Articles by Derrek Lee

Times are changing, and Google Maps is keeping up.

What you need to know

Google Maps is expanding crowdedness predictions to more cities.
Insights gives users a look into trends about the places they visit and their method of transportation.
Restaraunt reviews are also getting more detailed options.

Parts of the world are opening up, and more people are commuting back to work. To help navigate the new work-from-anywhere lifestyle, Google Maps is introducing new features and expanding on others.

Knowing how crowded a bus or train is can help users plan their trips accordingly. In 2019, Google introduced crowdedness predictions and expanded that feature last year with live crowdedness information on the best Android phones. Google is now expanding its crowdedness predictions to more than 10,000 transit agencies in 100 cities.

Google is also testing live crowdedness information at the car level for trains in New York City and Sydney, meaning you can pre-plan which car you’ll hop …

YouTube is giving creators even more ways to make money.

What you need to know

YouTube is launching Super Thanks as a way for viewers to tip creators.
The beta feature is being expanded to 68 countries on desktop and mobile.
Twitter recently rolled out its own version of tipping called “Tip Jar.”

YouTube is rolling out a new feature dubbed “Super Thanks” for creators, which will allow fans to show their gratitude using monetary means.

Super Thanks can be purchased from viewers directly underneath a video, where there will be a heart icon with a dollar sign. The company says that four tipping options will be available: $2, $5, $10, or $50 if you’re feeling really generous.

Viewers who leave a Super Thanks will have their tip highlighted in the comment section, which will provide a way for creators to recognize contributors and thank them. YouTube says it’s a great way for creators to engage with their most devoted fans.

If Super Thanks sounds familiar, it’s because YouTube a…

Jonathan Kanter is known for his anti-Google stance.

What you need to know

Biden may name Jonathan Kanter as his pick for the head of the DOJ antitrust division.
Jonathan Kanter is a lawyer known for taking up lawsuits against Google for companies like Microsoft and Yelp.
His appointment would closely follow Lina Khan’s appointment as FTC chair, a move that threatens Facebook’s leadership position.

President Joe Biden has nominated Jonathan Kanter as the new head of the DOJ antitrust division, according to White House officials.

Jonathan Kanter is a lawyer who has been named a harsh critic of Google and an advocate of antitrust enforcement. A statement from the White House describes him as “a leading advocate and expert in the effort to promote strong and meaningful antitrust enforcement and competition policy.”

Kanter has previously represented rival companies that have sought to sue Google over its anti-competitive practices. This includes Microsoft, Spotify, and Yelp.

The …

Android smartphones are lasting longer these days.

Smartphones are beneficial devices but can often be fickle little things. Like any piece of tech, there’s always the possibility that something will glitch out, or perhaps you end up dropping it and shattering your screen. However, there are many reasons that someone may want to swap out their smartphone for a new one, and fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from among the best Android phones.

OEMs aren’t helping much either, since they’ve gotten into the habit of launching more flagships per year, such as Samsung, for example, with the Galaxy S21 series earlier this year and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 that’s expected to arrive in August. So with that in mind, we want to know how long you usually keep your smartphone before upgrading to a new one.

How long do you hold onto your smartphone before upgrading?

Android phones were known for not having very long lifespans due to the way Android updates were handled. This would…

Amazon makes Android App Bundles optional for developers.

What you need to know

Amazon announced support for Android App Bundles in its Appstore.
Amazon will make it optional for developers to use App Bundles.
The Amazon Appstore will be the default source for Android apps on Windows 11.

In a surprising move on Friday, Amazon announced that it is supporting Android App Bundles for the Amazon Appstore.

App Bundles were recently announced by Google as its replacement for APKs. The new format touts smaller file sizes for faster downloads, dynamic asset compression, and more, making it an ideal solution for many of the best cheap Android phones. And while there are some benefits to the move, it has caused some worry over support for third-party app stores that rely on APKs since Google is making the move to App Bundles mandatory for new apps later this year.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s move to App Bundles for the Appstore seems to allay some concerns, as the company says AABs will be opti…

A recent lawsuit over the Play Store billing system may have something to do with it.

Updated working to reflect that Google isn’t “delaying” enforcement of its policy, simply that the company is providing an extension for developers that cannot meet the September 30 deadline.

What you need to know

Google has announced that it will give developers an extension to comply with its Play Payments billing policy.
The billing policy would require developers to use the Play Payments system for all in-app transactions.
Google is now giving developers of existing apps until March 2022 to comply with the new system.
The company is currently facing a lawsuit over its Play Store practices.

Google has announced in a blog post on Friday that it is providing some leniency with its Play Store billing policy, which will be required for existing apps on September 30.

Google cites difficulties expressed by developers in implementing the new system, “especially for those with engineering teams in…

The OnePlus Nord 2 is less than a week away.

What you need to know

OnePlus has revealed the design of the upcoming OnePlus Nord 2.
The device heavily resembles the OnePlus 9 series smartphones.
The OnePlus Nord 2 will be fully unveiled on July 22 and be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset.

There’s less than a week from its full unveiling of the OnePlus Nord 2, but in typical OnePlus fashion, the company continues to reveal various aspects of the device before its official launch. The latest teaser gives us a look at the OnePlus Nord 2 design, at least from the rear.

OnePlus posted an image on the Nord Instagram account in the form of a film poster. The device is shown in the middle with a striking blue colorway, not unlike the original OnePlus Nord. Matching with previously leaked renders of the device, the Nord 2 has a similar design to the OnePlus 9 series smartphones and features a triple camera setup.

While the front panel is not pictured, it’s not hard to imagine…

Google Assistant will help you when you’re too lazy to take that meeting from your desk.

What you need to know

Google Assistant is enabled for workspace accounts on smart displays.
Users will be able to use Google Assistant to enter meetings from their Nest Hub.
The feature is rolling out to Workspace accounts over the next two weeks.

Google has been busy updating Workspace with new tiers and features. The latest feature brings Workspace access to some of the best smart displays with Google Assistant like the Nest Hub Max.

With the new rollout, Workspace users will be able to join a Google Meet call straight from their smart display, simply by saying something like, “Hey Google, join my meeting.” Pulling up schedules should also be easier from any of the best Google Assistant speakers.

With work-from-home still the norm for many employees, this could make joining meetings more convenient for those that may have their hands tied or maybe want to just take the call from their …

The new emoji take a step in the right direction.

What you need to know

New emoji have been revealed as part of the upcoming Emoji version 14 update.
The draft includes a more inclusive selection of emojis, including a multi-colored handshake.
The new emoji are expected to be finalized later this year and could arrive on devices in late 2021 or early 2022.

The Covid-19 pandemic may have delayed things a bit, but the latest emoji have been revealed in a draft for the upcoming Emoji 14 update.

The new additions offer a look into the more inclusive direction that emoji are taking. The list included more hand positions with multi-color selections and even a new mixed-color handshake.

Most notably, the new emoji now include a pregnant man and pregnant person, which sheds more light on the trans and non-binary communities and highlights how pregnancy is also possible for these individuals.

While the addition of more inclusive emoji may not seem like a big deal to some, studies ha…

The OnePlus 9 Pro is likely the latest victim of the global chip shortage.

What you need to know

The base OnePlus 9 Pro will reportedly not reach the United States or Canada.
OnePlus cites “supply constraints” as the reason that it’s not releasing the model stateside.
The higher-specced OnePlus 9 Pro will continue to be the company’s focus in North America.

OnePlus is apparently not launching the cheaper OnePlus 9 Pro model in the United States, according to a statement provided to Android Police.

When the company launched the OnePlus 9 series smartphones, the lower-specced 8GB/128GB 9 Pro was nowhere to be found. OnePlus initially pointed to delays, but today the company seems to make it clear that it won’t arrive.

The OnePlus 9 Pro 8×128 GB variant was originally set to be sold in North America for $969. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen supply constraints specific to North American devices, we recently concluded it is no longer possible to bring this configuration to the …