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All Posts by Jerry Hildenbrand

Notification channels in Android Oreo: Everything you need to know!

10 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 22 Aug 2017 1:00 pm
Android Oreo comes with the power to take control over your notification tray so you can sort out just what you want to see. One of the bigger changes and features coming with Android Oreo is the new Notification Channels system. It can also be a little confusing to talk about since it's not something we're used to seeing on our phones. But when you cut through all the fancy technical words...

Android Oreo features you'll love: Picture-in-Picture mode

27 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 22 Aug 2017 10:00 am
We all love things we can see when we get an update, and that's why Picture-in-Picture mode is so cool! Android Oreo allows developers to build apps that launch in a new Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode. PIP is a special kind of multi-window mode that's most commonly used for video playback. You might have PIP on your television or through your cable box. It's been available for Android TV since...

What's new in Android Oreo?

94 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 22 Aug 2017 7:00 am
See what the latest and greatest version of Android has in store for you! Android Oreo brings several changes to existing features as well as all new features. Since it first arrived in 2008, Android has been a very fluid bit of software. The mobile space is always evolving and Android has evolved along with it so it could meet the needs of people like us who use it every day. With the first...

Android Oreo will make you love notifications again

21 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 21 Aug 2017 2:15 pm
Android Oreo brings some great new features to one of the most important parts of the OS: the notification shade. One of the major areas that get updated with Android Oreo is the notification system. Notifications and the tray method of showing them to us have long been one of Android's strong points and making changes to something that's already great can be difficult. Android Oreo builds on...

Here's why sideloading apps is safer with Android Oreo

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Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 21 Aug 2017 12:00 pm
Sideloading apps is safer than ever with Android Oreo. Android has always had a default restriction on installing apps that didn't come from a first party app store. Apps from Google Play or a manufacturer's store like Samsung Apps are deemed to be more trustworthy and safe, so they are considered first party app stores, but apps you downloaded from the internet or from another marketplace are...

Oreo features you'll love: Background execution limits

23 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 21 Aug 2017 8:00 am
Oreo keeps apps under control when you're not actively using them. Your Android phone will let you do many things at once, even though all of them might not be on your screen. Besides system processes that can do things like checking your location or seeing if you have any new email, apps can be opened and then be left to run in the background while we are doing something else. A good example...

Essential wants your attention as much as your money (for now)

81 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 19 Aug 2017 2:00 pm
Essential isn't even trying to compete with Samsung or even LG with their first phone. You've probably read at least one "first look" at the Essential Phone. They all have a few things in common, and mostly leave us with the impression that it's an interesting first try from a new company. It's definitely an ambitious device in some ways, especially in the looks department. What you're...

Get into some trouble in this weekend's comments thread!

54 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 19 Aug 2017 12:00 pm
The only rule is to be cool to each other. Another week is in the can and that means it's time to relax, enjoy yourself and get together with friends. It's certainly been another week of charged emotions and stressful happenings, but it's good for everyone to put aside the things add to the tension and drama once in a while. Here is a good place to do just that. You can talk about Android or...

Using Google Chromecast Audio as a whole-house audio alternative to Sonos

25 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 17 Aug 2017 2:00 pm
Chromecast Audio system
Great-sounding music is made easy with a Chromecast Audio. And you'll save a fistful of dollars, too. If you're thinking about setting up a whole-house (or even just a single-room) streaming audio solution, Sonos systems are pretty much what you'll find recommended by folks on the internet. They are easy to set up and the Sonos service offers a decent choice of streaming content providers. But...

Are you thinking of switching your carrier?

34 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 17 Aug 2017 9:00 am
Change can be good, as long as you've thought things through. There are now like a million different phone plans from a bunch of different companies. And you can buy an unlocked version of most any phone that will work on one or more of them. That's good stuff! When there are more choices for any type of service, companies have to find ways to entice us to pick what they have to offer over what...

What do I need to jump from the Big Four to an alternative carrier?

41 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 17 Aug 2017 7:00 am
Mint LTE
Making the change to an alternative carrier can save you money and give you better service, but you need to know a few things before you do it. When you port out your number and switch away from one of the Big Four to a carrier that might work better for you, nothing is hard. You either click a few buttons online and enter a few details or make a phone call from someone else's phone and a...

Qualcomm announces new depth-sensing technology for Android cameras

2 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 15 Aug 2017 7:00 am
Second generation Spectra Module Program brings 3D depth-sensing and improved biometric authentication to Android devices. Qualcomm introduced the Spectra ISP powered Clear Sight dual-camera system in 2016 with the promise of "astonishing results that mimic human vision." Today it is upping the ante with the second generation Spectra Module Program that brings 3D computer vision to Android...

Chrome: Everything you need to know!

2 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 14 Aug 2017 8:00 am
Chrome
Chromebooks, apps, browser extensions, you name it. If it's about Chrome, here's the place to start for anything and everything you need to know. You know Google Chrome. It's on your phone, on your computer and might even be powering your laptop. It's one of Google's most ambitious projects and it plays a big part of their strategy for the web and mobile. Chrome is everywhere. In typical...

Mint SIM vs. Project Fi: Which is better for you?

Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 14 Aug 2017 7:00 am
It's Mint SIM vs. Project Fi in this head-to-head comparison. Mint SIM and Project Fi are "alternative carriers" or mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). They're not the Big Four (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile), but they lease coverage from those networks and resell it to you for less. Plans are often prepaid and fixed contracts are few and far between. Let's compare Mint SIM and...

Chrome Buyer's Guide

5 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 13 Aug 2017 12:00 pm
Chromebook
You've decided on Chrome computer. Now you just have to choose which one fits your needs best. Plenty of people have started to consider Chrome computers — whether that's for a primary, secondary or travel machine — for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being price and simplicity. Chrome enables you to have a simple yet powerful computer that can be handed to anyone and used right...

Read the fine print: Terms of service, privacy policies and the power of knowledge

24 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 12 Aug 2017 5:38 pm
It's the only way to know what you're giving away. When you buy a new phone or install a new app, reading the boring (and often difficult to comprehend) privacy policies and terms of use are the last thing you want to do. But it's also the most important part of the process. We were having a discussion about visual voicemail in the Android Central Slack channel recently. With Marshmallow,...

Express yourself in this weekend's comment thread!

44 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 12 Aug 2017 5:26 pm
Kick back and chat during your weekend downtime. We're all busy getting ready for Android O and IFA and V30s and Note 8s and everything else, but it's still important to remember to take a break once in a while. That's especially true if you spend the majority of the week behind a desk in a cubicle or office. Take your weekend time, whether it be the normal Saturday and Sunday weekend or other...

Chromecast Buyer's Guide

10 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 12 Aug 2017 10:00 am
Chromecast
Chromecasts are cheap enough to get them all, but we can guide you to make sure you get the one you need. Streaming media isn't a new idea. Internet radio and video sharing sites have been around for over a decade, and smartphones might not have become as popular (some say necessary) as they are today had Apple and Google not worked together in 2007 to bring H.264 YouTube streaming to the...

What's the first thing you do on your phone every morning? [Roundtable]

66 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 11 Aug 2017 12:00 pm
How does your phone tell you good morning? Our phones are an extension of ourselves. They're more than just another a tool and we use them for almost everything and reach for them many, many times throughout each day. For many, our phones are also part of our morning routines. Now we're not saying this isn't just a little bit obsessive. We are smartphone and technology enthusiasts from top to...

Bluetooth 5 and the HTC U11: You had it all along

32 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 11 Aug 2017 8:00 am
Support for Bluetooth 5 requires hardware and software. We've had the hardware support since day one. You may have heard that Bluetooth 5.0 is coming to the HTC U11 with the Android O update. Of course, there is more to the story because updates and new technology are never that simple. Because Bluetooth 5 is new (the standard itself was only recently finalized) there's a bit of confusion...

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