Articles by Derrek Lee

Motorola might skip a Razr launch this year to work on its glow-up for next year.

What you need to know

Rumors suggest that there won’t be a new Motorola Razr this year.
The company will reportedly work on refining its foldable design and may instead launch a new device in 2022.
The Motorola Razr 5G was an iterative upgrade from the original, but the next foldable could be a more substantial upgrade.

Motorola may skip launching a new Razr this year, according to a new report from DSCC. The company reportedly wants to spend more time refining its foldable design before the next release.

Amid reports that other companies like Honor are gearing up to release foldable smartphones this year, Motorola apparently won’t be among them. The report states that a new Motorola Razr “isn’t expected until the second half of 2022 as they look to re-invent their foldable design.”

Given the short release period between the first two models, which was less than roughly seven months, it might mak…

The Gboard update is rolling out for users on the beta.

What you need to know

Google is rolling out a new update for Gboard with contextual Emoji Kitchen suggestions.
The new suggestions will include Google’s previous blob emoji design that was retired years ago.
The Emoji Kitchen update is rolling out on Gboard beta and will arrive for more users this summer.

Google’s latest update to Gboard introduced a new feature to the Emoji Kitchen, making it easier for users to pick relevant emojis based on the messages they type. As pointed out by 9to5Google, the update also appears to include Google’s long-retired emoji blobs, which can be mixed and matched with other supported emoji.

The return of the blob was teased in the Android feature bundle, which is arriving on all the best Android phones. Google hid the feature in plain sight, using a gif to show off the Emoji Kitchen update in action with a blob holding a magic wand, hinting at how to access the beloved emoji.

It appears t…

It only took ASUS five months to release the Chromebook Flip CM5.

What you need to know

The new ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5 is now on sale after being announced in January at CES.
The new Chromebook features up to a Ryzen 5 processor with Radeon graphics for enhanced gaming.
The device retails for $500 and is available now at various retailers.

Chromebooks aren’t exactly known for their gaming chops, but ASUS is trying to change that with the new Chromebook Flip CM5, which is available now.

The Chromebook Flip CM5 was among the trio of Chromebooks that ASUS announced at CES 2021 in January. The devices deviated from the norm by offering powerful specs for gaming and work. The Chromebook Flip CM5 launched as a more gaming-focused device, featuring the AMD Ryzen 3 3250C or Ryzen 5 3500C processors that are also found in the similar Acer Chromebook Spin 514.

The company touts “the freedom of cloud gaming with support for both Google Stadia and NVIDIA GeForce NOW,” although having po…

The new Pixel Stand could have cooling fans to keep your phone from burning up.

What you need to know

Evidence of an updated Google Pixel Stand has been spotted in Android 12 Beta 2.
The new wireless charger could include fans to keep the device cool, suggesting faster charging could be in tow.
The next Pixel Stand is likely to release alongside the rumored Google Pixel 6.

Google may be preparing to release an updated Pixel Stand with cooling fans. Evidence of the new wireless charger has been spotted in the Android 12 Beta 2 code, and it could launch alongside the Google Pixel 6.

9to5Google was able to find clues for a device codename “Luxuryliner,” which follows the previous Pixel Stand codename “Dreamliner.”

The code appears to disclose some of the various settings of the wireless charger, including different fan modes or profiles which could be “Auto,” “Quiet,” and “Power Boost.” These could be manually switched and suggests that the charger is capable of faster speeds, to…

More and more social platforms are adopting pronoun fields.

June is Pride Month which is all about celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. One way to accomplish this is by acknowledging and respecting each other’s gender pronouns and how others choose to identify. While there’s no shortage of companies who participate in “rainbow washing,” some companies have actually gone the extra step to include more permanent ways to show support for individual identity by including prominent gender pronouns on user profiles.

Last month, Instagram introduced a pronoun field that shows up right next to a person’s username. There’s even an option to allow only followers to see one’s personal pronouns. The feature launched in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia, with “plans for more,” and it only appears on the mobile app available on the best Android phones, but not the website. We can walk you through how to add your personal pronouns to your Instagram profile.

Right after, Twitter told An…

Google is trying to strike the right balance between privacy and money.

What you need to know

Google has provided a set of proposals for the development of its Privacy Sandbox initiative.
The company will work with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on a more open, collaborative approach to the Privacy Sandbox.
The commitments are the result of an investigation into the initiative back in January.

Google and UK regulators have announced a set of proposed commitments that will help to shape the search giant’s Privacy Sandbox initiative.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have stated that the purpose of these commitments is to “ensure that the design, development, and implementation of the Privacy Sandbox Proposals does not lead to a distortion of competition in the digital advertising markets.”

With input from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the CMA will oversee the development and implementation of Google’s privacy initiative. The agenc…

The next Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Z Fold could be announced in late July or early August.

What you need to know

Release dates for the next Galaxy devices have reportedly been unveiled.
The Galaxy Watch 4 is said to ship on August 11, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will arrive towards the end of August.
Samsung is expected to show off more about the new Wear OS later this month.

The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has been tipped to arrive on August 11, according to known leaker Jon Prosser. He states that Samsung’s upcoming foldables are expected later that same month.

Prosser says the dates he received from his sources indicate when the device will ship, not the announcement date. That goes for the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, which will reportedly ship on August 27.

Samsung is expected to announce its next lineup of Galaxy devices at an Unpacked event later this year. This could also include the rumored Galaxy Buds 2 that have recently been spotted. With no re…

These new antitrust laws could mean drastic changes to how Big Tech operates.

What you need to know

U.S. House lawmakers introduced several new bills that target companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
The new bills could weaken the dominance of Big Tech and make it harder to purchase other companies or engage in mergers.
The legislation aims to hold “unregulated Big Tech monopolies accountable for anti-competitive conduct.”

U.S. lawmakers have introduced five new draft bills that take aim at the biggest names in tech, particularly Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. The bills seek to weaken these companies’ economic grip in the world.

Rep. David N. Cicilline introduced the new antitrust legislation, saying the goal is to level the playing field between the largest companies and everyone else. “Right now, unregulated tech monopolies have too much power over our economy. They are in a unique position to pick winners and losers, destroy small businesses, raise prices…

Android 12 is already breaking records, and it’s only in beta.

What you need to know

Google VP of Engineering has stated that the Android 12 beta has been downloaded more than any other.
The tweet comes just as the second beta becomes available on eligible devices.
Android 12 beta 2 comes with several visual and privacy enhancements.

Android 12 is currently in beta, but the platform update is already breaking records according to Google’s VP of Engineering. Dave Burke stated on Twitter that the Android 12 beta was Google’s “most downloaded/installed beta ever.”

Android 12’s beta is by far our most downloaded/installed beta ever. Speaking of which, Beta 2 is available today: https://t.co/VR8CtXKWkZ— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) June 9, 2021

The statement comes just as the second beta makes its way to some of the best Android phones. The new beta comes with a host of visual and privacy enhancements, such as the new Material You theming system and the Privacy Dashboard, features…

The second Android 12 beta is all about privacy control.

What you need to know

Google is rolling out the second Android 12 beta update with new privacy features.
The beta brings Android 12’s Privacy Dashboard, app indicators, and toggles to block or enable system access to certain apps.
A new Internet Panel is being introduced in the quick settings menu for easy access to connectivity options.

The first Android 12 beta has been available for less than a month, but Google is already releasing the second beta. This build is focused on privacy and introduces features that give users more control over their phones and apps.

The biggest addition coming to Android 12 Beta 2 is the new Privacy Dashboard introduced during Google I/O 2021. The new setting allows users to check which apps gaining access to certain smartphone data, when the data is accessed, and for how long. This includes location data, the camera, microphone, and more.

Additionally, Google is bringing app indicators …