Latest from Android Central

'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...

Sharing a sense of community around your music is often just as important as the service itself.I've been critical of YouTube Music since it launched. There are still gaps and shortcomings that are inexcusable considering Google's resources, but it's come a long way in the last year and feature for feature it's not that far behind the competition. But of all the issues with YouTube Music, the biggest hurdle I keep coming up against is a social one — everyone I know uses Spotify, and that's a massive barrier to one of the biggest parts of music: sharing.YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Which is the better streaming music service? Sending a YouTube Music link is often both the start and end of that conversation.Sending someone a YouTube Music link instead of Spotify is the music equivalent of being a green bubble on iMessage. Everyone uses YouTube, but practically nobody uses YouTube Music — it's an entirely foreign experience, to the point where most people don't even...

Messages gets even better.What you need to knowGoogle is making Messages more secure for consumers with the addition of Verified SMS and Spam Protection.Verified SMS tackles phishing by letting you know that the organization that's texting is you really who they claim to be.Spam Protection isn't really new for everyone, but it's now rolling out to US users. On December 12, Google highlighted a few changes it is making to the Google Messages experience to make it more secure and user-friendly. The first such change is the addition of Verified SMS. Verified SMS is a feature that lets Google determine whether a business that's sending you a message is who they claim to be and not simply an imposter. If Google can verify the identity of the business, you'll see the logo of the business along with the now ubiquitous verified tick symbol at the top of the messaging thread.Businesses like 1-800-Flowers, Kayak, and SoFi have signed up for Verified SMS. Google Pay India and Google...

Support will be limited to certain vehicles and phones with support for Android Auto wireless.What you need to knowAndroid Auto is coming to select BMW vehicles starting in July 2020.It will work with Android Auto wireless and require one of the latest Nexus, Pixel, or Samsung flagship phones.Previously, BMW offered Apple's CarPlay system, but thanks to consumer demand Android Auto support is finally coming.BMW has finally announced it will be adding support for Android Auto to some of its vehicles in 2020. Unfortunately, it won't be happening anytime soon, as Android Auto won't begin hitting the cars until July of next year.When support finally does begin rolling out, Android Auto will be available on BMW vehicles running iDrive 7.0 with the company's "Live Cockpit Professional" hardware. That limits Android Auto to the following vehicles.2019 and 2020 models3 Series5 Series7 Series8 Series X3X5X6 (2020)X7 If you do happen to have one of those cars, don't ...

Hey Google, teach me French.What you need to knowGoogle is using its machine learning smarts to turn Assistant into a real-time translator for users.This feature is known as interpreter mode, and it'll help you converse in a foreign language either through speech or text. It's tolling out today for both iOS and Android users.Just in time for Christmas, Google's Assistant is getting far more helpful for international travelers. The company is rolling out a new feature known as interpreter mode. As its name suggests, this is a feature that'll let you communicate back and forth while abroad even if you don't know the language.First, you'll need to have Google Assistant set up on either your iPhone or your Android phone. Once that's done, invoking the Assistant with prompts like "Hey Google, be my German translator" or "Hey Google, help me speak Spanish" will turn on interpreter mode. You'll then be able to have your conversation partner either type or speak in the language ...

Rolling out to Pixel 4 users now.What you need to knowAutomatic Call Screen is now rolling out to Pixel 4 users.Call Screen is also gaining a new feature to record call audio.The new automatic Call Screen feature should come to older Pixel phones running Android 10 in the coming weeks.One of the biggest highlights of the first Pixel feature drop on December 9, was the update to Call Screen. With the update, Call Screen has now gained the ability to automatically screen calls for you, something that should help save you from all of the endless robocalls we receive these days. I myself receive up to 4-5 of these calls a day, and at this point, anything that could help is extremely welcomed.The feature has already begun rolling out to Pixel 4 phones, and it has been said that Automatic Call Screen will be expanding to all Pixel phones running Android 10 in the coming weeks. Once it rolls out to your Pixel phone, there will be some new options to help you more granularly cont...

Dark mode and a big battery equal even more staying power.What you need to knowMotorola is now rolling out Android 10 for the Motorola One Power.The rollout is expected to last between December 10 and January 10, 2020.The update brings expected features like dark mode, permissions, and more to the mid-range handset.Motorola has begun its Android 10 rollout, and it's done it with a surprising choice of debut device. Not opting for the more popular Moto G line, Motorola is rolling out the Android 10 update to users of the Motorola One Power starting this month.As per a Motorola support document (spotted by XDA Developers): The upgrade to Android 10 began on December 10, 2019, with a staged approach. We expect all devices to receive the update by January 10, 2020.As the Motorola One Power is an Android One device, it'll more or less be the same stock Android One experience that users know and love. That means with the release of Android 10, you'll find the new dark th...

It could possibly be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2020 in Barcelona.What you need to knowOPPO has confirmed that a successor to the Find X will be launched in Q1 2020.The Find X2 will be powered by Qualcomm's new flagship mobile processor, the Snapdragon 865. In addition to the Snapdragon 865, the flagship phone will also come with an improved display and an all-new custom image sensor from Sony. The OPPO Find X, which was announced in June last year, was the first phone to boast a true "all-screen" design, made possible by motorized pop-up cameras. While a successor to the Find X wasn't launched this year, OPPO has now confirmed (via XDA Developers) that it is working on the Find X2 and expects to unveil the flagship phone sometime in the first quarter of 2020.Like most flagship phones that will be released next year, the Find X2 will run on a Snapdragon 865 chipset. Weirdly, even though the phone will have a Snapdragon X55 5G modem, OPPO says the upcoming flags...

The camera's great, but the Pixel 4 is so much more than that.Whenever a new phone comes out, there are some features that get marketed and talked-about more than others. For the Pixel 4, that includes its top-notch photos, the 90Hz display, and clean software that's backed with guaranteed updates.Those flagship features define the Pixel 4, but as with any device, there are a ton of smaller, lesser-known things that also contribute to how good or bad it is.After using the Pixel 4 XL as my daily driver for a little under two months, I've found five smaller features that have proven to be some of my favorite parts of the phone. Some of the things here are available on other Pixels, but either way, this is what's kept me coming back to the Pixel 4 time and time again.Exposure controls in the camera appThe Pixel 4 taking gorgeous pictures is far from an unknown fact, but there's a specific aspect of the camera that's absolutely enthralled me — Dual Exposure Control.Wh...

A TV is usually a major purchase for any entertainment setup, especially when you're looking for one that can display in 4K and HDR. The Chromecast Ultra is a great streaming device to get the content you love at the highest resolution and dynamic range, but you need a TV that supports the standards as well. Nowadays, you're getting a lot of TV for the money as prices on mid-tier models drop and the high-end fluctuates regularly. It's a buyer's market, so if you're thinking about buying now, it's the time to act!OLED stunnerLG 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TVStaff pickLG's OLED TVs are a thing of beauty. They bring perfect blacks and vivid color with incredibly sharp images and crystal-clear motion. If you want the best of the best in a TV, you'll look for LG OLED. The base 55-inch model comes complete with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built in, plus Dolby Atmos sound, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG for 4K HDR content.From $1,245 at AmazonAmazing valueVizio P-Series Quant...

You'll also need Tidal's "HiFi" plan to take advantage of the spatial audio.Tidal today announced that it's offering a new experience for its music service — Dolby Atmos. That's the proprietary audio format that gives additional depth to sound via dozen and dozens of "objects," which let sound engineers truly steer where sound is coming from.We're mostly used to Dolby Audio when it comes to watching movies. It's what lets sound sort of "hang" in the air all around you. And now, through Tidal, it's available for streaming music. But there's a catch. While Tidal is available pretty much everywhere, the new Atmos-enabled jams can only be had on Android devices.The good news there is that some of the more popular Android devices are included in the Atmos-friendly list. It reads thusly:Axon 7GM 9 ProLenovo Phab 2Lenovo Vibe K5Nokia 6OnePlus 7 ProOppo RenoRazer PhoneRealMe XSamsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S 10Samsung Galaxy S9Sony Xperia 1Tidal is a s...

Another camera beast from HuaweiWhat you need to knowHuawei's P40 has already started leaking.The smartphone is expected to launch early next year.It'll come with powerful hardware features like a 120Hz display, five rear cameras, and a 5,500mAh battery. Huawei is set to continue its string of solidly-built hardware releases with the rumored Huawei P40. While there's nothing official yet, details from leaker Yash Raj Chaudhary gives us an idea of what to expect from the new handset.As per the leaker, the Huawei P40 will have a 6.5 inch 2K OLED Waterfall display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It'll be nearly all-screen, having an approximate 98% screen-to-body ratio. On the rear, you'll find a Leica-branded penta camera setup specced with a 64MP Sony IMX686 with OIS, a 20MP ultra-wide camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens with a macro camera + ToF sensor to wrap it up. It's all very impressive, but that's not where it ends. Huawei will reportedly be throwing in a 5,500mAh battery...

Let's have a chat with the AC forums.When it comes to smart TVs, you have endless options to choose from. Not only do you have to decide which manufacturer of the television you want to go with, there's also the decision of if you want Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, etc.Or, you could just get a streaming box that adds one of those platforms to your old dumb TV. Your options are kind of endless.Android TV is a great choice if you want something that'll tie in nicely with your Android phone and the rest of your Google account, and recently, some of our AC forum members got to talking about their top TV recommendations. JessicaSmith9 12-12-2019 02:04 AM “ The Best Smart TV is Samsung 75" Class RU7100 Smart 4K UHD TV. Buy it and you wont regret. Reply me just saying 12-12-2019 04:19 AM “ make...

Samsung's first mid-range phones to ship with Android 10 right out of the box.What you need to knowGalaxy A51 and A71 are the latest editions to Samsung's mid-range smartphone lineupBoth the new phones feature Infinity-O displays with a centered hole-punch cutout and and come with a quad-camera setup on the back. The Galaxy A51 will go on sale in Vietnam on December 27 for 7,990,000 VND ($350).Samsung today introduced its first 2020 Galaxy A series phones at an event held in Vietnam. The new Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71 phones come with hole-punch displays and an L-shaped quad camera setup at the back.The Samsung Galaxy A51 has a 6.5-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood is an Exynos 9611 processor, paired with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. On the back of the phone is a quad-camera setup with 48MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide angle lens, a dedicated 5MP macro lens, and a 5MP depth sensor for portrait shots. ...

Amazon's Echo Show and Fire TV devices are great for watching videos, listening to music, and managing your smart home, but they also make nice electronic photo frames. In the steps below, we'll show you how to configure your devices to create the ultimate family photo slideshows from your Amazon Photos collection!Products used in this guideAlexa, Show me my photos: Amazon Echo Show 5 ($60 at Amazon)Alexa the linguist: Amazon Alexa app (Free at Google Play)There are actually a few different ways to accomplish this task. You can customize your photo slideshow from within the Amazon Photos app, you can start the process in the Amazon Alexa app, or you can do so directly on the Echo Show or Fire TV devices themselves.Amazon Photos AppAmazon Alexa AppEcho ShowFire TVHow to customize photo slideshows in Amazon Photos appIn my opinion, customizing your Amazon photos slideshows is best done from within the Amazon Photos app itself.Open the Amazon Photos app.Tap on Mo...

Amazon Echo StudioAlexa goes Hi-Fi$200 at AmazonProsMulti-directional, immersive soundSupports multi-room audio Can be paired with another Echo Studio or Fire TVSupports multiple music services and Apple Airplay 2Physical microphone mute switchConsFirst-gen product Most expensive Echo deviceAfter years of making decent sounding smart speakers, Amazon has finally heeded the call for a high-end, Hi-Fi home for Alexa. The Echo Studio features five speakers for room-filling sound, and can automatically sense the acoustics of the room and tune the output accordingly.Sonos OneA smart speaker classic$170 at AmazonProsDynamic, room-filling soundIntegrates with Sonos ecosystemSupports a wider variety of music services than the EchoSupports Alexa and Google's AssistantConsLess powerful sound than Echo Studio or other Sonos SpeakersNo Bluetooth supportSonos pioneered the connected speaker setup, and the Sonos One has been one of its most ...

Both phones were launched with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box earlier this year.What you need to knowSamsung has started pushing the stable Android 10 update for the Galaxy M20 and M30 phones.Both the phones were expected to be updated to Android 10 next month, as per the official Android 10 update roadmap. Currently, the update is rolling out only in India. In what can be described as a pleasant surprise, Samsung today began pushing the stable Android 10 update for its budget Galaxy M20 and M30 phones. According to the official update roadmap shared by the company on the Samsung Members app, Android 10 was slated to be rolled out to both phones in January.As per the folks at SamMobile, the Android 10 update arrives as veersion M205FDDU3CSL4 for the Galaxy M20 and M305FDDU3CSL4 for the Galaxy M30. While the update is currently rolling out to users only in India, that should change within a week or two.Along with the new Android 10 and One UI 2.0 features, the update co...

The update is being rolled out in stages to OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro users across the globe.What you need to knowOnePlus has started pushing the OxygenOS 10.0.3 update for the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro.The update brings the November security patch to the two phones. Additionally, it includes several bug fixes and brings improved system stability. OnePlus has announced) that it has started rolling out a new software update for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro phones. The latest update, which arrives as OxygenOS v10.0.3, comes with the November Android security patch. Needless to say, it is certainly disappointing that the two flagship devices are only now getting the November Android security patch, when Google and Samsung are pushing the December security patch to their phones.Aside from the November security patch, the update doesn't bring any new feature. However, it does come with improved system stability and general bug fixes. Despite being a minor update, OnePlus says the updat...

The new rules are coming into force nowWhat you need to knowGoogle has announced new changes to tackle harassment and bullying on YouTube more rigorously than it currently does.It now prohibits implied as well as express threats.It will also come down harder on YouTube partners who toe the line repeatedly.As of December 9, Google is tightening up its rules as regards to harassment. The company has now instituted several policies that ban the most insidious forms of bullying on its platform, including veiled threats and repeated near-violations. "This includes content simulating violence toward an individual or language suggesting physical violence may occur," YouTube's Matt Halprin, Vice President, Global Head of Trust & Safety said in Wednesday's blog post.As it stood before this change, if a veiled threat could be interpreted innocently, YouTube moderators would be more likely to let it fly. This lead to criticism of the platform earlier in the year. Now, an applica...

Celebrate the start of winter with some vehicular combat and much more!What you need to knowVersion 0.16.0 update is rolling out starting today with a slew of new features, weapon rebalances, and bug fixes.The most exciting addition is the new RageGear mode featuring team-based vehicular combat with roof-mounted guns.You can also try your hand at snowboarding on Erangel, one of the more intriguing features added with this Winter-themed update.Christmas has arrived early for PUBG Mobile fans. The latest update delivers a fresh winter theme for the game along with an exciting new EvoGround mode called RageGear centered around team-based vehicular combat. The massive 0.67GB update begins rolling out today.You can check out the full 0.16.0 patch notes which details everything newly added or updated in the game, but I'll break down the most important updates below.First up is the RageGear mode, which continues to expand the unique ways you can play PUBG Mobile beyond the c...

Your Phone calling is now generally available to all.What you need to knowYour Phone calling is now generally available to everyone.The feature allows you to make and receive calls from your PC.The feature underwent months of testing with Insiders ahead of general availability.Microsoft's Your Phone app is finally ready to add one of its biggest missing features: calling. The app already allows you to relay text messages, sync notifications, and share images between your phone and PC. Starting today, you'll also be able to make and receive calls with a PC that's connected to your Android phone.Within the Your Phone app on your PC, you'll now be able to dial a number of search contacts to make a call. You should also be able to check out your call history and transfer calls from your PC back to your phone. Combined with the rest of Your Phone's features, you'll essentially never have to pull your phone out of your pocket while working at your PC.Thank you #WindowsInsider...

Power banks are wonderful tools that can help keep your lifeline from turning into a portable paperweight while you're trying to survive just another ridiculously long day, but buying one you can trust shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. These are some great power banks that won't break your bank... account.Portable powerhouseAukey 10,000mAh Battery PackStaff pickThis pack is phone-sized for charging on the go and in addition to 18W Power Delivery charging, it has a QC 3.0 port and a second USB-A port for charging a third device.$30 at AmazonReliable RAVPowerRAVPower PD Pioneer 18W Power BankRAVPower's bank has 18W charging, same as Aukey's, and it's a phone-like size that makes it easy to grab and go for charging during a night on the town.$27 at AmazonPretty pocket powerXcentz USB-C Power Bank 5000 PDThis bank is affordable, reliable, and frankly adorable with its candy-bar size and cute pastel colors. The 5,000mAh capacity can recharge your phone at leas...