If you’re the kind of person who can’t help but send your friends the latest and greatest cat videos when you’re deep in a YouTube hole, you could cut some steps from your sharing process if the video service’s new messaging function becomes a permanent feature. [More]
android
Regulators Widen Investigation Into Google’s Pre-Loaded Android Apps
By 4.27.16
A week after European regulators announced an investigation into Google’s requirements that Android-based devices come pre-loaded with Google apps, a similar stateside probe is finally getting off the ground. [More]
Google’s Pre-Loaded Android Apps Target Of EU Competition Probe
By 4.18.16
While Android smartphones may allow you to install all manner of apps that compete with the pre-installed Google products like Maps, Gmail and its namesake search engine, is the fact that these apps are required to come pre-loaded on Android devices hurting competition and innovation just to benefit Google’s bottom line? That’s the question being asked by the European Commissioner for Competition. [More]
Microsoft Bringing Android Notifications To Windows 10 PCs
By 4.1.16
For those times when your Android smartphone isn’t clutched safely in your hand or resting at an accessible distance nearby, you may experience moments when you’re unaware if you’ve just received a text or missed a phone call. Microsoft says it’s going to ameliorate any uneasiness you may feel by funneling Android phone notifications over to PCs running on Windows 10. [More]
WhatsApp Ending Support For Some Older Devices By End Of 2016
By 2.29.16
If you own an older Nokia or Blackberry smartphone and are an avid user of WhatsApp, you might want to think about your phone’s future: the messaging service plans to end support for several operating systems by the end of the year. [More]
Qualcomm’s New LTE Gigabit Modem Will Make Phones Very Fast… If It Ever Gets A Network To Connect To
By 2.11.16
You may not know much about Qualcomm, but odds are fairly good that you come into contact with their tech daily. Their tech powers the majority of Android phone brands, including Samsung, LG, Nokia, Motorola, and HTC handsets. They also have a reach into most connected devices markets, including “smart” home appliances, cars, wearable tech, and health care. Today, they’ve dropped an announcement that they hope will change mobile data forever… but there’s a catch. [More]
In Spite Of Past Failure, Amazon Not Giving Up On Smartphones
By 1.26.16
Three months after it was revealed that Amazon took a $170 million loss during its last foray into the smartphone market, the e-tailer is reportedly readying plans for a second go-around, this time by partnering with other well-established mobile companies. [More]
Facebook Bringing 360-Degree Video To iOS Newsfeeds
By 11.12.15
While we once wondered why Facebook would spend $2 billion to buy virtual reality company Oculus, we’re starting to get answers. Two months after Facebook said it was working to bring virtual reality to consumers’ phones via newsfeed ads, the social media company unveiled an iOS version. [More]
Apple Launches Apple Music For Android
By 11.10.15
Apple fulfilled a promise to bring its subscription music service to the other side today, launching Apple Music for Android users. Most of the functionality for the new app is the same as its iOS counterpart, minus Siri integration. The Android-based app also offers a free, three-month trial of the service to new users. After that, the service costs $9.99/month for a single user or $14.99 for a family plan, so don’t forget to cancel your subscription if you don’t want to foot the bill after 90 days. [via ArsTechnica] [More]
Starbucks Mobile Ordering App Is Now Available To All Coffee Lovers
By 9.22.15
Just weeks after Starbucks said it would roll out its mobile ordering feature to all U.S. stores by the end of the month, the coffee chain made good on its promise, extending the feature – on both iOS and Android devices – nationwide on Tuesday. The coffee chain had previously anticipated mobile ordering would be ready by the end of the year. Executives for the company said that the service was so popular – allowing coffee drinkers to skip long lines as they order and pay for their beverages with their mobile devices – that the company sped up implementation. [The Seattle Times] [More]
Android Users Give Apple’s ‘Move To iOS’ App Bad Reviews For Some Reason
By 9.17.15
While Samsung is trying to recruit current iPhone users as customers with a free “test drive,” Apple also wants to recruit new users for the iPhone. To make the move easier for future customers, Apple introduced its first-ever Android app to help them transition. This app is available in the Google Play store, so you can guess what happened next. [More]
Android Bug Can Let Basically Anyone Bypass Your Lock Screen If You Use A Password
By 9.16.15
It is just not a great year for Android security, it seems. Researchers in Texas have discovered that some devices running Android version 5 (Lollipop) can be unlocked and accessed basically by just mucking around with buttons on the lock screen long enough. [More]
Starbucks To Roll Out Mobile Ordering Nationwide, Accept Android Pay By End Of Month
By 9.11.15
Android users – and those living in areas of the country where mobile ordering isn’t available at their local Starbucks – can soon order and pay for their morning cup of coffee straight from the comfort of their phones with little human contact, as the coffee chain announced today that it would expedite the rollout of its mobile ordering feature to all U.S. stores by the end of the month. [More]
Amazon Launches App Store That Claims To Show Other Actually Free Apps
By 8.26.15
In a relatively novel idea, Amazon has launched a new store called Amazon Underground that claims to provide Android users with a list of top apps that are actually free – no hidden in-app purchases here. [More]
Google, Samsung, And LG To Start Pushing Monthly Security Patches That You Still Won’t Get
By 8.7.15
There have been a number of very high-profile security flaws in Android phones this summer. The good news is, the makers of the hardware and software are now pledging to roll out updates to everyone more often. The bad news? “Everyone” doesn’t actually mean “everyone.” [More]
Flaw In Android Device Sensor Leaves Users’ Fingerprints Vulnerable To Theft
By 8.6.15
Using your fingerprint to open your phone may be convenient but it could also pose a security risk. That’s according to security researchers who discovered a way to breach Android devices to steal the unique prints. [More]
Judge Denies Class-Action Status For Lawsuit Filed By Former iPhone User Over Lost Texts
By 8.5.15
A former iPhone user who sued Apple last May claiming she lost text messages when she switched to an Android phone won’t be able to get class-action status for her lawsuit. [More]
What Can You Do If Your Mobile Carrier Sends You An Update That Breaks Your Phone?
By 8.5.15
When you buy a new phone or tablet, you’re not just buying it as-is in its current state. Software is dynamic, and constantly updated. In a sense, then, you’re also making a bet that your device will keep working into the future, after countless rounds of mandatory system updates. And usually, it does! But every once in a while, something goes wrong. And for that small handful of consumers, that’s where the real trouble begins. [More]
