“A social network for music” is how Steve Jobs described iTunes Ping in September 2010. I still think it’s a good idea that has the chance of being realized at scale by YouTube Music and its new ability to access comments directly on the Now Playing screen.
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I wish Android 14 inspired as many app updates as iOS 17 did
Whenever Apple releases a major OS update, as it did last Monday with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10, developers – both large but especially indie – release a slew of day one updates to support the latest platform features.
Expand Expanding CloseI’m a diehard Android user, but here’s what I liked and hated about iPhone 15 Pro after day one
For the last decade, I’ve been a diehard Android user, with the only iOS device really in my personal lineup being an iPad Pro. But, this week, I took delivery of an iPhone 15 Pro, and after a day using it, I’ve got… well, a whole lot of thoughts.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle should go viral with a real iPager, and what actually gets RCS on the iPhone
Before Google started “Get The Message,” its campaign to pressure Apple on RCS for the iPhone played out in press interviews, tweets, and even on-stage at I/O:
Expand Expanding CloseDoes the YouTube brand eventually replace Google TV?
Like YouTube Music replacing Play Music, I do wonder if Google TV will eventually be subsumed by YouTube from a product and branding perspective.
Expand Expanding CloseA look back at Essential Phone, the Android phone that beat iPhone 15 Pro to titanium
Apple this week launched the iPhone 15 Pro, its first smartphone made with a titanium frame. That launch will bring the material to the masses, but it also reminds us of 2017’s Essential Phone, the short-lived Android phone that had a premium build that was so far ahead of its time.
Expand Expanding CloseWhat if Gmail and Google Calendar were built for people, not just businesses
Gmail and Google Calendar are enterprise apps first and foremost. They are developed by the Google Workspace team, which is part of Google Cloud, and target business customers to compete against Microsoft.
Expand Expanding CloseMy Pixel Fold is just a small phone – I really don’t open it
My initial thoughts about the Pixel Fold were focused on how I love it as Google’s smallest phone and that what’s next for me would be using the foldable screen more.
Expand Expanding CloseThere’s actually a lot to get excited about with the Google Pixel 8
Smartphones have, over the past several years, gotten more than a little boring. While the Google Pixel 6 series was a big deal, its sequel wasn’t really anything special. Soon, though, the Pixel 8 series will make its debut, and really, there’s quite a bit to get excited about.
Expand Expanding CloseUsing Google Cast in a car is cool, I guess the self-driving Waymo was too
I’ve been writing about Waymo from afar since 2017, so finally being able to actually use the product was a trip, literally. Last week in San Francisco, I took two Waymo One rides as a completely normal passenger.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 14 for Google Pixel is not out yet
Instead of the stable release of Android 14 for Pixel phones, as well as the Fold and Tablet, we got a series of Google app updates and updated branding this morning. While unexpected, this isn’t Google’s latest OS release just yet.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Pass: Why it might have died, and a reminder not to buy solely on promises of the future
This week, Google announced that it would discontinue its Pixel Pass subscription service after less than two years – before subscribers could actually reap some of the benefits of the subscription they thought they had been paying for.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Now was the better phone assistant, no AI or LLMs needed
The other day I was manually entering upcoming events that were listed on a website into Google Calendar. Several years ago, I could just activate Google Now on Tap and have most of that information automatically filled.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter the Pixel Fold, would you go back to a non-foldable?
The Pixel Fold launched 3-4 months before the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. If you just bought a Google foldable and are mostly happy with it, I highly doubt the 8 series will cause you to change your daily driver.
Expand Expanding CloseFitbit should make a premium fitness tracker if it’s done with smartwatches
It’s clear that the Pixel Watch is Fitbit’s top priority. While the Sense 2 advanced on health features and sensors, it regressed on smartwatch functionality by dropping Google Assistant, offline music, and third-party apps. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 2022 watch lineup ends up being Fitbit’s last.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Nvidia Shield TV still holds up four years later, but it’s due for a refresh
For the longest time, the Nvidia Shield TV was the only truly good device running on top of Android TV OS, but now there are many. Four years later, the latest-generation Shield TVs are still fantastic but are due for an update.
Expand Expanding CloseFace Unlock on the Pixel 7 has been fine, but what is its future
With the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro last October, Google reintroduced Face Unlock to its phones after abandoning the Pixel 4’s approach.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s emoji are bad
Emoji were once just a fun little addition to text messages, but at this point, they’re a very important part of how most of us communicate with one another. That’s why it needs to be said that, even after the latest update, Samsung’s emoji are just bad.
Expand Expanding CloseWhat if Google Pixel moved away from yearly product cycles
One of my continued takeaways with the Pixel Fold is that you can feel how many iterations — three by our count — it underwent before launch. Additional development time leads to better products, and I wonder what would happen if that was applied to flagship phones (Pixel 6, 7, 8, etc).
Expand Expanding CloseMini-review: Using the Pixel Fold as Google’s smallest phone
Google has put out some relatively small phones, but they were never really true mini or compact devices. Rather, they were just on the smaller side of average, with the new design language introduced by the Pixel 6 increasing the display dimensions. I’ve mostly been using the Pixel Fold as Google’s smallest phone (by screen size) in the current lineup, and it’s been interesting.
Expand Expanding CloseSo, what’s stopping you from getting a foldable? [Poll]
Foldable smartphones have reached their fifth major generation, as heralded by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, and the major expansion of brands that are stepping up to the plate. With so many options out there, what’s stopping you from getting a foldable?
Expand Expanding CloseAll messaging services should offer Wear OS apps
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Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 are the best kind of boring, but that can’t happen again
When you look at Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 in the context of the past couple of foldable releases, they’re really boring, but that isn’t a bad thing, at least for now.
Expand Expanding CloseThe upsetting lack of AODs on Android tablets
The main idea behind the Pixel Tablet is that the form factor needs to do something besides run Android on a large screen. Google’s solution to this was including a Charging Speaker Dock to let it double as a Smart Display. In this Hub Mode, a device that would otherwise be doing nothing can show photos and/or the time. You get an always-on display (AOD) of sorts, with other brands also offering something similar, but it does not excuse how all Android tablets should really have a standard AOD.
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