Google Home Now Accepts Two Commands at Once

How many times have you shouted at your Google Home unit, “OK Google, play my Rick James playlist!” and then had to do a second “OK Google” command to crank it to 11? I know, happens all the time, right? You, a fresh White Russian, sunglasses at night, your best track suit, no one else around, and Super Freak on repeat. Typical Thursday evening.
Guess what? You can now do that in a single command! Well, you can do two commands at once now on Google Home and Google Home Mini (still just $29 right now). In other words, as you mix that heavy cream and vodka tonight, you can say, “OK Google, play Super Freak and turn volume to 10.” That’s kind of amazing.
I’m sure there are other combos you can think of, like turning on your TV and also dimming the lights for re-runs of Vampire Diaries. Not all double-combos work, though. I just told Google to add beer to my shopping list and also remind me to buy beer later today and it said, “Yeah, no go on that, bruh.”
Either way, play with it! Do multiple things and see how it goes. If anything, this is a head start on Google Home and Assistant’s eventual Routines arrival where a single command will string together multiple actions. Speaking of Routines, we need those now, Google.
OK Google, give us Routines and play “Super Freak.”
// CNET
Google Home Now Accepts Two Commands at Once is a post from: Droid Life
Google Home Now Accepts Two Commands at Once

Cricket’s New Unlimited Deal Gets You 4 Lines for $100

We don’t often see deals on data plans from carriers during the holidays, as most instead work angles to entice you into cheaper hardware. Cricket Wireless isn’t about that life, though, and will launch a deal tomorrow (December 1) that’ll get you 4 lines of unlimited data for just $100 per month.
The deal is for 4 lines of their Unlimited 2 plan. The Unlimited 2 plan normally costs $55/mo as an individual plan, so you can see the savings you are getting here at $100 for 4 lines. Understand that because of the discount, this deal is not eligible for an auto pay discount or a Group Save discount.
What’s the catch here? The Unlimited 2 Cricket plan has some major limitations. For one, your download speeds are always throttled to 3Mbps at all times. That’s down from the standard 8Mbps that Cricket usually limits customers to. If you use 22GB in a billing cycle on a line, it’ll be throttled to even slower speeds when Cricket’s network is seeing congestion. And second, your video streams only come across in SD (480p) when on mobile.
This Cricket Unlimited 2 plan does included unlimited texts from the US to 38 countries, along with data access, unlimited calling, and texting to, from, and in between the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Don’t need 4 lines? Cricket also has a deal running on 2 lines of Unlimited 2 for $80.
You can sign-up for Cricket service right here.
// Cricket Wireless
Cricket’s New Unlimited Deal Gets You 4 Lines for $100 is a post from: Droid Life
Cricket’s New Unlimited Deal Gets You 4 Lines for $100

Google Home Max Could Arrive December 11, Says Best Buy (and Google, Sort Of)

The arrival of Google Home Max has been mostly a mystery since it was announced back in October. While Google told us to expect the high-end speaker assistant in December, no specific date was ever given. Today, though, both Best Buy and the Google Store may have spilled the beans.
According to Best Buy’s listing for Google Home Max, Google’s newest speaker should be up for purchase on December 11. We’ve captured an image of that detail below, since there is a chance that Google asks Best Buy to pull it.

If that isn’t enough proof, a reference to December 11 also showed up at Google Home Max’s Google Store listing this week too. Thanks to the terms for a 12-month YouTube Red promotion that is accompanying purchases of Home Max, Google laid out dates for when the promotion is active. The exact wording is, “This YouTube Red 12-month trial promotion is only open to participants in the U.S. who purchase and activate a Google Home Max between December 11, 2017 and February 15, 2018.” See, there is December 11 once again.
This may not be definitive proof that December 11 is the day, but it’s at least a date we can mark on our calendars. And yes, I’ve got it marked because I want one of these bad boys. For those of you Xmas shopping for me, now you have an idea. 😉
Who else wants one?
// reddit
Google Home Max Could Arrive December 11, Says Best Buy (and Google, Sort Of) is a post from: Droid Life
Google Home Max Could Arrive December 11, Says Best Buy (and Google, Sort Of)

Google May Fold Nest Into Its Hardware Business, and That Would Make Sense

When Google bought Nest back in 2014 for billions of dollars in cash, they told us that Nest would continue on under its own “distinct brand identity.” Then when Google became Alphabet a little over a year later, that didn’t change and Nest still remained as its own separate entity. Google and Alphabet may be rethinking that move now and are reportedly considering folding Nest into Google’s hardware division, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Today’s report suggests that Nest and its 1,000 employees could join up with the likes of Rick Osterloh’s hardware group, which currently makes the Pixel phones, Pixelbook, Google Home, and other various products. By doing so, Google may be in a better position to continue this ongoing battle with Amazon over control of your home.
If you think about it, this makes a hell of a lot of sense. In fact, as a former Nest employee told the WSJ, the separation never did make much sense to begin with. Nest and Google likely already overlap in both manufacturing and retail distribution, plus they seem to have similar goals in mind. While Nest still focuses a lot on reinventing boring old home tech and making them cooler and more useful, both Google and Nest want their products in control of your life.
Google has spent their early smart home days creating Google Home and Cast-equipped units, but think about where they are missing out. Areas like cameras, thermostats, and security are logical next steps for them, yet Nest already makes all of that. I don’t know that I’d be happy to see the Nest brand go away, but the talent, design and manufacturing chops, and products are all there for Google to help push under their own hardware brand that they are heavily pushing at this point. Nest also seems to have stalled some in recent years, both in innovation and in new products. I’d imagine under the Google umbrella, they may get a fresh start.
What do you think? Should Nest stay separate or would you rather Google expand its own hardware business?
// Wall Street Journal
Google May Fold Nest Into Its Hardware Business, and That Would Make Sense is a post from: Droid Life
Google May Fold Nest Into Its Hardware Business, and That Would Make Sense

20+ OnePlus 5T Tips and Tricks!

Following up on our “OnePlus 5T: First 10 Things to Do!” video, we’ve now got the tips and tricks you’ve been waiting for. We often spend an extra amount of time explaining features and setup in that “First 10 Things” video, whereas this next OnePlus 5T tips and tricks feature is more of a rapid fire affair, where we try to tell you all that we can in under 20 minutes or so.
What you’ll find here is a set of tips for the OnePlus 5T that includes gesture setup and the ones we use, customizing your buttons (both physical and on-screen), looking for an icon pack, tweaking the status bar and its icons, choosing a theme, utilizing the audio tuner with your headphones, adjusting default apps, finding battery optimizations you may not have asked for or that are causing problems, and what kinds of advanced settings OnePlus has tucked away (like gaming DND).
So far, this OnePlus 5T, especially once you get to know all of these finer details, is turning out to be a heck of a phone. I can’t wait to share some final thoughts in our OnePlus 5T review. We’re hoping to have that ready within the next few days.
You can buy the OnePlus 5T over at the OnePlus store.
20+ OnePlus 5T Tips and Tricks! is a post from: Droid Life
20+ OnePlus 5T Tips and Tricks!

Microsoft Edge Browser Out of Preview for Android and iOS

Back in October, Microsoft launched its Edge browser in a preview for iOS and Android devices. This week, Preview is being dropped from the title and the app is getting an official launch for both operating systems.
To provide a quick breakdown, the Edge browser offers familiar features like Favorites, Reading List, New Tab Pages, a Reading View, as well as Roaming Passwords across your PC and phone. The big feature is the ability to be working on your phone, then instantly pop up the same browser page on your Windows 10 desktop computer.
Here’s what was added thanks to feedback by the community during the Preview phase.

Roaming Passwords – Save a new password on your phone, and it follows you to your PC. Get to what you need, regardless of where you are or what device you are currently working on.
Dark theme – You can now enjoy this popular theme on your phone, in addition to your PC.

If you want Microsoft’s browser app, follow the link below and grab it.
Google Play Link



// Microsoft
Microsoft Edge Browser Out of Preview for Android and iOS

Google Assistant Will Now Help You Find a Local Tradesman

Need the help of a local electrician, plumber, or house cleaner? Well, thanks to a sweet update for Google Assistant, the service can now help you pinpoint the perfect helper.
For example, you can say, “Ok Google, I need a plumber.” With that, Assistant will then list out a few related issues that a plumber can help you solve. There’s an option for clogged drain, faucet repair, etc. Once you choose an option, Google will confirm the address you need work at, then cross reference that with local plumbers near your area.
If everything looks good to you, you can directly call the business and schedule your service.
Now, a big part of this announcement is that in many cities Google Assistant will suggest providers that have been “prescreened by Google and companies like HomeAdvisor and Porch.” This may allow users to feel more confident that whoever they hire is right for the job. If you’re in a city that doesn’t have any available “guaranteed or screened providers,” you’ll still get an answer from the Assistant with nearby results.
Be on the lookout for this feature to hit your phone in the coming week.

// Google
Google Assistant Will Now Help You Find a Local Tradesman

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Massive Waze Update Brings ‘OK Waze’ Voice Command, Motorcycle Vehicle Option, and HOV Lane Support

If you use Waze over Google Maps, be on the lookout for a huge update that is rolling out this week. Inside, there are three big changes, all of which I will detail for you below.
As announced, users can now utilize an “OK Waze” voice prompt, which can then be used to navigate to an address, get an ETA, let you report something during your commute, plus a whole lot more. Waze already had Waze Voice Commands, but now, you can do everything without ever having to remove your hands from the steering wheel. Hooray for safety!
To turn this feature on, head to Settings > Sound & voice > Talk to Waze > Toggle Listen for “OK Waze” on.
Waze also added in a new vehicle type: Motorcycle. Being added to the existing list of Private and Taxi, this new option will allow two-wheeled vehicle riders to access specialized routes, more accurate arrival times, and more.
Lastly, Waze has added HOV (high occupancy vehicle) route support. If you live in an area that has such lanes (sometimes called diamond lanes or carpool lanes), these lanes will be now be used to designate the most optimal route. Thanks to the work of many in the Map Editor Community, HOV route support is open to residents of 22 US states, including California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas, and more.
If using this works for you, Waze details how to enable it, depending on which category you fall under.

If you ride with a full carpool crew, head to Settings > Navigation > Add Toll/HOV pass > Select from a pre-populated list of passes available in your area.
Have a fuel-efficient car? Go to Settings > Navigation > Vehicle Type.

The update is rolling out, so go grab it!
Google Play Link

HOV Route Support Overview



// Waze
Massive Waze Update Brings ‘OK Waze’ Voice Command, Motorcycle Vehicle Option, and HOV Lane Support

So Much for Samsung Keeping the Unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ Updated

Back in early August, I told you that Samsung was off to a heck of a start in keeping the US unlocked Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ up to date. It was worth pointing out at the time because many were hesitating on purchasing one thanks to Samsung’s terrible update record with the previous year’s unlocked Galaxy S7 line. Within the first couple of months, the US unlocked S8 and S8+ had seen two updates and were current with carrier models, something that almost never happened the year before. They even received one more in August with the August security patch after I gave Samsung praise.
After the August update showed up, though, Samsung stopped updating the unlocked S8 and S8+ for months.
Well, it did until today when Samsung pushed out a new update to the unlocked models as G950U1UEU2AQK2 and G955U1UEU2AQK2. So if we’re keeping track, Samsung issued three updates within the first three months of each phone’s existence, then stopped for almost three full months, while still updating the carrier variants. OK, then.
Today’s update includes stability improvements, “new and / or enhanced features” that aren’t detailed in the changelog, and the November security patch. It’s rolling out right now if you want it, just head into Settings>System update.
Last year, we all assumed that Samsung was updating the unlocked S7 line on a quarterly basis and were hoping Samsung wouldn’t do the same with its newest phones. A quarterly schedule is not exactly a great schedule, especially as these monthly security patches become more and more important. Since the unlocked S8 and S8+ stopped seeing updates, we’ve had both the Blueborne and KRACK vulnerabilities surface, both of which were incredibly serious and should have been patched as soon as possible. Samsung and its carrier partners updated carrier variants within weeks in some cases, yet the unlocked models haven’t been touched since August.
So in July we were close to recommending that you skip all carrier models and figure out a way to buy the unlocked S8 and S8+. Today, I’d suggest that you remain as skeptical about the update situation as we were with last year’s unlocked S7 line. Samsung is good one month and then not so much for an entire quarter. If you are worried about having the latest in security, these may not be the phones for you.
On a related note, it looks like the unlocked Galaxy Note 8 is getting a similar update today.
Cheers Jon and Allen!
So Much for Samsung Keeping the Unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ Updated

Verizon Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, and Note 5 Receive KRACK Fix

Four devices in the Samsung Galaxy lineup on Verizon are receiving security updates, all of which address the KRACK vulnerability.
Specifically, the Galaxy S6 (Build – G920VVRS4DQK1), Galaxy S6 Edge (G925VVRS4DQK1), Galaxy S6 Edge+ (G928VVRS3CQK1), and Galaxy Note 5 (N920VVRS3CQK1) are getting these updates, which also includes the November Android security patch. According to the changelogs, that is all that’s being updated.
If you still own of these Galaxy phones, go get that update.
// Verizon
Verizon Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, and Note 5 Receive KRACK Fix

Samsung Begins 2nd Gen 10nm Process Production, Likely for Snapdragon 845 and Your Next Phone

Samsung announced today that it has begun mass production on processors built on their 2nd generation 10nm FinFET process. While their press release didn’t say specifically, I think it’s safe to assume that this 2nd gen 10nm process will make its way into your next phone (Galaxy S9), likely in the form of the Snapdragon 845 or the next-gen Exynos chipset from Samsung.
We all know that Qualcomm and Samsung have teamed up for a decade-long partnership that allows Samsung to produce their premium Snapdragon chipsets. So if we look to last year in an attempt to see where today’s announcement is headed, the schedule of events that led up to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 started with Samsung announcing their first 10nm process mass production. Within a month of that happening, Qualcomm followed up with an unveiling of the Snapdragon 835, alongside Samsung.
Today, we’ve got the announcement of this 2nd gen 10nm processor that is built for “System-on-chip (SoC) products.” On December 5, Qualcomm is hosting their 2nd annual Snapdragon Technology Summit Keynote from Hawaii, where they’ll share announcements surrounding the platform. Since Samsung has unveiled their next-gen 10nm process, I’d be shocked if Qualcomm doesn’t give us the goods on the 845 next week.
Qualcomm plans to live stream the event starting at 10:30AM Pacific (1:30PM Eastern) at www.qualcomm.com.
Speculation aside, what’s the big deal with this 2nd generation 10nm process? Samsung is calling this 10LPP (Low Power Plus) and says to expect up to 10% higher performance or 15% lower power consumption compared to last year’s 1st gen 10nm process. That may not seem like a massive increase, but the Snapdragon 835 proved to be quite the efficient little beast. If we can see 10% and 15% improvements in those two key areas for the Snapdragon 845, I’m here for all of that.
// Samsung
Samsung Begins 2nd Gen 10nm Process Production, Likely for Snapdragon 845 and Your Next Phone

Latest Essential AMA: The Future and Andy Rubin, Oreo Beta Update, 2nd Gen Phone, More

The Essential team gathered for another AMA over at reddit today, even as news was breaking surrounding the company’s founder, Andy Rubin. Rubin’s reported leave of absence didn’t stop the team from fielding questions about future support for the Essential Phone with Rubin’s involvement now up in the air, as well as other concerns related to the phone’s next Oreo update, bug squashing, their 2nd generation phone, etc.
To get things started, they seriously did field a question about Rubin and his leave. A redditor asked if any Essential member could comment on the situation and whether or not they could assure us that the phone/company would continue to see support. Their answer:
We absolutely will be continuing to support the PH-1 device including security patches, more camera features and additional worldwide carrier support throughout the lifecycle of the PH-1 device. We still have plenty of work, continued release milestones on the roadmap, and new features we want to deliver from the great feedback we get in these AMAs. We are looking forward to supporting you guys for a long time.
As expected, that isn’t exactly anyone addressing the Rubin situation, but being a company bigger than a single person, it’s no surprise that they plan to continue to support their first phone “for a long time.”
Alright, with that out of the way, onto the rest of the AMA.
Oreo Beta update coming next week
Since several are asking, we are targeting to release Oreo Beta v.2 to our website next week as an update to the existing Oreo beta build. General fixes in BT performance, improved battery, and general stability improvements. Stay tuned to our socials for official announcement.
What about Android 8.1? Will it get a beta too?
We’ll be rolling out Android 8.1 as soon as we can. It probably won’t make our first Oreo release, but hopefully shortly there after. We’re really committed to keeping your phone as up to date as possible!
Its likely we not do a beta for 8.1 and just go straight to release. For 9.0 we will have to assess how big the deltas are between 8-9 but a Beta for 9.0 is certainly possible.
What about Portrait mode?
Portrait mode coming in a play store drop today along with improved JPEG compression + more bug fixes and stability improvements
On touch latency and screen jitters still being pretty bad.
As we mentioned in the last AMA, screen scrolling jitter issues we are continuing to improve on. You and several others have brought this to our attention and we have realized that we owe our supporters a better solution. We are working with our vendors to this further and committed internal and external resources looking into it. Hoping to have something in the next Beta build to improve on this further. We appreciate your patience while we sort through this.
Is the charging dock ever coming? Can we see it? How much will it cost?
Timing: Charging Dock is on its way. Last build is completed, waiting for regulatory. After that, it will be available on the website. As you know, we want to make sure we any date we give, we will meet.
Pictures: See below.
Cost: Don’t have exact cost, but will be reasonable. It will be on the website shortly. Labeling and regulatory being worked on.
Cost (take 2): Dock should be reasonable in price. Under 100 for sure, but don’t have the exact number here.
 
What about aptX support in Oreo?
Touching on audio again, will aptx be supported on the Oreo update? It’s not currently supported on the beta, while other codecs are (aac, ldac in particular). I, as well as many others, use audio equipment that supports aptx and would really love it if we can take advantage of it.
Android Auto still very broken in Oreo, what’s up?
We are aware of this issue specifically with newer Honda’s. We have a potential fix in build that we have our field test team going out to validate at dealerships this week.
Seriously, where is Stellar Gray and that ugly Ocean Depths color?
We should have the Stellar Gray before the Ocean. Stellar should be finished before the end of the year, but again, check website for availability
We’ve got confirmation of the 2nd gen phone being worked on! (Plus some repairability stuff, with a subtle jab at iFixit.)
We are focusing on reparability for the next generation phone. The iFixit article was a bit misleading in its approach for repair and oddly were briefed on repair procedures but still tried to go through the back. We will make sure that your phone can be repaired at a reasonable and competitive price if the consumables, like batteries need to be replaced. For instance, our repair plan for customer damaged displays that need to be replaced.
The full AMA can be found right here.
Latest Essential AMA: The Future and Andy Rubin, Oreo Beta Update, 2nd Gen Phone, More

Verizon Pencils in 5G Residential Launch for Next Year, California Capital First in Line

Announced today, Verizon intends to launch its 5G residential wireless broadband service in 2018, with Sacramento, CA the first named city in line to receive it.
Since early this year, we’ve heard about Verizon testing 5G in markets across the US, as well as its competitors doing the same. As already stated, Sacramento, CA is penciled in as being the first, with launch said to be in the second half of the year. According to Verizon, up to 5 cities could have the service by the end of 2018.
Earlier this year, it was announced that trials were firing up in 11 markets, so whatever cities do have their 5G broadband networks fired up in 2018, it’ll likely be of those initial 11 trial cities. Those markets included Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Bernardsville (NJ), Brockton (MA), Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Seattle, and Washington, DC.
Straight from Verizon, “The commercial launch is based on customer experience and on Verizon’s confidence in new technology powered by millimeter-wave spectrum.”
Of course, we’ll keep you posted as this develops.
// Verizon
Verizon Pencils in 5G Residential Launch for Next Year, California Capital First in Line is a post from: Droid Life
Verizon Pencils in 5G Residential Launch for Next Year, California Capital First in Line

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Today in Hip Hop History:Mary J. Blige released her second album My Life November 29, 1994
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Today in Hip Hop History:The Game was born November 29, 1979

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OnePlus 5T: First 10 Things to Do!

We’re almost a full week into our testing of the OnePlus 5T, so yeah, that means our full review is right around the corner, maybe even this week. Before we get there, though, we realize that a number of you may have the phone already or one that should arrive any day and might need some tips to get started.
In this lengthy video, we continue our “First 10 Things” series by offering up the first 10 things you may want to consider doing with your new OnePlus 5T. You could consider them tips and tricks, but this is a series where we try to catch you just after you finish setup in order to point you in some specific directions that’ll get you using your new phone like a pro.
This video touches on ideas like using both fingerprints and face unlock, since OnePlus moved the fingerprint reader to the back and is also now pushing facial recognition. We also dive into several customizable options that this phone offers (through the desktop mostly), how to use the Alert Slider, what you can change about the on-screen buttons, which display settings are the most important, how to adjust gestures and which are available, and how to access everything in the camera.
If interested in buying the OnePlus 5T, you can do that right here.
OnePlus 5T: First 10 Things to Do! is a post from: Droid Life
OnePlus 5T: First 10 Things to Do!

Verizon Galaxy Note 8 Update Brings Live Focus Camera Improvements, KRACK Patch

The Galaxy Note 8 on Verizon is receiving an update this week that should improve the Live Focus feature in the camera. It’ll also include the KRACK security patch that has affected almost all Android phones.
After the update, which is software version N950USQU2BQJA, Verizon says that the Live Focus button is now easier to find, thanks to a bright yellow background, plus it’s now easier to read light and distance guidelines. Now that I read that, it doesn’t really sound like there are any Live Focus improvements, these are just UI tweaks. OK, then!
To check for the update, head into Settings>System updates on your phone today.
// Verizon
Verizon Galaxy Note 8 Update Brings Live Focus Camera Improvements, KRACK Patch is a post from: Droid Life
Verizon Galaxy Note 8 Update Brings Live Focus Camera Improvements, KRACK Patch

Samsung’s Balls Will Make Battery Charging 5x Faster

Their graphene balls, guys.
It’s true, though – Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has developed a graphene ball that will not only increase capacity of batteries in your phones (and electric vehicles too), they’ll charge insanely fast too. After years and years of us complaining about battery tech never moving, Samsung may have found something fun to talk about and also look forward to.
Here is what we know. Lithium-ion batteries aren’t so fun anymore because we’ve probably maxed out how fast they can charge and their limits on capacity. Enter the magical graphene ball. Samsung says that a graphene ball enables a 45% increase in capacity and also charges five times faster. They do this while maintaining a “highly stable” 60 degree  Celsius temperature, which is important, right Note 7?
Think about this now – instead of it taking you an hour to charge your phone, you may be able to fully charge one in 12 minutes. TWELVE. MINUTES. FULL. CHARGE. We’ve got companies running around right now bragging about getting a few hours worth of juice in 15 minutes, but with some graphene ball action up-in-ya-flip-phone, you’d be fully charged and beer pounded in that amount of time.
We aren’t sure when Samsung will be able to produce a battery that is ready for consumer use, but they are filing for patents in the US and Korea already.
If all of that sounds interesting to you, but you need more, including the dirty science, you can read about it right here.
// Samsung
Samsung’s Balls Will Make Battery Charging 5x Faster is a post from: Droid Life
Samsung’s Balls Will Make Battery Charging 5x Faster

Who Else Misses Google Now?

Back on June 28, 2012, I wrote an article titled “Google Now is Awesome.” Today, if I were to write a follow-up to that article, I’d probably title it, “WTF happened to Google Now and what is this dumpster fire that Google has forced upon us in its place?”
If we look back at when Google Now was first introduced, it’s obvious now that it was the beginning of the Google Assistant. It was very much an assistant in that it provided you useful information just when you needed it. That info included the weather, all of the information about your flight later in the day, how traffic was looking for your commute home, tracking status on packages, if your favorite sports teams were playing or had just played, and if it was time to leave for your next calendar appointment. All of those items are still around today in some form and they can almost all be accessed within Google Assistant or through a voice command.
But here’s the thing. The beauty of Google Now was its UI simplicity. All you had to do was use the Google Now Launcher and swipe over to the left panel where all of your information was waiting for you. It was often in the order you needed it to be, you didn’t need to ask it for much, and its pure usefulness was something I’m not sure we appreciated enough. Google Now cards were the sh*t. Today, I don’t know even know what Google is trying to do with that old Google Now screen.

There are often 3 or 4 different versions of the Google Now panel floating around. And actually, Google is just calling it the Feed these days and has basically retired Now. But you get various versions at all times, some with rounded corner cards and different panels, transparency on some screens, and swiping and non-swiping and ugh. The UI consistency is an absolute mess, yet that’s not even the worst part of it all.
The Google Feed in its current state is basically a glorified news reader of topics that Google thinks you might like. There are times that it does a decent job of feeding me topics I might be interested in, I’ll give them that. However, I don’t need Google to find articles for me to read. I need Google to use its AI smarts and tell me about my day or my favorite sports team or my flights or if I should leave or where I parked my car. I’d also appreciate it if Google didn’t bury that info or gave me a way to customize the order in which it shows information in this Feed thing.
For example, if I swipe over to the Feed, I’d like to see the old Google Now stuff, that included my calendar items, package tracking, price changes to items I had searched for, flight info, etc. Instead, I get hot news items of the day that are typically just re-hashed Android and tech stuff I’ve read 4 times and probably written a story about, since that’s what I’m doing on Google all day for my job. Thanks, Google, for never letting me leave work behind. The current version of the Feed makes me have to tap this weird looking inbox/sun/half-pipe-sprinkler icon in order to get to any of that information, which really is just a shortcut to the Google App. From within there, I then find a UI with 5 columns, one for the feed, the sprinkler for my day, another for searching, a fourth for Google Search history that I’ll never use, and a bottom-situated hamburger menu that opens an entire settings menu as a full page. Talk about breaking your own guidelines, eh, Google?

Let me decide the info I see, Google. Please. Let me re-order the panels, turn some off or on, and decide with my own internal AI what it is that I want to see. It sure as hell isn’t news articles all day, every day.
At this point, it’s almost as if Google is purposely destroying all that was Google Now by creating the worst user experience possible in its place to force you to just use Assistant. Because in all honesty, I never use the Feed for information anymore and instead either ask the Assistant or go directly to the app that I will give it to me. Google Now was once an advanced simplicity of information gathering that has since become 5-headed chicken with 4 heads cut off.
I miss Google Now.
Who Else Misses Google Now? is a post from: Droid Life
Who Else Misses Google Now?

OnePlus 5T in Lava Red Available for China, No Word on US Availability

The OnePlus 5T is the latest phone from OnePlus, available to US buyers only in Midnight Black. However, for buyers in China, they’re being treated to the OnePlus 5T in Lava Red, too, which we want right now!
For those lucky enough to buy this Lava Red model, it’s exclusive to the 128GB storage + 8GB RAM version, which does run a little more than the 64GB + 6GB version. But seriously, the red color alone makes the price jump worth it, at least to me.
🔥!

Does that not look sweet? For the longest time, I’ve always wanted Android OEMs to offer more unique colors, such as red and blue. In my mind, there’s a reason why the Really Blue color for the original Pixel phones was so popular, as well as the Black and White Pixel 2 XL. People want something different.
If OnePlus provides any availability info for those of us outside of China, we’ll let you know.
Should the Lava Red model make its way to the US, would you pick one up?
// OnePlus (China)
OnePlus 5T in Lava Red Available for China, No Word on US Availability is a post from: Droid Life
OnePlus 5T in Lava Red Available for China, No Word on US Availability

You Can Now ‘Remix’ Photos Sent to You on Instagram

Inside of version 24 for Android and iOS, Instagram is allowing friends to “remix” photos they receive from friends.
Here’s how this new functionality works. For example, let’s say you receive a fun selfie from a buddy and want to remix it. Thanks to the camera icon at the bottom of your screen, you can capture that photo, edit it, then send it right back for laughs to ensue. You can remix plenty of things, such as doodle on top of it, resize it, add stickers, and more. There doesn’t appear to be a limit on how many times a photo can be remixed, then sent back and forth.
However, if having your photos remixed doesn’t interest you, a One View option can be selected, similar to Snapchat. If you want your friends to be able to view the photo countless times, select Allow Replay. Photos and videos sent with Allow Replay automatically loop and your friends can tap and hold to pause.
This update is headed out to Android devices right now via Google Play.
Google Play Link
// Instagram
You Can Now ‘Remix’ Photos Sent to You on Instagram is a post from: Droid Life
You Can Now ‘Remix’ Photos Sent to You on Instagram

THANK YOU, GOOGLE.

Android 8.1’s biggest change – the burger emoji fix.
America, great again.
// Emojipedia
THANK YOU, GOOGLE. is a post from: Droid Life
THANK YOU, GOOGLE.

Today in Hip Hop History:Styles P was born November 28, 1974

Today in Hip Hop History:Styles P was born November 28, 1974
Today in Hip Hop History:Styles P was born November 28, 1974

Today in Hip Hop History:The Clipse released their second album...

Today in Hip Hop History:The Clipse released their second album Hell Hath No Fury November 28, 2006
Today in Hip Hop History:The Clipse released their second album...

Father Befouled - Desolate Gods

Father Befouled – Desolate GodsIt’s been way too long since I have really sat down to enjoy some intriguing filthy, soul-crushing death metal. Just as all hope was lost for the genre, Father Befouled comes crashing in with their brand new album, Desolate Gods. With my increasing affinity with the band’s music, from their extremely raw debut Obscurus Nex Cultus to the more mature Revulsion of Seraphic Grace, Father Befouled…View On WordPress
Father Befouled - Desolate Gods

First OnePlus 5T Update Improves a Bunch of Stuff, Adds KRACK Patch

The first OnePlus 5T update was released over the weekend and it improves a handful of items. From fingerprint and face unlocks to the stabilization in video recording, the overall experience of OnePlus’ newest phone should be better. It also patches KRACK.
The update is arriving as OxygenOS 4.7.2 and still Android 7.1.1. It does only contain the October security patch, not November’s.
Here are the full release notes:

Optimizations for fingerprint unlock
Optimizations for face unlock
Improved accuracy for screen off gestures
Improved EIS during 4K video recording
WiFi WPA2 security patch (KRACK vulnerability patch)
General stability improvements and bug fixes

To grab the update, assuming you have the phone in hand, head into Settings>System updates and “Check for updates.”
First OnePlus 5T Update Improves a Bunch of Stuff, Adds KRACK Patch is a post from: Droid Life
First OnePlus 5T Update Improves a Bunch of Stuff, Adds KRACK Patch

OnePlus 5 Gets First Oreo Beta Build That You Can Update to Right Away

Alongside the OnePlus 5T’s first update this weekend, OnePlus also released an Android Oreo beta build for the OnePlus 5. It is the first “open beta” for the phone, so it may have bugs and it will get you off the current OTA path, but you can flash it right now if interested.
These open beta builds are a way for you to help OnePlus test software as they prepare to rollout stable builds to everyone. They are flashable to all, but again, they do take you off the stable over-the-air update path and will make it somewhat difficult to get back on it. You’ll have to fully wipe your phone to go backwards to the stable channel, so keep that in mind.
If interested, you can find full directions on flashing the first OnePlus 5 Oreo beta here. The full file you’ll need can be found here. The entire process can be done without a computer.
Here is the full list of OnePlus 5 Oreo update changes:

System

Updated to Android O (8.0)

Added Picture in Picture
Added Auto-fill
Added Smart text selection
New Quick Settings design


Added Parallel Apps
Updated security patch to October


Launcher

Added notification dots
New app folder design
Now able to upload photos directly to Shot on OnePlus



If you are worried about joining the beta and don’t want to mess with reverting back to stable with a full wipe to get the official Oreo update when it rolls out, just be patient. The OnePlus 3 and 3T just saw their stable Oreo update last week, so I’d imagine the OnePlus 5 won’t be far behind.
// OnePlus
OnePlus 5 Gets First Oreo Beta Build That You Can Update to Right Away is a post from: Droid Life
OnePlus 5 Gets First Oreo Beta Build That You Can Update to Right Away

Unlocked HTC U11 Update to Oreo Rolling Out Today

Disclosed over the weekend, owners of an unlocked HTC U11 are in for a treat this week. According to HTC’s Mo Versi, an update to Oreo is rolling out starting today for the unlocked U11. This is great news.
This update wasn’t exactly teased by HTC and the last time we heard anything about HTC + Oreo was back in August when the company confirmed it would bring Oreo to the HTC 10, U11, and U Ultra.
With Oreo on your phone, your world will be opened up to native Picture-in-Picture, notification dots, autofill, and much more.
Has your unlocked U11 gotten the update yet?


Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. The Oreo OS update will be available for download on the HTC u11 unlocked version starting on Monday! Enjoy!
— Mo Versi (@moversi) November 25, 2017

Unlocked HTC U11 Update to Oreo Rolling Out Today is a post from: Droid Life
Unlocked HTC U11 Update to Oreo Rolling Out Today

Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2 Now Available!

As we reach the final days of November, Google has blessed us with the latest Android 8.1 developer preview. This is developer preview 2 and drops in as build OPP6.171019.012.
This latest preview is available to all participating devices, including the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Pixel C, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL.
To grab the update through the Android Beta program, be sure to sign-up here.
If the beta isn’t pushing through you want to get busy manually, you can grab each image or OTA file at the links below. For instructions on how to flash a factory image, here you go. For instructions on how to flash an OTA .zip file, here you go.
This should be the last developer preview before we get stable Android 8.1 in December or January, according to the 8.1 preview program overview. Google is calling this “near-final system images” and says that it should be used for “final testing.” The first 8.1 developer preview showed up at the end of October. You can see what’s new in Android 8.1 right here.
Links:

Android 8.1 Developer Preview Factory Images
Android 8.1 Developer Preview OTA Files




Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2 Now Available! is a post from: Droid Life
Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2 Now Available!

Best Buy’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals

Cyber Monday is in full effect, and just like Black Friday, we’d like to point out some of the best deals we’re currently seeing. Because this is a good time to get a bit of holiday shopping in, these gifts would be clutch for nearly anyone in your family, so be on the lookout for something special.
Best Buy has quite a few deals going on. The big noteworthy stuff is $5/month for a Google Pixel XL, Oculus Rift headset for $350, HTC Vive for $599, Philips Hue starter kits for $135, and of course, all of Amazon’s Echo lineup is marked down, too.
Check it out!
Best Buy’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals:

$150 off unlocked Galaxy Note 8, S8, and S8+.
Pixel XL for $5/month.
Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones – $99 ($50 off)
Sony Wireless Headphones – $89 ($110 off)
Oculus Rift VR Headset – $349 ($150 off)
HTC Vive Package – $599 ($100 off)
Roku Express – $20 ($10 off)
Sony 55″ 4K Ultra TV – $599 ($200 off)
Philips Hue White and Ambiance Kit – $135 ($65 off)
Philips Hue White Starter Kit – $60 ($40 off)
Philips Hue White + Color Bulb – $32 ($18 off)
Philips Hue Light Strip – $49 ($40 off)
Samsung Tumi Edition Gear S3 – $379 ($70 off)
Acer 15.6″ Touch-Screen Chromebook – $319 ($80 off)
Ring WiFi Video Doorbell – $99 ($80 off)
Google Home Mini for $29 + Free $10 Gift Card
Amazon Echo Dot – $30 ($20 off)
Amazon Echo 2nd-Gen – $80 ($20 off)
Amazon Echo Show – $180 ($50 off)
Google Chromecast Ultra – $54 ($16 off)
NVIDIA SHIELD TV bundle – $169 ($30 off)
NVIDIA SHIELD TV (Remote Only) – $149 ($30 off)
GoPro HERO6 – $449 ($50 off)
Star Wars Propel Drones – $99 ($50 off)
DJI Mavic Pro – $899 ($100 off)

Shop all Best Buy Black Friday deals.
Best Buy’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals is a post from: Droid Life
Best Buy’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals

Amazon’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals

We’re well into Cyber Monday 2017 at this point and I’m sure you’ve done some shopping or cruised through the wild world of Amazon. If you became overwhelmed or just need some suggestions, we’ve got that for you with our 25 best Amazon Cyber Monday deals.
In the list below, we included that ridiculous Essential Phone bundle for $399, along with deals like the US Google Pixel for $459, Bose SoundSport wireless buds for $99, Amazon’s Echo line at various discounts, UE Megaboom at half off, and a 2-pack of smart plugs.
Let us know if you find any other solid deals!
25 Best Amazon Cyber Monday Deals

Essential Phone + 360 Camera – $399.00 ($221 off)
Google Pixel 32GB (US Version) – $459.99 ($189 off)
$150 off US Unlocked Galaxy S8 or Note 8
DJI Spark (Fly More Combo) – $599.00 ($100 off)
Moto G5 Plus 32GB – $144.49 ($85.50 off)
Bose SoundSport Bluetooth Earbuds – $99.00 ($50 off)
Anker SoundBuds Surge Bluetooth Earbuds – $19.48 ($8.51 off)
Anker Quick Charge 3.0 Car Charger – $8.24
Philips Hue Starter Kit with Motion Sensor – $67.29 ($22.51 off)
Amazon Echo Dot – $29.99 ($20 off)
Amazon Echo (2nd gen) – $79.99 ($20 off)
Amazon Cloud Cam – $99.99 ($20 off)
Amazon Echo Show – $179.99 ($50 off)
Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Remote – $24.99 ($15 off)
Sonos One with Alexa – $174.00 ($25 off)
Sonos Playbase – $599.00 ($100 off)
Ring Video Doorbell Pro – $199.00 ($50 off)
UE MEGABOOM Bluetooth Speaker – $149.99 ($150 off)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 32GB – $477.99 ($122 off)
Samsung Gear VR + Gear 360 – $199.99 ($72.25 off)
Samsung Chromebook Pro 32GB – $449.00 ($100 off)
Fossil Q Marshal (2nd gen) – $137.50 ($137.50 off)
TP-Link Deco M5 WiFi System – $199.99 ($100 off)
Eero WiFi System (1 eero + 2 beacons) – $296.65 ($102 off)
Etekcity WiFi Smart Plug (2-pack) – $25.89 ($44 off)

Shop all Amazon Cyber Monday deals.
Amazon’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals is a post from: Droid Life
Amazon’s 25 Best Cyber Monday Deals

Dead Zebra Now Selling Ginger Gene Android Mini for $12

A new special edition Android Mini is available to add to your collection this week, right in time for the holiday season.
This is Ginger Gene, and according to the product listing, he features a “yummy stink!” That’s right. Apparently, this cookie-textured mini has a smell to it, and our guess is that’s it’s along the lines of a typical gingerbread cookie. Don’t ask me how they got it to smell like anything besides plastic, but either way, that’s cool.
This mini runs $12 over on Dead Zebra, with shipping set to begin on December 1.
Follow the link below to add Ginger Gene to your collection.
Dead Zebra Link
Dead Zebra Now Selling Ginger Gene Android Mini for $12 is a post from: Droid Life
Dead Zebra Now Selling Ginger Gene Android Mini for $12

Razer Phone Lacks Headphone Jack, But We Got a Much Bigger Battery Because of It

In our review of the Razer Phone, I mentioned that this device surely has enough room for a 3.5mm headphone jack, but for some reason, Razer decided against it. Well, Razer’s CEO took to Facebook recently, going into detail why the smartphone lacks a headphone jack.
According to Min-Liang Tan, the company was able to include a much larger battery by removing the jack. He estimates the phone got a bump in battery size of about 500mAh, thanks to the removal. Not only that, but the accompanying DAC with THX certification is apparently so sweet that Tan feels that Razer was able to offer a quality audio experience, as well as a bigger battery, all by removing the headphone jack.
Here’s a portion of his post from Facebook.
By removing the headphone jack – we were able to increase the battery size significantly (I estimate we added 500maH more), improve thermals for performance and a whole lot more.
The trade off was not having the jack – but what sealed it for me was that we were able to get audiophile quality sound with the dedicated 24-Bit THX Certified DAC adapter – and I made sure we included that with every phone. Which basically means we give even better quality headphone audio for those who want to hold on to their analog headphones.
When he puts it like this, I suppose it makes sense to cut the jack. I mean, personally, I didn’t have any issues with the phone missing the jack (I’ve been conditioned to use Bluetooth now), but I know others still see this as a no-go. Hard to argue with a much bigger battery, though.
// Min-Liang Tan
Razer Phone Lacks Headphone Jack, But We Got a Much Bigger Battery Because of It is a post from: Droid Life
Razer Phone Lacks Headphone Jack, But We Got a Much Bigger Battery Because of It

DEAL: Essential Phone + 360 Camera Drops to $399 for Cyber Monday

After the past week of deals, we’re finishing it all off with a fresh Cyber Monday 2017. We’re hardly awake out here on the west coast, but one deal has already caught our eye – Essential Phone with a 360 camera accessory for just $399.
As you all know, the Essential Phone’s price drop to $499 a few weeks back, followed by another drop to $449 within the past week, has made this a hard phone to pass on. The hardware is about as good as it gets, the design is unique, it’s getting tons of software updates, and it runs about the cleanest version of Android you’ll find. Of course, it’s still not the best performing phone nor is the camera going to win you any photography awards, but at $399 with a camera mod thrown in? I’m not sure how you can pass on this.
The deal appears to be good all day long or until Amazon runs out of stock. Hurry.
Amazon Deal Link
Cheers Michael!
DEAL: Essential Phone + 360 Camera Drops to $399 for Cyber Monday is a post from: Droid Life
DEAL: Essential Phone + 360 Camera Drops to $399 for Cyber Monday

DEAL: Best Buy has the Pixel XL for $5/Mo

Been looking at the original Pixel XL, but wanted to see its price drop to something ridiculously low? Best Buy has you covered. For Cyber Monday, Best Buy will sell you the Google Pixel XL with 32GB storage for just $5 per month. That’s a savings of around $550 over the course of two years.
Also, yes, this is technically the “Verizon” version, but it will work on any carrier. The thing is, you do have to sign a device payment contract to receive a bill credit of $17.91 per month for 24 months in order to notice the full savings. It’s one of those sneaky deals that locks you into service for two years.
Still, $5 per month for the Pixel XL? Not bad.
Best Buy Link
Cheers Derek!
DEAL: Best Buy has the Pixel XL for $5/Mo is a post from: Droid Life
DEAL: Best Buy has the Pixel XL for $5/Mo

DEAL: Google Store Offers $100 Store Credit + Free Google Home Mini With Pixel 2 Purchase

The best Cyber Monday 2017 deal on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is running at the Google Store for the next few days. If you buy either Pixel 2 from Google, they’ll give you a $100 store credit to be used on other Google Store goodies, plus a free Google Home Mini.
It doesn’t matter how you buy it, from what I can tell. You just buy a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL in which configuration works for you, with financing or at full retail, and Google will send you a $100 store credit code, plus a code to grab a free Google Home Mini. Those codes could take up to 4 weeks to arrive, just FYI.
The deal runs from right now through November 30 and “while supplies last.”
Google Store Link
DEAL: Google Store Offers $100 Store Credit + Free Google Home Mini With Pixel 2 Purchase is a post from: Droid Life
DEAL: Google Store Offers $100 Store Credit + Free Google Home Mini With Pixel 2 Purchase

Deal: Get $100 in Project Fi credit with Moto X4 Android One purchase

Back in September, Google revealed that the Android One edition of the Motorola Moto X4 would join the list of its official Project Fi-compatible smartphones. At the time, that made the phone the most affordable of all the phones that would work on Google’s mobile network, with a price of $399. Now, Google is giving buyers an additional incentive as part of its Black Friday sales efforts. It will give Moto X4 buyers on Project Fi a $100 credit on the network.
Editor's PickPSA: Project Fi works in any phone – mostly
Project Fi may be appealing to a lot of would-be business travelers but Google’s mobile network has one requirement that seemingly stops people from using it: the need to have a Google device. Right now …
From now until November 30, if you decide to purchase the Android One Moto X4 from Project Fi, a service credit of $100 will be applied to your Fi account after the device has been activated. The credit is supposed to be put in place within 30 days of the Moto X4 shipping, and the phone must also remain active on the network for 30 days.
As a reminder, the Android One Moto X4 current runs on Android Nougat 7.1.1 out of the box, but because it is part of the Android One program, it’s likely to get an update to Android 8.0 Oreo in the very near future. The phone includes a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, with a microSD card slot to add even more storage. It also has a dual rear camera setup with a main 12 MP sensor, and an 8 MP secondary sensor, along with a single 16 MP front-facing camera.
Interested? Click the link below to get the discount.
Get it at Project Fi
Deal: Get $100 in Project Fi credit with Moto X4 Android One purchase