Articles about Android

Chromebooks are great for many scenarios, but they really shine for education. Why? Well, they are often inexpensive, and best of all, they are very secure thanks to the Linux base and restrictive software design. ASUS has a new such laptop called "Chromebook Flip C213." The 11.6-inch notebook is designed to be very rugged so that if a student abuses it, it should hopefully survive. ASUS even promises an impressive 12+ hours of battery life.

This convertible laptop is powered by a 2.4GHz Intel processor and features 4GB of RAM. This should run Chrome OS very well. Besides the traditional camera at the top of the screen, there is an additional camera above the keyboard. When the laptop is folded to a tablet, that second camera becomes a "rear" camera. Cool, right?

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Microsoft is rolling out redesigned versions of the Outlook app for iOS and Android, bringing the cleaner, Windows 10-inspired look, and an improved workflow to mobile users.

The redesign brings changes to navigation, conversations, and search, with the primary focus being on making it faster to achieve things. Account switching is easier, replying to conversations is streamlined, and the revamped interface is clearer and more spacious.

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If you thought there weren't enough digital "Pay" platforms in the United States... you would be in a class by yourself. Nevertheless, there is a new option in the ever-expanding "digital wallet" marketplace.

The latest entrant is Citibank, the US's fourth-largest banking institution. Its unique take in this crowded space is its integration with Masterpass -- Citi customers can check out online and in-app anywhere Masterpass is accepted by using their existing online banking credentials.

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Abuse, harassment and trolling on Twitter is a serious problem, and something that sees many users -- celebrities in particular -- forced off the site. Having already introduced a quality filter to help reduce unwanted content, Twitter is now making it possible to block notifications from various types of account, such as those that don’t follow you.

As an extra safeguard, you can opt to block notifications from new accounts, thereby helping to avoid the problem of trolls who bypass blocks by signing up under a new username. The "advanced filter settings" are available online as well as in the iOS and Android apps.

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It is tough to get excited about a new smartphone these days, but RED's new Hydrogen One might just pique your interest. What makes it so special? It features a novel display that uses nanotechnology to deliver a holographic experience.

In RED's own words, the Hydrogen One's "retina-riveting display features nanotechnology that seamlessly switches between traditional 2D content, holographic multi-view content, 3D content, and interactive games." That headline feature is so important that RED hasn't actually bothered to say much about what other specs the Hydrogen One has. Oh, and, no glasses are needed.

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If there is one thing that you can expect from a smartphone in the ZenFone Max series it is a seriously large battery. The latest model, the ZenFone 4 Max, is no different, packing a 5,000mAh battery. But it does also have a feature that you might not expect: a dual camera setup.

The ZenFone 4 Max is a pretty interesting proposition in its segment, thanks to its up-to-date internals and massive battery, but the dual camera setup makes it stand out from the crowd. After all, only a handful of devices have one, and they're typically flagships.

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Motorola, which has been aggressively marketing its snap-on phone accessories as its uniquely identifying attribute in the crowded smartphone market, is working on a 360-degree camera that will work with any device that supports other so-called "Moto Mods."

The new accessory was unveiled at a press event in Ghana (because where else?), though it came with scant few other details.

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The disaster that was the Samsung Galaxy Note7 has been well-documented. After battery defects caused the handset to catch fire,  the phone was remotely crippled by Samsung and a recall issued. Now the South Korean company is ready to relaunch the device.

This is not to say that Galaxy Note7 lives on. Rather the smartphone is relaunching as the Galaxy Note Fan Edition (or Galaxy Note FE), using refurbished parts cannibalized from returned Note7s. Bixby is on board, and there have been some hardware changes to ensure history does not repeat itself.

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Modern takes on Maslow's hierarchy of needs (jokingly) refer to a wireless internet connection as being a necessity. While Wi-Fi may not be -- in the strictest sense of the word -- necessary, it's certainly true that it has become the prey that we now hunt for.

To make the search a little easier, Facebook is now rolling out its Find Wi-Fi tool globally. What previously started as a small-scale test is now available around the world for Android and iPhone users, so anyone looking to minimize data usage will be able to find an easy way online.

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Comcast's Xfinity cable service is used by many people in America. Not only does it offer television, home telephone, and internet, but cellular service too -- Xfinity Mobile. No, Comcast hasn't rolled out its own network, it is using Verizon's towers plus its own Wi-Fi hotspots to create a comprehensive nationwide offering.

Xfinity Mobile has a new smartphone by LG that is quite interesting. Called "X Charge," the Android device has a massive 4500mAh battery, meaning it should offer all-day usage. It has a respectable 5.5-inch display and is running the Nougat operating system. Best of all, it is very affordable.

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Some people don't like advertisements, but I do. They are a great way to learn about new products while also helping to pay for "free" content. People think I am crazy when I say this, but many times I don't bother fast-forwarding commercials when watching my DVR. Heck, in 2017, there is so much great content that is subsidized by ads, such as news articles, YouTube videos, and of course, both television and radio. If it weren't for advertisements, you would probably be "nickle-and-dimed" at every turn.

A great example of advertisements helping consumers is Amazon's 'Prime Exclusive Phones' program. The consumer gets a discount on the smartphone by agreeing to see ads on the device's lock screen. It is not forced on the buyer -- they get to choose if it is worth it to them. It actually empowers the consumer. Today, Amazon is introducing five more handsets into the scheme from Motorola, Alcatel, and for the first time, Nokia.

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As a tool to backup your photos and videos to the cloud, Google Photos should give you a fair degree of control over how and when you want the backups to be performed. However, a new update to the popular app on Android manages to do quite the opposite, removing a very useful feature -- which is sure to frustrate some users.

Google Photos has dropped the backup while charging option from the settings menu, forcing users to either perform backups manually or accept that backups can happen anytime their smartphone or tablet is connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network.

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Just one day after the launch of the long-awaited OnePlus 5, accusations of cheating in benchmarks started to creep out -- just as they did with the OnePlus 3T. Now another minor controversy has hit the brand new handset: it turns out that while it is strongly suggested that the OnePlus 5 has lossless 2x optical zoom, that is not actually the case.

OnePlus' marketing certainly pitched the dual camera as offering instant 2x zoom, and many people assumed that the arrangement was the same as with the dual camera iPhone 7 Plus which does offer 2x optical zoom. But the focal length of the OnePlus' two cameras is such that it needs a little digital help to boost the zoom to 2x -- and that raises the question of whether it is actually lossless.

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The Galaxy Note brand is alive and well, as Samsung will be officially unveiling the new, hopefully non-exploding addition to the premium large-size smartphone line near the end of August.

That report comes from Reuters, which cited "a person familiar with the matter," as saying the official reveal will happen at a typical New York City Samsung event later this summer.

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At the start of the year it was discovered that the OnePlus 3T was cheating in benchmarks, artificially boosting performance when testing tools were detected. The OnePlus 5 was only officially launched yesterday but the same accusation is already being leveled at the latest version of the flagship killer.

As with the OnePlus 3T, the benchmark trickery of the OnePlus 5 was discovered in tests carried out by XDA Developers. The site says that its review unit "manipulates benchmarks to maximize scores" and issues a stark warning in an article entitled: "Do NOT Trust OnePlus 5 Benchmarks in Reviews -- How our Review Unit is Grossly Cheating at Benchmarks."

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