Articles by Derrek Lee

Twitter’s “social privacy” features could save you from the wrath of the internet… maybe.

What you need to know

Twitter is reportedly working on a set of new privacy features.
Users may be able to edit their follower list, hide liked tweets, and remove themselves from conversations.
Twitter may allow users to hide old tweets after a set amount of time.

Twitter is reportedly working on a set of new privacy features that will allow users to better manage their online presence on the social media site. The new “social privacy” features are meant to make people more comfortable engaging on Twitter.

According to Bloomberg, Twitter is currently considering several features that users may find very helpful when navigating the site. One big one includes hiding old tweets from other users after a set amount of time. This could be anywhere from 30, 60, or 90 days, and tweets would be archived away from users but still visible to the account holder.

There are some unofficial ways to qu…

RCS is a great feature… when it works.

What you need to know

Users are complaining about RCS randomly losing connection in Google Messages.
Google Messages will reportedly fail to reestablish connection for many users.
The problem has been reported since at least June, with assurances that Google is reportedly working on it.

Google Messages is one of the best text messaging apps for Android thanks to its ability to use Rich Communication Services (RCS) for a better out-of-the-box texting experience across many Android devices. However, it’s less than ideal when RCS features break and users are left unable to connect, which is apparently what’s been happening lately.

Multiple users across Reddit and the Google Messages support forum have complained that the app will randomly stop connecting to RCS and won’t reestablish a connection. Users find that their connection status is left on “Connecting…” or “Waiting to verify…” without the app actually completing either step.

Som…

Launch dates are all over the place for the Galaxy S21 FE.

What you need to know

A new rumor points to the Galaxy S21 FE launching towards the end of October.
The new dates reportedly indicate when the device will be available to purchase and when it’ll ship.
It’s been previously indicated that the Galaxy S21 FE would launch in early September.

Hot on the heels of Samsung’s latest foldables, many still await the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE as the successor to last year’s well-received Galaxy S20 FE. Rumors have been here and there on when the device would launch, but the latest may provide a clearer timeframe for when we can expect the device in consumers’ hands.

Leaker Jon Prosser has indicated that the Galaxy S21 FE may not launch until late October. According to Prosser, preorders will open on October 20, and the device will ship on October 29.

Prosser says that these launch dates refer to the market launch of the device, however, he was not able to confirm the actu…

Samsung Health gets a useful feature that could help save battery.

What you need to know

The Galaxy Watch 4 is receiving its first post-launch update.
The new update lets users better control automatic workout detection.
Volume controls are now available in the quick settings panel.
The update includes improvements to health tracking and system stability.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 hasn’t been in consumers’ hands very long, but it’s already receiving its first post-launch update. While Samsung doesn’t appear to highlight any new features in the changelog, TizenHelp has noticed some noteworthy changes arriving with the update, which clocks in at a hardy 305MB.

One highlight feature is the ability to halt the automatic workout detection in Samsung Health. It’s a feature that many of the best Android smartwatches have, but it can use up some valuable battery, especially when a watch is measuring leisurely walks that users may not care to track. The update adds an option to cance…

Qualcomm has cracked the code to truly great Bluetooth audio.

What you need to know

Qualcomm announces aptX Lossless audio technology over Bluetooth.
The new aptX Lossless will bring CD-quality lossless audio to devices supporting Snapdragon Sound.
Qualcomm expects the technology to be available later this year.

Qualcomm has announced the next generation of Bluetooth audio with its new aptX Lossless Technology. The new feature is coming to next-generation earbuds equipped with Snapdragon Sound technology and will enable CD-quality audio over a Bluetooth connection.

While many smartphones and computers are capable of lossless audio, Bluetooth connections often hinder the experience due to a lack of bandwidth. Current codecs like those from Sony can offer near-lossless or “lossy” audio, but there are still limitations that Qualcomm has apparently addressed with aptX Lossless.

With aptX Lossless, users will experience CD-quality 16-bit 44.1kHz lossless audio from their Bluetooth …

Google and other companies pledged to help improve the nation’s cybersecurity.

What you need to know

Google has announced a $10 billion commitment to improving U.S. cybersecurity.
Google’s pledge includes training Americans in IT and Data analytics, expanding security programs, and enhancing open-source security.
Other companies such as Apple and Microsoft have also pledged commitments to cybersecurity efforts.

Google has announced a $10 billion investment over the next five years towards cybersecurity improvements. The announcement comes just after several tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, met with President Joe Biden to address U.S. cyber threats and commit to advancing cybersecurity efforts.

Kent Walker, senior vice president of Global Affairs at Google, lays out several initiatives that the company plans to implement to help the country’s efforts. That includes expanding zero-trust guidelines for high-level security within the federal government, pledg…

OnlyFans was feeling the pressure from both ends.

What you need to know

OnlyFans has decided not to ban sexually explicit content from the site.
The move comes days after the company announced its ban.
OnlyFans cites financial assurances as to the reason for the reversal.

Following backlash from content creators and users alike, OnlyFans has announced on Wednesday that it will not impose its ban on sexually explicit content.

The announcement comes not even a week after the site declared that it would move to prohibit the kind of content that ultimately made it so popular. It was to go into effect on October 1, only allowing nude photos but nothing that depicted sexual acts.

The company originally cited pressure from banking entities as the reason for the change, but it appears that has been worked out.

Thank you to everyone for making your voices heard.We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy…

The Galaxy Buds 2 pick up their first update before most people get their hands on them.

What you need to know

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 have been spotted with a new update.
The update brings new features, additional touch controls, and improved system stability.
The update is rolling out in S. Korea and is likely to reach other regions soon.

Our Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 review showed that the new entry-level earbuds could definitely hold their own against the premium Galaxy Buds Pro, and now a new update is already rolling out to give the earbuds a nice boost before they reach customers’ hands.

First spotted by TizenHelp, the update appears to be nearly 3MB in size and rolling out for the Galaxy Buds 2 in S. Korea.

According to the changelog, the update includes improvements to system stability and a few handy new features for the Buds 2, including the ability to use ambient sound during a phone call so that it’s easier to pay attention to your environment. You’ll also be able t…

Not every model seems to be affected by delays.

What you need to know

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Watch 4 are reportedly facing delays.
Some customers have received notices that their devices won’t arrive until mid-September.
Samsung’s new foldables have already proven to be popular, showing “strong global consumer demand.”

Samsung has hyped up its new “mainstream” foldable, and it seems to be working out well for the company. Almost too well, as there are reports that some Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Watch 4 models are already facing delays due to unexpected demand.

AllAboutSamsung has received screenshots of emails from Samsung explaining to customers that their orders will take longer to reach them due to “unforeseen delivery bottlenecks.” The company states that while accessories may reach the customer sooner, the expected delivery time for the device is mid-September.

The emails appear to be in German, so it’s possible that these delays could be affecting only certain …

It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a start.

What you need to know

Google Chrome is testing a way to save tab groups.
Once saved, the Tab Groups will be accessible from the bookmarks bar.
The feature can be accessed on Chrome Canary but isn’t fully functional yet.

Google is working on bringing a new feature to Chrome Canary that will make it easier for you to easily jump into your workflow with Tab Groups.

The option to save tab groups has surprisingly not been available for Chrome, but a flag in Chrome Canary shows that the feature is being worked on. It’s fairly easy to set up Tab Groups in Google Chrome, and when you do, you’ll notice a new toggle to save the group.

The feature was noticed by Techdows and doesn’t appear to function at the moment. Toggling the option to save doesn’t actually do anything. However, when the feature does work, Tab Groups will be saved as a bookmark for easy access. It doesn’t seem to save the tabs in whatever state they’re in.

The feature …