Google now bundles 3 months of free Disney+ on new Chromebooks
Google is offering 3 months of complimentary Disney+ subscription with every new Chromebook purchase. The offer was silently added to a long-running list of Chrome OS freebies and is available for buyers who activate a new Chromebook between November 25 and January 31, 2020.
Instagram wants to be both YouTube and TikTok, but it’s succeeding at neither
Instagram's dismissal of the IGTV button on its main app signals the video platform's growing troubles as competitors like TikTok continue to rise. IGTV, while trying to take on both TikTok and YouTube, has evolved into a confusing offering and pushed users to look elsewhere for their vertical content.
Mozilla Firefox’s new add-on lets you surf the web with your voice
Mozilla has released an experimental, new add-on that lets you surf the web with just your voice. Called Firefox Voice, it’s capable of recognizing natural-language speech and can perform a wide range of tasks hands-free liking firing up websites and executing browser-related actions.
Samsung’s new $499 rugged smartphone is built like a tank for tough environments
After accidentally leaking it on its Finnish website, Samsung has gone official with its latest rugged smartphone. Called the Galaxy XCover Pro, the phone is built like a tank and is intended for workers in rugged work environments. It will go on sale for $499 in the United States sometime in the first half of 2020.
The coolest things LG showed off at CES 2020: Roll-up TVs, smart doors, and A.I.
From doors of the future to an indoor garden that plugs inside refrigerators, LG came loaded to CES 2020 with a banquet of whizzy appliances that offer a look inside its vision for the next year. Here’s our roundup of all the coolest things LG has announced at CES 2020.
TikTok vulnerability could have allowed hackers to take over users’ profiles
Security research firm, Check Point says it found multiple severe loopholes within short-form video app, TikTok that could have potentially allowed hackers to take over users’ accounts, access their private data, and upload videos on their behalf. The vulnerabilities have now been patched.
Samsung says the Galaxy Home Mini will launch sometime in early 2020
While Samsung’s first smart speaker, the Galaxy Home continues to miss timelines, the manufacturer’s chief executive officer of its consumer electronics division, Hyunsuk Kim, has confirmed that it plans to launch the more affordable and smaller Galaxy Home Mini sometime in early 2020.
Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Facebook says it’s banning deepfakes
Two days before Facebook is set to appear at a House Energy and Commerce hearing, the social network has announced it’s banning all forms of deepfakes. However, the policy doesn’t come into effect for parodies, satire, or clips that have been edited solely to omit or change the order of words.
Here’s yet another reason to be worried about your smart home camera
Google has cut off Xiaomi security cameras’ Nest and Assistant integration after a user was inadvertently shown feed images from strangers’ homes. The issue was first spotted by a Reddit user who, when tried to stream his camera’s feed on a Nest Hub, saw stills from random people’s homes.
Big Tech and Big Talk: Did tech giants deliver on any of their promises in 2019?
Big Tech made a lot of promises and commitments in 2019 regarding sustainability, data privacy, and other fundamental concerns plaguing the industry. But as the year progressed, companies like Apple and Google began contradicting their words. As we reach 2019's end, most of those promises have fallen apart.
TikTok owner Bytedance aims to launch a music-streaming app before year’s end
A new report Bytedance will announce a new music streaming app next month in a bunch of countries including India, Brazil, and Indonesia. The subscription will likely be paid, however, it will be priced competitively, and may undercut incumbents such as Spotify and Amazon Music.
Is 2020 going to be a make-or-break year for Google hardware?
Google's hardware wing didn't have a particularly pleasant 2019. Its phones weren't selling all that well, Google Home shipments dipped, it pulled the plug on tablets, and more. As rical companies extend their lead, 2020 could be Google's one last shot at being a successful hardware maker.
Google gets tough with Turkey, suspends Android services amid regulations fight
Google is pulling out all the stops to overturn an anticompetitive watchdog’s ruling in Turkey. Weeks after a local competition board declared that Google exercises an unfair advantage for pushing its own search engine, it has informed partners that it’s suspending Android services in Turkey.
Ringtones become smarter with the new alarm feature for the Lenovo Alarm Clock
Google has today announced a new update for the Assistant-powered Lenovo Smart Clock that brings smart and contextual alarm ringtones. Called Impromptu, the new feature takes into account factors such as the time and weather and automatically switches to an alarm tune that best fits the scenario.
This could be our first look at an upcoming midrange OnePlus phone
OnePlus might be gearing up to return to the midrange phone market next year. A new report offers the first look at a supposed OnePlus 8 Lite, a relatively affordable option in the company’s forthcoming OnePlus 8 line of phones. The renders reveal a familiar all-glass exterior and dual rear camera setup.
You can now set your notes app of choice as the default on Google Assistant
At long last and after several weeks in beta, Google is rolling out Google Assistant’s third-party notes and lists app integration. Originally announced last year at the Google I/O event, the new feature lets you directly plug in your notes and lists app of choice to the Google Assistant.
Amazon introduces a portable, battery-powered Echo smart speaker in India
Amazon has introduced the first portable, Echo-branded smart speaker in India. Called the Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker Edition, it functions like any other Echo device, with the exception of a 4,800mAh battery, which means it doesn’t have to be constantly plugged in.
YouTube was (yet again) the most downloaded iPhone app in 2019
Apple has released its annual list of what it believes were the year’s best apps and games across iOS, macOS, and tvOS and the trends which dominated their app stores. On top of that, the company revealed the apps and games that bagged the highest number of downloads over the course of the past year.
Call of Duty: Mobile is Google’s Android game of the year
Google has announced its Best of Play annual winners. The list highlights apps and games that Google thinks represented the best of Android over the past year and also includes a User’s Choice section which reveals the results of the polls Google has been running for the last couple of weeks.
You will soon be able to migrate your Facebook photos and videos to Google Photos
Facebook will soon let you easily migrate your photos and videos to other services like Google Photos. In a blog post, the social network said it’s rolling out a new tool in Ireland that allows you to transfer your Facebook media without having to manually download and upload it someplace else.