作者彙整: Joe Maring

Larry Page and Sergey Brin will continue to be Board members.

What you need to know

Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their leadership roles at Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is being appointed as Alphabet’s new CEO.
Sundar will retain his role at Google, too.

Big things are changing in the Google and Alphabet world. On December 3, 2019, Larry Page and Sergey Brin — the co-founders of both companies — published a letter announcing that Google CEO Sundar Pichai will be taking over as the new Alphabet CEO.

Going forward, Sundar will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet. He will be the executive responsible and accountable for leading Google, and managing Alphabet’s investment in our portfolio of Other Bets.

Larry and Sergey noted that “Alphabet and Google no longer need two CEOs and a President.” As for their involvement with the companies, they note:

We are deeply committed to Google and Alphabet for the lo… 閱讀全文 →

It also hopes to build a factory in Europe for its 5G equipment.

What you need to know

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei announced that the company is moving its research center.
It’s being relocated from the United States to Canada.
This past Friday, it was reported that the U.S. was aiming to crack down further on Huawei’s access to U.S. technology.

To say that Huawei has had a rocky relationship with the United States over the last year would be quite an understatement. The U.S. has been on a mission to cut ties with Huawei in every way imaginable on the idea that it represents a national security threat, and we’re now seeing the latest development of this feud.

On December 2 in an interview with The Globe and Mail, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei announced that Huawei will be moving its U.S.-based research center to Canada.

[Huawei’s] center for research and development will be moved out of the U.S. And that will be relocated to Canada.

The interview also reveals that Huawei in… 閱讀全文 →

First the November patch, and now this.

What you need to know

The December 2019 security patch began rolling out on December 2.
It made its way to all Pixel devices, except the Pixel 4, which is getting it next week.
Last month’s November update was delayed for many, and has still yet to arrive on some handsets.

One of the main reasons to buy a Pixel phone is that it’s the first to receive software updates and security patches as they’re released. Timely updates are an issue with just about every Android device out there, but Pixels stand out as an exception to this rule. At least, they usually do.

For the last two monthly security patches, the Pixel 4 hasn’t gotten them on time — most recently with the December patch that started rolling out on December 2. This latest patch added new features and security fixes for the Pixel 2, Pixel 3, and Pixel 3a, but nothing for the Pixel 4. What gives?

Google published a post on its Pixel Phone Help forums highlighting what the Dec… 閱讀全文 →

Over the years, I’ve added quite a few smart home products to my apartment. I’ve got smart bulbs in just about every light, a smart switch is controlling my Christmas tree lights this year, and there’s a smart speaker/display is nearly every room.

I think smart home tech is some of the coolest out there, and out of every gadget and gizmo I’ve tested, the Google Nest Hub is the one I keep coming back to time and time again.

The Nest Hub doesn’t have the very best sound or features compared to some of the competition, but at just $80 during the Black Friday weekend, it’s the smart home hub I can’t recommend enough.

Small and mighty

Google Nest Hub

Google Assistant, smart home controls, and more

Google’s Nest Hub is one of the best smart displays out there, offering users an elegant design, a great-looking 7-inch screen, and an intuitive interface that has quite a lot to offer. If you have a smart home and don’t have one of these in it, this Black Friday weekend discount is a pe… 閱讀全文 →

This year’s Black Friday savings are still going strong. Even if some of them were worse than others, you have plenty of ways to save on your holiday shopping if you didn’t get a chance to yesterday.

One such product that’s been discounted for Black Friday 2019 is the Sonos Beam, and for anyone buying around this Saturday, its still available.

We aren’t sure how long it’s going to last, but at least for right now, it continues to be one of our favorite offers and one we highly recommend you jump on before it’s gone.

Act fast

Sonos Beam

Outstanding sound at an exceptional price

The Sonos Beam is one of the best soundbars the market has to offer right now, and its impressive Black Friday sale is still going strong. Between its rich sound, small form factor, and support for digital helpers like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, the Beam does it all. At this price, there isn’t a reason in the world to not pick one up.

$299 $399 $100 off

See at Amazon

The Sonos Beam was rele… 閱讀全文 →

Fitbit’s transition from fitness trackers to smartwatches has been an exciting one to watch, and in 2018, the company released the Versa. The first Fitbit Versa is the wearable that made me believe in Fitbit’s vision of smartwatches, and it’s seeing a huge discount for Black Friday weekend.

The original Versa is still an extremely capable gadget here in late-2019, offering a robust feature set and all of the health/fitness tracking tools you could ask for. At this price for the Special Edition, it’s one of the better values we’ve seen so far.

Special discount

Fitbit Versa Special Edition

Still has plenty to offer

It may not be Fitbit’s newest smartwatch, but the Versa Special Edition continues to pack quite a punch. It offers robust fitness tracking tools, a simple design, and gets over four days of battery life on one charge. Since this is the Special Edition, the experience is furth enhanced thanks to Fitbit Pay support and an extra fabric watch band to go along with the sta… 閱讀全文 →

Fitbit made quite a few headlines in 2019. Not only was the company purchased by Google for $2.1 billion, but it also released a few top-notch wearables — one of which was the Versa 2.

The Versa 2 is Fitbit’s latest smartwatch offering, and it’s one of my favorite watches to be released during all of 2019. It’s on sale right now for the Black Friday weekend, and for anyone that wants a capable smartwatch with a focus on fitness, it’s one of the best options that exists.

We think the Versa 2 is already priced quite well at $200 for its MSRP, but with a new low price of $149 right now, the value proposition is insane.

Does it all

Fitbit Versa 2

Fitness tracking, notifications, and Alexa

Fitbit knocked it out of the park with the Versa 2, delivering a smartwatch that looks great, can track all of your activity throughout the day, and even has Alexa built right in so you can take the digital assistant with you wherever you go. The Versa 2 is seeing a nice discount for the B… 閱讀全文 →

We’re big fans of Fitbit here at AC. The company’s been leading the fitness tracker market for years, and now, is one of the biggest names when it comes to smartwatches. If you need help deciding which Fitbit is a good fit for you, you’re in the right place.

Our pick

Fitbit Versa 2

$200 at Fitbit

Pros

Comfy, lightweight design
Waterproof up to 50 meters
Built-in Amazon Alexa
Fitbit Pay is included
Over five days of battery life

Cons

Doesn’t have GPS

Released in 2019, the Versa 2 is Fitbit’s best smartwatch ever made. It has a fantastic design, an easy-to-read AMOLED display, and offers 24/7 heart-rate monitoring. Compared to the Versa Lite, the Versa 2 has considerably more smarts with the inclusion of Alexa and Fitbit Pay.

Best for less

Fitbit Versa Lite

$160 at Fitbit

Pros

Same exact design as the Versa
Available in more vibrant colors
Waterpoof
Heart-rate sensor

Cons

Lacks on-screen workouts
No local music storage
Doesn’t track floors climbed

If you rea… 閱讀全文 →

Year after year, the Rugged Armor still holds its own.

Whenever a new phone is released, there are some cases we can count on being released for it. One such case is the Spigen Rugged Armor.

Admittedly, the Rugged Armor doesn’t look like anything special at first glance. It’s a simple, black case that doesn’t appear to be all that protective, but in reality, it’s consistently one of the best cases you can buy — and it’s been that way for years.

If you have a Pixel 4 or 4 XL and want a sleek, reliable case that won’t break the bank, keep on reading below for our full Spigen Rugged Armor review.

Ruggedly good

Spigen Rugged Armor

Bottom line: The Rugged Armor just may be Spigen’s most popular case, and there’s a good reason for that. This is a very thin and lightweight case, but even so, it still manages to provide the Pi… 閱讀全文 →

Whatever your fitness goals are, living a healthier life is a lot easier when you have something to automatically keep track of your activity throughout the day. Fitbits are great tools for this, but with so many to choose from, which one should you buy and why? We think the Fitbit Versa 2 is best Fitbit you can buy in 2019, offering a great blend of features, specs, and design at a price your wallet will love.

Fitbits are among the most popular fitness trackers on the market, and if you’re interested in buying one for yourself or a friend, Black Friday is the best time to shop. Fitbit and other sites that sell the company’s wearables are bound to have all sorts of sales and discounts for the 2019 holiday shopping season, allowing you to get a quality fitness gadget while also saving some cash. We’re on the lookout for any and all Fitbit deals as they appear, and when we spot them, we’ll be sure to share them with you right here.

Latest Black Friday Fitbit Deals

Best Overall: … 閱讀全文 →