Articles about Android

Number pads are pointless. Don't get me wrong, I am sure some older folks use them out of habit, but I -- and many other consumers -- never do. Quite frankly, since you can buy a dedicated number keypad if you truly need it, why burden everyone with them just to please a small group of people? As a result, many keyboards are longer than they need to be. While that doesn't sound so bad, it is an annoyance since it takes up valuable desk space -- especially with more and more people working from home these days.

Today, Logitech unveils a slim wireless keyboard without a number pad. Called "MX Keys Mini," it is notable for more than just being compact. The backlit keyboard can fast-charge using USB-C, and Logitech promises up to 5-months of battery life with backlighting off. With the lights on, you can expect up to 10 days of usage.

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Smart glasses have existed for a while now, with the most notable being the failed Google Glass. Most recently, Facebook launched its own offering through a partnership with Ray Ban. While Google's product was ugly, the Facebook glasses actually look quite cool -- to the average person, they appear to be regular glasses. Unfortunately, no matter how stylish, many consumers will shun the product due the associaton with Facebook. After all, that social network has a bad reputation regarding privacy.

Today, Xiaomi throws its hat into the ring with the unimaginatiely named "Smart Glasses." These glasses utilize cutting-edge MicroLED optical waveguide technology and weight just 51g. They run the Android operating system, are powered by a quad-core ARM processor, and offer both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectvity. Smart Glasses feature a 5MP camera for taking photos and recording videos, but also, translating text as you view it!

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We live in a world where there’s so much information that keeping on top of it all can be nearly impossible. According to research commissioned by Microsoft, people "spend seven hours a day online, use six different feeds on a regular basis and check their feeds five times a day".

To help combat this, the software giant is introducing a personalized news feed called Microsoft Start, with news from premium publishers that’s tailored to your interests.

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Creating the code for an Android app is only part of the job, you also need to consider mobile app management and mobile device virtualization as well as testing.

To help with this process Canonical is launching its Anbox Cloud Appliance on the AWS Marketplace from today. A small-scale version of Canonical's Anbox Cloud, developers can use it for rapid prototyping of Android-in-the-Cloud solutions.

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With Windows 11 set to begin rolling out at the Start of October, it was inevitable that Microsoft would take the opportunity to showcase some new hardware for it.

The software giant today announces a new event for the end of this month in which it is expected to take the wraps off a new collection of Surface devices, as well as show off its new operating system in some depth.

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In a recent survey, there were two big new features in Windows 11 that had people excited. 35 percent said the centered Start menu was their favorite new feature, while 26 percent said it was native Android support they were most looking forward to.

Well, if you’re one of those people keen to run Android apps on your Windows 11 PC, there’s some bad news. The feature isn’t ready, and it won’t even start being tested by Insiders for months yet.

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About a year ago, we told you that Google was partnering with some hotels to have Nest Hub smart devices installed in guest rooms. Understandably, some people were concerned about having a microphone and camera in their hotel rooms.

However, those worries were unfounded. You see, Nest Hub doesn't even have a camera! Plus, Google is extremely focused on privacy, and the microphone can be totally disabled with a hardware switch. Ultimately, this hospitality partnership was simply a big win for hotel guests as they get to experience the convenience of Google Assistant when away from home.

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If you are a hardcore Android user, you should buy a Pixel. Google’s smartphones may not have the best specifications, but they do offer the purest Android experience. They are the only way to truly experience Android as Google intends it -- including timely OS updates. They are free of bloat, unlocked, and often very affordable. Best of all, they offer a remarkable photography experience.

Today, Google officially announces the oft-rumored Pixel 5a with 5G. It isn’t a flagship device, but with a reasonable $449 asking price, the Android 11 smartphone looks to be a great value. The 6.34-inch OLED screen features a respectable 2400x1080 resolution, while the 12.2 MP dual-pixel and 16 MP ultrawide rear cameras should take exceptional photos. While it does get water resistance, the Pixel 5a with 5G lacks wireless charging -- you must use USB-C to charge the 4680 mAh battery.

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Home automation continues to grow in popularity at an ever-increasing rate. The market value is expected to reach $114 billion by 2025, with smart lighting products accounting for 25 percent of that.

It’s hard to say where the average user begins with home automation, but we’d argue it’s likely to be with a smart lightbulb for most of them. It’s a product that seems straightforward and doesn’t have the dangers of locking you out of your house (as a smart lock could) or making you feel like you’re either in a) Death Valley, or b) Nome, Alaska (unlike a smart thermostat). 

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Backing up Android data is getting a whole lot easier as Google starts the roll out of Backup by Google One. The service makes it easy to backup everything from SMS, MMS and call logs, to Wi-Fi passwords and photos.

The company has not made a great deal about the rollout, making no announcement about it. This is perhaps understandable as it is essentially a consolidation and rebranding of a previously disparate selection of settings and tools.

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It’s been over a decade since Finnish game maker Rovio hit the big time with Angry Birds. New levels were periodically added to keep players interested and, capitalizing on that success, the company followed it up with other games such as Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds 2. They also released a tournament-based version called Angry Birds Friends. 

Rovio has kept the tournament version fresh and exciting by releasing loads of new levels every week. The goal of the game is to beat the people you're playing against and after completing each level you will see where you rank amongst those ahead and behind you  -- both places and points. 

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Before Android and iOS took over the mobile market, there was Symbian. Originally developed for PDAs in the late 1990s, it was the most popular mobile OS in the world for a time, powering early smartphones from Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson.

As Google and Apple’s mobile operating systems took off, Symbian OS went into an inevitable decline, and it was discontinued in 2010. But perhaps now is the time for a modern re-invention of it.

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Just yesterday I went to the Verizon store to investigate upgrading my aging iPhone 8 Plus. The company was offering a promotion where I could get an iPhone 12 Pro for free if I switch. While finally having a 5G iPhone excited me, Verizon's service was insanely expensive, so I passed on the "deal." While getting a $1,000 phone for free was tempting, it got me wondering why anyone would actually spend so much out of pocket on a smartphone.

And now, today, T-Mobile launches a new 5G smartphone for only $199.99. Believe it or not, that is the retail price without any promotions. Called "REVVL V+," it is a 5G phone running Android 11 for less than $200. In other words, you could buy five of these phones for the same price as just one iPhone 12 Pro!

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The TCL 10 series of phones are some of my personal favorites. The company managed to break into the smartphone market with devices that were premium despite being very aggressively priced. In other words, TCL proved that even consumers on a budget can have a high-quality handset. Heck, the TCL 10 5G UW in particular was cutting-edge while being priced under $400.

And now, the follow-up to the TCL 10 series is coming to America. Yes, the TCL 20 series of smartphones are on their way to the USA market, and like its predecessors, they too are priced affordably. There is a trio of new smartphones -- TCL 20 Pro 5G, TCL 20S and TCL 20 SE.

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Although the Windows 11 announcement introduced lots of new and exciting features coming to the new OS later in the year, perhaps the most jaw dropping was native support for Android apps.

Users will be able to find and download Android apps directly through the new and improved Microsoft Store, but you won’t be able to grab your favorites through Google Play as it isn’t supported.

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