Popular phone apps that receive regular updates often emphasize compatibility with the very latest big-name phones, like the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S9. But, that march toward the newest hardware can sometimes leave older phones out in the cold, struggling to run apps that demand ever-more-powerful processors, more RAM and more storage space. Microsoft …
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Google’s messaging app for groups — Hangouts Chat — used to be only for people in the company’s early adopter program. But this week, Google is releasing it to any corporate customer who wants to use it. Hangouts Chat lets co-workers, or any group of people, message each other in dedicated chat rooms. People can also share files, photos and …
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Our first take of the Google Clips, the newest self-proclaimed automatic camera that promises to be there for the moments you might miss, struck a chord with me. The device is the latest camera designed to surreptitiously record things in your life — to remember in case you don’t. I get the attraction of having that handled digitally, because I …
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Google is firming up a tool that should help programmers bridge the divide between Android phones and iPhones. It’s hard to write software that matches the appearance of both Apple’s iOS software and Google’s Android operating system, which is one reason developers often hire separate teams to create two versions of the same product. Google, though, is finishing up a …
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Apple and Google are fierce competitors when it comes to phones, digital assistants and map apps. But they get along quite amicably when it comes to Apple’s iCloud service. In its latest iOS Security document, a detailed explanation of the technology choices it makes to keep you from getting hacked, Apple disclosed it’s using Google’s cloud-computing infrastructure to store iCloud data …
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At the year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, PC maker Lenovo showed off a handful of two-in-one PCs, some with new smart assistant software and game-ready graphics. The Yoga 730 is the latest laptop to add Alexa, Amazon’s smart assistant. At CES 2018, we saw Alexa announced for select ThinkPad laptops, but those were aimed at business users. The Yoga …
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For the last several hours, my Samsung media badge was, well, a plain media badge: a rectangular piece of cardboard with rounded edges connected to a plastic clip and lanyard that hung around my neck, like so many press credentials I’ve collected over the years. A digital rendering of the Galaxy S9, courtesy of my media badge. Roger Cheng/CNET Its …
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If phones are becoming predictable, maybe it’s the accessories that go with them that can be bold. The latest case in point is Samsung’s new DeX Pad — launched today alongside the company’s new 2018 flagship phones, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. It’s a second-generation docking station designed to convert those new phones into PC-style workstations in corporate environments. I …
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Last February, the once-great Nokia and BlackBerry brands each hoped to stage a triumphant return at the world’s largest phone show. A year on, we’re still waiting for a knockout device that will put either one back in the international spotlight in a meaningful way. Despite the brands launching eight Android phones between them in the past year, it’s …
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One of the ways Windows Defender keeps your computer safe from internet evils is by employing its SmartScreen tool to keep you from downloading potentially harmful files or visiting malicious sites. On some occasions, however, you may find SmartScreen overstepping its bounds and blocking you from downloading a file you know to be safe. I don’t recommend turning SmartScreen off …
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