A new promo video that Google is likely to release as a part of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launch has made its way onto the internet a couple of weeks early. The video tells the story of the Pixel 8 as an AI-powered tool with advanced camera tricks and other useful features, like summarizing web pages or holding for you. Those last two items aren’t new to Pixel 8, so let’s talk about everything coming to the cameras.

PIXEL 8 CAMERA PHOTO FEATURES: The leaked video shows that Google is finally going to include some level of Pro controls in the Pixel 8 camera app. While we’re big fans of point-and-shoot experiences, the lack of a Pro mode from Google has been an odd omission over the years. Every other phone maker includes a Pro mode and it should be there for those who want an extra bit of control.

That Pro mode will feature ISO, shutter speed, and focus, as well as what appears to be a reset button to get you back to the beginning after you tweak the controls and massively screw up your shot.

The phones will also still do their Real Tone, Night Sight, Astrophotography, and Super Res Zoom magic when taking photos, as Pixel phones have for some time. One of the shots in the video shows an extreme close-up of a bug, so it looks like there will once again be macro mode as well.

The final big photo mode is the Magic Editor feature that Google teased at I/O in May. This feature lets you edit photos after the fact by not only erasing unwanted objects, you’ll also be able to move objects within a photo to better setup your shot or hide something. Another example shows someone editing a family photo to swap in smiling faces of everyone in the image. This is the AI magic that Google really wants to showcase and it seems to be impressive, at least as an idea. We’ll see how it is in practice.

PIXEL 8 CAMERA VIDEO FEATURES: Video features are getting a huge boost on the new Pixel 8 phones, with Video Boost, Night Sight, and Audio Eraser options.

Video Boost gives you a “smoother view,” according to the video, but it also looks to be boosting colors to improve the scene. There’s Night Sight now for videos, so your low-light clips could match the quality of your low-light photos with a Pixel 8. And Audio Eraser previously leaked, but our understanding is that it’ll try to remove obnoxious noises in the backgrounds of your videos and focus the audio on you or the object you want.

There’s a lot going on here and we still have two weeks to go before Google makes it all official. You want more?

// 91mobiles

Read the original post: Leaked Pixel 8 Promo Video Tells All on the Camera and New Features

This week featured not one but two One UI 6 Beta updates for the Galaxy S23 series. Both appear to be quite minor and are here mostly to address lingering bugs, because the stable update could really be around the corner, assuming Google figures out how to ship stable Android 14 in the near future.

The updates for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra are arriving as builds ZWIB and ZWIC (previous update). The first build fixes a single bug, while the second update fixes at least 3 big bugs, talks about “many” improvements, and shares another list of known issues that are being worked on.

If you own a Galaxy S23 series phone, here’s everything in the newest One UI 6 Beta updates.

Galaxy S23 One UI 6 Update – Build ZWIB

Bug fixes

• Fixed reset issue during AP power type setting when using WiFi AP that supports 6 GHz

Galaxy S23 One UI 6 Update – Build ZWIC

Bug fixes

• Fixed the onboarding failure when retrying login after initializing Samsung Pass or logging out of Samsung account
• Fixed the problem that voice recognition is not possible when you say “answer the phone” while receiving a call
• Fixed the Google Assistant execution problem when swiping up in the gesture mode of the navigation bar
• Many other improvements

Known issues

• Motion photo is not available
• Infinite reboot occurs when entering maintenance mode
• Kids app cannot be installed after updating from One UI 5.0 to One UI 6.0. It will be installed in mid-September as a separate app (public open at the end of September)

These updates are live now and you can check for them by heading into Settings>Software update>Download and install.

Read the original post: Galaxy S23 Gets Another Fresh One UI 6 Beta Update to Fix More Bugs

Few surprises are left for Google to share when they fully reveal the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in a couple of weeks, and you know what, that’s probably fine. This is the standard schedule of events for a Google product launch. So we’ll take it all and then get to testing.

For today, the latest leak shows off all colors of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, giving us that chance to start preparing our wallets for the hit they are about to take depending on the shades we like the most.

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will each come in three colors, though they do not match from one model to the next. In fact, only one color will see representation in each line and that’s black or what will likely be called Obsidian.

We previously shared model numbers and colors, so it’s wonderful to finally see how those colors might look on-device and also get additional names to reference, since the color names we had we understood to be just that, references that could change at retail.

Google Pixel 8 Colors

The smaller Pixel 8 will arrive in Grey, Peony Rose, and Black Obsidian, according to this leak. We previously referred to them as Haze, Peony, and Licorice. My guess is they’ll launch as Haze, Rose, and Obsidian, which is a combo of the two reports. We know that Google has officially referred to the pinkish color as Rose through the landing page for the Pixel 8 series that they released a couple of weeks ago.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Colors

For the Pixel 8 Pro, the colors are now being reported as Porcelain, Sky Blue, and Black Obsidian. We previously called these Porcelain, Sky, and Licorice. I’d guess that they’ll land as Porcelain, Sky, and Obsidian. Whichever way the names swing, you understand that they are essentially an off-white, lighter blue, and close-to-black.

There isn’t much else to take from this leak other than the camera frames that adjust between colors and complement each shade. We also get another look at all the roundness happening that the palm of my hand is so looking forward to. Oh, and there’s some additional shots of the camera setups (dual on the Pixel 8, triple on the Pixel 8 Pro).

I’m really loving these updates Pixel 8 designs – how about you?

// mysmartprice

Read the original post: Here’s the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in All Colors

Telegram, our chatting app of choice since we don’t want to deal with the colors of bubbles and like to message people with ease and a robust set of features on all platforms, is getting a big update to end the week. There are stories for channels now (with a weird boost system to cap their activity level), reaction stickers in stories, music in stories, and more, like new prompts for logins.

Telegram tends to dive into lengthy details on all of this stuff, so we’ll leave those to you in that link at the bottom to really look through. Otherwise, here is the abbreviated version of all that Telegram announced today:

• Channel stories: We got stories for Telegram in August as a way to share an ongoing feed of your life like you do on Instagram. Those same stories are rolling out to channels to use, but understand that your favorite channels can’t just spam you with all of the stories. Telegram built in a system called “boosts” that let you boost a channel with a vote that levels up a channel. As that channel levels up, they can then post more stories. It’s an odd idea that I fear will one day turn into a pay-to-win scheme, but for now, you are in control in a way.
• Reaction stickers in stories: Users and channels can add reaction stickers to stories, letting users tap them to react, which then leads to reaction counters. That’s fun.
• Music in stories: If you have audio files saved on your device, you can use those in photo and video stories. So yeah, make your own beats and have that custom story vibe at all times.
• View once media: Telegram has always let you send disappearing media and now that “View Once” idea is easier to use, has a new look, and can be found as a new setting.
• New login alerts: When someone (or you) logs into Telegram from another device, a new notification will show up at the top of your chat list. You can then say “Yes it’s me” or “No it’s not me!” to move forward.

Go grab that update!

Google Play Link: Telegram

// Telegram

Read the original post: Telegram Adds Stories for Channels That You Can Boost or Not

Switching gears on the RCS chatter today, let’s now talk about something good in the world of upgraded messaging – T-Mobile is switching to Google’s Jibe platform! Hey, that’s great.

While we know that Apple will likely never adopt RCS, T-Mobile is taking a step towards making your Android RCS experiences better. In an announcement on Twitter, T-Mobile says that changing over to Jibe for RCS means “customers will get all new features instantly and have a better experience messaging with businesses thanks to Rich Business Messaging (RBM).”

Forget that RBM part, because none of us want to message with businesses, what it really means is that as Google introduces new features or upgrades or technologies through Jibe, T-Mobile customers with supported Android phones will get those features. And that’s great, as this platform (hopefully) grows and improves.

You may recall that AT&T announced a similar move in June of this year and Google said almost word-for-word what T-Mobile said above. The big idea is that by being on Google’s platform, the features come flowing instantly.

T-Mobile did not announce which phones would switch over to Jibe or when you might notice the switch, unfortunately. In fact, they provided no specifics at all on this news, only that they are “now” powering RCS by Google’s Jibe. We assume that means for all Android phones now, rather than through their old RCS platform.

If you would like to check to see if your phone is running on Jibe for RCS, open the Google Messages app, tap on your profile (top right), then Message Settings>RCS chats and scroll to the bottom. You should see a message like the one below that reads “RCS from Google is provided by Jibe Mobile.” If it doesn’t say that, it’s probably best to assume it’s T-Mobile’s own RCS platform.

Apple, eyeing this news, chuckles in blue bubbles.

Read the original post: T-Mobile Switches to Google’s Jibe for RCS Messaging

It has apparently been over a year since Google launched a website dedicated to begging Apple to adopt their preferred messaging standard, RCS. Over that period of time, Apple has mostly ignored Google’s cries and has taken, well, zero steps towards bringing it to iMessage or Apple Messages. That will not slow Google’s assault, though, as they’ve updated that website today and released a new video.

In the new video, Google shows off a device called “iPager,” as some sort of knock on Apple because the pager uses the old SMS technology that Apple phones fall back to when texting non-iPhone users. Yes, SMS is old and bad and this video is here to remind Apple of that, because the iPhone is a pager! It is! Or something. You get the idea.

The video points out that texting between an iPhone and an Android phone uses “outdated messaging tech” and causes “modern texting nightmares.” This old SMS tech isn’t encrypted, breaks group chats, lowers the resolution of videos, and presents green bubbles, which the world uses to bully people with. You know the story. It hasn’t changed at all.

The thing is, the video essentially points out the exact reason that Apple doesn’t care and may never. It says through several frames that “Outdated messaging tech like Apple still uses to text with Android” creates the nightmares. But it’s that “still uses to text with Android” portion that is everything. Apple wants (and has been clear about it) messaging between iPhones to be better than when messaging an Android phone. It keeps people in their ecosystem and lets them continue to sell millions upon millions of phones and services.

The bullying bubble stuff, lack of encryption, poor video quality, and broken group chats are left on purpose. They are almost like a feature to Apple, not a bug for iMessage. If Apple wanted to fix those things when an iPhone sends or receives messages to and from an Android phone, they would have. But again, the poor messaging experience helps them. This is the way, for Apple.

We are all for Google doing this #GetTheMessage campaign. Do whatever you think will help, Google, because it would be nice if Apple helped out and made messaging better for all. Google is going to have to come up with another plan, though, as I’m not sure any of this is reason enough for Apple to make a change.

// Google

Read the original post: Google’s Shaming of Apple for Not Adopting RCS Continues With “iPager”

Here’s something I don’t think anyone was expecting to see in the month of September — our first possible look at Google’s presumably upcoming Pixel 8a, codename Akita.

To have two images of the Pixel 8a, of its frontside and backside, before the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have even shipped is remarkable. Heck, we don’t even have stable Android 14 yet. We’re officially in the twilight zone it seems. To give you a sense of how early this is, we don’t expect to see the Pixel 8a to be made available for purchase until about May of 2024. That would be one whole year from the Pixel 7a.

So, moving away from our minds exploding, let’s discuss what we see. We see much round, such bezel. Building on what the Pixel 8 is doing with its roundness, Google almost appears to be exaggerating it even more, with the Pixel 8a having not a single right angle with exception to the camera bar. Due to this roundness, we can see on the front that there is a considerable bezel around the phone’s display. In my experience, photos never help a bezel in terms of size, so I won’t start judging based solely on what I see here.

The only specs we can gather from the photos are two rear-facing cameras, under display fingerprint reader, and a selfie camera cutout. According to the original poster of these photos, the phone will be powered by the Tensor G3 processor.

We would love to hear your hot take on this phone’s lack of corners.

// @yabhishekhd

Read the original post: Here’s the Pixel 8a, Codename Akita

You may have noticed with the release of Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 yesterday that the list of supported devices has shortened. There are two devices missing from it and that’s because those two devices, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, are about to reach their end of life.

The Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G were introduced at the end of September 2020, but then launched separately in October and November, respectively. Since these were both before the arrival of the Pixel 6 line, where Google extended the years of update support to 5 years, they are on the old 3-year schedule. It has been three years since these two phones first hit our hands, if you can believe that.

Google left them out of the Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 update yesterday because that QPR1 update will go through several releases before hitting stable in December. It is the December update after all, for those confused by the timing here. So since that update won’t drop until December, that is outside of the software support window for the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G. Those two phones will stop seeing updates after October and November.

So we’re clear, both of these phones will still see the stable update to Android 14 at any moment. They will then stay on Android 14, possibly with a final bug fixer at some point down the road. For now, though, there is no indication that they will be updated to QPR1.

Like the Pixel 4a that stopped receiving updates as of this month, it may be time to consider upgrading to  a new phone. Not only do you have a constant flow of deals on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be here within a couple of weeks too.

Once again, be sure to check the Pixel update schedule to see when your phone or foldable or tablet will stop receiving updates.

Read the original post: Your Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are at the End of the Road

We have ourselves a fresh beta build of Android, but what makes this release so special is that technically we are beta testing a build of Android 14 that is ahead of stable Android 14, which hasn’t even been released yet. This has never happened in the short time Google has been doing QPR (quarterly platform release) builds, and honestly, we’re here for it.

• Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 Released for Pixel Devices

There’s a decent list of new stuff to cover, but instead of regurgitating everything that we’re seeing, we instead want to highlight the items that excite us. We’ve narrowed the list down to four things, each of which we think you’ll all like too.

Here’s what we’re liking inside of Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1.

Your Pixel Phone is Now a Webcam

As shown in our lovely header image above, native USB webcam functionality has arrived for Android. While we wish it came back in 2020 when everyone was having to Zoom and Google Meet everything they did, it’s still better late than never.

With this feature, you’ll be able to simply plug your Pixel device into your computer, then utilize your phone as the computer’s webcam inside of programs. There’s definitely a lot of background stuff that had to happen to enable this feature and have it be usable, so props to Google for making this work in a easy to use way.

Metro Clock

What can I say, I’m easy to please. Inside QPR1 Beta 1 we have a new clock style for your Pixel device’s lockscreen. It’s called Metro and it’s hot.

New Battery Information Screen

In the About Phone section on your Pixel device, you’ll now be able to view detailed battery information that goes beyond the typical charge level and usage statistics. With QPR1 Beta 1, inside the new Battery Information screen, we can view a battery’s exact date of manufacture, as well as the cycle count for the battery. That’s pretty neat, as we know some folks are pretty particular about their battery information.

The only thing to note here is that, at least for me, the cycle count is reset to 0 when you first boot up Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1. For Kellen his seems to be working fine. Maybe just a bug for me? Seems likely, this is a beta after all.

Set Bluetooth Audio Device Type

On QPR1 Beta 1, users can now set exactly what type of audio device a particular Bluetooth connection is. The options are currently limited to Speaker, Headphones, Hearing Aid, Car Kit, Unknown, or Other.

The wonderful @MishaalRahman notes that this could be very useful if your Pixel doesn’t properly recognize a Bluetooth device as supporting spatial audio when indeed it does. Having manual control over this setting could help with that.

We are still digging our way through this update. It’s a big one, so if we find more stuff that also excites us, you best believe we’ll let you know about it. Have you discovered anything you’re fond of yet?

Read the original post: Our Favorite Things Inside Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1

In what truly is an odd set of circumstances, Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 is now available for select Pixel devices. Looking back, we’re relatively certain this has never happened, where a QPR (quarterly platform release) build is launched for an Android version that isn’t yet released as stable. What a time to be alive.

If you aren’t too familiar with QPR builds, this beta is for a build of Android 14 that we should see launch as stable later in December. That means it is almost undoubtedly running the latest build of Android 14 available, which is perfect for anyone who has no patience and wants Android 14 on their phone now or just wants something new to play with. So long as you have a supported device, which is any Pixel going back to the Pixel 5a, you can flash this.

Join Android 14 QPR1 Beta Program

Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1

Release date: September 20, 2023
Build: U1B1.230908.003
Security patch level: September, 2023
Google Play services: 23.32.17

Below, we have links to the factory image and OTA files to get folks updated the old school way, but you don’t need to go that route to get updated. In fact, you probably should go that route unless you are experienced in that area. You can always enroll in the Android Beta Program (here) and get the update over-the-air that way. For those who would rather avoid a command prompt and adb commands, do that. Google should begin pushing the update through the Android Beta Program shortly.

Anyone flashing this immediately?

Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 Downloads: Factory Images | OTA Images

Read the original post: Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1 Released for Pixel Phones!

Sometimes a software update can fix performance issues and other times they take care of security holes. They are often pushed out to introduce new features, new interface designs, and extend battery life. But there are other not-so-common reasons for an update, like when they are needed just to fix a spelling error.

The Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are receiving updates this week that apparently do just one thing: fix a spelling error on a single watch face. I’m not kidding here.

Verizon says to expect an update on each watch that changes a misspelling of the month of April that was showing as “ARRIL” and corrects it to “APRIL.” The watch face receiving the fix is “Perpetual” from within the Classic section of the watch face picker.

The new builds for these cellular models are Galaxy Watch 6 Classic R955USQU1AWI1 (43mm) and R965USQU1AWI1 (47mm), along with Galaxy Watch 6 R935USQU1AWI1 (40mm) and R945USQU1AWI1 (44mm). The Bluetooth/WiFi models should be something like R950USQU1AWI1, R960USQU1AWI1, R930USQU1AWI1, and R940USQU1AWI1, assuming they are also affected by this error.

To check for an update on your Galaxy Watch 6, head into the Galaxy Wear app on your phone, then Watch Settings>Watch software update>Download and install. You could also do this from your watch by heading into Settings>Software update>Download and install.

// Verizon

Read the original post: Galaxy Watch 6 Gets an Update to Fix a Silly Misspelling

Titanium. 5x telephoto. A17 Pro. USB C. So much else. iPhone 15 Pro is shaping up to be one helluva iPhone, and apparently, it’s making some Android users think about jumping ship. Does anyone here feel the same way?

It’s alright if you do, you aren’t hurting anybody’s feelings. We’ve always stressed buying and using what makes you happy. The question comes down to, what is it about the iPhone 15 or 15 Pro and Apple’s marketing for the device that has potentially convinced you to make the switch from Android to iOS? Updates? Hardware? Software?

iPhone 15 Pro is a great looking device and I’m sure the cameras will be fantastic. For me, though, the reinvesting of all my Android ecosystem money (apps, services) into iOS is one of the main reasons I don’t consider a full time switch. It sounds expensive, but then I’m still not sure iOS is doing notifications right? I honestly have no idea because I don’t pay attention.

Let us know your take on the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. Thinking about making the switch?

Read the original post: Wednesday Poll: Ditching Android for iPhone 15?

Does Bravo squad (aka your two daughters) need evac from the battlefield (aka the soccer field)? Then you might fancy the new Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition from Samsung. Designed for the most rugged of environments, while still offering relatively high-end specs, this new Tactical Edition is now being offered to the world’s military and security forces.

Available only through select channels, meaning it’s harder to buy these phones than a typical Galaxy S23, the device features a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X FHD+ display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 256GB storage, 8GB RAM, three rear-facing cameras, 3900mAh battery, plenty of water and dust resistance, and Android 13 (One UI 5.1). Those are the specs, not all that exciting. However, Samsung built in a few extra software features that should really benefit all of the operators out there.

Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition features a Stealth Mode that will disable LTE, e911, and RF broadcasting for complete off-grid communications. Additionally, there’s a setting to turn on/off all illumination for when wearing night vision devices. Also designed to handle hostage and negotiation situations, the device has settings for auto-acceptance of calls in speaker mode, the ability to record, and prevent outgoing calls. Another interesting addition is Covert Lock, which completely shuts down radios on the device, including GPS, by utilizing, “hardware-backed security with Knox hardware device management (HDM).”

I try to make light of all of this, but these are serious devices designed for serious situations. Samsung doesn’t list the price publicly, but if they’re designed to be used by the US military and other forces, I assume they might be pricey per unit but get discounted when bought in bulk.

If your security or military force is looking to scoop some up for the next mission, use the link below to contact a Samsung sales representative.

Samsung Link

Read the original post: Fulfill Your Navy SEAL Cosplay Dreams With New Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition

A first foldable from OnePlus is on the way, the company confirmed this morning. While they provided almost no details about that launch or the device itself, they did say to expect it “soon.” How soon? At least one insider says around mid-October.

During a converstaion today at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 to talk about their 10-year anniversary, OnePlus confirmed that they have created a new device that is “set to redefine the concept of foldable smartphones” through “flagship-level experiences in a compact foldable form factor.” This is some sort of representation of the “brand’s openness to all possibilities.” And that’s cute, since the device is rumored to be called the OnePlus Open.

That is all OnePlus said about the device, so again, “soon” isn’t being very specific. Are we talking about a launch within days or weeks or months or early next year? According to leaker Max Jambor, the launch could happen on October 19, so about a month away and only a couple of weeks after Google shows off the Pixel 8 series.

For those who haven’t been following this story, it’s actually a long one. We first saw purported renders of OnePlus’ foldable in June, then thought to be the “OnePlus V Fold.” As we approached what was expected to be a launch window in the summer, the rumored name changed to “OnePlus Open” and shiny new renders showed off a wildly different device. Then additional rumors of a display change accompanied the new renders and a supposed delay that has essentially pushed us until today.

So yeah, OnePlus is making a foldable that will launch “soon,” and we hope there are no further delays.

Read the original post: OnePlus Says Its Foldable Launches “Soon”

Google sets update schedules for its Pixel phones on the day it launches them, letting everyone know how many years of support they can expect should they decide to buy one. Google mostly sticks to those dates, never cutting off support before they arrive. However, they often push a final update, a month or two beyond the official cutoff date to wrap-up final bugs before setting a phone on its way.

For the Pixel 4a, support officially ended with last month’s August update. We’ve been wondering if that was it or if September could see the release of another build to say a final “Goodbye.” Well, September’s update hit this week and the Pixel 4a was not included. It appears to be done.

Another sign of the end is the incoming Android 14 update that could happen within days or weeks. The Pixel 4a has not been involved in the Android 14 program, from developer previews up through the latest beta builds. In other words, Google has not been planning to give the original Pixel 4a an update to Android 14.

That said, don’t be surprised if there is a small, send off-like update in the months ahead, you just shouldn’t prepare for anything major. No Android 14 is on the horizon and you are unlikely to see Pixel Feature Drop goods. It’s time to decide how much the Pixel 4a is worth keeping around or if it’s time to upgrade. My vote would be for you to upgrade when you can, as security updates are important and new features and Android versions are always a lot of fun.

For those with a Pixel 4a (5G), this post was not about your phone. Your phone has been a part of the Android 14 release program and will get Android 14. You should also see updates through November at the least.

Not sure when your Pixel phone will stop receiving updates? Check out the Pixel update schedule.

Read the original post: The Pixel 4a Appears to be Done

I struggle with AI, folks. The main issue I have is, I can’t seem to figure out how to use it to benefit my every day life. I can’t ask it to write blogs for this site (I’ve tried and they’re usually awful and nonsensical) and I don’t need it to write code for me. To everyone who has benefited from its creation, hooray for you. With that said, maybe Google’s latest Bard news is just what I need to see how amazing AI can be?

Announced this week, Bard is getting implemented into Google’s biggest apps. These apps include Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, Docs, Maps, and more.

The idea is simple enough. With this new Bard extension, you’ll be able to ask Bard to access information located within these apps, all from a single place. It’ll be able to sift through emails, check flights and hotels, find videos, provide inspiration, and much more. To give an idea of what Google has in store for Bard and its latest PaLM 2 model, watch the hype video below.

As an example, writing a cover letter might give you anxiety. Have Bard do it. Bard can locate your resume in Drive, then after you provide the AI with a description of the job you’re applying to, it should be able to spit out a pretty reasonable letter for you. That’ll save you a headache or two.

To access this new and improved Bard, head on over to bard.google.com and give it a try.

// Google

Read the original post: Bard AI Gets Integrated Into Google Apps for Better or Worse

Samsung announced today that Galaxy S22 owners in select markets can begin to access its new One UI 6 (Android 14) beta. For us here in the US, I wouldn’t start jumping for joy quite yet, as availability appears to be limited to Samsung’s home market of South Korea as of right now. That will surely change soon should all go smoothly.

Without providing a complete changelog, Samsung says in its brief announcement that, “In the beta version, you can be the first to use new features and experience various user experiences. The One UI beta program is a program we are creating together with you.”

Galaxy S23 owners have had the chance to be running One UI 6 for quite a bit. They recently received the third build of the beta, just in case you missed it.

Be on the lookout for signups to go live inside of the Samsung Members app, S22 owners.

// Samsung (Translated)

Read the original post: Samsung Begins One UI 6 (Android 14) Beta for Galaxy S22 Series

Fitbit’s big redesign is headed to phones today after first being announced a little over a month ago. The new design splits everything into 3 tabs (Today, Coach, and You) with new icons, a refined color palette throughout, more consistent charts of your health trends, and easier logging of health info, like steps and water intake.

We’ve talked about this previously, and the news is really about the app update rolling out starting today, so here is Google’s recap of the three different tabs you’ll dance between:

Today: In the refreshed ‘Today’ tab, you’ll see your top stats at a glance. Easily customize which metrics you’ll view based on your personal goals — whether it’s to be more active, sleep better or manage your stress. Better visualize your progress over the past day, month or year with more consistent charts, graphics and icons that show your health trends.

Coach: Head to the new ‘Coach’ tab to find motivating health and fitness content. Here you can browse through a curated list of workouts and mindfulness sessions. Plus, your Fitbit Premium subscription² unlocks even more content, like HIIT and dance cardio classes. Whether you’re looking to stay fit, eat healthier or sleep better, you’ll be able to more easily find the content you’re looking for with new filters. For example, filter workouts based on how much time you have and what equipment you want to use to find the perfect session.

You: On the new ‘You’ tab, you can adjust personal details and goals, manage community connections and track achievements with redesigned badges. Navigate here to reflect on your progress, access assessments and reports, and connect with the people who matter to you most.

Be on the lookout for the update by hitting that Google Play link below.

Google Play Link: Fitbit App

Read the original post: New Fitbit App and Its New Design Arrive Today

Earlier in the year, Mint Mobile introduced a promotion that brought the price of its plans down to $15/month. It was a smart little bundle, as Mint was essentially packaging three months of service at a discounted rate, then increasing the price once the promotional period was over. If you missed out last time, it’s now back and lasts through the end of October.

I’ll break it down for you in case all of this is news to you. During this promotional period, all of Mint Mobile’s plans have been bundled into a 3-month price that makes them $15/mo. In other words, you are pre-paying $45 for 3 months of service. Once the 3 months is up, you’ll go back to normal monthly pricing.

The plan breakdown from Mint Mobile is as follows:

• 5GB Plan: $15/mo all the time
• 15GB Plan: $15/mo -> $20/mo after 3 months
• 20GB Plan: $15/mo -> $25/mo after 3 months
• Unlimited Plan: $15/mo -> $30/mo after 3 months

As for what’s included in a Mint Mobile plan, all of these plans include unlimited talk and text, nationwide coverage on T-Mobile’s network, and both 4G LTE and 5G connections. For a bit of fine print on the unlimited plan, you actually do have a limit of 40GB of 5G data (before your data is slowed), along with unlimited LTE usage. Video streams over cellular are capped at 480p.

After the 3-months is up, Mint says they’ll send you an email with a “recommended data amount based on your usage” from that promo period. At that point, you can keep the plan as is, choose a different plan, or quit the service. Since this is prepaid, you aren’t locked in beyond what you’ve paid for.

$15/mo for this kind of plan ain’t bad at all. Do we wish it lived longer than 3 months? Yes, of course. Take advantage by following the link below.

Sign-up for Mint Mobile’s $15/mo plans

Read the original post: Mobile Mobile’s $15/Mo Plans are Back Until October 31

The arrival of Android 14 is not today, it seems, with Google releasing the September Android update for its Pixel phone and device line-up. The latest Pixel update is here as the September security patch for the Pixel 4a 5G up through the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Fold.

For those not running any form of a beta update, you should start to receive this update as early as today, September 18. For those enrolled in the Android Beta Program, be on the lookout shortly for Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1, which Google said should show up this week. As far as the official Android 14 release goes, we might not see it until the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are announced early in October.

And that out of the way, the rest of the September Pixel update details are as follows.

September Google Pixel update builds

• Pixel 4a (5G):    TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 5:                TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 5a (5G):    TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 6:                TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 6 Pro:         TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 6a:              TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 7:                TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 7 Pro:         TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel 7a:              TQ3A.230901.001
• Pixel Tablet:       TQ3A.230901.001.B1
• Pixel Fold:          TQ3C.230901.001.A1

• Pixel Fold:          TQ3C.230901.001.A2

• Pixel 6:                TQ3A.230901.001.C1
• Pixel 6 Pro:         TQ3A.230901.001.C1
• Pixel 6a:              TQ3A.230901.001.C1

• Pixel 4a (5G):    TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 5:                TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 5a (5G):    TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 6:                TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 6 Pro:        TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 6a:             TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 7:               TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 7 Pro:        TQ3A.230901.001.C2
• Pixel 7a:             TQ3A.230901.001.C3
• Pixel Fold:          TQ3C.230901.001.B1

Again, Google should begin pushing these updates shortly over-the-air (Settings>System>System update), but if you don’t want to wait for Google and prefer to update manually, you will find each factory image or OTA file at the links below. For instructions on how to flash a factory image, here you go. For instructions on how to flash an OTA .zip file, here you go.

Links:

• Factory Images
• OTA Files
• Pixel/Nexus Security Bulletin
• Pixel Security Update Changes

Read the original post: September 2023 Android Security Update Available for Google Pixel Devices