Latest from Android Central

There are concerns about Chinese investment in apps like TikTok.What you need to knowApple and Google have been asked about the disclosure mobile apps must provide regarding overseas ties.The chair of a U.S. congressional panel has written to both companies on the issue.Rep. Stephen Lynch cited recent press reports of national security risks over the data of U.S. Citizens.Chair of a U.S. congressional panel Rep. Stephen Lynch has written to Apple and Google regarding whether or not app developers are required to disclose overseas ties.As reported by Reuters, Lynch revealed his request in a statement on Friday. This follows concerns that have been raised about the use of data by apps that have ties or investment with overseas countries, in particular, China.In his statement he said: "Recent press reports have shed light on allegations that certain foreign companies and developers may be providing sensitive data on U.S. citizens via their mobile applications to their ...

A Darksiders experience from a new perspective.Darksiders Genesis is a top-down action game that takes you through a variety of levels. Unlike the interconnected nature of Diablo III, you teleport into various environments and are tasked with uncovering a number of secrets and defeating bosses. While the story is a little convoluted and hard to follow, the gameplay is sublime. The ability to freely move around the world and slay hordes of demons with two distinct characters feels incredible.Explore the worldDarksiders Genesis$40Bottom line: Darksiders Genesis is a great top-down action game despite some minor issues. Pros:Replayable levelsGreat visualsSatisfying combat Hilarious dialogue Cons:Short campaign Confusing story Confusing skill tree Slightly blurry on StadiaSee at StadiaDarksiders Genesis ...

Hand tracking doesn't do much at the moment.The Oculus Quest is a standalone virtual reality (VR) headset that doesn't require any cables to be connected to your PC. The device has received a number of new features in recent months, but hand tracking may be the most significant. Yesterday, Oculus updated the Quest software so that you can enable hand tracking as an Experimental Feature.Menu navigationYou can interact with the Oculus Quest menu from the Library to the Store. Just point at and pinch whatever you want to select. The same applies to fast-forwarding or rewinding trailers in the Oculus Store.Oculus servicesSelect apps like the Oculus Browser, Oculus TV, photo library, and more work with hand tracking as well. However, it's not perfect and deleting screenshots is cumbersome because you have to select minuscule trash can icons.We'll keep you updated as soon as more apps are updated to support hand tracking. Hopefully, games will be added too soon becaus...

Only official uploads to platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music will be counted.What you need to knowBillboard is changing how it determines the popularity of music on its charts.It announces this week that it will start including online music videos in its Billboard 200 rankings.However, the company noted that only 'official' views from established platforms would be tallied.The music landscape has changed significantly in the last decade, thanks to the disruption caused by tech and streaming companies in how we consume entertainment. As a result, Billboard says it's changing with the times and will start incorporating views of online music videos in its popularity rankings for albums. Notably, the Billboard 200 charts, which show the 200 most popular albums each week, will now include views from YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, and more."As the steward of the definitive charts that uphold the industry's measurement of music consumption, our goal is to continuall...

Hand tracking is finally here.The Oculus Quest is a standalone virtual reality (VR) headset that doesn't require any cables to be connected to your PC. The device has received a number of new features in recent months, but hand tracking may be the most significant. Yesterday, Oculus updated the Quest software so that you can enable hand tracking as an Experimental Feature.If you want to enable hand tracking on your Quest, just follow the instructions below.Go to SettingsTurn on your Quest and click on Settings in the menu bar towards the bottom of the screen. This should give you the option to See All of the settings.Check System VersionSelect the About tab and check if a software update is available. Make sure your Quest is running the latest software by confirming that the top right corner of the window says No Updates Available. If a software update is available, start installing it and plug in your headset to the bundled charger. Wait for it to update and go bac...

Plenty of moments to capture in the West.What you need to knowRed Dead Redemption 2 has a new update on PlayStation 4.This update adds several new bits of story content that were previously only in the PC version of the game.It also adds photo mode, allowing players to take special shots. Rockstar has released a new update for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PlayStation 4. This update adds several story mode enhancements that were previously only available on PC. It also adds photo mode to the game, letting players take unique shots with a free-form camera and apply different filters.Here's the full list of new content that's been added:Photo ModeStory Mode Bounty Hunter Missions: track down wanted criminals Herman Zizendorf, Camille de Millemont and Bart CavanaughStory Mode Gang Hideouts: Take on the deadly Del Lobos gang at Gaptooth Breach and Solomon's FollyStory Mode Treasure Maps: Landmarks of Riches and The Elemental Trail"To The Ends of The Earth" Story Mode Missio...

It's set to overtake UPS to become the largest shipping provider by 2022.What you need to knowMorgan Stanley estimates Amazon Logistics, the retail giant's in-house shipping solution, is now shipping 2.5 billion packages per year.That amounts to 50% of all its deliveries in the U.S.The investment bank also estimates that the company may overtake UPS to become the largest shipping service in the country by 2022.Amazon is rapidly expanding its shipping capabilities, with Morgan Stanley estimating that the company has more than doubled shipments in the U.S. in the last year alone (via CNBC). Its in-house shipping wing now accounts for nearly 50% of all Amazon deliveries in the country this year, up from just 20% last year. To truly understand the scope of Amazon's operation, here's another statistic: the investment bank estimates Amazon is currently shipping at a rate of 2.5 billion packages per year, compared to an estimated 4.7 billion and 3 billion packages per year for UPS...

Wi-Fi 6 was designed with the future of routers in mind. A router spends most of its time directing and managing network traffic to keep speeds high even with a ton of connections. As our homes get smarter, we have more connections than ever that need to check in consistently and reliably. Wi-Fi 6 then allows for more connections than ever and still manages to kick the speed up a notch. Wi-Fi 6 isn't just for enthusiasts anymore and even in mesh, there is an option for nearly anyone, although the Arris SURFboard mAX Plus Mesh is our top pick for people who want top speeds.Best Overall: Arris SURFboard mAX Plus Mesh AX7800Despite having a silly way of capitalizing letters, the Arris SURFboard mAX Plus Mesh is a serious set of Wi-Fi 6 routers with a fast backhaul for top speeds. Arris has some experience in networking and you may recognize the Arris name from many modems and routers provided by ISPs.Boasting support for AX7800 speeds, the Arris SURFboard series dedicates four d...

When Mando lets the guns talk, we listen. Here's every time someone dies.Yes, this a list of every kill in The Mandolorian, but first we created some ground rules. Victims who are punched or shocked are not confirmed kills. If someone gets shot and doesn't get back up, we assume they were killed, since the only shots we see that don't kill when they hit are blocked by beskar steel. Some offscreen kills are implied, so they count, as noted. Also when we say "pop" we specifically mean disintegrate, and those are our favorite kills. When you're ready to play along at home, here's a list of all the fun toys from The Mandalorian so you can look on disapprovingly, just like The Child/Baby Yoda.Chapter 1Total Kills: 3502:17: The Mandolorian (Mando) kills the Alpha Trawler with his own knife.02:30: A Quarren Trawler gets cut in half when Mando pulls him into a closing iris-shaped door.05:55: Guest star Brian Posehn's speeder pilot is taken into the ice by a Ravinak.29:39: IG-11 B...

Will Facebook be able to merge its platforms as intended?What you need to knowFacebook is seemingly under increasing governmental scrutiny over its control of three of the biggest chat platforms in existence.The Wall Street Journal reports the FTC is looking into the social media giant's plans to integrate the three platforms into one.The FTC may seek an injunction to stop the move, according to the report.Facebook has reportedly been hard at work at amalgamating its three chat platforms — Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram — since the start of the year. The company's toil may all have been for naught, however, if recent concerns by the FTC come to pass. The Wall Street Journal reports the federal agency has become increasingly more intrigued by the company's plans and may be looking to stop it in its tracks.While concerns about Facebook monopolizing online messaging are not unfounded, the fact that Facebook already owns WhatsApp and Instagram means an injunct...

The Samsung Gear Sport is a classic smartwatch that just so happens to focus on fitness. You can load it up with your favorite Spotify playlists, connect your Bluetooth headphones, and hit the trail for a run. Whether you're tired of wearing a gross sweaty band after a workout or you simply want some stylish options for throughout the week, we've rounded up the best bands for the Gear Sport!Perfectly comfortableANCOOL Silicone Watch BandStaff PickANCOOL makes soft silicone bands that are lightweight and comfortable to wear, which is perfect if you wear your Gear Sport on the daily. There are eight different colors and you can even stock up on a bright and colorful five-pack if you want options. This is ideal for those who love to coordinate their smartwatch with their outfit.$8 at AmazonGenuinely stylishBarton Leather Watch BandIf you came here in search of a stylish watch band, this is it. Barton offers these elegant-looking bands that are made with hand-cr...

You'll need to update both Google Messages and Carrier Services for the change to take effect.What you need to knowGoogle has finally completed the process of rolling out RCS to users in the U.S.The company is well ahead of its previous promise of broad availability by the end of the year.Updates to both Google Messages and the Carrier Services app may be required to enable the new chat experience.Earlier in the week, we reported on an update to the Carrier Services app that enabled RCS for Verizon users. As it turns out, the feature update applied to all remaining users in the U.S. who didn't have RCS yet, allowing Google to complete its rollout much earlier than its previous estimates. As Google's Communications Suite Lead Sanaz Ahari announced on Twitter:Hi everyone! RCS is now available to all users in US as of Monday. Make sure to update both Messages and Carrier Services.— Sanaz (@sanazahari) December 12, 2019While Ahari suggests updating Carrier Services ...

A surprisingly competitive offering.What you need to knowGoogle's YouTube Premium has found some success in India.The firm's growth rate outpaces that of local behemoths like Gaana Music.This has mostly been attributed to Google's YouTube Music service, which pulls in more paid users than rivals.Google's paid YouTube Music service is actually competitive in some regions. According to a report from Bloomberg, the service has outpaced Spotify and local services like Gaana Music in India and signed up over 800,000 subscribers in the region.To put the numbers in context, Gaana Music has over 125 million users overall and a bit more than 1 million users for its paid service. It has been around for a decade, launching in April 2010. YouTube Premium made its Indian debut in March.According to Bloomberg, YouTube Music drives the uptake of the paid Premium service. While services like Spotify allow users to play music in the background with the occasional ads, YouTube Music need...

One of the most important features of your smartphone is its storage. This is how you download your favorite apps, save all of your special photos, download music playlists for long road trips — you name it. The longer you hold onto your phone, the more likely it is you'll start to run out of space at some point down the road. Should you find yourself in this situation, here are a few tips on how to free up storage space on your Android phone.Products used in this guidePure Android: Google Pixel 4 XL ($879 at Amazon)Add more space: Samsung EVO Select 128GB microSD Card ($25 at Amazon)We're using a Google Pixel 4 XL running Android 10 for this guide. Some of the screenshots may not look 100% the same depending on what phone you have, but the core idea of everything should be the same.Check how much storage your phone hasFirst thing's first, we should take a look at how much space is left on your phone. It's a good idea to go through and clean stuff up every now and ...

Now, where's my pretty (Not) Pink version?What you need to knowPixelbook Go's most expensive configuration is now available for immediate purchase.The i7, 16GB/256GB configuration with the 4K screen can be bought at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google Store.It's only available in Just Black, as the Not Pink is still listed as Coming Soon.The Pixelbook Go is without a doubt one of the most powerful — and beautiful, to be honest — Chromebooks of 2019, but the feature that stood out to me the most was the option of a 4K screen, which you could only get on the most expensive, most powerful configuration with the i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That option wasn't available at launch, but now nearly two months after the initial launch, it's available now.Best of the bestGoogle Pixelbook Go 4K$1399 at Amazon$1399 at Google StoreWatch your movies in gorgeous 4K.This magnificent clamshell Chromebook is the perfect machine for those who like to wor...

Developers, speak out. Where is the software industry going next? The new Developer Economics survey Q4 2019 is now open to all developers around the world until January 17th. Every year, more than 40,000 developers from 165+ countries participate in the Developer Economics surveys to set new trends in software development. This is a chance for all developers to be part of something great and set the industry trends, opportunities, and challenges for 2019.What skills do you think are necessary for today's developers? Which popular dev tools, platforms, technologies, and frameworks do you enjoy using or you have tried but disliked or want to learn more about? Answers to such questions will help us discover what's missing in the industry.Answer a few questions about your favorite tools, languages, and frameworks, and you may win one of the awesome prizes up for grabs — including a Samsung Chromebook 3, Microsoft Surface Pro 6, JetBrains IDE, Oculus Rift S, AWS Deep Racer, Sa...

Reports of its sales have been greatly exaggeratedWhat you need to knowSamsung's Galaxy Fold probably didn't sell a million units as earlier stated.The erroneous statement was made by a Samsung exec at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week.A Samsung spokesperson said the exec had confused sales targets with actual units sold.Samsung probably didn't sell a million Galaxy Fold smartphones, contradicting an earlier statement that it did. The statement was made earlier this week by Samsung Electronics President Sohn Young-kwon at a TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin event. Samsung spokespeople later disputed the sales numbers, according to a report by the Yonhap News Agency. Instead, the suggestion was made that the President had simply mixed up the sales target with actual units sold. The key point being made was that Samsung hadn't actually passed that milestone.The Galaxy Fold has had a few launch issues. Crossing the one million sales threshold without those issues would have been ...

What you need to knowNew tariffs on consumer goods from China will not go into effect Sunday.A preliminary "phase one" trade deal with China has been reached.This deal nothing to do with Huawei's Entity List status.Sources at media outlets like CNBC and the Wall Street Journal say that a new agreement that would offset of halt the upcoming tariffs on specific consumer goods from China has been accepted by both Washington and Beijing.The President, who tweeted that a deal was close on December 12, accepted the terms with Bejing so the Department of Commerce will not impose tariffs on an additional $156 billion worth of Chinese goods, and will cut back on the existing $360 billion tariffs on current Chinese goods.Getting VERY close to a BIG DEAL with China. They want it, and so do we!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019While this is great news for Americans who plan to buy goods like toys, smartphones, laptops, and clothing for the Holidays, it's...

Samsung is largely considered to be a leader in the smartphone industry but it's not just for its flagship options. Samsung's budget phones, such as the Galaxy A30s, are still extremely serviceable, and sometimes even great for what you get. These are the best Samsung phones you can get for under $250 in 2019.Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy A30sIf you want a flagship-level experience without paying flagship prices, then the Galaxy A30s is perfect. This handset has up to 4GB of RAM, a beautiful sAMOLED display, and three cameras capable of handling many different shots.Perhaps even more exciting than the triple-camera setup is the 4,000mAh battery. This huge battery combined with the mid-range Exynos 7904 chipset provides you with up to 12 hours of battery life.Unfortunately, you may need to do a little bit of editing to your photos as the A30s's camera sensors aren't the greatest. Plus, you'll have to keep your wallet with you as there is no Samsung Pay support here either.P...

800,000 podcasts now available.What you need to knowApple has partnered with Amazon to bring support for Apple Podcasts to Amazon Echo.Users can now ask Alexa to play podcasts from the library of 800,000 shows.All you need to do is sync your Apple ID to the Alexa app.Apple and Amazon have partnered to launch support for Apple Podcasts on Amazon Echo devices.As reported by 9to5Mac, the news means you will now be able to access Apple's library of some 800,000 shows directly through your Amazon Echo. You'll also be able to ask Alexa to play them for you.To enable the feature, Echo customers need to link their Apple ID to the Alexa App. Once you've done this, you'll be able to ask Alexa to play a specific show, and your playback progress will be automatically synced with the rest of your Apple devices for a seamless listening experience.Mid-rangerAmazon Echo (2nd Gen)$100 at Amazon $100 at Best BuyBetter sound for a little more cashThe Echo is Amazon's best mid ...

Take the reins from your runaway subscriptions.In many ways, the rise of the subscription service has been freeing for consumers. It's allowed us conveniences like scheduled deliveries that we don't have to think about and cost savings like only paying for the channels we want instead of an entire cable package.However, like any good thing, too much can cause problems. Lots of us are subscribed to so many services that bill us at different times, so it might be difficult to get a good idea of where our money is going each week/month/year.Fear not friends! People smarter than me have come up with some creative solutions to deal with this problem, and I've decided to share some of the more interesting ideas with you. Of course, I'm sure many of you have some great ideas for managing your subscriptions too, so if there's something you're doing that I didn't mention, please let us know in the comments below.App solutionsAlexa Skills solutionsAmazon subscription solutionsHow...

'Tis the season for holiday parties, so for this week's game recommendation I wanted to find an ideal game to bust out at your next social gathering.I ended up landing on Out of the Loop, a game of deduction that's just perfect for casual play at a party. It's designed to be played on one phone that's passed around the group and will fit in nicely on our list of the best social games to play at a party.Here's how the game works. You add up to nine player names into the app and pick a category, then pass the phone around so that everyone gets a chance to read the secret word — except the one player who is informed that they are out of the loop for the round. Players then take turns asking each other silly random questions about the secret word. Once the questioning round is over, everyone votes for who they think is the out-of-the-loop player based on how they answered the questions.If you're the player who's out of the loop, you need to pay close attention to how other ...

Buying a new PlayStation 4 for the holidays this year? You'll want to get it all set up before gifting it.Buying a new console can be intimidating, especially if you're unfamiliar with the technology. I know people in my own family who can't tell the different between an Xbox One or PlayStation 4. I've even had relatives combine the names and ask if I wanted anything for the "PlayStation One." This is more common than some may think.So if you just bought a new PS4 for someone in the family, here's a quick guide with everything you should know and what you'll need to do to get it all set up.Note: If any screenshots appear to have different colored backgrounds than your own (like the Settings menu), don't worry. You can change your backgrounds and theme on PlayStation 4, which is why you may see discrepencies between mine and yours. Rest assured, it will function the same.Setting up your new PlayStation 4Creating and management multiple PS4 accountsTransfering data from an o...

Not just Pro for still images.What you need to knowSamsung appears to be testing a Pro Video mode in its camera app.The new camera update was spotted in One UI 2.0 beta code for the Note 10. We'll likely see this at the debut of the S11 in 2020 with the possibility of it coming via an update to older models.With most smartphone cameras taking good-to-excellent photos, the next stage for camera battles is video. The members of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 families all take really good video, and Samsung wants to keep that up going into 2020.Code in the Galaxy Note 10's One UI 2.0 Beta revealed a few upcoming features that Samsung is working on for the camera app, including a Pro Video mode. This mode, much like the still image equivalent, will let users adjust exposure, shutter speed, ISO, etc. manually. Samsung is also likely to add new live filters for the S11, named Side Light, Artify, Vintage, and Mono.The Galaxy S11 will come with a Video Pro mode. "&lt...

Now available in six countries in total.What you need to knowThe new next-gen Assistant is now available in five new countries in English.The new countries include Australia, Canada, Ireland, Singapore, and the UK.Google made the next-gen Assistant ten times faster by condensing it down and running it locally on the phone.Back in May of 2019, we got our first look at Google's "new Assistant." While showing it off on stage, one of the main benefits was the huge increase in speed it would bring to the experience. Google accomplished this by condensing Assistant from over 100GB worth of algorithms down to only 500MB, enough for it to run locally on your phone instead of in the cloud.By moving it to your device and running locally, the new Assistant promised to be up to ten times faster than before. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Unfortunately, even once it started rolling out, if you weren't in the U.S. or didn't speak English, you couldn't take advantage of it.Well, the ...

My new go-to Android launcher.A few years back, I used to be crazy about third-party launchers. I'd regularly scour the Google Play Store for new options I hadn't yet tried and would often switch back and forth between a select few to constantly give my phone a new look and feel.In recent years, however, I've felt this urge less and less. First-party launchers from Samsung, OnePlus, and Google have become really good, to the point where I'm no longer compelled to seek out a new one the minute I take a phone out of its box.Even with that being the case, there is one launcher that's continued to find itself on my Android handsets at one point or another — Lawnchair. Lawnchair is essentially Google's Pixel Launcher cranked up to 11 with heaps of theming and customization tools. The big Lawnchair 2 update recently dropped on the Play Store with a design overhaul and new features, and after rocking it on my Pixel 4 XL, I can't wait to throw it on all of my phones.Lawnchair 2...

Beat Saber just took things to a whole new level.What you need to knowBeat Saber now supports 360-degree and 90-degree levels.The update is available across several platforms, including Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR.The update also adds a Green Day Music Pack, which is available for $9.Beat Saber's latest update brings one of the platform's most anticipated features, 360-degree levels, to all platforms. The same update also brings 90-degree levels and a Green Day Music Pack that's available for $9. The update is available across all platforms, including Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, and Playstation VR.360-degree and 90-degree gaming brings a new element to Beat Saber. Rather than facing one way throughout a song, you have to work your way around throughout a song to strike your blocks. In total, 27 songs are available for free with either 360-degree or 90-degree support. The update's announcement post lists all of the supported titles. Easy "Beat Saber...

When it's time to switch from your older Android phone to a new one, you'll want to make sure all of your data makes it way across safely. Thankfully, Google makes it extremely convenient to migrate your texts, call logs, contacts, music, and photos over to your new phone seamlessly.How to back up data on your old Android phoneYou'll need to make sure that all the relevant data on your old phone is backed up to the cloud before you make the switch to your new phone. Google automatically backs up contacts, call logs, texts, and settings — including Do Not Disturb details — to Drive, so you'll be able to restore all that data to your new phone just by logging in with your Google account during initial configuration.Best of all, the data that's automatically backed up by Google doesn't count toward your storage quota, so you don't have to worry about running out of storage. The feature backs up call history, app data, contacts, device and home screen settings, and text...

The best gaming system also is a great way to watch UFC.Anyone with an Xbox already knows this, but it bears repeating: Microsoft's gaming console is good for so much more than just playing games. It's also one hell of a streaming video system. That doesn't just mean on-demand video like Netflix, either. It's also great for live TV.And that brings us to this weekend's highlight: UFC 245 on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, which will stream just fine on an Xbox. All you need is an ESPN account, and to buy the fight. (And an Xbox, which if you're reading this we'll assume you've procured by now.)The fight, of course, has a few important details, too. The fighters? Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. The date? Saturday, December 14. Time: 10 p.m. Pacific. Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.That's the really important stuff. Still need more, though? Read on for everything you need to know about watching UFC 245 on your Xbox.More: How to watch UFC 245 on Amazon Fire TVAlso: How to watch UFC...

It's easy to imagine the pitch meeting where Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man and The Lion King (2019), pitches The Mandalorian series to Star Wars execs because it was surely two simple words: Baby Yoda. After parking the dumptruck full of cash at Favreau's house, the next step for Disney should have been to start sewing soft, cuddly Baby Yoda dolls for everyone to buy in time for this winter's Seasonal Affective Disorder to kick in. Unfortunately, official The Mandalorian merchandise featuring The Child won't be available unil May! If you must get your hands all up in this Force baby's ears, here are our favorite options available now.Cutest BabyBaby Yoda plush The kidStaff PickThe highest-quality soft and cuddly baby Yoda of all the dolls, we found. It's the priciest one on this list, but it has the most detail and looks the most like the character in The Mandalorian.$98 at EtsyHappy BabyBaby Alien Plushie Baby YodaThis Baby Yoda is all smiles and bright...

This isn't Sony's first rodeo, but it still needs to play its cards right.Microsoft just brought down the house at The Game Awards Thursday night. Phil Spencer took to the stage to finally reveal Xbox Scarlett, or as it's now known: Xbox Series X. It's a beastly console that looks like a PC tower. On top of that, a Hellblade sequel was announced alongside it.It was an amazing reveal that no one expected — how did that not leak?! — and now Sony needs to respond in a big way when it fully reveals the PlayStation 5.So far we've been drip-fed information about the PS5 only in the form of Wired exclusives, and as invigorating as that can be for the PlayStation crowd, we're getting antsy and need something more. There's no doubt that the specs will be as powerful as the ones on the Xbox Series X — I don't think Sony needs to be worried in that regard. What I think they need to do is control the narrative going forward now. Everything we know so far about ...

Some are genuinely surprising.The Game Awards, which are now in its fifth year, has become one of gaming's biggest nights. Games from across the spectrum — from AAA titles to esports and indies — have the chance to win big. While some wins were expected, a lot of them took the audience (and us) by surprise. Who would've thought Devil May Cry 5 could beat out Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for best action game? Or that indie Disco Elysium could take home Best Game Narrative in an already stacked category? That Sekiro won Game of the Year is deserving but shocking as well.In case you missed anything, here is the full list of winners and nominees. Let us know what you think in the comments below.Game of the YearControlDeath Stranding Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Resident Evil 2 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - WINNERThe Outer Worlds Best Game DirectionControlDeath Stranding - WINNERResident Evil 2 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Outer Wilds Best NarrativeA Pla...

Sucker Punch has been hard at work and it looks to have been paying off.What you need to knowGhost of Tsushima received a new extended trailer at The Game Awards.The trailer picks up where its State of Play teaser left off, and is 4-minutes long.It will release Summer 2020.A few days ago during Sony's last State of Play livestream for the year, a short trailer for Ghost of Tsushima was revealed, with the promise of more being shown at The Game Awards. Well, now we've finally seen what Sucker Punch had in store for us. As Geoff Keighley has previously said, this will be the longest trailer of the night.It's a cinematic trailer that doesn't show much in the way of gameplay, but we already know how nice the gameplay looks. What this trailer does do well is set the atsmophere for the game.Players will get their hands on it Summer 2020. Ghost of Tsushima is being developer by Sucker Punch exclusively for the PlayStation 4. Given that the PlayStation 5 is right around the...

No Alan Wake yet.What you need to knowControl: Expeditions is a free end-game expansion for all players.The mode involves interacting with the Jukebox and completing time-based challenges.Remedy also announced that the first paid DLC will hit in March 2020.Remedy unveiled the first of its DLC for the award-winning 2019 hit Control at the Game Awards Thursday night.Control: Expeditions is the first part of the company's previously-announced DLC roadmap to get footage, and luckily for players, it's available now free for anybody with the game.The announcement coincided with a blog post that showed up on Remedy's website with all the details players want to know.First of all, Expeditions is a free expansion for all players that you can unlock towards the end of the game. As Jesse Faden, you're tasked with exploring a new area of the Black Rock Quarry and completing challenges. There will be four "islands," each with a timed challenge.To get to it, you need to comp...

A Lucasfilm fan's dream variant of one of the best phones of the year.Samsung's been teasing its limited edition Star Wars variant of the Galaxy Note 10+ for a little while now, and it's finally here just a week ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The phone is packed full of both hardware and software customizations themed around Kylo Ren, but that's not all you get in the box.As soon as you see the packaging, it's pretty clear that you're getting a lot more than just a phone. There's a sleeve covering the box and featuring Kylo Ren's hood and mask; once you slide it off, you reveal Kylo's reassembled mask on the box itself — a callout to the trailer for The Rise of Skywalker.Inside the box, you get Samsung's excellent leather case, with a side profile of Kylo embossed onto the back along with Star Wars branding. There's also a First Order logo hidden away on the inside, matching the one on the back of the phone itself. You also get a collector's...

Cloud. Looks. So. Good.What you need to knowFinal Fantasy 7 Remake received a new trailer at The Game Awards.This one focused on everyone's favorite character: Cloud Strife.The first part of the remake releases on March 3, 2020.We got a new look at Final Fantasy 7 Remake during The Game Awards tonight. This trailer was all about Cloud Strife, and boy is he looking good. 20+ years and millions of additional pixels have done him some favors.Final Fantasy 7 Remake is set to release on March 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4. Don't get too excited because it will only be the first part, though that is expected to be substantial by itself. Work has already begun on the next section, but a tentative release date has not been revealed.Because its official box art notes that it is a timed PlayStation 4 exclusive until 3/3/21, there is speculation that it could come to Xbox One or PC after that time, but nothing has been confirmed yet.Complete remakeFinal Fantasy 7$60 at Ama...

One game keeps its place but several others close in.What you need to knowThe November 2019 NPD data has been releasedFor this month, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare took the top spot on PlayStation and overall. The Nintendo Switch was the bestselling console overall. You can grab Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on PlayStation 4 for $38 on Amazon. Every month, the NPD Group releases information on the top-selling games across all video game platforms in the United States. While it doesn't account for worldwide sales, it does provide a good snapshot of one the largest video game markets. Mat Piscatella, an analyst for NPD, has shared the results for November 2019. For this month, data was tracked from November 3 through November 30, 2019.For November, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare held on to the top spot of the charts, while Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order debuted at #2 and is instantly the ninth best-selling game of 2019. Pokémon took up three of the top five spots, while t...

Google's latest strategy to release "meaningful" updates to the Pixel line is a perfect way to showcase the one feature no other Android phone has — fast and consistent feature updates.There are several reasons why buyers choose Google's Pixel phone each year — not that a large number of people are choosing them, though. It's usually not the hardware, nor is it because the local carrier store is pimping them as you walk in the door. For most people, the reason is, aside from its camera, fast and consistent updates.Android has always had a problem when it comes to platform updates and always will. Platform updates are the bump to a new version that has all the goodies we see on stage every year at Google's annual developer conference and tend to be a mixed bag of essential behind the scenes patches and base-layer enhancements mixed in with one or two showcase features that make us all want them the minute the presentation is over.Though the average time it takes a ma...

You can take steps to protect your privacy on Instagram without taking your account private.Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms that continues to expand and evolve since it first launched as a relatively simplistic photo sharing app nearly a decade ago.In 2019, it's not uncommon for one person to juggle multiple Insta accounts; one for personal posts and second or third for your work, your pets, your favorite hobby, or a side hustle business. No matter your reason for using Instagram, you should definitely know about the privacy and security features that are at your disposal albeit tucked away in the app settings. These can help you keep tabs on how your personal content is shared and archived, keep your comment sections tidy and clean, and alleviate some of the stress and anxiety of always being connected to social media.Your Instagram Stories are archived automatically by defaultThis was a feature I was unaware of until just recently, but ev...

It's dropping on December 18 next week, with new episodes available every week for free.What you need to knowYouTube just released a trailer for its new 'The Age of A.I.' docuseries.The 8-episode YouTube Original features Robert Downey Jr. tackling the rise of AI and its implications for the world at large.The first part will be available next week, on December 18.YouTube just dropped a trailer for its upcoming documentary on AI. Titled 'The Age of A.I.,' the series has none other than Iron Man himself — Robert Downey Jr. — talking to the entrepreneurs and experts using the life-changing technology to tackle the world's biggest problems, from world hunger to autonomous driving to finding alien life.The series will see Downey explore the various fields in which AI is being used to make real ideas and concepts previously relegated to sci-fi and magic. It also examines the impact these innovations are having on real people, alongside some big-picture talk of ...

You may be able to FINISH HIM aKross platforms with Krossplay.What you need to knowMortal Kombat 11 released earlier in 2019 on PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.Some patch notes indicate that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game are getting cross-play. An official announcement is probably coming soon.You can grab Mortal Kombat 11 on PlayStation 4 for $20 from Amazon. According to some patch notes noticed by USGamer, Mortal Kombat 11 may be getting cross-play support extremely soon. The patch notes for PlayStation 4 users simply mentioned that cross-play had been added, with no additional context.It's possible that the feature wasn't meant to go live quite so early, as the official patch notes on Mortal Kombat's support website don't mention it at all. Another section on the website does mention the addition of "Krossplay" between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, so it looks like an official announcement is coming soon. We've reached out to PR for...

It has 60 new originals and exclusive, totaling hundreds of hours of content.What you need to knowAudible is launching an exclusive service for India named Audible Suno.Suno features more than 60 originals and exclusives for Indian users in both Hindi and English.The service is entirely free, with no ads, and no sign-ups.India has become an increasingly more important focal point for Amazon. The company is even launching some new features in India first, before bringing them to Western markets and, now, it's launching an Audible experience that is exclusively tailored to India. Even more importantly, the new service, named Audible Suno, is entirely free to access, with no ads, and no sign-up requirements (via TechCrunch).Audible Suno boasts more than 60 originals and exclusives in its library, which contains audio content in both Hindi and English. It also features some of the most famous Indian celebrities, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Ka...

Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian (available on Disney Plus) is everyone's new favorite Star Wars character, and when you get a good look at how gosh dang cute the little guy is, it's easy to see why. Even though The Mandalorian has only been around for a few weeks, and Disney has been holding back on releasing a flood of merchandise, there's a solid amount of amazing Baby Yoda-themed merch out there for you to wear and/or use proudly. Here's a collection of our favorites!Our favoriteCute I Am, Adore Me You Must T-ShirtStaff pickBetween the cute sentence in "Yodaspeak" and the giant picture of Baby Yoda himself, this tee cements itself at the top of our list. Buy it, you must.From $20 at EleteesSimple teeThe Child T-ShirtThis tee is great for people who want a simple design. It features nothing more than Baby Yoda looking straight ahead with the logo for The Mandalorian beneath him.From $19 at Hot TopicFestive teeStormtrooper and Baby Yoda T-ShirtIf you wan...

You've made the brilliant decision to switch from iPhone to Android. Congratulations and welcome! Now you just need to get all of your contacts off your iPhone and onto your new Android phone and your Apple ties will be severed and you shall be reborn anew (or something like that). Here's how to do that.How to export contacts using iCloudYou'll first want to make sure that your iPhone is backed up to iCloud. Once that's done, you're ready to make the move. You'll start by exporting your vCard.Note: Many newer Android phones will have their own apps for transferring data (Samsung Smart Switch, LG Bridge, etc.), which make it easy to transfer your data. Depending on your phone, you may also be able to use a Lightning-to-USB-C (or Micro-USB if necessary) cable to transfer that way. Just follow the on-screen instructions if prompted to do this.Launch your web browser on your computer. This process does NOT work with Chrome. Use Firefox or Safari.Navigate to iCloud.com.Sign in ...

Now you can vacation while you vacation.Vacation Simulator is one of those games that's hard to explain. Why in the world would you want a simulation for vacation, particularly one that doesn't look realistic? The trick is understanding what developers Owlchemy Labs designed, and it's not a real-world representation of what your next vacation should look like.Instead, Vacation Simulator is a tongue-in-cheek representation of what a robot thinks a vacation looks like just as its predecessor, Job Simulator, was a tongue-in-cheek representation of what having a day job looks like. You see, something apparently happened to humanity and the robots that inherited the planet don't understand the human relics left behind.Just as we humans try to recreate the past based on what we've found, these robots are trying to recreate the experiences humans once had, presumably to better understand them. The hilarity ensues in all the misunderstandings that robots have about what people actually...

Google Play has millions of apps, movies, and books available — and not all of it is family-friendly.The Google Play Store is a vast marketplace filled with tons of great kid-friendly content, but there's also some things on here that are decidedly not kid-friendly. If you just got your kid an Android phone that they'll be managing rather than being under your Family Link profile, you can still set parental controls on Google Play to keep them out of the more mature content on the store. Getting parental controls set up is a piece of cake and won't require you linking your account to their phone, just setting a numeric PIN that will lock out the controls to change the settings back to unrestricted.How to turn on parental controls in Google PlayOpen Google Play on your child's phone.Tap the three line menu icon in the left corner of the search bar.Tap Settings.Tap Parental controls.Tap the toggle next to Parental controls are off.Type in your desired PIN code.Ta...

The internet's obsession with baby Yoda can now extend to your Disney+ profile avatar.What you need to knowBaby Yoda, or "The Child", is a character in the Disney Plus series, The Mandalorian.You can pick the adorable baby Yoda for your profile icon on your Disney+ profile.Characters from other Disney properties are also available, like Iron Man, Daisy Duck, Moana, and Mickey.Disney+ is out, and so is the much anticipated original Star Wars series The Mandalorian. While the main character is very much recognizable, it may not be the most buzz-worthy. That title may well go to baby Yoda, and now you can make the adorable green character your avatar on Disney+.#BabyYoda, or "The Child" is now available on #DisneyPlus as an avatar! 😍😍 #TheMandalorian pic.twitter.com/SkhSjo3tEv— 🎄ThrillGeek 🎄 (@thrillgeek) December 12, 2019On Disney+, each profile is given a character, or avatar, to represent it. Did you know you can change yours to s...

Let's focus instead on the products that are actually hurting peopleTo vape or not to vape, that is the question, especially if you are a medical cannabis user. As mysterious illnesses caused by vaping made headlines, and a few unfortunate souls lost their lives, medical cannabis users were left wondering whether they would be swept up in the anti-vaping hysteria. Unfortunately, some crucial tools were taken away from medical users, while confusion about the difference between vaping and e-cigarettes, oils and flower vapes, and THC and nicotine vaping persists.In fact, whether or not you should be vaping as a medical cannabis user is an easy question. Surprisingly, the answer is yes… if you are talking about so-called "dry flower" vaping. With this form of vaping, cannabis flowers are ground like coffee then placed in a small, battery-powered heating tool, like a tiny oven stuck on an iPod.The oven is heated to around 350 degrees and the flower begins to give off vapor...

A quick and easy way to open uo storage.Google Photos is an absolutely incredible service that backs up all of your photos and videos you've ever taken, completely free of charge — at least, so long as you're okay with slightly compressed versions of your shots. For full-resolution uploads, you'll need to dip into your limited cloud storage space, which means paying for more when you run out.Of course, even if you pay for extra cloud storage, you could still run into local storage issues if you're not deleting your photos from your phone after you back them up. Luckily, Google Photos makes that an easy task.Delete local copies of your mediaGoogle Photos backs up your photos and videos automatically when you're connected to Wi-Fi and a charger (you can also set it to upload more frequently), without even needing to be running in the foreground. That means that when you wake up in the morning, there's a good chance every shot you captured yesterday is already in the cloud...

The Coolpad Tracker helps you keep tabs on the most important things in your life. With companion apps for Android and iOS, you can check in on the GPS location of your car, luggage, bike, backpack, or anything else of value. It's tough enough to handle the bumps and splashes of day-to-day life, and with nationwide cellular coverage, you'll never be out of tracking range.This is the perfect time of year to invest in a Coolpad Tracker to help you keep all your new purchases safe and close at hand! And with holiday travel underway, it's never been a better time to have a little peace of mind regarding your luggage. So we're excited to announce this giveaway in partnership with Coolpad! Keep reading for all the details and to enter.THE GIVEAWAYThe PrizesFifteen winners will recieve a Sprint Tracker by Coolpad with 60 days of free Sprint service.How To EnterUse the widget at the bottom of this page. There are multiple ways to enter, each with varying point values. Complete a...