Home Blog Page 667

Google Assistant gets new look, additional features on mobile devices

AndroidGuys
-
0

Google on Wednesday introduced a new version of its Google Assistant app for mobile devices. The refreshed client, available for both Android and iPhone, combines voice and touch-based elements to deliver a more intuitive experience that also closely resembles the other apps getting UI overhauls.

Why It Matters

Google Assistant, first introduced with the Pixel phones in 2016, is the evolution of Google’s artificial intelligence. Part on-demand, part push notifications, and a bunch of “we know you better than you know you”, Google Assistant manages your calendar, searches, contacts, commutes, and so much more.

Don’t Like Google Assistant? Here’s how to remove it!

The newly refreshed approach follows on the heels of a number of visual refreshes for apps and services. The timing is not coincidental; the Pixel 3 arrives next week and is expected to usher in the best of Google in both hardware and software.

What’s New?

  • Bigger visuals that are easy to glance at quickly.
  • New controls and sliders to manage your smart home devices. Use the dials to adjust your lights to the right brightness, or the sliders to control the volume of your smart speaker.
  • An interactive messaging interface so you can use your fingers to add a comma, change a word or make any other quick edits as you compose messages.
  • On Android phones, it’s now easier to access an overview of your day. Open up the Assistant and swipe up on your screen to get curated information based on the time of day and your recent interactions with the Assistant.
  • Developers and brands now have tools to take full advantage of the phone screen. Starbucks now has thumbnails to select from recommended items on their menus, Food Network has larger images of their recipes, and FitStar uses GIFs to give you a preview of your workout.

Google is giving Assistant bigger visuals, making it easier to identify and use the tools and capabilities. Sliders and dials improve things so that users can more quickly adjust speaker volumes, thermostat temperatures, and more.

Also cool, and only available Android, it’s a breeze to swipe up the Assistant to get curated details on your day. As you might expect, it leverages location and time of day.

Google now offers brands new tools to take advantage of mobile devices for search results. New thumbnails allow Starbucks, for instance, to showcase select items on its menu. Developers and brands can start putting Assistant and its custom results to work for them.

Google Assistant is free to download from the Google Play Store and iTunes.

LG V40 ThinQ launches with 5 total cameras and more goodies

Andrew Myrick
-
0

All of the fun and games are over in the leaks department for the LG V40 ThinQ. The device has been officially unveiled at an event in New York, confirming much of what we already knew.

LG V40

The LG V40 ThinQ sports a name that is forgettable, as many folks will continue to ignore the “ThinQ” marketing push. Instead, the handset will likely be simply referenced to as the LG V40.

READ MORE: LG G7 ThinQ Review

Nonetheless, the device sports a 6.4-inch QHD+ POLED display which comes in almost a half-inch larger than its predecessor. This is thanks to the notch that has been included and is a carry-over from the LG G7 ThinQ.

  • Display: 6.4-inch QHD+ POLED; 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • RAM: 6GB
  • Storage: 64GB/128GB
  • Battery: 3,300mAh
  • Rear Cameras: 12MP standard, 16MP wide-angle, 12MP zoom
  • Front Cameras: 8MP + 5MP
  • IP Rating: IP68
  • Extras: Quad DAC, Headphone jack, Google Assistant button

Under the hood, we have the usual suspects for a 2018 flagship. The Snapdragon 845 chipset is powering the V40, combined with 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage.

On the battery side of things, LG has included a respectable 3,300mAh battery which should get you through the day. Of course, fast-charging is on board, so you’ll be able to top off whenever you need to last throughout the night.

Cameras

The real story of the LG V40 ThinQ comes courtesy of the cameras. Thanks to a teaser published by LG a few weeks ago, we know that the handset comes with a total of 5 sensors.

There isn’t really too much to write home about when it comes to the selfie camera. There is an 8MP standard sensor and a 5MP wide-angle lens so you can get all of your friends in the shot. LG also has improved its face-recognition software to help keep unwanted individuals out of your handset.

READ MORE: Get started with your LG G7 ThinQ

As for the rear of the device, this is where things really pick up steam. LG has included three different sensors on the V40 ThinQ; Standard, Wide-Angle, Zoom.

The standard lens sports a f/1.5 aperture, while the wide-angle sensor comes with a f/1.9 aperture. The Zoom sensor comes in with an aperture of f/2.4 and 2x optical zoom capabilities.

This will definitely improve the life of those who want to have the perfect camera for the perfect shot. Instead of relying on software to do the work, LG opted to join the camera trend and throw an extra, but useful, lens on its latest device.

Extras

Something that you will notice is that LG decided to keep both the headphone jack and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. This should not really come as a surprise since it seems that the ultrasonic scanners are not ready just yet for primetime. I’m expecting to see this come alongside the LG G8 ThinQ.

As has been the case with the LG “V” series, the V40 also sports an improved Quad DAC. Doing so will make the V40 ThinQ the ‘de-facto’ device for the audiophiles out there who want the best music experience on the go.

One of the more interesting features of the LG G7 ThinQ is making its return on the V40 ThinQ. The company again has implemented the dedicated Google Assistant button on the frame.

This will bring up Assistant whenever you push it, while also being able to take advantage of Google Lens.

Pricing and availability

LG continues the trend of ultra-premium devices. The V40 will range anywhere from $900 to almost $1,000 depending on where you pick it up. Here’s how the cost breaks down for each carrier:

  • AT&T: $950
  • Sprint: $960
  • T-Mobile: $920
  • US Cellular: $900
  • Verizon: $980

Most, if not all, of these carriers, offer two-year interest-free financing that will leave you paying between $35 and $40 a month. Pre-orders kick off on October 12, with the phone showing up in stores on October 19.

Are you going to pick up an LG V40 ThinQ? Why or why not? Let us know down in the comments.

Amazon intros $50 Fire TV Stick 4K, Alexa Voice Remote

AndroidGuys
-
0

Amazon on Wednesday announced its Fire TV Stick 4K, the company’s most powerful streaming media stick to date. Moreover, it introduced the Alexa Voice Remote, which is included with the Fire TV Stick 4K; the bundle retails for $49.99.

As the name implies, the Fire TV Stick 4K gains 4K video streaming capabilities. Moreover, it is the first streaming media stick available with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Comprised of a stick that plugs into your HDMI port and a remote, the package is everything you need to stream content from your favorite providers.

Using a combination of Bluetooth, multidirectional infrared technology, and a cloud-based Amazon service, the new Alexa Voice Remote is about as smart as it gets. Indeed, you can use your voice to control playback, search, and even other devices.

Amazon recently introduced a whole slew of products with Alexa integration; the new remote ties in quite nicely with those devices.

Why It Matters

Media streaming is an ever-expanding field with not only new hardware constantly arriving, but a growing number of services. For every long-term provider like Netflix and Hulu there’s a newer name in the space like Disney and ESPN.

On the product side of things Google has its various iterations of Cast/Home while Amazon has the Fire TV Stick line. Then there’s also Android TV, Roku, and other players with streaming capabilities.

Availability

The Fire TV Stick 4K is available for pre-order for $49.99 with shipping commencing October 31 in the US and Canada. The United Kingdom, Germany, and India will get their respective release a few weeks later (November 14) and Japan follows later this year.

The Alexa Voice Remote is available for pre-order for $29.99 and will start shipping on October 31 in the United States and Canada. Similar to the streaming stick, the UK, Germany, and India get their units on November 14 with Japan later this year.

Customers can also purchase the Amazon Fire TV Cube with the all-new Alexa Voice Remote for $119.99 with shipping beginning October 31.

The all-new Alexa Voice Remote is also available as a single remote for $29.99.

Plex unveils Web Shows, a new way to watch and discover content

Alexandra Arici
-
0

You might have heard of Plex. This is a service that organizes your own personal media library and allows streaming on several devices, from your game consoles to mobile devices. It also works on Chromecast, Amazon Fire, the latest smart TVs (including Android TV), and more.

Well, today Plex just announced a new feature. It’s called Web Shows and it’s designed to offer free access to a series of curated shows.

At lunch, the collection will include diverse shows from various categories of interest including food, home & garden, science & tech and entertainment from independent creators such as Epic Meal Time, ASAPscience or The Pet Collective. New content will become available on a regular basis.

Plex’s new service quickly learns your preferences

What’s more, Plex says that the more you use the service, the more it gets to know you. And so, it will be able to serve up better-customized recommendations for things you’re really interested in.

You can subscribe to Web Shows app, which will also alert you when new shows are added on board. The service is currently in beta, so it’s possible you might experience some hiccups at first.

While Plex got its start as a software application for organizing your home media collection, it’s been expanding over the past couple of years to add new features and services. Plex’s Web Shows join the ranks of Plex Podcast and Plex News as a new option to get access to curated, free-of-charge video content.

For those who don’t remember, Plex News was announced back in 2017, as a personalized streaming news service. Plex News includes national, international and local news from a truckload of providers. For example there’s CBS News, CNN, Financial Times and a ton more.

As for the Plex Podcasts, it’s a more recent addition, which made a debut earlier this year. Users can browse and search through Plex’s podcast library, as well as filter podcasts by categories of interest.

With the latest addition, Plex has taken another step towards becoming the go-to platform for everyone who loves media.

Google intros new Voice Access app to let you use your Android hands-free

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Google this week introduced a new app called Voice Access. The search giant has been working on it for two years and now finally the app is available to download globally.

Voice Access is designed to offer hands-free support on your Android, but so far only works in English. Although, support for other languages in coming in the future.

New features available in Voice Access

One of the main features of this app is the option to scroll and navigate app screens simply by using your voice. Google notes Voice Access provides more fine-grain controls than other voice commands you might be using on your phones. For example, it will let you “click” buttons within apps, something you can’t do using the “standard” Assistant.

This is something very useful to have in case you need to use the phone, but for whatever reason have your hands full. Most importantly, Voice Access has the potential to also help individuals who are suffering from conditions such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.

More specifically, users of Android devices will be able to navigate through apps, as well as compose or edit texts without using their hands. So instead of tapping, you’ll have to use the “Ok Google” hot word to start writing a text or say “open” to open another app.

Moreover, Voice Access supports commands like “delete a line” or “undo” which will have the effect of allowing you to start your message all over again. When you’re done, simply say “stop listening”.

There are many other commands available, and if you want to view them all you need to check out the Support Page.

The app is currently available for Android users, but Google hasn’t said whether Voice Access is coming to iOS too in the future.

Download Voice Support from the Google Play Store

Google Home Mini gets a new Aqua color option

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Ahead of the grand Pixel 3 unveil, Google announced its Home Mini speaker is getting a new color option in the US. Called Aqua, the new version will become available for purchase from the Google Store and Walmart later this month for $50.

However, you should know that the Google Home Mini is often offered for free if bundled with some other more expensive product. For example, right now if you buy an NVIDIA SHIELD TV (without controller) from Best Buy, the retailer will also throw in a free Google Home Mini in Chalk and Sling TV streaming for 30 days. The purchase will take you back with $179.99.

But if you want the new Aqua version, chances are that at least at first you’ll have to order it via the Google Store or Walmart.

Aqua is the first color added since the Home Mini launched last year

We should also note that the Aqua Google Home Mini doesn’t bring anything new in terms of functionalities. Even so, the device can do plenty. For example, it can play music from your favorite streaming services including Spotify, Pandora and YouTube Music, share a message with everyone in the house or quickly help you find your phone.

Bored at home? The Google Assistant living inside the Home Mini can also act as an entertainer. Ask it to tell you a joke, or find out what kind of sounds unicorns make. But don’t forget to use the hot word “Hey Google” to start interacting with your virtual helper.

In related news, Google is gearing up to introduce a new product from the Home series. During the Pixel 3 event, we expect the search giant to also unveil the Home Hub. This will apparently be the search giant’s first smart display product. It will come featuring a large 7-inch display and will offer 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi in both 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands for high-performance streaming.

Stay tuned next week if you’re interested in finding more details about Google’s new products.

Huawei Watch GT, Pixel Slate, and other news worth knowing

Andrew Myrick
-
0

Welcome to In Brief, the AndroidGuys tech briefing. Today is Tuesday, October 2, and we’re taking a look at all the tech news you need to know. In this post, we want you to learn about the news the way you want to learn. We’ve embedded a podcast version of all this news below. If you don’t want to listen, you can read just like you normally would.

In today’s edition, the Huawei Watch GT is shown off in a new image, while it seems that Google will be selling a new Smart TV Kit with its upcoming Chromecast. Additionally, OnePlus shares why the 6T won’t include a headphone jack and the Pixel Slate passes through GeekBench.

We’d love feedback on this post, so please let us know what you think in the comments. If we can improve in some way, we’d love to know!

The Huawei Watch GT could be the Watch successor we wanted all along

For years, owners of the original Huawei Watch have been looking for a proper successor. The Huawei Watch 2 was more-so geared towards fitness-oriented consumers, but the prayers may be answered.

According to renders from WinFuture, the Watch GT will come in two different variants, the Classic and the Sport. While there are some elements apparent from the Watch 2, this upcoming smartwatch is much more refined.

The Watch GT sports two side-mounted buttons and a 1.39-inch OLED display along with a 420mAh battery. It’s unknown whether the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset will be powering the smartwatch.

Rumors claim that Huawei will introduce its new Watch GT lineup alongside the Mate 20 family of devices.

It appears that Google will begin selling a Smart TV Kit at Walmart

We are just a week away from seeing the launch of a slew of new products from Google. One such product is expected to be a brand new Chromecast, which made its first appearance at Best Buy last week.

It seems that Google is ready to really push its smart home initiative thanks to a leaked picture of the “Smart TV Kit”. The Kit includes a Google Home Mini and the new and improved Chromecast.

Unfortunately, there is no telling what the price for this bundle will be just yet. But Google used to sell a similar bundle through Walmart for just $75, so we expect pricing of this new bundle fall in line.

OnePlus CEO explains why the 6T will remove the headphone jack

When all of the OnePlus 6T renders began appearing, there were two major omissions: no fingerprint scanner and no headphone jack. In an interview with CNET, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau shared the reasons why these changes were made.

Lau gave a non-answer when it comes to actually saying why the headphone jack was removed. Instead, he stated that “This has been one of the most difficult decisions for us to make”.

With the inclusion of an embedded fingerprint scanner, it makes some sense that OnePlus had to keep costs down in other ways. This trend doesn’t stop there as Lau also confirmed the OnePlus 6T will not feature wireless charging or are a better IP water resistance rating. However, he did claim that the company is “working hard on this” to bring up the speed of wireless charging.

Rumored Pixel Slate shows up on GeekBench

The Pixel 3 lineup has been shown off from every angle imaginable over the last few months. However, there are increasing suspicions that Google will be unveiling at least one new Chromebook device during its October 9 event.

One such product, the Pixel Slate, has been seen in Chromium commits and other rumors. The upcoming Chromebook-based tablet just passed through GeekBench, revealing a few key specs.

The Slate will sport a dual-core Intel Core i7 chipset, combined with 16GB of RAM and Android 9 Pie. We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed and wait for Google’s event to leaern more about this device.

Visit our sponsor!

We’d like to thank Blue Microphones for sponsoring the AndroidGuys Audio experience! Click here to check out the Blue Yeticaster, the best option for podcasts! Enter promo code Androidguys (US only!) for 20% off of your order.

Subscribe!

Get more of the AndroidGuys Audio Experience

Google Play Music | Simplecast | iTunes | Stitcher | Pocket Casts

For questions, concerns, or general feedback about the podcast feel free to contact us at podcast [at] androidguys.com.

Tips and tricks every Google Home user should know

AndroidGuys
-
0

First introduced in May 2016, the Google Home has fast become one of the leading connected smart speakers. It’s perhaps one of the most flexible devices of its kind and only gets better with updates and new features.

We’re in an era where the Google Home faces strong competition from the likes of Sonos, Amazon Echo, and the Apple HomePod. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks, and the space will get more crowded when Samsung delivers its first Bixby-powered speaker.

Getting Smarter and Smarter

The Google Home has a more robust user experience than when it initially launched; it gets smarter all the time. It’s flexible, customizable, and designed to act as your personal assistant. Indeed, there are a ton of questions and commands you can use to harness the internal Google Assistant technology.

SEE ALSO: Google Home devices can now pair with third-party Bluetooth speakers

For all of the cool and unique things you might do with the Google Home there are a few options and settings that you absolutely should do. Setting up the Google Home, Home Mini, and Home Max is a breeze, but there’s a handful of additional customization that’s worth the time.

Here are nine features and settings every Google Home user needs to know. Seasoned users might take these for granted, but new owners will appreciate learning a thing or two.

Note that some of these will also work for the Google Home Mini and/or Google Home Max.

A couple of things to keep in mind

  • Make sure you have the latest version of the Google Home app.
  • Check to ensure you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Google Home device.

Enable ‘Do Not Disturb’

Regardless of where you have your Google Home setup, chances are good that you’ll sometimes want to mute notifications and reminders. To do so, open the Google Home app and look to the top right corner for Devices. Scroll down to the speaker or device you’d like to change and open the menu in the right corner. From there go to Settings and look for Do Not Disturb. Simply toggle the slider on and off.

Change Device Name

Have you moved your speakers around or added to your setup? You might want to rename your device(s) so you can better identify them. Doing this is easy. Open the Google Home app and look for Devices in the menu or in the top right corner of the main screen. Once there, tap on the menu in the right corner for the device you want to change.  Scroll to where you see the Name section and tap on it. After typing in your new name remember to tap “Save”.

See Also: How to choose from Google Assistant’s new voices on your phone

Enable/Disable Guest Mode

Guest Mode for Google HomePlanning to host a party or game night? Guest mode is a cool feature which makes it easy for friends and attendees to cast their music and media to your Google Home. Using a combination of Wi-Fi and location, the app can create a private network for trusted users to connect to the speaker.

If you’d like to set up Guest mode, open the app and look for the device for which you’d like to enable the feature. In the right corner tap the menu button and select Guest mode. Once you enable the setting you’ll be given a randomly generated PIN. Give this out to your guests so they can hop onto your speaker or TV and share. All they have to do now is connect to your Wi-Fi network and cast the music or media from inside an app like Google Play Music or Spotify.

Change Volume for Timers and Alarms

Depending on where you place your Google Home, you might not want it to be all that loud. The one on your nightstand, for instance, might need not be as loud as the one in your kitchen.

To adjust the volume level for alarms and timers, open the Google Home app and look to the top right corner for Devices. Scroll to the device you’d like to change and open the menu in the right corner. Find “Alarms and Timers” and adjust the slide according to preference.

Change Volume and LED Brightness with Night Mode

Night Mode in Google HomeIf you want to manage the overall volume and brightness of your Google Home, you can do so via “Night Mode”. Inside of the Settings for the device you’d like to change you’ll want to look for Night mode. Once you enable it you’ll be presented with a host of options, each of which lets you set automatic changes for certain days of the week or time of day.

These settings are helpful if you have a room that you’d like to keep quiet or dim in the evenings. Moreover, the automatic schedule gives you peace of mind in that you don’t have to go in and change it every night.

Create or Change Your Nickname

Want to change things up a little bit? Have your Google Home use a nickname when addressing you. Additionally, it will also use the same name when on your Pixel 2 or other phones with Google Assistant.

To set your nickname open Google Home, open the menu and tap on More Settings. From there you’ll go to Personal Info and tap Nickname. You can edit it to be whatever you’d like but if Google has a hard time learning it, you can also record yourself to teach it proper pronunciation. Have fun with it, “brah”.

Change Google Assistant Language

Change the language in Google HomeChanging the language of your Google Home is fairly simple and can be done on a per-device basis. Inside of the mobile app, tap on More Settings in the menu and scroll down to the section marked Devices. Tap on the one you want to change and look for Assistant Language.

Enable/Disable Personal Results

Sometimes we don’t want to share things that are personal, especially in a public setting. Worried about a co-worker hearing your next doctor’s appointment or flight? Turn off the personal results.

In the Google Home app, go to the menu and look for More Settings. Look for the section marked “Devices” and select the one you want to adjust. The next screen will let you enable or disable the “personal results”.

Read more: Google Home review: After two years, is it still worth it?

Enable sound after saying, “Ok Google”

Trigger a sound after saying, "Hey Google".Wouldn’t it be nice if your Google Home would make some kind of chime or noise to signal it heard you? It’s possible. Navigate in the app to the Devices in the top right of the app and open its menu. Scroll to Accessibility and enable sounds; you can opt for both the beginning and the end of the request.

What else is there?

Indeed, there’s plenty left in the Google Home configuration and customization. Have fun looking around and playing with the various settings, making your devices more uniquely “yours”.

Is there a particular setting that impressed or surprised you? Leave a comment below with your favorite tweak for Google Home.

Simplenote: Straightforward and reliable note taking in the cloud (Review)

Gerson Noboa
-
0

Just as in any category at this point, there is a wide variety of applications for note taking in the Play Store. Applications like Evernote, Microsoft’s OneNote, and Google’s own Keep Notes are the most popular ones available, offering a plethora of tools and features. However, if all you want is to take notes in a dead-simple app with a minimal interface, astounding performance, and unlimited syncing across platforms, then you should definitely give Simplenote a chance.

Developer: Automattic, Inc
Price: Free

Setup

Upon installation of the app, you can login with your current account or sign up for a new one. In case you have a WordPress account, you can login with that as well. After logging in, Simplenote will create a new note for you with instructions tailored to the Android app.

Overview

Unlike competitors like Evernote or Google Keep Notes, the interface of Simplenote is dead simple. No notebooks, no image attachments, no grocery lists, nothing. Just a notepad and you.

Depending on the usage you want to give to it, this might be a good thing or a bad thing. If you just want a way to organize your random notes in a place while syncing them across devices (and for free!), then Simplenote is perfect for you. However, if you want more robust capabilities, then that is not what Simplenote was created for, and trying to use it in a complex workflow would just bring frustration to you.

Note Taking

As the name implies, Simplenote wants to make the note-taking process as simple as possible. This is apparent in every feature of the app. For starters, there is not even a title field or something similar. The first line of your note is used as the title automatically. After that, everything is plain text.

The good thing is that, if you want different fonts, titles and subtitles, and lists, Simplenote also supports markdown. In case you don’t know what it is, markdown syntax is a markup language that you can use to format documents. You can read more about it here. However, markdown support for a note is turned off by default, and you have to go manually into the note’s options to activate it.

This will change the interface to have a tab bar at the top: one for editing and one for previewing. This way, you can easily see how your markdown-formatted note will look. It is pretty neat and works without hiccups.

Tags

One of the flaws of the lack of notebooks or other types of categorization is that having a lot of notes starts to get disorganized pretty quickly. Simplenote’s answer to this is the addition of tags. At the bottom of the note, you can add tags to a note. Each one will then appear on the sidebar of your application, letting you filter by them.

For people coming from Evernote and OneNote, this might not seem enough. Then again, people coming from those apps are not Simplenote’s target. For people like me, who prefer a simple, streamlined, no-nonsense way of managing notes, tags are enough.

Publishing, history, and more

Regardless of the simplicity of Simplenote, it still has some tricks up its sleeve. There’s an option to publish a note, which will generate a link to it. You can then share this link and other people will be able to see it, even if they don’t have a Simplenote account. Also, you can delete this public link at any time.

There is also a Collaborate option, which lets you share a note with someone else. This will allow them to edit the note as well, similar to how Google Docs works for collaborating with documents.

In case you want to go back to a previous version of your note, Simplenote has the History option at your disposal. This takes snapshots of your notes and lets you go back in time to restore something you have done previously.

Finally, there is also a Trash, to which all your deleted notes go to die. Unlike how the Recycle Bin works in Windows or Gmail, the notes in Simplenote’s trash can are not cleared after a period of time. In order to delete them completely, you have to empty the trash, which fortunately is just a button away.

Settings

There’s a few settings that, while not truly earth-shattering, can make your experience a bit better. You can activate a “condensed note list” option, which strips away the note’s text and shows an interface with the title only. Also, you can change the sorting order of the notes. The default is “newest modified date”, but you can select options like newest created date, oldest modified date, alphabetically, among others.

For those of you who prefer a dark theme, I’m happy to tell you that, while Google shifts into making everything whiter and whiter, Simplenote offers a dark theme option. You can also change the fonts, select if links are formatted and ready for their opening in the browser of your choice, and protect the app with a custom PIN code.

Conclusion

If I have not been clear enough throughout the review, Simplenote follows the always-reliable KISS method for its app. There is no unneeded, flashy functionality. There is no power user options. There is no silly two-device limit. With Simplenote, just as with old HTML editors, what you see is what you get.

This, however, does not mean that Simplenote is a bad application or that it doesn’t have any useful features. Simple note taking, markdown support, collaboration tools, filtering through tags, and unmatched performance are all available in a package that has the accessible price of free. What more can one ask for?

Download and install Simplenote from the Google Play Store.

Honor 8X: Budget-friendly notched smartphone coming to the US

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor just announced its latest budget smartphone, the Honor 8X is coming to the US. A successor of last year’s Honor 7X, the 8X looks and feels like a flagship, although its internal specs keep it firmly lodged into the mid-range category.

What does the Honor 8X bring to the table? Keep reading to find out.

The Honor 8X is a very good-looking smartphone which features a huge 6.5-inch display with a notch on top and 2,340 x 1,080 resolution. It’s made of 2.5 textured aurora glass, which is layered as to catch the light, just like its higher-end sibling, the Honor 10.

The phone is extremely sleek featuring a 7.8mm frame. It also houses a fingerprint sensor on the back.

The Honor 8X is a capable new mid-ranger

When it comes to internal specifications, the Honor 8X is powered by an octa-core Kirin 710 processor. This is the same SoC found inside the recently launched Huawei Mate 20 Lite. The phone will be available with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

As we’ve grown accustomed with Honor’s latest releases, there are also a few interesting AI features on board. For example, there’s Eye Comfort mode which filters out blue light, as well as additional display modes for night reading and sunlight legibility.

When it comes to photography, the Honor 8X takes advantage of a 20MP lens on the back, as well as a 2MP one. On the front, lives a 16MP selfie snapper.

Keeping everything alive and moving is a 3,750 mAh battery. The phone will ship with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box with EMUI on top.

Pricing and availability

Honor said the Honor 8X will go on sale in the US soon for only $200 .You’ll be able to get it Black, Blue or Red.

1...666667668...1,315Page 667 of 1,315