Articles about Android

Playing Android games on your PC is easy enough. You have the option of using third-party emulators such as Bluestacks or NoxPlayer, or you can take advantage of the built-in Windows Subsystem for Android, available on Windows 11.

However, if you wish to flip the script and play Windows games on your Android device, the process is somewhat more complex, but not impossible. To do this, you’ll need Winlator, which has just been updated to version 5, improving compatibility and performance, and resolving various issues.

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An APK teardown of Microsoft's Link to Windows app for Android (also known as Phone Link and Your Phone) shows that the company is working to bring a handy feature to handsets -- webcam functionality.

Code shows that Microsoft appears to be working on a feature to rival Apple's Continuity Camera, the feature that makes it possible to use an iPhone as a webcam in conjunction with a Mac. Now it seems that Android users are going to get a similar option under Windows.

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If you're in the market for a VPN, you're not short of choice. In fact the sheer number of VPN apps out there can be quite overwhelming, and it's a situation that is hardly improved by the existence of a seemingly endless number of fake tools.

So Google has come up with something of a solution -- albeit one that is only going to be of help to Android users. The company is looking to make Google Play a safer place to inhabit, and as part of this it is going to be highlighting VPN apps that have been independently audited so users know they can be trusted. The likes of NordVPN, Express VPN and Google's own Google One are among the first to get the seal of approval.

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Nearly 87 percent of Android and 60 percent of iOS apps request access to device functions unrelated to their performance, according to new research by NordVPN.

Researchers analyzed the most popular mobile apps globally in 18 categories. They found that up to 14 percent of apps collect more unnecessary than necessary data for the apps' performance and only eight percent collect no unnecessary data. On average, every fifth requested permission was not actually needed for the app’s functionality.

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If you want to play Android games on your PC, there are third-party emulators like Bluestacks available to install, or you can make use of the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11.

Surprisingly, though, you can do the reverse and play PC games on your Android device. For this you'll need Winlator. We’ve covered this Android app before, but it’s just been updated to improve compatibility and performance, and fix a number of problems.

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Google has decided to bring emoji reactions to Gmail, giving users the chance to respond to email with little more than a tap. Can't be bothered to type a proper reply? Just send a smile instead. It's an idea that has worked well on social platforms, so Google appears to believe it's something that will work with email too.

For anyone happy to send a quick and impersonal response in this way, the arrival of emoji reactions is great news. But for anyone who is not a Gmail user it is likely to be a serious source of irritation.

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Microsoft Lists, the company's task manager app, has been made available to anyone who is looking for a way to manage a range of projects. Now three years old, Lists was originally limited to business and enterprise users, but Microsoft has taken the decision to open it up to everyone.

The move comes after the company conducted a limited test with several thousand consumer-level users. During its time as a business/enterprise-only app, Microsoft Lists gained a reputation for ease of use, an intuitive workflow and an impressive range of templates for managing a variety of tasks on iOS, Android and the web.

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Both government agencies and corporations are being tasked with developing strategies for protecting mobile devices from an increasing wave of attacks. CISOs and business leaders are asking themselves not only how they can use mobile devices to make employees more productive, but also how to realize the full potential of a mobile-powered business.

As leaders execute their mobile-powered businesses, they will also need to parallel these initiatives with mobile-first security strategies to address the fast-growing attack surfaces that bad actors are increasingly jumping on. We spoke to Shridhar Mittal, CEO of Zimperium to discover more.

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There is so much focus on AI from the likes of Google, Microsoft et al that it's easy to forget that there are other things happening in the tech world. Case in point: Google's new 3D look for Android.

Sadly, we're not talking about a three-dimensional mobile operating system offering virtual reality or anything like that. Google is simply updating its branding, and this means a new logo for Android.

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Today's online world relies on monetizing information. Sensitive data is sourced through search engines, web browsers, and app developers and can be used to target marketing and more.

If you're concerned about how your data is used you might be interested in the launch by Myntex of Renati. This is a security-focused, Android-based mobile operating system for Pixel devices designed to disrupt data collection.

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Mozilla has issued a notice to developers, saying that it is preparing to launch support for an open ecosystem of extensions on Firefox for Android.

Pointing out that the move will make Firefox the only major Android browser to support such an ecosystem for extensions, Mozilla says everything sound be in place before the end of the year. The change means that it should not be long before Firefox users with Android handsets are able to use more than just the handful of extensions that are currently available.

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It's pretty easy to get Android games playing on your PC -- you can either make use of the Windows Subsystem for Android on Windows 11, or install a third-party emulator like Bluestacks.

Doing the reverse and playing PC games on your Android device is, naturally, a much harder proposition. However, a new emulator called Winlator means you get started playing your favorite PC games in a matter of minutes.

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Google's innovative feature, Nearby Share, used by nearly 3 billion Android devices worldwide, has long made file sharing a breeze across smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Earlier this year, in a move to expand its reach, Google initiated a beta version of Nearby Share for Windows PCs.

The expanded capability of Nearby Share opened the doors to a new kind of hardware connectivity between Android devices and Windows PCs. The Nearby Share for Windows app, which was globally available for download as a beta, has already seen an installation count exceeding 1.7 million, showcasing its growing demand.

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KYOCERA today unveiled the ultra-rugged DuraForce PRO 3 Android 13 smartphone. This device is designed to serve enterprises, small businesses, and first responders who rely heavily on durable, high-performing mobile tech. It’s also 5G-ready and available from Verizon, providing reliable, lightning-fast connectivity.

As more businesses operate on the go, durability and reliability are paramount. KYOCERA addresses these needs with quality rugged products, backed by a 2-year warranty and a growing ecosystem of accessories, services, and solutions. This strategy has led to rugged smartphones delivering a significantly lower total cost of ownership than non-rugged devices when deployed in frontline operations.

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It can hardly have escaped your notice that Meta officially launched what it is hoping will be its Twitter killer, Threads, this week. The new social platform has already proved astonishingly popular, with millions upon millions of users signing up in a matter of hours.

But while there is a great deal of excitement about what Threads has to offers and how it could disrupt social media, there has also been disappointment at the limitations of the mobile apps. If you're one of the many users who wishes that Threads had more in the way of features, options and settings, Meta has just launched a beta program which anyone is free to join.

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