While not as big as the last release, Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 is a sizable update ahead of the stable December release.
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As AI slop continues to dominate the web, Instagram is cracking down on accounts that leverage AI-generated influencers by threatening to restrict their reach.
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As part of Amazon’s massive 2026 Labor Day sale, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by fantastic new Nothing Ear (3a) noise cancelling buds hitting Amazon all-time low at $79 shipped. We also have a returning low on Nothing’s brand new CMF Clip Pro at $79 as well as a host of other deals from the brand starting at just $34. Those offers join the ongoing Amazon Anker Labor Day sale from just $12 and remember, you have less than 24 hours left to score a Nintendo Switch 2 console before tomorrow’s price increase. Scope it all out below.
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Google continues to improve on video quality with each new Pixel release, but a bug on the Pixel 11 Pro series causes static audio issues when using the Video Boost feature.
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As the impact of RAMageddon continues, a couple of this week’s key stories have had me thinking – is the somewhat-boring nature of Samsung’s year-over-year Galaxy flagship refreshes the exact thing making these devices a hit?
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Following an executive order late last week, Google Maps has updated its label for “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.”
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Like other Google apps, Messages for Android A/B tests many features. It can take the RCS/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch new functionality in stable. From various reports, Google announcements, and devices we’ve checked, this is the current state of Messages.
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Robot lawnmowers have long intrigued me, but I never really wanted one. After a few weeks with the Mammotion Luba 3, though, I’m sold, because this fixed my biggest issue with other models.
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Google has quietly released a cozy mobile game called Froggy’s World in the vein of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley.
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Dreambeans is an experimental app from Google Labs that will “proactively dream up personalized daily stories.” After previously requiring a subscription, Dreambeans is now available for free Google Accounts in the US to test.
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Android 17 QPR2 continues to add user-facing changes with new Status bar settings in Beta 4.
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Following the big release two weeks ago, Google is rolling out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 for Pixel devices. As of Friday afternoon, the Pixel 11 series is not yet compatible, but Google says support is coming “soon.”
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Welcome to Pixelated episode 114. This week, Damien, Abner, and Will discuss the Pixel Watch 5 as they look towards the present and future of Google’s wearable efforts.
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While the US Google Store’s pre-order and launch period deals have ended, Google has started a new round of boosted trade-in values that are only slightly lower than before.
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I’ve always been a bit skeptical of smart glasses and mixed reality headsets. It’s not hard to find the utility of something like a Meta Quest in gaming, but Apple’s Vision Pro, for example, has never appealed to me in the slightest. Ahead of its first pair of Android XR glasses, though, I’ve spent some time with the XREAL One Pro and two things have become immediately clear – this is the hardware that could make Android XR shine, and XREAL will benefit greatly from Android XR.
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The Fitbit Air might be one of Google’s most versatile products in a while not just because it’s so simple, but because buyers are finding very unique ways of using it. That includes quite literally sticking the Fitbit Air to your body with tape which, apparently, actually works quite well.
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Amazon has now launched its 2026 Labor Day sale with truck loads of deals, but your afternoon lineup of the best Android game and app deals is also now ready to roll. Highlights include 20 Minutes Till Dawn:Premium, Botanicula, Samorost 3, Rogue Hearts, ARIDA: Backland’s Awakening, CHUCHEL, and more. Check them all out below alongside the Anker Labor Day sale from just $12 and these TCL NXTPAPER Android tablet deals from $150.
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Following the Gemini app in May, Gemini Notebook is switching to “compute-specific usage limits” starting in September.
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Oppo Find X10 isn’t too far away and, according to a new leak, a “Pro Max” model is going to ship with three 200MP cameras.
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More of the same isn’t always a bad thing, but in some cases it could be. Does that ring true with the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro? Find out here.
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Google Health 5.07 is rolling out on Android and iOS with meaningful updates to manual workout logging and a handful of bug fixes.
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Amazon’s massive 2026 Labor Day sale is now in full swing with thousands of price drops across just about every product category. We are also tracking a collection of TCL NXTPAPER Android tablet deals from just $150 alongside $200 off all Galaxy Tab S11 models. The Anker Labor Day sale now live at up to 42% off with deals on chargers, power banks, Qi2.2 gear, more from just $12, joined by a long list of Amazon Devices up to 60% off – Echo displays/speakers, Fire TV, more from $18. All that and more awaits below.
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Samsung has released a new beta verison of Android 17 for the Galaxy S26, and it’s an exciting one that packs a bunch of the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s features for Samsung’s flagship slab phone.
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At this point, phones have been boring for long enough that even calling them boring feels a little passé. The days of smartphones feeling like the cutting edge of technology are long gone, replaced with iterative updates and a big focus on software-as-a-service. Disconnecting from your smartphone might not seem too difficult on its face, but from rideshare apps to mobile payments, today’s solutions tend to leave a lot more gaps in your life than you might otherwise expect.
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