All Posts by Jerry Hildenbrand | Android Central

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All Posts by Jerry Hildenbrand

How to fix a broken Galaxy S7 edge screen

14 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 17 Jan 2017 9:35 am
Here's what you need to know if the screen on your Galaxy S7 edge breaks. Chances are you will break the screen on your phone one day. If it hasn't happened to you yet, you have it to look forward to. They're glass — which is pretty fragile — and we carry them around all day every day in our pocket or bag or even in our hand. No matter how careful you are, your phone is bumped and squished and...

How to fix a broken Galaxy S7 screen

16 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 16 Jan 2017 1:00 pm
Here's everything you need to know if you cracked the screen on your Galaxy S7. Broken screens happen. Mix a big piece of thin glass (no matter how many Gorillas were involved) and something that will be dropped and bumped and otherwise gently abused and the outcome is broken displays. If this happens to your Galaxy S7, you'll probably want to get it repaired or replaced. There are several...

Chromecast vs. Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?

67 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 15 Jan 2017 3:35 pm
Chromecast Ultra
If you're looking to buy a Chromecast, here's what you need to know. Google unveiled the new Chromecast Ultra at its October 2016 event in San Francisco, and while it doubles the price of the original Chromecast at $69, it packs quite a punch when it comes to its capabilities. It's still the small, easy to use, and affordable media streamer that people love, only designed for folks who want...

NVIDIA shows us all the right way to update a product line

50 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 14 Jan 2017 3:30 pm
When 'old' models get all the features from the new everyone wins. We expected a new Shield TV was in the works. The current model is one of the best Android products available and NVIDIA keeps it that way by constantly providing content and fine tuning the features and software. You can tell they care about the Shield name, and specifically a Shield set-top box. We didn't expect to see...

Bloomberg: Andy Rubin readying launch of new AI-focused phone

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Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 13 Jan 2017 5:17 pm
Andy Rubin
When the co-founder of Android makes a move, people pay attention. According to a report from Bloomberg, Android co-founder and Google Robotics pioneer Andy Rubin has a team that's going to build the next big deal — an artificial intelligence-centric smartphone and smart home products that work together.

How to install Kodi on an Amazon Fire TV Stick

43 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 13 Jan 2017 11:11 am
Kodi
The Fire TV Stick gets even better when you step outside of the Amazon App Store. Amazon's Fire TV Stick is really cheap, really easy to use and delivers a ton of content to any TV. That's why it's so popular. But it's also a small computer that can run Android apps, including apps that you get from somewhere besides the Amazon App Store. Like Kodi. Kodi is a video player. It can play local...

How to hide porn browsing history on your Chromebook

92 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 13 Jan 2017 7:00 am
ASUS Flip
Cover your tracks like a ninja with these tips for keeping your browsing habits private on your Chromebook. The internet is filled with naked sweaty people doing naked sweaty things. It's also used by folks who like to look at them — but don't really want anyone else to know about it. While there's not much you can do to make sure nobody can see where you've been and what you clicked on, you...

How to set up and use Chromecast Audio groups

29 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 12 Jan 2017 10:00 am
Put your music where you want to hear it by setting up Chromecast Audio groups. One of the coolest features of Chromecast Audio and the Google Home app is the grouping setting. If you have multiple Chromecast Audio or Google Cast-ready speakers, you can set things up so that you can cast audio to specific devices while others stay silent. For me, this reason alone makes the Chromecast Audio...

How to allow extensions in Incognito mode on your Chromebook and why you want to

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Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 12 Jan 2017 9:00 am
Sometimes being incognito just isn't enough. Chrome's Incognito mode is a great thing. It won't hide who you are on the internet but it does keep all traces of the websites you've visited out of your Google account and local browser storage. Sometimes, you want to keep those cookies and trackers from being stuck to you and your account. Reasons range from looking at porn to using a computer on...

Google says phone makers can't ruin Nougat's notifications if they want to get Google services

43 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 11 Jan 2017 4:25 pm
Notification reply in Nougat
A clarification of existing rules means everyone will get at least one feature from Android 7. It never fails that Google shows off something we think is pretty cool when they give us details about what the next Android version can do, then the people who make the phones don't include it. There is always that one thing. But it won't be the direct reply feature in Android 7 Nougat because...

What is HDR?

15 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 11 Jan 2017 8:00 am
Your phone takes HDR pictures and your TV shows HDR video. Here's what that means. HDR is a term that gets tossed around a lot, and it seems like it never really gets explained. It stands for High Dynamic Range, but it means different things depending on what exactly is being discussed. Let's break it down into simple terms so we all can understand what it means — and why it matters. You'll...

What to do with a broken phone to keep your data safe

27 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 10 Jan 2017 8:00 am
Can I protect the data on my broken phone? We try to make sure everyone knows the things they can do to make sure they know how to keep their personal data safe on an Android phone. What you do with the information is up to you, exactly as it should be. Only you know how valuable you think your personal information is.

Is a new Google Voice in the works?

42 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 9 Jan 2017 6:14 pm
Google Voice needs a little love and might be getting it. At least that's what Google tells us when we visit the Google Voice website. You'll see it near the top of the page if you direct yourself over to voice.google.com while you're signed into Chrome. If you're a Project Fi subscriber you'll need to click the link at the bottom of the page to get to the actual Google Voice site after it...

It's OK to be excited about Nokia making Android phones

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Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 9 Jan 2017 2:52 pm
We expected a Lumia running Android. What we got might be even better. The return of the Nokia name in the smartphone world when the Nokia 6 was announced by HMD Global wasn't really a surprise. In December 2016, HMD Global announced that they would be releasing multiple Android products under the Nokia brand starting in early 2017. It appears that HMD Global, a company that includes several...

Everything is smart: AI is officially the new cool thing

25 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 8 Jan 2017 5:08 pm
This weapon will be powerful, versatile and indestructible. It will feel no pain. No pity. No remorse. No fear. It will have only one purpose: to return to the present and prevent the future. This weapon will be called the Terminator. I love Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and everything that makes computers smarter. Let me qualify that and say I love the idea of it all. It's...

Samsung brings iOS compatibility to the latest Gear devices

21 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 7 Jan 2017 4:34 pm
Gear watches
The new Samsung Gear S app is available today in the Apple App Store. Samsung has announced that they have extended iOS compatibility to the latest Gear family of devices including the Gear S3, Gear S2, and Gear Fit2. You'll need to have an iPhone 5 or newer and be running iOS 9 or higher on it to use the new app, so most iPhones out there should be compatible. Starting today, users can...

Google Home: What's fit for the web isn't always something that should be read aloud

55 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 7 Jan 2017 1:35 pm
Google Home
Reading something is very different from hearing it spoken by a creepy robot. I've been thinking about something Phil showed me a while back. If you have a Google Home, ask it "What do sea otters do to baby seals?" and listen to the reply — but not with kids in the room. The family room means family friendly and not all families are the same. You get a long drawn out answer about how...

How to install Kodi on a Raspberry Pi

24 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 6 Jan 2017 11:54 am
Raspberry Pi
Kodi and a Raspberry Pi makes for one of the easiest and best media centers you can make yourself. Kodi is a great way to make your TV smart. It's the continuation of XBMC, a free and open-source application that is a great media player and complete replacement for just about any other media-centric software. It's not a streaming server or DVR. It's the software you use to watch video content...

How to get ADB and Fastboot utilities without installing the Android SDK

11 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 5 Jan 2017 6:25 pm
fastboot nexus 6P
You can now grab the current version of the Android platform tools directly from Google. Using adb and Fastboot to do things like flash an update or factory image to your Nexus or Pixel isn't that hard. But it still involves using a command line, and potentially making a bit of a mess. Google just made it a little easier. Previously, you had two choices — install the Android SDK to your...

The Gap's AR app makes your Tango phone a personal fashion coach

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Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 5 Jan 2017 4:37 pm
The Gap's augmented reality experience on the ASUS ZenFone AR shows that AR doesn't always mean sci-fi. */ /*-->*/ When we think about augmented reality, we tend to get off the rails and picture something like holograms and Death Star missile turrets. But the truth is that AR has some really practical uses, too. This short clip of an app from the Gap on the ASUS ZenFone AR shows...

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