Posts From Brandon Russell

Brandon Russell
Brandon Russell

Brandon's love of technology can be traced back to his childhood, when he would obsessively watch Back to the Future. Since then he's followed the industry and its many innovations, from handheld consoles to powerful smartphones. He's still waiting on a hoverboard.

Here’s how Firefox’s “Proton” redesign will tweak the browser UI

Here’s how Firefox’s “Proton” redesign will tweak the browser UI

January 25, 2021
Mozilla is working on a major redesign for its desktop Firefox browser. But before the final product is released to consumers — sometime in mid-May — we have an early glimpse of what the updated browser will look like. Code-named "Proton,” the Firefox redesign was first teased by Mozilla earlier this month. Now, the company has...
Spotify is testing audiobooks starting with literary classics like “Frankenstein”

Spotify is testing audiobooks starting with literary classics like “Frankenstein”

January 25, 2021
Spotify has grown into a dominant force in the music and podcasting industries. Next up on the company’s list of markets to conquer is audiobooks, potentially setting up a clash with Amazon’s Audible. Spotify on Monday (via Hollywood Reporter) introduced nine audiobooks that are part of the public domain but have been recorded exclusively for the...
Google Maps and Search will soon show COVID-19 vaccination locations in the US

Google Maps and Search will soon show COVID-19 vaccination locations in the US

January 25, 2021
Google has announced plans to get more involved with the fight against COVID-19, starting with adding vaccination locations to Search and Maps. The search giant said it will also turn select Google facilities, including parking lots and open spaces, into makeshift vaccination facilities in partnership with health care provider One Medical. Google said searches for “vaccines...
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 may be equipped with a blood glucose monitor

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 may be equipped with a blood glucose monitor

January 25, 2021
Smartwatches have gained a number of health features over the years, from activity tracking to heart rate monitoring. If a new report is to be believed, devices like the Galaxy Watch 4 may also offer blood glucose monitoring. According to ETNews, Samsung will reportedly use an optical sensor in the Galaxy Watch 4 that’s capable of...
Google Chrome is adding a performance overlay to help web devs build faster websites

Google Chrome is adding a performance overlay to help web devs build faster websites

January 22, 2021
When Google launches Chrome 90 later this year, the browser will feature an optional new overlay that will provide developers with vital stats for how a website is performing. Chrome’s new Performance Heads-Up Display (HUD) was detailed by Google Engineering Manager Addy Osmani (via AndroidPolice). The new overlay, which will become part of Chrome DevTools, will...
Signal adds custom wallpapers and animated stickers to catch up to WhatsApp

Signal adds custom wallpapers and animated stickers to catch up to WhatsApp

January 22, 2021
Signal enjoyed an unexpected uptick in users following WhatsApp’s recent privacy blunder. In an effort to capitalize on its rising popularity, Signal has started testing features that make the messaging platform feel a little friendlier. Earlier this month, Signal announced a handful of new features that would be coming to the platform, including chat wallpapers and...
Google Search gets a big redesign on mobile that focuses on simplicity

Google Search gets a big redesign on mobile that focuses on simplicity

January 22, 2021
Google on Friday introduced what it’s calling a “major visual redesign” of the mobile Google Search experience, which the search giant said will be available in the coming days. The theme of this update? Simplicity. “We wanted to take a step back to simplify a bit so people could find what they’re looking for faster and...
[Update: ZenFone 7 Fix Rolling Out] Some ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 owners are having issues with HD playback in Netflix

[Update: ZenFone 7 Fix Rolling Out] Some ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 owners are having issues with HD playback in Netflix

January 22, 2021
Some owners of the ASUS ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7/7 Pro have discovered that their devices have lost Widevine L1 status. As a result, they’re unable to play Netflix content in HD. Users have taken to ASUS’ forums to voice their complaints. Seems the issue has persisted over several weeks now with no signs of...
Windows 10X booted on the Lumia 950XL shows Microsoft’s OS scales well on mobile

Windows 10X booted on the Lumia 950XL shows Microsoft’s OS scales well on mobile

January 21, 2021
These past few weeks have shown us that Microsoft’s Windows 10X should be a formidable alternative to Chrome OS. It seems to work well with a mouse and keyboard and on laptops with touch screens. Now, a pair of new images show how well it scales to a mobile form factor. Twitter user Gustave Monce claims...
Samsung is mass-producing 90Hz OLED displays for laptops

Samsung is mass-producing 90Hz OLED displays for laptops

January 21, 2021
Samsung Display has announced that it will mass-produce the world’s first 90Hz OLED displays destined for laptops. That’s an upgrade over current OLED panels found on high-end laptops, which offer a 60Hz refresh rate. According to a press release, Samsung Display will initially produce 14-inch, 90Hz OLED displays beginning in March. While exact specs haven’t been...
Mozilla will make it easier to install extensions in Firefox 85 for Android

Mozilla will make it easier to install extensions in Firefox 85 for Android

January 21, 2021
Mozilla has made some notable changes to Firefox on Android over the past few months. In September of 2020, the company rolled out Firefox 79 which included a year's worth of changes to the underlying codebase. Unfortunately, the new browser build was incompatible with nearly all of the existing add-ons. Over time, the company rolled...
Microsoft Edge browser gets updated with loads of new features and themes

Microsoft Edge browser gets updated with loads of new features and themes

January 21, 2021
Microsoft has unveiled a major update for its Edge browser, introducing new features that include sleeping tabs, new themes, and improvements to performance. The latest features arrive a year after the Chromium-powered version of Microsoft Edge was released. Likely the most exciting features from a consumer standpoint is the introduction of new themes in Edge. Microsoft...