I’m a writer for 9to5Google with a background in IT and Android development. While I have a soft spot for stock Android, I’m typically juggling two to three devices at once running both Android and iOS. My previous work can be seen on Phandroid, Android Central, and AndroidMeter. Email me at justin@jaduino.com. Tips are always welcome.
One of the flagship features that arrived with the Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL is something called Now Playing. When turned on, Now Playing identifies songs playing in the background automatically and lists the song’s name and artist on your lockscreen. Unfortunately, though, when that information disappears from your screen, it’s gone forever. ‘Now Playing History’ fixes this problem…
The MLB World Series kicks off tonight with the entire series airing on Fox’s TV network. If you don’t have a cable or satellite television subscription and still want to watch the games, you’re in luck as multiple subscription services will offer the series, including YouTube TV…
When Google announced the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, one of the handset’s flagship features was its ability to recognize background music automatically called Now Playing. Unfortunately, this feature is disabled by default. Here’s how to turn it on…
Looking to build hype for the upcoming Pixelbook launch, Google has sent a care package over to the UK so that a YouTuber by the name of SuperSaf TV could unbox and show off the Chromebook. The best part about the unboxing, though, just might be the Google-branded Herschel backpack that everything shipped in…
Whenever Google pushes out a firmware update to any of its Pixel or Nexus devices, someone either catches the OTA update file or Google uploads it to its website. Instead of waiting for it to reach your device or manually flashing the latest firmware build, you can easily sideload the OTA file. This option is not only the fastest route, but it also doesn’t require you to wipe your device…
The Pixel 2 and 2 XL haven’t even been out for a full week, and the latter of the two is already experiencing a slew of different problems, most of which pertain to the display.
Now that a good number of units have shipped, we want to know if you’re experiencing any of the problems we and many others have been dealing with…
In the world of Google, it was huge news when Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android, announced that his new startup was going to be releasing a near-stock Android smartphone. While in our review we found its hardware to be fantastic, the poor camera performance really made it hard to recommend the $700 smartphone to most consumers. Essential seems to have heard these complaints and has lowered the Phone’s price tag down to $499 permanently…
In addition to phone cases, the Made for Google program includes screen protectors from InsivibleShield to help protect your brand new Pixel 2. The thing is, though, these tempered glass screen protectors could use some improvements, especially with its $50 price tag…
When looking at case options for your new Pixel 2, it’s always ideal to find something that is a mix of drop protection and style, and is a part of the Made for Google program. Thankfully, Speck has made three different Presidio cases that provide protection from 10-foot drops and come in distinct styles to match your personal taste…
When it comes to storing and organizing the thousands of images and selfies taken on smartphones, Google Photos is by far the best option on the market. Not only does it back all of your memories up to the cloud, but it also organizes everything and creates animations. But, as I just recently found out, it’s almost impossible to download multiple images from Photos back to your smartphone…
Just days ago, Google officially brought YouTube TV casting support to the Google Home. It now appears as though HBO Now is getting added to the list of services that can be cast. Here’s how to link your HBO Now account to your Google Home…
Earlier this year, we reported that Google was going to forgo the headphone jack on the Pixel 2. Naturally, that tidbit was met with some pretty negative reactions at first. In a poll, we asked if the lack of a headphone jack be a dealbreaker and almost 60% of you said yes. Despite this, it appears that the demand is still extremely high for both Pixel 2 models.
Now that the Pixel 2 is arriving on your doorsteps, what are your thoughts on the lack of a headphone jack?
With the Google Pixel 2 arriving at people’s doorsteps, you might be wondering just how durable it is, especially with the glass window around back. Thankfully, we have JerryRigEverything who has taken the Pixel 2 and completed a whole round of torture tests on the device. Long story short, the Pixel 2’s “premium coating” is extremely easy to damage…
With the official release of the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, Google is going all out in its attempts to advertise the handsets. The company’s latest scheme is to promote the handset on Snapchat using a custom filter and lens…
With the release of the Pixel 2, Google launched the “Made for Google” accessory program. This meant that companies a part of the program would have its products certified by Google as being at or above the quality level needed to work correctly with the Pixel 2 and 2 XL.
One of these companies, Bellroy, has released a case that features real leather and comes in four different color choices. But is it worth $45 or more? Let’s check it out…
One of the biggest trends of the last year has been the addition of a secondary camera on the back side of smartphones. While this second lens can be used for a lot of things, like zooming in on landscapes and taking ultra-wide photos, the most popular camera feature has been Portrait Mode, especially on the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus.
Google has now released its brand new Pixel 2 smartphones and with it, the company’s own take on portrait mode. Let’s take a look and see if the Pixel’s single lens can compare to the iPhone’s dual-camera setup.
We published our initial reviews of both the smaller Pixel 2 and larger Pixel 2 XL this morning, and without surprise, we found pros and cons to both handsets. We also looked at if the Pixel 2 was enough of a reason to upgrade from the first generation, but now want your opinion on the subject.
Is the Google Pixel 2 enough of an upgrade over last year’s model to get you to shell out $650 or more for the latest and greatest?
Group communication is one of the most vital aspects of college nowadays, and Google is seemingly starting to take advantage of that. While Facebook Messenger has been a strong contender for most users, Google appears to be stepping into the ring by heavily advertising Allo as a worthy alternative…
One of the Google Home’s best features is its ability to control other smart objects around your house. This extends to casting content directly to your TV. Up until this point, this functionality was limited to shows from Netflix, CBS, and the CW. Starting today, users will also be able to cast content from YouTube TV…
With the Google Home Mini already shipping and being delivered, we figured now would be a good time to walk you through how to set up and get started with your new smart speaker. Thankfully, most of the setup process takes place within the Home app, which means the entire process just takes a few minutes.
Before the announcement of the Google Home Mini, we got our eyes on the TicHome Mini. This small speaker has Google Assistant built-in and runs on a battery, allowing it to be carried and used around your house. After an extremely long wait, Mobvoi is finally opening up pre-orders starting today. What’s better is that if you pre-order the TicHome Mini right now, you’ll save a few dollars…
Google is able to take such fantastic photos on the Pixel 2 because of a fine-tuned mix of physical hardware (camera lens and sensor), software (enabling HDR+), and machine learning. Even in its current form, the new phones take some of the best photos on a phone.
But the HDR+ process on the Pixel 2 and 2 XL uses a lot of processing power when capturing stunning photos with almost no latency, so Google made Pixel Visual Core, its first consumer-facing system-on-a-chip, which will help it process photos faster and more efficiently.
Since the official release of Android Oreo, a number of Pixel users have been reporting that they have stopped receiving text messages. The bug allows them to send messages, but no incoming texts have been coming through. Thankfully, Google is aware of the bug and is working on a fix…
One of the Google Pixel 2’s best new features is its ambient music recognition technology. What’s impressive is that the handset itself will be able to identify almost any song and without the need to communicate with any external servers. Thanks to a developer, we now have a list containing all 17,000+ songs the Pixel 2 is currently capable of recognizing…