Articles by Derrek Lee

Future Pixel Buds could become serious contenders in the audio space.

What you need to know

Google has acquired the 3D audio startup, Dysonics.
Employees from Dysonics are reportedly developing “audio hardware” for Google, which could refer to several types of products.
New audio hardware could be related to the Pixel Buds or Nest audio devices.

Google has been slowly stepping up its audio offerings with products like its Nest Audio and even its Google Pixel Buds (2020). Sure, there might be room for improvement if Google wants to really compete with the best wireless earbuds on the market, and that’s where its latest acquisition of Dysonics may come into play.

According to Protocol, Google has acquired the 3D audio startup, and the transition has apparently been underway for months. The employees coming in are apparently working on “audio hardware” and “audio algorithms for a variety of Google’s hardware products.” In the context of Google, it’s easy to narrow down the possibi…

Spotify’s weird Car Thing is still kind of weird.

What you need to know

A new look at Spotify’s Car Thing show a large display and large knob.
An earlier look at the device shows a much smaller, circular display.
It’s not entirely clear how Spotify plans to differentiate the device from other car infotainment systems.

Spotify is not a hardware company, nor does it seem to want to be. The company does well enough as one of the best music players on Android and is dedicated to offering a complete listening experience for its subscribers. As it turns out, hardware might actually be one of the ways the company can do this, and while the company has teased a hardware device in the past, a new look at the “Car Thing” shows that the company has been busy tweaking its design.

Some images of the device have cropped up, apparently appearing within Spotify’s iOS app. The Car Thing resembles a car infotainment system with a large knob and a small button on its face and several buttons on t…

Addressing some issues from the December Pixel feature drop.

What you need to know

The April security patch has begun rolling out for Pixel smartphones.
The update brings several bug fixes, including some that were introduced during the December feature drop.
Manu Samsung smartphones have already begun receiving the April patch.

It’s that time of the month again; time for Google to release the April security patch to its Pixel smartphones. As usual, the update addresses vulnerabilities within Android, but Google also includes bug fixes specific to its Pixels. This time around, the update also comes with some welcome improvements that owners of the Google Pixel 4a 5G and Google Pixel 5 are sure to appreciate.

As far as bug fixes go, the update addresses an issue that caused some devices to appear offline when connected through a VPN. This affected devices all the way down to the Google Pixel 3, so the update covers the full scope of Google’s supported smartphones. Another bug fi…

The battle between Google and Android affects more than just Android.

What you need to know

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Google in its long-time battle against Oracle.
Oracle sued Google for using its Java code in earlier versions of Android.
Google has maintained that it was “fair use” and that APIs aren’t subject to standard copyright protections.

Google has just secured a major win for Android. The company has been locked in a decade-long battle with Oracle over its use of Java code in earlier Android versions. Oracle sued Google after purchasing Sun Microsystems, which developed the Java platform. Oracle claimed that Google stole its property when it copied code based on Java APIs to develop Android and attract developers, seeking almost $9 billion in damages.

Meanwhile, Google has maintained that the use of nearly 12,000 Java code lines was fair use and that software APIs aren’t subject to the standard copyright protection. Google’s SVP of Global Affairs, Kent W…

Google WiFi users are encouraged to switch to Google Home.

What you need to know

Google WiFi owners are being warned that the legacy app is being shut down next month.
Users are being told to migrate their network to the Google Home app, which will include several benefits.
The shutdown will occur on May 25th, and the app will be removed from the Play Store shortly after.

Steps are finally being taken to migrate all Google WiFi users over to Google Home. In an email sent out to Google WiFi users (via SlashGear), the company is informing that it will shut off the legacy app used to control and monitor Google WiFi networks next month. Users are thus encouraged to migrate their networks to the Google Home app, similar to Nest Wifi owners.

The company states that the move will bring added benefits to Google WiFi customers, with the ability to automatically prioritize bandwidth to certain functions:

In the past year, we’ve focused on addressing real customer requests for Wi-Fi a…

Russia’s new law affects iPhones, Android devices, and more.

What you need to know

Russian law now requires smart devices to come preinstalled with Russian apps.
The law was passed in 2019 and has been referred to as the “law against Apple.”
Russia hopes the move will help its own software developers compete with international ones.

April 1 may have been April Fools Day, but it was no joke for Russia as it moved to enact its law forcing all domestic smart devices to come preinstalled with Russian apps. The law was first passed in 2019 as an effort to help Russia’s own software companies gain more traction on popular devices like iPhones and the best Android phones. It was initially scheduled to go into effect in July of 2020 but was pushed back.

So what does this mean? For iPhones it means that setting up a new smartphone will require an extra step, offering users a list of locally-made apps to download:

Here is how it looks in the actual setup. pic.twitter.com/QOUwwIGSnx— K…

Buying a OnePlus 9 is not exactly as simple as it seems.

The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro have been among the most highly anticipated smartphones of 2021, and for a good reason. Both devices offer great OLED displays, fast charging, and upgraded cameras thanks to Hasselblad and the company’s own pledge to better photography. Both these smartphones offer incredible value and can be found at a few different retailers.

Unfortunately, buying a OnePlus 9 or 9 Pro isn’t exactly as cut and dry as one may think, and there are a few things to consider when purchasing these smartphones. For instance, 5G on these phones is only compatible with one U.S. carrier. Additionally, some retailers have limited colorways, and you won’t find that fantastic Pine Green color everywhere.

Fortunately, we can help break down the best places where you can purchase the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro.

Jump to:

OnePlus
Amazon
T-Mobile
Best Buy
B&H

OnePlus The obvious option

One of the easiest and quickest wa…

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 hits a new low.

What you need to know

Samsung is lowering the starting price of its Galaxy Z Fold 2.
By cutting the price by $200, Samsung hopes to make its foldable smartphones more affordable.
Samsung is offering $100 credit for owners of its foldables if they refer a friend.

Foldable smartphones are starting to mature, but they’re by no means accessible. Many of the best foldable phones start at over $1200, and that’s just for the cheaper models. Unless you take advantage of trade-in deals, you’re looking to spend a pretty penny for a new form factor that’s still in its early days. But Samsung is hoping to soften the blow and make foldable smartphones more accessible, so it’s lowering the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Thanks to Samsung’s new $200 price cut, the Z Fold 2 now dips below $2000 for the first time. It’s unclear if Samsung will take the same cost-sensitive approach with the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 3, so if you’ve been on the fence about p…

The Pixel 6 is saying bye-bye to Qualcomm.

What you need to know

A new report claims that Google is building its own chip for this year’s Pixel smartphones.
The new SoC is reportedly being developed with Samsung and could lead to chips being made for Chromebooks.
The move would see Google adopting an Apple-like approach to its hardware.

Last year, it was rumored that Google would design its own custom SoC for its smartphones. Since Google has been designing silicon like the Visual Core and Neural Core in its Pixel phones for some time now, it makes sense that the company would want to leverage its expertise inside more aspects of its smartphones. According to a new report, the rumors are legit, and Google will include its own SoC inside its phones like the Google Pixel 6 later this year.

According to 9to5Google, the chip, codename Whitechapel, is being developed with Samsung who also builds its own Exynos chips alongside rival SoCs like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. This suggest…

Verizon wants your broken phones.

What you need to know

Verizon has announced a new trade-in deal that includes broken smartphones.
The trade-in amount will depend on the phone model and its condition.
The deal will start April 1, and Verizon assures it’s not a prank.

Tomorrow is April Fool’s Day, although no one really has the patience for it. However, Verizon’s new trade-in deal begins tomorrow, and it’s a bit hard to believe. That’s because the company is giving new customers up to $1000 when they trade in broken smartphones for a new one. That’s right, Verizon wants your dead, cracked, water-damaged phones, and it’ll give you money towards an upgrade to one of the best Android phones.

To take advantage of this deal, you can be either a new or existing customer, although the offer isn’t as robust if you’re already on the network. For example, existing customers trading in for a new smartphone will receive up to $440 of trade-in credit. That’s still not bad, especially wh…