Andrew Romero is a North Carolina-based journalist specializing in Android and Google news, reviews, and in-depth analysis. With a keen eye for detail honed from his previous career as a CNC machinist, Andrew possesses a unique appreciation for hardware and the intricate engineering behind the technology we use daily.
He brings this passion to his coverage, offering insightful perspectives on the latest devices, software updates, and the evolving Google ecosystem. When he’s not diving into the world of tech, Andrew can be found tackling the trails on his mountain bike, enjoying the natural beauty of his home state of North Carolina alongside his wife.
Andrew is active on Twitter – @chaosromero – but can also be found on Threads – @organizedchaos50.
Emails are open at andrew@9to5mac.com
Action Launcher has been around for a very long time. In that time, the popular Android add-on saw many users. Unfortunately, many features were pay-to-play, leaving the very basic features to those who chose not to pay. Fortunately, Action Launcher v50 takes a wrecking ball to that paywall and makes a few other key changes.
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The gaming options for cloud gaming just don’t stop coming in. Xbox is adding a few large titles and Boosteroid is adding its first game since the official expansion into the US. Not to mention, GeForce Now has more titles users can jump in on this week.
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If you have an ultrawide monitor, you no doubt know the struggle. Streaming videos and content from services, while created in 21:9, doesn’t get you quite the right look. This guide will show you how to get fullscreen 21:9 content to display correctly on your ultrawide monitor.
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Google TV is an all-around great OS that finds itself on devices like Chromecasts and some TVs. Recently, Google added the ability to add different profiles to the media hub – here’s how you can add or remove profiles in Google TV.
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If there’s one category in the tech market that could be described as both completely subjective and saturated to the point of never allowing you to be happy with your decision on a product, it’s the truly wireless earbud market. Why do I say that? Well, I’ve had a chance to review the OnePlus Nord Buds, and I only have one thing to say: “I hate earbuds.” Ok well, two things. I love them, and these are ridiculously good for the price.
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This part of the year seems to be the one where cloud gaming companies start to expand into new territory. Boosteroid, a European game streaming service, has finally made its way and planted servers in the US for many more users to enjoy. On top of that, Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass is making its way south of the equator to New Zealand and Argentina.
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Rewards programs can vary in usefulness, and some aren’t worth using at all. Google Play Points has some hidden usefulness that can fly under the radar – unless you’re looking for it. This guide will take you through how to use Google Play Points to redeem and pay for things like apps and perks.
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Since the release of the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, users have complained about one major issue with their devices – DACs did not work with the brand new Pixel 6. Though that has been a big issue, it seems that the June Pixel update has finally fixed this long-running issue.
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Waze is a popular navigation tool that undoubtedly does a great job of getting you from point A to point B; the problem is that getting to point B is expensive right now. Fortunately, Waze is also a great tool for finding the cheapest gas prices near you. This guide will break down how to use Waze to find gas prices.
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Google Chrome’s “Reading list” has been around for quite a while, letting users save articles and web pages for persuing at a later time. That feature is still around, though it might seem hidden with one of Chrome’s newer updates. This guide will bring you through everything you need to know about Chrome’s reading list, including finding and removing it from Chrome.
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This week, Xbox has set itself up to deliver some great titles to gamers using its Cloud Gaming service, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. One of those Xbox Cloud games is Assassin’s Creed Origins. On the other end of the game streaming spectrum, NVIDIA has announced a shocking bit of news. God of War will be leaving GeForce Now after just being added over a month ago.
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There are plenty of people out there who use Android Auto on their phones. After all, it’s an alternative to what can sometimes be an expensive Android OS for your vehicle. Unfortunately, that Android app has been deemed “totaled” by Google. This guide will give you the rundown on Google Assistant’s “Driving Mode,” a capable replacement for Android Auto on mobile.
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Can you believe it? It’s been 15 years since the development and rollout of the Google Street View car, that awesome little vehicle with a 360-degree camera attached to the top like a big lollipop. To celebrate, Google Maps has added a new Street View car mode that lets you cruise around as – you guessed it – the Google Street car. Here’s how you can activate and use it as your personal vehicle.
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Galaxy Watch 4 owners can now install Samsung’s newest One UI Watch beta for the smartwatch, but only if they’ve signed up previously. This new beta showcases the next Wear OS generation for Samsung’s wearable and might have some cool new improvements up its sleeve, but Samsung has already closed off sign-ups for the beta program.
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One thing the Google Pixel does well is “Hey Google” detection. The problem is that if you have a lot of Google Home devices in your house or apartment, sometimes your Pixel can pick up your query when you don’t want it to. This guide will help you disable “Hey Google” detection on your Pixel and present a couple of other options for enabling your Google Assistant, like using the power button!
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We’ve all been there. Emails are stacking up, and none of them seem important in the least. Fortunately, there’s a feature in Gmail that allows you to unsubscribe from emails with a couple of taps or clicks. This guide will take you through it.
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Google Chrome has the potential to be a large program with many different moving parts. Depending on how many moving parts you add to it, it can slow down and get bogged up with tasks. That’s why the Task Manager exists. Here’s how to find and use it.
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One of the many neat features of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the rotating bezel that lets you navigate the watch just by turning the outer ring. Over time, though, that Galaxy Watch bezel can get stiff and feel much worse than the day you first got it. This guide will lead you through the steps to clean that Galaxy Watch bezel out and fix it so that it feels brand new once again.
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While the addition of the Google Assistant to the Galaxy Watch 4 has been a well-received one, it isn’t without its drawbacks. One of those is that having “Hey Google” detection enabled, which has a negative effect on battery life. This guide will help you disable or turn off “Hey Google” detection on your Galaxy Watch 4.
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Facebook Gaming is a name in streaming you don’t hear much of these days. That may be changing soon with some new information coming to light about Crayta making its way to Facebook Gaming. As for Xbox, it looks like Keystone is in need of some extra time as the company develops the streaming device. On top of that, Amazon Luna outlines its gaming plans for June and GeForce Now brings the heat with some new games this week.
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There’s something to be said about just using a browser and using a browser proficiently. Google Chrome on Windows and Mac doesn’t keep that too far out of reach with its plethora of different keyboard shortcuts you can learn. Here are the basics.
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Apps like Google Messages and Gmail have come a long way in terms of development over the past few years. A side effect of this development results in a plethora of features you might not even want to be enabled. One of those is Nudges on Gmail and Google Messages. So what are Nudges and how do you disable them on your Google apps? This quick guide will take you through it.
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It’s finally here. The long-awaited Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 has finally arrived and is ready for installation on our smartwatches. So how do you go about getting Google Assistant on Samsung’s latest wearable? This guide will take you through exactly how to install Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 and might help you out if Google Assistant isn’t connecting to your Galaxy Watch.
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Recently, Visible expanded the ability to convert your physical SIM card provided by the carrier to a sleeker and virtual eSIM. Since Visible now supports eSIM conversion on the Pixel 6, I figured I’d give it a go. It turns out the ride wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped it would be.
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