Read more: How to shuffle on Spotify
THE SHORT ANSWER
from Android Authority https://ift.tt/a2pNn4z
Read more: How to shuffle on Spotify
THE SHORT ANSWER
Instagram is the ideal platform for sharing visual content like photos and videos. As you may know, whenever a user posts a photo to their Instagram account, they publish a caption with it that describes the content, gives it context, and is optimized with hashtags. However, did you know that you could see captions—or subtitles—on Instagram videos, too? Let’s discuss how to turn captions on or off on Instagram videos.
Read more: How to turn YouTube closed captions on or off
Users wanting multi-day battery life from the upcoming Google Pixel Watch may be in for a disappointment.
The Pixel Watch was unveiled at Google I/O, after years of rumors and anticipation. One of the main questions was what kind of battery the wearable would have and how long it would last. According to 9to5Google’s source, the new watch will feature a 300mAh battery that will last up to one day on a full charge.
Despite an average increase in internal storage capacities of electronics over the years, a trusty USB drive is still essential for anyone’s gear bag. However, as USB-A ports start to vanish, people might be looking for a great stick with USB-C support. If that’s you, then this SanDisk deal shouldn’t be missed!
Today and for a limited time, Amazon has the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe on sale. The 128GB variant is just $36.99, a savings of 38% off its usual $59.99 price. That’s the lowest price on record for this product.
Samsung, once a leader in the LCD market, is getting out of the business as a result of several factors.
Samsung has long been known as one of the top display makers in the industry, with its screens used in TVs, smartphones, tablets, and more. Despite its success, according to The Korea Times, the company is exiting the business due to falling prices and increased competition from Taiwanese and Chinese companies.
The Sony Playstation 5 is a massive leap forward for console gaming and has technically been on the market since late 2020, though many of us have struggled to buy one due to stock shortages. At the time of the PS5’s announcement, many wondered if Sony would continue to meaningfully support VR during the PS5 generation. We got our answer in February 2021, as Sony finally confirmed it was working on the PSVR 2. And then it was radio silence — at least until recently.
In the last few months, we’ve learned a fair amount about the PSVR 2 and its new controllers. Here’s everything we know about the PSVR 2, as well as some rumors and speculation to help fill in the gaps.
The year is 2012. Nokia is still on top of the smartphone world, but Apple is knocking on its door. Ice Cream Sandwich and its Holo design aesthetic have been making their (slow) way to some Android phones. The Android Market has just been rebranded to Google Play. 720p displays are hot, quad-core processors are at the bleeding edge, and a phone with a 5.3″ display is considered a “phablet.”
The year is 2012 and Samsung is rising like a rocket in the mobile market by perfecting a strategy it established two years prior with the first Galaxy S phone. It’s building a flagship line that competes with Apple, runs Google’s platform and application store, offers the best specifications, and is available in as many countries and on as many carriers as possible like Nokia once was. After the decent success of the Galaxy S and the incredible rise of the Galaxy S2 which firmly established Samsung as a worldwide contender and not a one-hit-wonder, the Galaxy S3 had big shoes to fill when it launched on May 29, 2012. Ten whole years ago.
In the world of audio, few companies can compare with Bose. Bose headphones, in particular, are some of the highest-rated on the market. But, alas, they are also some of the most expensive. But we have some Bose deals today that could soften the blow!
Right now, at Amazon, you can grab Bose true wireless earbuds at various discounts. The best discount is on the company’s well-received Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling earbuds, which land at 29% off the usual list price of $279. That nabs you a set of the ‘buds for just under $200.
Earlier this month, Xiaomi took the wraps off its latest budget-focused fitness tracker, the Mi Band 7. As expected, this was yet another reliably cheap but fully featured tracker.
However, it looks like Xiaomi could have an upgraded version in the works. As spotted by GSM Arena, Xiaomi has listed — possibly accidentally — a Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro. The listing was found in a Xiaomi app.
At Google I/O 2022, the company showed off official renders of the upcoming Google Pixel 7 series. As expected, the phones look very similar to the Pixel 6 series with some subtle tweaks here and there.
However, we now have some real-life images of what the phone could look like thanks to a leaked prototype. The images appeared on an eBay auction, which has now been removed.
Over the past few months, businesses in India have been increasingly using Rich Communication Services (RCS) to deliver ads and other promotional messages. The practice reached a tipping point recently, with many users reportedly receiving multiple such messages every day. To make matters worse, the senders were often labeled as a “Verified Business” in the Google Messages app.
Now, Google India has issued a statement to Android Authority, acknowledging the issue.
The Nintendo Switch has been in high demand for months, but with the Nintendo Switch OLED Model announced recently, we’re now starting to see the consoles return to the shelves at their retail price. Although there aren’t many doorbuster deals on the original consoles, there are offers on many Switch-related products. We’ve rounded up the best Nintendo Switch deals available right now.
Read more: Nintendo Switch buying guide: Everything you need to know
While Switch consoles are primarily full price, there are some big discounts on top games and accessories available across the web.
The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is the best of the best when it comes to gaming. It’s well worth the retail price of $69.99, but for the first time we’ve recorded, it’s down to just $54.99 ($15 off) on Amazon right now.
Although the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons are innovative and interesting, they are quite cramped for long play sessions. Not only that, but their battery life isn’t the greatest due to how small and thin they are.
See also: Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite
Metro by T-Mobile is the no-contract subsidiary of T-Mobile that was previously known as MetroPCS. Whatever name it uses, it has some excellent deals on both plans and phones. We have the best current Metro by T-Mobile deals you can get right now. Many of the deals are in-store only, so you’ll need to check your location carefully.
See also: Metro by T-Mobile buyer’s guide
A Korean news outlet has made the incredulous claim that Samsung could skip Exynos chipset launches in 2023 and 2024 ahead of an ambitious high-end Samsung chipset releasing in 2025.
If confirmed, this could mean Samsung’s Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 phones would be exclusively powered by Snapdragon silicon. What do you think of the prospect of Galaxy flagships only using Snapdragon power though? That’s what we asked last week and here’s what you said.
Original article: May 21, 2022 (7:00 AM): The last time Google launched an Android-based tablet was in 2015 with the Google Pixel C. After that one-and-done device, it switched things up by launching the Google Pixel Slate, based on Chrome OS. After that also failed to gain traction, Google formally announced it was exiting the tablet market completely. However, here we are writing about the imminent launch of a Google Pixel Tablet — a new Android-based tablet from Google.
Regardless of Google’s start-and-stop history with tablets, this is an exciting new product. In this article, we will tell you everything we know so far about the Google Pixel Tablet. Further down, we will tell you a few things we hope to see, too.
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 4 later this year, being the latest version of its groundbreaking foldable. We’ve already seen a few rumors related to specs, and now a trusted leaker has apparently issued a comprehensive spec sheet.
Update: May 20, 2022 (1:34 AM ET): HTC has confirmed that its Metaverse phone is facing delays. The company posted on Facebook that the device has been delayed due to global supply chain constraints.
Original article: March 2, 2022 (12:30 PM ET): HTC is still releasing the occasional phone these days, although these are budget-tier devices rather than its flagships of yore. The company doesn’t seem to be giving up on its blockbuster aspirations yet though.
HTC Asia-Pacific general manager Charles Huang told Digitimes (h/t: WinFuture) that the company will launch a “metaverse phone” next month. Presumably, this simply means a phone with VR and AR applications.
The phone will reportedly be a high-end offering, although we’re not sure if this means it’ll be a flagship phone or if it’s simply more premium than the firm’s most recent (budget-level) devices.
HTC’s so-called metaverse phone also comes a while after Google and Samsung both effectively abandoned their own VR efforts. Google discontinued its Daydream VR platform for smartphones in 2019 while Samsung ended support for its Gear VR platform and services in 2020.
We don’t have our hopes up for an AR/VR phone if Google and Samsung couldn’t do it, although VR is one of HTC’s few strengths these days thanks to its Vive business. The company’s Vive headsets are well-known in the PC space, and its got plenty of VR content via its VivePort portal.
It’s been two years since the original AirPods Pro launched. Needless to say, they are long overdue for a refresh. We’re calling Apple’s next pair of premium wireless earbuds the AirPods Pro 2, but Apple may end up naming them a bit differently, possibly “AirPods Pro 2nd generation.” Nevertheless, the TWS buds are not a complete mystery, thanks to multiple rumors, reports by industry insiders, and leaks. Here’s everything we know about the AirPods Pro 2.
When the Pixel Tablet was first revealed, at Google I/O 2022 earlier in May, the understandable focus of most people was on how Google was planning to evolve Android’s lackluster tablet segment. While devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 have their fans, Android as a whole hasn’t had enough tablet-optimized apps, and aspects like multitasking have been in dire need of attention. Google’s announcements were promising.
Those of us tracking the smart home world noticed some other unique things about the Pixel Tablet, ones which could tie into rumors about Google’s smart display plans. If that thinking proves correct, the Pixel Tablet could signal the future of the smart display industry.
In case you missed it, Eric Migicovsky, the founder of Pebble, wants to bring back the small Android phone. He’s gone so far as to put together a website and begin collecting signatures on a petition. It’s a great goal — as a smaller person, I like smaller phones that even I can use with one hand. However, Migicovsky’s wishlist paints a picture of the small Android phone that never was. It glosses over some pretty big issues that stand in the way of bringing back beloved small phones.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and tear his wishlist apart. I’d love to see the phone come to fruition. That said, it’s important to sit back and think about why small phones went away in the first place. After all, if the market was genuinely clamoring for them, don’t you think we’d still have a few to choose from?
Whenever we talk about telescopic lenses on smartphones, we tend to focus (hah) on their ability to grab clear and noise-less pictures from afar. That’s what they’re made for, right? But in the past few months, I’ve found myself reaching out for my Pixel 6 Pro not just to snap a picture but also to simply just zoom. And zoom some more. And a bit more. Then just back out of the camera app without tapping the shutter button. Why?
Well, because the world is full of situations where you want to discern something from a distance but can’t. I’m human, I have 20/20 vision, and yet, I can’t read the airport departure board from 50m away, or spot a bus’ number when it’s still at the far end of the street, or see the menu behind a long queue of people waiting to place their order.
Remember when watching TV in the summer months was mostly catching up on reruns or maybe checking out some new reality or game shows? Not anymore. The summer 2022 TV shows that are coming to streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV Plus, and HBO Max include some of their biggest scripted series of the year. From Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends, you can expect to stream and watch big-budget Star Wars and Marvel shows, some returning favorites, and most interestingly, two big high fantasy franchise shows launching just two weeks apart.
Read more: Best Streaming Services
While some of its early hype has died down, the concept of gamification — rewarding mundane tasks by turning them into games — has not only survived, but thoroughly wedged itself into society. It’s especially commonplace when it comes to digital learning and fitness tracking, so much so that you probably don’t even think about it when you fire up an app like Google Fit or Duolingo.
There are certainly benefits to gamification, but it may be no surprise that the push for it is actually backfiring in some cases, making people want to ignore these systems or quit the very things they’re encouraging us to do. I’m going to focus on fitness, since that’s my specialty, but it should be easy to recognize the problems I’m talking about in many other apps and platforms.
As I scrolled through my social media feed earlier last week, I came across several reports claiming that businesses in India were abusing the RCS messaging standard to broadcast unsolicited advertisements. I’d personally never used RCS for an extended period of time — most third-party SMS apps don’t support it, and almost everyone around me uses WhatsApp anyway. Nevertheless, I decided to set Google Messages as my phone’s default text messaging app to see if there was any truth to those claims.
I was greeted by my first RCS advertisement (pictured at the top of the post) within the first hour of switching back to Google Messages. It didn’t offer a way to opt out of receiving future communication, something you’d expect from a traditional SMS message or email.
More screen space, more productivity. Is it really that simple? After using an ultrawide monitor for over a year, there are a few things I wish I’d known before investing in a big, expensive ultrawide screen for my daily work.
Here’s my take on what it’s like to use an ultrawide monitor for productivity.
Newer doesn’t necessarily mean better, especially when it comes to new wearables. Now that Xiaomi has finally lifted the lid on the Xiaomi Mi Band 7, you probably wonder how it stacks up against the Mi Band 6. The Mi Band series has long stood among the best wearables for users on a budget, but can the Mi Band 7 continue this trend? Or should you invest in a Mi Band 6 instead? Read on for more.
See also: The best affordable fitness trackers
Managing all of your passwords can be a hassle. It’s a good practice to write them down and keep them somewhere safe, but there may come a time when you can’t find a particular password. The same can be said for stale passwords, which you should get into the routine of changing for security reasons. Amazon gives you the option to change or reset your password whenever you want. Let’s review how to change or reset your password on Amazon.
Read more: How to check the balance on Amazon gift cards
Users hoping for a new-fangled display for the Pixel 7 series may be in for a disappointment, with new rumors indicating the display will be largely unchanged. The Pixel 6 series featured a significant upgrade to the display tech Google used compared to previous versions of the Pixel line. While users shouldn’t expect a similar leap forward with the 7, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
First spotted by 9to5Google, Google has released some new specs that seem to indicate the Pixel 7 series will feature the same basic display tech as the Pixel 6 series. This means that the baseline Pixel 7 will have up to 90Hz refresh rate, just like the 6, while the Pro model will bump that up to 120Hz, just like the 6 Pro.
What’s new on Hulu in June? The Disney-owned streamer is rolling out some exciting titles, including the return of Star Trek spoof The Orville, a new season of Only Murders in the Building, queer rom-com Fire Island, and other popular shows and movies like the Alien, Predator, and Die Hard franchises.
Read more: The best Hulu originals
Google Drive has finally added support for two basic features, features it arguably should have had from the beginning.
The first major addition is multi-text selection, much like Microsoft Word. Unfortunately, unlike Word, Google Drive requires a total of four keyboard shortcuts to select multiple sections of text. Those shortcuts are:
Good news for gamers as Sony promises to increase production of its PS5 to get more units in customers’ hands.
The PS5 is the most advanced console Sony has ever shipped. The only problem is that it hasn’t shipped enough units. In fact, Sony sold 3.1 million more PS4s at the same point in its life as it has the PS5, although not because of a lack of demand. According to Gizmodo, the company plans to increase production to “levels that [it has] never achieved before.”
So far, Google has launched two developer previews and two betas for Android 13, with a subtle point upgrade landing on May 26. These are early versions of the operating system. Although anyone can download and install the latest beta, the software will be unstable, so install it at your own risk.
See also: Everything we know so far about Android 13
Earlier this month, during Google I/O 2022, the Big G dropped the second beta of Android 13. We expected the third beta to launch sometime in June, but some issues within the second beta simply couldn’t wait, it seems.
Today, Google dropped Android 13 beta 2.1. This is a subtle upgrade over this month’s earlier beta. It doesn’t appear to bring any new features, but it does fix some of the very annoying bugs users have faced since Google I/O.
YouTube is among the top social media platforms out there, with over 2.6 billion monthly active users, second only to Facebook, which has over 2.9 billion monthly active users. Needless to say, it’s one of the best places for online advertising, and Google has capitalized on all these views with video ads. Most of us don’t mind video advertisements, as long as we can skip them. The problem is that sometimes we can’t skip ads on YouTube. Why is this?
Read: The best free YouTube TV shows
Star Wars is back on Disney Plus, with Obi-Wan Kenobi, a brand new series about the Jedi Master during the years between the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and the original 1977 Star Wars. Fans have a lot to look forward to, including special appearances by legacy characters as well as characters and settings from the Star Wars “Expanded Universe.” So, how well do you know Star Wars? Take this Star Wars quiz and see how well you do.
With three cinematic trilogies, two stand-alone feature films, a growing number of animated and live-action series, video games, and a huge library of tie-in novels and comic books, there’s a lot of Star Wars to get through for hungry fans. A lot of these titles overlap, but you don’t need to watch, play, or read all of them to get into the franchise. The extra background may help you get through our Star Wars quiz though.