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Recently, Samsung's Indian R&D released a new app called Walk Mode. It's advertised as notifying you if there is a danger present as you go about your business using your phone while walking. Safety is quite a noble endeavor for Samsung to be pursuing, and I'd like to say that the company's efforts paid off, but I would be lying.
Google might be planning on having your Duo calls appear in your phone's call history. A new prompt is appearing in Duo that asks if you'd like to merge its call history with your phone's. We found data to support this last month in a teardown of the Duo app, so it isn't too surprising. Either the switch flipped early for the prompt, or the feature might be coming soon.
Now that you’ve had a week in the wake of its launch to ruminate on the OnePlus 5, it’s time for us to tell you all the reasons you should think about it. Of course, there’s our review to consider, too, in which the OnePlus 5 even earned our hallowed “Most Wanted” award. But if you’re here for the TL;DR, we’re happy to oblige.
Oxenfree, a very highly regarded game for both PC and consoles, has just been released for Android. It's a 2d point-and-click adventure game, with a late 80's spin. And, it's excellent. If you don't trust me on that, trust the somewhat crazy 93% the game has on Steam right now.
Take this with a grain of salt, but a recent study has found that your phone might not be the best influence on you. At least, when you need to focus or remember things. In a paper published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, authors Adrian F. Ward, Kristen Duke, Ayelet Gneezy, and Maarten W. Bos disclosed the results of a study they performed. They posit that their results demonstrate a reduction in available cognitive capacity of individuals when a phone is present and that this effect increases the more dependent one is on their phone.
Today Chromium Evangelist François Beaufort revealed a new feature in the current Canary channel for ChromeOS. Chromebook users everywhere can now look forward to being able to set the activity their device performs when the lid is closed. In the current Dev, Beta, and Stable channels, the behavior can't be changed, and when the lid is shut the device goes to sleep, but users that migrate to the Canary channel (or who are fine waiting) will be able to set their Chromebook to stay awake.
The first-party Twitter client now has another great feature under its belt. Now you can set the app to transition between the standard white theme and the blue night mode theme automatically, based on the time of day. So if you're tired of having to manually flip between each to prevent sudden night-time blindness during an innocent midnight tweet, you can now rest easy knowing your eyes will be safe, if not from the ravages of Twitter, then at least from bright lights.
It might be a bit later than the competition, but this new feature certainly isn't unwanted. Now when you request a ride in Lyft, you might be shown alternative pickup locations to save you extra time. That way if your driver has to navigate a complex area to get to you, you can shave off some extra driving time with a short walk, and everyone gets where they're going faster.
Today Facebook has announced a bunch of new ways to add a bit more fun to video messaging via its Messenger platform. You can now add animated emojis which augment your own reactions in real time, overlay a variety of filters to jazz up your video feed, and take advantage of some new mask options. And if any of those new features result in an image you'd love to save, you can even capture screenshots from video chats directly from the application.
If you've been using Verizon's prepaid service, you may have noticed some limitations in the variety of plan management methods. That is to say, short of visiting the My Verizon site, you didn't really have many options. But, starting June 28th, Verizon prepaid consumers will be able to manage their plan details and view things like data consumption with the My Verizon app.
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- The teaser was accurate, and Google Wifi is now up for purchase at both the German and French Google Store. Right now you can pick up one for 139,00 €. The two-pack isn't currently available for purchase, though it is expected to cost 249,00 €. Interested parties can register on a waiting list via the product page.
It isn't officially announced, but earlier today Google posted a teaser GIF about upcoming product availability on their French Google+ page. The meaning of the image wasn't entirely clear since it's just an animation of some buildings growing out of the ground, as a bubble in the center reflects waves around. However, since the filename was "Google Wifi #3.gif," I don't think it's too much of a stretch to make a guess.
Should the first-party Samsung fast chargers be a bit too rich for your blood, this deal might serve as an alternative. Today over at Amazon you can pick up a Seneo Fast Wireless charger for just a hair shy of $15, via a coupon. Even better, the charger is quite specifically listed as being compatible with Samsung devices, and it can even perform so-called "fast charging" with them. Now your Galaxy S8 can wirelessly suck down 10 watts of juice for just $15. The ratings for both the seller and item are quite high. The product has over 800 reviews and 4.4 stars, but do keep in mind that it is sold by a third party (if that worries you.) It is both fulfilled by Amazon and Prime eligible, though, so you won't have to pay for shipping if you have Prime or meet the minimum order size.To pick up this deal, you'll need to use the code 8354OREN at checkout. Otherwise, you'll be charged the original price of $20. This promotion also only applies to the black version of the charging stand, the white color is still $20. If you're convinced, feel free to pick up one of these here. Just remember to use the coupon.Via: SlickdealsSource: Amazon
In a blog post yesterday, YouTube made a few announcements to cap off 2017's VidCon US. In the post, they discussed their plans to remake the YouTube Creator Studio — their current channel management system — and simplify the name down to just "YouTube Studio." They also revealed a new system for comments that allows viewers to sort them by selected topics, making it easier to find what you want, and ignore what you don't.
Today Google made an announcement on their blog in which they expressed a desire to "more closely align" their efforts on the consumer side of Gmail with G Suite's Gmail. It might sound humdrum, but it's a biggie. That's because Google wants to bring the two more closely together by taking a page from G Suite and no longer using the content of your emails as input for personalized advertising. This is expected to occur later this year.
Late yesterday IFTTT saw a huge update. There are more than 30 new services tied to the automation tool via the new Data Access Project, including a ton of government and travel data sources. There is even a new Google Photos service that interfaces with the platform, as well as a VoIP feature for applets that use the phone service. Now you can set up IFTTT alerts on subjects like the economy and public transit, as well as upload images to Google Photos.
Another day, another phone to get Android 7.0 Nougat. This time it's the 2016 AT&T LG K10's turn. This particular phone has been a bit ignored by AT&T. Their support page shows this is only the 2nd update the device has ever received. At least the jump to Nougat includes the April 1st security patches, so it should be reasonably secure for some time if AT&T doesn't keep it up to date.
If you're interested in this deal, you'll have to act quickly. Right now a third-party seller on Amazon has the Xperia XA1 for $250. Should you show up a bit late to this particular party, you can still pick one up for $260 sold directly by Amazon. Whatever your preference, this is a decent price for Sony's mid-range XA1. There are a few potential drawbacks with this device. Sony used a Helio P20 Mediatek SoC in it. So if you are interested in ROM support, that could be a concern. It also only has a 720p resolution, but that might be partially mitigated by the 5" display size and high brightness. But, if you can get past those potential issues, the rest of the specifications are pretty decent.The Xperia XA1 comes with 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and has microSD expandability. The camera, though, is one of the best features on the phone. It has a 23MP Sony Exmor RS sensor with an f2.0 aperture. Given the size of the aperture and the resolution of the sensor, I wouldn't expect the best low-light performance. But in sufficient lighting conditions, the camera is still likely to please.If you are fast enough, you can grab one now at $250. But should that seller run out, you can still pick one up for $260. Assuming, of course, that it interests you.Source: Amazon
If you're worried about things like IPv4 exhaustion, today is a good day. Google has just released an update for the Google Wifi app — and their Google Wifi and OnHub routers — that brings IPv6 support to the two networking devices. Other features in the new update include a warning when using the "Family Wi-Fi" feature to pause a connection on the current device, the ability to delete custom names, and a tool for benchmarking the speed of your mesh network.
Today YouTube has announced a new video format to go along with all that VR the kids are using these days. It is called VR180, and it was created for YouTube in collaboration with Google's Daydream team. It works for both prerecorded and livestreamed content, and it's compatible with Google Cardboard, Daydream, and PSVR.
We've all been there. You're deep in the woods, maybe fist-fighting bears, maybe live-acting Minecraft, perhaps even escaping Shia LaBeouf. But, in the middle of things, your phone starts to buzz away in your pocket. Wouldn't it be way more convenient to just take a glance at the outdoor-optimized, 50m water-resistant, Android Wear 2.0 Casio WSD-F10 strapped to your wrist, rather than risk pulling your phone out of your pocket? Not only is that the better option, today you can pick one up at Amazon for just $330. Over at REI or Dick's, you'd spend $400 for one of these units, but right now you can pick one up for a lot less. The Black/Black model is the cheapest at $330, and the Black/Red model is right around $340. That's a $60-70 savings minimum, some places are even selling them at $500.This smartwatch is built for the rugged outdoorsy types. It has both monochrome and color LCD screens layered on top of each other and set in a 56.4mm case. The monochrome display is allegedly a power saving mechanism that allows the smartwatch to limit its function, operating only as an ordinary timekeeping device to reduce energy consumption when needed.The Casio WSD-F10 also has a built-in activity tracker, altimeter, barometer, and compass. It's even water-resistant to 50m for short periods. And it has all the same basic features that all Android Wear devices do (it can pair with your phone and show you stuff). For a high-activity wearable, the only real omission is a heart rate sensor, and often those don't even work correctly.So, the next time you're escaping actual cannibal Hollywood superstars, you can rest easy knowing you'll be slightly less distracted by notifications.