Syncing open tabs is easy in Google Chrome. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Did you know that it’s incredibly easy to access open Chrome tabs on your Android and iOS device? So if you’re reading an article on your computer and you have to dash out, you can access it later while you’re on the go without having to search for it again, type in a URL, or email links to yourself.
Have you got yours yet? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The new Apple TV is here, and there’s no doubt it’s the best set-top box we’ve seen from Cupertino, with powerful new hardware and the tvOS operating system, Siri integration — and most importantly, support for third-party apps and games.
If you’re into movies and TV shows, or playing the greatest iOS games on your big screen, the new Apple TV is probably at the top of your wish-list if you haven’t already bought one. But how does it compare to the other products Apple has launched this year? Is it better than the rest?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over that very question!
Bendgate is back, and this time, it’s an Android device that’s at the center of it.
Google’s brand new Nexus 6P, which is being dubbed the company’s best smartphone by critics and consumers, is nowhere near as durable as it is pretty. Check out the video below in which the device scratches, cracks, burns, and bends surprisingly easily.
Android Pay just one-upped Apple Pay with its Coca-Cola loyalty reward partnership. Photo: Coca-Cola
Android Pay, the newest kid on the block in mobile phone payments, has found a way to get people using their smartphones to pay for goods and services: loyalty reward systems.
Like similar retail, grocery and airline programs, Android Pay will soon include points for specific purchases to encourage us all to use our smartphones more and more to pay for the stuff we already buy.
Coke is the first program up, according to Google exec Sridhar Ramaswamy, with points to earn each time you use Android Pay to buy a Coke through any one of some 20,000 NFC-enabled Coca-Cola vending machines. You’ll get points that will let you get free Coke, Coca-Cola gets to know where and when people are buying its products and Google gets people to use Android Pay. It’s win-win-win.
As smartwatches grow in popularity, the Apple Watch will continue to be the hands-on - or wrist-on - favorite. Photo: AppleApple Watch is the coolest wearable yet, apparently. Photo: Apple
Apple Watch is by far the most successful smartwatch to date in terms of sales, so perhaps it’s no surprise that Apple has been voted the “coolest wearables brand” by smartphone users.
The Cupertino company not only beat technology rivals like Samsung and LG to the top of the list, but also high-end watchmakers and fashion brands like TAG Heuer, Rolex, and Ralph Lauren.
YouTube is going ad-free, for a price. Photo: Google
Google revealed that it’s getting into the subscription video streaming game today with the introduction of YouTube Red.
The new $9.99-per-month service will give customers ad-free access to all of YouTube’s content, but the company plans to charge customers extra if they sign up through iOS.
Nexus 5X is insanely fast at reading your prints. Photo: SuperSaf TV
Fingerprint scanners on Android devices have been hit-or-miss (mostly miss) in recent years, but they’re getting a whole lot better. There’s no better example of that than the new Nexus 5X, which is even faster at recognizing your print than the new Touch ID sensor in iPhone 6s.
There's a new collaboration tool in town. Will it survive? Photo: Dropbox
Dropbox has just entered the competitive space of online collaboration software, and it hopes to overcome its late start with a simple, intuitive tool called Paper.
Currently in private beta, Dropbox’s Paper is part Google Docs and part Slack, which just goes to show you how late the company is — describing a new product with an already ubiquitous competitor is never a sure sign of success.
Ok Google is listening… and recording. Photo: Google
Google is incredibly accurate at understanding voice searches, which makes it super useful on mobile when you might want to find information without using your hands. But did you know that the company records every single voice search you make?
What’s more, you can listen back to each and every one.
Prepare for better browsing on mobile. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Google wants to make your mobile browsing experience better than ever with its new Accelerated Pages Project. The company hopes to dramatically improve the performance of the mobile web so that pages, videos, animations, and graphics load “instantaneously.”
Apple TV 4 brings iOS apps to the big screen. Photo: Apple
The most popular online retailer in the world, Amazon, is using its e-commerce powers to put the hurt on Apple and Google’s streaming devices in order to prop-up the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV stick.
In an email sent to marketplace sellers, Amazon told employees it will stop selling Apple TV and Google Chromecast. No new listings for the devices are allowed, and all other existing inventory is scheduled to be removed by October 29th.
Should the Nexus 6P be your next smartphone? Photo: Google
Following their big unveiling in San Francisco this morning, Google’s new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are now available for pre-order. But should you buy one, or is your hard-earned cash better spent elsewhere?
To help you decide, here’s a handy comparison that shows you how Google’s latest devices stack up against the competition from Apple, Samsung, LG, Motorola, and more.
New design, new features, new Chromecast. Photo: Google
Google’s inexpensive TV dongle is finally getting a much needed update today as the tech giant revealed two brand new Chromecast models at its press event in San Francisco. Google also loosed a redesigned Chromecast app, Photos support, and Spotify for the video device. The newly-designed TV-centric Chromecast dongle (which comes with an integrated HDMI cable) and a brand-new audio device named Chromecast Audio (also in an delightful dongle design), are both available starting today for $35 each.
We didn’t expect to see a new tablet from Google today, but we got one, and it wasn’t a Nexus.
It’s called the Pixel C, and it’s a 10.2-inch slate that hopes to take on devices like the Microsoft Surface and Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro with a detachable keyboard and a focus on productivity.
Apple chief Tim Cook (that's not him in the photo) will talk iOS 9 and the future of work at the BoxWorks conference today in San Francisco. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
SAN FRANCISCO — Will Tim Cook do anything to steal Google’s thunder?
The Apple CEO is back at the Moscone Center, this time for BoxWorks 2105, the annual gathering of customers and developers for enterprise cloud storage company Box.
It’s a rare speaking gig for Cook, who tends to limit his engagements to just a few high-profile events a year. While big and successful, Box’s conference is hardly one of the marquee events on the tech calendar. Unless it falls on the same exact day Google is announcing new products at its big Nexus media event.
“He’s f****ing with Google,” said one analyst in the press room when asked why Cook chose this event.
Cook is likely to talk up the new iPad Pro and Apple’s enterprise efforts, which include partnering with IBM and Cisco. Read on to see what he says. We’re liveblogging the event. Cook will be onstage at 9 a.m. Pacific.
Google’s Nexus event is starting soon! Photo: Google
After months of leaks and speculation, Google’s new Nexus smartphones are almost here. In just one hour, the company will kick off its big keynote in San Francisco to announce the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P — and maybe even more.
You can follow the whole thing in our liveblog right here starting at 9 a.m. Pacific.
New acoustic models make Google's voice search better than ever. Photo: Cult of Android
Google voice searches just got faster and more accurate, thanks to new acoustic models that provide better voice recognition, especially in noisy environments.
Blocking contacts in Gmail is simple. Photo: GoogleBlocking contacts in Gmail is simple. GIF: Google
Google has added two awesome new features to Gmail that every email client should provide: the option to block contacts you don’t want to hear from, and the ability to instantly unsubscribe from mailing lists you no longer with to be a part of.
Is it fair to compare (adoption rates)? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
iOS 9 has been out for two days, and it’s already running on more than 20 percent of compatible devices, according to the latest data. In comparison, Google’s latest Android release, version 5.1 Lollipop, is running on just 5.1 percent of devices ten months after it made its public debut.
These figures highlight the staggering difference between updates on Android and iOS. But is it fair to compare adoption figures between these two platforms, and do users really care?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Androidand Cult of Mac as we battle it out over this very topic!
Eric Schmidt probably isn't an Apple Music listener. Photo: D9
Surprise, surprise! Former Google CEO and current Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt has a bone to pick with Apple Music.
In an article published over the weekend, Schmidt takes what appears to be a shot at Apple over its choice to embrace human curation for its streaming service.
Get ready for Android Pay. Photo: GoogleGet ready for Android Pay. Photo: Google
Android Pay has begun rolling out to users with support at more than 1 million locations throughout the U.S.
The Apple Pay competitor, which was first unveiled at Google I/O back in May, is available on NFC-equipped smartphones running Android 4.4 KitKat and above, and it’s compatible with a whole host of banks and credit card providers.
Samsung's new smartwatch could hit Apple Watch where it really hurts. Photo: SamsungSamsung’s new smartwatch could hit Apple Watch where it really hurts. Photo: Samsung
Samsung’s new Gear S2 smartwatch is its first to support third-party Android devices, and the South Korean company is reportedly looking extend its reach even further by supporting rival platforms, too.
Google Street View is no longer hidden away inside Google Maps; it now has its very own app on Android and iOS, which offers immersive 360-degree imagery, and allows you to contribute your own.
More and more these days, mobile websites will pop up a prompt to download an app associated with the site. This “app install interstitial” hides most of the actual web page and bugs users to essentially stop browsing the web and head to an app store and install an app. App install prompts suck.
“Our analysis shows that it is not a good search experience,” Google asserts in a new blog post, “and can be frustrating for users because they are expecting to see the content of the web page.”
As of Tuesday, web masters can use Google’s updated Mobile-Friendly Test page or Google’s mobile usability tools to find out if they have any offending pages.