TL;DR Calm.com licensed the audio stream of “The Joy of Painting” to help you fall asleep. While it’s not a Bob Ross app, it’s the only legitimate way to listen to Ross while you doze off. The Calm app will eventually bring more Bob Ross audio should this first phase prove successful. Calm.com – which created the popular Android app Calm which is geared towards relaxing and meditation – just announced a new app feature called Sleep Stories, via The New York Times.

Which is the best Android smartphone SoC for 2016? We test the Snapdragon 821, the Exynos 8890, the MediaTek Helio X25, and the Kirin 960 to see which one is best. But before looking at these chips, let’s start with a high level look at mobile processor technology. What is a SoC?In the past the most important component was the CPU (Central Processing Unit), it was the brains of any computer system and all the other necessary peripherals were found in auxiliary chips connected to the CPU.

TL;DR Security researchers found that some Chinese phones (most notably Tecno-made) shipped with money-stealing malware. It subscribed users to paid services and couldn’t even be removed. The phone maker blamed it on a vendor in the supply chain. Secure-D and BuzzFeed News have learned that some low-cost Tecno W2 phones shipped to countries around the world infected with malware meant to steal money from customers. The Triada and xHelper software would quietly download apps and subscribe to paid services.

If you’ve been having problems listening to music through headphones on your Galaxy S4 then you’re not alone. A lot of other users have been complaining on Reddit and XDA about a strange audio clipping issue occurring on their handsets. The problem seems to be affecting users with Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 powered handsets who are plugging in low-impedance (sub 16 ohm) headphones into the smartphone’s 3mm jack. The issue manifests as an irritating buzzing or crackling sound if the volume is turned up past a certain point, but the exact cause has been a little harder to diagnose.

There’s plenty of wearables and activity trackers out there, but very few of them can strike a balance between functionality, build quality and price. If they are not too basic, they are expensive, or they are ugly. Looking for the right activity tracker? Lucky for you, the AA Deals Store currently has an offer on a great wearable. The Striiv Fusion is usually priced at $100, but right now you can grab it for only $53.

David Imel / Android Authority The lack of an integrated 5G modem inside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor has drawn criticism from some pundits, especially given that rival chips boast this feature and Qualcomm has an integrated 5G modem in its mid-range Snapdragon 765. Ideally, an integration solution provides the best possible area, cost, and energy efficiency, but another year with an external solution certainly isn’t the disaster some are insinuating.

Google first introduced long press actions back in Android Nougat, but today they are looking to expand upon them with the introduction of Notification Dots. These dots essentially show you when you have messages and notifications on your various applications, and allow you to preview them and quick launch the app if you want to respond. Nova Launcher has had this as a paid setting for quite a while now, but it’s good to see the option baked in natively through the Pixel launcher.

TL;DR Montblanc has announced the availability of its Summit Lite smartwatch in the US. The Montblanc Summit Lite packs a recycled aluminum body. It’s also powered by the Snapdragon 3100 SoC, features custom health apps, and runs on Wear OS. After making its debut in Europe earlier this year, the Montblanc Summit Lite is finally available in the US. The latest Wear OS smartwatch from the German luxury brand intends to target wealthier fitness and sustainability-conscious consumers with the Summit Lite.

Do you tend to drop your phone in the bathroom sink (or worse, in the you know what) a lot? Do you leave your device on charge for hours at end? If yes, you risk messing up your phone by plugging in a cable too soon or overheating the device by leaving it plugged in too long. With Android 10, Google is promising help in this regard. Baked into Android 10 is a feature that will disable the USB port on your phone if it detects liquid or debris.

Smartphones generally don’t hold their trade-in value after a few years, but phones from some brands do hold their value more than others. Now, a new study has revealed the big winners and losers. Trade-in company BankMyCell has published a report which found that iPhones typically lose 45.46% of their value after two years. Meanwhile, the average Android flagship loses 45.18% of its value after just a single year, and 71.41% of its total value after two years.