Articles by Abner Li

As widely rumored for the past few weeks, LG officially announced today that its mobile division is shutting down. Software updates and support for existing smartphone owners will continue for a “period of time.”
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Google today announced a series of policy updates for apps distributed through the Play Store. The most impactful sees Google limit most developers from seeing which Android apps are installed on your device.
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Last May, Google released an app for creating one-tap Assistant shortcuts on Android homescreens. An update today adds Action Blocks backup and restore when moving to new devices, as well as other small tweaks.
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Smartphones have already obviated single-purpose gadgets like point-and-shoot cameras and MP3 players. Google today announced the Android Ready SE Alliance to make sure new phones have the underlying hardware to eventually replace car/home keys and wa…

Chipmakers do not have a strong track record of selling hardware directly to consumers. That’s not stopping Qualcomm with a report today describing plans to create an Android-powered Nintendo Switch.
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A large number of Android users over the past few hours have been encountering continuous Gmail and other app shutdowns, with some finding that uninstalling Android System WebView will stop the crashing.
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For the past several Android releases, Google has been working on local discovery technologies that apps can take advantage of to find nearby objects and users. Its latest contribution is the Google Play release of a “WifiNanScan App” for …

For its latest Nook device, Barnes & Noble partnered with Lenovo to create a branded Android tablet. The Nook 10-inch from Lenovo notably features Google Kids Space. 
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Over the past several years, Google has been working to make Android apps smaller in size by optimizing what code and resources are downloaded to devices. The latest initiative on this front is “App install optimization” in Google Play.
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Google announced today that it will be reducing the commission it takes from Android developers that distribute paid applications and offer in-app purchases through the Play Store. The service fee on the first $1 million (USD) in revenue every year wi…