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Apple HomePod (2nd gen) review: A great speaker with frustrating limitations
Not just the usual Apple caveats, either
There’s no shortage of killer smart speakers that you can talk to the Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa through, but if you’re after Apple’s Siri, your only option is to go straight to the source. Apple’s second-generation HomePod is the company’s current flagship smart speaker, offering booming sound and deep ecosystem integration at a premium $300. It’s plenty capable, but unless you’re living the full Apple lifestyle, the HomePod probably isn’t for you.
Understanding camera specs: Resolution, pixel size, aperture, and more
Puzzled by the way phone makers talk about their camera hardware? We've got you covered
Mobile photography is incredibly simple compared to traditional photography. Phone cameras make for a self-contained, point-and-shoot experience, freeing us from needing to understand the myriad functions, settings, buttons, and dials in dedicated camera hardware. But understanding a phone's camera specs isn't always straightforward (what does μm mean, anyway?).
Oura Ring Generation 3 review: Luxury health tracking on your finger
The third-gen Oura Ring is good at what it does, but it starts at $300
In the decade or so they've existed, smart rings haven't experienced the same explosion in popularity as other wearable tech — size constraints make developing good smart rings to sell at reasonable prices a tall order. Oura's been making smart rings since 2015, and the Oura Ring, now in its third iteration, is one of the most refined and popular options today.
Why your Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra's 108MP camera takes 12MP photos
Plus how to take full-resolution shots — and why you probably shouldn't bother
Megapixel counts on Samsung's best phones have ballooned into the hundreds, with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sporting a 200-megapixel primary camera. By default, though, that phone takes 12.5-megapixel photos, much the same way the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra defaults to 12-megapixel shots. But why is that? What's the point of all those megapixels if the cameras still kick out average-size pictures?
Amazon's new Echo Pop speaker looks cheap and cheerful at $40
Coming alongside a refreshed Echo Show 5 and new, dirt-cheap Echo Buds
Amazon's lineup of Echo-branded gadgets just keeps growing. Today, the company introduced a brand-new form factor in the Echo family in the Echo Pop, a $40 Alexa-equipped smart speaker with a new, semi-spherical design. We're also in for a refreshed version of the company's Echo Show 5 smart display, plus an updated pair of Echo Buds at a surprisingly low price.
Google Pixel 7 camera tips: 9 tips for smartphone shutterbugs
The Pixel 7 may not replace your camera, but it fits in your pocket
While most smartphones come with capable cameras, Google's software-enhanced image prowess is a Pixel calling card. The Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro feature the company's best cameras yet. While the hardware in the Pixel 7 series' cameras is close to what we saw in 2021's Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, Google continues to make advances in software and photo processing that make for a better camera experience with each new generation. Some of the best features aren't immediately obvious, though. Here are a few of our favorite Google Pixel 7 camera tricks.
How to take and edit RAW photos on Android
Ever felt like making mobile photography more complicated?
Smartphone cameras are tuned to help you take the best photos you can without a fuss: just point and shoot. But if you're really into photography, you may be familiar with the concept of shooting in RAW. RAW format images contain more of the information your camera sensor collects when you press the shutter button than the JPEG files you get by default, providing greater editing flexibility. If you want to try mobile RAW photography on your Google Pixel or top Samsung phone, here's what you'll do.
Smartphone camera hardware is getting interesting. From the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200-megapixel primary camera to the Xioami 13 Ultra, which sports a variable aperture over a one-inch sensor, it's an exciting time to be a mobile photography geek. But even in the best Android phones, computing power and software prowess play as big a role in getting great photos from our pocket-size cameras as hardware does. Smartphones employ what's called computational photography to compensate for their comparatively meager hardware. What most phone cameras lack in brawn compared to dedicated camera hardware, they make up for with clever computing.
OnePlus rumor zooms in on a big camera upgrade
OnePlus may be planning to add a periscope telephoto camera to an upcoming phone
Versatile camera loadouts are the standard for flagship phones. It's not often we get a high-end device that's not sporting at least three rear shooters: a standard wide lens, an ultra-wide, and a telephoto. In recent years, manufacturers have turned to so-called periscope telephoto cameras to get around the space constraints that come with engineering cameras that have to fit inside tiny phone chassis. According to a new report, one prominent holdout may soon hop on the bandwagon.
The Google Pixel Tablet's ill-conceived charging dock might be its worst feature
We're looking this gift horse squarely in the mouth
Google finally gave us a complete look at its upcoming Pixel Tablet at I/O last week. In all, it sounds like a pretty compelling device, featuring capable specs — a Tensor G2 chipset, 8GB of RAM — at a price you could safely call midrange: $499. One of the most interesting things about the tablet, at least on paper, is that it's bundled with a dock that both charges the device and augments its audio output. That's a tantalizing idea we're eager to thoroughly test, but based on early info and our own hands-on time, the dock is shaping up to be a real disappointment.
Last year, Google announced a major update to the increasingly crufty Google Home app. Since then, the company has offered a Public Preview of a new Google Home experience, which it says more than 500,000 people have taken advantage of. Now, at Google I/O 2023, Google has announced that after months of testing and feedback, the new-and-improved Google Home app is finally rolling out to all users beginning tomorrow, May 11.
Google Pixel Tablet preorders open today at $500, but you're stuck with the dock
You can buy additional docks, but you can't get the tablet on its own
After a full year of teases and leaks, the Google Pixel Tablet is finally, fully, officially official. At its I/O event today in Mountain View, Google took the remaining wraps off its new tablet-meets-smart display combo, largely confirming details we already knew: the tablet comes bundled with a charging dock that doubles as a speaker, allowing it to function in largely the same way as a Nest Hub device while docked. The company also confirmed pricing: the Pixel Tablet, bundled with its Charging Speaker Dock, will retail for $499.
Google I/O 2023 was held on May 10. While many of the talks and presentations at I/O are developer focused, the event started, as always, with a flashy keynote address to let us all know what Google's been up to lately. This year, that includes both hardware and software — and, as you might imagine, lots and lots of talk about AI. Here's everything you need to know.
Google Photos is prepping a new editing interface for tablets and large screens
It'll make better use of big screens in landscape
Google Photos is available on practically every device you own. The free app provides a pretty robust photo editing experience, especially for Google One customers, who get access to features like Google's Magic Eraser object removal tools. The experience has historically been lacking on tablets, though, where the editor looks like a blown-up phone interface. According to the Google News Telegram's Nail Sadykov, though, Google's prepping a revamped editing interface for Android tablets that he says is coming soon.
Google Tasks may be coming to the ChromeOS system tray
It looks like Google is working on giving Tasks a spot next to your calendar
Currently, there isn't a convenient way to access Google Tasks from a desktop computer. While Google services like Calendar and Keep have their own fully featured web apps, Google Tasks is squirreled away behind a side panel menu inside those other services. You've long been able to work around this on ChromeOS by using the Tasks Android app, but now, it seems Google's working on integrating your Tasks right into ChromeOS's system tray.
Samsung One UI 5 Watch will launch on this year's new Galaxy smartwatches
And a beta for Watch 4 and Watch 5 is coming soon
Samsung, like many tech companies, has a habit of releasing incremental updates to its software with each new hardware iteration. Today, Samsung's announced that it's sticking to that tradition with this year's upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch devices, which will launch with the new One UI 5 Watch. A beta for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 series is coming soon, too.
Wyze Cam Pan v3 review: Panoramic value
Wyze's first indoor-outdoor pan-tilt camera is crazy good for 40 bucks
Smart security cameras can get pricey quick — indoor-outdoor cameras from top players in the space like Ring and Arlo can go for $100 or more apiece, and typically require costly paid subscriptions on top of that to get all the features you'll want. Wyze's Cam Pan v3, on the other hand, costs just 40 bucks — though Wyze is as guilty as any manfucaturer of requiring a paid subscription. With great features and a very affordable price point, though, the Cam Pan v3 is the budget security camera to beat right now.
Android 14 could jazz up Material You with bold new color palettes
A new theme style will more closely match your wallpaper's colors
Introduced in Android 12, Material You dynamic color theming has become a core part of Android's UI identity. But while automatically generated custom themes do make for a lot of potential variety, the themes Android kicks out are often more drab than the wallpapers they're based on. But 9to5Google reports that could change in Android 14, with a new Fidelity theme style that's currently in development.
The Pixel Tablet looks primed for success, but it's going to come down to Google's messaging
All leaks so far point to a competitive device, and the opportunity here is Google's to lose
We've been waiting a long time for Google's Pixel Tablet. First announced at I/O 2022, the device has leaked a lot in the intervening year. Between what we know officially about the device — it has Google's Tensor G2 chipset and comes with a charging dock — and unofficial info about other components, the tablet had been shaping up to be a pricey offering. But last week, leaked European pricing information painted the Pixel Tablet as a surprisingly good deal relative to competing options. If Google can find a way to sell this thing, it might just have a hit on its hands.
You can finally use Gboard's Emoji Kitchen stickers in real life
Google is selling sheets of emoji mashup stickers for three bucks a pop
The Gboard Emoji Kitchen is arguably one of the best things about Google's software keyboard. It lets you create practically limitless digital stickers by fusing your choice of hundreds of existing emoji, making for some cute and creepy combinations. Now, Google's bringing part of that experience into the real world with Emoji Kitchen sticker sets, which you can buy starting today.