Do you own at least two Google Home devices? Any combination of Google Home, Home Mini, Home Max, or Home Hub will suffice. Two of one, one each, whatever.
Did you know that you can create a multi-room playback experience where you can play music and other audio across the whole house? You’ve already got everything you need to do so.
One of the best things about Google Home units is that they can work independently as well as together. This is great for when you have music, podcasts, audiobooks, or something else you’d like to listen to around the home.
Let’s say you’re cleaning the house on a Saturday morning and you find yourself going from room to room. The last thing you want to do is pause playback for a few minutes at a time; you want that playlist to pump no matter where you are in the house.
If you own multiple Home devices, you definitely want to set things up so you can create multi-room playback. The next time you throw a party or backyard barbecue you’ll have music everywhere and look like a hero.
Setting this up is as easy as it gets. All you really need to do is open the Google Home and follow a couple of quick steps. Before proceeding, ensure that your audio devices are set up on the same Wi-Fi network and that your phone is connected to it.
In the top right of the menu look for Devices icon to see your available audio devices.
In the top right corner of the audio device, tap the card menu and create a Group
By default the name will be “Home” but you can create anything you’d like by erasing and starting fresh
You’ll see all of the speakers and devices on the same WiFi network as your Google Home. Simply tap the box next to the items you want to add to the group.
After a few moments you’ll see the group as a card in the Home app; you’ll be able to control it via voice or cast to it inside of an app. Note that Chromecast audio devices can be added to a group as well as Google Home speakers.
From here you can simply tell your Google Home, or phone, to play a particular song or playlist on your group.
When you look at the lineup of smartphones, all you are likely to see are glass and metal sandwiches. These look absolutely phenomenal, but aren’t exactly the most rugged options on the market.
It seems that ruggedized phones have taken a back seat from most OEM’s. There are still a few options available, and the Poptel P10 is one of the latest to hit the scene.
Poptel P10 Specs
On the specs-side of things, there’s not really too much to write home about with the Poptel P10. We have a 5.5-inch display with a 2015-sequel resolution of 1280 x 640.
Under the hood, Poptel included the MediaTek Helio P23 chipset combined with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This is all powered by a respectable 3,600mAh battery that aims to get you through the day.
As for the cameras, again there isn’t much to write home about. There is a single 13MP sensor found on the back, along with an 8MP selfie camera. We’ll touch a bit more on these later, but they are pretty pedestrian for the budget market.
Some of the extras included is the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, and Android 8.1 Oreo. These are all things that we would expect to see from a budget handset, albeit a bit disappointing for the price tag.
Ruggedness
As you can tell from the spec sheet, the Poptel P10 isn’t really designed for spec-heads. Instead, it’s designed to be practically indestructible, regardless of what you throw at it.
The P10 is IP68-rated, which means that the handset is waterproof in up to about 4 feet of water for half an hour. This also means that it is resistant to dust, sand, and just about anything else that would ruin those precious flagships.
In our testing, we had some accidental drops with the P10 and you can’t even tell. The rugged body provides shock-resistance and we didn’t even end up scratching the screen at all. That point alone sold me on someone picking up the device for a little one who needs a smartphone.
Aside from the frame, the body of the handset is also rugged, and sports an interesting texture. This allows for the phone to actually sit nicely in the hand, without feeling like it will slip out at any time.
On another note, it was pretty neat to see the different Torx screws placed around the device. These are not to be unscrewed or tinkered with, but added a nice touch that I didn’t think I would care about.
Performance
Now, it’s all fine and dandy that the P10 can withstand the elements, but how does it perform. In short, surprisingly well. I was heading into this review expecting lagginess and just an overall bad experience.
Removing the “flagship” mindset was tough at first, but once I did that, the P10 was impressive. Sure, we’re not getting Stock Android, but instead, a skinned version from Poptel.
This is adequate and doesn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it’s not a good one either. Regardless, we have seen worse versions of skinned Android on devices that are priced much higher.
You will begin to experience some lag when trying to do any type of intense gaming, but that’s to be expected. If you just want to play some solitaire or other non-graphic-intensive games, then you’ll be just fine. Just don’t expect to be able to play Fortnite on the go with the P10.
On the battery side of things, we would have liked to see more. Sure, the LCD panel doesn’t draw a lot of power, but we didn’t see as much battery life as we expected. This may have something to do with power consumption from the Helio P23, but we would have liked to see Poptel push the limits with a bigger battery.
Finally, it’s important to make note that the P10 will only work GSM networks. So, if you’re on Verizon or Sprint, you’ll be left out to dry.
Camera
I almost skipped this section because of how disappointing it is. But it wouldn’t be a proper AndroidGuys review without at least touching on it.
The cameras will do exactly what you think – Take potato pictures. If you need a work phone that takes pictures of various pieces of equipment, then it’ll work just fine.
However, if you need those high-quality pictures for your job, then you might want to look elsewhere. The P10 will get the job done (see the recurring theme?), but there are definitely noticeable sacrifices.
The camera software itself is actually refreshing to see, as there’s not much going on here. You are greeted with the shutter button and a few different modes, but there’s nothing super-crazy or insane.
Conclusion
All-in-all, the Poptel P10 is just an adequate smartphone with a pretty sweet rugged design. If you need a spare work phone that is able to withstand the elements while providing access to calls, messages, or emails, then you’ve come to the right place. If you are expecting an experience on par with the Moto G lineup, then you might want to take a step back.
Pricing for the Poptel P10 starts at $219.99 and is available in Black, Orange, Navy Blue, Green, and Gray. Currently, the handset is available from our friends over at GearBest and AliExpress and you can get one now.
Let us know what you think about the Poptel P10 and if you will be picking one up!
Smart products are everywhere. Anything that we can add technology to, we usually end up doing. That ranges from everything like lights, fans, and security systems to garage doors, car chargers, and more.
Adding smart technology to otherwise dumb products can be a real game changer. No longer do we have to wonder if that shadowy figure in front of our door is a robber or sweet old grandma. Now we can unlock the front door of our home so we can get in even faster since its pouring down rain. Connected tech, in most instances, makes our lives easier.
But, there’s a different kind of tech being added to products too. It’s tech that keeps us from doing dumb things. You can see traces of this in Google’s new Android 9 Pie operating system. It includes the Digital Wellbeing app that alerts us to how much we’re actually on our phones. Smartwatches and fitness trackers can let us know where we’ve gone or how long we’ve been running, but also when we’re doing too much.
Did you know there’s tech that can keep you from losing your wallet too? If you’ve ever been lucky enough to lose your wallet or have it stolen, you know it can be a serious situation.
So, we went on a search for the best connected wallets. There isn’t a ton out there right now but we feel we’ve brought together three of the best options you can purchase right now.
Ekster Senate and Parliament
Ekster Parliament
The first two wallets we’re taking a look at are both from Ekster, the Senate and Parliament. These two don’t look like traditional wallets, but that’s actually an advantage to some consumers. Sometimes you want something just a little bit different.
Both the Senate and Parliament are a little bit bigger than your standard wallet. While they aren’t as wide, they are taller to account for the card holder inside. This card holder can house up to six cards (three if you have raised print on the cards) or the Trackr, the little device that makes these wallets smart.
Trackr is a third-party company that Ekster teamed up with for these wallets. The Trackr device is about the size of a business card and a few centimeters thick. If features a small window for solar recharging (one charge can last three months) and a small button.
Pressing this button interacts with the Trackr app you can download from the Play Store. If you’re ever missing your phone but have your wallet, a quick press of this button will ring your phone through the app. You can also ring your wallet through the app and set up alerts to tell you when you’ve walked out of range of your wallet. You can turn these off or tell the app to not alert you when connected to your home WiFi network.
This Trackr came in especially handy in a recent situation. I asked my brother to carry the wallet and give me his impressions of it. Due to some poor driving in front of him, he, unfortunately, rear-ended a truck and his phone went flying. He remembered that he could press the button to ring his phone and he found it wedged between seats. It saved the day.
You can see the Trackr poking out of the rear card slot here.
The Trackr app has some other excellent features as well. Of course, you can use it to ring your wallet if you can’t find it. But, it also helps passively find other Trackr devices as well. As I was testing the Senate, I got an alert on my phone that I recently walked passed another Trackr-enabled product that had been lost. The app found the product and alerted its owner with an updated GPS location.
Back to the wallet itself, this is one of the softest leathers I’ve ever felt. I’m not a big leather person, but I never want to put this wallet down because it feels so nice. As you can see in some of the pictures, the brown is wearing rather nicely and should have a nice patina as it gets used more and more.
The biggest difference between the Senate and Parliament is the flap that allows you to store some extra cards. If you want to keep it minimal, you can grab the Senate and just throw your cards in the middle pop-up slot, which is RFID shielded. If you need a bit more, grab the Parliament.
Both wallets have the option for the cash strap that allows you to hold important papers or money. I don’t love having money exposed in this way, but it seems like the best option given the design of the wallets.
Overall, the Ekster Senate and Parliament are not only excellent smart wallets, but they’re also conversation starters. I’ve had multiple people ask me about them as I got out a card to pay. I told them what I’m about to tell you, they’re simply fantastic. Sure, you don’t need a smart wallet, but if you’re as forgetful as I am, I would definitely suggest picking one of these up for the outstanding Trackr support.
If you decide to pick up one of the wallets from Ekster’s site, they’ve provided a discount code for our readers. Just copy and paste androidguys-EKSTER to receive 15% off your order. You can also check out Ekster’s new Kickstarter campaign for its brand new wallet with voice activation tracking!
If you’re looking for something that looks more like a standard wallet, the Nomad Slim Wallet might be for you. There are two big differences between the wallets from Nomad and Ekster; design and tracking.
As we said, the Nomad Slim Wallet looks like a regular wallet. It’s a bi-fold design that features card slots on both sides. One side houses the tracking card and one slot where I keep my license and insurance cards. The other side has four slots for your cards. I’ve found that these are big enough for one card, two if you have something small and laminated. On the back of the wallet is another slot big enough for one more card.
The Nomad also uses different leather than the Ekster wallets. It uses Horween leather that doesn’t feel as soft and is pretty lightweight. Now, don’t take that as a negative because it isn’t. Sure, we love some soft leather, but I have zero doubt how well this wallet will stand up to abuse over time and how long it’ll last. It’s a quality product.
As for tracking, Nomad is teaming up with Tile for the Slim Wallet. Yep, that Tile. Tile has been one of the most popular tracking companies in recent years and makes trackers that you can stick in your bag, on your keyring, or pretty much anywhere else you can think of. This time, it’s stuck in a pocket inside the wallet and you can’t tell it is even there. While the Trackr on the Ekster wallets is tall and a little thick, the Tile tracker is much smaller and feels thinner.
There are some downsides to this though. While you can recharge the Trackr, you can’t with the Tile. Tile says the included tracking device has a year-long battery life and then you’ll need to buy a replacement. Luckily, you get a discount on your replacement.
Tile’s app is fantastic it. You get the features you’d expect like tracking, GPS location, and crowd location, as well as the ability to ring your phone from the tracker and vice versa. I love the layout and how easy it is the navigate. Everything feels intuitive.
Overall, I love the Nomad Slim Wallet. It is a fantastic intersection of classic style with modern technology. If you’re as forgetful as I am, you need a wallet with tracking because you’ll definitely leave it behind at some point. If you’re looking for something that looks traditional but offers fantastic features, the Nomad Slim Wallet is the one for you.
Death. The one thing that none of us can avoid. It’s coming for all of us and it’s the last thing that any of us will do, too. Surely, it is the last thing you really want to think about.
Do you know what else you probably don’t want to think about? What happens with your social media accounts when you pass? Yes, we’re talking about your words, pictures, and legacy.
For many people, social accounts become a place of memorial and remembrance. Visitors often stop by accounts of those who have passed away simply to share a memory or experience. Others use it for grieving or moving on. For whatever reason, your social media account is important, even after you’ve departed.
Facebook is still the largest network on the planet and things don’t look to change anytime soon. As such, the chances are very high that you’re signed up for an account. Whether you use it actively or just for logging into other apps and services, you probably have a Facebook profile. Do you have a Legacy Contact?
What is a Legacy Contact?
Facebook has an option tucked away in its settings which let you decide what happens with your account should you die. Called the Legacy Contact, it’s where you choose a family member or friend who can manage your account when you pass away.
What Can a Legacy Contact Do?
Once someone notifies Facebook that you’ve passed away, it will memorialize the account and the legacy contact can do a number of things. For instance, they might want to write a post at the top of the timeline, update the profile picture, or respond to friend requests.
Another key feature of the legacy contact is the ability to download an archive of photos, posts, and profile information shared on Facebook. There are a lot of options available to the legacy contact, but one thing they cannot do is log on as you or see your private messages.
Ultimately, it’s truly up to you what happens to your Facebook account once you pass away. If you want, you can have Facebook delete your account altogether. But, if you want to create a Legacy Contact, it’s pretty easy to do. We’ll show you how to do it from your mobile app.
How to Create a Legacy Contact for Facebook
In the app, open up the main menu; it looks like three horizontal lines and is in the top right corner.
Under Settings & Privacy, tap on Settings
Under Account Settings, tap on Personal Information
Tap on Manage Account and follow the prompts to activate and add an account.
Should you wish, you can remove the Legacy Contact at a later date. Additionally, you have to remove them if you decide that you would rather have Facebook delete your account.
Boost Mobile recently welcomed its first Android Oreo Go edition smartphone. It’s called the Coolpad Illumina and obviously, it’s a low-end smartphone which you can pick up for $39.99 (plus tax) for a limited time.
Once the promo period expires, the phone will take you back with $79.99, which is still pretty affordable.
Anyway, in case you don’t know Android Go is a special version of Android designed to bring smooth experience on entry-level smartphones that have low amounts of RAM and storage. The end result is a top-notch user experience on a very affordable Android phone like the Coolpad Illumina.
The Coolpad Illumina is the latest entry to the Android Go family
The handset offers the bare essentials including a 5-inch display, probably with 720p resolution, although Boost Mobile’s website doesn’t make any mention of this aspect. The phone is based on a quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor, backed up by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot on board for memory expansion of up to 32GB.
The cameras on board the Coolpad Illumina are quite primitive. Users will get a 5MP rear camera and a measly 2MP front camera. But at least you’ll be able to snap a picture or two if you really have to.
Rounding up this affordable package is a 2,150 mAh battery, which according to Boost Mobile can provide users with up to 16 hours of talk time.
Sure, the Coolpad Illumina is no Huawei Mate 20 Pro when it comes to specs or looks, but most people out there don’t need a fancy device like that anyway.
If you want to get the smartphone for the promotional price tag of $39.99 we suggest you hurry up. Boost Mobile doesn’t say for how long you can grab the deal, so it might expire any minute now.
To help users get out the most of their new smartphone, Boost Mobile is also offering a limited time deal for those who switch from another carrier. Until November 15, customers can get four lines of unlimited data, talk and text for only $25/per line/month.
The first smartwatch powered by the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, which was unveiled last month, is now available for purchase. It’s called the Montblanc Summit 2 and it’s a premium intelligent timepiece with pricing kicking off at a hefty $995.
The Summit 2 arrives with a 42mm case and features a circular 1.2-inch AMOLED display with 327ppi. Montblanc offers up to 11 interchangeable straps to choose from including calfskin, rubber sport, nylon or Milanese steel. As for the case, it’s available in stainless steel, bicolor steel, black diamond-like carbon and titanium, which is the most expensive variant.
The watch features a large rotating crown on the right and two buttons on the left and right that can be programmed to launch various apps.
The Summit 2 is an expensive smartwatch
The new Snapdragon 3100 chipset inside is paired with 1GB of RAM (which is a first for smartwatches) and 8GB of storage. Qualcomm’s new wearable chipset is focused on providing a longer battery life, so the Summit 2 should last users a full day of use with an extra 4-5 days in “Time Only Mode”.
The package also includes a heart rate sensor, magnetic charging pins, NGC, GPS and Bluetooth 4.2.
Obviously, the watch relays notifications for messages, calls, calendar events and more. It also has the Google Assistant built-in and an always-on mode.
In addition, the wearable comes pre-installed with the Timeshifter app, which aims to help you minimize the effects of jet lag by providing you with tips on the watch face.
What’s more, the Summit 2 brings another exclusive, as it also includes the Running Coach app powered by Firstbeat analytics.
The app provides active individuals who want to keep in shape with key stats. For example, Fitness Score, which is updated after every run, compares internal and external workloads to reveal changes in your cardio-respiratory fitness.
Training Load is another feature which is meant to show users whether they are active enough to achieve their health and fitness goals. Running Coach also offers the services of Training Effect, which a predictive tool that reveals how your workout will influence your progress and fitness in general. Real-time training guidance is also included in the app.
If you find the Montblanc Summit 2 interesting, you can check out the smartwatch in its various configurations on the company’s official website. But you’ll need to find a Montblanc boutique if you want to actually buy one.
Join us as we sit down and discuss some of the hot tech topics out there today. Huawei held an event where the company showed off a total of four new smartphones and an interesting smartwatch. Andrew and Donovan sit down and discuss all of these products and what they mean for the market as a whole.
What we talked about today
Huawei unveils its new lineup of smart devices including:
We’ve all been in this situation: we need to get things done today. That easy for history class. That last piece of code to finish a ticket. That budget planning for the next vacation. But our phone is constantly nagging us about a post you commented on Facebook, or the likes you received on your Instagram post. Our high school friends keep writing on Telegram about the latest meme. Amazon is asking us to check the latest deals.
It is very hard to do actual work with the amount of services, messaging, and social networking going on inside our phones. If you need a little push to stop your mind from using the phone and get back to business, then Forest might be a good addition to your list of apps.
If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, then you can read more about it here. Although this app is not exactly a Pomodoro timer, you can see some elements of it crawling into the app.
The premise of Forest is the following: you define a period in which you want to get work done, and a virtual tree will blossom during that time. However, this will only happen if you don’t use any other app in your phone during that time. Failing to do so means that your tree dies. Immediately. No questions asked.
Setup
Forest will present you a small onboarding with some information about what it is and how does it work. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it. Upon completion of it, Forest will show you the main screen with a small tutorial about how to start the timer and change the type of tree you want to grow. You are probably smart enough to figure everything out by yourself, especially if you are familiar with these kind of applications. However, it is never a bad idea to have a small tutorial for newcomers, so kudos to the developer for that.
Planting Trees
Forest works best by giving it access permission. This means that Forest will be able to check if you have changed to another app while the timer is on. In case you do so, your phone will start vibrating and will send you a notification about coming back to the app immediately if you don’t want your tree to die. I can understand that this might be giving too much information to an app, but not granting this permission will mean that you will be able to cheat.
If your tree dies because you left the app, you will be left with a lifeless log in your forest. You can remove this if you don’t like the look of it, but you will need to either pay coins to do it, or watch a video ad.
However, if everything goes well and you manage to control the impulse of using your phone, you will be rewarded with a glorious tree. Its gloriousness depends on how much time you decided to stop using your phone, from 10 to 120 minutes.
This will start filling your forest, giving a meaning to the app’s name. Every period you complete will not only grant you a tree, but also coins. These can be used at the store to buy new kinds of trees to plant. Every purchase you make will make next purchases more expensive, and, combined with the fact that you get coins in a really slow way, getting everything that is available at the store will take a very, very long time.
If you want to keep things more organized, then you can also add tags to each of your periods. Stuff like “work,” “social,” or “study” are available by default, but you can also add your own custom tags (with the pro version). This will help you keezp a record of the time that you have concentrated doing different activities. All of the activities that you make will then be available in the timeline navigation item.
Pro Version
As many apps and games these days, Forest is provided for free, but offers a pro version for those interested. At $1.99, the pro version is really affordable and it brings benefits such as ad removal, sync between devices, custom tags, and whitelist.
This last option is particularly clever, since there’s people that actually use their phones for valuable stuff, such as working or studying with it. So, for some people, using Slack or Outlook would actually constitute a working activity. Forest lets you whitelist these kind of apps so that you can stay away from social networks and other useless activities while actually getting work done with your phone.
However, the most interesting option that you get with the pro version is the ability to plant actual trees. Through an alliance with Trees for the Future, you can plant trees in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Not only are you improving your concentration in activities that matter to you, but also improving the conditions in which other less fortunate people perform activities that matter to them. It’s a perfect example of a win-win situation, and the cause is a really commendable one.
Settings
There are several options at your disposal, primarily aimed at improving the core experience of the app. Some of the options available to you are notification mode, keeping the screen on while the app is on the foreground, turning on sound effects, configuration of planting reminders, and advanced detection. This last option provides some workarounds for common problems with the app, such as notifications being wrongly interpreted as leaving the app.
If you have the pro version, this is where you will be able to configure things like custom phrases and app whitelist.
Conclusion
Forest combines a gameified experience with cute graphics and solid performance in order to help you use your phone less and do more work. Its functionality is just as advertised (provided you give it the appropriate permissions) and its pro version actually helps you to do good deeds for other people. If you find yourself struggling to keep your phone down and work, then it doesn’t hurt to check this out.
Heads up, trainers. It’s time to get out there and start collecting new Pokemon. Indeed, the Pokemon first discovered in the Sinnoh region have arrived in Pokemon GO. That’s right, the fourth wave of pocket monsters is rolling out as of now.
Open the game up today and you’ll find new shadows of Pokemon that you’ve yet to catch. Among them are Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup, plus a handful of others.
Not all of the Sinnoh guys are here yet as it’s an ongoing wave that will spread over the coming weeks and months. But, not to worry, these creatures will be found in the wild, in eggs, and in raids, too.
More Storage
Looking down the road there will be a few other goodies coming to the Pokemon GO experience. According to the game developers we should be on the hunt for “new features, and expansions to existing features like Pokémon storage and more”.
If you’re new to Pokemon GO, or are just getting back into the swing of things, you might want a little bit of help. To that end, we’ve put together a list of the best Android apps to enhance your Pokemon GO experience.
Oh, and if you’ve got a newer phone, or something from the upper end over the last few years, you should totally check out the AR+ mode. Now available for Android, it brings about a new way of catching and interacting with your Pokemon.
There are many unsung heroes in the world of innovation. It’s full of companies helping bring us great technology on a daily basis, but many remain almost unnoticed. One such company is Corning.
The “glass company” is used in billions of smartphones, tablets, and even laptops but what do you really know about the 167-year-old institution? Allow me to help you get introduced and show you how they are used in current technology.
A Brief History Lesson
Corning was founded by Amory Houghton way back in 1851. Yes, Corning has been around for well over 150 years. The company was originally named Bay State Glass Company and was located in Somerville, Massachusetts. After a brief stop in Brooklyn under a new label of Brooklyn Glass Works, the Houghtons found their permanent home in Corning, New York in 1868.
You can probably guess where the current name of the company comes from now, right? It also found their want for creating fringe products past window panes.
Notable Innovations
Lightbulb
In 1879 a guy you may have heard of was looking for a partner to help harness his new toy electricity. Thomas Edison had designs for a new lantern that would be powered by his work with electrical currents, but it needed a housing. That’s when he turned to Corning. It became a household name by 1908 with the glass light bulb being one of the most popular household products in the world.
1908 was also a big year for the company’s future. Corning hired Dr. Eugene Sullivan. With this addition, it established one of the first industrial research and development departments in the United States. It would also cement the company as the world leader in glass.
Heat-resistant glass
This experiment is two-fold. The project started in 1912 to help the federal railroads solve the problem of signal lanterns shattering under extreme temperature changes. Corning was successful in creating a heat-resistant glass that was also a low expansion for climate spikes.
Coincidentally, it led to another consumer product for Corning. A year later, an internal physicist, Dr. Jesse Littleton, asked his wife to attempt to bake a cake with the same glass used in the railroad product. The home economics project was so successful that 2 years later they created an entirely new division for baked good under the PYREX brand.
Silicone
The last legacy innovation that I’m going to cover is silicone. Not to be confused with the element silicon, silicone is a chemical mixture of both glass and plastic that is mainly used as a sealant or molding product. It was developed by Dr. J. Franklin Hyde in 1934 using a process vapor deposition. How is it used today? Silicon is in a multitude of products from optical lenses, fiber optic wiring, industrial sealants, and even telescope mirrors.
Modern Era
The discovery of silicone seems to start a shift in the timeline for Corning that focuses more on what we’d consider modern day technology. There are many more findings after 1934, but let’s move the needle into the current century and hone in on the invention that all of us have in our pockets this very second.
Gorilla Glass
In the not so distant past of 2007, smartphones were just starting to become a household commodity. The iPhone was announced and was a blockbuster hit. One of the reasons was that it had a scratch resistant screen from Corning called Gorilla Glass. Steve Jobs had contacted the company with the idea of such a product and was pleasantly surprised that Corning already had it in development.
In June of 2007 Jobs went on stage with the 1st generation of iPhone and proudly showed off the 1st generation of Gorilla Glass as well.
Corning hasn’t stopped with just Apple products. After the buzz of the iPhone awoke a renaissance of today’s smartphones, almost every manufacturer that followed has adopted some version of Gorilla Glass for their devices.
Android, iOS, and even Windows phones all sport the hardened glass from Corning. The last official numbers from October 2017 estimated Corning’s Gorilla Glass is atop touchscreens on over five billion devices globally.
We literally see Gorilla Glass everywhere today in our gadgets. Smartphone, tablets, and laptops. Acer even made the lid of their Chromebook 14 business laptop out of Gorilla Glass. Oh, and it’s in car windshields as well.
The industry has also been trending towards fully glass encased phones in the past few years with the likes of the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and the LG G-series all adopting both screen and back panels made of glass. What kind of glass? Corning Gorilla Glass of course.
Corning has continued to innovate almost on a yearly basis to push Gorilla Glass to new heights. In July of 2018, the company unveiled the 6th generation Gorilla Glass. It claims the new version brings a product 2x better than the 5th rendition as surviving drops of one meter up to 15 times before the glass actually breaks.
And that’s the key to Corning’s current legacy in mobile technology. We depend on them as the consumer to help protect us from our clumsy hands with our expensive pocket PCs. We invest heavily in having these smartphones in our presence at all times and Corning is there to make sure these phones can take a beating of day to day operations from most people.
Lightbulbs to Backlit Screens
From their humble beginnings with the light bulb to the latest smartphone screens, Corning has always been a company closely tied to technology. Did they always know they would be on billions of devices worldwide one day? Probably not, but they have become one of the most common companies in your home and you may not have known their name… until now.
Do you own at least two Google Home devices? Any combination of Google Home, Home Mini, Home Max, or Home Hub will suffice. Two of one, one each, whatever.
If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, then you can read more about it 
As many apps and games these days, 
