Andrew Myrick
Andrew's way into tech started all the way back with the Atari 2600, progressing his way through various consoles throughout the years. Everything changed for him when he got his hands on the iPhone 3G before switching over to Android with the HTC Evo 4G. Since then, he's tried almost every kind of tech that he can get his hands on. Little has changed over the years, as much of his time is spent with different gaming handhelds, foldable phones, Chromebooks, tablets, and even a bit of VR sprinkled in. With more than a decade of time spent writing about tech, he takes a "Jack of all trades" approach to whatever he can get his hands on. His weekly column, Beyond the Alphabet, attempts to look at the world of tech both within and beyond the confines of Google's Mountain View campus. That includes figuring out new ways to get work done with various devices, along with deciphering the impact of the hardware and software that we rely on every day. You can always count on him to have at least two phones on him and there's a good chance he'll have a charger for you to use if your phone is running out of juice.
Latest articles by Andrew Myrick
![Pokemon Yellow on Galaxy Fold with Game Boy Pocket and Pokemon cartridges](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/S9z73AYr6YqQmMuiVZuK6i-320-80.jpg)
Best Game Boy & Game Boy Advance emulators for Android 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Pika Pika! These emulators will turn your phone into a Game Boy to play all of your favorite classic games.
![Nvidia Shield TV](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hqzVszAeAhCWTZrDdcKrm4-320-80.jpg)
Best gaming controllers for NVIDIA Shield TV 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Take control Choose your favorite and hop into some games.
![Chromecast with Google TV HD with Android figures on table](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bUFjj9xqUWzhB8HtTgKZgH-320-80.jpg)
Best Android TV boxes 2024
By Joe Maring, Andrew Myrick, Namerah Saud Fatmi last updated
Stream with Google Android TV options are much more vast than previously, but it can be tough to sift through the bad ones to find suitable alternatives. So we found some of the best choices on the market!
![Acer Chromebook 514 Lightroom](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pb8iQydoif8HbLa9cgJXbE-320-80.jpg)
Best 'Works with Chromebook' accessories 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Accessorize your Chromebook Your Chromebook is a productivity machine, and staying productive wherever you are also means having the right accessories to complete the experience.
![Best Podcasts Apps Android Oct 2021 Hero](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RSBgG2ypMMHQqWDB7FDgza-320-80.jpg)
Best Podcast apps for Android 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Sublime listening There are plenty of great podcast Android apps, but if you want to use the best of the best, you'll find them in this roundup.
![Autofill Managers Android 11 Galaxy S](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5ds6RCWquzwzGFxy7YJDVK-320-80.jpg)
Best password manager for Android 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Everyone needs one Keeping your passwords and other information secure on your phone and computers is rule one for security, and these apps help you keep them well guarded.
![Spotify on the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 with headphones and earbuds next to them](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WmnvJ73Rpc4DnYjGjRXFhe-320-80.jpg)
Best music player apps for Android 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Sound of music If you like to listen to your favorite tunes using your Android phone or tablet, this list will help you pick the best app for the job. These are the best music player apps for Android, bar none.
![Women wearing JLab Go Air earbuds.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UYYui4koCqiLMg7raUjwCD-320-80.jpg)
Best earbuds with microphone under $20 in 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Cheap buds Talk is cheap with these buds.
![A Google Pixel 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, OnePlus 12, and Motorola Edge Plus 2023 alongside some plants](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ttBJyAZon9FvacLJZUBnf9-320-80.jpg)
Best refurbished phones 2024
By Andrew Myrick, Namerah Saud Fatmi last updated
Go green, save green Flagship phones are great. Paying full price for them isn’t. Refurbished phones let you get a flagship device for a fraction of the cost — and these are our favorites.
![The Google logo on a building](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UgZSrUeePuYDLmBCNdZVHW-320-80.jpg)
Google just changed forever
By Andrew Myrick published
This is huge A weird time for such a dramatic change.
![Razer Kishi Ultra lifestyle render](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oua3ERY3cPg8JwqbjiJpJA-320-80.jpg)
Razer Kishi Ultra offers everything to turn you into a pro mobile gamer
By Andrew Myrick published
Ultra gaming In a market that continues to expand and grow, the Razer Kishi Ultra attempts to stand out from the crowd. We'll have to see if it manages to follow-through on those promises.
![Acer Chromebook Plus 514 lifestyle render](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fvo9JynTJacVrE7rraA9bf-320-80.jpg)
Acer's first Chromebook of 2024 is perfect for students
By Andrew Myrick published
New Chromebook Plus! Acer has announced its first new Chromebook for 2024 with the Chromebook Plus 514. There's not too much to write home about, other than the fact that it will provide a well-rounded experience.
![Editing a photo using the Google Photos app on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 with an S Pen](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tpLGazfN5DAj2s5mgjS9mU-320-80.jpg)
Best photo editing apps for Android 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Picture perfect If you wish to remove objects or people from an otherwise great photo, the best photo editing apps for Android will let you do it easily, and for free.
![Turning the crown on the Google Pixel Watch 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PnHSbKEWSgsYou9iZNzpai-320-80.jpg)
How to automatically unlock your Pixel with Watch Unlock
By Andrew Myrick published
Keep it close Watch Unlock finally makes it possible for you to quickly unlock your Pixel phone, provided that you're wearing a Pixel Watch.
![Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review hero 16x9](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/anKJbR5PvnxeLuSxrVWhqK-320-80.jpg)
Samsung should make DeX the default on tablets
By Andrew Myrick published
Beyond the Alphabet The default launcher on tablets isn't a great experience, especially when it comes to multitasking. But Samsung is working on something that might change that.
![Pairing Bluetooth earbuds to Pixel Watch 2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ne7xvGzDXTyRC6Y5Ed5frg-320-80.jpg)
How to pair Bluetooth headphones to a Google Pixel Watch
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Leave the phone behind! If you want to leave your phone behind but still want to listen to music, you can actually pair your favorite Bluetooth headphones with the Pixel Watch directly.
![Close-up on Google Pixel Watch 2 sitting on keyboard](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fu5cTsiYymXSnZ8WBkHvHX-320-80.jpg)
First things to do with the Google Pixel Watch 2
By Andrew Myrick published
Get started The Google Pixel Watch 2 is a fantastic piece of hardware paired with ever-improving software. We've rounded up the first things to do with the Pixel Watch 2 to help get you started.
![Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JSWpEtXtpmh2kSKikBmvB-320-80.jpg)
Samsung is much better at updates, and Google should take note
By Andrew Myrick published
Beyond the Alphabet Google is turning into Samsung's sidekick, and not the other way around.
![Acer Chromebook Spin 714 review hero 16x9](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ivkSpvcBEnF7tVrN3Mcv9a-320-80.jpg)
Best student Chromebooks 2024
By Andrew Myrick published
In the classroom Whether you're shopping for an elementary school kid or your own college courses, these are the best student Chromebooks and Chromebook tablets for all ages.
![Smart speaker with Funko pops on table](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zWNFjbKsV7RjnCzZ48Eio7-320-80.jpg)
Best smart speaker 2024
By Andrew Myrick last updated
Intelligent audio If you're looking for a good, affordable smart speaker but don't know where to start, we get it. There are many options, so we compiled a list of some of our favorites to help you get started!
![NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3gzHC6msZYaVcZQ9fZ3NYm-320-80.jpg)
Best external drives for NVIDIA Shield TV Pro 2024
By Harish Jonnalagadda, Andrew Myrick last updated
Store more We've rounded up the best options for expanding your NVIDIA Shield TV Pro's storage, from standard external hard drives to thumb drives.
![Onyx Boox Page review hero 21x9](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ddoncQrFwCBttmaLrDQRJV-320-80.jpg)
The Onyx Boox Page is the ultimate reading companion
By Andrew Myrick published
Turn the Page There aren't very many 7-inch tablets worth consideration, but the Onyx Boox Page bucks that trend in a big way.
![Acer Chromebook Spin 714](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HhSjEAuqUAi9NfLeRbSw5B-320-80.jpg)
Chromebooks are about to change in a massive way
By Andrew Myrick published
Beyond the Alphabet We're getting closer and closer to Google releasing an update for Chromebooks that actually de-couples Chrome from the OS and replaces it with Lacros.