Articles by Derrek Lee

A OnePlus watch could really be the boost to Wear OS that it so sorely needs.

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Interview with OnePlus CEO Peter Lau discusses OnePlus’ past decisions and future products.
While he did not elaborate on Carl Pei’s departure, the company had previously faced some internal conflict over its software decisions.
Lau teased the OnePlus watch while stating the company is working with Google on making Wear OS connect better with the Android ecosystem.

It’s been an interesting year for OnePlus. The company made some questionable choices with its smartphones early in the year, it returned to offering cheaper, entry-level smartphones with the Nord lineup, and its founder, Carl Pei, abruptly departed the OnePlus to chase his dream. CEO and co-founder, Pete Lau, sat down with Input to discuss the ups and downs of the company, and even manage to throw in some talk about a OnePlus watch and Wear OS.

Early on in the interview, Lau discussed the company’s contraversial decis…

More than 40 state attorneys are now involved in a legal battle with Google over claims of illegal monopoly.

Update, December 17 (14:30 pm ET): A third lawsuit is being filed by eight U.S. states over similar allegations of unfair competitive practices.

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Google is being sued by several state attorneys for its ad practices.
Accusations point to Google maintaining an illegal monopoly on online ads in search results.
This is not the only lawsuit that Google is facing for similar allegations.

State attorneys on Wednesday announced that they plan to launch an antitrust lawsuit against Google, claiming that the tech giant holds an illegal monopoly over online ads. The suit is being led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which he announced on Twitter stating that it “isn’t fair that Google effectively eliminated its competition and crowned itself the head of online advertising.”

#BREAKING: Texas takes the lead once more! Today, we’re filing a lawsuit against #…

A nice way to ring in the new year.

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The new Google Pay app is offering upgraded rewards for referrals and purchases at select retailers.
Users can refer up to three people to use the app, with $21 rewards per person.
The redesigned Google Pay app was launched in late November with new features and banking options.

There’s no denying 2020 was quite the year, particularly for Google which is in the midst of a legal onslaught. The company obviously can’t wait to put 2020, as well as these lawsuits, behind it, so as a treat to customers, Google Pay is now offering upgraded rewards of $21 in cashback for select purchases and referrals.

Users who open the Google Pay app should immediately see the banner at the top for the new offer. In the U.S., spending $50 or more at Target with Google Pay will reward you with $21 cashback within the app. It’s a one-time-only offer that you must activate within the app by December 31st. Following activation, you then have 45 d…

It’s now easier to return those unwanted Amazon gifts.

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Amazon is expanding its return window for items purchased as early as October.
Returns can be brought to Whole Foods stores and many other locations, and don’t require a label in most cases.
Many items can be returned without a box, and customers have until January 31st to return items purchased within the specified window.

Christmas is coming and the time for gift-giving is upon us. It also means the time for gift returns is coming soon thereafter. This year due to ongoing social distancing protocols, it’s more important than ever to make sure that there are safe ways for consumers to return unwanted items. Many companies, such as Walmart with its Walmart Plus service, are trying to make it easier for customers to shop this holiday season and Amazon is now making it easier. The company has announced today that it’s not only making returns more convenient but it’s also expanding the window that customer…

The lower-tier Google One plans remain unchanged.

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Google is offering half-off on its most expensive storage plans.
The price changes will also be in effect for current subscribers on those plans.
This comes after Google’s controversial announcement regarding storage policy changes.

A year after launching its Google One subscription service, Google stopped offering unlimited original-quality photo backups to Pixel owners. Then the company announced in November that as of June of 2021, new photos and videos uploaded to Google Photos will count towards the free 15GB of cloud storage that Google offers. The policy changes were apparently due to the growing demand for cloud storage, which is understandable. But many couldn’t help but consider the move being aimed at driving users to purchase more storage through Google One.

Now Google is hoping to get back into the good graces of its highest-paying customers by slashing the prices of its most expensive Google O…

Amazon Luna is shaping up to be a serious contender.

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Amazon Luna has now been released for Android.
The game streaming service was launched in September with support for several different devices including iPhone, Mac, PC, and Fire TV.
It is still in early access, so those interested will have to request access to the service.

When Amazon Luna’s cloud gaming service launched in September, it looked like a promising contender to Google Stadia. At launch it offered access to over 100 games, compared to Google Stadia’s meager 25, and while the latter’s library has grown since launch, only a handful of titles are actually free with the Pro subscription, and the list keeps changing. Amazon Luna’s library of games is free for Luna+ subscribers, and now it’s coming to an Android device near you.

Similar to how Amazon Luna gets around the Apple Store rules by making Luna accessible via Safari, the same is also true with Android, albeit via Google Chrome. The servi…

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

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Samsung just released a video on YouTube, thanking fans for their support.
The video mentions Samsung working on a new mobile processor to restore consumer trust in its Exynos flagships.
Performance of Samsung Exynos chips has been under increased scrutiny this year.

Fans of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones have not been too kind to the company this year. Samsung has often been maligned by consumers for its continued use of the in-house Exynos processors that it includes with the global variants of its smartphones, calling its chips “inferior” to the Qualcomm-powered counterparts sold in the United States. This has likely been the driving force behind the company putting in all the stops its upcoming Samsung Exynos 2100. Today, as Samsung prepares to launch said chipset, the company released a Disney’s Up-style teaser video, thanking fans for their continued patience and support.

It’s an adorable video, showcasing how Samsung…

It’s nearly the end of an era as the Nest brand takes over.

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Google has just sold the last remaining units of the Home Max smart speaker.
Google Home branded devices have been slowly replaced by Nest branded ones.
The Home Max will still receive software support for an undisclosed amount of time.

The original Google Home has effectively been dead for a while, to the point where any search for it on Google’s Store simply tells you that it’s no longer available. It’s had a good run in the four years it managed to stay alive, but now another Google Home speaker has met its end.

Engadget reports that any remaining units have been sold and Google is no longer manufacturing them. A cursory glance on the Google Store will still present you with a “buy” button on the Home Max product page, but then you’ll be met with a greyed out “out of stock”. While it’s a sad end for such a great speaker that doesn’t have a direct replacement, the newer Nest Audio speakers are p…

Phone Hub is even closer to reality with these new visual updates.

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Google Phone Hub has received some visual updates, giving a better look at the upcoming feature.
This looks to be Google’s answer to Microsoft Your Phone on Windows.
There is still no expected date for the final version.

Not to be outdone by Apple and Microsoft, Google is working on its own desktop-level phone integration dubbed “Phone Hub”. The feature was first hinted at several months ago when code was discovered referencing the app, as well as some visual UI aspects. At its most basic level, Phone Hub will integrate Android with Chrome OS, allowing users to control aspects of their phone from their desktop.

Since the earliest mentions of Phone Hub, there seems to have been some updates, which include a number of new UI elements. None of the functions actually… function, but it should give you an idea of what you might expect once the full version rolls out.

From the looks of …

Google Nest Hub Max brings Zoom to a smart screen near you.

What you need to know

Zoom add integration with Google’s Nest Hub Max.
The feature is currently in early preview and should be rolling out to users starting today.
Users interested in using Zoom on their Next Hub Max need to link their Zoom accounts.

The holidays are upon us, and many people are remaining in their own homes amid the current pandemic. For those of you who have opted out of traveling this holiday, Google Meet and Duo are already available on its smart displays, but now Google is going the extra step by finally integrating Zoom with its Nest Hub Max.

In order to get started, you will first need to link your Zoom account, which can be done within the Google Home app settings. Simply navigate to “Services” then tap “Voice and Video calls” and then “Video & Voice apps”. Here you’ll be able to add Zoom to the list of app providers by following the instructions. Once it’s set up, you can simply say “He…