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The Silent Age: Point-and-click done right (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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In an era where endless games with pixel graphics abound in the Play Store, it is always pleasant to find developers who focus on providing a different, rewarding, and immersive experience. Even though people think that polished, refined games are reserved for consoles, we’ve seen through the years that developers can also come up with compelling experiences for our little mobile devices.

Also, a trend seen more frequently nowadays is to port a PC game to Android and iOS in order to cater to a wider audience, while still providing a greater experience than what we are used to see on our phones. This is the case of The Silent Age, a game developed by House on Fire. The Silent Age is a point-and-click game that tries to do exactly that: entertain mobile gamers in a different way. Not through ultra-high difficulty, high scores, and endless characteristics, but with a fascinating story and marvelous audiovisuals.

Developer: House on Fire
Price: Free

Setup

As you know, since Android 6.0 Marshmallow you can decide which permissions to grant to apps. This has stopped developers from requesting non-sensical permissions, such as access to contacts in a single player game.

Unfortunately, The Silent Age keeps this practice, asking for a total of three different permissions upon start up: Storage, Phone, and Location. Denying the three of them has no impact on the game (at least not noticeable), which makes you wonder why they’re there.

After that, you will be presented with a very uncommon view: language selection. There’s a total of seven languages available, and I find it awesome that you can choose among them from the start. For example, I have my phone in Spanish but I need to play my games in English so that you all can understand my screenshots. It’s a very isolated use case but I appreciate the option nonetheless.

Overview

There’s a pretty cool introduction to the backstory of the game.

The game shows a kind of lengthy introduction. Basically, the main character is a man who is stuck working as a janitor. However, after his boss gives him more responsibility for the same salary (been there, done that), he finds himself in a completely unexpected situation. I won’t spoil the rest.

Having said that, the story is one of the highest points of this game. Some small parts of it feel tacky at first, but it gets better and better with every step you take. It is as intriguing as it is cohesive with the environment in which the game develops.

There are two episodes, though. So, if you want to experience the game fully, you will need to pay five bucks to unlock the second episode, since only the first is free. Personally, I don’t dislike this model. You get to play the game for free at first and if you like it, then you pay for the rest. If not, then you just move on. This way, you get to experience stuff that you would be reluctant to pay for, and the developer gets to a bigger audience. Win-win.

Since this is a point-and-click game, there’s no controls other than tapping the screen. Stuff you have to do is often straightforward, so you won’t ever feel lost. Puzzles will get a bit more complicated, though, but nothing that would turn the game into a frustrating chore.

Me in life.

However, the whole game just feels very relaxing to play. If you’re looking for a game in which you can be competitive, get high scores, and find collectibles, then this is not the game for you. However, if you appreciate getting a nice experience, enjoy a good story, and appreciate the artwork, The Silent Age is a good bet.

Graphics

I’ve mentioned the graphics before, but the artwork is stunning. The main character reminds me of a 70s version of Ringo Starr. Objects have the right amount of details, colors are vivid, and the setting matches perfectly the story the game is telling.

The main character can be pretty multi-faceted.

There are objects you find scattered around that will aid you in your quest, such as keys, cards, and weapons. All of these sprites follow closely the overall theme as well. You can easily see that a lot of effort has been put in providing top-notch graphics, and the result is simply superb.

Sound

Graphics and sound make a nice, cohesive package.

Music in the game is not prominent but it provides a nice background to the gameplay. Sound effects aren’t that big either, but the ones that are there add a lot to the eeriness and intrigue of the game.

Something that is very uncommon in mobile games, but present here, is voice acting. For the most part, it’s very well made, although I would argue that the main character is sometimes way too hesitant, even muttering very simple phrases. This is probably done to create a character that resembles the most a normal, working-class individual, rather than a brave, fearless character, like most games usually have. NPCs also have outstanding voice acting. This is top-quality work overall, something rarely seen on mobile games.

Conclusion

The Silent Age provides an intriguing story with superb visuals and astounding audio work. It is as relaxing as it is eerie and mysterious. Very rarely (in the Play Store, that is) one sees a game in which story, gameplay, graphics, and sound all coverge together to create such a cohesive result. Sure, it might be a port of a PC game, but that does not  If you want a game to relax and get immersed in a surreal world, then give The Silent Age a shot.

Download and install The Silent Age from the Google Play Store.

Kidgy app lets parents control their kid’s digital reach

Guest Blogger
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There is a great difference between our childhood and the one our kids are facing. In addition to different lifestyle, modern kids face a new technological world we didn’t have to deal with. Computers, tablets as well as smartphones are something every “normal” kid has. With the use of such technology comes new responsibilities and challenges for parents. From now on we have to know every social media channel, online game as well as cyber dangers like cyberbullying, sexting, online predators etc.

Hence Kidgy.com, the first digital family assistant that aids to know your child’s internet activity anytime and anywhere at the click of a button is a must-have. Kidgy promotes itself with the motto: Digital Kids – Digital Parents. Parents can make use of this app to not only know about their kids’ online lives but have an active participation in them. Also this app is helpful in scheduling tasks for your children where you can also check whether the given task has been finished or not with the help of the schedulers feature.

How does Kidgy work?

It is as simple as installing any other app on your smartphone. Just following the below-mentioned steps can gain you access to all the information you may need. Here they are:

  1. Download and install Kidgy app from Google Play/App Store and download the app
  2. Set up Parent and Child profiles
  3. Instantly start monitoring your child’s smartphone
  4. As a nice bonus, you have 7 days’ free trial to make sure this something you really need

Following are some of its noteworthy features which can induce you to invest in a meager subscription amount for the use of this app for the obvious reasons. So without much further ado, let us get to know the features of Kidgy:

GPS location tracking

Kids are known to hide their whereabouts if they feel that their parents would object the place they hang out. With the help of the Kidgy GPS location tracking feature you can track down your child’s location anytime and anywhere. Quit being known a helicopter by calling your child every now and then to know where they are. Simply check your Kidgy app and you will know where to look for your child.

GeoFencing

This feature is related to the GPS location feature where the app enables you to set geographical barriers which allow you to set acceptable and dangerous zones. You can set zones like “home” or “school”. The app will send immediate notifications whenever these zones are breached or crossed.

Text messages monitoring

Have you ever been through the embarrassment of being caught red handed while trying to get into your child’s smartphone to try and read their messages? Seriously, it is worse than having your hand in the cookie jar. Kidgy helps you by delivering all the messages sent and received, from your child’s device to your smartphone to avoid such situations yet prevent unwanted contacts and cyber dangers like cyberbullying, sexting for your child.

Panic button

This is probably my favorite feature. You are looking out for the virtual safety of your kid by using Kidgy app and Kidgy app will look out for the physical safety of your child. This app has Panic Button feature which when clicked by your child while facing some of the other sorts of an emergency will send you a detailed message with the location of your kid. Isn’t it awesome?

Internet filter

It can be a pain in the neck when you have to keep a track of the websites visited, especially when they are keeping their smartphones so close to their heart. But now worry not, as the Kidgy app will enable you to block those inappropriate websites and provide a peace of mind to you.

Call blocking

There has to be an appropriate time for sending and receiving calls. If you feel your kid is always on the phone, even in the middle of the night, then this app gives you the power to block off certain calls which you feel come from inappropriate people. This feature will also give you a comprehensive report of the calls made and received by your child along with the numbers and the duration of the call.

Contacts: (view/block)

Keeps a track of all the contacts being added to the contact list in your kid’s phone. We, as parents do have that sixth sense when it comes to protecting our child and this sense can notify us about the wrong type of people they have made contacts with. When you feel so you can the Kidgy app can enable you to block these contacts which will stop them from making calls to your child or even your child calling them up.

Apps (view/block)

There are many applications available on the World Wide Web which every child is attracted enough to download to their devices. Some are useful when some are downright useless and also sometimes inappropriate. Keep a check on the downloads done by your child with the help of Kidgy and, if need be you can also block those unwanted apps also.

Scheduler (set tasks and get notified when they are done)

Kids should be put to the habit of helping around the house and manage chores according to their age. With the help of the Kidgy app allot them tasks around the house and you can also keep a tab on those tasks and get notified when they are finished.

Cross platform monitoring (you can track iPhone from Android and vice versa)

The compatibility of the Kidgy app is what is helping it gain so much popularity. It does not matter which platform is used by you and your kid for accessing the Internet, Kidgy app will help you monitor cross platforms also. For e.g. if you own an Android device you can track an iPhone device and vice versa.

In general, I really liked Kidgy. It will aid in supervising the use of your kid’s phone along with all their activities and interactions on it. Also, there is a pretty neat announcement on their social media: they are looking for a new, bright, successful parent to become their Digital Parent Brand Ambassador. If you are interested, pitch their CMO: vera.petryk@kidgy.com

What we know so far: LG V30 edition

Alexandra Arici
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LG introduced its first flagship for the year – the G6 –  back at MWC 2017 in February. Now the Korean tech giant is gearing up to unveil its second premium phone for the year with which it hopes to capture the spotlight again.

The handset – called the LG V30 – will compete head to head with Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 8 phablet, as well as Apple’s iPhone 8.

With little over a month to go before the LG V30 goes official,  here’s everything we know so far about LG’s second flagship.

Design and display

The LG V20’s standout feature was the secondary ticker display housed above the primary touchscreen used to display notification icons and additional information without the need of turning the main screen on. But despite making the V series instantly recognizable, the secondary screen won’t make an appearance on the V30.

According to the most recent information available, the LG V30 will take advantage of a single OLED panel – a first for any LG flagship smartphone (except if you count the G Flex) – with 18:9 aspect ratio (just like the LG G6).

Speaking of which, it’s expected the LG V30 will follow the design language of the LG G6. That means the company will soon offer a new tall and narrow phone with thin bezels all around and a lightweight aluminum build.

A few months ago, well-known leakster @evleaks published a bunch of renders claiming they were old mock ups of the LG V30 (aka Project Joan). The photos showed a distinctive looking phone with a slide out secondary display. However, it seems unlikely the real-life V30 will look like this when it arrives at the end of August.

With the V10 and V20 both carrying 5.7-inch QHD displays, we expect the V30 to feature a similar display although with an 18:9 aspect ratio, instead of the usual 16:9. Dolby Vision and HDR 10 should also be included in the package. We also expect to see the phone arrive with IP68 waterproofing certification.

According to My Smart Price, the LG V30 will feature 151.4 x 75.2 x 7.4 mm measurements, which means it will be a little bit larger than the LG G6 which stands at 148.8 x 71.9 x 7.9mm.

02/08/2017 Update: Earlier rumors have claimed the LG V30 will arrive without the signature secondary display which was featured on both the V10 and V20. Now, according to a recent report the company will opt for a “floating bar” instead.

While the source who talked to Android Authority didn’t reveal exactly what this “floating bar” entails, it suggested the software feature will be able to provide quick access to shortcuts and even notifications – which is exactly what the ticker display was used for.

17/08/2017 Update: Here is a official looking press render of the V30 coming to us courtesy of Evan Blass.

Processing power

Trying to get ahead of the competition, LG released the G6 with an older Snapdragon 821 processor onboard. Well the LG V30 is expected to take advantage of a new Snapdragon 835 processor on board just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or HTC U11.

According to recently unearthed benchmark listings, the phone will also carry 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. And given that the LG G6 and LG V20 both offer a microSD card slot, it’s quite possible the V30 will too.

Cameras

Following tradition, the LG V30 should feature a dual camera setup on the back. Details on the matter are yet to be revealed, but we can speculate the company will adorn the new phone with a dual 13-megapixel camera with OIS, phase detection autofocus and wide angle lens just like in the case of the LG G6. As for selfies, the V30 could include a 5-megapixel snapper like the V20 does.

01/08/2017 Update: According to a recent report from Slash Gear, the V30 will be a great phone for low-light photography. That’s because the main camera will include the super wide aperture of f/1.6.

A wider aperture means more light can enter the sensor, thus reducing the time the shutter remains open, which helps deliver non-blurry night-time photos.

The V30 is expected to feature a dual-camera setup and only the main sensor is expected to include the f/1.6 aperture, while the wide-angle lens will include a higher one.

Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ feature f/1.7 aperture.

02/08/2017 Update: A new sketch showcasing the LG V30 surfaced via OnLeaks giving us a look at the upcoming phone. As you can see, the device looks pretty similar to the LG G6, although the cameras/flash arrangement has changed a little bit. Unlike on the LG G6, the V30 flash does not sit between the dual camera lenses.

08/28/2017 Update: A live image of the LG V30 just leaked via Weibo. Check out its sleek curves and slender body:

Other features

The LG V20 arrived with 32-bit Quad DAC from ESS and was the first to offer ESS’ HyperStream 2 audio technology. So we expect the V30 to build on this legacy and offer something for audiophiles this year too.

Not much info about the battery which will power the V30 is available at this point, but we can tell you the LG V20 uses a 3,200 mAh one, while the G6 includes a 3,300 mAh one. So we can speculate the V30 will include one of similar capacity.

LG’s next flagship will arrive with Android Nougat on board with LG’s own UX 6.0 user interface like in the case of the G6. There’s no doubt, LG will throw in some additional software tricks to spice things up. A wireless charging feature might also be in the cards.

Launch and pricing details

LG already send out invites for an event scheduled to take place on August 31, a day before the IFA 2017 trade show opens its gates in Berlin. Judging by the image attached to the invitation, we are pretty confident the company will introduce the LG V30 on the said date.

After the official introduction, the V30 is bound to be made available within 1 to 4 weeks. So customers should be able to pick one of these new smartphones sometime in mid to late September.

As for pricing, a report coming out of Korea claims the phone will be made available for the equivalent of $699 in the country. However, keep in mind currency conversions are not always an accurate way to predict a phone’s price for other regions.

01/08/2017 Update: According to some LG internal documents, the LG V30 is scheduled to go on sale in South Korea on September 15, while pre-orders in the US will open on September 17. Subsequently, the phone will go on sale in the country on September 28.

ZeroLemon launches big battery cases for Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+, LG G6

Alexandra Arici
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ZeroLemon is known for its massive battery cases which not only protect your phone but also pump some much-needed juice into the device when it runs out of it.

This week the company unveiled new cases made of a soft TPU shell for the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and LG G6. The accessories also include speaker grills up front meant to enhance the phones’ external speakers.

The Galaxy S8 case adds an additional 8,500 mAh or 5,500 mAh battery and ZeroLemon says users can increase battery life up to 195% and 120% respectively.

When it comes to the Galaxy S8+ customers can choose between an 8,500 mAh case or a 6,300 mAh one. The first should increase battery life expectations up to 170%, while the latter will expand it with 125%.

Last but not least, we have the LG G6 case which can expand battery life up to 170% thanks to a chunky 8,000 mAh battery unit.

All cases house a LED power meter on the back which easily lets users see how much juice they have left.

Some of these cases are already available on Amazon with discounted prices. The 8,500 mAh Galaxy S8 case can be purchased for $59.99 (down from $99), while the 6,300 mAh accessory for the Galaxy S8+ is only $39.99 (down from $79.99). The 8,500 mAh Galaxy S8+ version is listed on the ZeroLemon website, but you can only “Add it to Wishlist” for now. Same goes for the 5,500 mAh Galaxy S8 case.

As for LG G6 owners who want extra battery, the ZeroLemon case can be acquired from Amazon for $59.99 (discounted from $99.99).

LG Q8 launches as a water-resistant mini LG V20

Alexandra Arici
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A new member of the LG Q family just made a debut into the world. The phone dubbed Q8 is basically a mini version of the LG V20 complete with a metal body, dual camera setup and a secondary display on top for quick access to contacts, tools and apps.

The phone carries a shrunken down display from 5.7-inch to 5.2-inch but retains the QHD resolution (2560 x 1440). However, unlike the LG Q6, the Q8 does not boast 18:9 aspect ratio.

On the hardware front, things remain pretty much the same, so like the V20 the new phone includes a Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (with microSD card slot).

The main dual camera living on the back combines a 16-megapixel sensor (F1.8 / 78°) with an 8-megapixel sensor (F2.4 / 135°) with a wide-angle lens. And we have a 5-megapixel selfie snapper living in front just like in the case of the V20.

Another notable difference between the two phone is that the Q8 is water resistant boasting IP67 certification. However, the phone does not have a removable battery, relying on a slightly smaller 3,000 mAh power house compared to the V20’s 3,200 mAh.

LG boasts the Q8 takes audio to the next level by offering Hi-Fi recording that uses two high AOP (Acoustic Overload Point) microphones with the purpose of minimizing background noise.

With Hi-Fi Quad DAC from ESS onboard, the phone can cut white noise by 50% and thus deliver clear, crisp sounds. There’s also an HD Audio Recorder option which lets users record studio-quality audio in lossless FLAC format.

LG says the Android 7.0 Nougat-powered Q8 will become available in Europe this week, followed by select markets in Asia. Will it ever be available in the US? We don’t know at this point, but hopefully it will sometime in the future.

Now the bigger question is how much LG plans to ask for the phone? Priced competitively, the device could be a great LG G6 alternative for those who are looking to spend less.

Also, don’t forget the LG V30 is coming on August 31! So you might want to save up for this one.

Google Pixel 2 said to be the first to carry faster Snapdragon 836 chipset

Alexandra Arici
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We’ve been hearing rumors that Qualcomm plans to introduce an updated version of the Snapdragon 835 later this year.

If you remember the Pixel and Pixel XL were the first to come bundling the Snapdragon 821, a faster version of the Snapdragon 820 last year and according to a report coming out of Fudzilla, history will soon repeat itself.

Industry insiders claim the Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be the first to come equipped with an updated Snapdragon 836 chipset. We don’t know much about the new processor although we’re told it will be 10% percent faster than its predecessor but smaller and will consume slightly less power, as well as help take better photos.

Pixel XL 2 concept

We previously heard the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 might also take advantage of a Snapdragon 836, but sources claim the phone will be launched with a Snapdragon 835 onboard. Samsung has scheduled an Unpacked event for August 23, which is probably when we’re going to see the phone land. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are going to make a debut a bit later, probably sometime in October.

We recently told you the Pixel 2 XL could arrive with a 2:1 aspect ratio similar to the LG G6. The phone is also expected to come with very slim bezels all around and pronounced curvature on the right and left, although the display per se is flat.

In an interesting twist, the Pixel 2 XL could also come with a squeezable frame similar to the one HTC implemented on its U11 flagship.

In contrast, the standard Pixel 2 is expected to stick to the basics and boast a design similar to the one of the current Pixel. However, the handset will still benefit from the processing power of the revised chipset.

Is this the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active?

Alexandra Arici
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The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active has been rumored for quite some time. The AT&T exclusive device has been spotted making an appearance with the Wi-Fi Alliance and dropped by Geekbench in the past few months, signaling an imminent release.

While we’re waiting for the Galaxy S8 Active to make a debut into the real world, a few images allegedly showcasing the live phone have popped up online via Reddit.

We’re told the device will be made of polycarbonate and will include metallic sides, thus making it a lot sturdier than the fragile Galaxy S8, but also a lot more ticker (1.5x times more than the Galaxy S8). The curved sides are no longer present for durability reasons, so the Galaxy S8 Active allegedly includes a flat 5.8-inch display panel.

Unlike previous Active models, the Galaxy S8 Active features capacitive keys instead of physical ones for navigation. It also includes a dedicated (non-reprogrammable) Bixby button which replaces the trademark Active Key.

Perhaps the most important aspect is that the Galaxy S8 Active will carry a larger 4,000 mAh battery, as opposed to the 3,000 mAh powering the Galaxy S8.

Other specs include a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (microSD card slot included), as well as a 12-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel selfie one. The device is also expected to be MIL-STD-810G and IP68 certified. It will also run Android 7.0 Nougat out the box and will include the Qi wireless charging feature.

Although we expect the Galaxy S8 Active to be an AT&T exclusive, no carrier branding is visible in the leaked images. We can spot the Galaxy S8 Active branding on the back of the phone, but that’s about it.

Anyway, there’s no word on a possible release date, but hopefully the rugged phone land on the market soon enough.

New Galaxy Note 8 render gives us a clearer look at what to expect

Dan Bartram
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The Galaxy Note 8 is arguably this years’ most anticipated device. With the new design Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S8 and the failure that was the Note 7, many are looking forward to what the company have in store for the Note 8.

While we wait until August when Samsung will unveil the Note 8 at Unpacked, there’s some new renders that give an even better look at what the design will look like, including the infinity display.

The front of the Note 8 looks very familiar to the Galaxy S8, just bigger, as we’d expect. However, there’s a new dual-camera setup on the rear of the device alongside the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Let’s hope they don’t actually end up putting it there given the criticism the Galaxy S8 was met with and the uncomfortable placement of the fingerprint sensor.

The renders are made by a casemaker so aren’t the final design and only represent what is expected to be released at Unpacked. The design may change, port placement may differ, and hopefully the fingerprint sensor moves, but chances are the device will look pretty similar to these renders.

We’ll have to wait till later in the summer to see for sure what the Note 8 will look like, but that infinity display is looking pretty sweet. What do you all think?

Essential Phone should be available within a few weeks

Dan Bartram
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The Essential Phone is backed by Android founder Andy Ruben so we all expect something special. Sure enough, it looked fantastic and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on one. Unfortunately the shipping window that was communicated when the device launched was missed.

The Essential Phone was meant to ship in June but now we find ourselves at the tail end of July without sign of any news of the device shipping.

That is until now! Rubin has sent a message to those who preordered the device informing them that it’ll be a few more weeks until they see their device.

It seems that the delay has been down not to Essential itself but through the necessary certification process to get it sold by Sprint who have the exclusive rights to the device. Despite quoting the next few weeks, that’s still far from a firm deadline as to when we can expect to see the device shipped.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled on this one.

What you may have missed this week: July 17 – 21 – 911 issues, ads in keyboards, and a new Nexus?

Matt Adams
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Welcome to “What you may have missed this week” where we give you a glimpse at the news from the week that was. We saw a lot of new and interesting developments this week from the apparently 911 bug in OnePlus and other Android devices to the disappointing leaks about Motorola’s next flagship. But, those aren’t the only headlines from the week so let’s dive in!

911 woes

The biggest news came from a post on Reddit about the issues when dialing out to 911. It seems some users were experiencing a reboot of their OnePlus 5 when they tried to dial the emergency service. It was later pointed out that this may be in fact be a bug in AOSP (the underlying Android code that all Android OEMs build off of) and not just OnePlus’ Oxygen OS. Another user on Reddit stated that while trying to reach 911 to help the unfortunate victims of a crash his Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge rebooted twice when trying to call emergency services. Even more frustrating, when 911 called user Gamerhead back after his phone rebooted, the phone would not let him answer the call.

This, very obviously, is a gigantic deal. The ability to reach emergency services in a critical situation, and doing it quickly, can often times be the difference between life and death. It has been speculated that the problem stems from the enhanced 911 features on modern day cell phones that transmit location data to 911 operators when you make the call. Reddit users aghatak put together a compilation of various reports on this issue and it seems to reach across multiple makes and models of Android devices.

To OnePlus’ credit, it has already begun to roll out a software patch that fixes these issues. Hopefully, we’ll see more OEMs roll out critical patches very soon because this is a life and death situation.

HTC keyboard ads

We’re living in a world where advertisements are everywhere. It seems to be the price we’re paying for high quality, yet cheap, software and services. However, one application you might have an issue with showing you an ad is your keyboard on your phone. I mean, who wants to look at an ad when you’re trying to reply to an important text message or type in a web address, right?

People all over the internet were in a tizzy this week when a screenshot of the stock keyboard on an HTC 10 started showed an advertisement. What’s worse is that there was no way to dismiss the ad!

Well, there’s always more to the story than just big companies being bad. The stock keyboard for HTC devices is actually made by TouchPal who happens to have an ad supported version of its keyboard. It seems that due to a coding error, the ads were showing up in some HTC devices as well. HTC took to twitter to let its customers know that it was indeed an error and that it was working on a fix as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the damage is probably done at this point.

Google Duo’s milestone

Google Duo is the one-on-one video chatting application crafted by the makers of Android to making video chatting just a little bit easier. The app is designed to be simple and reliable in a world where Facetime dominates video chatting on iOS devices and Snapchat and Instagram control the video world on Android.

Those around Mountain View were celebrating this past week as the video chatting app passed 100 million downloads. That sounds like a ton, right? And it definitely is but it should also be pointed out that Duo comes installed by default on pretty much all new Android devices as part of Android’s default app suite. Also, there are about a billion Android devices in the world so while 100 million is a big number, it’s comparatively small next to what’s already on the market.

Duo has some serious potential, but it needs to take the step from installs to adoption to gain long-term success.

A new Nexus from Nokia?

Nokia 9 concept

The Nexus line was well loved by Android enthusiasts until its untimely demise almost a year ago in favor of the Pixel lineup. While we want premium Android devices with stock Android, there is still a large faction of users who miss the cheaper devices that rock stock Android and enjoy quick updates.

Well, Nokia is paying attention to that segment of users. Nokia is owned by HMD Global and its Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Per Ekamn stated that “Most of the smartphones in the market do not have the Android OS in the way it should be. Vendors are adding a skin on top of the OS. Consumers have the right to have the latest version of the OS and we will be pushing the latest version and the patches as soon as it’s available from Google.” He went on to say that “We and Google will jointly enhance the Nokia brand to put the right kind of inputs into the phone, including Google Assistant.”

It’s important to note that Nokia’s current phones, the 3, 5, and 6 all run almost-stock Android and we’re expecting its upcoming flagship, the Nokia 9, to have top of the line specs and a clean install of Android as well. Uninspiring names aside, these devices could be the closest thing we ever see to Nexus devices again unless Google decides to revive the Nexus program or work with Nokia to move the project to the new Android OEM.

Those are the biggest stories this week, but they aren’t the only thing going on. Here are some more links that we think you’ll like.

And the funniest posts of the week go to…

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