Killian Bell is a 20-something technology journalist based in a tiny town in England. He has an obsession with that little company in Cupertino which has been growing rapidly since he bought his first Mac several years ago, and in an attempt to curb it somewhat, he also writes for Cult of Mac. His fascination with technology began with his first Nokia 5110 a long time ago. When he isn't tapping away behind a keyboard, he's either putting his thumbs to work in front of a PlayStation or spending time with his fiancée and two daughters.
Google will no longer stand by and ignore badly-made Android apps that perform poorly on even the most powerful smartphones and tablets. The company says it will be chasing developers who publish slow and unstable titles, while also reducing their visibility in the Play Store. One of the things that makes the Play Store unique compared to rivals like Apple's App Store is that...
Google has confirmed that its existing Pixel lineup will get guaranteed Android updates — but only until October 2018. Users can expect their smartphones to get the latest software for at least two years since the Pixel’s initial debut, but there’s no telling if it will be supported beyond that. One of the best things about buying a Pixel...
There's been a bit of controversy over the Galaxy S8's dedicated Bixby button, which Samsung doesn't want you to remap for other purposes. But a new app that's just surfaced in the Google Play Store lets you redirect it to Google Now instead. Grab it now before Samsung gets it blocked! Before the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ made their official debuts last week, there was another app named...
Samsung's new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have all the features under the sun, some of which it seems aren't even active yet. A new teardown reveals that the devices have a front-facing selfie camera with optical image stabilization, but Samsung is yet to take advantage of it. Optical image stabilization can drastically improve your photos and videos. It reduces camera shake significantly...
Google Pixel and Pixel XL owners are being plagued by a mysterious data backup issue. Many are having trouble uploading certain items — including text messages, call history, and apps — to Google’s servers, but the company promises it is investigating the issue. Despite having Google backup enabled, some Pixel users have found that certain...
Samsung’s Gear VR headsets are designed to work exclusively with Samsung Galaxy phones; they’re not universal virtual reality viewfinders like Google Cardboard. But one developer has discovered a way to get them working with third-party devices with Quad HD displays. It makes sense for Samsung to lock down the Gear VR so that only Galaxy owners can use it. As...
Samsung's very own Tizen platform is yet to mount a significant threat against rivals like Android and iOS, and it's probably a good job more of us aren't using it. According to one security researcher, the operating system is a hacker's dream, with 40 unknown vulnerabilities that could allow anyone to break into Samsung Smart TVs, smartwatches, and more. Samsung has been developing...
Bixby, Samsung’s next-generation virtual assistant, is no longer exclusive to the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Fans have discovered that with very little effort, Bixby can be installed on any Samsung Galaxy device running Android 7.0 Nougat. Samsung is late to the game with Bixby, but that doesn’t matter. Its virtual assistant offers the same kind of...
Twitch is finally rolling out support for 1080p video at 60 frames-per-second. The game streaming platform has dropped its previous 3.5 megabits bitrate limit and now recommends 3-6 megabits "for most streams," providing a smoother experience for "faster, more demanding games." Game streaming has become incredibly popular in recent years, and players are now earning more cash using...
Apple claims Beats 1 is now the world's biggest radio station. The company won't tell us exactly how many people are enjoying the service, but it says there's "no way you're going to find another station that has as many concurrent listeners and audience-wise as Beats 1, period." Larry Jackson, Apple Music's head of service, sat down with Jimmy Iovine, Zane Lowe, and Robert Kondrk for...
Google Assistant is finally making its way to third-party smartphones after an exclusive period on Google’s own Pixel devices. Two of the handsets first in line to get the feature are the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. Users simply have to update their Google apps to get started. OnePlus confirmed support for the new virtual assistant on Twitter this week. Its official...
Galaxy S8 leaks continue to roll in thick and fast ahead of the handset’s official unveiling later this month. The latest, a photo of its display settings screen, reveals the handset will offer a super-sharp WQHD+ resolution, but will likely default to Full HD like the Galaxy S7 series after it was upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat. Samsung’s next-...
American fashion brand Guess today unveiled its latest smartwatch powered by Android Wear 2.0. Just like its predecessor, it is named Guess Connect, and it's powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip. Guess' first Connect smartwatch was kind of a hybrid device that combined a traditional wristwatch with a small few smart features using a tiny digital display integrated...
Sony rolled out Android 7.0 Nougat for its Xperia Z5 series back in January, adding a whole host of improvements and new features. Unfortunately, the update also brought a pesky low volume bug that makes calls difficult to hear. Sony has finally promised it will rollout a fix, but you’ll have to wait for it. Users started complaining about this bug on Sony’s...
It's been more than 1,100 days since Apple updated the Mac Pro. Some fans are worried the company could be giving up on pro desktops entirely as it focuses on mobile devices and making the iPad Pro a PC replacement. But Tim Cook insists that professional users are still incredibly important to Apple, and that the company has plans to "do more" in this area. Apple hosted its annual...
Sony has been keen to push the boundaries in smartphone display technology for years, and that’s certainly the case with its new Xperia XZ Premium. Announced today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, this little powerhouse packs a 5.5-inch 4K display, Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor, and 64GB of storage as standard. The Xperia XZ Premium looks a lot...
Sony has confirmed that it is bringing HDR functionality to its entire lineup of 1080p televisions. Everything from the entry-level Bravia RE4 to the high-end WD75 will be updated, but it seems you may need a PlayStation 4 to take advantage of it. HDR, or high-dynamic-range, is a technology that significantly improves picture quality by increasing the range of luminosity. Blacks become...
Google won’t be rolling out any further software updates for the Nexus 6 or the Nexus 9, the company has confirmed. Neither device will get the Android 7.1.2 update that was announced on Monday, though they will continue to get security patches for some time. One of the biggest advantages to buying a Nexus device is speedy Android upgrades. Like the new Pixel lineup, Nexus devices are...
Samsung is working on a new S Pen accessory for the Galaxy S8, according to recent rumors. It was initially believed this would be an external add-on, but according to some early case leaks, the stylus could be built into the handset just like it is with the Galaxy Note series. There’s a large number of Samsung fans who love the S Pen, but they’ve had to do without it (or settle for...
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S8 will boast a larger “infinity” display with an almost bezel-less, edge-to-edge design, according to a new report. Sources familiar with the company’s plans also promise an iris scanner, an improved camera, and a desktop dock. According to British newspaper The Guardian, the Galaxy S8 will be a major upgrade over the Galaxy S7 series. It is expected to come...