All Posts by Jerry Hildenbrand | Android Central

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All Posts by Jerry Hildenbrand

Google's unique update process is one of the best parts of owning a Pixel

42 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 10 Mar 2017 8:00 am
Google's phones are updated the same way phones from other companies are, with one big difference. There is an extremely well-defined divide between phones from Google and phones from any other company when it comes to updates. While a few exceptions exist, you know that you can only expect a timely Android update if you're using a phone recently sold by Google. In short, unless your phone...

Getting Google Assistant to play nice with ... Google Assistant

26 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 7 Mar 2017 12:00 pm
Google Home is a control freak and that means it doesn't play well with Assistant on your phone. Now that Google Assistant is coming to more phones than just the Google Pixel a lot more people are going to be able to have it on their phones. A lot of those people (maybe you're one of them!) will also have a Google Home, which also works by using Google Assistant. Getting the two of them to co-...

Verizon finally releases Nougat for the Galaxy S7

71 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 6 Mar 2017 6:16 pm
Verizon's update means the Big Four have all brought their Galaxy S7 into Nougat country. The Nougat update for your Verizon Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is available for downloading. If you haven't received a notification about its availability yet, you can manually check through the device settings and you should be good to go. For a refresher on what to expect with Nougat on the S7, we've...

Can a Chromebox replace my desktop computer?

37 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 6 Mar 2017 8:00 am
Why pay for something you don't need? Traditional desktop computers are slowly but surely being phased out. The days when every household had a cheaply made (but hardly inexpensive) Compaq or HP computer and clunky monitor for the family room are long past, and outside of people with extreme needs only businesses are buying desktops. And not because our needs have drastically changed, but...

Android Nougat gives you even more ways to save cellular data

34 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 4 Mar 2017 3:11 pm
Data Saver mode is a new feature that lets you easily lock down certain apps' data consumption when you're away from Wi-Fi. Update, March 2017: Updated with the latest information and changes. While Android has long been able to restrict certain apps' access to background data on a cellular connection, Android Nougat adds a new feature that makes it easier to cut down on your data consumption...

Google Assistant for every phone was the best move Google will make in 2017

227 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 4 Mar 2017 3:58 pm
And shows that Play Services is almost an operating system on its own. Yep. Google Assistant is going to be available for any phone with Android 6 or later. And it won't require a system update, which is one of the smartest moves Google has ever made. Why? Because Samsung was never going to build it into the Galaxy S8 or any other phone it sells. Now the decision was taken out of Samsung's...

Nest Thermostat Gen 1 vs Gen 2 vs Gen 3: Comparison and main differences

22 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 2 Mar 2017 11:00 am
Nest
See what changed from the first Nest to the current model. Nest is a company that's been around a while and since the debut in 2011, there have been three generations of hardware. Because a thermostat is something we tend to keep once we buy one there are plenty of older generation units in use and for sale used. While the changes between them aren't as drastic as what we would see in a...

There are 32 million reasons why Verizon needs to step away from Yahoo!

35 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 2 Mar 2017 9:00 am
Yahoo
With three Yahoo! data breaches revealed in just six months, it's time for Verizon to just move on. Yahoo, a company being snapped up by Verizon as soon as regulators give it the green light, has detailed yet another data breach and this time there are 32 million lucky winners. This is the third announcement of its kind we've heard from Yahoo in just six months, to wit: the September 2016...

The Brookstone Big Blue Party speaker lives up to the name and has Chromecast Audio built-in

12 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 1 Mar 2017 2:00 pm
One of the best Bluetooth speakers we've ever tested. Party speakers live somewhere between a small portable Bluetooth speaker and a dedicated home audio system. And finding a good one that doesn't lay waste to your bank account is difficult. Or used to be difficult, because the Big Blue Party speaker from Brookstone is that speaker. Right away you know this isn't something you compare to the...

LG G6 is simple because LG is committed to the V line

94 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 28 Feb 2017 12:00 pm
Lessons learned will translate into two very different flagships each year from LG. As I traveled across the web reading what everyone had to say about the LG G6 I noticed two very distinct things: Just about everyone who has touched one is pretty impressed. The majority of the comments on articles about it are filled with disappointment and loathing. The first thing can make that second...

What are the advantages of going with an alternative carrier?

23 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 27 Feb 2017 10:07 am
Using an alternative to the big four wireless providers is a great idea for many of us, and here are some reasons why. When we talk about phone companies most of us automatically think of the big four here in the U.S.: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. But they're not the only choices when it comes to who you get your service from and the popularity of alternative carriers is on the rise...

How to set up payments with Google Home

5 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 27 Feb 2017 7:00 am
Now that payments are built into Assistant, your Google Home can not only keep your shopping list but order from it, too. As of this writing, payments only work for Google Express. Google Express is an online market built from more than 40 nationwide retailers. You'll find companies like Target, Toys R Us, Costco, Walgreens and more. Shopping through Google Express is just like shopping most...

Shopping for phones is still a mess of hidden details

22 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 25 Feb 2017 5:56 pm
They get you with the fine print, then make the fine print hard to find. I spent the better part of last week digging through websites, calling representatives and generally pulling my hair out trying to sort out all the details about cellular phone service from the Big Four. I came to a couple of conclusions, the clearest of which is that all four of them do whatever they can to hide the tiny...

Everything you need to know about Verizon's Unlimited plan

87 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 25 Feb 2017 2:00 pm
A complete breakdown of Verizon's new Unlimited plan and everything else you can get when you sign up for service. In the United States, there are a lot of companies that can get you and your phone online, but most people use one of the four biggest: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. Choosing between them can be difficult. Your first priority should be what service works best in the...

How to enroll in the Android 7.1.2 Beta Program

40 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 25 Feb 2017 2:16 am
Android Beta
How do I sign up for the Android Beta Program? If you're eager to try Android 7.1.2 and have an eligible Nexus or Android One device, the Android Beta Program is for you. Like many big software projects, Android is made better by open beta testing. As part of Google's new maintenance release schedule, we'll see scheduled periodic updates outside of any bug or security patches and major...

Cloudbleed: What you need to know and what you need to do

12 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 24 Feb 2017 1:47 pm
Security
Cloudflare has had a sizeable data leak. Here's what that means for you. On February 17, 2017, vulnerability researcher from Google's Project Zero Tavis Ormandy stumbled across what looked like a really nasty data leak from Cloudflare, a web performance and security company. He quickly contacted the "right" people at Cloudflare and the situation was addressed in less than an hour. Any data...

Google accounts are on the fritz but nobody is getting hacked

59 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 23 Feb 2017 10:52 pm
When Google gets wonky, everything gets wonky. If you have a Google account error that says "something has changed" and asks you to log in again, there's no cause for alarm. Google tells us they know something's up and it's not related to any suspicious activity. We've gotten reports about some users being signed out of their accounts unexpectedly. We're investigating, but not to worry:...

Uh-oh! If your Google Wifi went crazy this evening you're not alone

50 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 23 Feb 2017 7:03 pm
It's not you, it's your router. Google says there were issues with the Google Accounts Engine today that affected some OnHub and Google Wifi routers. Details and instructions for recovery are found on this support page. Seeing a blue blinking light but no Wi-Fi from your Google Wifi or OnHub router tonight? Plenty of other people are. Something has happened that has caused a number of folks...

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

33 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 23 Feb 2017 3:00 pm
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...

How to manage Chrome's Autofill feature

9 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 22 Feb 2017 9:00 am
Chrome's Autofill feature remembers typos, too. Good thing editing is so easy! Having the Chrome browser remember your details when filling out forms on the internet can be handy. Most times when you sign up for any service or buy something online, you'll need to enter the same information each time and a secure way to enter it all at once saves time and means fewer errors. But it's only a...

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