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The Google Pixel Buds Pro are Android Police's 2022 earbuds of the year
Strong fundamentals and a little extra polish go a long way
When it comes to wireless earbuds, you're all but guaranteed a good experience with a pair from just about any big name (and many smaller names) anymore. That wasn't always the case for Google; the first three pairs of the company's wireless Pixel Buds each had issues. With the Pixel Buds Pro, though, Google's finally cracked the code. In fact, they're Android Police's 2022 earbuds of the year.
Brinks is winding down Nest Secure alarm system monitoring in 2023
It'll still work as an alarm, though
Google-owned Nest released the Nest Secure smart security system, comprising a keypad/siren home base and motion sensors for doors and windows, in 2017. It didn't last long. Officially discontinued in 2020, it's still technically supported, but only through the aging Nest app — not Google Home, where other Nest devices have lived for some time. At the end of next year, though, it's losing functionality that, for some, is crucial: home security company Brinks Home will no longer offer professional monitoring for Nest Secure systems by the end of 2023.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are Android Police's 2022 headphones of the year
Great audio + excellent ANC + killer battery life = the best headphones
Given Sony's longstanding status as ANC royalty, it's almost a given that any new entry in the high-end WH-1000 series is going to be a winner. Still, it bears calling out: the WH-1000XM5 is Android Police's 2022 pick for wireless headphones of the year. The new XM5 isn't a radical upgrade over the WH-1000XM4 that came before, but given Sony's premium headphones have been so good for so long, it doesn't need to be. In 2022, wireless headphones don't get much better than the Sony WH-1000XM5.
Eufy finally addresses security camera issues, promises to 'uphold community's trust'
An 'attempt to better separate fact from fiction'
If you've been following smart home news at all closely in recent weeks, you'll no doubt be aware of the situation Eufy's found itself in. In late November, security researcher Paul Moore discovered (and publicized) a number of potentially serious vulnerabilities in Eufy's security cameras. Weeks later, the company quietly changed verbiage on its website in ways that made it look like Eufy was trying to downplay some of the more ostensibly privacy-focused features of its products and services. Now, Eufy has released an official statement about the whole kerfuffle, including a commitment to "continue to work hard to uphold our community’s trust in our products, services, and processes."
Creating photo books with Google Photos: 6 tips to make your albums shine
Featuring AP's best mobile photography from the past year
We live in a spectacular time. We can capture any moment with an inexpensive Google Pixel 7 Pro and share it with the world. Although smartphones may not be as versatile as a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a flagship like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra costs less than a single camera lens.
Eufy has removed privacy-focused language from its website amid ongoing security camera fiasco
A new wrinkle in Eufy's latest privacy scandal
In recent weeks, Anker-owned smart home brand Eufy has been embroiled in scandal after security consultant Paul Moore discovered a number of potentially serious vulnerabilities that could compromise user privacy, including one particularly gnarly issue that apparently made video feeds from Eufy cameras accessible over the internet with no authentication. Eufy's been slow to respond publicly, and now, it's removed a number of privacy-focused statements from its website.
Nest Audio could be getting a Fuchsia update soon
Google's currently testing its bespoke OS on its most recent smart speaker
We haven't heard much in the way of news about smart speakers from Google lately — the last major development was the Google Home Max being discontinued in late 2020. We still haven't seen anything about new hardware, but now, according to 9to5Google, Google's latest Nest Audio speaker is due for a relatively major software update, albeit one you may not notice day to day.
Best of Fall 2022 slideshows appear in Google Photos as winter approaches
See what Google thinks your most memorable moments were
Google Photos is a pretty great way to reminisce, especially its Memories feature that automatically assembles slideshows of things like people, trips, and pets (mostly pets). Right now, a Best of Fall 2022 slideshow is appearing for many users in the Northern Hemisphere, so it's a prime time to hop in and look back on what you've been up to this season — or, realistically, look at a handful of random photos you took between September and November.
Eufy Security app adds cloud disclaimer it should have had all along
Notification thumbnails are, in fact, stored in the cloud
In late November, security researcher and consultant Paul Moore discovered a handful of flaws in Eufy's connected security cameras. While the most attention-grabbing issue Moore raised is a vulnerability that hypothetically allowed live camera feeds to be accessed over a web browser without authentication, he also discovered that video thumbnails were being uploaded to and stored in the cloud, seemingly surreptitiously, even though he'd declined to use Eufy's cloud services. At the time, Eufy pledged to add language to its Security app making it clear that enabling certain notification functionality would necessitate some of your data making its way to the cloud. In an app update rolling out now, as spotted by ZDNet, the company's done just that.
Android TV development has its eyes on the future, as old ADT-3 box gets the boot
A new ADT-4 might be coming soon
Android TV 13 was released just last week, but the software isn't available yet on consumer Android TV boxes. In fact, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD), released in September, was the first Android TV box to launch with Android 12, and the 4K version got an update to Android 12 in October. The only hardware compatible with the newest version of Android TV right now is the ADT-3, a tiny streaming box made for developers. But the ADT-3 has been listed as out of stock for months, and now, 9to5Google reports the hardware has officially been discontinued — though a replacement may be on the horizon.
New features are coming to that Pixel Watch you bought over Black Friday
Fall detection, new tiles, and more
The Pixel Watch, like many of Google's products, launched with a pretty robust feature set, but also a promise that more functionality would be coming soon. Today, Google's drawing attention to a handful of updates that are landing in the near future, ranging in importance from novel to potentially lifesaving.
Nothing Ear Stick review: I wish they stuck in my ears
Nothing's newest earbuds sound good and look great, but one size does not fit all
The Nothing Ear Stick is the brand’s third product release, following the Phone 1 and Ear 1. They’re instantly recognizable as a piece of Nothing tech, with liberal use of transparent plastic and plenty of attention-grabbing, unconventional design choices.
Google breathes a few more weeks of life into its soon-to-be-dead smart router
OnHub support is now ending in January
Google announced last year that it would be winding down support for its oldest router, the OnHub, in late 2022. The date Google set, December 19, is coming up fast. But per a recently updated support page (as spotted by 9to5Google), that date's now been pushed out a few weeks, giving owners a little breathing room before having to deal with the consequences of a functionally dead smart router.
Google Keep's new two-pane layout is hitting more tablets
The update makes better use of all that screen real estate
In September, we heard that, along with Wear OS redesigns, Google Keep was due to get a refreshed tablet layout in the near future. That rollout's been ongoing for weeks now, but it seems like it's finally going mainstream: 9to5Google reports seeing the new layout on their Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, and several of us at AP have it, too.
Researcher discovers serious security flaws in Eufy cameras — again
Oh, boy, more fun vulnerabilities
Read update
Last year, a "software bug" at Anker-owned Eufy caused a hubbub when multiple owners of the company's connected security cameras were able to access live feeds and saved video recordings from Eufy-branded cameras belonging to other people. Now, Eufy's in similar hot water again. Security researcher Paul Moore recently unearthed a couple of serious security flaws in Eufy devices — including one that could allow people to access unencrypted, live video feeds from Eufy cameras without any kind of authentication.
There's still time to get this wild Galaxy Watch 4 Black Friday deal
Holding steady at $139 even after Cyber Monday
Good smartwatches can get pricey fast — some of our picks for best Wear OS smartwatches regularly go for $300, $400, or even more. But 2022 actually wasn't a very big year for wearable advances, and most of the best watches released in the past 12 months aren't a whole lot better than what came the year before. That's especially true for Samsung, whose Galaxy Watch 5 is nearly identical to the Watch 4 released in 2021. The latest Samsung watches start at $280 at retail, but since Black Friday weekend, you've been able to snag a previous-gen Galaxy Watch 4 for just $139 at Amazon. This is an unbeatable deal: it's 90 percent of the current-gen experience for half the price.
We break down all of the best Cyber Monday smart home deals
Cyber Monday is the perfect time to automate your home
Black Friday's come and gone, but the deals are sticking around. Many of the Cyber Monday deals available now are sales that started as early Black Friday deals and stuck around — but considering we've been seeing great deals on smart speakers, connected cameras, smart lights, and more for weeks, that's hardly a bad thing. Here, for your convenience, are some of the very best Cyber Monday 2022 deals on smart home tech.
We break down the best Cyber Monday smartwatch & fitness tracker deals
Some of the best smartwatches and fitness trackers are on sale for Cyber Monday
Black Friday may have come and gone, but the deals haven't ended: Cyber Monday is here. We've been tracking the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for phones and several other categories for weeks, and our main hub includes a variety of gadgets for your wrist. If you're looking specifically for smartwatch or fitness tracker deals, you're in the right place.
Finally, Cyber Monday brings us our first ever deal on the Logitech MX Master 3S
A nice upgrade for your Chromebook workstation
If you work on a Chromebook with any regularity, you'll probably want a mouse to use with it. Right now, for Cyber Monday, one of our favorite wireless mice to use with Chromebooks is on sale: the premium Logitech MX Master 3S is down to $95. That's not a large discount, mind you, but it's the first time we've seen it on sale.
Best Black Friday smartwatch and fitness tracker deals you can still buy
Some of the best smartwatches and fitness trackers are already on sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday may have come and gone, but the deals haven't ended. We've been tracking the best Black Friday deals for phones and several other categories for weeks, and our main hub includes a variety of gadgets for your wrist. If you're looking specifically for smartwatch or fitness tracker deals, you're in the right place. This is the page to bookmark for the whole Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.