Articles by Harish Jonnalagadda

ColorOS 11 introduces a laundry list of changes as OPPO sets its sights on global markets.

OPPO is one of the largest phone manufacturers in the world, and over the last two years it has turned its attention to European markets, where it is seeing a heady growth. In Q2 2020, OPPO’s shipments in Europe increased by 41% from the same time a year ago, and the company saw a 10% uptick in global sales — all during a pandemic.

OPPO’s flagships tend to hold their own against the best Android phones, and its focus on global markets has allowed the brand to flourish. With OPPO now becoming a major player outside of China, it is making key changes to its ColorOS user interface to make the skin more palatable to a global audience. ColorOS 7.0 debuted on the Find X2 Pro earlier this year with a modern user interface and plenty of visual tweaks, and OPPO is now debuting ColorOS 11 based on Android 11.

OPPO says it’s going straight to ColorOS 11 to maintain parity with Google, making it eas…

Telegram rolled out two-step verification five years ago, and if you’ve been using the service for a while now or are just getting started, you should enable it right now. Setting up two-factor authentication on Telegram takes less than five minutes, and it provides much-needed safeguards to your account. Here’s how to secure your Telegram account with two-factor authentication.

How to activate two-factor authentication on Telegram

Your Telegram account is tied to your phone number, and you’ll receive a one-time code whenever you have to sign in to a new device. With two-factor authentication, you can set up a password in addition to the one-time code; you’ll have to enter both to log in to your account. Here’s how to set up two-factor authentication on Telegram:

Open Telegram.
Hit the Hamburger menu on the left.
Select Settings.

Go to Privacy and Security.
Tap Two-Step Verification.
Hit Set Password.

Enter the password you want to set.
Confirm the password.
Add a hint …

Act now or miss out on this exquisite matte black PS5 faceplate.

The PS5 looks great on its own, with the white aesthetic giving the console a futuristic look. But because the side panels are removable, you can easily customize the look of the console.

That’s where Dbrand’s PS5 Darkplate comes in. The limited-edition faceplate costs $50 and allows you to switch out the default white side panels for matte black versions, and you also get to customize the look of the middle skin for an additional $10.95 — there are eight color options. You can pick it up for the regular PS5 right now, with the Digital Edition coming soon.

This is a limited-edition product, and wave one is already sold out. So if you’re interested, hit up the link below and get your hands on Dbrand’s matte black PS5 faceplate.

Dbrand PS5 Darkplate

$50 at Dbrand

This is the best way to customize the look of your PS5. You get two matte black faceplates, and you get the option to choose between eight color opti…

The best Synology NAS enclosures are often the best overall NAS systems you can find today. A NAS lets you easily back up data from Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, and you can build a robust media server for streaming audio and video to all devices on your home network. These are the best Synology NAS enclosures you can buy.

1. Synology DiskStation DS220+: Best Overall

If you’re buying a NAS for the first time or looking to upgrade, the DS220+ is the ideal choice. The NAS enclosure has two bays, and it can accommodate a total of 32TB worth of storage across the two drive bays. That should be more than enough storage for most users, and you get upgraded internal hardware in the form of an Intel Celeron J4025 chipset and 2GB of DDR4 RAM.

You also get two Gigabit Ethernet ports at the back, and thanks to Link Aggregation, you can combine the two ports to get a boost in data transfer rates across your home network. There are also two USB 3.0 ports, and a single fan at the …

Take your Synology NAS to the next level with these tips and tricks.

Synology makes the best NAS for Plex streaming and general home use, and it also has plenty of productivity-focused systems that are tailored for businesses. While NAS enclosures from all manufacturers tend to have similar hardware, Synology’s differentiator is the software. With DiskStation Manager (DSM), it has created the best operating system you’ll find for NAS enclosures.

I’ve been using Synology NAS enclosures for nearly a decade now; I rely on my DiskStation DS1520+ for Plex streaming and backing up data from all the phones and Windows machines in my home, and I also run a VPN server directly on the NAS. If you’re just getting started with a Synology NAS or are looking to learn more about all the things you can do with DSM, here are the best Synology tips and tricks to get the most out of your NAS enclosure.

A truly fantastic NAS

Synology DiskStation DS220+

$300 at Amazon
$300 at Newegg
$300 at B&amp…

Google rolled out a new update to Chrome for Android that introduced a new interface for tab management. Instead of the vertical tab layout, tabs are now sorted into a grid view whenever you open a link. If you’re not a fan of tab groups, you can easily switch back to the old vertical layout. Here’s how to turn off grid view on Chrome for Android.

How to turn off tab groups and grid view on Chrome for Android

Open Chrome for Android.
Type chrome://flags/#enable-tab-grid-layout in the address bar and hit Enter.
You should see a Tab Grid Layout setting highlighted in yellow. Select the drop-down menu.

In the drop-down menu, select Disabled.
Hit the Relaunch button at the bottom of the page to restart Chrome.
You should once again see vertical tab management in Chrome.

I had to relaunch Chrome twice for the changes to take effect, so if you don’t see the old layout with a restart, try reloading Chrome again. While the new interface may be confusing at first, I’ve been using…

Screenshots are great for sharing information that’s on your screen, but if you’re trying to highlight a bug or troubleshoot something, screen recording is much more useful. Screen recording is now baked into Android by default, and most third-party manufacturers — including Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, — have their own take on the feature. So here’s how you can get started with recording your phone screen.

How to record your phone screen:

Samsung Galaxy phones
Pixel and Android One
OnePlus phones
Xiaomi phones
Third-party apps

How to record your screen on a Samsung Galaxy phone running One UI

Samsung makes the best Android phones, and with One UI, it offers one of the most feature-rich interfaces on Android. Samsung rolled out native screen recording over a year ago with the One UI 2.0 update, and the feature is now baked into all Galaxy phones. I’m using a Note 20 Ultra running One UI 3.0 for reference, and the steps outlined will be similar if you’r…

The best Android smartwatches pair attractive designs with the ability to mirror calls and notifications as well as a host of fitness-focused features right on your wrist. Wear OS continues to dominate the Android smartwatch segment, and if you picked up a new smartwatch that’s powered by Google’s wearable platform, here’s how you can set it up with your phone.

How to download the Wear OS app from the Play Store

Open Play Store from the app drawer or home screen.
Type Wear OS in the search bar at the top.
Tap Install on the first result (it should be Wear OS by Google Smartwatch).

How to set up a Wear OS smartwatch with your Android phone

After downloading the Wear OS app on your phone, you can begin setting it up. First, you’ll have to switch on Bluetooth, so your phone can locate the smartwatch. Then you’ll have to turn on the smartwatch itself and pick your preferred language. After that, you’ll see a prompt to download the Wear OS app on your phone. Just leave the watch…

Dual Messenger is an incredibly useful tool that lets you run two instances of a messaging service on the same phone. So if you have two Facebook or Telegram accounts or use two phone numbers with WhatsApp, the feature is bound to come in handy. Here’s how you can set up and start using Dual Messenger on your Galaxy phone.

What is Dual Messenger, and how does it work?

Dual Messenger is available on all Galaxy phones running One UI. The feature essentially works by cloning a messaging app so that you can run a second instance of it on your phone. That way, you can use two Facebook or WhatsApp accounts on the same phone, making it that much more convenient.

Before we get started with how to use Dual Messenger, there are a few points to note. You can’t manually add an app; if it doesn’t show up in the list of available apps that can be cloned, you won’t be able to use the feature with it. Dual Messenger works with popular messaging services, and you’ll find Facebook, WhatsApp, and Te…

Samsung Galaxy S21

A bold new direction

$800 at Amazon

Pros

Stunning 120Hz AMOLED display
Snapdragon 888 with Sub-6/mmWave 5G
Reliable cameras
Three years of guaranteed updates
15W wireless charging and IP68

Cons

No microSD card slot
No charger in the box
Plastic back

The Galaxy S21 offers the latest hardware from Qualcomm along with a sublime 120Hz AMOLED screen, cameras that take great photos in any lighting scenario, and global 5G connectivity. You’ll still find all the extras, but the phone misses out on a microSD slot this year and there’s no charger in the box.

Google Pixel 5

Still the camera king

$700 at Amazon

Pros

Gorgeous 90Hz OLED panel
Snapdragon 765G with Sub-6/mmWave 5G
Incredible cameras with a wide-angle lens
Three Android version updates
15W wireless charging and IP68

Cons

Not running Snapdragon 800 series
Limited global availability

The Pixel 5 is unchallenged when it comes to the camera, with the phone delivering truly outstanding photos…