Phil Oakley
Contributing since March, 2016
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369articles
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About Phil Oakley
Phil is a freelance writer from the UK, studying Creative Writing at university. When he's not writing, Phil is usually fiddling about with his phone, tweeting, or obsessing over anything with four wheels and an engine.
Latest Articles
[Deal Alert] Wild Blood and Unified Remote Full are 0.10 in multiple countries (not US)
As many will know, Google Play has certain apps on sale every week for 0.10 in the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, and Australia. This week is no different, with both Wild Blood and Unified Remote Full on offer.
Many weren't happy with the change that shows recommended sites and articles in Chrome 54 - Android Police team members included - and while I personally do not mind them, I can see why you would prefer not to have Google recommend stuff you may not like.
As far as Bluetooth speakers go, the UE ROLL 2 is probably one of the best, at least if you're aiming at under $100. However, now you can score one for $68 at Amazon and Wal-Mart, provided you're OK with grey or blue.The UE ROLL 2 is waterproof, with IPX7 certification - which means it can be immersed in 1m water for up to 30 minutes - and can go for 9 hours on a charge. The speaker is in a disc shape - think of a throwing discus and you're on the right track - with buttons up top for changing the volume and a bungee cord stretching round the back, with power and Bluetooth powering buttons too, as well as a MicroUSB port and headphone jack with a flap for waterproof-ness.
App.net, caused quite a splash when it launched in 2012, with its ad-free, subscription-genereated revenue model causing waves in the industry, at a time when many were worried about Twitter's increasing reliance on advertising to make money. However, the founders announced today that the service will be shutting down on 14 March, with user signups suspended immediately.
Board games are great fun: I especially like Pandemic and Ticket to Ride. Some are so good they get turned into PC games. Mysterium is one such example, and after proving popular on Steam, it's garnered an Android release as well.
[Heads-up, devs] Managing paid orders and payment settings will move from Google Payments to Google Play Developer Console
Paid apps are quite obviously a huge part of the Android ecosystem and in particular, the Google Play Store. Today, Google's doing a bit of reorganising to ensure that, on the developer end, paid orders and settings are the easiest and simplest they can be.
YouTube live streams are generally pretty good, but getting noticed in the live comment stream is tricky, especially when there are thousands or even hundreds of thousands watching or commenting. To combat this, YouTube has introduced Super Chat, a way for commenters to get more noticed by their favorite content creators by paying to pin comments to the top.
Android 7.1 is being developed for Chrome OS, adds in freeform mode and window resizing
'This is Chrome OS's year,' people say optimistically as they think for the gazillionth time about buying a Chromebook. Hell, I'm one of those people. Will it be 2017? Maybe. With the upcoming release of Samsung's new Chromebook Plus and Pro, and the wider release of Android apps on the Chrome OS stable channel, it's definitely possible. Now, more exciting news has come our way from Chrome Unboxed, in that Android 7.1 is being actively developed and tested for Chrome OS.
Synology DS apps see updates, Android TV, fingerprint and passcode security, and automatic backup features inbound
Uploading your files to the cloud might be fashionable these days, but some still like to keep their files, photos, videos, and anything else secure from prying eyes, yet still accessible if they're not at their computer. Synology, a maker of Network Attached Storage devices, which the company calls DiskStations (DS for short), has updated four of its apps; DS photo, DS file, DS note, and MailPlus.
[Deal Alert] Buy a $100 T-Mobile Prepaid Refill Card and get a Samsung Galaxy On5 for free
The Spotify app isn't bad, per se, but it could probably be better (similar to certain other music apps). It's good, then, that the company is testing a new material-esque now playing screen, which looks much improved compared to the old one.
The OK Google command is great, but I think we'd all agree that it can be a little... temperamental at times. Our Glorious Leader Artem recently took to Google+ to air his grievances about Trusted Voice, the feature that recognizes your voice and unlocks your phone accordingly.
The U by Moen is the first WiFi-connected shower, complete with precise temperature control, timers, and an app
Everything's internet-connected these days, be it toothbrushes, thermostats, fridges, lights, CO detectors... or a shower. Yep, that's right: Moen, in partnership with GridConnect (smart home specialists), has released a smart shower, the U, which is controllable via a panel inset into the wall, or via an app on your phone.
It's an understatement to say 4K content and products are on fire at the moment, with every manufacturer hopping on the bandwagon and getting 4K products out the door, stat. CyberLink is the latest to do that, with its mobile video editing app, PowerDirector, gaining the ability to edit in 4K.
Sony is, of course, at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. As you'd expect it has a great many new products, ranging from new TVs to new Blu-Ray players. However, in our opinion, what is most exciting in Sony's announcements are the Chromecast built-in (or is that Google Cast?) products and the newly-unveiled Android TVs, plus some new headphones.
Ring's Floodlight Cam is a security camera with an integrated floodlight, speaker, and night vision
With CES, it's more a question of who's not there, rather than who is. Ring, creators of the Video Doorbell (previously known as the Doorbot) in 2014, has a new product: the Floodlight Cam. Rather than just a security camera for your home, it is integrated with a floodlight, making it that much more useful in the dark.
CES 2017 is in full swing, with laptops, cars, drones, fridges, connected toothbrushes, and other items being exhibited and announced. In lieu of this, Samsung's joining the party, having just announced its new Chromebook lineup via a press release, with the Plus and Pro looking hugely impressive.
Telegram update adds deleting recently sent messages, network data usage, and Gboard integration
A new year means a new Telegram update. Version 3.16 adds in deleting recently sent messaging for everyone, network usage information, t.me short links, and a host of small, but significant, improvements to the Android app.
Boxes that go under your TV and offer access to Netflix or other streaming services or over-the-air TV channels are all the rage at the moment, with things like Roku and NVIDIA Shield selling well. A new competitor has entered the area, as AirTV lays its claim to be under your television.
Samsung is starting off the new year with a bang, namely with several new phone releases. This time it's the mid-range Galaxy A 2017 series, with the A3, the A5, and the A7. All three phones seem reasonably similar, using aluminum construction and glass backs, with features such as fingerprint scanners, IP68 water resistance, Micro SD card slots, and Samsung Pay present.