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.
Microsoft Surface Duo shows Linux is the future -- not Windows
Windows is a massive failure -- in the mobile world, at least. Microsoft should have been a dominant force in smartphones and tablets, but no, it let Apple and Google eat its lunch with iPhone and Android. While Windows 10 is still a decent enough desktop operating system that keeps chugging along, Windows Phone died a bloody death -- consumers barely paid attention to it. Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile were utter embarrassments for Microsoft.
What can Microsoft do to save its mobile dreams? Turn to Linux, of course. Yes, with the upcoming Surface Duo smartphone (you can read about the dual-screen device here), Microsoft will be using the Linux-based Android operating system. This is a smart business move, but it must be absolute hell for the Microsoft faithful -- if Bill Gates was dead, he would be spinning in his grave.
Surface Phone is real! Microsoft unveils foldable, dual-screen Android-based Surface Duo
At today's Surface event, Microsoft had a surprise for everyone -- its version of "one more thing", if you will. In addition to the Surface Laptop 3, the Surface Pro 7 and the Surface Pro X, the company also revealed the Surface Duo, a foldable Android-based phone with two screens. No, it's not running the new Windows 10X operating system.
If you have concerns about this device being foldable, don't worry, it's not like the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Rather than having a single screen that actually folds, this is a dual-screen clamshell style handset, and it's due for release next year.
Google forces YouTube Music on Android users
I am a big fan of YouTube. Not only do I watch videos on the site daily, I am also a paid subscriber to YouTube TV -- I love the service and happily part with my $50 each month. YouTube Music, however, is an entirely different story -- I kind of hate it. When testing it against Spotify and Apple Music, YouTube Music failed miserably. The user interface is just unnecessarily confusing. Quite frankly, I am not sure how Google got it so wrong. Sigh.
That's why I was rather bummed out by the news that Google will be pre-loading the YouTube Music app on all Android 10 devices, plus some new ones that will ship with Android 9. Yep, it will be foisted upon many unsuspecting customers. This includes buyers of Google's own devices, such as the upcoming Pixel 4.
Cloudflare's Warp VPN now available to all
Cloudflare introduced a privacy-focused DNS service last year, and rolled out a mobile app for it as well. The 1.1.1.1 app for Android and iOS aims to speed up and protect your mobile browsing by routing your DNS queries through its own resolver.
Earlier in the year the company announced a VPN service to go along with this called Warp, and invited users to sign up to a waiting list. It was a very long list though -- I was number 1,932,244! The good news today though is the wait is now over and anyone can start using Warp.
Google Play Pass is the Netflix of Android apps and games
Apple recently launched its Arcade service -- a monthly games subscription for iOS. For just $4.99 a month, you get access to a bunch of titles without advertisements or in-app purchases. The first month is free, so I have been testing it on my iPhone 8 Plus. You know what? It is just OK -- not great. Many of the games are garbage that I wouldn't have bought in the first place. In other words, while $5 a month seems like a good deal, you have to actually find value in the games for it to be worthwhile.
Today, Google launches its version of Apple Arcade, and it seems like a much better deal. While it carries the same $4.99 monthly cost, and it too includes games, it also provides access to something Arcade doesn't -- applications. Quite frankly, as an adult, a buffet of productivity apps is more interesting to me than a collection of mobile games. Having both, however, is really cool, though -- I hope Apple follows Google's lead.
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