" bug, which locks the device with no screen or button inputs and makes it more or less impossible to use. To date there's no clear solution to this problem, at least not one that's easily available to even advanced users.
Windows 11 will launch without Android app support
The new operating system is coming in October, sans one of its most exciting features
One of the most interesting announcements around Windows 11 was that Microsoft plans to support Android apps in its long-running OS, delivered and serviced by the Amazon Appstore. That's still true, but unfortunately our enthusiasm has been sufficiently curbed. As Microsoft announced the release date for Windows 11, it also said that Android app support would have to wait a while.
Instagram pretends it doesn't already know when your birthday is
And it knows if you're lying, too
Instagram might ask you for your birth date the next time you open the app. Instagram, which I'll remind you, is owned by Facebook, one of the most prolific collectors and resellers of personal data on the planet.
Get Sony's fantastic WH-1000XM3 headphones for their lowest price ever
Best Buy is selling them new for almost half off the retail price, today only
Sony's WH-1000 series of active noise cancellation headphones have impressed audiophiles for a long time, largely taking the crown for mainstream wireless cans away from Bose. But they don't come cheap: even the previous generation XM3 model will set you back quite a bit. Today you can grab the WH-1000XM3, still a fantastic design years after its introduction, for almost half their original price.
Fossil's Gen 6 watches are up for pre-order, but not with the software you want
They launch in September starting at $300
A lot of people were anticipating Fossil's Gen 6 smartwatch. As only the second watch on the market confirmed to run the new Wear OS 3.0, and the first without heavy integration with Samsung's existing software, it seemed like a great option for those who wanted a more "pure" experience. Unfortunately there's a pretty huge asterisk on the release of the now-confirmed hardware: it'll be running the older Wear OS 2.0 when it launches in September.
Apps from Amazon and WhatsApp hit 500 million installs on the Play Store
Amazon Shopping and WhatsApp business are the latest to hit the milestone
Amazon is kind of a big deal: while building a gigantic retail sales empire, it managed to compete with Google on multiple fronts (Android devices, cloud services, online advertising). But that retail empire thing is still the company's bread and butter, which is why the official Amazon shopping app is its first to pass 500 million downloads on the Play Store.
Watch JerryRigEverything beat up $1800 of folding phone in the Z Fold3 torture test
Surprise: it can take a punch!
While it's cheaper than previous generations, the dramatic Galaxy Z Fold3 is still the most expensive phone in Samsung's lineup, and among the most expensive phones on the market. That being the case, there's something extremely satisfying about watching someone destroy it with methodical precision. You know what this is leading up to: it's JerryRigEverything's YouTube breakdown of the Z Fold3.
Android modding tool Magisk is alive and well, MagiskHide not so much
Creator John Wu will continue to manage the project
Magisk is one of the most powerful Android mod tools around, and a godsend to users who buy a phone without a strong custom ROM community. But ever since its creator John Wu was hired by Google itself in May, its future has been somewhat fuzzy. Earlier today Wu updated his Medium site for the Magisk project, stating that the open source tool will continue development ... but with some notable changes.
T-Mobile attempts to assuage subscriber fears in wake of historic data breach
Do you still feel comfortable as a T-Mobile subscriber?
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It seems like we can't go a week without hearing about another massive security breach at a mega-corporation. This week's shocker comes courtesy of T-Mobile, at least according to one self-reported hacker claiming to sell the company's customer data. T-Mobile says it's "investigating" the possible theft of data from over 100 million people. If true, it would be the fourth notable data breach from T-Mobile in the last four years.
Huge Tesla v4 app update brings all you futurists new controls for your increasingly electric existence
It's still slowly rolling out on the Play Store, but you can grab it on APK Mirror
Cars and home energy are two very different markets, unless you're rich enough to be a repeat customer of Tesla. If that's the case, you can manage your car (or cars) and your home's energy output from the same app. The combined Tesla management app is seeing a sizeable overhaul in its 4.0 release. While it isn't up on the Play Store for everyone yet, a few users are seeing it, and it's been posted to APK Mirror.