Articles by Derrek Lee

Google gives us our first teaser of the Pixel 6.

What you need to know

Google teases its upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
The teaser includes official images and information about the upcoming flagships.
The Pixel 6 smartphones will come equipped with Google’s new Tensor chip.

The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are official, as the company has taken to its official blog to tease its upcoming flagship smartphones.

Despite some conflicting rumors that Google was sticking with the “XL” moniker for its larger Pixel, the company has now made the “Pixel 6 Pro” name official for its beefier model.

The company also provided some details about the build and design of the devices, with a matte aluminum finish on the Pixel 6 and a polished aluminum frame on the 6 Pro. Both devices will also come with “improved sensors and lenses” to help compete with some of the best Android phones on the market. The cameras come with a new design that will better accommodate the upgraded system.

Google did …

Other Wear OS smartwatches will be upgraded long after the Galaxy Watch 4 launches.

Wear OS 3 was in a weird state of limbo for a while, which only the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 confirmed to be released with the upgrade. Now, Google has confirmed other smartwatches, current and upcoming, will eventually be updated as well. The last time we asked about upcoming Wear OS watches, our readers leaned toward the Galaxy Watch 4. So now we want to know if the recent Wear OS update news has changed anything.

Are you still holding out for the Galaxy Watch 4?

As it stands, it seems that the Galaxy Watch 4 may be the only smartwatch with Wear OS 3 for a while, at least officially. There are rumors of a Google Pixel Watch, but nothing is official, and rumors are scarce. Fitbit has also indicated that it will launch a Wear OS device, but we don’t know when it’s expected.

Fossil has been a bit more forthcoming about its plans. The company currently makes some of the best Android smartwat…

It’s the same Google Meet, but now in app form. Sort of.

What you need to know

Google Meet is now available as a Progressive Web App (PWA).
The app is available on Chromebooks, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
No additional features have been added, but users should have access to the same features as the website.

Google Meet just got a neat upgrade to a Progressive Web App (PWA), as per a post on Google’s Workspace blog.

If you’re not privy to PWAs, they’re essentially websites that are made to look and act more like apps that you install. Instead of opening your browser to a specific website, PWAs have a spot among your installed applications.

The Google Meet PWA doesn’t add any new features, but Google says that as a standalone app, “it’s easier to find and use, and it streamlines your workflow by eliminating the need to switch between tabs.” Users should also be able to enjoy the same functionality and features, like the new layout and being able to set animated backgrounds in G…

Things are heating up between Google and Microsoft.

What you need to know

Google asked a federal judge to uphold a subpoena it served to Microsoft.
The requested documents may aid Google in its ongoing antitrust case issued by the DOJ.
Microsoft is pushing back against Google’s request, saying it hasn’t provided a specific reason for its additional requests.

Google is asking that Microsoft comply with a request to hand over documents related to the search giant’s ongoing antitrust case, according to a recent court document.

The Google antitrust lawsuit was issued last October by the DOJ, alleging that Google holds an unfair monopoly over search on the internet and on the best Android phones, making it extremely difficult for anyone else to compete.

While the proceedings aren’t expected to take place until 2023, both sides are preparing to build their cases. While Microsoft is a key player in the case, as noted by Google, the company is reportedly holding back on providing docu…

Amazon posted strong sales but missed expectations.

What you need to know

Amazon announced its Q2 2021 earnings on Thursday.
The company’s revenue grew to more than $113 billion, just missing sales estimates.
Prime Day and AWS were big drivers during the second quarter.

Amazon’s second-quarter earnings report showed big gains for the company thanks in part to Prime Day, but analysts weren’t too impressed by the company missing sales estimates.

The company managed over $113 billion in revenue, driven by its highest Prime Day sales, seeing more than 250 million items purchased during the two-day event. What was the most popular item? The Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote, which is admittedly one of the best streaming devices you can get.

AWS also continued to grow, amassing nearly $15 billion in revenue and shows increased growth compared to last quarter.

However, while Amazon managed impressive numbers, the company also missed sales estimates by roughly two billion, and…

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is hyping up the company’s upcoming Ray-Ban smart glasses.

What you need to know

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company will launch smart glasses soon.
The glasses will be the result of a partnership with Ray-Ban and Essilor Luxottica.
Facebook has long talked about launching smart wearables, including smartwatch-like devices.

Facebook has been talking about developing wearables for some time, and it sounds like its first product is well on the way, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

During Wednesday’s earnings call, Zuckerberg briefly discussed the company’s plans to launch a pair of smart glasses. While he did not go into much detail, he talked about the partnership Facebook has with Ray-Ban and Essilor Luxottica, a leading manufacturer of optical lenses.

The glasses will retain Ray-Ban’s iconic design and will “let you do some pretty neat things,” according to Zuckerberg.

This isn’t the first time the company has mentioned this collaboratio…

Google is cracking down on “sugar dating” apps in its updated policy.

What you need to know

Google is issuing updates to its Play Store policy on apps.
The updated policy prohibits apps that promote “compensated sexual relationships.”
Other changes include updates to policies against misleading titles and dormant developer accounts.

Google is providing Android app developers with more clarification about upcoming policies and updates that go into effect starting September 1. The new and updated policies are meant to make the Play Store safer for the best Android phones and include restrictions against app spam and “sugar dating” apps.

While Google already prohibits apps that encourage payment for sexual acts, the company is further clarifying this with additional text. The policy now reads that the Play Store prohibits apps promoting “compensated dating or sexual arrangements where one participant is expected or implied to provide money, gifts or financial support to another pa…

Google Voice gets several much-needed enhancements.

What you need to know

Several features and enhancements are arriving for Google Voice users.
Google is adding a redial button available when calls drop, along with providing the reason behind the dropped call.
iOS users will now be able to set their Google Voice caller ID as the display number when receiving forwarded calls.
Google is improving SMS management with multiple-thread deletion.

Fans of Google Voice may be happy to know that the company is finally giving the app some attention with a few helpful new features already rolling out on the best Android phones and iOS devices.

Google announced on Wednesday that dropped calls and missed calls will now be more informative, letting the user know why the device couldn’t complete or receive a call. In the former matter, if a call doesn’t complete using Google Voice, not only will the user be able to quickly redial, but the app will provide a reason that the call couldn’t compl…

The chip shortage is still affecting many industries, but Qualcomm proves it can overcome.

What you need to know

Qualcomm announced its fiscal year Q3 earnings on Wednesday.
The company reported higher-than-expected growth, with revenue up by 63% from the previous year.
Qualcomm attributes its strong chip sales to its multi-sourcing strategy.

Qualcomm announced its fiscal year Q3 earnings on Wednesday, showing impressive growth despite the ongoing chip shortage that continues to affect many industries.

The company managed to beat analyst expectations with quarterly revenue of $8 billion, compared to the expected $7.58 billion. That’s also up from $4.8 billion in the same period last year.

The biggest driver for that is the company’s QCT semiconductor business which reported $6.47 billion in revenue. That’s up 70% YoY, and saw the most growth from Qualcomm’s RF front-end sales which the company says is “crucial to design high-performance 5G devices.”

At a glance: @Qualcomm Q3 …

Google’s work-from-home policy gets an extension.

What you need to know

Google CEO Sundar Pichai sends an open letter to employees about returning to the office.
The new policy states that employees coming to the office much be vaccinated.
Google is extending its optional work-from-home policy until October 18.

While vaccinations continue to ramp up, so does the new Delta variant of COVID-19. Amid a steady return to the office for many employees, Google CEO Sunday Pichai has released an open letter to employees regarding its new policy and vaccinations.

Pichai outlined the new company policy requiring that all employees returning to the office be fully vaccinated. He says that this new requirement “will vary according to local conditions and regulations, and will not apply until vaccines are widely available in your area.” The policy will not go into effect immediately but will roll out “in the coming weeks” to employees in the U.S. and eventually to offices in other countries….