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Tencent Games is beefing up its cheating detection systems to make PUBG free of cheaters.What you need to knowTencent has announced multiple initiatives to make gameplay more fair for PUBG Mobile players.The game publisher is improving its system so it can identify and remove cheaters more quickly. Some of the improvements are already incorporated in the latest PUBG Mobile 0.15.0 update.Tencent Games announced earlier this month that it has started imposing a 10-year ban on PUBG players engaging in unfair practices. With an aim to provide a fair gameplay experience to everyone, the games publisher has now announced some new initiatives that it believes will help make the popular game free of hackers.Tencent already has a Game Security Team that works round the clock to identify and remove cheaper. The first line of defense against cheaters involves systems that scan for modified game data or suspect software. On the other hand, the second line of defense looks for "impossibl...

We all want a better way to do messaging and calls on our Androids, and RCS is the best way to make it happen.RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is the latest supposed savior or the disjointed and frustrating world of cross-device messaging. RCS is being pushed heavily by Google, but adopted sparingly by carriers around the world.But like all things, it helps when you have a basic understanding of what people are talking about. There's plenty of information about RCS out there on the internet, but let's try to sort it all out in one place and talk about what RCS is and why it matters to everyone.What is RCS?In a nutshell, RCS is a set of communication standards for SMS, MMS and calling that will make text messages look and feel more like dedicated messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts and so many others. Basically, it aims to bring "texting" up to the modern standards with features we expect from messaging apps.In 2007 a group of ...

Play as your favorite Marvel heroes and save the world from horrific evil.The Marvel Cinematic Universe brought to life our favorite comic book heroes like never before. Due to its success, we've seen the team grace nearly every form of media recently. Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, along with several other studios lending a hand, were tasked with creating a new video game to do the Earth's Mightiest Heroes justice.Avengers, reassemble!What is Marvel's AvengersWhich characters are in itWhat's the storyWhat's the gameplay likeIs it connected to Spider-Man on PS4?Platform exclusive contentNo loot boxesYou can play it next MaySave the planetMarvel's Avengers$60 at AmazonAn ever-expanding online gameAfter a horrific event leaves San Francisco in ruins, the Avengers have been disbanded. However, an even bigger evil threatens the planet five years later, and it's up to you to assemble the crew and save the world once again.What is Marvel's Avengers?It's u...

Once upon a time, you'd lose track of your keys and spend precious time searching for them. Now, you have phones and Bluetooth. When you combine the two, you have Bluetooth trackers that connect to your phone. When you lose an item, you're only an app away from quickly finding it again. Tile continues to dominate this market and recently refreshed its lineup. Our favorite is still the Tile Pro. The new edition offers an unbeatable range, the loudest alert, and a one-year replaceable battery.Best Overall: Tile ProOne of the most critical factors to consider when choosing a Bluetooth tracker is the range. This determines the distance at which the tracker can be found through your smartphone app. Most people shopping for a tracker are going to look for the largest range possible. While many options on the market clock in around 100-200 feet, the new Tile Pro beats those numbers by a long shot. It's also smooth and sleek now as opposed to the textured surface of the previous editio...

Forget the candy and the horror houses, Halloween is here and there's tech treats for every platform!October is almost gone and the goodies from Google are in our hands at last! I may not have the shiny new Pixelbook Go to play with, but my Pixel 4 showed up on Friday and it's sweeter than a fun-size Hershey bar.This is the first "proper" Pixel I've had since the OG Pixel — though I was lucky enough to use a Pixel 3a this summer — and I'm very much looking forward to getting intimately familiar with this phone over the next few weeks. I've been getting set up and familiar with it over the last two days, and while I've yet to reach a full-bodied conclusion, I do have some initial thoughts. I'd share them in Disney meme form but I'd need ten hours to get through everything and I'd rather be trying to nail down my Motion Sense gestures.Motion Sense is firmly in the "trick" side of Pixel trick-or-treating, but when it works, it's really cool. I just need more than 48 ...

The vast majority of owned computers are laptops, but one of their main drawbacks are their limited storage space. You can either upgrade your hard drive or buy an external one, but if you love downloading movies or apps, you’ll be short on space eventually. Modern problems require modern solutions, and the best solution is cloud storage. In fact, you can buy up to 5TB of lifetime storage (i.e., no subscription fees) for just $99.99.Polar Backup is a service that offers cloud storage plans that are backed by Amazon’s AWS and 256-bit AES encryption, so you can rest assured that you can reliably and securely access and store files with ease. It also offers duplication and redundancy, so if one of your files ever gets corrupted, you can always retrieve a working version of it. Polar Backup provides meticulous control over your files, so you can manage, sort, locate, and preview your files with the click of a button.Running out of storage space is a hassle, and there...

Face Unlock on the Pixel 4 is a big step forward for the world of biometric authentication on Android. We've seen face unlock on countless other devices in the past, but the implementation on the Pixel 4 is special. Not only is it incredibly fast and secure, but you can also use it for authorizing purchases and logging into apps. Want some tips on how to optimize it for the best experience possible? Here are a few tips!Products used in this guideUnlock with a look: Google Pixel 4 (From $799 at Amazon)How to access Face Unlock settingsIf you want to access your face lock settings, doing so is quite simple and requires just a few taps. Here's what to do.Open the Settings app on your phone.Tap Security.Tap Face unlock under the Device Security section.This is where you'll find all of your settings for tweaking/customizing Face Unlock. The top two toggles — Unlocking your phone and App sign-in & payments — are turned on by default. As the names suggest, thes...

Worth every penny...if you have a supported phone.Signing up for a new phone carrier is usually met with a lot of headaches. It entails being put on hold countless times, trying to figure out which of the multiple "unlimited" plans is right for you, and then finding a heap of taxes and fees tacked onto your final monthly cost.When Visible debuted back in May 2018, it offered an enticing proposition — $40/month for unlimited everything on Verizon's network with the onboarding process taking place entirely through the Visible app.Visible's had some time to grow and mature since it launched, and while there are still some things I'd like to see changed, it's quickly become one of the most enticing pre-paid service options for folks that rely on Verizon's expansive coverage.A clear winnerVisible Bottome line: There are plent...

It seems a little too good to be true, but enabling RCS chat is just a few steps away.What you need to knowThe latest Google Messages beta brings RCS chat to Android phones, but it needs to be enabled in a hidden settings menu.RCS seems to work in every country we tested it in (not an exhaustive list), and with several different Android phones.RCS also seems to work on all carriers we've tried, including the four big U.S. carriers.It wasn't too long ago that Google enabled RCS Chat on Android phones in some European countries, and now it seems ready to flip the switch in a number of other countries as well.A rather astute user on Reddit figured out that enabling RCS on Android devices is just a few clicks away, and it has us wondering why it's this easy when U.S. carriers can't seem just flip the switch already.Enabling RCS on your phone isn't all that different from how it worked when Google flipped the switch for European users, but it involves just a few additional step...

Jerry Hildenbrand, Andrew Martonik, and Daniel Bader dig in for a conversation about Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. From the good, the bad and the ugly, there's no stone left unturned.You should listen to the whole episode, but if you're dying for a TL;DR summary, skip ahead to 1:24:19. We've also provided a chapter marker there for your convenience. Enjoy!Listen nowSubscribe in Google Play Music: AudioSubscribe in iTunes: Audio Subscribe in RSS: AudioDownload directly: AudioShow Notes and Links:Google Pixel 4 review: Early to bed, early demiseGoogle Pixel 4 XL review: A night vision camera that's dead by sunsetPixel 4 vs. iPhone 11 night mode battle: Touring NYC at 2 a.m.From the Editor's Desk: Google's wrong about ultrawide camerasInvestigating the Pixel 4's 90Hz Smooth Display bug that also may be a featureSponsors:Candid: Candid makes clear aligners that fit your budget and your lifestyle. Visit candidco.com/acp and use code ACP for $75 off....

Whether it's in the arcade or in the comfort of their own home, fighting games have provided gamers with immense amounts of fun and hot competition for years. If you're ready to continue the fight on your PlayStation 4 and wondering which games are worth checking out, read on. We list the very best fighting games you're going to find for PS4. From Street Fighter to Dragon Ball FighterZ and everything in between, here they are.★ Featured favoriteMortal Kombat 11The classic series is back and better than ever. Mortal Kombat 11 quickly became one of the best-selling games this year and for good reason: it's a hell of a lot of fun. With new character packs that add pop culture icons like the Joker and Terminator, it just keeps getting better with age.$31 at AmazonGo Super SaiyanDragon Ball FighterZStaff pickDragon Ball FighterZ unashamedly aspired to be taken seriously in the world of competitive fighting games. Its 2D-based art style and fighting planes c...

While it's nice to have an acknowledgement that your commands are being heard by your Echo, at times the constant "OK" can be a bit much. We'll show you how to get Alexa to stop talking when you ask her to do something so you can enjoy your smart home in silence.How to quiet down AlexaOpen the Alexa app on your mobile device.Tap the top left corner menu.Tap Settings.Tap Account Settings.Tap Alexa Voice Requests. Toggle the Brief Mode switch to "on."You're done!Ah, sweet silenceCongratulations, you've successfully enabled Brief Mode on your Echo devices. Now when you make a request of Alexa, the only real feedback you'll get is a flash of the LED lights on the device, and a short, quiet chime. Of course, you can reverse the process and toggle the Brief Mode switch to off if you ever want to hear Alexa's dulcet tones again.On the screen where you toggled Brief Mode, you may notice another setting called Whisper Mode. This is sort of a nice compromise between having A...

The Pixelbook Go is like that guy she told you not to worry about.A lot of people have written a lot of words about how dissappointed they are with the Pixelbook Go. Myself included. But almost all of those words saying how it's overpriced or doesn't compare to the original or how other cheaper Chromebooks are better come from people who have never touched it. Which included me until last week.More: Daniel Bader's Pixelbook Go review — he has actually touched itI'll admit, when I saw what Google showed us, my gut reaction is that this is a piss-poor replacement for the original Pixelbook — a Chromebook I've used almost every single day since it was released. I made words about just that because it would be a piss-poor replacement for the original. But that's not what it is at all.That's the first question I asked Google senior product manager Ben Janofsky when I had a briefing with him, and found out that the original Pixelbook will continue to be sold until anoth...

The robot vacuum revolution has made life infinitely easier for countless home owners, but the most celebrated robot vacs on the market tend to be obscenely expensive.This ECOVACS DEEBOT 901 Robotic Vacuum-Cleaner gets the job done for a fraction of what you’d pay for a more well-known brand, and it’s currently available for 50% off at just $249.The DEEBOT smart vacuum automatically scans and maps your home, allowing it to keep your floors clean with next-level efficiency at all times.You’ll be able to take advantage of the latest Navi mapping technology in order to ensure that every corner of your living space is cleaned regardless of whether you’re at home or away, and it’s easy to control your DEEBOT using both an Amazon Echo or a Google Home device.This intrepid vacuum even features multiple cleaning modes that can tackle a variety of different messes including dirt, debris, and crumbs.Keep your floors sparkling clean without brea...

Use your Connected Home tech for evil.Most of the time your Connected Home tech is busy lighting your home, pinging your phone when there's a water leak, and letting you know who is at the front door.While any Halloween supply store will gladly sell you something that will flicker a strobe light from a remote control while you're hiding in the bushes dressed as a murderous clown, some of your Connected Home tech could help you have a lot more fun. Here's a quick list of ways you can freak out Trick or Treaters with your smart home!Drop in on trick-or-treaters remotelyOne of my favorite things about the Amazon Echo devices is the paging/calling feature that enables me to 'drop in' on the Echos in my kids' rooms to let them know dinner is ready. Well, you can also use this to your advantage to scare the neighborhood children when they come up to your door begging for candy.For this you'll need:A pair of Echo Dot smart speakersA willing co-conspirator to answer the door a...

AT&T has perhaps one of the most developed 5G networks out there right now. With coverage in 21 cities and two 5G devices available, this 5G network seems like the best bet for consumers. AT&T, however, has only rolled out 5G service to its business customers.At some point, this network will be available to more customers, but AT&T currently does not have a date set for this. If you do have a business account, it makes a lot of sense to buy into this network with some of the best data speeds we've seen from any carrier.When will my area even get 5G?Which devices should I get to be ready for 5G?Which plan do I need for access?What tech is AT&T using?What is 5Ge?Is 5G worth it for most people?When will my area even get 5G?AT&T has a lot of cities listed for its 5G+ network. 5G+ refers to real 5G NR used in AT&T's network. 5G NR is what every other carrier and most people simply refer to as 5G. You need to be careful with AT&T though: While at fir...

Password and credit card information was not leaked.What you need to knowSecurity researchers discovered an exposed Adobe Creative Cloud database earlier this month.The personal information of nearly 7.5 million users was accessible.Passwords and credit card details were not vulnerable.Adobe suffered a serious security snafu earlier this month when security researcher Bob Diachenko, in collaboration with cybersecurity and privacy advocacy firm Comparitech, discovered an exposed database belonging to the company's popular Creative Cloud subscription service. The records were accessible to anyone and did not require a password.Thankfully, users' passwords and payment details were not kept among the data that was exposed. However, a laundry list of personal information belonging to nearly 7.5 million Adobe Creative Cloud users was accessible via the database. This included:Email addressesAccount creation dateWhich Adobe products they useSubscription statusWhether the user...

Uh oh! It's game night but your D&D group canceled. Fortunately for you, there are other ways to scratch your role-playing itch. If you're looking for some great RPGs for your PlayStation 4 then you don't need to look any further than this list.★ Featured favoriteThe Outer WorldsObsidian is back with New Vegas in space! All joking aside, The Outer Worlds is, in fact, its own entity with only the best parts of our favorite Obsidian games brought back and updated. With this probably being the last Obsidian game we will see on PS4, it's a pretty good way to go out.$60 at AmazonThe Gold StandardThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntStaff pickDon't let its age fool you. Despite releasing in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still one of the best when it comes to RPGs on console. CD Projekt RED created an incredibly immersive fantasy world full of wonder, intrigue, mysteries, and a cast of compelling characters. It really doesn't get better than this, and the graphi...

Pay with your face on the Google Pay app by just by glancing at your Pixel 4.What you need to knowThe Google Pay Android app was updated on October 24 to support facial recognition in addition to fingerprint recognition for authentication.Payments can now be made from Google Pay just by looking your phone if you own a Pixel 4.Google Pay joins half a dozen other apps in providing support for Google's new BiometricPrompt API, which supports a range of biometric authentication methods deemed secure enough for mobile payments.Slowly but surely we're seeing apps get updated with support for Android's BiometricPrompt API, a new back-end language that accepts more biometric methods of authentication than just fingerprint readers. That's, of course, since Google just launched the Pixel 4, which is the first Android phone carrying hardware that's sophisticated enough to replace your fingerprint with your face.Google Pay is the latest app to support facial recognition in addition to f...

It's some worthwhile competition for Xbox Game Pass, but PlayStation Now still has a long way to go.For the longest time, I couldn't in good conscience recommend PlayStation Now to anyone. The streaming quality was subpar and the price was ludicrous for the service you received. Compared to Xbox Game Pass, it was inferior by a large margin. I still wouldn't say it's quite reached the levels of Xbox Game Pass yet, but with improved streaming, a price drop, and new games that have been added, it's come pretty close.Even diehard Xbox fans have taken notice. One of my colleagues over at Windows Central, Senior Xbox Editor Jez Corden, streamed God of War directly to his PC earlier this month and was impressed with the results. What used to feel like "watching YouTube on dial up, and too laggy for shots to connect," now "works almost flawlessly, some artifacting, but otherwise, totally playable with very little lag."Pardon the crappy gameplay (still learning controls). Using the Xbox...

It's only rolling out to select Pixel 4s, though.What you need to knowSome users report seeing a new setting that lets you ask Google Assistant to provide shorter responses to your queries.Only Pixel 4 owners with the new Assistant seem to have the option enabled.The new feature might not be entirely polished in its current state.Is Google's digital assistant a little too verbose for your liking? You're not the only one, and Google's aware of the criticism. The company is currently testing a feature on the new Pixel 4s that will make the Assistant a little less talkative.Android Police reports seeing a new setting on the Pixel 4 that can make Assistant's responses 'brief.' The change seems aimed at extending to phones the functionality Google has brought to Routines and smart home features earlier this year.If you own a Pixel 4 and are sporting the new Assistant experience — and there are plenty of reasons why you might not be — head over to the digital assista...

The Oculus Quest creates an immersive virtual reality experience. That's great for playing games, but not great for parties and other social activities. If you want your friends and family to see what you see inside the headset, you'll need to cast your Oculus Quest to another device. The Oculus Quest officially supports casting to several Chromecast devices and also can cast directly to people's phones.Products used in this guideStandalone VR: Oculus Quest ($399 at Amazon)Casting goodness: Google Chromecast 3rd Generation ($35 at Amazon)Connecting to iPhones: Oculus app for iOS (Free at App Store)Connecting to Android: Oculus app for Android (Free at Google Play)How to start casting from your phoneCasting an Oculus Quest to a Chromecast allows you to share your VR experience with friends and family in a living room. Games like Beat Saber being cast to a TV can take over a room and create an energetic party atmosphere. Thanks to a recent update, the Oculus Quest can cast ...

Unsurprisingly, machine learning is behind the upgrade.What you need to knowGoogle is employing its machine learning chops to make search smarter.The search engine will better understand conversational language beyond just keywords.The company says it's one of the biggest leaps forward in search.Google's Pandu Nayak took to its blog this week to announce what he says is "the biggest leap forward [in search] in the past five years, and one of the biggest leaps forward in the history of Search." The update has to do with how Google Search processes your queries.Nayak points to people's use of what he calls 'keyword-ese' when searching on Google because of the search engine's inability to understand natural language employing the use of qualifiers such as 'from' and 'to.' Indeed, the way search currently works, the service basically ignores such terms and tends to focus solely on the keywords it gleans from your query.That's soon going to change — at least for English q...

PlayStation has more exclusives than Xbox, and they're generally considered to be better. This generation made that even more apparent for a lot of players who are interested in single-player experiences. Below are some of the very best PS4 games that you can buy and only play on Sony's console. Whether or not you are new to the PlayStation ecosystem, you'll be thankful not to miss out on these favorites.★ Featured favoriteGod of WarThe wait for the newest entry in the God of War franchise was long, but worth it. Eight games into the series and one might think that it's gone a bit long in the tooth. However, developer Santa Monica Games managed to breathe a whole new life into the series.$20 at AmazonFantastic and wacky adventuresYakuza 0The Yakuza series has been quietly plugging away at the construction of a vast gaming world since 2005. With a release nearly every year since its inception one might think that the series has done everything possi...

Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Android Central may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. Please note that the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.If you can believe it, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost just a month away. The biggest shopping event of the year always brings an avalanche of sales that give shoppers the unique opportunity to save more than usual on practically any product you could think of.If you are looking to take your savings to the next level, you can make your purchase with a credit card that elevates your rewards and benefits. We've put together a list of some of the best credit cards you can use to earn the most on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, no matter where you are shopping.Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit CardSimple Cash BackThis is a drop-dead simple card when it comes to re...

The Oculus Quest is an excellent device to bring to parties. It doesn't require any external sensors or wires so you can bring it anywhere and pass it around so everyone can play. However, if you want people to see what's going on inside the headset rather than watch someone flail their arms around, you'll need a Chromecast device. Even though there is a wide range of supported devices for casting the quest, the best three options are the first three devices that supported casting, and the best of the best is the Chromecast Ultra.Best Overall: Google Chromecast UltraThe Google Chromecast Ultra has a similar design to the Chromecast 3rd generation but has one key difference that effects Oculus Quest streaming, the ability to connect it using ethernet. By connecting the Chromecast Ultra to an Ethernet port, you're removing one wireless component from the casting equation. Even if you use it over Wi-Fi, users have reported that the Chromecast Ultra works better when it comes to ca...

Smart speaker or smart screen, which is the better item for your home? We have some feelings about this that may help you decide.Nest Mini (2nd Gen)Mightiest mini speaker$49 at B&HProsImproved speaker with twice the bassBetter processing power and on-device smartsNow wall-mountableConsFidgety touch controlsNo information display or cameraNow under the Nest umbrella, this second-generation Mini is a thoughtful iteration by Google. It keeps the same look and footprint of the original but improves where it counts — on the inside. A better bass and smarter processing make for a much improved smart speaker.Nest HubHappy home hub$129 at B&HProsPretty great screenThe perfect Google Photos displayEasy-to-use hub to control your smart homeConsNo camera means no video chattingIts been over a year since hardware releasedAfter Amazon released the enormous Echo Show, Google/Nest brought a more reasonably-sized device to the market as the G...

Seeing the stars in a new light on your Pixel 1, Pixel 2, or Pixel 3 is possible with a simple free app download.What you need to knowThe latest Google Camera port from developer cstark27 brings new Pixel 4 camera features to all older-generation Pixel phones.This app is a free download and only requires a simple installation in Android; no coding or hackery needed.Among the new modes are astrophotography, for unparalleled night mode shots, and Super Res Zoom, for enhanced pinch-to-zoom quality.Google's Pixels are world-renowned for their camera prowess, particularly when it comes to taking photos. Typically, the newest features are only available on the latest hardware, citing more powerful hardware or additional cameras as the reason for the restriction. Google tends to stick to its software guns with just about everything, though, and that ends up paying off quite nicely for folks who like to hold on to their phones for a little bit longer than a year or two.Google's came...

Galaxy S10 owners in France, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and the UK can update to the second Samsung Android 10 beta right now.What you need to knowFive countries in Europe now have access to the second Android 10 beta update for the Galaxy S10 family.Galaxy S10 owners can register for the Android 10 One UI 2.0 beta through the Samsung Members app on their phone.Android 10 brings about a ton of new changes and additions, including an enhanced dark mode, new gesture navigation, and tweaked UI elements for a better experience.Samsung Galaxy S10 owners in even more countries can now participate in the One UI 2.0 beta, which is Samsung's version of Android 10, according to SamMobile. As of this writing, a total of five countries have seen the rollout of the second update of Samsung's Android 10 beta, including France, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and the UK. We're expecting South Korea, Germany, and the U.S. to be in the next round of countries to receive the update but that doesn't seem t...

With the end of the year drawing closer, we're celebrating with the announcement of the Future Tech Awards and the associated winners' ceremony, taking place on January 8, 2020, in Las Vegas!The Future Tech Awards recognize the best people, products, and services from across the U.S. technology sector. We're asking Android Central readers to vote on the best products and professionals in multiple categories to help us honor the ground-breaking innovations of this year.There are four prizes that make up the Future Tech Awards:Future Choice — The best products, as voted for by Future Tech's editorial committee.Reader's Choice — The best products as voted for by Future Tech's readers.Future 50 — The top 50 people, across key tech industry categories.Tech Hall of Fame — Decorated industry veterans and deserved recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.The Reader's Choice awards voting opens on November 4, 2019.Nominations for the Future 50 Awards ar...

Smartphones that cost $1,000 and more have quickly become commonplace in the market, and for anyone on a budget, those steep prices can quickly induce a headache. Thankfully, cheap smartphones are still plentiful, with more great options to choose from than ever before. If you need a new handset but only have $200 to spend, our favorite one is the Nokia 4.2. Today, we're talking about it and five other phones that bring tremendous value to the low-end space.Best Overall: Nokia 4.2If you need a new Android phone and only have around $200 to spend, our top recommendation has to go to the Nokia 4.2. Nokia has been dominating the low-end and mid-range markets over the last couple of years, and the 4.2 represents the best overall value you can get in this price range.Taking a look at the Nokia 4.2, it's rather admirable how many features Nokia was able to cram into such an affordable device. It has dual 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear cameras that take pretty good photos, a dedi...

It should come as no surprise that investing in a programming education is one of the best things you can do if you want to land a virtually limitless number of careers in tech, but the good news is that you no longer need to invest a large amount of time or money in order to make this happen.The Complete Computer Programmer Super Bundle will get you up to speed with the world’s most popular and powerful programming languages and platforms, and it’s available for over 95% off at just $45.With 12 courses and over 120 hours of instruction, this bundle will help you edge out the competition and land a career in the increasingly lucrative and interconnected worlds of computer science and cybersecurity.You’ll learn how to set up secure firewalls, build apps from scratch, create tools that can detect and thwart cyber attacks, install and maintain a wide range of IT infrastructures and more—all through instruction that introduces you to programming la...

Facebook News will begin rolling out to a subset of people in the U.S. today.What you need to knowFacebook has announced the rollout of a new News tab as part of a limited test in the U.S.The news section will appear as a home screen tab within the Facebook app for users.Some of the participating publishers include The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, and BuzzFeed News. Facebook today announced that it is starting to test 'Facebook News' in the U.S. The dedicated Facebook News tab in the Facebook app will allow users to browse through news stories from major publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BuzzFeed, Bloomberg, Fox Business, NPR, and more. According to Recode, Facebook will be paying millions of dollars a year to some of the participating publishers for their content. Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships and Mona Sarantakos, Product Manager, News at Facebook wrote in a blog post: Journalism plays a critical role in our dem...

One of the best parts of owning a Google Pixel is its regular software updates. Google releases an update every month for its Pixel phones, and supports them for at least two years with full platform updates as well, with the latest being Android 10. The updates don't happen completely automatically, though — you still need to be involved to accept the update.How to update the software on your Pixel via OTAOpen your Settings.Scroll down to the bottom to tap System.Tap Advanced.Tap on System update.Tap Check for update in the bottom-right corner and wait for the check.Your system will report back as being up to date, or with an update pending.If you're on Wi-Fi, the update will download automatically. You can pause it at any time.If you are on mobile data, you'll have to opt-in to downloading the update immediately.Once an update is downloaded and installed in the background, you will receive a notification to reboot your phone to install.As long as your Pixel...

Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Android Central may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network.What you need to knowAmex has launched a new limited-time offer on its American Express® Green Card.Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $2,000 on purchases.Receive up to $100 in statement credits towards purchases with Away travel.Amex is getting and giving green with its newest revamped card.American Express keeps bringing new features and benefits to its credit card lineup. Recently, the company has rolled out new perks for its American Express Green Card as well as a limited-time offer with Away Luggage. Rachel Stocks, executive vice president of Global Premium Products & Benefits, details the reason for the reimagining of the iconic card: "The Green Card (Amex Green Card) was introduced 50 years ago, to meet consumer needs as the travel industry took off. Today, we a...

One Line Weekly is an indie game that quickly earned a spot on my list of the best puzzle games for Android. It's a very elaborate puzzle game built around a simple concept that's wholly explained in the title. All you need to do is rotate the pieces around until you create a single line, but you only have a week to work on it before the puzzle resets — and it'll probably take you the full week to actually finish it or get as far as you can.The best puzzle games offer a simple premise that belies how challenging it actually is to solve the damn thing. Some great examples would be The Room or Monument Valley, which are both celebrated for having simple controls that are accessible to new players while providing a mind-bending experience that tests your mental dexterity. This is a puzzle game that resets itself to offer a fresh challenge every week.One Line Weekly offers a similarly simple concept that essentially combines a complex Rubik's Cube with Pipe Dream (if y...

You'll find a host of features on the Pixel 4, but one that stands out the most is Motion Sense. Motion Sense is a gesture system that allows you to control the Pixel 4 by simply waving your hand over its display, giving you a new and unique way to control the phone. There are currently just a handful of ways in which you can use Motion Sense, and today, we'll be running through how they work and how to get the most out of them.How to use Motion Sense to snooze alarmsOne of the ways to use Motion Sense, and perhaps the most well-thought-out, is using it to snooze alarms.After an alarm starts ringing on your Pixel 4, the audio will get quieter as you move your hand towards the display. From there, you can move your hand over the display to snooze the alarm. No matter if you wave over it from the left or right, it'll just snooze for a few minutes rather than being completely turned off.Waking up to an alarm and trying to fiddle with on-screen buttons isn't always the most fun...

Buy one share, or a fraction of a share instantly and for free!What you need to knowSquare has announced free stock trading on its Cash App for iOS and Android.Users will be able to buy shares, or fractions of shares for as little as $1Cash App will be the first platform to support both free trading and fractional share buying.Square has announced it is bringing free stock trading to Cash App, allowing users to buy and sell shares, or fractions of shares.Announced on Twitter yesterday, Cash App said: You don't need to buy an entire share to make your first investment. With Cash App, you can own a piece of hundreds of different stocks, including the most expensive stock on the market, Berkshire Hathaway Class A, which regularly trades above $300,000 per share.Introducing #CashAppInvesting. Now you can instantly buy stock in your favorite companies with as little as $1 with Cash App. 📈 pic.twitter.com/H5vEsqEPKX— Cash App (@CashApp) October 24, 2019The fe...

Only available in Germany for now.What you need to knowThe first Android 10 beta for the Galaxy Note 10 series is finally rolling out.Samsung's One UI 2.0 beta program for the Note 10 and Note 10+ is currently live only in Germany.It is expected to become available in the U.S. and South Korea as well very soon.Samsung has finally kicked off the Android 10-based One UI 2.0 beta program for the Galaxy Note 10 series. According to the folks over at SamMobile, the beta program is now live in Germany and is likely to go live for Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ users in the U.S. and South Korea soon.The beta build for the latest Note flagships is apparently identical to the second Android 10 beta that was released for the Galaxy S10 series earlier today. In addition to the Android 10 and One UI 2.0 goodies, the build also includes the November 2019 Android security patch.One UI 2.0 brings a new UI that Samsung claims allows users to focus on what matters. It also adds an enhanced da...

Taking initiative and sending out fast security updates is great and it should be the norm, not the exception.Samsung is throwing a bone to enterprise customers with the new Enterprise Edition models of its most popular Galaxy phones. They come with four years of firmware updates including two major OS updates to attract business users, and a mix of monthly and quarterly updates to fix bugs or security flaws is exactly what your IT department wants to see for the hardware it has to manage and keep secure. It's good news all around for anyone interested in using some of the best phones money can buy for day-to-day business needs. The Enterprise difference is in name only — these phones use the same hardware as their counterparts.But I can't help but think that all of these phones Samsung sells should be getting this treatment, not just models with a new Enterprise tag.My reasoning — these phones have the same hardware that their non-Enterprise Edition counterpar...

To say the Pixel 4 has weak battery life is a drastic understatement. Leaving the phone as it comes out of the box, and using it a typical amount, it isn't going to make it through a full day on a single charge. It's annoying to have to change your usage habits or tweak things just to get a full day, but it is possible to do things to extend the Pixel 4's battery life.Make sure Adaptive Battery is turned onThis tip is as simple as it gets, and every Pixel owner should make sure it's turned on: Adaptive Battery.Go into your phone's Settings, Battery, Adaptive Battery and make sure the toggle is turned on. After that, there's nothing else to do. Adaptive Battery is a system that looks at how you use your phone, and limits how often infrequently-used apps can run in the background. Google says this only gets better over time as well.After you've used your phone for a while with Adaptive Battery turned on, it will start to list the apps that it has "restricted" from running as ...

Best answer: HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and is used to describe anything that can process a wider range of input or output than a standard device of the same type. It's commonly used when talking about cameras and displays.Noteably great display: Galaxy Note 10+ ($1,100 at Samsung)What is HDR?You'll see HDR being used as a descriptor in a lot of different products — cameras, televisions, microphones, and even industrial and medical equipment. In the generic sense, HDR means a thing has a wider range of acceptable input or output when compared to standard equipment. What we're going to focus on is HDR as it applies to camera and displays.HDR Cameras and PhotosWe all have used a crummy smartphone camera and tried to take a picture without enough light. It ends up being a dark, yellow mess that's not a great way to capture the moment on any level. We've seen the same when we use the flash on a smartphone camera to try and fix it, then everything turns a weird eth...

The promised Komodo camera module will still be released though.What you need to knowRED founder Jim Jannard has announced that he is retiring and the Hydrogen project is being shut down.The company's first smartphone, the Hydrogen One, will continue to be supported in the future. Launched in October last year, the company's first smartphone failed to live up to the hype.In July this year, RED founder Jim Jannard had revealed that the company was working on a successor to the Hydrogen One and promised that a redesigned cinema camera called Komodo was on its way. In a post on the company's H4Vuser.net website, Jannard has now announced that he has decided to retire due to "a few health issues" and will be shutting down the Hydrogen project.This means the Hydrogen Two, which was supposed to be under development, will not be seeing the light of day. However, Jannard did tease the company's upcoming Komodo camera module, which will be compatible with the Hydrogen One. The camera...

The Honor 9X has made it to Europe with a few changes over its Asian counterpart, and for the most part, once again the company has delivered a strong, affordable Android phone.A new phone from Honor is always a cause for interest, with the Huawei offshoot putting out a range of handsets that more often than not combine good hardware with an excellent design and an attractive price.The latest, then, is no change to this tried and true formula. The Honor 9X has already been launched in Asia, but has now made its way to Europe, and it's not exactly the same phone. The Honor 9X does maintain the Honor tradition of a decent quality smartphone at an affordable price.Assuming you're happy to look past the handful of flaws.Mid-range styleHonor 9X Bottom line: A gorgeous design and well-made hardware let down a little by some performa...

Oculus Quest is Facebook's last piece of hardware in its first generation of VR devices. It has six degrees of freedom, movement tracking so you can game throughout an area and two Touch Controllers, which facilitate a wide range of gameplay. The Oculus Quest now has over 100 games available, ranging from first-person shooters to musical saber swinging. The most recent titles are marked with "new" so you can keep track of all the latest games.Available nowNonstop funBeat SaberStaff pickBeat Saber is one of the most popular VR games across many platforms. In it, you use both controllers and motion tracking to swipe at blocks that are synced to music. None of those words do the game justice, and having it available at launch is a massive deal for the Quest.$30 at Oculus StoreUse the forceVader Immortal: Episode IIEditor's ChoiceThis sequel takes you even further into the world of Darth Vader. In it, you learn to master the Force from the Sith Lord himself,...

Microsoft Launcher beta now works with your Android device's system theme.What you need to knowMicrosoft Launcher beta can now follow your system's theme setting.Microsoft Launcher already had a dark theme, but it can now match your devices' theme.Android devices need to run Android 9 or later to use the new feature.Microsoft Launcher beta has a small update that makes it easier to use the app's dark mode (via Neowin). The update brings the app to version 5.10 and brings support for following your system's theme setting. It also makes dark mode darker. Additionally, the update has some bug fixes as outlined by the app's changelog, What's new for 5.10: - Launcher theme can now follow your system theme on supported devices running Android 9 and above through the new System theme option in Launcher settings, and the dark theme is darker now to improve readability and make content easier on your eyes in the low-light condition. - General bug fixes and performance improveme...

The limited edition variant comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB UFS 3.0 storage.What you need to knowThe OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Limited Edition "7T minutes" sale is now live in India.The open sale of the limited edition variant will begin on November 5. Priced at ₹58,999 ($831), the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren limited edition is the company's most expensive smartphone yet.Consumers in India can finally get their hands on the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition, which has been 'crafted' in collaboration with British car maker McLaren. While the phone is slated to go on open sale on November 5, you can now grab the phone from Amazon.in as part of a special "7T minutes" sale that begins at 12 PM IST.The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Limited Edition is priced at ₹58,999 ($831) in India, making it the company's most expensive smartphone yet. In comparison, the "regular" OnePlus 7T Pro is priced at ₹53,999 ($761) in the country. In terms of hardware, the only key difference between ...

It's an unwritten rule (hah!) that you have to write a review about a laptop on the laptop itself. So here I am, tapping away on the feather-smooth keys of the new Pixelbook Go, my favorite Chromebook in years and the one I'm happy to recommend to anyone who thought the OG Pixelbook was a bit too pricey.But in a market where decent Chromebooks abound for half the price of the Pixelbook Go's cheapest model (this thing goes all the way to $1400 if you want a lot of power), is this really the Chromebook to get?At a glancePixelbook Go Bottom line: The Pixelbook Go is a stupendous all-round laptop that doesn't pretend to be anything different. It can't fold to become a tablet, but it can last nearly 10 hours on a charge and make typing feel fun again. This is the premium Chromebook to buy right now.ProsAmazing keyboard, trackpad &a...

The carriers will announce more details regarding the Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) at a later date.What you need to knowAll four major U.S. carriers have joined hands to replace SMS with RCS.The Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) will be bringing RCS to Android phones in 2020. CCMI will be rolling out a new Android app that will be the default messaging app on Android phones sold by major U.S. carriers.The four major U.S. carriers – AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon have announced the creation of a new joint venture to replace SMS with GSMA's Rich Communications Service (RCS) standard. The Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) join venture is working to deploy the RCS-based interoperable messaging service by next year. Working with its carrier ownership group and other companies in the RCS ecosystem, the CCMI service will:Drive a robust business-to-consumer messaging ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of Rich Communications Services...

Despite a few road bumps, Modern Warfare feels like a return to form for the FPS franchise.Modern Warfare brings us back to some of the very best first-person shooter experiences that I can remember from years gone-by. There is a lot of game here too, something for everyone. If you love a good storyline, Modern Warfare has it. Do you want a Battle Royale? It has that as well. Lots of games try to offer everything to everyone, and they fail, Modern Warfare though, almost, succeeds completely.I am going to break this review down into smaller sections focusing on the three main parts; campaign, multiplayer, and co-op, as well as touching on graphics and audio.Calling all DutiesModern Warfare$60Bottom line: Modern Warfare is an excellent addition to the Call of Duty franchise. The story felt like a serialized TV show, and most of the multiplayer action is fun. There are few places where the game falls, but not enough for me not to recommend it. ...