android

Google is set to release its first foldable smartphone dubbed the "Pixel Fold" scheduled for May 10th. According to reports, Google has been working on a foldable phone for years. The Pixel Fold is expected to take the form of a book-style foldable ... with two screens, resembling the squarish shape of Oppo's foldable phone, the Find N. Pixel Fold: Camera According to 9to5Google, the Pixel Fold will have two front-facing 8-megapixel lenses, one presumably on the cover and one for the interiors, as well as a 12-megapixel rear camera. The main sensor is expected to be a step down from the Pixel 6 ... (view more)

A recent report from StatCounter (March, 2023) suggests that Windows 11 is running on one out of every five Windows PCs (approximately 20 percent). Windows 11 has experienced a steady growth rate, increasing its market share from 19.13% to 20.94%, ... gaining 1.81 percentage points in March, 2023. While Windows 10 also saw an increase, it was not as significant as in February 2023 when Microsoft stopped support for Windows 7 and 8.1. Despite the increase in Windows 10's market share, Windows 11's growth rate indicates that users are more interested in the newer operating system. These numbers may ... (view more)

The next version of Android may make it much harder to install and run apps from third party sources. The change will mainly affect older apps that haven't been updated in some time. Unlike with Apple's iPhones, Android handsets aren't restricted to ... apps from the official App Store. Users may either use other app stores (other than the Google Play Store), or download and manually install apps from the web in a process known as "sideloading." Doing this doesn't require any "hacking" of the device, though users do have to change the phone's settings and confirm they understand the ... (view more)

Apple has previously been accused of "dirty tricks" against Android users when it comes to the iMessaging app. Now, one critic says Apple's choice of colors may be deliberate to make Android messages harder to read. The dispute involves the way ... iPhones display chat messages that are sent over the Internet, rather than through SMS messaging that uses cellular data networks. This was originally an iPhone only feature, but from 2016, Apple allowed Android users to use it via the official iMessage app. During testing, Apple engineers added a green background to messages sent from ... (view more)

Smartphone and tablet manufacturers may be forced to offer updates and security fixes for longer. It's part of a European plan to reduce the need for users to get rid of old devices so often. The proposals would also mean manufacturers making parts ... available for independent repairers and making batteries either long-lasting or replaceable. The move could bring benefits to device buyers around the world. However, analysts also fear it could mean an end to cheap handsets, even if they are a false economy. The proposals come in a draft law in the European Union. They are now out for public ... (view more)

Android phones could help make weather forecasts more accurate under a new project. The problem is its hard to see much incentive for people to take part. Although some high-end smartphones have sensors for temperature or air pressures, they aren't ... needed for this project. Instead its all about the signal strength and satellite navigation data. The project, dubbed Camaliot, is the work of the European Space Agency, though it's looking for participants from all over the world as this will make the results more useful. (Source: androidpolice.com ) Water Vapor The Key The idea is to collect data ... (view more)

Details of the first major update to Windows 11 are coming to light through testing programs. It's mainly about adding features that were expected but missing from the original release, some of which will be more welcome than others. Despite the ... release of a new edition of Windows (rather than version 10 getting updated forever), Microsoft is sticking to its strategy of infrequent updates rather than constant tinkering. It's reportedly only going to add new features in bulk once a year, with the first such update expected this summer. We're now at the point where the earliest of those ... (view more)

Google has solved all the world's tech problems, tackled world peace, reversed climate change, and is now dangerously bored. At least that's the only rational explanation why it is now arguing with Apple on Twitter about the color that appears ... behind text in messages. The ridiculous row is about the iMessage feature on iPhones that lets users send messages free of charge over the Internet rather than through SMS text messaging. Originally only iPhone users could send messages on the service but in 2016, Apple extended it to Android devices through a Google Play Store app. Apple originally ... (view more)

The latest version of Android adds several new privacy features. However, users may need to make some manual tweaks to take full advantage. The changes come in Android 12 which is rolling out to newer phones at the moment. Older models will either ... get it later on or will never be able to get it, depending on the manufacturer. The biggest change is more information about the permissions system. That's the set-up by which users don't have to give an app complete access to the hardware and software on their system. Instead they can individually grant or restrict individual permissions, each of ... (view more)

Using the average phone a year longer would have the same environmental impact as taking 636,000 cars off the road each year according to campaigners. It's a claim that's sparked calls to end the habit of manufacturers to produce a new model every ... year. The calls come in the run-up to a major climate change conference, but remains unclear what incentive gadget-makers have to respond. The 636,000 cars figure comes from the Public Interest Research Group, whose campaigns include giving consumers a right to repair devices. It told The Register that an average of 416,000 US cellphones are ditched ... (view more)