Ben Schoon

The Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are excellent smartwatches that are also relatively affordable, but if you wanted to pick up an official metal band, you’ll be paying a pretty penny.

If you have a Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, you might want to avoid installing the latest software update, as it is bricking the device and leaving it unusable for some users.

Android 13 was first launched on Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series at the end of October, and now it’s expanding to more devices. The Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, and Galaxy Note 20 series are all getting Android 13 starting today.

Robot vacuums are incredibly common nowadays, and often times they now include the ability to also mop your floor. But these combined cleaners often end up doing one job well, or both jobs somewhat poorly. Lately, I’ve been using the Vac 2 Pro and Mop Station Pro from Yeedi, which are two devices that really set their sights on doing one job well, and the latter is one that really opened my eyes to how these robots can really keep the home clean.

The Nest brand has long been known for providing easy to use hardware and software for building out a smarter home. But that’s a reputation that Google’s takeover and reboot of the brand has somewhat tarnished, and one area that’s easily felt is when comparing feature parity. One example that’s exceptionally frustrating to me is that the new Nest Cam, Doorbell, and other products require a full reset for something as simple as changing Wi-Fi networks.

As the year moves towards its close, new details are coming out regarding the Galaxy S23 series, including a potential release date and apparent confirmation of which models will be using Snapdragon chips.

Netflix just launched its new more affordable tier supported by ads, but those with an older Chromecast device won’t be able to use it.

Wear OS has long been a platform for the many, not just one or two smartwatch models. It provides a ton of choice for customers, and with Wear OS 3, it’s also giving brands an easier path to crafting what their smartwatch experience looks like. The Montblanc Summit 3 is one of the first Wear OS 3 watches, and it’s an excellent entry but one that’s certainly not for most folks.

You’ve been hearing about it for ages now, but it’s finally coming. Following a launch event in Amsterdam earlier today, the Matter smart home standard is finally happening, and it’s arriving with almost 200 certified devices out of the gate.

The Galaxy Note lineup lives on in the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but its Galaxy Z Fold series that seems better poised to push its ideals further. But the Galaxy Z Fold 4, like prior models, still lacks an S Pen storage slot which hinders the experience a bit. According to a new report, the Fold 5 might finally solve that.

Google axed the Nest Guard security system in 2020 without warning or a replacement on the horizon, and to this day, there’s still no ideal solution for a proper security system that integrates with Google Assistant without a catch. This week, Arlo is launching its own entry in the home security system market, and it’s exactly the sort of thing Google Nest should be taking notes on.

Android Auto has been around for the better part of a decade at this point and has worked for all phones for quite a long time. After quietly raising its requirements earlier this year, Google appears to essentially be cutting off older phones from using Android Auto with a forced update.