Latest Articles
Today is Android Q day, and behind the scenes we're frantically flashing this new beta to see what's new, but plenty of new details have been revealed officially. Among the most important is the timeline for beta releases going forward. Six beta releases are planned in total, with the final release due in Q3.
Beta registration for Android Q is going live as we speak. Some have already been able to register their devices and receive OTAs, while others are still seeing the old landing page. Either way, if mucking about in ADB or unlocking your bootloader doesn't appeal to you, this method is a bit easier.
After a bit of hand-wringing (sorry about that) Android Q is finally, actually here. This latest version may still lack a formal, dessert-themed name, but it's now available for all Pixel phones — including the nearly three-year-old 2016 Pixel and Pixel XL. Both factory images and sideloadable OTAs are live.
Several news outlets are reporting receiving invitations from Google for an announcement set to take place at the 2019 GDC (Game Developer Conference) next month. Details included in the invitation itself are sparse, apparently stating only that "all will be revealed" at a keynote during the conference on March 19th at 10AM PT, 1PM ET. This effective announcement of an upcoming announcement has renewed speculation surrounding Google's potential entry into the game-streaming market.
Based on what we can see in our comments section, quite a lot of our readers have decided to pick up a Galaxy S10 — especially after the praise David heaped on it in our review. The numbers seem to have swayed since our general "are you getting an S10" poll two weeks ago, so let's refine that question a bit. If you bought an S10, which version did you go for?
Samsung's latest Galaxy S10 might be our favorite phone right now, but you might want to be a little bit careful when it comes to setting up lockscreen security on it. Right now, you can fool it with a video of yourself played back on another phone, or even just a photo. In at least one case, even siblings have been able to trick it.
Amazon's on-again-off-again $30 Kindle discount is back on: Get a Paperwhite for $100, basic for $50
Amazon likes to pseudo-randomly drop prices for its Kindle e-readers, with the usual discount being around $30 off. Today that discount is back, you can grab either a Paperwhite or the basic Kindle (each with special offers) for $100 and $50, respectively.
Amazon's Kindles are some of the best E ink e-readers around, though they do sort of lock you into Amazon's ecosystem and store. If that's a compromise you're willing to make, either of these new models are a decent deal at this not-unusual $30 discount.If you know you're going to destroy it over the next year or two, the cheaper $50 4GB Kindle can satisfy at its long-term disposable price point. The more expensive $100 8GB Kindle Paperwhite steps things up with a backlight, waterproofing, and nearly double the resolution. There's also a Paperwhite bundle with a snazzy leather cover and charger which is $60 off at only $160, a more sizable and less frequently discounted deal.Whatever you choose, just keep in mind that all of these Kindles come with lockscreen ads, and you'll have to pop an extra $20 to disable those. Plenty of people aren't bothered by them, though, since you only see them when you aren't using it.Source: Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite
Google is always adding new languages to Gboard — its first-party software keyboard for Android — and today the app has picked up 60 new ones by Google's count, including Coptic, Mandar, Bangka Malay, and Tai Dam.
According to BuzzFeed, YouTube is testing out a new feature which shows fact-check warnings when searching for content known to spread misinformation. The feature is currently live for some users in India and shows "information panels" on search results (not videos themselves) which provide disclaimers acquired from YouTube's fact-checking partners.
Yesterday Mark Zuckerberg revealed his new "privacy-focused vision for social networking" in a brief manifesto which indirectly acknowledges the company's previous failures. The vision is based on a privacy-centric platform the company claims will be built openly and in consultation with experts across various fields. Presumably this is all after it's finished doing everything it can to fight privacy laws.
Google appears to be working on support for digital ID cards including digital driver's licenses in a future version of Android. The new IdentityCredential API, spotted by the folks at XDA, may allow for a future Android-powered phone to store credentials, and even offer up those credentials when the device doesn't have enough power to boot.
Nokia's been talking about giving the 2017 Nokia 2 Android 8.1 Oreo since 2017, with the first beta landing all the way back in June of last year. Today it has been officially released, though there is a catch. You see, the Nokia 2 on Android Oreo suffers a few performance problems, even with a few Android Go optimizations pulled in for it. The Nokia 2 has a mere 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 212 to power it. Together, that's not really enough oomph for Oreo, so Nokia's making this update optional.
According to a recent report by The Guardian based on internal documents leaked from a court case in California, Facebook has been lobbying and pressuring representatives and politicians from over 35 countries in its attempts to fight privacy laws. That much would seem pretty obvious, but the details revealed by these documents imply a greater degree of collaboration than you may expect, and potential quid pro quo actions by politicians.
While we all wait for iFixit's eventual step-by-step, authoritative teardown of the Galaxy S10, JerryRigEverything has taken the matter into his own hands to show us the details, including that ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. We also get a glance at plenty of other hidden tech, waterproofing, and the inside of a heat pipe, though he ultimately has to wreck the phone for our collective education — a small price to pay for understanding.
Yesterday, the USB Promoter Group revealed the next evolution of its ubiquitous peripheral spec: USB4. The new specification, which is still a draft in the final stages of review, is based on Intel's Thunderbolt 3 protocol, delivering up to 40Gbps throughput over existing, Thunderbolt spec-certified Type-C cables. That's twice as fast as current USB 3.2 maximums. It's also backward compatible with existing USB 3.2, 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3 specs and devices.
Samsung's new Galaxy S10 has started shipping and, like every new high-end phone from the company, the new flagship has the best screen DisplayMate has ever seen. Specs include an eye-searing 1,215 nit maximum brightness — though that number in isolation is just a bit misleading.
Samsung initially promised that pre-orders would arrive by March 8th, but based on recent reports, some folks might be getting theirs a bit early. Shipping notifications for some pre-orders are already going out.
Samsung has announced that it's integrating functionality from the (paid) mindfulness and wellbeing service Calm into the Samsung Health app starting today. The new integration brings over 100 guided meditations on a variety of subjects, a library of "Sleep Stories," exclusive music, and a new "Daily Calm" every day.
Right on schedule, Google has just pushed out OTA and factory image downloads for the latest March updates to its Pixel line. Unlike last month, we've also got a pile of functional patches for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL which include improved storage performance and better "startup and responsiveness of [the] Camera app." Reports also indicate the update is rolling out already via the traditional means.
Famed leaker OnLeaks has just pushed out a pile of renders (via Pricebaba) showing of the OnePlus 7 from almost every angle. Looks like we were at least partly wrong when looking at the last case-obscured leak. The front-facing camera is of the pop-out variety, not a full slider.