Google

Android bug exposed COVID-19 contact tracing logs to preinstalled apps

The Android version of Google and Apple’s COVID-19 exposure notification app had a privacy flaw that let other preinstalled apps potentially see sensitive data, including if someone had been in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, privacy analysis firm AppCensus revealed on Tuesday. Google says it’s currently rolling out a fix to… Read more

Spotify launches podcast subscriptions, but you can’t subscribe in-app

For the first time, Spotify is letting podcasters on its platform offer subscriptions to their shows. The company announced its paid podcast subscription product for the US today, which will initially allow select partners who host their shows on Anchor to charge for content. Twelve independent shows, including Tiny Leaps, Big Changes and Mindful in… Read more

HDR10+ support expands to Chromecast, Roku and Paramount+

Home News (Image credit: HDR10+) Google, Roku and Paramount+ have announced support for HDR10+, the dynamic HDR video format developed by Samsung. Google expects to use HDR10+ with its Chromecast devices, while Roku has already enabled HDR10+ on its new Roku Express 4K+, Express 4K and Roku Ultra (2020) products. Paramount+ (a new US video… Read more

ADT sues Ring over ‘virtually indistinguishable’ blue octagon design

Home security company ADT is suing Amazon subsidiary Ring, claiming its recent designs are a “brazen” copy of ADT’s octagonal blue symbol. The firm cites Ring’s blue octagonal outdoor siren as a recent example. In the filing, ADT lists a dozen of its trademark registrations dating back to the late 90s that feature a combination… Read more

Google Pixel 4 vs Pixel 4 XL: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – The Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL were announced in October 2019, succeeded by the Google Pixel 5 in September 2021. There’s also the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 4a 5G to consider. If you’re choosing between the Pixel 4 and 4 XL and you want to know which might be the right… Read more

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G review: Chic and unique

(Pocket-lint) – The Xiaomi Mi 11 range spans a significant spectrum from top-tier flagship, in the Mi 11 Ultra, to the standard Mi 11, down to the more entry level – which is where this, the Mi 11 Lite 5G, finds itself. Despite plonking ‘Lite’ into its name, however, the Mi 11 Lite 5G really… Read more

Mobee-K’s new smart USB-C headphones come preloaded with Deezer

Home News (Image credit: Deezer) For years, it’s been customary for video streaming services to come built into TVs, but this is the first time we’ve seen a music streaming service built into a pair of headphones. The Mobee-K Smart Earphones side load Deezer onto compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphones like the S21, Note 20 Ultra… Read more

Facebook is building its own in-app podcast player

Facebook is building its own in-app podcast player, the company confirmed today. This will be separate from its new in-app Spotify player. Podcasters will be able to distribute their shows through their Facebook page and will opt into doing so. The exact product details are still unclear. It’s possible this will operate through RSS or… Read more

Apple announces new $1 billion North Carolina campus and $80 billion additional US spending

Apple has announced new spending plans for the US, including the establishment of a 3,000-employee “campus and engineering hub” in North Carolina and the commitment of an additional $80 billion in investment across the country. Back in 2018, the firm said it would spend more than $350 billion in the US over the next five… Read more

These USB-C earbuds are a trojan horse for Deezer

As part of a new partnership, Deezer will be available “pre-installed” on a new pair of USB-C earbuds from Mobee-K when they’re used with select Samsung Galaxy devices. Plugging the headphones into phones like the Galaxy S21, Note 20, or Z Flip effectively side-loads the music streaming service, without you having to visit the Google… Read more

Pixel 5A camera sample leaks, hints at similar specs to the Pixel 5

Google seems to have accidentally shared a photo sample from its upcoming Pixel 5A, giving us some hints about what to expect from the barely announced device. The photo appeared in an album posted alongside a blog post about Google’s HDR+ Bracketing technology, which aims to reduce noise in HDR photos (via Android Police). The… Read more

How to Use a Minidump File to Fix Your Windows BSOD

Home News (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) It finally happened. Out of the blue, you’re enjoying a game, watching a movie, or just reading on the internet, when your operating system decides it doesn’t want to cooperate and suddenly you’re facing down a BSOD or Blue Screen of Death. A BSOD is something that no Windows… Read more

Oscars 2021: how to watch the Academy Awards online

The 93rd Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) will broadcast tonight, April 25th. This ceremony will recognize the films and their associated talent in a particularly strange and difficult year for the industry, which has been forced to adapt to some big changes during the pandemic. Cinemas weren’t where most people saw newly-released movies…. Read more

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G review: a midrange phone that will last

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. If a $100 budget phone is the fast-food dollar menu and a $1,000 flagship is a steakhouse dinner, then the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G sits comfortably halfway between the two: the laid-back all-day cafe with surprisingly tasty… Read more

Flip it Off: How to Build a Website Blocker Switch with Raspberry Pi

Home News (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) If you’re like me, you spend a little too much time on a few websites, particularly social media sites. Try as you might to avoid them, you find yourself unconsciously typing in Facebook, Reddit, or something else into your search bar. There are a ton of browser extensions, desktop… Read more