Latest Articles
Google Pixel 6 can use more USB devices on Android 12L QPR3
The latest Android preview build for the Pixel 6 series includes Direct USB Access support, for compatibility with more audio devices.
Google started public beta testing for Android's Quarterly Platform Releases, or QPRs for short, earlier this month with the release of Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1. There wasn't a detailed changelog for the beta, which was updated a few days ago to fix bugs on the Pixel 6, but one helpful change has been discovered: Direct USB Access support on the Pixel 6.
Google Nest Hub displays are bootlooping after buggy update
A new update for the Nest Hub Max and second-generation Nest Hub is causing some devices to go into a bootloop.
Google periodically updates its smart displays and smart speakers with new software, and the company has now started to roll out a new design for the Nest Hub's software. However, there's a catch: the update is sending some Nest Hub displays into a bootloop.
Verizon customers are receiving spam texts from their own number
Verizon and Visible customers are receiving spam texts that appear to be from their own number, according to reports on social media.
SMS isn't the most robust technology around, and it has often been used to send scam and spam messages while obscuring the original sender. However, Verizon customers have been dealing with an especially ridiculous form of text spam: messages that appear to come from their own phone number.
Google released the final build of Android 12 in October of last year, and by the end of the year, many of the most popular Android smartphones were already updated. However, it's taking some manufacturers longer than others to upgrade all their phones, and HMD Global has been slow to roll out Android 12 to its Nokia-branded devices. HMD is now releasing the update to yet another budget Nokia phone, the Nokia XR20.
OnePlus 10 Pro supports 80W charging, but settles for 65W in North America
OnePlus has confirmed the OnePlus 10 Pro won't support the maximum charging speed of 80W in North America, due to different voltages.
The OnePlus 10 Pro has been available in China for a while now, but OnePlus is gearing up to release the phone internationally with a launch event scheduled for March 31. One of the main selling points for the OnePlus 10 Pro in China has been 80W wired charging, but it seems that functionality won't actually be available to buyers in North America.
Xiaomi phones are also reportedly throttling performance for some applications and games
New reports indicate at least some Xiaomi phones, including the Xiaomi 12 Pro and Mi 11, are intentionally slowing down some apps and games.
Samsung has been embroiled in controversy over its Game Optimization Service, which quietly throttles the performance of around 10,000 applications. The discovery led to Geekbench pulling all benchmark results for all recent flagship Galaxy smartphones, and Samsung promising to release an update with a toggle for the functionality. Xiaomi has also used various performance tweaks over the years, and according to Geekbench, the company is now doing the same per-app throttling as Samsung.
Apple reportedly cuts back production of iPhone SE 3 (2022) and AirPods
Apple is reportedly cutting back production for AirPods and the new iPhone SE 3 (2022), due to lower than expected demand.
Apple just started selling the new third-generation iPhone SE, which packs the same Apple A15 Bionic chipset from the iPhone 13 series into a $430 smartphone. However, Apple is reportedly cutting back production for the new phone, and the company will sell fewer AirPods this year than originally planned.
One UI 4.1 update arrives on Galaxy A51 and four other phones
Samsung is rolling out One UI 4.1, based on Android 12, to five more of its smartphones across the world. Click to find out which ones!
Samsung started rolling out Android 12 to its phones and tablets last year, with the release of One UI 4.0. When the Galaxy S22 series was released earlier this year, it shipped with the newer One UI 4.1 version, which has a few additional improvements and new features. Now that update is rolling out to other Samsung devices, including the Galaxy A51.
Motorola Edge Plus 2022 Review: The forgettable flagship phone
Motorola's flagship phone for 2022 (or at least, its first) is a good device, but it can't quite beat the Galaxy S22 or Pixel 6.
Motorola makes most of its money with budget phones, but the company has been attempting to push into the flagship space again after a years-long absence. The first Motorola Edge Plus in 2020 marked a return to the top-end market, and now Motorola has an upgraded model ready for 2022.
Spotify used to offer a simplified view for its Android and iOS mobile apps, called 'Car View,' which had larger buttons and text for easier access when driving. The functionality was removed last year, but now it seems Spotify is bringing it back with an updated design and a new name.
Replacing the home screen with a different app launcher is still one Android feature that Apple hasn't duplicated, and there are many different launchers to choose from. One of them is Niagara Launcher, which just released a new major update as a beta with new organization options and digital wellbeing features.
Google Search can now help you book medical appointments
Google Search is rollin g out a new feature that displays available apointment slots for select clinics without clicking any links.
Google Search was originally built to help you find information hosted on other sites, but over the years, more and more information has been added to Search itself. Many simple questions can now be answered without actually leaving Search, and now another feature is starting to roll out: the ability to book some medical appointments.
Google might want to build smart displays with Android 13
Between rumors of a detachable Nest Hub, and all the features showing up in Android 13, an Android-powered Google smart display looks likely.
Google's software strategy for smart displays is currently all over the place. Most Nest Hub devices use a modified version of the Chromecast's software (before the Google TV revamp), the original Nest Hub is running Fuchsia OS, and third-party displays with Google Assistant are powered by Android Things OS. Google might be looking to unify all those platforms under the umbrella of Android 13, based on new features appearing in the first two Developer Previews.
Razer is probably best known for its gaming laptops, keyboards, and mice, but the company makes a lot of other devices. The Razer Seiren series is a popular option for condenser microphones, which can be useful for everything from high-quality video calls to podcast recording, and now you can get the V2 X model for $79.99. That's $20 off the usual MSRP, which is also a 20% discount and the lowest price yet.
Giga Manga from Google helps you draw manga art with AI
Giga Manga, developed in collaboration with some of Japan's cultural institutions, uses AI to generate manga-like art from sketches.
Google likes to make experimental web apps from time to time, but the company introduced something a bit different on Thursday. Google is collaborating with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and 12 cultural institutions across Japan on a new virtual art exhibit called Manga Out Of The Box, and part of the project is a web app for generating manga-like artwork.
Apple reportedly working on a hardware subscription service for iPhones
Apple is working on a subscription service for buying iPhones and other devices, according to a new industry report.
Like many other tech companies, Apple has increased its focus on subscription services over the past few years. There's the Apple Music streaming service, Apple TV+ for movies and television, Apple Arcade for games, iCloud+ for cloud storage, and more. Now it seems the company might jump into the world of hardware subscriptions, if a new industry report is accurate.
Android 13 will help developers test their apps with slower internet connections
Google is adding a feature to the upcoming Android 13 release that will allow app developers to simulate slower internet connections.
It's always important that Android apps work well on a wide variety of screen sizes, chipset types, mobile networks, and so on. Testing on slow network speeds is especially important, since not everyone has gigabit internet or unlimited 5G data connections, but it's always been difficult to artificially throttle internet speeds on Android. Thankfully, Android 13 might finally change that.
External drives can be a great way to use larger (or just more) files wherever you are, especially faster solid state external drives. No matter if you're running out of storage on your laptop, you need a way to quickly move large files from one device to another, or some other reason, the 2TB Samsung T7 Portable SSD might be just what you need. The drive is on sale right now for $176, a savings of $44 from the usual price, and $154 from the original MSRP.
MDN Web Docs now has a premium subscription with offline support and notifications
MDN, one of the most popular resources for web development and creating browser extensions, has a new premium subscription option.
MDN Web Docs, previously known as the Mozilla Developer Network, is one of the most popular sources for documentation on web standards. The website is a great resource for everything from Chrome extensions to the latest JavaScript APIs, and earlier this month, Mozilla revealed a paid subscription option was in the works. Now the subscription is finally official.
OnePlus 10 Pro 5G global launch event is set for March 31st
OnePlus announced today that it will announce the OnePlus 10 Pro on March 31, which has already been announced many times.
OnePlus has been slowly sharing more and more information about the OnePlus 10 Pro 5G over the past few months. However, there are apparently still more details that haven't been officially disclosed yet, so OnePlus is gearing up for a March 31 global launch event.