New OnePlus 3/3T beta rolls out, while OnePlus 5 update is recalled

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There's good news and bad news for OnePlus handset owners -- whether it's good or bad depends on whether you have a OnePlus 3/3T or a OnePlus 5. For users of the older handset, there's a new OxygenOS Open Beta which adds a decent selection of new features.

For OnePlus 5 users, however, the OxygenOS 4.5.7 update that was released earlier in the week is being recalled. OnePlus is responding reports of terrible gaming performance in withdrawing the update.

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Lenovo smartphones will all feature stock Android from now on

Lenovo

Starting with the K8 Note, all of Lenovo's smartphones will come with stock Android installed. The company is dropping its customized Vibe Pure UI in favour of an (almost) untouched version of Android.

The Lenovo K8 Note will come with Android 7.1.1 Nougat installed, and the company is making only minor additions in the form of Dolby Atmos and TheaterMax -- gone is the bloatware that irks users so much.

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Google Play now promotes apps that crash less and offer better battery life

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There are many metrics by which to measure how good an app is, and Google is starting to use a few more when it ranks Android apps and games in the Play Store. The latest app-ranking algorithm now takes into account app stability, performance and battery usage.

As well as improving the relevance of listings for people downloading apps, Google is also using this change to push developers to improve their apps.

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Google now permits Android apps that facilitate gambling with real money

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Google has relaxed its rules surrounding real-money gambling apps in Google Play -- in some countries, at least. There has been a ban on apps and games that allow users to gamble with real money since 2013, but that has now changed.

While there was previously a ban in place due to the difficulty in policing ages and complying with different gambling laws around the world, real-money gambling apps are now permitted in the UK, France and Ireland.

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Plex Live TV and DVR features arrive on Android and Apple TV

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Plex has some good news for cord cutters with Plex Media Server installed and a Plex Pass. The Plex Live TV and DVR features are now out of beta!

Live TV does very much of what you would expect, allowing live TV broadcasts to be streamed from a TV tuner to Plex. Plex DVR also lets you record shows, and time shifting has also been added so you can pause and rewind live broadcasts.

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Wi-Fi chip vulnerability affects one billion Android and iOS devices

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Millions of smartphones around the world could have been affected by a Wi-Fi security flaw, security researchers have claimed.

Broadcom's mobile Wi-Fi chips hid a vulnerability on them which could have allowed malicious actors to potentially attack a billion Android or iOS devices.

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Google announces Nearby Connections 2.0 complete with offline communication

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The second iteration of Nearby Connections -- called, funnily enough, Nearby Connections 2.0 -- is upon us. Google has released the API to Android developers, giving them access to greater bandwidth, reduced latency, and -- most excitingly -- offline functionality.

Working over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Nearby Connections 2.0 makes it possible for devices to communicate with each other without the need for an internet connection. The API is supported by Android devices running Google Play services 11.0 and above, and it is essentially a peer-to-peer system that works much like a next-generation version of NFC.

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Minecraft's 'Better Together' Beta lets you play with friends across Windows 10 and Android devices

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Minecraft fans can play the Microsoft-owned game on a variety of platforms, including PC, Android, iOS, and console.

It’s great fun as it is, but things are about to get even better, as from today Microsoft releases a beta that will let you play the game with friends across different devices.

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Don't buy Android if you care about mobile photography, says former Google SVP

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Flagships like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S8 all have such great cameras that it can be really hard to definitively say which one is the best option for mobile photographers. Reviews, comparisons and blind tests all point to different winners, but, more often that not, you will usually find an Android smartphone at the top.

Vic Gundotra, who lead Google's mobile efforts for a couple of years, helped create Google+ and is an avid photographer, has a rather different opinion, claiming that Android is actually "a few years behind" the iPhone for mobile photography, and that, if you really care about photography, you should get an iPhone 7 Plus.

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Microsoft updates Cortana for Android with new look and new features

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The Android version of Cortana has been getting some attention from Microsoft recently, and today the company has released another update to its virtual assistant. With Cortana 2.9, Microsoft not only introduces something of an interface makeover, but also adds new features.

While the redesign is nothing major, it is a move for the better, with Settings now easier to access and the interface is reduced to two tabs rather than three -- and they are now labelled too! But it doesn’t end there.

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How to stop videos autoplaying in Google

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Google has been stirring things up a little recently, adding autoplaying videos to search results, and killing off Google Instant. The autoplaying videos are also something that Facebook has tinkered with recently, managing to irritate people in the process.

If you're searching Google on your phone, one of the last things you want is to have your battery draining unnecessarily because of videos playing automatically. Thankfully, you can disable this feature; here’s how.

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LG focuses on the customer experience with complimentary G6 second year warranty

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When you buy a company's product, the experience doesn't end at the store. Well, at least it shouldn't. While some companies may wipe their hands after the sale, the truly high-quality brands will focus on the overall experience for the life of the product. Apple, for instance, does an excellent job here, making you feel like you've joined a club that cares about you. While buying Apple Care improves that experience, even without it, some consumers may end up with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Another company focusing on the customer experience? LG. If you weren't already aware, owners of the G6 Android flagship -- an excellent smartphone -- are able to get a complimentary second year warranty at no charge. Yup, you can register for what the company calls the "LG G6 Second Year Promise." In fact, the company even guarantees an expedited turnaround time if your under-warranty G6 should need replacing. Quite frankly, this warranty -- coupled with decreasing price -- makes buying the device a no-brainer. To highlight this previously announced promise, the company has now created a new video explaining it.

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How to use the new cross-device web-browsing feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Cross device browsing

New Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16251 is rolling out now and brings with it lots of changes and some great new features, such as the ability to shut down or restart your PC using Cortana voice controls.

The standout feature though is cross-device web-browsing that lets you browse the web on an Android phone and then switch to continue browsing the same site on your Windows 10 PC. Here’s how to use it.

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eBay's new Image Search and Find It On eBay tools let you find items using a photo

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Finding what you're looking for on eBay can be tricky. You need to find the right words to home in on exactly what you mean, and there's no guarantee that the seller will use quite the same wording. Far better, you might think, to be able to search using a photo of the item you want.

eBay agrees. With Image Search, users can take or upload a photo from their camera roll to search for matching items. The second new tool, Find It On eBay, can share images from the web -- including social media -- to eBay and use them to conduct searches. eBay says both features are facilitated by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

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LG's new Q8 might be a better buy than the G6

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If you ignore its G and V series, LG makes some rather boring smartphones. Its new Q8 is an exception though. It may not have a premium design, like a high-end device does, but it is really close to flagship territory in terms of specs. In fact, it's nearly on the same level as its bigger brother, the G6.

The Q8 packs a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1,440 by 2,560 and it also has a secondary screen, with a resolution of 1,040 by 160. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. There's 4GB of RAM on board and a 3,000mAh battery too.

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