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.
Although almost two generations old, owners of the OnePlus 2 have been holding out that they might one day receive an official update to Android 7.0 Nougat. OnePlus previously said that the firmware update would be made available for the handset but never actually gave a timeframe for its arrival. Well, today, the company confirms that the OnePlus 2 will never receive an official update to Nougat…
When Android O’s third Developer Preview started rolling out earlier this week, we found a decent amount of user-facing changes made to the operating system including some minor UI tweaks to the Google Camera app, as well as a pretty useful new feature.
Knowing how to capture a screenshot is something that all LG G6 owners should know how to do. While LG allows users to capture a screenshot using Android’s default method using the physical power and volume buttons, there is also a way to take one using the G6’s Capture+ software which can be easier to use for some.
This year, as a way to celebrate Pride and to help people navigate to events and parades, Google Maps will be displaying different Pride festivities happening in 35 cities around the world…
About a week earlier than we had expected, Google today announced that it would begin pushing out the third Android O Developer Preview. After spending most of the day digging through it, we found a bunch of small yet noticeable user-facing changes. Which of these changes is your favorite?
Every smartphone and tablet has an end-of-life date when the manufacturer will stop spending the money and effort to keep it updated. Although some companies don’t actually tell customers when their devices will no longer receive updates, Google guarantees that its Pixel and Nexus devices will get feature updates for at least two years and security updates for three.
Now, Google has updated its Android updates page to clarify how long they will cover both Nexus and Pixel devices with telephone and online support…
With the second Android O Developer Preview, we saw some small changes to the design of notifications. While these looked decent enough, with the third beta build, the notifications that display media art received an update that makes it look gorgeous…
Android Developer Preview 3 started rolling out today, and while there aren’t that many user-facing changes, the latest beta version of Android O did confirm that this upcoming version will be number 8.0.0…
One of the benefits of using Google Maps is being able to easily navigate cities that might be unfamiliar. For the most part, though, Maps and other GPS technologies only help you navigate public and some private streets and roads, but becomes useless when you enter a building. However, slowly but surely, Google Maps has been adding internal specs for public buildings, and now it appears to be adding the layouts of major subway stations.
Two of the most popular trends in the technology industry today are AI and machine learning. With that, some of the larger tech companies have created voice assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, and now Bixby. So that they can actually be useful, companies are attempting to add the assistants to everything, including speakers.
If Samsung were to one day create a smart speaker powered by Bixby, would you buy it over one from the company’s competitors?
The Google Home, if used and paired with other items correctly, can turn your ordinary home into a smart house. While many with a Home already know that, Google wants to make sure everyone knows just how useful and powerful it can be with a pair of new ads…
DirecTV Now, a live-TV streaming service that piggybacks on AT&T’s television services, is one of the ways that cable cord-cutters can still access their favorite shows online. Now, without any official notice as of this writing, customers visiting the site on Safari and Internet Explorer are being told to download Google Chrome as other browsers will no longer be supported after June…
Several days ago, Andy Rubin officially unveiled the smartphone that his new startup, Essential, had developed. What Rubin believes will make the handset stand out is its ability to add accessories via magnetic pogo pins, such as a 360-degree camera. Do you think the 360-degree camera is compelling enough to purchase the phone alongside it rather than a standalone camera?
Without actually announcing anything, the Facebook application on the Google Play Store has been updated to also work on Android TV. Don’t get too excited just yet as the application on your big screen won’t actually resemble the news feed found on the web or on your phone. What Facebook does bring to Android TV are all of the different videos that you see plastered around the social network…
Thermal cameras are great for all sorts of use cases such as finding hot or cold spots around your home, checking the temperature of an appliance before trying to repair it, and so much more. To make it easier for users to get their hands on a thermal camera, Flir Systems makes thermal camera accessories that work by simply plugging them into your phone or tablet…
OnePlus has been amping up its loyal fan base for a while now by promoting the upcoming release of its next flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 5. While not much is known about the phone, we should learn more soon as OnePlus has confirmed that it will be announcing the OnePlus 5 on June 20th at 12 PM EDT…
Today, at WWDC, Apple unveiled its long-awaited “Siri speaker” which it named the HomePod. Its strange name aside, the HomePod does offer much better sound performance when compared to the Google Home and the Amazon Echo thanks to its seven built-in speakers. Would you buy a Google Home that provided a more premium speaker setup?
While most people pay for in-home Internet and WiFi service, some people rely on their mobile phones to connect to the web. Until recently, those use used their mobile data at home were able to also connect their Chromecasts and stream content to their TVs. Thanks to the most recent Play Services update (11.0.55), it would appear that Google has now blocked all Chromecasts from working on Android’s mobile hotspot.
Despite being a rather popular Android smartphone, there aren’t as many great cases available for the Google Pixel as there are for the Galaxy S8 or LG G6. Although late to the game, Mophie has finally released a version of its Juice Pack battery cases for the Pixel XL. The Juice Pack does add a bit of thickness to the handset but it also almost doubles its battery life and adds wireless charging.
But is it worth the $99 pricetag?
Back at I/O 2017, Google released an updated version of the Android O Developer Preview. With it came some small graphical changes including the addition of notification dots that appear on top of an app. Now, Nova Launcher has brought these dots to its 3rd-party launcher, making this feature available to all versions of Android…
Several days ago, OnePlus announced that it would be stopping production of its 3T flagship smartphone so that it can focus on the upcoming OnePlus 5. Now, the company has again taken to its forums to announce that with the 5, it plans to fine-tune the device’s performance.
To make sure that there is enough power under the hood, OnePlus has decided to use the Snapdragon 835 CPU as found in many other flagship handsets…
Essential, Andy Rubin’s latest startup, has been teasing its upcoming smartphone for some time now. Today, it took to Twitter to announced that it will finally unveil the mysterious device on May 30th. With so many other great devices on the market, what does Essential’s forthcoming smartphone have to offer to get you to purchase it?
At MWC earlier this year, Lenovo unveiled the Moto G5 and G5 Plus. These were the successors to last year’s budget G4 and G4 Plus. Although the overall design did change and looks more premium than last year’s models, the G5 lineup is still in the budget realm. Thankfully, if you like the G5’s aesthetic, renders of the more powerful Moto G5S and G5S Plus have leaked which show off the handset’s metal build and the Plus’s dual-camera setup…