It’s hard to do justice to each incremental Android 12 Beta update, but Beta 4 added some notable features that we missed in our initial hands-on sweep.
Without getting bogged down in the details, Android 12 Beta 4 will likely be among the last before we see the full release, which will probably be within the next six weeks. Tons of bugs and problems have been ironed out since we first…
Google Chrome is redesigning the Incognito tab, possibly in response to $5 billion lawsuit
August 17, 2021
Some sort of “private mode” is a standard feature of any browser now, and with Google Chrome, it’s called “Incognito” browsing. With some new updates, though, Google is updating the look of this useful feature.
Live now in the Canary version of Chrome on Android…
Asus has been perhaps the biggest name in gaming smartphones for the past couple of years, and that continued earlier this year with the debut of the ROG Phone 5. Today, the Asus ROG Phone 5s has arrived with an upgraded chipset.
The Asus ROG Phone 5s is a relatively minor…
Google Contacts is the first big Material You redesign with Dynamic Color, UI tweaks [Updated]
August 17, 2021
Material You can be seen in various parts of the system on Android 12. The next big step for the company’s new design language is app updates, and that started with Google Camera seeing some tweaks this month. Google Contacts is now the inaugural first-party app to get a sizable Material You redesign.
Update 8/16: Just over two weeks after the Google Contacts Material You redesign started…
WhatsApp will soon be able to transfer messages between iPhone and Android [Update: rolling out]
August 17, 2021
WhatsApp made an appearance during Samsung’s Unpacked event, revealing that it would soon be possible to transfer messages between iOS and Android devices, starting with Samsung Galaxy phones.
Update: The ability to transfer messages has begun to roll out with the latest…
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 is very clearly still a product that favors Galaxy smartphone owners, but it seems like the product is opening up a bit more compared to past generations. Not only does the Galaxy Watch 4 support charging from Google’s Pixel 5, but it even seems…
Android’s latest accessibility feature lets you control your phone w/ facial expressions [gallery]
August 17, 2021
Android has a lot of neat accessibility features for those with special needs, including the ability to use natural language to control your phone. Now, Android phones are getting the ability to control your phone using only facial expressions in Android.
Google has long supported “Switch Access” as an accessibility feature that allows accessories to be used over Bluetooth or USB to…
Items 120a and 120b in the illustration are a pair of touch-sensitive strips positioned at a 45-degree angle. Click to enlarge.
Canon has filed a patent application for what has to be one of the most interesting camera designs we’ve ever seen. Japanese patent…
Roblox acquires game chat startup Guilded
August 16, 2021
A new GamesBeat event is around the corner! Learn more about what comes next.
Roblox, the maker of user-generated games and other content, said it has acquired the startup Guilded, a maker of platform for connecting gaming communities.
Roblox didn’t disclose the…
Teen Finds Entire Leica M Camera Kit at Church Sale for $15
August 16, 2021
According to his Facebook profile, 16-year-old Tyler B. of Detroit, Michigan is into BMX, snowboarding and tennis. Soon, he may be into photography also. And who wouldn’t be, after scoring a complete Leica M outfit, that is considered a dream camera rig, for just $15?
Last Friday, Tyler sauntered around the local church garage sale for about an hour with his friend, casually searching for old…