For those of us on the Android 11 Developer Preview, if you open the Developer Options page, you’ll find a new option amidst various Bluetooth settings offering to “Enable Gabeldorsche.” Of course, that leaves a burning question of “What’s Gabeldorche?”
Our accessories are increasingly powered by Bluetooth, especially our smartphones, and even devices like the Google Pixel Slate are not offering a headphone jack. Catching up with the likes of Android and iOS, Chrome OS can now show you how much battery life your Bluetooth accessories have left, but there’s a major caveat.
Our avid readers know that Google is working on a third operating system, Fuchsia, that has the potential to eventually replace both Android and Chrome OS, being designed for laptops, phones, and even smart home appliances. One thing all of these gadgets have in common is Bluetooth capability. It seems Google is already testing the new OS’s Bluetooth capabilities by quietly bringing devices running Fuchsia to an official Bluetooth testing event.
As the headphone jack disappears, we’re all counting on wireless audio to fill the gap. Today, Qualcomm is announcing its latest way to make Bluetooth audio better, aptX Adaptive.
Yesterday, security firm Armis Labs disclosed a Bluetooth exploit dubbed “BlueBorne.” This insidious vulnerability puts billions of Android devices, among many others, with Bluetooth enabled at risk for take over. Fortunately, Google has issued a fix as part of the September security patch, but it will undoubtedly take a while for OEMs to push their updates.
Other than fragmentation, one of Android’s biggest problems has always revolved around poor Bluetooth performance. While we already know that Google is focusing on improving this with Android O, the company snuck an in-band ringing feature for connected Bluetooth devices in one of the latest Developer Previews…
For as long as Android has been around, the platform has struggled with Bluetooth. While Android O features a great deal of Bluetooth improvements, the competition is still far ahead in many aspects.
Is Android’s poor Bluetooth performance enough to get you to switch to a different platform?
Sometimes it’s the little things that are the most frustrating, and you can say that about Android quite a lot, unfortunately. One of those issues which users have complained about for years is the lack of a Bluetooth battery indicator in the OS, but it seems that Google is finally delivering on that feature in a future version of the OS.
For the past month, some Pixel and Pixel XL owners have reported that Bluetooth on their device randomly shuts down. The issue seemingly began in February after that month’s security patch and has persisted through this month’s update. However, according to Google, the issue has now been remedied server-side.
Android O doesn’t look all that different from Nougat on the surface, but under the hood it packs numerous enhancements. Apparently, Google didn’t decide what Android O would be on its own, with some Android partners contributing bits and pieces, including Sony…
Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are both fantastic devices, but they aren’t without flaws. Since launch, we’ve seen several issues pop up on the devices, including the speaker and problems with the camera. Google has been able to fix some of those via software updates, but now another issue is popping up ─ random Bluetooth disconnects.
Earlier this year we got our first look at what changes and improvements would be introduced with Bluetooth 5. What was promised was an increase in transfer speed, better range, and much more. Today, with the official release of the Bluetooth 5, we’ve received everything we wanted and more…
Late last year we got an early look at improvements coming to the next version of Bluetooth, and now the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has revealed the name of the upcoming version plus more specifics about the new standard. Bluetooth 5 will be the successor to Bluetooth 4.2, which was released at the end of 2014, suggesting a notable release this year. The new standard will be announced next week, and this is what we know so far.
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Towards the end of last year, a company called AC Worldwide launched a promising Kickstarter project. Essentially, these were fully licensed, to scale Star Wars Bluetooth speakers in the shape of C-3Po and Stormtrooper heads. Not long after the speaker project launched, an investor came in and offered the company all the money they needed to get the speakers to market. Now they’re here, and I just had to try them out…
We heard a couple of months ago that Amazon was working on a smaller, more portable version of its Echo voice assistant speaker, and now it’s here. Actually, Amazon has announced today two new Alexa-enabled devices, the Echo Dot (which is the aforementioned smaller version of the larger Echo), and the Amazon Tap, which is essentially an Alexa-enabled portable speaker…
Aukey is a Chinese company more commonly known for producing charging accessories like in-car chargers and multi-port USB stations. But, it also builds headphones. I’ve been testing the wireless Bluetooth earphones while out running for a few months now. For $25, it’s really hard to argue against the Aukey Sport Bluetooth Headphone…
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The Android tablet accessory market may not be as full of keyboards as the iPad market is, but even when you find one, chances are it’s terrible. The Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard wants to be the one to change that trend. It’s small enough to carry around in your pocket when folded, and works with Android, Windows and iOS devices. What’s more, you can have it paired to two devices at once and switch between them with the press of a button. It’s safe to say that this is one of the most versatile and portable Bluetooth keyboards on the market. This review was written entirely on it.
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Beats Studio Wireless Headphones in titanium color: $229.99 shipped (Orig: $380)
Refurbished Garmin nuvi 2699LMT HD 6” GPS with Lifetime Maps & HD Traffic: $149.99 shipped with promo code POI (Orig: $270)
Jawbone UP Fitness Tracker (4 color choices): $25 shipped (Orig: $50)
Refurbished ARRIS SURFboard SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem: $39.99 shipped (Orig: $99.99)
In today’s best game/app deals, over at Amazon you can grab the hybrid SmaAcc Vertical PS4 Stand w/ Cooling Fans + Dual Charger Station for $19.99 shipped using code JCPO6UZU during checkout. That’s $5 under the current best price and the lowest we can find. The official PS4 vertical stand from Sony will run you $20 Prime shipped on its own without he extra goodies.
It’s your last chance to hit the Mac Game Store Back-to-School sale offering up to 80% off a massive selection of Mac titles. One standout of the many, is Borderlands 2 Complete Edition for $29.99, which includes the GOTY edition of the game and the plethora of DLC that released for it.
Move over Super Smash Bros., the Pokémon tournament fighter is coming to Wii U in the Spring
SLICK’s motorized mount takes the bumps out of your GoPro videos
Beyerdynamic takes its pro-audio pedigree to the streets with these new custom headphones
Sony has today taken the wraps off the second iteration of its fitness wearable, the SmartBand 2, which it will begin selling in 60 countries worldwide starting in September. There’s not a ton of new stuff going on here, though, so what makes it worthy of being a successor?
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Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones: $79.95 shipped with promo code EMCAWKX23 (Orig: $149.95)
Sony (SRS-X3) Portable Bluetooth NFC Speaker: $71.99 shipped with promo code EXTRA (Orig: $149.99)
Xbox One bundle + $50 Xbox gift card + Assassins Creed Unity: $399 shipped (Orig: $460+)
WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $69.99 shipped (Orig: $110)
Amazon has the Oral-B PRO 1000 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush Powered by Braun for $29 with free shipping for Prime members (free trial) or on orders over $35. Be sure to clip the $5 coupon on the listing page. That’s about 35% under the original listing, $5+ under the average selling price.
You’ll also still find the Oral-B Deep Sweep 5000 w/ Bluetooth Electric Toothbrush for $113 shipped with the $20 on-page coupon (Reg. $133+) and up to $30 off Oral-B toothbrushes, brush head re-fills and more.
iHome has spent years building a reputation for thoughtfully designed, value-packed speakers and headphones. It was one of the first companies to recognize the value of accessories tailor-made to digital music players, and has been selling Android-compatible audio gear for years. Moreover, whenever iHome innovates, it always comes up with something cool.
Kineta K1 ($150) and Kineta K2 ($100) are iHome’s latest innovations: Bluetooth speakers with beautiful built-in battery charging docks and detachable USB battery packs. K2 is a nightstand- or desktop-friendly alarm clock radio with a large screen, stereo speakers, and speakerphone support. K1 is a completely portable stereo speaker with 13 hours of play time and a speakerphone. Each comes with iHome’s new K-CELL, a tube-shaped 2,600mAh battery that locks in place until you’re ready to go, then easily hides in your pocket or bag to refuel your phone, tablet, or watch anywhere.
Both Kinetas efficiently address two simple facts: Android devices sound better through speakers and need extra power on-the-go. Read on for details on how they each combine two useful accessories into a single great package; you’ll also find a special discount inside!…
