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Ben Schoon

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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

Connect with Ben Schoon

Pixel Fold and Tablet can soon force apps to go fullscreen – here’s what that looks like

pixel fold aspect ratio settings

Google’s first big-screen Android devices in ages arrived this year with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, but both devices forced many apps such as Instagram into annoying letterboxed windows. Soon, though, Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet users will be able to force apps to go fullscreen all of the time.

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Hands-on: This Pixel Tablet stand fixes two of the dock’s biggest problems [Gallery]

wasserstein google pixle tablet stand

Google’s Pixel Tablet is a fun mix between a smart display and a tablet, with a dock that gives the tablet power and better speakers. However, the included dock is limited in a handful of ways, including locking the Pixel Tablet into a single viewing angle. Thankfully, though, an official “Made for Google” accessory fixes that.

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iPhone 15 and Android phones will be able to charge each other thanks to USB-C [Video]

pixel 7 pro and iphone

Android smartphones have enjoyed the ability for years now to use a USB-C cable to charge other devices using the battery on their own phone, something that’s handy in a pinch. And, thanks to the iPhone 15 series finally adopting USB-C, Android phones and iPhones will finally be able to share their power with one another.

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Why is Android TV better at showing your movie library than Google TV?

chromecast with google tv

Google Play Movies & TV is dead, but the libraries of purchases that users have made still exist throughout other Google products. However, in a frustrating twist of fate, the Google TV experience that’s partially so appealing for its deep integration with content you own, is much worse at showing that library compared to the latest Android TV updates, which have a simple tweak we’ve been asking Google to make for years.

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stadia xbox

Microsoft has been working on cloud streaming for PC games, as inspired by Stadia

As a part of Google’s attempts to salvage Stadia before its shutdown earlier this year, the company pivoted the service to offer game developers a way to provide demos of their games based on Stadia tech. That white-label service caught the attention of Microsoft, which has been working on the ability to stream PC games through the cloud in the same fashion Stadia was trying to do.

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