Google today announced that it will open up the Play Store to external payments starting on June 30 in the US, UK, and Europe.
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Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at 9to5Google, working for the publication as one of its primary news writers since 2016.
In 2013, Ben helped start an independent tech publication where he learned the skills used at 9to5Google including writing, product photography, and videography. He is located in the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina where he lives with his wife Melissa. Ben is an avid disc golf player.
He primarily covers Android products, including Google Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as devices from OnePlus, Oppo, Motorola, and more. Beyond just covering news about these products, Ben also spends time using these products himself, speaking from experience with the articles he writes. Some of Ben’s most recent hands-on reviews include; Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Motorola Razr+, HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, and more.
Ben is also a leading source for information about Google’s Android TV, diving deeply into important parts of the platform including its powerful Operator Tier, explaining future changes to the platform, and reviewing its products such as Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield TV, and more.
In 2019, Ben leaked one of the first in-person photos of the Pixel 4 before later revealing the Recorder and Pixel Themes apps months ahead of launch. In 2020, Ben also reported on multiple upcoming Pixel devices including Pixel 5a and the first report of Google working on a foldable Pixel smartphone. That same month, he was also the first to correctly report the $49 price point of what became the Chromecast with Google TV.
Ben Schoon is active on Twitter, @nexusben, but can also be found on Instagram and LinkedIn. For questions or tips, you can email him directly, and his portfolio is also available online.
Email: schoon@9to5mac.com | Encrypted Email: benschoon@protonmail.com
Google today announced that it will open up the Play Store to external payments starting on June 30 in the US, UK, and Europe.
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Rolling out now, the Instagram app has added support for watching Reels on your TV using Google Cast.
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The simplicity of the Fitbit Air encourages some neat ideas for how to use it, including pairing it with a traditional watch. Some Fitbit Air buyers are taking that idea and literally cutting holes in their watch bands to house the tracker, but there’s probably a better way.
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One of the best values in earbuds is the Nothing Ear (a) and, for Prime Day, a pair is down to just $53, and that might be the single best offer on earbuds during Amazon’s sales holiday.
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Android 17 made its debut on Google Pixel devices this month, but Samsung is already at work bringing the update to Galaxy devices. The list of devices in preparation has been expanding, too.
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GM says that its Google built-in vehicles are picking up support for over 200 more Android Automotive apps, including the ability to use apps on the screens in the backseat.
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Google Play has just launched a “Mega Game Sale” that takes a handful of popular Android games and slashes their prices down to a mere $0.10 – just a dime.
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A new leak has revealed the alleged wallpapers Samsung is bringing to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with everything lining up with leaked colors for the actual phone. I just hope the phone’s colors look even halfway as good as the wallpapers.
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Following a Galaxy Watch 9 leak yesterday, new renders of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 have hit the web revealing a familiar design from a familiar source.
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Robot vacuums have come a long way over the past several years, with some of the most advanced models nowadays going well and beyond anything we thought they’d be able to do. But, in a lot of cases, they’re also still an eyesore in your home. After spending a couple of months with the Narwal Flow 2, though, that’s one of the biggest things that stood out – I actually rather like how this looks, and it doesn’t give up top-tier performance to do so.
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Effective next week, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is being added to the Dow Jones stock index.
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The Google Home Speaker is set to start shipping very soon but, ahead of that, one user was able to buy one from a retail store early. They’ve since shared their first impressions, which unfortunately confirm that the speaker has a fixed power cable that’s also pretty short.
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Amazon’s Prime Day is hyped up as this huge event where you can save money but, often, you’re either buying things you don’t need or disappointed by the deals. But, if nothing else, the one thing you should buy on Prime Day is a dash cam for your car.
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While wired audio is certainly trying to make a comeback, wireless earbuds and headphones are more prevalent today than ever before, and that’s why it’s pretty good news that Google Pixel phones now support LHDCv5 in Android 17, a codec that supports better audio quality.
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The updates keep on coming, with Google Home now rolling out yet another big update that improves on not only the app itself, but also Gemini voice commands and camera features too.
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An upgrade to Google Meet for web has delivered support for iPhone users to join meetings directly through their web browser, no app downloads required.
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Samsung has announced a new UFS 5.0 storage solution that’s twice as fast as existing options, and coming to future “flagship smartphones.”
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The tiny Android tablet market is getting its second wave, with the Redmagic Astra sequel officially set to launch next week.
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Beeper, the app that famously figured out a back way into iMessage for Android, is still around and now rolling out a slew of new updates including support for Line messages.
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There are a ton of reasons why a smartwatch can be useful, but one option that’s proven very handy is the ability to pair your earbuds directly to your watch and use music apps while exercising, no phone needed. YouTube Music for Apple Watch seems to finally be ready for that functionality, as new code findings suggest support is right around the corner.
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More leaks of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 have landed, revealing new features for the upcoming smartwatch series, as well as the first leaked images of the updated design.
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It’s been relatively clear that Samsung is slowly trying to phase out the S Pen in its smartphones and, recently, the company took another small step towards that end by ending sales of the stylus for the few foldables that support it.
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Nothing just announced that it would be, at least for this year, killing off its bargain CMF Phone due to the increasing cost of components but, somehow, “Nothing Phone (4b)” is about to debut as a more affordable release.
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As the smart glasses era gets its proper start, Meta is expanding on its offering with a new lineup of “Meta Glasses” that ditch Ray-Ban branding and designs in pursuit of a more affordable price tag.
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