Thin this, ultra svelte that. So what? Sure, we all love thin – but if it sacrifices overall functionality – or even more importantly – battery life, then consumers get downright angry. A recent JD Power survey revealed that people’s chief concern is with battery life or lack thereof. The race towards thinness is simply not in line with what consumers want. While it serves as a great marketing message, much like “quad core” does, it actually ends up hurting consumers by forcing them to remain near the ‘ol outlet.

Echo users can communicate with each other using calls and messages, but the online retailer claims people have been requesting a feature that takes communication to another level. Amazon introduced “drop-in” via the Echo Show, which pretty much turns the unit into an intercom system for your home. Said device will be launching in just a couple days, but Amazon is not waiting to bring this feature to its other main digital assistant speakers.

AT&T has written a letter to customers and the Vermont attorney general detailing a data breach from within their own company. In August, an AT&T employee obtained customer account information including social security and driver license numbers. It is not known how many customers were affected although some are guessing that it could be as much as 1,600 customers (per Re/code). The employee has since been fired and criminal charges are expected in the near future.

Is there no end to places where you can find Android? Not only is our favorite mobile operating system found in phones, tablets, media players and mini HDMI sticks, to name a few, but it is now coming to the humble light switch.bRight switch is a crowd sourcing funded project, which just reached its funding level, that plans to replace the light switches in your home with Android powered touchscreen devices. The primary function of the bRight switch is to act as – yes you guessed it – a light switch.

TL;DR Amazon took $30 off the Fire HD 8, lowering the price of the base model to $50. The Fire HD 8 sports an 8-inch display and offers 16 GB of storage. The discount is only available for around eight more hours. As heavy-handed as the Amazon software might be, the Fire HD 8 still stands as one of the better Android tablet options out there. The recent $30 price cut lowers that great option to $50, but you will have to be quick— the discount is only available for around eight more hours.

Well that didn’t take long. Developers are already porting Oculus Rift exclusive games to the rival platform HTC Vive virtual reality headset. As you probably know, the launch titles for both VR units contain a few overlaps, but, like Xbox and Playstation, each platform also has its own exclusives not available on the other platform. Well, until now, that is. Wireless VR vs tethered VR: which is best for you? Features

Facebook has been hesitant with the idea of bringing animated GIFs to the News Feed, arguing this could create too many distractions from what really matters (as if those autoplay videos don’t do the same). Times are changing and Mark Zuckerberg did say a GIF button for comments was in the works; today we are hearing testing could begin next week. Sources tell TechCrunch this button will allow users to browse and search through GIFs from sources like Giphy and Tenor.

After months of waiting, Galaxy S8 owners across the globe might just receive Bixby Voice in advance of the Galaxy Note 8 launch next Wednesday, with multiple app updates rolling out as of yesterday. While Samsung has yet to enable Bixby Voice functionality across the board, the code should now be in place for when the time comes. Some users in Germany (although not me) are reporting the ability to use dictation with Bixby already and at least one user was told Voice would be enabled on August 22.

The Google Play Store is a dependable source of content as it is, but it is also true some developers don’t follow the best practices when publishing their apps. This is why the Search Giant has updated its metadata rules page, with examples of how to make your app more relevant and appropriate. Developers should keep in mind following these standards are to be taken seriously, and infringing on these regulations may cause their apps to be taken down.

ifixit The Moto X autopsy revealed some interesting build choices New phone, fresh iFixit teardown: This time, it’s the Moto X’s turn on the slab. Many applaud the fresh take on the Moto X design cues, and those that have used it start to appreciate the software polishes. This isn’t about any of those, though. This is about the most derided part of the X: the hardware. For a new device, the Moto X is easily labelled with the “less than” tag in regard to hardware.