Articles about Android

Well, folks, Amazon is finally pulling the plug on its Android Appstore. And that’s not all -- those stupid Amazon Coins are going down with it too.

Let’s be honest; this was inevitable. Come August 20, 2025, the Appstore on Android devices is tossed into a shallow grave -- no new downloads, no updates, and good luck expecting your existing apps to keep working. If you’re still relying on it, now’s the time to move on.

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If you’re the type of person who loves to dive into a good book, Google has just made things simpler for you on your iPhone (and iPad). Historically, Play Books has been great for reading ebooks and audiobooks, but buying them on iOS was less than ideal. That’s changing now.

Google has introduced a new “Get Book” feature in the Play Books iOS app, which now directly navigates you to the Google Play website for a seamless purchase. Gone are the days of navigating through confusing mazes; just tap, buy, and start your reading without distractions.

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In a crowded solid state drive storage market, the all-new Planck SSD stands out by offering a blend of small size and fast performance. Tailored for those requiring dependable and fast external storage, this gadget boasts a storage capacity of up to 2TB with transfer speeds reaching 1050MB/s, ideal for handling large files while on the move.

A really cool feature of the Planck SSD is its ability to record directly onto the SSD, bypassing the limitations of internal storage for capturing high-definition video. It facilitates Apple ProRes 4K recording at 120fps, ensuring videographers and content producers can shoot without worrying about frame drops. The device’s design is both compact and free from cables, enhancing portability, while its broad compatibility with iPhone, Android devices, tablets, and laptops supports versatile work processes.

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Mark your calendars, fellow tech fans! Google I/O 2025 is happening on May 20-21 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. Can’t make it in person? No worries, you can join in the fun online at io.google -- registration is open now.

This is Google’s biggest bash for developers, where the search giant will show off all the cool new stuff in tech, software, and AI. The event will surely offer some big announcements -- think new gadgets and software updates. After that, there’s a whole bunch of workshops, sessions, and meet-ups for everyone to get hands-on and network.

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Microsoft has very quietly announced that the VPN feature of its Microsoft Defender security tool is going away for anyone unwilling to part with money.

In a support document entitled “End of support-Privacy protection (VPN) in Microsoft Defender for individuals”, the company gives very short notice for the dropping of the free tool. When the end of February rolls around, the VPN feature will only be available to users paying for a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription. What does all of this mean?

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Today has seen millions of dollars wiped off US market tech stocks by the launch of DeepSeek, the latest Chinese AI that threatens US dominance in the sector.

This is partly because DeepSeek can run on much less powerful hardware than rivals such as OpenAI's o1. DeepSeek also says that its v3 model, released in December, cost less than $6 million to train, less than a tenth of what Meta spent on its most recent system.

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Theft of mobile devices is a crime that is not going away any time soon. Phones are now completely central to so many aspects of life, and the theft (or loss) is about much more than the monetary value of the device itself. There is great potential for a thief to gain access to a wealth of information via a stolen phone.

This is why the security of mobile devices is so important, and it is why Google is taking steps to limit the impact of theft. A new feature that is starting to roll out is Identity Check, which requires the use of biometric authentication whenever your device is in an unknown or untrusted location. The company is also harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for good, using AI-powered tools to detect thefts.

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If you've ever wished you could play AAA PC games on your Android phone or tablet, so you can enjoy them on the go, there's some good news. Winlator is a free Android app that lets you do exactly that, and it's incredibly easy to get started with it.

The program has just been updated to version 9 and it gains a number of important fixes and new features, ensuring an even smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience.

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There are so many classic scenes from shows and movies and, just like music fans like to share amazing drum solos, guitar riffs and lyrics with friends, there is something joyous about connecting over a shared video clip.

YouTube has long made it possible to share snippets of a videos, and earlier this year, Netflix introduced a feature called Moments to iOS. This provides a way to share a meaningful, impactful, funny or beautiful scene from a Netflix show or movie, and now the same feature is available globally on Android.

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As we close out 2024, we Linux enthusiasts are once again looking ahead to what the future holds. While Linux has long been the unsung hero of technology, powering servers, supercomputers, and the cloud, it’s also a dominant force in the consumer space, even if many don’t realize it. With Android leading the way as the most widely used Linux-based operating system, 2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year for the open source world.

First and foremost, Linux will continue to dominate the enterprise sector. Businesses have realized the cost and flexibility benefits of moving away from proprietary systems. Linux already powers most cloud infrastructure, and as organizations look to tighten budgets, more companies will opt for open source solutions to run their operations. With major providers like AWS and Google Cloud leaning heavily on Linux, its role in the corporate world is only growing stronger.

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The “summary cards” feature of Gmail is not new; it is Google’s way of helping to make your emails easier to manage, consolidating information about, for instance, purchases you’ve made. Now things are being updated with live updates and “action buttons”.

Across four categories -- purchases, events, bills and travel -- summary cards provide at-a-glance information at the top of your emails. The new actions buttons make it possible to quickly add entries to Google Calendar or Google Tasks so you don’t forget important events, but there is much more to the update, including a Happening Soon section.

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Quantum computing presents a substantial problem for securing systems because of its potential to crack existing encryption protocols.

However, the industry is beginning to gear up to face the threat. Tuta, the email provider with the world's first quantum-safe encryption for email, is now launching its new stand-alone encrypted calendar app.

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Running Android games on a PC is straightforward with emulators like Bluestacks or NoxPlayer. If you want to play popular AAA Windows PC games on an Android device, things get a bit trickier.

This is where Winlator comes in. Winlator is a free Android app that allows users to run Windows (x86_64) games using Wine 9.2 (custom) and Box64 (0.3.0), and it has just received an update to version 8.0 which includes a lot of new features and improvements.

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Cybercriminals are increasingly adopting a 'mobile-first' attack strategy to infiltrate enterprise systems by targeting weak, unsecured, and unmanaged mobile endpoints, recognizing mobile as a major entry point to corporate networks and sensitive data.

A new report from Zimperium zLabs shows a significant rise in mobile phishing -- or 'mishing' -- a technique that employs various tactics specifically designed to exploit vulnerabilities in mobile devices.

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Google has made a move toward a passwordless future by expanding its passkey support to desktop devices. Until now, passkeys could only be saved to Google Password Manager on Android devices, requiring users to scan a QR code from an Android phone to access them on other platforms. However, thanks to a new update, passkeys can now be saved and managed directly on desktop systems running Windows, macOS, and Linux. ChromeOS is also available for testing in the Beta channel.

Passkeys are designed to offer a more secure and user-friendly way of signing in to websites and apps by using biometric methods like fingerprints, facial recognition, or a screen lock instead of traditional passwords. This makes logging in as simple as unlocking your device.

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