iMessage apps aren’t all about stickers. They’re also a neat and handy way to share information from your favorite regular apps. And in iOS 11, they’ve become a lot easier to use. In iOS 10, iMessage apps required several taps just to get to a list to choose what you wanted. In iOS 11, there’s a brand-new dock at the bottom of the app which lets you quickly swipe and tap to the exact app you want, even if you have a lot of them active.

The most impressive feature of Google’s new Pixel Buds might not be their audio quality. As demonstrated during the Pixel 2 event today, they work as a real-time translation tool when combined with one of Google’s new phones.

“With Pixel Buds, I can use real-time Google Translate to have a natural conversation in 40 languages,” Google hardware product manager Juston Payne said during the event. “We’re letting you connect with the world around you in a more natural way, by rethinking how a headphone should work, connecting it to cloud-based machine learning and giving you access with the touch of a finger.”

Google’s new Home Max smart speaker wants to hit Apple’s upcoming HomePod where it hurts: in the ears and in the brains.

Home Max promises high-end audio, thanks to “premium hardware” and Google’s perpetual strong suit — artificial intelligence.

Google’s newest smartphone lineup just got its official unveiling. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are a decent upgrade over their predecessors, with improved designs and better internals.

But they certainly don’t give Apple or the iPhone anything to worry about.

Google’s Chrome OS platform is finally exciting, thanks to the new Pixelbook.

It sports a premium design that’s incredible thin and light, and powerful hardware that you won’t find in another Chromebook. It’s also compatible with the new Pixelbook Pen, which makes light work of annotating documents, finding information, and more.

Getting acquainted with the powerful Google Assistant is now more affordable than ever before, thanks to the new Home Mini speaker.

It has all the power of the regular Google Home, but it’s smaller and much more affordable to take on devices like the Echo Dot. You can pre-order yours today ahead of its official launch on October 17.

Sonos’ new voice-activated Sonos One smart speaker will work with Amazon’s Alexa assistant when it ships later this month, and will add support for Apple’s new AirPlay 2 streaming protocol next year.

The new smart speaker, which will ship Oct. 24, places an emphasis on high-end audio. With its $199 price point and promised compatibility with multiple platforms, it should put pressure on Apple’s upcoming HomePod, which costs nearly twice as much.

No matter how high tech our cars get, they still depend on the low tech reality of keys in your pocket. If you forget your keys, there’s no app for avoiding the hike back to get them. But here’s a great new tool that can avoid that headache altogether.

Google’s popular Pixel smartphones turn 1 today. To celebrate the birthday, the company plans to unveil two new models that will compete with iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be confirmed during a special event that kicks off at 9 a.m. Pacific today. You can watch the whole thing live right here.

Breathe new life into your existing Apple Watch or customize your new Series 3 with a cool, contemporary nylon band inspired by the original NATO strap of the 1970s. Best yet, these bands compare in quality to Apple’s nylon offering, and cost ten bucks less.

Nyloon started with the goal of making high-quality versions of the NATO straps created by the British Ministry of Defence in 1973. The result is a line of sporty, versatile and easily interchangeable nylon bands that sell fast.

Check out Watch Store’s full lineup of Nylon bands for Apple Watch, and read on to learn more about Nyloon’s must-have strap.

Ahead of season two of its Stranger Things hit series, Netflix has released a new RPG-style Stranger Things game, available now on iPhone and iPad.

Check out its pleasingly retro trailer below.

Apple is allowing select publishers to test Google DoubleClick ads on its News platform, according to a new report.

It’s said to be part of a plan to make the News app more lucrative for publishing partners, with many disappointed with its existing monetization opportunities.

The European Commission is continuing its battle with Silicon Valley tech giants by taking Ireland to court, demanding that it reclaim a $17.6 billion tax payment it is owed by Apple.

In addition, it is demanding that Amazon pay it 250 million euros ($294 million) on the grounds that is has enjoyed an illegal “sweetheart deal” in Luxembourg.

With no sign of the next George R.R. Martin book on the horizon, and the end in sight for the acclaimed TV show adaptation, Game of Thrones need to get their songs of fire and ice wherever they can.

Fortunately, Warner Brothers has delivered in this area by finally announcing a release date for the upcoming mobile game Game of Thrones: Conquest. Developed by Turbine, Conquest is an MMO strategy game, set to land in the App Store later this month. Check out the trailer below.

Apple stores probably aren’t your first port of call when it comes to picking up toys, but it’s the only place you’ll be able to purchase one particular new toy made by the manufacturer Seedling.

Seedling’s brand new Parker the bear is described as the world’s first augmented reality teddy bear. Intended for kids three years and up, the bear serves as both a cuddly companion and an all-important child-friendly introduction to the world of ARKit.

Yahoo’s huge security breach was already considered the largest hack ever when it was revealed at the end of last year, but it appears to have been even worse than the company originally knew.

In a new filing with the SEC, Yahoo, which is now part of Oath, disclosed that all of its approximately 3 billion accounts were impacted by the breach. If you’re still using an old Yahoo password, now is a really good time to change it.

The long wait for Apple’s peer-to-peer payments feature in iOS 11 may soon be over.

Apple employees have allegedly begun testing the Apple Pay Cash feature internally, according to a new report that reveals details on what the setup process is like as well as how to send money to your contacts.

Paul Otellini, the former CEO of Intel, who had a huge influence on helping Apple make the transition away from AMD processors on its Mac lineup, died earlier this week.

Otellini passed away in his sleep on Monday, Oct. 2 at the age of 66. He was the fifth CEO of Intel and helped the company make some huge strategic adjustments that helped it maintain its lead as the world’s premier manufacturer of computer CPUs.

Portrait mode on the iPhone does a very serviceable job of blurring out a distracting background. A new app makes it easy to remove the background entirely.

Depth Background Eraser, made for iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus and the soon-to-be-released iPhone X, uses the depth data stored in a photo to let your inner artist easily remove any background.

iPhone and iPad users received a surprise update from Apple today in the form of iOS 11.0.2.

The new update was never seeded to developers for beta testing, but it appears to come with some much-needed bug fixes and performance improvements for Apple’s mobile devices.

An email supposedly sent by Apple CEO Tim Cook to address this week’s Las Vegas shooting appears to be fake.

The message, purportedly sent to all Apple employees, called on them to stay strong in the wake of Sunday’s horrific attack, which left more than 50 dead.

Google has updated its official YouTube app for iOS to give fans the ability to find and share their favorite videos directly through an iMessage app. That means you no longer have to switch apps to find a funny clip during a conversation.

Things happen in cycles, and portable music is no exception. After records, tapes and CDs came the iPod. The iPod shuffle took the form of a small, screenless clicker. With the dawn of streaming services, portable music storage became less relevant — or so we thought.

Microsoft is throwing in the towel when it comes to music streaming and downloads by announcing the closure of Groove Music.

The service will continue running through 31 December, after which customers will no longer be able to download or stream music. In the meantime, Microsoft is encouraging subscribers to migrate their music collection over to Spotify, while Groove Music Pass subscribers will receive a 60-day free trial of Spotify’s premium tier in order to entice them.

Google mocked the iPhone 7’s missing headphone jack in its marketing material for the original Pixel smartphone — but it won’t be doing the same for the Pixel 2.

Just like Apple, the company has decided to remove the aging port from its latest handsets. A new leak reveals that the lineup will rely solely on USB-C for wired connectivity.