Articles by Jeramy Johnson

There’s another option for stylus fans beyond what Samsung and Motorola are offering.

When I got the opportunity to review the LG Stylo 6 for Android Central, I practically leaped at the chance. For starters, I hadn’t used an LG phone in years. I also hadn’t had much experience with the entry-level or budget end of the Android phone market. But most of all, I wanted to test out the key feature that gives the phone its name — the built-in stylus — and see how it stacked up to the one on my Galaxy Note.

The first time I took the Stylo 6 out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised. Its silvery-iridescent rear panel is a thing of beauty. Like similar styles from OnePlus and Samsung, it intriguingly plays with the light, turning different colors and reflections depending on how you look at it and hold it. Speaking of holding it, while this phone is a tall boi, it’s also relatively narrow and thus comfortable to hold one-handed (though reaching those top corners is a chore).

First im…

When Google announced the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, it didn’t just launch two phones with impressive cameras; it introduced new Google Photos editing features as well. Improvements to machine learning, artificial intelligence, and user interface mean that users will now be able to do more with light and portrait mode after a photo is taken. They will also have more granular manual controls. We’ll show you where to find these features in the Google Photos app, and how you can use them to make your pictures even better.

Products used in this guide

New flagship: Google Pixel 5 ($699 at Amazon)
Penultimate Pixel: Google Pixel 4a 5G ($499 at the Google Store)

How to use the new Google Photos editing features: Manual controls

Once you receive the Google Photos app update, editing your photos (whether you just took them or they are already in your archive) is easier than ever. All you need to do is tap on the photo that you want to edit, and you will see quick access to manual editin…

If you’ve ever wondered how to adjust the Always On Display (AOD) on your Samsung Galaxy phone, we’re here to help! The AOD feature is such a convenience because it lets you see important things like the time, temperature, calendar appointments, and even music at just a glance. Better still, Samsung allows you to customize how you want to enable the AOD, what color you want it to be, and even if you want to add your own images or GIFs to it. Let’s dive in to learn how to get started.

Products used in this guide

Best Galaxy phone for your money: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE ($700 at Amazon)

How to adjust the Always-On Display on your Samsung Galaxy S or Note phone

Swipe down to access the Settings menu, or open the Settings app from your app drawer.
Scroll down and tap on Lock Screen.

Tap to toggle on the Always On Display feature.
Tap the Tap to show link underneath.

From this screen, you can change your Always On Display to come on when you tap it, have it always on, or show on …

Pictured: New Echo Dots with previous-generation Dot for size comparison.

Amazon rounds out its mini smart speaker lineup.

Everyone who knows me or has read my work here on Android Central knows that I’m a big fan of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers and its Alexa voice assistant, so it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to review the new Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) and Echo Dot (4th Gen). That being said, aside from the new spherical shape introduced first with the larger Amazon Echo (4th Gen), I didn’t think there would be all that much to get excited about. Well, after spending several days with the two newest Echo Dots, I can admit that I was wrong; these things are fantastic!

We’re now on the fourth generation of Echo Dot devices, and each has improved pretty dramatically over the previous version (though the jump from Gen 1 to Gen 2 wasn’t huge). I should know; I have at least one of each generation of Echo Dot in my home right now, and they all still work per…

With a name like Max, it has to do better.

You may have missed Amazon’s announcement of the new Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) a few weeks ago in the madness that is Tech-tober, itself coming amidst the craziness that is 2020. With all the new products that have been dropped on us by the likes of Google, Samsung, and OnePlus these past few weeks, you’d certainly be forgiven for missing this one product launch among the many others. But I think that the forthcoming Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) is not only an intriguing new product for Amazon, it’s also an opportunity for Google’s Nest brand to strike back in a bigger and better way with the next generation of the Nest Hub Max.

You could say Google should max-imize this opportunity.

Listen, I’m a sucker for a good smart speaker. I’ve got no fewer than 14 of them, both Amazon and Google/Nest, scattered around my modest suburban home. It sounds like I have a problem (I might), but I also write about these things for a living, so it’s not that w…

Amazon first introduced Alexa to us through its original Echo smart speaker in late 2014. To this day, if you’re looking for the best Alexa speaker, you’re probably going to look first at the company’s Echo line of smart speakers. In fact, Amazon recently announced updates to its entire Echo product line, and we will be covering and reviewing each of these new speakers shortly. There are also many great Alexa-enabled speakers are made by other companies such as Bose, Sonos, and Ultimate Ears that you may wish to consider. This guide will help you make the best purchase decision as you consider what the best Alexa speaker for your household is.

Best Alexa Speaker from Amazon

Amazon Echo (3rd Gen) — _Best Overall Alexa Speaker: The third iteration of the original Echo has a fuller sound signature and updated styling at an affordable price point.
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) — Best Value Alexa Speaker: The best bang-for-your-buck Echo.
Amazon Echo Show 8 — Best Smart Screen Alexa S…

Amazon Fire TV Cube (2019)

Swiss army box

$120 at Amazon

Pros

Hexa-core processor for a faster Fire
New usability features like Local Voice Control
Serves as an Echo speaker when TV is off
Hands-free or voice remote Alexa controls

Cons

Some may not like the shape of the box
A little on the expensive side

The Fire TV Cube has upgraded internals from last year’s device for increased speed and performance. What is particularly great about this device is that it can function as a traditional Echo smart speaker when the TV is off. True multifunctionality!

Roku Ultra (2020)

Streaming super saver

$100 at Best Buy

Pros

Cheaper than Fire TV Cube
Built-in headphone jack for “night listening”
Lost remote finder
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant

Cons

Voice control not as good as Fire TV Cube
You can get a lot of the same features in one of Roku’s cheaper sticks

The Roku Ultra remains one of the best values in streaming devices. In addition to great specs and…

New Show in Town

Echo Show 8

$105 at Amazon

Pros

The Goldilocks of Echo Show devices
Disable camera and mics with one switch/cover
Significantly cheaper than larger Echo Show (2nd Gen)
Uses “Certified with Humans”

Cons

Can’t adjust viewing angles without a stand
No Dolby processing built-in

Fast on the heels of the popular Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8 fits right in the middle of this expanding product line. It brings a higher resolution screen than the Echo Show 5 and welcomes more media integrations like an exclusive partnership with the Food Network.

Show Me More

Echo Show (2nd Gen)

$230 at Amazon

Pros

Stunning display
Available with a free Echo Flex and smart bulb
Dolby processing built-in
Zigbee smart hub built-in

Cons

Most expensive Echo device
No physical camera cover
Might be too big for some

With its softened corners and fabric covering, the Echo Show (2nd Gen) marked a significant design shift for the Echo line. Its large HD display and Alexa…

Twitter is borked at the moment.

Update 7 PM EST Twitter has come back online for most users.

What you need to know

Users in parts of the U.S., Europe, and Japan are experiencing significant Twitter outages.
The outages have been intermittant since at least 4pm EST.
No word yet on the cause or when things will be back to normal.

Twitter is down for many users in the U.S., parts of Europe, and the far east in countries like Japan. The outage seems to have started sometime after 4 PM EST, and service has been on and off for many users since that time. Twitter users on the web and mobile can not see their timeline or recent tweets.

We don’t have an explanation as to why the microblog is down at the moment, but we’ll be following the situation and updating this story accoringly as the evening progresses.

Update, October 15 (7:00 pm EST) — Twitter service has been restored

According to several other news outlets including The Verge, there is no evidence of any security or dat…

The world may be burning, but everything is awesome this coming Life Day!

What you need to know

Disney+ dropped a teaser on Twitter for the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special.
The animated original special is set to debut on Disney+ starting November 17, 2020.
The original Star Wars Holiday Special aired on CBS in 1978.

Disney+ dropped a proton torpedo on us via Twitter today when it announced that it is reviving the notorious 1978 classic Star Wars Holiday Special with the help of its partners at LEGO. The teaser image pokes fun at Star Wars lore and features a gift-wrapped LEGO hand with the caption, “To: Luke, From: Your Father.”

This Life Day is extra special. The LEGO @StarWars Holiday Special is streaming Nov. 17 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/zjL3glpRsi— Disney+ (@disneyplus) October 15, 2020

While this new special gets its name and will draw inspiration from the original Star Wars Holiday Special, Disney and LEGO will update it with the newer batch of characters such …