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Facebook has to tread carefully when it comes to making products and services for kids under the age of 13. However, it's not like it's hard for kids to lie about their age to gain access to all the wonderful and unspeakably terrible things on the internet. If kids are going to be sending messages over the internet, parents might want to give the child-friendly Messenger Kids a shot. It's launching on Android today with some special Valentine's Day features.Messenger Kids launched first on iOS in December 2017, then it came to Amazon's Fire tablets last month. It's rare for an app to debut on Amazon before the Play Store, but it makes sense considering how many kids use the cheap Fire tablets. For the full Android release, the app comes with various stickers and frames, including some new ones for Valentine's Day. The UI is also simpler and more colorful than the regular Messenger app.
Google is preparing a big expansion of YouTube TV content, but it doesn't want you to know that yet. Buzzfeed News accidentally let the news go live early, and the internet took note before it could update the post. So, you can expect Google to announce a raft of new channels tomorrow, February 14th. The price of the service is also going up next month, but only for new subscribers.
Amazon's Alexa devices already have integration with several home security camera systems, and Canary is the latest. After announcing this feature in early 2018, it's now live. With a simple voice command, you can stream your Canary feed to a compatible Alexa display.
Sometimes apps are updated with a plethora of new features that transform the experience. This is not one of those times. Yet, the latest Hulu update does bring something that many subscribers will probably enjoy. You can scrub through a video by pressing anyplace, not just on the timeline.
Amazon announced last week that it was removing the lock screen ads from its Prime Exclusive phones, but it was less keen to tell everyone it was also raising the price by $20. Amazon is at least getting one part of this transition right. It's notifying those who paid to remove those ads they'll get a refund.
Google's HDR+ image processing is almost magical at times, and it's all thanks to machine learning. Just a few years ago, Google's cameras were below average, but the Pixel changed all that with refined image processing algorithms. Now, Google is giving other research teams a chance to come up with their own version of HDR+ and compare it to Google's. It's giving away thousands of images in a gigantic data set, and you can check it out now.
We're expecting Google to drop the first developer preview for Android P in the coming weeks, assuming it holds to the same approximate schedule from the past two years. According to a report from Bloomberg, Android P may include support for a particular hardware feature: the notch. Devices like the Essential Phone with a "notch" missing from the display have some UI peculiarities, and Google may be looking to get ahead of things.
Huawei's Mate 10 Pro is finally launching in the US, but not the way Huawei would probably like. Both AT&T and Verizon are reported to have dropped plans to sell the phone after pressure from the government. You can get the phone unlocked, but it's spendy. At least it'll be a durable device if you do drop the cash. YouTube channel JerryRigEverything has subjected the Mate 10 Pro to the usual battery of tests, and it earns a passing grade.
The Essential Phone has the hardware to compete with phones that cost much more than its revised $500 price, but specs aren't everything. Case in point: the camera. The Essential Phone has a pair of 13MP camera sensors, but the performance was poor. Essential has been working to improve it with updates, and the latest one claims to address HDR. There's finally an autoHDR mode and a new HDR algorithm.
Twitter was founded in March 2006—almost 12 years ago. In all that time, it never made a penny in profit until just last quarter. Twitter's Q4 2017 results show the company made $91 million. That's up from a $21.1 million loss in the previous quarter.
Google's AR efforts go back a few years to the Tango developer devices. It took time for Tango to become a consumer product, and Google killed Tango after just two phone releases. Now it's all about ARCore, which you can experience in the Pixel camera. There's a new version of AR Stickers today that enables two more sticker packs. Strangely, the stickers are a separate download this time.
Samsung's Gear watches have gone from an opportunity to joke about wrist cameras to a pretty solid wearable option. They're just a little expensive most of the time. You can, however, get a big discount on the Gear S3 Frontier today at Best Buy. It's a refurbished device, but it's hard to complain at $210.
You might take for granted that you can just open Google Maps and see what traffic is like, but that feature isn't available everywhere. There are still numerous countries that don't have live traffic, but today ten more of them do. Google has updated its support docs to call out the newly added markets, but not all of them will get the same features.
Google acquired Nest about four years ago, but it kept the company at arm's length. Nest products are still designed and managed by Nest, an Alphabet company. That may be changing soon. Google says it's merging Nest with the Google hardware team to "supercharge" Nest's mission.
According to The Information, Google might be preparing for a big move into gaming. The company is reportedly working on a game streaming service called Yeti, which would leverage the success of its Chromecast platform to deliver games without a download. This is all still very much rumor and speculation, but it could be a big business if Google gets it right.
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Amazon started selling devices with "Special Offers" years back with the e-ink Kindle, but that option came to Android with the "Prime Exclusive" phones. In exchange for a discounted smartphone, you got to see ads on your lock screen whenever you picked up the phone. It was annoying, sure, but many people were happy to take Amazon up on the offer. Now, Prime Exclusive phones are getting much more compelling with news that Amazon is removing the lock screen ads.
The Moto Z2 Force is just the latest device to ship with Motorola's ShatterShield screen technology. That includes a plastic layer on top that won't crack, but it does scratch. That's not the only issue, apparently. Multiple owners of the Z2 Force are complaining that the top layer of the screen has a tendency to peel off after a few months of use.
If you're a T-Mobile customer, you might have gotten a text message from the carrier recently that warned of number porting scams. Now it's clear why Tmo is so concerned. A Washington man has filed suit against the carrier for improperly porting his number, allowing thieves to make off with his cryptocurrency. Although, with the current price of crypto, he might have been wiped out by now even if his coins weren't stolen.
OnePlus made the rather odd decision to launch its new phone in late 2017 with Android Nougat, which was a year old at the time. It said an Oreo update would arrive soon, and depending on your definition of "soon," OP has come through. Android 8.0 Oreo is rolling out now.
Android 8.0 has been a low burn since its release last fall. It's been gaining a tenth of a percent here and there on the distribution charts, and Android 8.1 just appeared last month. This month, there's a slightly larger bump that finally pushed the latest and greatest Android up over 1%.