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Chrome's Progressive Web Apps (or PWAs, for short) are a pretty nifty way for developers to get a website to look and behave more like a native app. AP's own Corbin Davenport built a watermarking PWA that works cross-platform for us, and there's a whole store full of great examples for use on Chromebooks, Android, and even your desktop. Since they can be made to look and act like native apps, Google is planning to give Windows users the ability to uninstall them like native apps via the Control Panel.
OnePlus has three tiers of software release: the Stable version its phones ship with, an Open Beta for testing, and a private Closed Beta that gets an advance look at super secret features under NDA — paired with bigger bugs and a duty to report them. OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro owners interested in bleeding-edge testing and willing to lend a hand when it comes to digging up bugs can now apply to be one of the special 250 admitted to the Closed Beta.
Charging isn't just something you have to do at home, that's why they make portable chargers/battery packs and super-small wall warts. But sometimes, you can't be sure where you'll get your power — not just in terms of which coffee shop or hotel you'll plug in at, but which country. If you travel a lot for work, you're used to the added complexity that travel adapters impose, but with a compact design thanks to gallium nitride, one 30W USB-C port, and three USB-A ports, Zendure's Passport Go might save some space in your rollaboard. It's a decent value at $39 right now, but it's set to get more expensive later.
The camera in Google's Pixels has always taken some of the best photos in the world of smartphones, but they might be getting some expanded color chops soon — if not in existing hardware, then maybe in the Pixel 4. Google may be gearing up to add P3 wide color gamut support to the Pixel's first-party Google Camera app. According to some code dug up and enabled by developer cstark27 and subsequently tested by XDA Developers, Google has already integrated at least some of the required changes, and they were able to turn it on for testing.
Fans of third-party cloud storage providers will be excited when Chrome OS 75 finally reaches the Stable Channel. The update will deliver an optional flag which enables storage services other than Drive to finally integrate into the Files app in Chrome OS via Android apps — though not all third-party storage solutions are compatible.
The looming merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is threatening to substantially change the balance of power between carriers here in the US, potentially making The Big Four into The Bigger Three. Some argue it will reduce competition in the market, which will ultimately result in things like increased prices and reduced development, while others champion it as a way to build a stiffer competition against AT&T and Verizon — the two biggest providers. Whatever happens, it will likely have some impact on customers, so we're curious to know which carrier you subscribe to.
According to a recently-published report by Computerworld, Google is "officially done" making tablets. This follows in the wake of last year's poorly-received Chrome OS-powered Pixel Slate, and subsequent rumors of downsizing the hardware division responsible. This will not affect the division responsible for the Pixel phones, and Google still apparently has plans for future laptop-style devices.
We're pretty big fans of the C by GE bulb line here at Android Police, given the features, Assistant integration, and excellent price point. Although we pointed it out how tedious the reset process for the smartbulbs was in our reviews, the official video by GE Lighting describing the process is currently making the rounds, and it's pretty funny.
Smart home gadgets can get pretty expensive, and some might be tempted to pick up their hardware in used condition to save a bit of dough. Unfortunately for them, Wirecutter recently discovered that used Nest cams could provide the original owner with limited access to the new owner's feed, though the issue has since been fixed by Google.
YouTube's comment sections (and comment sections in general) are typically an unpleasant experience, especially when they're attached to content covering a contentious subject. In what is probably the single best change YouTube's platform will ever see, Google is experimenting with a way of hiding comments in the Android app, moving the peanut gallery's frequently vitriolic and stunningly ignorant keyboard-flailing behind a new button.
In addition to providing fast and frequent updates, OnePlus is becoming one of the most communicative Android phone manufacturers: It's actually hearing and responding to requests for new features. Back in May, the company spoke out about reported issues and a handful of community requests for the 7 Pro — things like wide-angle video support, and an always-on display — and today it's providing further updates about those requests, as well as others.
OnePlus is pushing out updates for its latest flagship basically every week, and today brings us yet another new version of OxygenOS for the 7 Pro. The update to v9.5.8 includes May's security patches, further touch sensitivity improvements, better call audio quality, better compatibility with third-party USB Type-C headphones, and other fixes.
We've received a smattering of reports this morning that the Royal Bank of Canada is (finally) rolling out support for Google Pay. Google's official list of supported banks in the country has yet to be updated to include RBC, but after teasing upcoming support last week, the bank itself has tweeted out a confirmation that Google Pay is live for RBC customers.
In the wake of carrier delays and missteps, Google has decided it's taking the reins when it comes to the future of phone messaging and RCS. The Verge is reporting that Google will be spinning up its own RCS/Chat services later this month for users in the UK and France, with support coming to other areas "throughout the year," though there is no firm timeline or list of markets.
This might be the most precious thing you see on the internet today. A YouTube creator going by the name Little Tesla has broken into the world of video teardowns and durability tests dominated by folks like Zack at JerryRigEverything, but with a few twists: His phone is made of cardboard, and he's just a kid.
Identity theft via hacking or social engineering is a common problem these days, and the results can quickly spiral out of control, locking you out of the accounts you depend on permanently, as in the case of today's horror story. A contributor over at ZDNet recently suffered what can only be called a total security meltdown in the space of a week when a hacker gained access to his Google account via a SIM-swap attack.
Earlier this year, a handful of enterprising developers were able to boot Android Q on the Nintendo Switch, though it was pretty rough at the time. In the intervening months, they've made quite a lot of progress, and a new @switchroot_org Twitter account was started yesterday to show off the group's achievements, which include rigging Nintendo's console to play Overwatch via Nvidia's GameStream.
A new variant of the Nvidia Shield has popped up on the Google Play Developer console. The new hardware goes by the hardware codename "mdarcy," in contrast to the current model's "darcy," and it will run Android 9 Pie.
Usually, we don't ask this question until a whole lot later in the year when announcements have been made, specs have been determined, and all that's left between you and a purchase is the willingness to hit "add to cart." But, we've noticed quite a trend when it comes to our readers speaking out about purchasing the Pixel 4, even though there's still more that we don't know than we do. If for nothing other than comparison later in the year, are you already planning for the Pixel 4?
Search is Google's bread and butter, its raison d'être, and almost certainly the company's most widely used product. Last month Google revealed a new focus on instructional how-to content in Search, and we've received reports that Google is showing "in this video" bookmarks below YouTube video results in searches made from the Google app.