CorysTechTime

  Earlier this year Google announced changes pertaining to Chrome, the browser where updates will be more frequent. Instead of the usual 6-week update cycle, Chrome will be adopting a 4-week update for most major releases. Which is great as I like to see new features as much as anyone else. However, Google was really vague on news for Chrome OS and stated more will be announced later in the year. Then Hiroshi of Google tweeted the following… Now, I usually don't pay attention to these kinds of tweets but to have this mentioned recently with the news from earlier this year, how can I not think something big is happening this year. The article that Hiroshi retweeted doesn't allude to anything about future plans so there is really nothing for us to cling to at the moment. I have no idea of what's to come but I am really excited to hear what's next for Chrome OS. If Google was to do something big to Chrome OS I believe this would be the year. With the platform turning 10 ye...

  What if I told you that you can game for free on your existing smartphone or tablet, laptop, or desktop with no investment into the platform. What if I said you can play on your TV for about $100 give or take the current promotion that may be occurring at the time. And all you need for this to work is an internet connection. Sounds pretty good to me. Almost too good to be true. Before I go on, I will admit Stadia is not for everyone. The game library has grown significantly over its 18 months or so of existence but is still lacking some heavy hitters. According to some folks on the interwebs. I gravitate to sports games and fortunately, the latest from said sports games are available. From NBA 2K 21 to Madden 21 to Fifa 21.  The service itself is really good. It's a solid performer and tends to be stable especially with a good internet connection. Wired connection is probably the best way to play on Stadia, however, I play wirelessly exclusively and find it to be quite good....

I look forward to Chrome OS updates as they tend to come fast and furious. Maybe not so furious but more helpful and this release is no different. The feature I’ve been looking forward to for a while now is available in Nearby Share. Nearby Share is a handy feature that allows you to share files between devices. It's been available on Android for a minute now and I'm glad to see it finally available on Chrome OS making the feature even more useful for us users. Check out more on the update below. Share files fast with Nearby Share With Nearby Share, quickly and securely share files between your Chromebook and other Chrome OS or Android devices. You’ll be able to send and receive without giving your contact details, so your information and files stay private. Get started by going to your Settings Search key icon and toggling “Nearby Share” on. Get notified with app badges Check which of your apps need your attention with a glance. If you see a small circular badge on an app icon...

  There’s no doubt Google-made devices are coming this year, we just don't know when exactly. Although if we look at Google's history we can point to the fall for their main product releases. Since we know devices are coming I started to recently think about what I want to see. Like a wishlist of Made by Google devices that I can persuade Google to create these would be it. But first, let's quickly see what we expect to see this fall. Based on rumors we should see... Pixel 6 . This is the one device Google will make no matter what as it is the primary way Google introduces the newest version of Android to the world. The interesting thing is that Google is making its own chip for the smartphone. The design is to be radically different based on recent reports along with upgraded cameras. Pixel Watch. With Google introducing a new version of Wear OS I don't think they should take the chance of putting that responsibility on another OEM. For this reason alone I think this ...

  This is probably the biggest change to the UI/UX since Kitkat for Google and it could not have come at a better time. To Google’s credit, the UI didn't seem old or outdated, however, the change is welcomed. And it's not just a coat of paint either. Google also took the time to make things faster and work more efficiently.  Some things Google pointed out below… Personalization Starting with Android 12 on Pixel devices, you’ll be able to completely personalize your phone with a custom color palette and redesigned widgets. Using what we call color extraction, you choose your wallpaper, and the system automatically determines which colors are dominant, which ones are complementary, and which ones just look great. It then applies those colors across the entire OS: the notification shade, the lock screen, the volume controls, new widgets, and much more. Fluid animations From the moment you pick up an Android 12 device, you’ll feel how it comes alive with every tap, swipe, and scro...

  I’ve been meaning to write a review on the 2020 Nest Audio but decided to review the entire current Google Nest speaker lineup as of mid-2021. Personally, I believe that Google hit the ball out of the park with what they have to offer and I will tell you why. Nest Audio - is the latest smart speaker from Google and it builds on the OG Google Home from way back when. The 2020 Nest Audio is better designed and the sound of the speaker is significantly improved. The Nest Audio is much more dense and heavy and the sound that it produces is a reflection of that heft. I liked that Google got rid of the radiators that were featured on the Google Home giving the Nest Audio a much more natural sound. Bass is prominent while the mids and highs are rich even at high volume. Of course, the Google smarts are there making this speaker quite the upgrade over the previous model. I'm no audiophile but these speakers will provide the sound you want in just about any space in a home. Nest Mini - ...

  This week, Google sort of announced on Twitter that they are rolling out their brand new OS (Fuchsia) to the OG Nest Hub from 2018. The overall look and feel will be the same, although I am hoping for a boost in performance. The update can be yours if you join the Preview program and wait for the update to push to your device. For the uninitiated, Fuchsia is an open-source capability-based operating system developed from the ground up by Google. The project has been in development for years (since 2016) and is finally making its way to a consumer device. There have also been rumblings that Google will eventually bring the OS to phones, tablets, and laptops.  From the looks of it Google is just getting started with the new OS and I am eager to see where we can see Fuchsia next. I don't expect Google to talk about any plans for Fuchsia’s future until IO next year. I think Google has big plans for Fuchsia. We just might have to wait for a bit to see their end goal.

  We won't see the Pixel 6 until this fall but we did get quite the preview by way of a leak from the infamous Jon Prosser . There is a lot here so I will break it down just a bit. Let's start with what we don't know. Well, we don't know if the cameras are upgraded to a newer sensor but my best guess is that they are. Then there's the processor situation. Again, we can presume Google is using their own in-house base chip based on leaks but we don't know for sure.  Now with what we don't know out of the way we can touch on what the renders are showing us. First thing is that we will have an XL version or in this case a Pro version based on a report in the same leak. To be honest, I’m a fan of the regular variant and a XL variant based on just size. However, in this report, we can expect some key differences not just based on size alone. The other difference could be an additional camera that's expected to be a telephoto lens. I'm a fan of small phones...

  I've been meaning to write about this for some time now and I'm just getting around to it. Google has slowly built an ecosystem of not just devices but services that have become a part of me and my family's everyday life. I find these services to be very reliable, comparable to the competition, and worth the asking price. Youtube Music/Premium - I have a family plan and been a subscriber since Google Play Music. The service was a little rough around the edges, to say the least at first but as Google does they iterated the hell out of the service. I now find it to be better than Google Play Music and see why the change was made. Looking forward to new features and updates in the future. Near future, I hope. Youtube TV -  I've been a subscriber since early on and I love the service. Unlimited DVR is a killer feature along with profiles for each user. Google has added channels over time and lost some, unfortunately. But YTTV is a solid service and the best out of the bu...

  Not that long ago I was looking for some workout earphones that would work well with my Pixel 5. I came across a few before deciding to go with these and the main selling point for me is Fast Pair. Fast Pair is what Google calls its nearby Bluetooth LE protocol that allows Android devices to communicate with. It also features account syncing, locating lost devices, and battery stats for each individual earbud and case. Forgive the tangent but this technology is pretty cool. So back to what I was saying. The earphones of course had to feature Fast Pair, have a good IP rating, sound good, and have the earhook design. The earhook design was not as important but I am glad that JBL made it for these earphones. In short, the Endurance Peak 2 delivered on everything I previously mentioned. It also has some pretty good touch controls where you skip tracks and turn the volume up or down. Cool features Powerhook is the earhook that also doubles as the on/off switch for each of the earbuds...