Posts From Chris Merriman

Chris Merriman
Chris Merriman

I am the UK News Editor at XDA Developers. I’ve been writing about technology for over a decade for the likes of The Inquirer, where I was Associate Editor, Computer Shopper UK, and IT Pro. I’ve also appeared on Sky News, BBC, Al Jazeera and recently left a long-running weekly tech news spot on TalkRadio UK. My love of technology comes from my family who hail from the pioneering days of Silicon Valley - in fact my Grandfather worked on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. I’ve been using smartphones (and reading XDA) since the HTC Canary in 2003. I’m also a smart home obsessive. You can find me tweeting as @ChrisTheDJ or email me at [email protected]

YouTube tests automatically adding chapters to videos

YouTube tests automatically adding chapters to videos

November 24, 2020
YouTube has announced another experimental AI feature to make video editing just a little bit easier. You may recall that earlier this year Google added the facility to add chapters to divide up your videos from your mobile, as well as from the desktop. Now, it has gone one step further with the option to...
Samsung Galaxy A12 and Samsung Galaxy A02s are Samsung’s newest budget devices

Samsung Galaxy A12 and Samsung Galaxy A02s are Samsung’s newest budget devices

November 24, 2020
Samsung has rolled out two new entry-level handsets, the Samsung Galaxy A12 and Samsung Galaxy A02s. As you’d expect, the A12 is a successor for the A11, which was only released in March, while the A02s supersedes the A01s, introduced this time last year. According to GSMArena, both devices clock in at under $220 and manage...
Mandalorian Fans: Check if the Google AR Experience works on your device

Mandalorian Fans: Check if the Google AR Experience works on your device

November 24, 2020
The Mandalorian has been the highlight of streaming service Disney+ during its first year, and as we approach Christmas, supplies of toys and other merchandise are already running out in many places. But no such problem for Google’s Mandalorian Augmented Reality Experience (AR), which launched yesterday. The collaboration between Google, Disney, and Lucasfilm lets you...
Download: OnePlus 7T gets new update with November 2020 security patches

Download: OnePlus 7T gets new update with November 2020 security patches

November 23, 2020
OnePlus has released a small, incremental update for the OnePlus 7T. OxygenOS 10.0.15 is available for the Global variant of the device, though we’d expect the other variants won’t be far behind. There’s relatively little to report this time, though it does bring Google Security Updates right up to date with November 2020’s patches. There...
OnePlus 8-series Open Beta 4 brings November 2020 security patch along with some bug fixes

OnePlus 8-series Open Beta 4 brings November 2020 security patch along with some bug fixes

November 23, 2020
OnePlus has begun the rollout of Open Beta 4 of its OxygenOS 11 variant of Android for the OnePlus 8 series. It's not a huge update unlike the previous Open Beta 3, but it does bring the latest Google Security Patches and a host of welcome bug fixes for the system. Security is now up...
Microsoft Windows turned 35: From MS-DOS to Android

Microsoft Windows turned 35: From MS-DOS to Android

November 21, 2020
Microsoft Windows is 35 years old. On the 20th of November in 1985, Windows 1.0 was released, giving IBM-compatibles (what we now just call PCs) their first Graphical User Interface (GUI). At XDA, our relationship with Windows is kind of complicated and has ebbed and flowed with Microsoft’s mobile ambitions. One thing is for certain...
Fitbit Versa 3, Sense get Google Assistant support with Fitbit OS 5.1 update

Fitbit Versa 3, Sense get Google Assistant support with Fitbit OS 5.1 update

November 19, 2020
Fitbit has announced Google Assistant will roll out on select devices as part of its next firmware update. The fitness tracker firm, which is expected to complete a takeover from Google by year-end, will be bringing the voice assistant to the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3 when they are upgraded to Fitbit OS 5.1,...
Google tests E2E encryption in Messages after rolling out RCS globally

Google tests E2E encryption in Messages after rolling out RCS globally

November 19, 2020
Google has announced plans to launch end-to-end encryption in its Messages app for Android. The news comes on the back of the completion of the global rollout of its RCS-based chat features after the company decided last year to roll out access to the service itself, rather than waiting for telcos to enable it. Rich Communication...
Best Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 bands in 2020: Options for every style!

Best Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 bands in 2020: Options for every style!

November 19, 2020
So you’ve got your Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, and you love it, but it somehow doesn’t scream “you”, style-wise. Fortunately, both the 41mm and 46mm models have access to a kaleidoscope of alternative bands so there’s bound to be the perfect one for you, available officially. And if not, you can buy a few alternatives...
Facebook Messenger and Instagram add BTS theme and Watch Together feature

Facebook Messenger and Instagram add BTS theme and Watch Together feature

November 19, 2020
Facebook Messenger and Instagram have extended the scope of their newly joined-up messaging service with some new features, including one involving South Korean boy-band sensation BTS (for our regular readers, that’s the band providing the song for the current global Samsung Galaxy S20 FE advertisement).First up, according to Facebook’s newsroom, (if you’re just here to...
YouTube terms update lets Google show ads on unmonetized content

YouTube terms update lets Google show ads on unmonetized content

November 19, 2020
YouTube has updated its Terms of Service, and some of the changes have left users fuming. Parent company Google seems to be on a roll of taking away things and replacing them with not-as-good things, as the recent Google Photos debacle showed us, and the YouTube changes follow the theme. As we reported yesterday, the company...
The new Google Pay app is an all-in-one mobile bank, finance tracker, and contactless payment service

The new Google Pay app is an all-in-one mobile bank, finance tracker, and contactless payment service

November 18, 2020
Google Pay has launched a new version of its Android app, ahead of the launch of its ‘Plex’ banking service in 2021. The replacement app, which is now live in the Google Play Store, has been completely rewritten in Flutter, Google’s DART-based development kit. We got our first look at the new design when India...