Does wiping your old Android phone’s data truly protect your privacy?
A new report from Avast cautions us to think carefully about how protected our data is before we resell our smartphones and tablets. According to their research, out of the 20 used phones that the anti-virus company purchased from Ebay, they were able to recover 40,000 photos (nude pics, too), 750 emails and texts, 250 contacts, the identity of four of the phone’s past owners, a nearly complete loan application and a lot more.
How to enable the OK, Google hotword from all screens (rooted KitKat only)
Last week Google rolled out an update to its Search app that brought an awesome piece of functionality – the ability to use the “OK, Google” hotword from any screen, without having to switch to Google Now first.
Speed up Chrome for Android with this simple tweak
Chrome for Android is one of the fastest and most feature-rich browsers for Android. But a persistent problem has ruined Google’s mobile browser for many users – janky scrolling. Especially since Google replaced the AOSP Browser with Chrome as the default browser on new Android devices, people have been complaining about a perceived lag when scrolling through web pages (except simple ones) or swiping and resizing. And it’s not a problem of hardware, as the old Browser was consistently performing better in this area even on two-year old devices.
New Nokia 3310 3G Rumor Killed By HMD Global
The Nokia 3310 (2017) feature phone was formally announced in late February with a Q2 release date. It was unveiled as a handset with 2G connectivity (well, 2.5G, technically), although a recent Nokia 3310 price spot indicated that a 3G version could also become available. However, after a rush of initial excitement, the rumor of a 3G model has now been killed by HMD Global.
14 First things every LG G6 owner should do
We’ve already shared our unboxing, battery life in the first 24 hours, and sample photos from the LG G6. Now it’s time to get started with some tips. LG took a step back from the LG G5 and simplified things, but that doesn’t mean the G6 is lacking in features. There’s a ton of stuff you can do with this phone. Before you do anything, start with these first things.
Official: Xiaomi Mi 6 Will Be Announced On April 19
Xiaomi has just officially confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi 6 is coming on April 19. Some sources misinterpreted Xiaomi’s Weibo (Chinese social network) post yesterday, and assumed that the Mi 6 will be announced today, but that won’t be the case. Xiaomi has now official announced the Mi 6 event which will be held in Beijing. If you take a look at the provided image, you’ll be able to see Xiaomi’s official teaser image.
9 nifty Gboard for Android tricks you need to try
Translate as you type, call up the numeric keypad whenever you want, get a dedicated row of number keys, and more.
The only problem with Google’s Gboard keyboard for Android is that I’m totally hooked on its best features. Number and symbol shortcuts above each key? Gotta have ’em. One-handed mode? Ditto. Swipe to delete? Love it, need it.
Read on for nine of the niftiest Gboard features, from dedicated number rows and an on-demand numeric keypad to “neural” translations and a long-press shortcut for oft-used symbols.
Accessories for the Galaxy S8
If you’re thinking about picking up one of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus handsets, then you may want to check out some of the accessories that Samsung plans to sell alongside them. Samsung has a catalogue of the familiar case varieties alongside a couple of new items and some upgrades to its power accessories.
Samsung killing the physical home button
Since the original Galaxy S, the physical home button has been a staple of Samsung’s flagship Android smartphones, a key part of the company’s mobile design language, and a tactile feature prefered by many. The arrival of the Galaxy S5 saw the home button take on a new role as the hub for the company’s fingerprint scanner, making the feature a key part of Samsung’s Knox security platform as well.
6 ways to maximize the Android phone dialer
Rearrange speed-dial contacts, get phone numbers for nearby businesses, duck spam calls, and more.
Whether you’re trying to avoid telemarketers or you want to share a crazy voicemail you just received, the “stock” phone dialer on your Android phone has some pretty clever tricks up its sleeves.
Not only can the Android phone dialer warn you of spam callers and share a voicemail message via Gmail, Google Drive, or Dropbox, it can also suggest phone numbers based on your location, help you organize or delete shortcuts to “favorite” callers, let you customize your own “quick” text responses for declined callers, and more.
