OK, this is getting ridiculous. It was already going to be a confusing enough landscape with Android Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay without the banks coming up with their own contactless payment systems as well. But that’s exactly what Barclays Bank in the UK has done, announcing it will release a banking app in June with support for a “Contactless Mobile” payment system.
Android Pay vs Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay: Pros and cons
It’s a good time to be looking for a cell phone carrier. Not only are unlimited plans now the norm, but carriers are throwing perks at you to convince you to join. T-Mobile has been on the warpath for years now with plans like Carrier Freedom and #getoutofthered. AT&T recently joined the fray by offering up free HBO to its customers. That, in turn, made T-Mobile offer free Netflix and Sprint offer up free Hulu.
Skylanders fans everywhere can rejoice, as Skylanders Ring of Heroes has brought the iconic toys-to-life franchise to your mobile device. This new title is the product of a collaboration between Activision and seasoned mobile developer Com2uS, but does it live up to the Skylander legacy? Keep reading to find out!
Simple but functional story The story in Skylanders Ring of Heroes isn’t much of a departure from the other games in the beloved franchise.
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Blackview’s P10000 Pro sports a huge 11,000mAh battery that promises seven days of use. The battery also promises 50 days of standby. That is more than the average laptop or tablet. Thanks to more advanced processors, it has become harder for a smartphone to have truly horrendous battery life. Still, there is still something to be said for sticking a gigantic battery in a phone and calling it a day.
Google confirmed in October that older Pixel phones will be getting the coveted Astro mode. Now, users on Reddit (via 9to5Google) are reporting that their Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a smartphones are indeed receiving the Google Camera app update through the Play Store.
Apple and Google prove camera software is more important than megapixels
Features
The new Astro mode on older Pixel phones will be part of Night Sight and will auto-detect very dark shots.
US Cellular will soon be spreading their wings a bit. This news comes by way of a recently announced partnership with Walmart and means those shopping for US Cellular services or devices will soon have quite a few additional retail locations to visit. More to the point, Walmart will soon begin selling US Cellular post-paid services and devices at “more than” 460 locations across the country.
And for those thinking that something sounds familiar with US Cellular and Walmart, back in May they announced U Prepaid, which is a no-contract wireless service offering.
I doubt I’m the first to tell you that smartphones are getting expensive. Shocking, I know. But it’s a fact we’re all coming to terms with, and companies are starting to see the difficulties of increased prices. That’s why I’m surprised Google has yet to create a Pixel upgrade program.
If you don’t upgrade your phone too often or buy from different online stores or carriers every time, you might not be aware of the benefits of buying from companies like Samsung or Apple.
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Users on Reddit discovered that the Samsung Chromebook Plus can now run Linux apps. This makes it the second Chromebook to have the ability, with the other being the Pixelbook. Getting Linux apps on the Chromebook Plus involves using experimental versions of the OS and applications. However, the only Chromebook that supported Linux apps when Google announced the feature was the Pixelbook – probably the most expensive Chromebook on the market.
If you’re looking for some new music to add to your digital library, we have some good news for you. Beginning Thursday, December 24th at 12:01 am, The Beatles will be available on many of the most popular music streaming services out there. Google Play Music, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music are among the nine streaming services to get The Beatles this holiday season. The full list can be found below:
Fall is upon us and the Thanksgiving holiday season (and all the numerous sales and discounts that arrive around that time of year) is getting ever closer. As was the case every single year, smartphone manufacturers are gearing up right about this time to provide the “best and latest” of the Android ecosystem, in an attempt to gain a place in the smartphone consumer’s heart, mind and wallet.
Some manufacturers have already laid out their cards, while some are preparing to do so in the next couple of weeks.