LG KS360 - no Android version coming Many sites have been re-hashing a loosely worded story posted by T3.com that stated that LG’s KS360 QWERTY slider would be re-released with the Android OS this summer as LG’s first Android powered device. This didn’t sit well with me for a number of reasons.  Firstly, it simply makes no sense to release the same device a year later with only a new OS.

Xiaomi’s low-end Redmi phones are usually among the best devices in the sub-$150 tier, with recent Redmi phones offering big batteries and several other neat features. Now, frequent leaker Sudhanshu has revealed apparent Redmi 9 series details on Twitter, and they say we’ll see four phones in the family. These four phones are said to be the Redmi 9A, Redmi 9C, Redmi 9C with NFC, and the Redmi 9. Starting with the Redmi 9A, Sudhanshu reports that the phone will be equipped with an unannounced MediaTek Helio G25 processor and Mali-G31 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, and a single 13MP rear camera.

Update (02/22): Registration for Google I/O 2018 is now open to the general public, but tickets will not come cheap. You must have a Google account or Gmail address to register. Also, keep in mind that I/O uses a raffle system, so there is no guarantee that you will walk away with a ticket. A payment pre-authorization will be made on your payment method, but you will only be charged if you are selected.

While the Canadian market has had it for a while now, the entry-level Samsung Galaxy Discover is now making its way to the United States via the prepaid carriers Straight Talk and Net10. For those that don’t know, the Discover is a very basic smartphone powered by an 800MHz Qualcomm processor with just a 3.5-inch HVGA display. Other specs for the Discover include 2.7GB storage, microSD for expansion, a 3MP camera and a 1300mAh battery.

Update, August 14, 2018 (11:15AM EST): Samsung has fixed the problem listed below with Samsung-branded wearables not linking correctly with the Samsung Gear Android app. Along with the fix, Samsung also rebranded the app to Galaxy Wearable, furthering the company’s ambitions to do away with the Gear branding. After updating to the new Galaxy Wearable app, you will finally be able to use your Samsung smartwatches, headphones, and fitness bands with your Android 9.

There are those who look for the best possible performance from their smartphone or tablet. There are those who want the most elegant, the thinnest and lightest gadgets. Devices with high-res screens have themselves their share of fans, no matter if they come with the best hardware or not. Finally, there are (a couple of) people who couldn’t care less about performance, portability or display clarity, but put a very big price on sturdiness and ruggedness.

Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer announced that it will be increasing the production of its TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch, in order to meet the anticipated (heavy) demand. Despite carrying a luxurious $1,500 price tag, making it the most expensive Android Wear based smartwatch, retailers and subsidiaries have collectively received requests for over 100,000 watches. The Swiss company’s first smartwatch is modelled after the classic Carrera model, and was initially being referred to as the Carrera Wearable 01.

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority The planet came to a grinding halt last week as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram all went offline. The issue was caused by a troublesome configuration change, a blip that might’ve cost Facebook and its properties big in terms of revenue and users. Telegram announced soon after that it added 70 million users to its ranks in the wake of the crash, and we imagine other WhatsApp rivals like Signal also onboarded their fair share.

Last week Google introduced the first four Android apps for Chromebooks, promising more apps would be on their way in the near future. While four apps is a start, what if you could take just about any Android app and install it on your Chrome OS device? That’s exactly what developer Vladikoff’s ‘hack’ lets you do. The new hack uses a small Javascript script, which basically lets you take any Android APK and package it up for side-loading (for lack of a better term) onto the Chromebook.

Back in January, Google put the kibosh on its controversial Glass Explorer program, and that got the tech world wondering if it was the end of Glass for good. Despite the rumors regarding the Glass shutdown, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt says the headset is a long-term project, and was put under Tony Fadell’s oversight “to make it ready for users”. Schmidt explains: It is a big and very fundamental platform for Google. We ended the Explorer program and the press conflated this into us canceling the whole project, which isn’t true.