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Carriers promise to stop selling your location to data brokers

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Our smartphones have practically become extensions of our bodies and lives, holding the keys not just to our captured memories but, often, also to online accounts and even money. Most users take for granted how much of our data we let companies access through our smartphones but, sometimes, the long arm of the law does finally catch up with the … Continue reading #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Samsung video shows you how to customize the Galaxy S9/S9+ screen

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One of the many features of the Android operating system is its ability to allow users to customize the display. A video released by Samsung the other day, is a quick guide showing those sporting Samsung's 2018 flagship phones, how to customize the screen on their devices. The models we are referring to are the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Samsung Galaxy S9+. The first step, as many Android users know, is to long press on the home screen. This reveals a number of theme options. After tapping on the one that catches your fancy (and be careful, when your fancy is caught ... #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Google Play security will extend to apps shared offline

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Issues of control aside, there are technical and practical benefits to getting your Android apps from Google Play Store instead of third-party repositories or, worse, free-floating APKs. The biggest problem with that, however, is that installing apps, or even just browsing, requires an Internet connection, which might not be available at all times in all markets. Realizing that their ideal … Continue reading #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Deal: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus For $739 – June 2018

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Amazon is currently selling the Galaxy S9 Plus for just $739. That is good for $100 off of the regular price here, which does bring it down to its all-time lowest price. And it also marks the first time that it has dropped below $750. This is a good time to pick up the Galaxy S9 Plus, especially since this one is unlocked and will work on all four of the networks: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. The Galaxy S9 Plus is Samsung's latest flagship device. It sports a pretty large 6.3-inch display here, which is part of its Infinity Display, as well as the Snapdragon 845 chipset inside. The Galaxy S9 Plus actually sports 6GB of RAM here along with 64GB of storage and even has a dual-camera setup around the back. Which makes this a great smartphone to pick up. As it is going to be future-proof with slightly more RAM and also has a great camera thanks to the secondary camera there. The Galaxy S9 Plus is a great smartphone to pick up, especially since it is already running on Andr

Samsung Bixby Speaker: not what we were waiting for

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It's an open secret that Samsung is working on a Bixby speaker. Even Samsung itself has already confirmed this. But as soon as you take a look at the current state of Bixby, you'll find that you're better off waiting till next year! Do you know what ransomware is? Choose "Of course I do" or "Ransom what". Oops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help. Of course I do Oops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help. Ransom what Smart speakers have conquered our living rooms. There's the Amazon Echo . Google offers Google Home and even Apple locked up its Siri in a small cube. Of course, not everyone has a device listening to them in their apartment, especially since the technology isn't impeccable. Google and Amazon have clear plans with smart speakers and Samsung doesn't want to step aside, especially since Bixby has its own artificial intellige

vivo NEX S in for review

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Phone evolution is rapid - blink, and you'll miss it. The top bezel, for example, was so thin, when the Galaxy S8 was introduced. It transformed into a cutout with the iPhone X, became smaller with the Huawei P20 and finally disappeared completely with the launch of the vivo NEX series. Okay, we may be oversimplifying the screen bezel evolution, but there is no denying, we live in exciting times. VIDEO The vivo NEX S was introduced last week in Shanghai along with the more affordable NEX A . The top-of-the-line model has a periscope camera popping out of the top rim, an impressive Super AMOLED display, and a cool under-screen fingerprint scanner. Here are our first impressions before heading out to complete the full tests and the review. The NEX S comes with a big 6.59" screen that has an 86% screen-to-body ratio, although vivo would have you believe it's over 91%. The phone might look huge, especially with its 162 mm height, but it does not feel huge. The man

YouTube TV Subscribers Can Now Add STARZ For $9 Per Month

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YouTube TV has now added STARZ to its network lineup. As a result, customers of Google's paid-for, live TV streaming service will now be able to tune in to a variety of STARZ-related shows, including Power , American Gods , Outlander , Vida , and Sweetbitter . As the announcement from the entertainment company confirms, the deal with YouTube TV includes access to fourteen STARZ and STARZ Encore channels, as well as access to the full VOD catalogs. Unlike some of the other recent additions to YouTube TV, STARZ is not included in the baseline price, and instead can be purchased as an add-on for an additional $9 per month. While those who have managed to keep their YouTube TV account priced at the initial $35 per month will be looking at $44 per month when STARZ is included, customers who sign up for the service now (as well as those who signed up after the recent YouTube TV price increase ) will be looking at a total of $49 per month for both the baseline package and STARZ. Of co

Facebook Messenger gets autoplay video ads and there's nothing you can do about it (UPDATE)

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UPDATE: We've been approached by Facebook's reps who said they are rolling out the video ads very gradually to a very small percentage of people. We also have an official statement concerning this change:  As we shared with advertisers at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, we are now expanding the availability of video ads to Messenger. We will be rolling out video ads gradually and thoughtfully. People that use Messenger are our top priority and they will remain in control of their experience. Each year Facebook is ... #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Update Brings Interactive Faces To Facer For Wear OS & Tizen

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As of June 18, the popular Tizen and Wear OS watch face customization app Facer has been updated to version 4.6.0, delivering a wealth of interactive capabilities to users everywhere. That means that anybody who happens to own a Samsung Gear or Wear OS smartwatch can now tap the screen to accomplish anything from changing colors to launching apps . Of course, watch face designers on the platform will need to bundle the new features in before they'll be available on a given watch face. With that said, Facer is also its own platform for building those faces and any user who wants to take a swing at adding the new functionality to their own can try too. As to what that functionality is, according to Facer developer Little Labs, Inc., there are five major interactions available. As mentioned above, the first of those is the ability to launch frequently used apps on the watch itself with just a tap. However, developers and watch designers can also implement taps as a way to restyle o

Dev Channel Update for Desktop

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The dev channel has been updated to 69.0.3464.0 for Windows, Linux and 64.0.3464.2 for Mac. A partial list of changes is available in the log . Interested in switching release channels? Find out how . If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug . The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues. Krishna Govind Google Chrome #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Google’s Healthcare A.I. Can Reportedly Predict Death

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According to recent reports, Google's latest advancements pushing the boundaries of A.I. capabilities in healthcare have resulted in a computer intelligence that can predict whether a patient will die within 24-hours of being admitted to the hospital. The system reportedly analyzes a wide variety of metrics to make its determination, beginning with basic metrics about a patient. That includes the individual's age, ethnicity, and gender. Then it compiles those factors alongside medical charts and history, vitals readouts, and an attending physician's hand-written or typed notes. What's more, even if the patient is predicted to survive that period of time, the system has gotten fairly good at recognizing whether or not a patient will be readmitted to the hospital after being sent home. The accuracy is reported to be at around 95-percent with regard to predicting death within the first 24-hours. However, it's not unlikely that Google is looking well beyond that some

Facebook Messenger gets autoplay video ads and there's nothing you can do about it

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Each year Facebook is becoming more aggressive when it comes to monetization of its services, so today's announcement that Messenger will display autoplay video ads inside people's chat windows doesn't really come as a surprise. In a statement for Recode, Stefan Lukakos, Facebook's ad business guru believes that people will get used to these video ads playing in their conversation windows next to their private messages. However, he claims Facebook's priority is user experience, so things might change if they notice people aren't happy about the change. Top priority for us is user ... #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Retail Moto X4 and Amazon Prime versions start getting Android 8.1 Oreo

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The Project Fi Moto X4 got its promised Android 8.1 Oreo update more than a month ago, but the retail and Amazon Prime variants were skipped from the initial roll-out. Well, that's not the case any longer since Motorola has started to push out the same update tot he Amazon Prime and retail Moto X4 units. And when we say the same update it really means that it's the same version that the Project Fi Moto X4 received in early May. Apparently, Motorola didn't have the time or didn't want to include a newer security patch in the update, so the one for the month of May will have to do. Still, ... #Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews

Facebook to begin rolling out autoplay video ads to Messenger users

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Facebook is rolling out a controversial change to its popular Messenger application. As reported by Quartz , Facebook is beginning to test autoplaying video ads in Messenger, a move that isn't likely to be well-received by users… Samsung U28E590D 28-Inch 4K Monitor Facebook confirmed that it will start testing autoplaying ads with a "small group of users," but that it will continue to roll them out as time progresses. The company claims, however, that the rollout will be "thoughtful," which you can interpret as you wish. "We will be rolling out video ads gradually and thoughtfully," Facebook said in a statement provided to Quartz. "People that use Messenger each month are our top priority and they will remain in control of their experience." While Facebook says you'll be "in control" of the experience, you won't be able to disable ads altogether. Instead, you'll simply be able to hide

Samsung Good Lock 2018 returns with lots more custom-UI action: Here's what it can do

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Some smartphone users are perfectly content to just use their handsets as they arrived, with the phone's interface configured to all its default settings. Others will take the time to personalize a little by changing the wallpaper, and maybe tweaking something like font size to their liking. And then there are users who will settle for nothing less than a fully customized user experience. For Samsung fans counting themselves among that latter camp, we used to have the Good Lock app , presenting multiple avenues for adjusting the Galaxy S7's interface. Now it's time for a new generation of Good Lock to pick up the slack, as a revamped 2018 edition of the app lands for Oreo-running Samsung phones. As was the case before, probably the most misleading thing about this release is the name: While Good Lock 2018 will very much help you put a new spin on your phone's lock screen, its reach spreads much further than that. We first caught wind of the new Good Lock arr