Articles by Joe Maring

Best answer: Google Meet and Zoom are both very secure video chatting apps, with each service offering encryption and other security measures to ensure your data is protected. Neither one is perfect or overwhelmingly better than the other, however, with each having its own pros and cons.

Right in your browser: Google Meet (Free w/ paid plans at Google)
Everyone’s using it: Zoom (Free w/ paid plans at Zoom)

Google Meet has plenty of security measures in place

With a lot of people using video chatting apps more than ever before, it’s important to use ones that take your privacy and security seriously — especially when you’re using it for work. In this regard, Google Meet has a lot to like.

All data for Meet calls is encrypted between you and Google’s servers when joining a video meeting from your web browser or one of the official Google Meet mobile apps. If you join a call from your phone, Google notes that “the audio uses the telephone carrier’s network and might not be encry…

120Hz displays are in, the headphone jack is out.

Every year sees a heap of various Android phones released into the market. Some are good, some are bad. Some are really exciting, whereas others are a bit boring. Among all of the handsets to come out during a given year, one release that’s continually met with a lot of excitement and fanfare is Samsung’s Galaxy S series.

One could argue that Galaxy S phones aren’t always the most interesting, but there’s no denying how much more attention they get compared to much of the competition.

For 2020, Samsung is launching a trio of phones with the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. These are very technically impressive gadgets with high prices to match, and if you can afford what Samsung is asking for the phones, they’re bound to be some of the best the Android landscape sees all year.

From hands-on coverage, detailed specs, accessory recommendations, and so much more, here’s absolutely everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy …

The update should be available for everyone by mid-May.

What you need to know

Motorola has finally announced its Android 10 update for the Motorola RAZR.
It adds more functionality to the secondary display, My UX, and other features.
Android 10 will be available for everyone by mid-May.

Leading up to the launch of the Motorola RAZR earlier this year, there was a lot of hype for Moto’s nostalgia-filled foldable. Upon the device’s launch, however, that excitement quickly turned to frustration as users grappled with its questionable durability, disappointing cameras, and the fact that it shipped with Android 9 Pie in the year 2020.

One of those issues is finally being addressed, with Motorola announcing its official rollout of Android 10 for the phone. MrMobile himself was able to get an exclusive look at the update, which you can see in video form above. If you prefer reading over watching, however, here’s a quick rundown of what to expect.

All of the usual Android 10 goodie…

Sit down and get comfy — we’ve got a lot to talk about.

Starting in 2016, the Fall season has become one of the most exciting times in the Android space. Sure, Samsung, OnePlus, and other companies are usually down with their announcements at this point in the year, but come mid-October, that’s when Google gets to show off its latest and greatest flagships.

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL were the big stars for 2019, and they’re both packing a serious punch.

Google’s offering a lot of new tech with the Pixel 4 series, including things like dual rear cameras, 90Hz displays, and its Soli radar system for the first time. These are some of the biggest upgrades we’ve ever seen for the Pixel lineup, and as such, we have a lot to talk about.

Check out our full review
There are two models —4 and 4 XL
Get familiar with the specs
Pitting the Pixel 4 against the competition
The 90Hz display is a big deal
Google joined the dual camera club
Let’s talk about Soli
There are three colors
We should men…

Let’s talk about one of 2020’s most anticipated smartphones.

Starting in 2016 with the release of the original Pixel, Google’s lineup of Android phones has been marketed towards people looking to buy premium, high-end flagships. That notion has continued to hold true, but in May 2019, Google decided to try something a bit different with the release of the Pixel 3a.

The Pixel 3a was the first mid-range Pixel phone to be released by the company, and it was an instant hit. Critics and consumers alike were immediately drawn to the 3a, thanks to its offering of great specs, solid build quality, and outstanding camera performance — all for less than $400.

We were absolutely smitten with the Pixel 3a here at AC, and now, the rumor mill is buzzing with information regarding its successor. From specs, design, features, and more, here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel 4a.

There may only be one model
The design is pretty interesting
Mid-range specs are expected
There looks …

Google Meet is great, but Zoom has a few key advantages.

Video conferencing apps have been an essential tool for a lot of companies for a while, but thanks to recent global events, they’ve exploded in popularity like never before.

There are numerous apps out there that you can use for video calling, two of the most popular being Zoom and Google Meet. These are apps focused on enterprise/business use, and each one has its own set of pros and cons.

We want to take a closer look at one of those apps, specifically, Zoom. Zoom has undoubtedly become the most talked-about app in this niche, with companies all over the world turning towards it as their digital meeting place of choice.

What makes Zoom so great? The service certainly isn’t perfect, but depending on where your needs lie, there are a lot of key advantages it has that make it so appealing. Here are six of our favorites.

Up to 500 people per call

Hands-down, one of the biggest reasons to use Zoom is if you have a lot of p…

Google’s Pixel 3a XL is a more affordable version of the excellent Pixel 3 XL that launched in October 2018. The Pixel 3a XL’s plastic design isn’t nearly as fragile as the regular Pixel 3 XL’s glass one, but picking up a case for it is still a swell idea. If you need some helping finding one you like, here’s a roundup of our favorites.

Old reliable

Spigen Rugged Armor

Staff pick

If you regularly read our case roundups, you’ll know that we’re big fans of the Spigen Rugged Armor. This case doesn’t look very flashy, but it nails the basics at a price you’ll love. It offers ample drop protection, is built well, and adds very little thickness to the 3a XL’s body. All-in-all, there’s not much to complain about.

$11 at Amazon
$13 at eBay

Thin, colorful, cheap

Anccer Colorful Series

Give your Pixel 3a XL some essential protection without compromising its design with the Anccer Colorful Series. This case features an ultra-thin 0.3mm design, comes in six gorgeous colors, and…

Smart TVs are plentiful, but finding ones that are powered by Android TV can be a chore — especially if you’re working with a smaller budget. Cheap Android TVs just aren’t that popular in the U.S., but if you do a bit of digging, you can still find some pretty great options. We’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up our top picks for the best cheap Android TVs available right now in 2020 — our favorite of which is the Hisense 55H8G Quantum Series.

Best Overall: Hisense 55H8G Quantum Series

The market for cheap Android TVs is more varied than you might think, but among everything out there, there’s one model that sticks out above everything else — the Hisense 55H8G Quantum Series. This is one of the newer Android TVs to hit the scene, and it packs quite a punch.

Starting first with the display, we’d recommend the 55-inch size, which strikes a nice balance of offering plenty of room for all of your content without being too much. Alternatively, it’s also available in …

This is a big step in the right direction.

What you need to know

All of Google’s chat/communication apps are now being led by one person.
Javier Soltero is now in charge of G Suite, Messages, Duo, and Google’s phone app.
There are currently no plans to merge any of the apps together.

To say that Google’s messaging/communication strategy is a mess would be quite the understatement. Google makes good services in these regards, but it just doesn’t seem to know what to do with any of them. Thankfully, it looks like some order and structure is finally coming.

On May 7, Javier Soltero (the Vice President and General Manager of G Suite) was appointed to lead the development of Messages, Duo, and Google’s phone app on Android. Seeing as how Soltero’s G Suite position also sees him being in charge of Google Meet and Google Chat (formerly Google Hangouts Chat), that means one person is now responsible for all of Google’s communication services.

What does all of this mean for the future …

This is a big step in the right direction.

What you need to know

All of Google’s chat/communication apps are now being led by one person.
Javier Soltero is now in charge of G Suite, Messages, Duo, and Google’s phone app.
There are currently no plans to merge any of the apps together.

To say that Google’s messaging/communication strategy is a mess would be quite the understatement. Google makes good services in these regards, but it just doesn’t seem to know what to do with any of them. Thankfully, it looks like some order and structure is finally coming.

On May 7, Javier Soltero (the Vice President and General Manager of G Suite) was appointed to lead the development of Messages, Duo, and Google’s phone app on Android. Seeing as how Soltero’s G Suite position also sees him being in charge of Google Meet and Google Chat (formerly Google Hangouts Chat), that means one person is now responsible for all of Google’s communication services.

What does all of this mean for the future …