Articles by Andrew Myrick

It might have some years under its belt, but the Samsung Gear S3 is still one of our favorite Android smartwatches, and it’s a great alternative to many of the Wear OS watches out there. In addition, it supports standard 22mm watch bands, which makes it incredibly easy to upgrade to something new. Here are a few of the best Gear S3 replacement bands for your consideration.

Breathable convenience

Maxjoy Nylon Watch Band

Staff Pick

This nylon watch band by Maxjoy is made of high-quality nylon fabric with integrated premium leather. It’s safe to say this is one of the most unique band options out there. It’s equipped with a strong stainless steel buckle that’s wear-resistant. The blend of these two materials gives you the perfect balance of breathability and durability.

$13 at Amazon

Luxurious leather

Snowoxen Genuine Leather Watch Band

There’s nothing simpler and more stylish than a classic leather watchband, and Snowoxen nails it with its affordable leather option. T…

Part of Google’s new privacy and security push

What you need to know

You can now require a password before viewing Google’s My Activity page.
This arrives after seeing many privacy and security announcements at Google I/O 2021.
The process doesn’t let you create a new password but requires you to log into your Google account.

One of the biggest themes of Google I/O 2021 surrounded keeping your accounts and information secure. There are coming to apps like Google Photos with its Locked Folders, along with a slew of new improvements to the built-in password manager on Chrome for Android. Now, Google is adding another way to keep your precious information protected, and it has everything to do with the My Activity landing page.

Google’s My Activity page is essentially a hub where you can view all of the different information that Google has stored regarding your account. This includes Search results, Maps, YouTube, Shopping, and more. But until now, this information could have bee…

Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet is one of the best values that you can find today, along with being one of the best Amazon Fire tablets available. From having a kid-friendly experience will all of the right parental controls to allowing you to sit back and enjoy your favorite movies, a case is necessary for every situation. We’ve rounded up the best Amazon Fire HD 10 heavy-duty and kids cases, and there’s something here for everyone.

From the source

Kid-Proof Case for Fire HD 10 Tablet

Staff Pick

Amazon’s Kid-Proof Case for the Fire HD 10 is the same one that comes with the Kids Edition version of this tablet. There’s a built-in kickstand in the back, along with curved edges to provide a better grip. Amazon’s case even comes in five different colors, giving you more options than the boring ole’ colors you usually find.

$25 at Amazon

Get a grip

TSQ Rugged Protective Cover

With tablets coming in at more than 10 inches, it can be tough to handle the Fire HD 10 with just one…

Outside of the best gaming phones, the biggest innovation when it comes to smartphones has been in the area of foldables. Samsung is easily leading the way with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G, but other OEM’s have come out with options of their own.

Huawei’s Mate X2 looks like the perfect foldable with a cover display large enough to act as a phone by itself before folding out into a massive tablet with no camera cutout on the inside. The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold is intriguing not only thanks to its lower price point but also due to the Liquid Lens camera technology. TCL and LG have shown off rollable displays, but LG isn’t making smartphones anymore, and TCL’s designs are more of a concept instead of something that will actually make it to market.

The problem with Huawei is the obvious one, as it’s not readily available here in the US, and it still doesn’t support Google Services thanks to its place on the U.S. government’s entity list. Xiaomi could make i…

Use and control your Galaxy Buds Pro from your Windows PC or smartphone

What you need to know

Samsung has released a new app on the Microsoft Store designed to easily control your Galaxy Buds.
The app is free to download and looks practically identical to the Play Store version.
Currently, the Windows Galaxy Buds app is only compatible with the Galaxy Buds Pro.

Hot on the heels of another laptop announcement, Samsung has released its second app in the Microsoft Store in as many weeks. Last week saw the introduction of the Samsung SmartThings app on Windows, making it easy to control your compatible smart home devices and accessories. This week, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Buds app onto the Microsoft Store (via Windows Central).

The Galaxy Buds app is free to download and looks strikingly similar to the Galaxy Wearables app available through the Google Play Store. After installing it, you’ll be able to quickly and easily pair your Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and then be taken to…

The Huawei P50 is bringing the heat in the camera department

What you need to know

New official-looking renders have revealed the unique camera array in the Huawei P50.
There are said to be a total of four cameras being used, including a one-inch sensor.
The rumors also suggest that Huawei will release three devices in the P50 family.

When the first renders were leaked for the Huawei P50, there was much to be said about the egg-shaped camera module that was being used. Since then, we have seen a few other unofficial renders and leaks, but today, we’re getting our first official look at the Huawei P50’s unique camera system, courtesy of @RODENT950 on Twitter.

There’s nothing else here to disseminate or try to figure out what might be coming whenever the P50 finally makes its debut. However, what these renders show us is something that we’ve been guessing since the beginning. It would appear as though the Huawei P50 series will feature a grand total of four different cameras plac…

Sharing those screenshotted memes is about to get a lot easier with Gboard.

What you need to know

Gboard is being updated to make it easier to copy and paste screenshots.
This comes after an update last year, making it easier to copy and paste regular images.
The feature is currently rolling out to the beta version of Gboard.

With all of the memes that go around chats with your friends on a daily basis, it can be a real pain to have to take a screenshot, save it to your phone, load up the files or Google Photos app, find the picture, then share it to the right chat. Whew. Google is trying to make it easier to share those screenshots you want to send off to your friends and family with the latest beta version of Gboard.

With the latest beta update (via Android Police), Gboard now prompts you asking if you want to have screenshots automatically saved to your clipboard. Then, you’ll be able to just load up the clipboard history from the Gboard toolbar and paste the image into what…

There’s a lot to be said about the current state of gaming. Whether it’s the explosion of mobile gaming to go along with the best gaming phones, or if you’re still trying to get your hands on the PS5 or one of those fancy, new graphics cards for your PC build. However, there’s another aspect entirely that has also exploded in recent months, and that’s cloud gaming.

While Google seems to just be waiting around for something to happen with Stadia, others are taking advantage without really pushing the mobile platform too hard. Last year saw the exit of Project xCloud from its “project” status and its entrance into the Google Play Store in an official capacity with Xbox Game Pass. Earlier this year, Microsoft even brought a similar experience to iOS and iPadOS devices, although you’ll have to use it as a web app just like Stadia.

As someone who currently has more phones on his desk than he can count, along with a custom-built gaming PC, a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie, a permanently…

Finding the best monitor for your needs can be quite a daunting task. With so many options to choose from, it’s important to figure out exactly what you plan to use the monitor for and then go from there. In this case, we’re checking out the best 1080p monitors that you can find, as not everyone needs or wants the higher resolutions offered by the best 4K monitors.

Best 1080p Monitor Overall: Dell S2421HS

The Dell S2421HS is our pick as the best 1080p monitor overall, as it’s already one of the best Dell monitors that money can buy thanks to the low price point adjustable stand and solid picture quality. You’ll find a faster 75Hz refresh rate, which is becoming the new standard for many monitors, and this pairs nicely with the ability to use either HDMI or DisplayPort when connecting to your computer.

Although the S2421HS is not exactly geared towards the gaming community, this monitor is compatible with AMD FreeSync. However, if you have one of the best NVIDIA graphics cards, y…

A surprise software update provides better playback controls for the Chromecast with Google TV

What you need to know

Google released a surprise update for the Chromecast with Google TV.
The new software version number is QTS1.210311.005, along with an update for the Voice Remote.
After downloaded, you’ll be provided with better granular controls over your video playback settings.

One day after gaining HDR10+ certification, the Chromecast with Google TV received a surprise update overnight. The latest update brings the software up to version QTS1.210311.005 while still being based on Android 10. There’s also a new update for the included Voice Remote, bringing that version software from 24.5 and up to 24.7, but you’ll want to double-check the remote settings to find and download that update as it’s done separately.

Within the update, there are quite a few features included, all primarily focused on providing the Chromecast with Google TV with more control over content playback. …