If you want to record calls in Android 9 Pie, you'll need to root your phone
Recording phone calls is dodgy territory legally speaking, but whether you choose to do it depends on where you are in the world, and whether you're concerned about complying with the law. Since Marshmallow, Google has made it difficult to record calls on Android phones by killing the recording API, but this has not stopped third party developers finding ways around it.
But with Android 9 Pie, Google has made it impossible for apps such as Call Recorder - ACR and BoldBeast Android Call Recorder to be used to record calls. Unless, that is, you're willing -- or able -- to root your handset.
How to enable Chrome's secret Emoji Context Menu to make it easier to type emoji
The likes of Duolingo have made it easier than ever to learn French, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew or whatever other tongue tickles your fancy, but the language of the internet is -- arguably -- emoji. On your mobile phone, these handy little characters are easy to type, but less so on your computer.
To make things a little easier, Google Chrome now has a hidden Emoji Context Menu that you can enable. Once activated, this menu can be used to access an emoji picker to add emoji to text fields. Here's how to enable it.
Twitter is killing push notifications for third party apps -- here's what you need to do
Starting tomorrow -- Thursday, August 16 -- Twitter is disabling push notifications for third party clients. If you use the likes of Twitterific, Fenix or Plume, this could mean you miss out on important messages as Twitter clamps down on what third party tools are able to do.
Twitter has long had a tempestuous relationship with app developers, including its frankly bizarre token limit which effectively restricts the number of users any app can ever attract. This latest move is billed as a part of a security drive, but it's one that will impact a large number of people. There is something you can do to ensure you get Twitter notifications on your iPhone or Android handset, but it's not ideal.
Need a rugged Oreo smartphone without (too many) compromises? Try the Poptel P10
As Samsung, Apple and even the likes of OnePlus push out flagship smartphones with ever-larger price tags, it's little wonder that people are increasingly seeking out cheaper alternatives. Where there's demand, supply follows, so there's no end of choice when it comes to handsets that pack a punch without breaking the bank.
It's possible -- probable, even -- that you've not heard of Poptel, but the Poptel P10 is a phone that's worthy of a second look. No, it's not a flagship-killer. No, it's not anything even approaching a competitor for the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy Note9. But it is a highly capable dual-SIM phone which is waterproof, dustproof and shockproof, that boasts good looks, a slim design, and a pair of decent cameras.
Turkey to boycott US electronics as Trump implements ZTE and Huawei ban
Donald Trump has signed the Defense Authorization Act into law which imposes a watered-down ban on ZTE and Huawei products by the US government and IT contractors. The ban also covers a number of other Chinese telecoms manufacturers.
There has been much to-ing and fro-ing about whether these sanctions would actually be introduced, but now and for the next two years they will be in place -- something Huawei denounces as "ineffective, misguided, and unconstitutional". But while this latest bill signing sees Trump wielding his power, the president will be unimpressed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan -- the president of Turkey -- saying his country will boycott US electronics.
The Alldocube X is a low-cost 'Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 killer'
The big news from Samsung recently was the launch of the Galaxy Note9 smartphone, but the company also launched an Android tablet in the form of the Galaxy Tab S4. Starting at $649, the tablet may be beyond the reach of many people, but the Alldocube X is a cheap alternative.
This 10.5-inch Super AMOLED tablet started life as an Indiegogo campaign, and it was 180 percent funded in just 24 hours. Priced at $269 and due for release in October, the Alldocube X is billed as a 'Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 killer' -- but can it live up to this incredibly bold claim?
Google is tracking your location even when you tell it not to
An investigation by the Associated Press has found that Google is tracking the location of Android and iPhone users even when privacy settings supposedly explicitly stop this from happening.
The AP concedes that "for the most part, Google is upfront about asking permission to use your location information", but its investigation -- the findings of which were confirmed by researchers from Princeton -- showed that Google services recorded user data even when Location History was disabled.
Campfire leak: Google could bring Windows 10 support to Chromebooks, Boot Camp-style
Google could be about to add Windows 10 support to a range of Chromebooks, according to a new leak.
The appearance earlier in the year of a new project called Campfire showed that Google was working on bringing Windows 10 support to Pixelbooks. But now it seems that the option to dual boot Chrome OS and Windows 10 could spread to a wider range of Chromebooks.
Google Play shows warning to anyone searching for Fortnite APKs
The arrival of Fortnite on Android has not only been eagerly awaited, but also steeped in controversy. In addition to making the game a Samsung exclusive (for a few days, anyway), Epic Games decided to bypass Google Play and host APK downloads on its own servers.
But this isn't going to stop people looking for Fortnite in the Play Store. Google is well aware of this, and that there is the potential for fake, scam apps to appear, tricking users into downloading something malicious. As such, the company is taking action, and is showing a warning to anyone who searches for Fortnite in Google Play.
Banned Windows Timeline Support extension returns to the Chrome Web Store
We recently wrote about a browser extension which added Windows' Timeline support for Chrome and Firefox -- the aptly-named Windows Timeline Support.
While we loved the addon for making Windows 10's Timeline rather more useful, the use of the word "Windows" in its name meant that the extension was taken down due to copyright violation. Now it's back with a new name.
Qualcomm to make $700m investment in new Taiwanese antitrust settlement
Qualcomm has come to an arrangement with Taiwanese antitrust regulators which means the company can stop paying fines levied against it.
The chipmaker had been fined $778 million by the Fair Trade Commission in Taiwan back in 2017 after it was found to be refusing to sell to handset makers that were unwilling to agree to its patent-licensing terms. As part of the new agreement, Qualcomm will invest $700 million in Taiwan over the next five years, including investments in 5G initiatives.
Google has slashed the size of Android apps
To tie in with the launch of Android 9 Pie, Google has given a glimpse into the improvements it has made to the app store.
In a blog post aimed primarily at developers, the director of Google Play, Purnima Kochikar, said that improved discovery features had helped to boost visits to the store by 30 percent while new tools helped to dramatically reduce crash rates. Google also points to new techniques which have enabled it to reduce app size by up to 65 percent.
Samsung unveils Galaxy Note9 with exclusive Fortnite access, plus Galaxy Watch
Today -- after weeks of leaks -- Samsung finally revealed the eagerly anticipated Galaxy Note9. While we already knew just about everything about this smartphone, we now know that it has an astonishing price tag (between $1,000 and $1,250) and that it includes exclusive access to the beta version of Fortnite for Android.
At the same event, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Watch -- dropping the Gear branding once and for all. Available in 42mm and 46mm models, the watch features LTE connectivity and boasts impressive battery life. But has the launch of the two products lived up to expectations?
Chrome starts to use native notifications in Windows 10
With the roll out of Chrome 68, Google is making an important change to its browser's notification system. Rather than issuing website notifications within the browser, Chrome will instead start to make use of the Windows 10 Action Center to display them.
While the change may not be viewed by everyone as a major one, it will help to provide a more consistent experience for people who choose to enable notifications from their favorite websites.
Unpacked: Watch the Samsung Galaxy Note9 launch live stream here!
Just about everything you could possibly want to know about the Galaxy Note9 has already leaked out, but there's still the official launch event to look forward to later today in New York. The chances are you're not going to make it to the event itself, but you can watch it here, live.
Things kick off in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at 11:00 EDT (that's 16:00 BST), and watching the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2018 live stream is the best way to get the lowdown on this flagship handset as soon as possible.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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