Pixel 4
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Google explains the complex tech behind the Pixel 4's gesture radar
The Pixel 4's radar-powered Soli motion-sensing system now lets you play and pause music with a swipe, which might seem like a simple thing to implement. According to a new explainer post by Google, however, Soli doesn't work exactly how you might expect, and required a lot of new deep learning tech and training to make it work.
Yahoo launches its own unlimited data plan for $40 a month
Yahoo was a bastion of the early days of mainstream internet, but is it really relevant anymore? It's no secret that its popularity has waned in recent times, so in what is presumably a bid to bring itself back to the fore, it's branching out to the mobile business. Yahoo Mobile will tout unlimited texts, calls and 4G data, all for the flat fee of $40 a month.
Amazon is selling the Pixel 4 at its lowest price ever
We've seen Amazon and a variety of other retailers discount the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL several times over the last couple of months. However, this time you around, you can buy the smaller Pixel 4 at its lowest price ever. The 64GB Just Black model is currently on sale for $550, down from $799. You can also get the Clearly White model on sale, but it's discounted by a more modest $132. If you feel like 64GB isn't enough storage, the 128GB Just Black model is $250 off at the moment, making it $650.
Google yanks March security update for AT&T Pixel 4
Google has pulled the latest Android security update for Pixel 4 owners using AT&T after the supposed bug-fix created some major new headaches. Suddenly users have been unable to use Google Pay and instead have been greeted with a warning that their phone "doesn't meet software standards."
Latest Pixel 'feature drop' lets you pause music with a touch-free gesture
Google is trotting out another "feature drop" for Pixel owners, and this latest one might be particularly helpful if you'd rather not fiddle with your phone. For a start, Pixel 4 owners can use a tap gesture to pause or resume music, not just swipes to skip back or forward. That could be extremely helpful if you're cooking and would rather not touch your phone just to stop playback. Most Pixel users can also set the Dark theme to kick in automatically with sunset, and automatically enable rules based on a WiFi network or physical location -- say, silencing your ringtone when you walk through the doors at work.
Nintendo unveils a coral-colored Switch Lite
Nintendo has unveiled a new color for the Switch Lite, and it's just fine. You'd be mistaken for calling it pink, but it's actually considered coral -- "Living Coral" was Pantone's color of 2019, so that may well be the inspiration behind it. Like the rose gold craze a while back, this hue is proving pretty popular on electronics at the moment -- we've already seen this shade on the Pixel 4, for example. In any case, it's the first new color for the Switch Lite since it was released in September last year, and joins a line-up of turquoise, gray and yellow models. The pink coral version will be available in Japan on March 20th and the US on April 3rd.
The Galaxy S20 vs. the competition: Pretty in pink (or blue or black)
It's time for a new set of Galaxy S phones, and the most diminutive of this year's trio isn't actually that small thanks to its 6.2-inch screen. In addition to that extra display real estate, the S20 also packs in a trio of rear shooters, 5G and a Samsung-made 2.7 GHz processor. To see how it all stacks up against some of the more "petite" flagship handsets, check out our table below, and be sure to check back for our full review later this month.
Google's Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are $200 off at Amazon
Another month means another Pixel 4 sale. This time around, you can get $200 off Google's latest flagship. Amazon has cut the price of the 64GB Clearly White and Just Black models to $599, down from $799. While this isn't the lowest price we've seen on the Pixel 4, it's close. And, in any case, $200 off is nothing to scoff at.
Google brings automatic call screening to all of its Pixel phones
Over the last couple of years, Google has updated older Pixel devices with features that first appear on its most recent phones. The latest tool to make its way from Pixel 4 to the original Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 is automatic call screening, which debuted on the former in December.
Google's new Assistant speaks a second language: Japanese
When Google launched its new Assistant for the Pixel 4, the voice AI could only speak and understand one language: English. The tech giant rolled out support for other English variants (UK, Canada, Ireland, Singapore and Australia) in December, but it's only now that the company is giving it the ability to speak and understand another language entirely. Google has announced that the new Assistant now supports Japanese for Pixel 4 devices. It made the revelation in the same post notifying users that Motion Sense, which makes it possible to control the phone without touching it, is also finally out in Japan.
Google's Pixel 4 hits its lowest price yet on Amazon
In what's quickly becoming an annual tradition for the brand, you can get Google's new Pixel phones at a significant discount a few short months after release. Amazon has cut the price of the 64GB Clearly White Pixel 4 to $571, down from $800. That's an all-time low for Google's latest flagship, beating even the big price drops we saw on the phone during Black Friday. Alternatively, you can purchase the 64GB Just Black model for only $0.99 more.
Google explains the science behind the Pixel 4's Portrait Mode
Google's latest flagship phone, the Pixel 4, is renowned for its exceptional camera software. If you're curious about how that was achieved, Google has revealed more about how Portrait Mode works, describing how its dual-pixel auto-focus system functions.
Pixel 4 will automatically screen robocalls and center your Duo videos
To keep its phones from steadily getting worse over time, Google plans to roll out bigger updates, called feature drops, to its Pixel devices. The first feature drop, rolling out this month, will bring the latest Call Screen features and improved Duo video calls to the Pixel 4. And even if you have a slightly older Pixel, the feature drop will let you add Portrait Blur to photos you've already taken.
Security fails we’re kinda thankful for
As we gather 'round the fire, warming our facepalm-weary hands, the blaze burning bright with the shreds of our privacy and security, it's important to reflect on what we're grateful for: Companies that did the infosec version of stepping on a rake, forcing them to secure us better. Idiots who tried to "hack" the FCC comment system while leaving their OPSEC cake out in the rain. Whatever geniuses left road signs eminently hackable, and the ones who made ATMs susceptible to malware that literally spits out cash. Here are the "winners" of utter and complete security failures we're almost grateful for. Let's hope the next time these clowns fall off a stack of servers, they don't fail to miss the ground.
Google explains how the Pixel 4 excels at night sky photography
After Google launched its wildly successful Night Sight mode on the Pixel 3, its developers set their sights on an even tougher low-light goal for the Pixel 4: Astrophotography. It's been such a popular feature that Google has released a blog post explaining how it works for that chore. In a nutshell, letting non-experts shoot the stars requires a big dose of AI help.
Google is putting the Pixel 4 and Stadia on sale for Black Friday
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Google is sharing a sneak peek of the sales it will offer. We've rounded up the tech deals to look out for. Most start on November 28th, but a few sales will go live on November 24th.
Target's Black Friday preview adds a $200 gift card to your iPhone 11
Black Friday is still weeks away, but retailers are already trying to pull shoppers into their stores with enticing discounts, and Target's preview is worth checking out for anyone considering a cellphone upgrade. On November 8th and 9th, it will throw a Target gift card in with several smartphones purchased and activated with either Verizon or AT&T. You may be able to find deep discounts via bill credits on activated phones elsewhere, but that's going to be immediately useful for the rest of your holiday shopping. The offers include a $200 gift card attached to Apple's iPhone 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max, as well as the older iPhone XS and XS Max, if purchased and activated from Friday through Sunday. Prefer Android? There's a $300 gift card waiting for you upon the purchase of a Google Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, available now through Sunday. Finally, you can get a $400 gift card waiting along with Samsung's Galaxy S10, S10+ and Note 10+, or $200 if you prefer the cheaper Galaxy S10E, all available from now through Sunday.
Pixel 4 update lets Smooth Display kick in more often
Frustrated that the Pixel 4's signature Smooth Display (aka 90Hz refresh rate) only kicks in under very specific circumstances? You might want to give it another look. Google has released a November update that invokes Smooth Display in more conditions. Based on early reports, the faster screen tech is considerably more likely to appear -- you don't need a brightness of 75 percent or higher, for example. There's no verdict on battery life at this point, although it won't be surprising if longevity takes a hit with more frequent 90Hz use.
How did Google get Pixel 4 face unlock this wrong?
Like many tech writers, I've been struggling to wrap my head around the brand-new Pixel 4's face unlock security #fail. Before the phone was even released, BBC technology reporter Chris Fox discovered that his review unit had a deeply disturbing security flaw: The phone's only biometric security option, facial recognition, worked just fine if the subject's eyes were closed.
Google's voice recorder app is heading to older Pixel phones
One of the niftiest features Google revealed for Pixel 4 at the device's launch event last month was a Recorder app, which captures and transcribes audio simultaneously. Owners of older Pixel devices won't necessarily miss out, however, as Google revealed in a Reddit thread it plans to bring Recorder to other phones.
