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Tech NewsGadgetsThe Complete Guide to Google Assistant in 2018
Beyond Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, Google Assistant is shaping up to be one of the most important Google products in the years ahead, and it’s already more pervasive and more advanced than you might have realized. Here’s everything Google Assistant can do and everywhere you can find it. When you hear “Google Assistant” you … Continued
By David Nield -
Tech NewsDelightful Google Bug Seemingly Gives Pixel 3 XLs an Extra Helping of Notches
Until Apple, Google, and the like find a way to hide front-facing cameras and sensors beneath their smartphones’ displays, notches are a hideously unfortunate design solution to maxing out screen real estate. The Pixel 3 has one of the worst notches, and making matters even worse for some Pixel 3 XL users is a bizarre … Continued
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ReviewsSmartphonesOnePlus 6T Review: The No Bullshit Best Deal in Smartphones
Since its inception, OnePlus has danced around the fringes of the smartphone market, catering to nerds and enthusiasts with spec-laden devices for reasonable prices. And unlike the Apples and the Samsungs of the world, OnePlus has thrived even though it really only makes one product a year, typically released in the spring and then refreshed … Continued
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ReviewsSmartphonesThe Red Hydrogen One Is a Phone Made for an Alternate Reality
Jim Jannard is an interesting guy. After starting a one-man business selling motorcycle parts, he decided to pivot into goggles and eyewear. Fast forward about 25 years, and Oakley had become one of the biggest sunglass brands in the world. Then in 2007, after selling Oakley for $2.1 billion, Jannard turned to his other company, … Continued
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Tech NewsThe Tricky Economics of the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR
The iPhone XR hits stores on Friday, and everybody is flipping out about it being the most affordable new iPhone. Starting at $750, however, the XR isn’t actually that cheap in the grander scheme of things. And yet, to the casual observer, the device also looks a heck of a lot like the undeniably expensive … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityReport: Trump Still Blabbing Away on His Smartphones After Being Warned Spies Are Listening
Donald Trump has never been a person who comes to mind when one thinks “cybersecurity”—he may not even know how to use a computer—but even by that low bar, the president and his administration have barely been able to keep it together when it comes to the security risk posed by cell phones. A report … Continued
By Tom McKay -
io9Movies
How Horror Movies Get Around Cell Phones
Cell phones have changed the way people think, act, and communicate. They’ve also been hell on the horror genre. Smartphones have rendered many classic horror movie tropes ridiculous, or even implausible. However, they’ve also provided opportunities to scare us in new and inventive ways. Let’s look at where modern horror has succeeded, and failed, to … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
How to Back Up All of the Photos From All of Your Apps
Your photos and videos are likely to be some of the most precious files you have on your smartphone. Even if you’ve got new photos and videos taken with the camera synced to the cloud though, what about the pictures your family send you over WhatsApp? Or the Instagram Stories you post? Here’s how to … Continued
By David Nield -
ReviewsOther GadgetsGoogle’s Pixel Stand Is a Smarter Breed of Wireless Charger
In a world of increasingly complex tech, wireless chargers are refreshingly simple devices. Just take your phone, drop it on a pad or stand, and walk away. That’s it. And now that wireless charging is basically a standard feature for most flagship handsets, it’s quickly becoming the preferred way to keep your phone’s battery topped … Continued
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Tech News
The Pixel 3 Won’t Wirelessly Charge at Max Speed Except on Google-Approved Chargers
If you’re considering getting one of Google’s new Pixel 3 devices, beware: Unless you use a Google-certified accessory, wireless fast charging will only work at half of the phone’s maximum 10 watt charging speed. Per reports in Android Police and the Verge, unapproved models of wireless fast chargers will only work at 5 watt speed … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsGadgets11 Fantastic Add-Ons for Your Favorite Apps
You’ve no doubt got your favorite apps, the ones you turn to again and again on your smartphone—but have you discovered the best add-ons and plug-ins for those apps? There’s a growing market for apps that work with other apps, and we’ve picked out some of the best and most useful examples you can find … Continued
By David Nield -
Tech NewsGadgetsThe Fancy Display Tech Samsung Apparently Wants for Its Future Phones Sounds Amazing
Samsung is one of the clear leaders in mobile display tech, and its screens are found in a wide range of flagship devices including its own Galaxy phones and those of its biggest competitors like Apple. However, one of the biggest complaints about the Galaxy S9 is that looks virtually identical to last year’s device, … Continued
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Tech NewsThe Incredible Evolution of the Smartphone Notch: From Bezels to All Screen
Despite Essential being first, after Apple adopted the notch, nearly every other smartphone maker jumped on the bandwagon and made those stupid little cutouts at the top of the screen the most discussed and reviled feature on handsets in the last 18 months. The thing is though, notches were never really that cool, and while … Continued
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ReviewsSmartphonesThis Gorgeous All-Screen Phone Shows How the Notch Dies
When you look at the design of Apple, Samsung, and Google’s latest phones, there’s very little to distinguish this year’s crop from 2017’s has-beens. Meanwhile, outside of the big three, every other phone maker seemed content to jump on the notched screen bandwagon and settle for similarly iterative aesthetics. And just when it seemed like … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsHuawei’s Mate 20 Pro Is Absolutely Loaded
Earlier this year, Huawei passed Apple to become the second largest smartphone maker in the world, which is pretty impressive when you consider that the company’s best phones like the P20 Pro aren’t officially sold in the U.S. And because of the current business climate, where largely going to miss out on Huawei’s next big … Continued
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ReviewsSmartphonesGoogle Pixel 3 Review: The Other Way to Make a Killer Phone
The history of smartphone improvement has largely relied on companies cramming faster or more powerful components into the now ubiquitous glass slabs we carry around. But the Pixel 3 is something else. Instead of focusing on things like a brighter screen, tons of RAM, or multiple rear cameras, almost all of the Pixel 3’s advantages … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
The Galaxy A9 Suggests Samsung Might Be Hooked on Multi-Cameras
After a fair amount of hype and even more leaks, Samsung’s Galaxy A9 finally got announced today in Malaysia. While it’s unclear if the Galaxy A9 will ever see an official release stateside, Samsung’s world-first phone with four rear cams could be a preview of what’s to come on the Galaxy S10 next year. Featuring … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsRazer Built the Phone Gamers Deserve (It Has RGB Lights)
The first time you test something, you check out its design, you try all the new features, but even after an hour or more, the device still doesn’t feel as familiar as something you own and use every day. And yet, the first time I sat down and played a round of PUBG Mobile using … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsEssential’s Next Phone Will Be a Wildly Different, AI-Powered Companion: Report
Making smartphones is hard, and despite having one of the best pedigrees in the business, Andy Rubin’s company stumbled out of the gate when it launched the Essential PH-1 last year. At first, the Essential Phone’s camera wasn’t great and it’s software wasn’t quite as smooth as we’d like, but thanks to continued support and … Continued
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Tech NewsPixel 3: Everything About Google’s Great Android Phone Hope (Update: First Impressions)
Google’s third-gen Pixels might be the most leaked phones ever. From numerous Russian tech sites getting their hands on production-ready devices to stores in Hong Kong selling handsets a week ahead of the official announcement, there’s a lot info about the new Pixels floating around. But one thing all of the leaks couldn’t reveal were … Continued