Big Tech and Big Talk: Did tech giants deliver on any of their promises in 2019?
Big Tech made a lot of promises and commitments in 2019 regarding sustainability, data privacy, and other fundamental concerns plaguing the industry. But as the year progressed, companies like Apple and Google began contradicting their words. As we reach 2019's end, most of those promises have fallen apart.
Sony’s noise-canceling WH-1000XM3 headphones are my gadget of the decade
In the last decade, hundreds of new tech products made it to the market. However, no gadget has had more impact on my life than the one I acquired just a couple of months ago -- Sony’s noise-canceling WH-1000XM3 headphones. Here's why they've had such an impact on my life.
Update your Twitter app right now if you’re on Android
Twitter says it has patched a vulnerability inside its Android app that could have potentially let malicious actors view information of private accounts, take over profiles, and send direct messages as well as tweets on the target account’s behalf through an intricate back-end process.
Is 2020 going to be a make-or-break year for Google hardware?
Google's hardware wing didn't have a particularly pleasant 2019. Its phones weren't selling all that well, Google Home shipments dipped, it pulled the plug on tablets, and more. As rical companies extend their lead, 2020 could be Google's one last shot at being a successful hardware maker.
Google gets tough with Turkey, suspends Android services amid regulations fight
Google is pulling out all the stops to overturn an anticompetitive watchdog’s ruling in Turkey. Weeks after a local competition board declared that Google exercises an unfair advantage for pushing its own search engine, it has informed partners that it’s suspending Android services in Turkey.
Ringtones become smarter with the new alarm feature for the Lenovo Alarm Clock
Google has today announced a new update for the Assistant-powered Lenovo Smart Clock that brings smart and contextual alarm ringtones. Called Impromptu, the new feature takes into account factors such as the time and weather and automatically switches to an alarm tune that best fits the scenario.
This could be our first look at an upcoming midrange OnePlus phone
OnePlus might be gearing up to return to the midrange phone market next year. A new report offers the first look at a supposed OnePlus 8 Lite, a relatively affordable option in the company’s forthcoming OnePlus 8 line of phones. The renders reveal a familiar all-glass exterior and dual rear camera setup.
You can now set your notes app of choice as the default on Google Assistant
At long last and after several weeks in beta, Google is rolling out Google Assistant’s third-party notes and lists app integration. Originally announced last year at the Google I/O event, the new feature lets you directly plug in your notes and lists app of choice to the Google Assistant.
Amazon introduces a portable, battery-powered Echo smart speaker in India
Amazon has introduced the first portable, Echo-branded smart speaker in India. Called the Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker Edition, it functions like any other Echo device, with the exception of a 4,800mAh battery, which means it doesn’t have to be constantly plugged in.
Call of Duty: Mobile is Google’s Android game of the year
Google has announced its Best of Play annual winners. The list highlights apps and games that Google thinks represented the best of Android over the past year and also includes a User’s Choice section which reveals the results of the polls Google has been running for the last couple of weeks.
YouTube was (yet again) the most downloaded iPhone app in 2019
Apple has released its annual list of what it believes were the year’s best apps and games across iOS, macOS, and tvOS and the trends which dominated their app stores. On top of that, the company revealed the apps and games that bagged the highest number of downloads over the course of the past year.
You will soon be able to migrate your Facebook photos and videos to Google Photos
Facebook will soon let you easily migrate your photos and videos to other services like Google Photos. In a blog post, the social network said it’s rolling out a new tool in Ireland that allows you to transfer your Facebook media without having to manually download and upload it someplace else.
Quit losing things: Score a free Google Nest Mini on these Tile Tracker combos
Best Buy is throwing in a free Google Nest Mini -- which normally sells for $50 and is currently retailing for $19 -- with a handful of combo packs of Tile’s latest trackers. The deal is available on Tile Sticker and Mate 4-packs and a bunch of mixed combos.
Best Buy discounts Apple HomePod and Google Home by up to $100 for Black Friday
Best Buy has slashed $100 off of the Apple HomePod and $50 from the Google Home . The fresh deals bring the Apple HomePod down to $200 from its sticker $300 price and the Google Home is available for $50 instead of its usual $100 cost.
Keep all your kids busy for 3 months: Grab Amazon FreeTime Unlimited for $1
In addition to deep discounts on its Echo range of devices, Amazon is heavily discounting its subscription service for kids, FreeTime Unlimited, for Black Friday. Three months of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited’s family plan -- which normally would cost you $30 -- is right now available for just a dollar.
Google now bundles 3 months of free Disney+ on new Chromebooks
Google is offering 3 months of complimentary Disney+ subscription with every new Chromebook purchase. The offer was silently added to a long-running list of Chrome OS freebies and is available for buyers who activate a new Chromebook between November 25 and January 31, 2020.
HP knocks $250 off of its premium Chromebook x360 for Black Friday
HP is knocking $250 off of one of the best Chrome OS computers available on the market, the Chromebook x360 ahead of Black Friday. The sale, which is already live on Best Buy, brings the Chromebook’s usual $600 price down to $350. The Chromebook x360 has a set of premium hardware and a 360-degree hinge.
Private data of some Facebook and Twitter users leaked through malicious apps
Facebook and Twitter said private data of “hundreds of their users” was compromised through malicious third-party Android apps. The social media companies were tipped off by a team of security researchers who discovered a SDK allowed developers to access personal information of some of their users.
