android, app, asus, aws, huawei, google, phone

Google’s cranking Android up to 11.

Last year’s Android 10 update was a big shift for the operating system. Not only did we get the long-awaited dark mode and important changes to app permissions, Android 10 also marked Google’s departure from dessert names and ushered in a new Android logo/brand.

Android 10 was a year of growth and maturity for the operating system, and those same principles are being carried over to Android 11. We’re still a few months out from the final build being available for everyone, but with a developer preview now out in the wild, we have a good idea of where Google wants to take Android in 2020.

Ready to learn all about what Android 11 is packing? Here’s everything you need to know!

Developer Preview 3 is out
Tons of messaging improvements
Permissions keep getting better
We have a built-in screen recorder
Adapting Android to different displays
5G is a big focus
You can flash it right now
The final build is coming in Q3
The Pixel 4 is first-in-line f…

This sure beats downloading tools and running a command line.

Getting early Developer Preview software on your Pixel has always been a bit of a task, requiring downloads and some knowledge of how a command line works. But now Google has a new tool you can run right in your computer’s web browser to flash Android 11 on your Pixel. All you need is a USB cable and a little time on your hands, and you can be up and running in several minutes. Here’s how you get it done.

Getting your phone ready to flash

The Android Flash Tool supports flashing Android 11 onto the Pixel 2, 2 XL, 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4 and 4 XL.

Before you can plug in and flash, you have to have your phone set up to accept the commands and software from the phone. This requires enabling developer settings, USB debugging and OEM unlocking.

Go to your Settings and scroll down to System and tap About Phone.
Tap on the Build number seven times until a dialog box says “you are now a developer.”
Go back to the System menu a…

There are plenty of well-known benefits of having an Amazon Prime membership, from free two-day shipping to Prime Video access, but one you may not have heard about before is the Amazon First Reads program. Every month in 2020, Amazon’s publishing editors will choose a handful of yet-to-be-released books from various genres and make them exclusively available to Amazon customers before anyone else!

Prime members get the best end of the bargain here, as they can add any one of the books to their Kindle e-book library each month free of charge. If you’re not a Prime member, you can still snag the book of your choice though it’ll cost you $1.99.

You can even start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime to snag one of these books for free; plus, that’ll make your account eligible for all the rest of Prime’s exclusive benefits for members.

As with all Kindle e-books, Amazon First Reads can be read on your Kindle e-reader or using the free Kindle app that’s available on devices like smartp…

Without Google, Huawei has to try its hand at the next best thing.

What you need to know

HERE WeGo is now in the Huawei AppGallery.
The mapping app will serve as an alternative for Google Maps on Huawei’s growing platform.
Huawei remains unable to use any of Google’s apps and services on its devices.

Huawei’s AppGallery now has its first big navigation app with the addition of the HERE WeGo mapping app. The app recently made its way to Huawei’s AppGallery and will fill in a functionality gap left by the absence of more conventionally popular mapping apps. For buyers who want to use Huawei’s newer products like the P40 P40 Pro or Mate 30 Pro, the presence of something like HERE WeGo makes the hardware-excellent but software-deficient handsets more useful.

Once praised as a credible Google Maps competitor while exclusive to Windows-powered phones in the past, the formerly Nokia-owned HERE didn’t quite pick up as much steam on Android thanks to the 800-pound Google Maps gorilla in…

Take back that Ring after you break up.

At Android Central, we are all about affordable and effective do-it-yourself home automation and security devices, and one of the most popular brands in this category is, of course, Ring. You may have enthusiastically jumped on board the Ring train previously, but are now a bit put off by their recent privacy scandals. Or, perhaps you just want to move to another platform like Nest or Eufy.

Whatever the reason, deleting your Ring account is actually pretty easy, if you can find the right page on their website. Thankfully, we did the legwork for you, so now all you have to do is follow the steps below, and you’ll be rid of your Ring!

How to delete your Ring account

Type in ring.com in your web browser.
Click on the Login link in the top right corner.

Enter in your login information and click Sign In.

Visit the Data Requests page by typing in ring.com/account/datarequests into your browser.
Read the disclaimers.
Click on the blue Delete …

Who’s ready for another round of behind-the-scenes fixes?

What you need to know

Android 11 Developer Preview 3 is rolling out now.
This is a very minor update, focusing mainly on bug fixes and other improvements.
Once again, Google doesn’t intend for this to be used on daily drivers.

Android 11 is one step closer to its final form. On April 23, Google announced Android 11 Developer Preview 3, which is the final developer-focused launch before the public beta is opened up in May.

Being the final preview for developers, DP3 doesn’t have a lot of user-facing changes or features that are particularly noteworthy. That said, there are a few things worth talking about.

One of the main additions in DP3 is an update to app exit reasons. Apps get closed or exited out for a bunch of different reasons, and with the exit reasons API, developers can get more details on recent exits from an app and why they happened. This preview updates the API based on developer feedback, which should make…

Samsung made the update generally available to the S10 series almost two months ago.

What you need to know

T-Mobile users are finally getting their taste of One UI 2.1.
First released back in April for the S10 series, the update brings many of the S20 series features to Samsung’s previous generation of flagships.
New features include Single Take, Night Hyperlase, Custom Filter, and more.

Nearly two months after Samsung released the latest version of its custom skin in the U.S., the magenta carrier is finally getting onboard the One UI 2.1 train for the Galaxy S10 series. As TmoNews notes, the Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10e have all started receiving the update.

Alongside a whole host of features, the update also ups the phone’s security patch to April 2020. The most significant of these changes is the trickle down of various Galaxy S20 camera features to the Korean giant’s last generation flagships. For stills, this includes Single Take, an improved Night Mode (including Night Hyp…

Wearing a smartwatch is supposed to be an all-day, all-night affair, and that includes while working from home. Being in your humble abode also means you can take breaks for meals or get a quick chore done. If you leave your phone behind in your home office space, your wrist can tell you what you need to know. Whether it’s a quick call you can take through Bluetooth headphones or knowing just how sedentary you’ve become, a smartwatch can be a helpful tool.

Keep in touch

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Staff Pick

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the closest you can find to a smartwatch that straddles the line enough toward sustained productivity. Notifications for incoming messages are actionable when you have your phone within range. It won’t fully integrate all messaging and email apps you use, but it’s still good enough to keep you apprised.

$249 at Amazon$250 at Best Buy

Get up and move

Fitbit Versa 2

While every smartwatch can get you moving, the Fitbit Versa …

Traditional and timeless

Samsung Galaxy Watch

$259 at Amazon

Pros

LTE capability
Two size options
GPS, NFC, HRM
Rotating bezel
Good battery life

Cons

A bit rugged for some wrists
Notification support could be better

Prefer a more traditional watch with a rotating bezel and all? The Samsung Galaxy Watch was made for you. It comes in two large sizes with a colorful screen, big battery, and impressive health/fitness tracking perks. It’s gigantic, though, which may be a turn off for those who need something lightweight for their workouts.

Modern masterpiece

Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle

$295 at Amazon

Pros

Attractive design
GPS, HRM, NFC
Google Assistant
Music storage
New Snapdragon Wear 3100

Cons

Short battery life
Difficult to read in sunlight
No LTE

If you like to stay up to date with your smartwatch selection, you might prefer a newer device like the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle. You can have it all with the Carlyle, too. It doesn’t have LTE but still comes with plent…

With Amazon Prime Day not set to occur until late June and Black Friday a long ways off, Memorial Day is the next big sales event we’ll see for the next few months. That means you’ll want to be fully prepared and ready to shop when that day comes, and our guide below is designed to help you do just that.

Memorial Day may not be here until May 25, but retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot are already getting shoppers ready and unveiling deals to watch for once the big day arrives. From home appliances and patio furniture to electronics, mattresses, and more, you might just get lost in all the discounts being offered on Memorial Day. Luckily, we’ll be compiling each of the best offers in our list below so you can keep track of all the price drops on products worth buying, so be sure to check back as more deals are added.

Best Memorial Day 2020 Deals

Amazon: appliances and home items
Apple: iPhone trade-in offer
Best Buy: TVs, PCs, appliances, more
Dell: PCs, monito…