Earlier this week it was revealed that Google was going to start charging Android manufacturers a fee to install key software apps like the Play Store and Chrome in Europe. It was a big u-turn for Google, which always offered up the apps free of charge to reach the widest possible audience. Now, new internal documents obtained by The Verge reveal Google is going to charge up to $40 per...
Android’s always been a free and open ecosystem, but some areas of its structure will be tweaked in Europe after antitrust violations against Google were discovered earlier this year. It already paid a significant fine to the tune of $5 billion, but the European Union also instructed a change in business model. As we’re learning now, Google will soon start charging for access. Because...
One of the best features of Android has always been its device selection. If you are on Android, chances are you can find a device that fits your specific needs. Are you looking for premium design? Go for the Galaxy S9. Is the camera the most important feature? The Pixel 2 XL has you covered. Do you want a premium handset at an affordable price? OnePlus and Essential make some...
Have you ever lost motivation during a run or workout in the gym only to find reinvigoration from a change of music? Why is that? Our brains are hardwired to react physically and emotionally to songs we hear. This effect compounds when you listen to the right music at the right time causing you to perform better while enjoying your workout. Whether you're looking to set a new personal...
It’s no secret that Android OEMs are terrible at updating their phones to the newest version of Android. But it’s even worse than we thought. Since Android Oreo arrival six months ago, the software has been a mere footnote in monthly distribution numbers. With over two billion Android phones on the market, Android Oreo only accounts for around 1-percent. Recent data suggests iOS is on...
Pairing your Bluetooth-enabled devices with an Android phone or tablet hasn’t exactly been the quickest. The process involves turning on the device, activating Bluetooth on your phone or tablet, and hoping the two identify each other. Now there’s a solution that makes pairing almost instantaneous: Fast Pair. Rather than going through multiple steps, Google will let things pair through...
Everyone knows that Google is lost when it comes to messaging, but the company could be implementing a popular feature from iMessage when the latest version of Android reaches public availability. SMS Connect appears to be a new app/service hidden within Android 8.1 Oreo. If you open it, the app explains its purpose. Users can send and receive text messages on a Chromebook with SMS...
Google has removed more than 300 apps from the Play Store after it was revealed that they were hijacking Android devices to perform secret distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Security researches who discovered the seemingly innocuous apps say that around 70,000 devices may have been infected. The apps claimed to provide a variety of seemingly legitimate services, such as...
It’s easy to hide your browsing habits in Google Chrome, thanks to incognito mode. But if you’re not careful, your questionable searches could be revealed by the words remembered by your keyboard. Now Google is rolling out an update to fix that. In version 6.4.11 of its Gboard keyboard for Android, Google has added a new incognito mode. It first showed up in an Android O preview, but...
Samsung has begun rolling out a new update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ that limits the number of colors you can choose for the background of the navigation bar. Only light shades are available now, presumably to protect your gorgeous Infinity Display from burn-in. Until now, Samsung not only offered darker colors — including black, which is the default for most...