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 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.
Alongside Google’s Gemini for Home push this week, the company also unveiled its Google Home Speaker, but it’s not coming until next year. That “delay” has drawn some criticism, but it’s actually a good thing.
According to a new report, Samsung’s Android XR headset “Project Moohan” will see a release date of October 22, and it may be revealed a week prior to that.
ADT has confirmed that its subscribers will have to wait a bit longer to access Google Home’s new Gemini features, but nothing is breaking for the time being.
After heated negotiations, YouTube TV and NBC Universal have officially signed a long-term deal to continue offering NBC channels on the live service, while also expanding Peacock’s reach to YouTube Primetime Channels.
Disney has officially confirmed that Hulu will go global as a part of the redesigned Disney+ app that’s coming to Google TV and other platforms early next year.
Samsung’s next big Galaxy update, One UI 8.5, continues to leak with a number of visual changes, with one of the latest finds being a “3D” effect for icons.
Google’s latest lineup of Nest Cam devices has arrived, but there are no new battery models in the 2K refresh. Why? Google has an understandable answer.
Amazon is giving gaming a “rethink” and introducing a new “GameNight” feature that heavily pushes local party games on Amazon Luna, all while still delivering on the cloud gaming promise it’s made for the past five years and making that even easier to access via Prime.
With its major Gemini revamp to Google Home and Nest Cam, Google is opening the door to third-party cameras accessing the same level of integration and features, and it starts with incredibly affordable cameras from Walmart.
Google Home’s Gemini revamp is here and, for Nest Cam owners, it means getting better notifications, the ability to search through footage, and more. Here’s what to expect.
Google is delivering its first big Nest hardware refresh in over four years, with new 2K video upgrades for the Nest Doorbell and Nest Cam Indoor, as well as a new wired Outdoor Cam.
In the eleventh hour, YouTube TV has confirmed a short-term extension with NBC that will keep the networks up and running for customers while a final deal is established.
YouTube TV is contacting customers this evening to confirm that Univision and UniMas channels are being removed from the catalog immediately, and it comes right as a deal with NBC is in limbo.
Ahead of tomorrow’s Google Home and Nest revamp, Amazon today laid out a collection of new Ring and Blink hardware, Echo speakers, and introduced a clever new AI feature that helps locate lost dogs.
After years of rumors and reports, Amazon has officially announced Vega OS, its replacement for Android on Fire TV hardware, and it’s going to make some big changes.
CMF by Nothing today launched CMF Headphone Pro, a pair of over-ear headphones that cost $99, pack flagship-tier features, and have a clever physical control setup that includes a slider to tune bass levels on the fly.
Author
Ben Schoon
nexusbenBen 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
The Google Home Speaker’s ‘delay’ isn’t just a good thing, it’s what you wanted
Alongside Google’s Gemini for Home push this week, the company also unveiled its Google Home Speaker, but it’s not coming until next year. That “delay” has drawn some criticism, but it’s actually a good thing.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle stops selling refurbished Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, lowers Pixel 7 pricing
Google has updated its store and stopped selling refurbished Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices, but without a newer replacement stepping in.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Samsung’s Android XR headset could be unveiled in less than two weeks
According to a new report, Samsung’s Android XR headset “Project Moohan” will see a release date of October 22, and it may be revealed a week prior to that.
Expand Expanding CloseGemini for Google Home features coming to ADT later, remains on Nest Aware for now
ADT has confirmed that its subscribers will have to wait a bit longer to access Google Home’s new Gemini features, but nothing is breaking for the time being.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube TV lands long-term NBC deal, Peacock coming to YouTube Primetime Channels
After heated negotiations, YouTube TV and NBC Universal have officially signed a long-term deal to continue offering NBC channels on the live service, while also expanding Peacock’s reach to YouTube Primetime Channels.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung Galaxy phones prepare AI notification summaries after it worked out so well for Apple
After AI notification summaries were a bit of a disaster for Apple, Samsung is appartently preparing support in its next big Galaxy update.
Expand Expanding CloseDisney+ shows off app redesign coming to Google TV with global Hulu integration [Gallery]
Disney has officially confirmed that Hulu will go global as a part of the redesigned Disney+ app that’s coming to Google TV and other platforms early next year.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s One UI 8.5 update keeps leaking, adding ‘3D’ icons and more Liquid Glass vibes [Gallery]
Samsung’s next big Galaxy update, One UI 8.5, continues to leak with a number of visual changes, with one of the latest finds being a “3D” effect for icons.
Expand Expanding CloseHere’s why Google’s battery-powered Nest Cams aren’t getting a 2K upgrade, for now
Google’s latest lineup of Nest Cam devices has arrived, but there are no new battery models in the 2K refresh. Why? Google has an understandable answer.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon Luna goes all-in on free Prime games, and with a focus on party games
Amazon is giving gaming a “rethink” and introducing a new “GameNight” feature that heavily pushes local party games on Amazon Luna, all while still delivering on the cloud gaming promise it’s made for the past five years and making that even easier to access via Prime.
Expand Expanding CloseVerizon is shutting down its car accessory that doubled as a Google Assistant speaker and hotspot
Verizon has announced that Hum, a cellular-connected car accessory that included Google Assistant support, is shutting down later this year.
Expand Expanding ClosePhilips ‘Ambilight’ TVs finally come to US with built-in lightstrip, but without Google TV [Gallery]
Philips is finally bringing its neat “Ambilight” TVs to the US market, with Roku TVs available starting today with their built-in lightstrip effect.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Home expanding Nest, Gemini features to third-party brands starting with $23 Walmart camera
With its major Gemini revamp to Google Home and Nest Cam, Google is opening the door to third-party cameras accessing the same level of integration and features, and it starts with incredibly affordable cameras from Walmart.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Nest cameras will get these Gemini upgrades, but only if you pay [Gallery]
Google Home’s Gemini revamp is here and, for Nest Cam owners, it means getting better notifications, the ability to search through footage, and more. Here’s what to expect.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Nest Doorbell, Indoor, and Outdoor Cams get 2K video starting at $99
Google is delivering its first big Nest hardware refresh in over four years, with new 2K video upgrades for the Nest Doorbell and Nest Cam Indoor, as well as a new wired Outdoor Cam.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube TV won’t lose NBC channels just yet as short-term extension prevents blackout
In the eleventh hour, YouTube TV has confirmed a short-term extension with NBC that will keep the networks up and running for customers while a final deal is established.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube TV loses Univision and UniMas channels, NBC still in limbo
YouTube TV is contacting customers this evening to confirm that Univision and UniMas channels are being removed from the catalog immediately, and it comes right as a deal with NBC is in limbo.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon launches 4K Ring cameras, AI to find lost dogs, new speakers ahead of Google Home revamp
Ahead of tomorrow’s Google Home and Nest revamp, Amazon today laid out a collection of new Ring and Blink hardware, Echo speakers, and introduced a clever new AI feature that helps locate lost dogs.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon launches Vega OS, its Android replacement for Fire TV with no sideloading
After years of rumors and reports, Amazon has officially announced Vega OS, its replacement for Android on Fire TV hardware, and it’s going to make some big changes.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing OS 4.0 launches in beta with Android 16 update, but leaves out two key phones
Nothing is officially launching its Android 16 update in beta today, but Nothing OS 4.0 unexpectedly leaves out a couple of key devices.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing launches ‘Essential’ which generates ‘apps’ with AI and, one day, will be an OS [Video]
Nothing has been teasing an operating system built for AI and, today, they’re showing that off with “Essential” and it’s… a lot.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Watch 3 drops to $199 ahead of sequel release, $249 for 45mm
With less than two weeks remaining before Pixel Watch 4 fully launches, Walmart is selling the Pixel Watch 3 for as low as $199 in a huge discount.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Fi will now show AI summaries of your upcoming bill
Google Fi is rolling out support for AI billing summaries, but Google, as usual, says that you shouldn’t rely on AI that can make mistakes.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing’s CMF Headphone Pro launch for $99 with a physical slider to tune bass, more
CMF by Nothing today launched CMF Headphone Pro, a pair of over-ear headphones that cost $99, pack flagship-tier features, and have a clever physical control setup that includes a slider to tune bass levels on the fly.
Expand Expanding Close