Last month, Google announced that the Nest Hub would start showing Air Quality (AQI) information in the US. Many are now seeing a new setting in the Google Home app, though the actual reading is not yet widely rolled out on Smart Displays.
Opening the Google Home app and navigating to device settings will show “Air quality” as a new option in the “Photo Frame” menu. It appears underneath…
Comment: Tensor is Google’s chance to reboot the Pixelbook & offer its own Chromebook lineup
September 10, 2021
Google’s chip ambitions have always been rumored to go beyond the smartphone and eventually be used for Chromebooks. A report last week pegged 2023 as when we’ll see such a computer. There are many open questions about what the resulting Chrome OS device(s) will look…
Samsung September 2021 security update is now rolling out for these Galaxy devices
September 10, 2021
After years of Google taking the lead in rolling out security updates to their phones, Samsung has consistently been the one to debut a new month’s Android update in recent months. The September 2021 security update is no different, with Samsung having rolled out the…
Google Photos auto-generated Memories collections are expanding at an increasing rate, and the “Like royalty” collection showcases large palatial properties and stately homes.
At face value, this is undoubtedly a very British addition/collection, as stately homes are effectively just large, impressive country houses that would likely have been occupied by royalty or very rich landowners. In…
Fairphone 3 discontinued, still promised Android 11 in 2022
September 10, 2021
The most prominent sustainable and partially modular Fairphone 3 is now being discontinued after two years on the market.
In the mobile space, there are very few smartphones that offer and even promote user replacement parts and servicing. Launching back in 2019, the…
Google Fit passes 100 million installs on Android, beating Fitbit app to the milestone
September 10, 2021
The Google Fit app makes it relatively simple for users to pull in health data from Wear OS smartwatches, as well as other products and services, into a single location, but it’s still one of the least in-depth offerings out there today. However, Google Fit’s simplicity…
Gmail Material You redesign starts rolling out on Android 12 [Update: How to install]
September 10, 2021
Gmail on the web is set to get a navigation revamp this summer, while the Android app is now beginning to roll out a Material You redesign.
Update 9/5: The Material You redesign of Gmail for Android is rolling out with version 2021.08.24.394054613 — not 2021.08.24.394054657 as was previously widely linked to.
For some reason, this revamp is not enabled with the absolute latest release of…
Germany reportedly pushing EU to require 7 years of updates on Android, iOS devices
September 10, 2021
Long-term support is a key issue for smartphones, especially as Android smartphone makers are being pressured to offer faster and more consistent software updates. While many are asking for minimal improvements, Germany wants both Android and iOS devices to be getting…
Google Weather redesign widely rolls out on Android [U]
September 10, 2021
After initial testing in May, Google today has widely rolled out a redesign of Android’s default Weather app. Part of Google Search, the experience was overdue for a modernization.
Update 9/9: As of today, the new Google Weather is widely available for all Android…
Google Pixel 6 specs: ‘Tensor’ chip, 120Hz display, 4x zoom, under-display fingerprint
September 10, 2021
Seemingly to outdo itself from two years ago, Google today announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in an early teaser well ahead of the formal launch later this year. While Google is keeping some specifics close to its chest, we’re getting a pretty good idea of what the Pixel 6 specs will bring to the table.
Google Tensor chip
To kick things off, let’s talk about the biggest thing these phones…