Latest Articles
Epic Games' blockbuster third-person shooter Fortnite originally came to Android only on Samsung devices. Although it's now more widely available, Samsung users still get some exclusive perks. Last month, Galaxy Note 9 and Tab S4 owners could snag an exclusive in-game Galaxy skin, and starting in November, they'll also have access to a matching accessory pack.
Gmail is huge. Not even three years ago, Google reported that the platform had passed a billion active users. Now the email service, still steady on its path to world domination, has announced on Twitter that it's accumulated another 500 million users, totaling 1.5 billion.
Last year's Moto Z2 Play was a fine device, considering its relatively low price tag at launch. And now, the Verizon variant is finally getting out of Nougat territory with an update to Android 8.0, bringing with it all the Oreo goodness we've come to expect.
Mazda said last year that Android Auto would be making its way to its vehicles — sometime. Now we now when: the automaker has announced that in August, an update is coming to its MZD Connect infotainment system that will allow for the use of Android Auto.
Everyone's favorite free word processor, Google Docs, has racked up more than half a billion installs, according to its Play Store listing. Along with Google Sheets, the app was released about four and a half years ago, in April 2014. (Unsurprisingly, Sheets is lagging pretty far behind, with a paltry 100,000,000+ installs.)
Walking is a big part of Pokémon Go; you have to walk not only to find monsters to catch, but also to hatch the eggs that are often the easiest way to get your hands on some of the rarer critters in the game. You have to have the app open for it to log your distance traveled, though, which is kind of a pain — but that's changing soon.
Read update
- Isaac was back on the forums today to let us know that external mics are indeed functional on all generations of Pixel phones running Google Camera version 6.1, which is available now on the Play Store.
The Pixel line is known for, above all else, its wicked cameras. But one problem a certain type of mobile photography enthusiast has run into with the phones is that they don't currently allow for the use of external microphones in the default camera app. That's set to change next week, though.
Creating a new document with Google Docs was never a particularly labor-intensive task; all you have to do is open the appropriate site and click "New." But now, Google has simplified the process even further by allowing users to start new documents right from their browsers' address bar using domains that end in ".new."
That spookiest of days, Halloween, is nearly upon us, and to celebrate, Google's running sales on all the creepy media you could possibly want. Right now, you can score some solid discounts on seasonally appropriate movies, books, and TV shows on Google Play.
You're probably reading this on a mobile device. How's your battery doin'? Could it use a top-up? Prolific gadget accessory manufacturer Aukey has a new wall charger that'll recharge your phone and your Switch (or whatever else) at the same time, and we've got a coupon code for it.The charger sports two USB-C ports that output 18 watts each, simultaneously — the same amount of juice the single port on Google's standard USB-C charger (which costs $35, by the way) provides. While that isn't enough power to fill up a laptop while it's in use, it'll charge while it's in sleep mode just fine. The brick uses the Power Delivery 3.0 standard, so it should work with just about anything you've got that has a USB-C port.
A common complaint about Facebook's apps (and, really, apps in general) is that they suffer from feature creep: the tendency for products to add more and more often unwanted features on top of the core functionality they originally became popular for. Messenger is a prime example of this trend, having gone from a simple instant messaging app to sort of a bloated mess. Facebook wants to make that right with the simplified Messenger 4, which is rolling out to everyone starting today.
Following last year's bitcoin-led explosion in cryptocurrency value and media exposure, the topic has more or less left the public consciousness at large. Crypto still has its share of die-hard proponents, though, and HTC is going after them directly with the Exodus 1, which you can now pre-order — but only if you've got bitcoin or Ether to pony up.
Nike+ Run Club, or NRC for short, is a popular running companion app that tracks your runs and and compares your data with that of other users (get it? Run Club?). With its latest update, NRC has become considerably nicer to use for owners of compatible Wear OS devices, who can now leave their phones at home during workouts.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 both have a feature called Now Playing that automatically identifies music playing from nearby sources. It's a neat trick that's currently significantly better on the Pixel 3, which provides a history of identified songs. That functionality gap will be closing in the near future, though, when Now Playing History makes its way to the Pixel 2.
For a while now, you've been able to set up what Google calls Voice Match with the Google Assistant. It recognizes your voice and gives you personalized results, both on smart speakers and smartphones. It would also let you unlock phones to perform actions like making phone calls and sending text messages just by saying "okay, Google" — but that feature isn't available on the Pixel 3.
Android Oreo continues to make its way to lower-end devices. This time, it's the $120 LG K20 on AT&T. The carrier posted a support update that noted Android 8.1 is available for the phone last week. While it's not the latest and greatest, Oreo carries with it some significant upgrades, like picture-in-picture support for certain video sources — and any news is good news for budget phones.
On the night of October 6, New Yorkers were confused by an unusual light display on the Empire State Building. Turns out it was for the shooting of an Eminem video that was captured (at least for the most part) on Pixel 3 phones.
Having a baby is stressful, or so I'm told. Many new parents opt to place a baby monitor in their child's room for peace of mind, so they can keep an eye on things without having to walk in. Arlo's high-tech solution, Arlo Baby, is currently on sale for $160, $40 off its usual $200 price.This particular model comes with accessories that make the camera look like a cyclops bunny, but you can get other attachments to style it as a dog or a cat. The camera itself is pretty feature-rich; it's got the normal trimmings of a high-end baby monitor, like night vision and a speaker, but it also has sensors for temperature, humidity, and air quality. You can monitor the data the camera collects and control its other functions, like a night light feature and lullaby player, from your phone.
Read update
Huawei announced at an event in London today its latest goodies, including the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. Both are powerhouse devices, each sporting the Kirin 980 CPU, up to six gigs of RAM, and four cameras, as well as the requisite-in-2018 big screens and tiny bezels.
If you got your Pixel 3 order in early, check your email. We've received a tip that shipping confirmations are going out — and, wouldn't you know it, some of us have been notified, as well. Orders shipping today look like they'll be delivered before the end of the week.