You can now purchase movie tickets with Google Assistant on Chrome
While I am a big fan of watching films, I absolutely detest doing so at the cinema these days. Look, if I decide to dedicate my valuable time to watching a movie, I demand absolute silence and no distractions so I can experience proper immersion. Nowadays, people don't respect the movie-going experience -- they are on their smartphones, talking, and eating smelly food. Humans are disgusting and it can be an absolute nightmare. Worst of all, it is a very expensive affair -- I feel like a sucker spending a fortune only to be miserable in the theater.
But OK, some folks still love going to the the movie theater. If that's you, I have some pretty cool news. Starting today, you can now purchase movie tickets with Google Assistant on Chrome. That is an undeniably cool thing, but sadly, it is Android-only for now. Apple iPhone users cannot join this party.
Millions of smartphones could be vulnerable to Android camera hack
The camera applications within Google, Samsung and other Android smartphones could be vulnerable to attack, according to some new research.
Researchers at security platform Checkmarx found that in certain circumstances adversaries can take over smartphone camera apps to record videos, take photos, eavesdrop on conversations, and identify GPS coordinates, all without the user knowing.
Microsoft is killing off Cortana for some users
Microsoft has quietly confirmed the rumors that it is planning to discontinue its Cortana digital assistant for some users. Starting next year, the company will no longer support Cortana on either iOS or Android in certain markets.
While Microsoft is yet to confirm which countries will be affected, the UK, Canada and Australia are known to be on the list. The change means that there will be no Cortana mobile app, and integration will be removed from the Microsoft Launcher.
Google is rolling out RCS messaging to Android users in the US
The rollout of the successor to SMS is now underway in the US. Having brought RCS (Rich Communication Service) to the UK, Mexico and France, Google has started to deploy it in America.
The move comes as Google's frustration at carriers' apparent unwillingness to commit to RCS boiled over, leading the company to take the bull by the horns and start to push its own implementation of the standard.
Google Play Points comes to the US, bringing discounts, exclusive content and more
After launching in Japan a little over a year ago, Google Play Points expanded to Korea earlier this year -- and now Google is bring it to the US. But just what is Google Play Points?
In short, it's a loyalty reward program that lets Android users earn points pretty much for simply using Google Play. Buy an app, and you'll earn points. Buy a book or movie, and you'll earn points. Take out a subscription, and you'll earn points. You get the idea. These points can then be used to pay for other things in part or in full, or they can be donated to charity. Here's the lowdown.
Urban Armor Gear (UAG) launches rugged Monarch and Plasma cases for Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL
Google's latest smartphone, the Pixel 4, is an excellent device. As per my review (found here), I absolutely recommend it to Android users.
While the $799 starting price for the Pixel 4 series of smartphones isn’t as high as some other flagships, let’s be honest -- it is still a lot of money. It is for this reason that you should definitely put it in a protective case. Urban Armor Gear has two such rugged options for you -- the Monarch and Plasma. Not only will they keep your Pixel 4 or 4XL safe, but they look very attractive too.
Mozilla's new Lockwise app will free your passwords from your web browser
Like many users, we prefer to use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox over either Edge or Safari. Problem is, if you use a third-party browser to store your logins and passwords, move to your iOS device and they aren’t stored in your keychain.
Recent iOS changes have enabled third-party password managers to be granted access to any login on your device, so for this reason Mozilla has launched Lockwise which will separate your stored Firefox passwords from your browser.
Google Pixel 4 is oh so awesome [Review]
I'm an Apple iPhone user -- a rather satisfied one at that. More specifically, my regular day-to-day smartphone is the iPhone 8 Plus. Why haven't I upgraded to a newer model? Well, I didn't want to give up the Touch ID fingerprint reader, and I am not a fan of the notch. Not to mention, the iPhone 8 Plus is a great device that is still receiving updates. And so, I have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for Apple to convince me to upgrade -- the company has yet to do so.
When I got the opportunity to test Google's Pixel 4 smartphone, I was excited, but also, rather concerned. While I was glad the Pixel 4 didn't have a notch, I was worried about it not having a fingerprint reader. The more glaring issue, however, was the operating system -- moving from the iPhone 8 Plus to the Pixel 4 would be quite the culture shock.
Samsung is killing off Linux on DeX with Android 10 update
Less than a year after it launched, Samsung has decided to close down Linux on DeX.
DeX is Samsung's feature that transforms a phone into a (nearly) fully fledged computer when connected to a monitor, and Linux on DeX made it possible to run a Linux distro in this environment. Now the company has decided to knock the project on the head and is killing it off in Android 10.
Leaked images show off the OnePlus 8 Pro
It is only a matter of days since the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro launched, and already the leaks for the next versions of the handset are leaking.
We've already seen what the OnePlus 8 will supposedly look like and now a new leak gives us a glimpse at its big sibling: the OnePlus 8 Pro. A series of renders from the reliable @OnLeaks shows that the phone will feature a hole-punch display, no fewer than four cameras, and a 3D ToFsensor.
The New York Times finally brings NYT Cooking app to Android
The New York Times is the most important newspaper nowadays -- it cannot be denied. However, the organization is not just about news. The Times (as in-the-know people call it) is also great for learning about trends in art, entertainment, dining, and other cultural topics.
For instance, the NYT Cooking app has long been a favorite of iPhone and iPad users. This subscription-based app provides users with countless recipes, including beautiful images of the food. It truly helps people to create exceptional meals. Believe it or not, the newspaper claims to have 250,000 NYT Cooking subscribers! Sadly, Android users have been unable to take part in the NYT Cooking app experience as it is an iOS exclusive. Well, today this changes, as New York Times finally brings the popular app to Android!
How to watch the Made By Google stream and Pixel 4 launch
We have already seen Apple launch its new range of iPhones, and OnePlus bring new additions to its range of handsets -- now it is Google's turn.
Tomorrow in New York, the company is holding its Made By Google '19 event, and at it we can expect to see not only the launch of the Pixel 4 and Pixel XL, but also -- in all likelihood -- the Pixelbook Go. There may be a few other surprises, and you can tune into the live stream to get the news as soon as it happens -- and find out how many of the rumors are true.
Android 10 is making its way to all recent OnePlus handsets -- 5, 5T, 6 and 6T
OnePlus has a great reputation for supporting its handsets for far longer than other manufacturers, delivering not only security updates, but also new versions of Android for two years or more. With Android 10, things are staying the same.
At the UK launch of the OnePlus 7T Pro, the company revealed its plans for rolling out the Android 10-based version of OxygenOS to older handsets. It comes just over a month after Android 10 launched, and anyone with a OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6 or OnePlus 6T will be treated to an update.
Issa Rae is the latest celebrity Google Assistant voice
Google is bringing the vocal talent of actress and comedian Issa Rae to Google Assistant.
As with the John Legend voicing, Rae is only making a cameo as an Assistant Voice, and will only speak up in response to certain commands and queries. She can be found piping up on iOS and Android handsets, as well other devices that support Google Assistant such as Next Hub and Google Home smartspeakers.
Microsoft's Your Phone app gains new features
Microsoft’s Your Phone app allows you to link your Android or iOS device to your Windows 10 PC, and perform tasks like viewing your phone's photos on your computer, and reading and sending text messages from the comfort of your desktop or laptop.
Today, the software giant rolls out a big update to the app that introduces some additional features that will be of particular interest to owners of a Samsung flagship phone.
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