Articles by Derrek Lee

The FCC is providing more people with affordable broadband internet.

What you need to know

The Emergency Broadband Benefit program launches today.
The program is part of a COVID-19 relief package to provide discounts for internet services and computers.
The program will last until funds are depleted or after the pandemic is declared over.

The FCC has announced the start of its Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which seeks to provide discounted internet services to eligible homes. The program is a $3.2 billion COVID-19 relief package to make internet access more affordable for households with certain needs.

Eligible households will qualify for discounts on internet access of up to $50 per month, while some tribal lands can receive $75 per month. The program will also discount as much as $100 off the cost of a computer or tablet.

Acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel (pictured) has been a strong proponent of increasing access to the internet and highlights the positive impact …

The Galaxy Watch 4 is likely dropping a useful health feature.

What you need to know

Samsung reportedly won’t put a blood glucose monitor on its Galaxy Watch 4, after all.
The upcoming Wear OS smartwatches are expected to launch alongside Samsung’s next foldables.
The launch will likely benefit both Google and Samsung in expanding the platform.

The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Active 4 are reportedly running Wear OS and will be launched later this year, according to a report from MT (via 9to5Google). The follow-ups to some of the best Android smartwatches are rumored to launch at an Unpacked event in August, where the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will reportedly debut.

Additionally, Samsung is apparently ditching its plans to include a blood glucose monitor on the smartwatches. The feature was rumored earlier this year as a non-invasive way to measure blood sugar, which would be highly beneficial for anyone managing diabetes.

As for why Samsung is moving away from Tizen, the report c…

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds will have a more compact design.

Update, May 12 (11:50 am ET): High-res renders of the Sony WF-1000XM4

What you need to know

Another leak of the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds shows off the charging case.
The case features a more compact design and will reportedly feature wireless charging.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are expected to launch in June.

The next-generation Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds have leaked once again, giving a better look at not only the earbuds but also the charging case. The images surfaced from The Walkman Blog which showcase the earbuds and the case at various angles.

The design of the earbuds is unchanged from the previous leak, with a smaller, more compact fit than the previous Sony WF-1000XM3. This would bring it more in line with some of the best wireless earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro while retaining Sony’s signature design language.

Not much is known about the specs, but we at least know that the upcoming Sony earbuds are expe…

International payments with Google Pay will continue to expand this year.

What you need to know

Google Pay is partnering with Western Union and Wise to bring international payments to the app.
Google Pay users in the U.S. can send payments to users in India and Singapore.
International payments will continue to expand throughout the year.

Google Pay users in the United States can now send money internationally, thanks to a new partnership with Western Union and Wise. Google announced Tuesday that this initial stage of the integration will allow U.S. Google Pay users on the best Android phones to send money to India and Singapore. It’s expected that the functionality will extend throughout the year, allowing U.S. Google Pay users to send money to more than 200 countries.

To send money abroad, open Google Pay and select the contact you want to send money to. Tap “Pay” and select the method you want to send the payment with, either Western Union or Wise. From there, follow the ins…

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds will have a more compact design.

What you need to know

Another leak of the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds shows off the charging case.
The case features a more compact design and will reportedly feature wireless charging.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are expected to launch in June.

The next-generation Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds have leaked once again, giving a better look at not only the earbuds but also the charging case. The images surfaced from The Walkman Blog which showcase the earbuds and the case at various angles.

The design of the earbuds is unchanged from the previous leak, with a smaller, more compact fit than the previous Sony WF-1000XM3. This would bring it more in line with some of the best wireless earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro while retaining Sony’s signature design language.

Not much is known about the specs, but we at least know that the upcoming Sony earbuds are expected to feature a 6-hour battery life, LDAC support, and active noise c…

Do you let Google Assistant take over your home? Or maybe you prefer Alexa?

Google, Samsung, and Amazon all have AI assistants available on the best Android phones. Each of them have their pros and cons, but they all exist for one purpose; to make our lives just a little bit easier. Several other AI assistants are out there, like Microsoft’s Cortana, but none of them have quite the reach that these do. With that in mind, we would like to know which AI assistant you prefer to use? Let us know in the comments why you chose one over the others.

Which AI assistant do you prefer?

Google Assistant and Alexa

Google Assistant and Alexa both have a robust ecosystem, thanks to the vast amount of products behind them. Both companies have focused on growing their AI assistants through hardware like the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) and Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) and with products to turn your home into a connected home. Google Assistant takes this a step further by integrating with Android smartphones. …

Google Assistant should stick to its day job.

What you need to know

Google Assistant celebrates the COVID-19 vaccine with a song.
“The Vaccine Song” praises scientists for the record time that vaccines were developed.
Just ask Google Assistant to sing the song and… judge for yourself.

Google Assistant is apparently very happy about the COVID-19 vaccine, so much so that it now has a song titled “The Vaccine Song” that it will sing to you if you ask it to.

It works on smart speakers like the Nest Audio, but if you ask it to since on any of the best Android phones, you get to enjoy the experience with on-screen lyrics, complete with emojis.

The Vaccine Song celebrates the vaccine’s ability to protect and help prevent severe illnesses from contracting COVID-19 while praising the record time that it took for scientists to develop the vaccines.

The song won’t win any Grammy awards, but it at least rhymes. Google Assistant tends to lean a bit heavily on the autotune, but it’s no…

YouTube TV will be accessible through the YouTube app on Roku.

What you need to know

Google is rolling out an update for Roku devices that will make YouTube TV accessible from the YouTube app.
The move acts as a workaround to Roku removing the YouTube TV app from its channel store.
The two companies are reportedly still negotiating the terms of YouTube TV on Roku devices.

Google has just introduced a new update to the YouTube app on the best Roku devices that will make YouTube TV accessible from within the app. The new option to “Go to YouTube TV” will be available on the left sidebar of the main YouTube app.

The move comes after Roku removed the YouTube TV app from its Channel Store after negotiations with Google apparently broke down over the terms of the app. Google reportedly asked Roku to provide a dedicated row for YouTube search results, and Roku has accused Google of “unfair and anti-competitive requirements to manipulate your search results.”

In a blog post about th…

Microsoft reportedly gives up on Windows 10X, its streamlined Chrome OS competitor.

What you need to know

Microsoft is reportedly halting the development of Windows 10X and won’t release it this year.
The OS was meant to make Windows compete better with more affordable Chromebooks.
Microsoft will apparently focus its efforts on the full version of Windows 10.

According to a new report from Petri (via Windows Central), Microsoft is putting its Windows 10X platform on hold and will not release it this year. The news comes a year after Microsoft decided to scale down its Chrome OS competitor to work on single-screen devices instead of dual-screen ones.

The report claims that Microsoft has shifted its focus on modernizing Windows 10, which will likely include elements that were meant to arrive with Windows 10X. This may come in the form of the Sun Valley update that’s expected for Windows 10 devices later this year.

Windows 10X was announced in 2019 as Microsoft’s answer to Chrome…

Twitter doesn’t take a cut from your tips.

What you need to know

Twitter has started publicly testing its new Tip Jar feature.
Tip Jar is being introduced as part of Twitter’s plan to help grow the platform, particularly for influencers.
Only certain accounts can accept tips from followers, with “more coming soon…”

Twitter has begun publicly testing its tipping feature, dubbed “Tip Jar.” The feature is rolling out on mobile devices, including the best Android phones, and allows users to pay for their favorite accounts using various services. Integrated payment services include Cash App, Venmo, Paypal, Patreon, and Bandcamp.

To access the feature, users have to navigate to an account with the tipping feature enabled and select the money icon, which will present them with a list of payment methods to choose from. Selecting one will navigate the user to the app, where they will be automatically prompted to pay the appropriate person.

You can see how the process works in Twitter…