From a great app to make your email experience more efficient to a uniquely superb narrative-driven game, we’ve sifted through the most exciting new apps to bring you the ones you’ll want to download this weekend.
Check out our picks below. Trust us, this is the way you want to spend Sunday!
If you decided to pick up an Android Wear device instead of Apple Watch, you may have trouble using it with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Those who have upgraded to one of Apple’s latest smartphones have found they just don’t play nicely with Google’s wearable platform, despite the fact that their predecessors have no trouble connecting after being upgraded to the same iOS 10 software.
Google today rolled out a big update for its official iOS app, adding the ability to activate incognito mode, support for YouTube playback within search results, and more. The release makes the Google app “more private, video-friendly and stable,” the company says.
Google is expected to announce to new Pixel phones that will step up Android’s fight against the iPhone next month — and its assault on Apple won’t stop there.
According to a new report, the company is also planning a Pixel laptop powered by a new “Andromeda” operating system that will do battle with the MacBook. It could also steal some of its features, including the pressure-sensitive trackpad.
Apple has taken big strides to make Siri even greater in recent years, like bringing it to Apple TV and macOS, and opening it up to third-party developers. In that time, Apple’s virtual assistant has also gotten more accurate and more reliable.
But some might say third-party alternatives — particularly those from Google — are still a step ahead, with greater features and more flexibility. So, is Apple doing enough to make Siri just as stellar as Google Now and the new Google Assistant?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we go head-to-head over virtual assistants.
Your home’s Wi-Fi could soon be powered by Google, according to a new report that claims the search engine giant plans to get into the router business next month.
Instead of competing head-on with Apple’s AirPort Express, the new Google router will supposedly bring a slew of smart features to the home, allowing users to pair two or more routers together to fix your home’s shoddy Wi-Fi coverage.
Allo, the exciting new messaging platform from Google, landed on Android and iOS today — but you might want to think twice before you rush to download it. Every conversation you have with Allo will be logged by Google (unless you remember to go incognito).
Google is planning to replace its beloved Nexus smartphones with new devices that will fall into the Pixel brand. They’ll get their official unveiling on October 4, but new photos that have leaked out early suggest they look just like iPhone clones.
Planning where to go and what sights to see can take the fun out of a vacation, but Google’s new app is ready to handle all the heavy lifting for you.
Google Trips debuted today on both iOS and Android devices, putting a travel guide in your pocket everywhere you go.
Trips instantly plans each day of your vacation with just a few taps. You set the agenda based on what types of spots you’d like to visit and Google Trips shows you a variety of plans that hit up the most popular local gems.
Google just gave us yet another reason to use its excellent Google Photos app for iOS. Its latest update, version 2.0, gives iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users the ability to quickly turn their favorite Live Photos into shareable GIFs and video clips.
Apple, Amazon and Google are all in a battle to create the next great breakthrough with microphones in order to make their digital assistants more powerful.
While machine learning and artificial intelligence are getting all the hype lately, few industry analysts say microphone technology will play just as key a role in taking Siri and Alexa to a new level.
Astronauts and pilots are set to get their own emoji characters if Apple has its way.
The iPhone-maker recently submitted a request to the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee to add five more professions (artist, astronaut, firefighter, judge, and pilot) to the Emoji 4.0 update that is set to bring support for gendered emoji, a rainbow flag, and more.
Take a look at Apple’s proposed designs:
Negotiations between music streaming service Spotify and all three major record labels have hit a snag lately and Apple Music is a big reason why.
Spotify’s licensing agreements with Sony, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have reportedly been on a rolling month-by-month basis for much of 2016, yet the companies haven’t been able to hammer out long-term deals yet because Spotify isn’t willing to share as much revenue as Apple Music.
The second largest ride-hailing service in the U.S., Lyft, has reportedly been trying to find relief from its fierce competition by approaching Apple and other top tech companies regarding a possible acquisition.
The scourge of robocalls may be coming to an end, thanks to a new task force comprised of over 30 top tech companies, including Apple.
The U.S. government has enlisted the help of Apple, AT&T, Alphabet, Verizon, Comcast and others to crack down on unsolicited, automated, prerecorded phone calls that have become the most frequent complaint the U.S. Federal Communications Commission receives from citizens.
The release of Apple Maps with iOS 6 was so disastrous it led to the firing of Scott Forstall, former SVP of iOS, and to a rare public apology from CEO Tim Cook.
Almost four years on, Maps is in a very different place. Apple has worked hard to iron out the kinks and add new features that help the service compete with rivals like Google Maps. But is Apple Maps still the laughing stock of maps apps?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fights as we battle it out over the state of Apple Maps.
Google’s official Docs, Sheets and Slides apps for iOS finally support Split View multitasking on iPad, giving users the ability to compose reports and edit their spreadsheets while simultaneously using a second app.
iMessage is the only major messaging service that’s exclusive to one platform. According to Tim Cook, that’s because iMessage helps sell Apple devices — but does anyone actually buy an iPhone for iMessage alone?
Would it really hurt Apple if its popular messaging service went cross-platform? Lots of iPhone and iPad owners also use Android devices, and bringing the service to Google’s platform would provide them with a more seamless messaging experience.
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we throw virtual hands over whether Apple should bring iMessage to Android.
Mozilla is to begin automatically blocking unnecessary Flash content within its Firefox browser to provide users with a better web browsing experience. The move should boost browser performance and reduce the impact Firefox has on notebook battery life.
The U.S. Army Special Operations Command is planning to tell Android to stand down.
Charged with overseeing the Army’s elite special forces operations, the command is reportedly making a switch to iPhone because Android is unstable compared to iOS.
Pokémon hunters that have been running around the city trying to catch ’em all are putting themselves in danger and it has nothing to do with battling a level 50 Charizard.
By signing up to play Pokémon Go through Google, many iOS users have unknowingly exposed all of their emails, chats, calendars, documents and more to the game’s developer and third-parties.
The design of Google’s first-ever Nexus smartwatches may have just been revealed months ahead of schedule thanks to a new leaked image that claims to show the company’s wearable.
Google is planning to take on Apple Watch later this year with not one, but two smartwatches powered by its new Assistant technology. However, if this leak is the real deal, it doesn’t look like Apple has much to be worried about.
The first Google wearables look totally drab:
Alphabet-owned Google is planning to take another step toward becoming a genuine hardware company later this year with the release of its own smartwatch.
The search engine giant plans to take on Apple Watch directly, with not one, but two Android Wear smartwatches that will be deeply integrated with Google Assistant. Plus, it will pack some hardware features Apple Watch can’t match.
In an effort to compete with Apple Music, Google is offering a special July 4 four-month free trial of Play Music for users who live in the United States. The offer is available only to U.S. customers who haven’t previously signed up to the service.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren took shots at Apple, Google and Amazon during a speech in Washington today, claiming Silicon Valley’s big fish are making it impossible for the small fry to compete.
“The opportunity to compete must remain open for new entrants and smaller competitors,” said Warren. During her rant against Apple, the senator specifically mentioned the unfair advantages Apple Music enjoys against its competitors.
After the speech, Spotify rallied behind Warren with some Apple bashing of its own.