We want more colorful phones, and LG is delivering with its G6 and Q6 models

Phones don’t have to be black, silver, or gold. There are a few other colors for companies to choose from, and the message seems to be getting through. LG is the latest to launch a complete new color run of not just the LG G6, but the cheaper LG Q6, too. There are three new colors for the G6, bringing the total available to eight, and two new colors for the LG Q6, giving you seven to choose from overall. South Korea will be first to get the new G6 and Q6 range in February, with other countries to follow afterward. LG has not released prices or other exact release dates.

The G6’s new colors have been carried across from the LG V30, with Moroccan blue, lavender violet, and raspberry rose making the phone even better looking than before. We’re still huge fans of the ice platinum and mystic white colors, but also like the marine blue option. These three existing hues are joined by astro black and terra gold. For the LG Q6, all of the above colors also exist, and are now joined by Moroccan blue and lavender violet. LG seems to be restricting the raspberry rose to its flagship phones.

Despite coming up for its first birthday, the LG G6 remains a very modern looking, stylish phone, mostly due to the 18:9 aspect ratio screen — which at the time was an industry first. While it was a little expensive at launch, it’s now possible to buy the G6 for $600 without a contract, making it good value. The LG Q6 is considerably cheaper and shares a similar look, but not the same level of functionality. However, if you can live with Amazon’s ads and promotions, you can pick one up for $180 through an Amazon Prime Exclusive offer. If not, the Q6 can be purchased for $300.

These new colors help revive interest in the G6 ahead of Mobile World Congress, where the phone was launched in 2017; but there are rumors its successor won’t arrive at the 2018 show. An LG executive said the company would launch new smartphones, presumably including the LG G7, “when the time is right,” and not just when other manufacturers do so. Samsung will launch the Galaxy S9 and MWC 2018, which may have put LG off trying to share the limelight. For now, it seems new G6 and Q6 colors are all we’re going to get for a few months.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Keep your shiny bezel-less phone safe with the best LG G6 cases and covers
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• LG G7: News and rumors
• LG’s killer OLED TV deals let you skip the Black Friday nightmare

A state-run 5G network is impossible in the US

Axios recently reported that it had discovered a document that revealed something very interesting: The Trump administration was considering a government-run 5G network. According to the memo, this was in order to fight China’s upcoming dominance in the wireless 5G space, and would ensure a safe network for self-driving cars, AI, VR and other cutting-edge technologies.

This kind of state-run network is completely antithetical to the administration’s public stance on deregulation and privatization. It even prompted FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to come down strongly in opposition. It turns out, however, that the document was outdated, and the Trump administration strongly denies it ever seriously considered such a proposal.

Which is great news for fans of deregulation of course, but there was no reason for them to worry in the first place: Because it never could have happened anyway. In fact, there are countless reasons why a government-run 5G network would never fly in the US, especially under the current administration.

For one thing, most millimeter wave bands that were approved under the recently published 5G spec have already been licensed out. The 28, 38 and 60 GHz bands are largely split between the big four carriers — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile — and a few smaller outfits. With the sale of FiberTower to AT&T and Straight Path to Verizon, the two biggest carriers will eventually own the majority of the country’s licensed millimeter-wave spectrum, which is a valuable 5G resource. And Verizon already owns enough 5G spectrum to cover the entire country.

What’s more, these carriers have already been busy laying the groundwork necessary to build out their 5G networks. AT&T hopes to launch spec-based mobile 5G to 12 cities in late 2018, Verizon has already been testing home-based 5G ahead of a 2018 launch, Sprint has committed to a 5G network in 2019, while T-Mobile will finally catch up in 2020.

While the carriers already have the hardware foundation to make their 5G dreams happen, the government would have to build everything from scratch. According to the document that was leaked to Axios, the National Security Council staff member did consider an alternative plan whereby wireless providers would compete to build the centralized nationwide network. But ultimately, it leaned toward a government-run and paid-for operation where it would pay for and build its own infrastructure. Needless to say, this would be an enormous undertaking that would take a great deal of money and time. The memo suggested that the government could do this in three years, which is highly unrealistic.

Plus, the companies have already spent a lot of time and money planning their 5G rollout, and it’s unlikely the government will be able to simply revoke band access without a fight. Plus, under the current law, the FCC isn’t authorized to go about revoking licenses without due cause, and not just in the arena of 5G spectrum. When president Trump threatened to revoke TV networks of their broadcast license, Pai said, “Under the law, the FCC does not have the authority to revoke a license of a broadcast station based on the content of a particular newscast.” Further, the Supreme Court has in the past banned the FCC from revoking broadband licenses, even in the case of bankruptcy.

On top of that, if the FCC were to go ahead and attempt to claw back spectrum, the carriers would probably sue the government, thus stalling the entire project in tedious court proceedings. By the time the lawsuits would be resolved, it’s highly likely that the carriers would have already deployed their 5G networks. It’s possible that the government could try to free up airwaves in a different part of the spectrum to use itself, but again, that would take considerable time and effort. Even if the government comes up with a plan that’s more realistic, it’s unclear if Congress would support it.

The FCC under the chairmanship of Pai has shown no interest in exerting any kind of power over the telecom industry. As the decision to repeal net neutrality rules shows, the FCC is actually trying to shed regulatory power and weaken its authority. If the government were to take on the role of a state-run wireless network of any kind, a strong FCC would be necessary. And a strong FCC this is not.

Common problems with the Honor 7X, and how to fix (or work around) them

The Honor 7X is Honor’s latest budget smartphone, and right out of the gate it’s intent on making us re-evaluate what we expect from a $200 handset. It has an 18:9 display, a bezel-less design, a powerful Kirin processor, and an impressive camera — but it’s still not without its problems.

We’ve scoured the internet and put together a list of the most common problems you may face with your Honor 7X, as well as our best advice on how to fix them, or reduce their impact on your smartphone use.

Issue: Connectivity issues on Verizon or Sprint

This is a tough issue to diagnose, because it isn’t an issue, per se. Huawei’s phones — and by extension, its sister company Honor — have rarely supported CDMA network bands. As a result, the Honor 7X cannot fully utilize Verizon and Sprint, the two major U.S. networks that use CDMA bands for their service.

Workarounds:

• There’s nothing else for it — if you want to keep using your Honor 7X, you’re going to have to switch network. We’ve put together a guide on how to switch carriers without incurring fees where possible, and that should be a good start in switching over to a compatible carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T.
• If you’re not that attached to your Honor 7X, then another option is to either re-sell the device, or return it to wherever you initially purchased it from. A great way to ensure that your device is going to work on your chosen carrier is to check its website to see if it is sold by the carrier itself.

Problem: Extremely slow Wi-Fi speed

Some users have been complaining that their download speeds while connected to their home Wi-Fi networks are far slower than they should be, with many getting a fraction of the speed their home network is rated for. While it’s usual that most connections won’t consistently show the maximum speed available, these speed issues are generally not able to be replicated on other phones, such as the Galaxy Note 8.

Workaround:

• Switch off your Bluetooth connection. The root of this problem is an old one, and it’s similar to one that OnePlus users have had in the past. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share an antenna on the Honor 7X, probably because of budget constraints. If you switch your Bluetooth off (whether or not it’s connected to a device), you should see your Wi-Fi connection speed increase. It’s not the best solution to the problem, but it should mean that you’re able to pull the speeds you need, when you need them.

Glitch: I’m not getting push notifications from my apps!

Push notifications can be used for a variety of things, from news alerts, to play reminders in games. However, having apps constantly wake themselves to send push notifications can become a major drain on your battery’s lifespan. It’s for that reason that the Honor 7X’s EMUI operating system employs some pretty strict measures to ensure that apps don’t drain your battery without reason. However, that can mean that a lot of push notifications you actually want are stopped at the door by overzealous bouncers. So if you know you’re missing certain notifications, then there are things you can do about that to make sure they always get through.

Solution:

• Access your Settings menu, then hit Phone Manager > Battery > Close apps after screen lock, and make sure to set the Close all option to off (not blue). Hitting the settings gear in the top-right corner enables you to make sure Close excessively power-intensive apps is also set to off, so your apps won’t get closed for being too rowdy.
• Alternatively, if you want to make sure that only certain apps are kept on, go through the same steps, but instead of turning off the Close all option, you can go through the list of apps below and ensure that the apps you want to remain on have their box unticked.

Annoyance: YouTube videos don’t fill my screen/ugly black bars to the sides of my YouTube videos

Welcome to the 18:9 future! Since most videos are shot in a 16:9 resolution, that means that most videos you watch on YouTube won’t fill your screen, and will display at their usual size, leaving some large black bars at the sides of your screen when watching in a landscape orientation. While it can be fun to use it to pretend you still have a phone with hefty bezels, what if you want to use all of that screen you paid for?

Workaround:

• Pinch and zoom on the video, as if you’re zooming into Google Maps. We’ve previously seen this sort of support in the Samsung Galaxy S8, and it’s nice to see it here too. Pinching your fingers and zooming into the screen will force the video into a wider aspect ratio, so the edges of the video now come all the way to the edges of your screen. Be aware, however, that it isn’t possible to shrink the video to fit without distorting it, so the price is that action at the top and the bottom of the screen may be cropped out of view. That means subtitles may become harder to read.

Issue: Intermittent screen flickering

This seems to be an issue that’s predominantly affecting the Indian model of the Honor 7X (model number BND-L22), so if you’re rocking the international or U.S. model then you might not need to worry about this. Still, it’s an annoying problem for anyone who does have it, and it seems to be linked to the YouTube app that comes preinstalled with the phone, since most of the times the flickering begins seem to be during a lengthy YouTube session.

Possible solutions:

• Clear your YouTube app’s data and try again. If the issue persists, uninstall it, and try reinstalling the app from the Google Play Store.
• If the problem continues even after that, try to contact Honor’s support teams. Some forum posters have reported that Honor has been able to push out an OTA (over the air) update to them that solved this issue. It’s also possible that this update is waiting to be installed, so be sure that you have the latest update installed via Settings > System update.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Honor 7X vs. Honor 6X: New school versus old school
• Honor 7X vs. Moto G5 Plus: Which cheap phone gets the most bang for your buck?
• $1,000 phones a bit too rich for you? $200 Honor 7X does ‘budget phones’ proud
• Honor 7X vs. Moto E4 Plus: Big-screen budget battle
• Honor 7X vs. Nokia 6: Can Honor beat the Finnish veteran?

The MacBook Air was revolutionary. Here’s what we want from its replacement

You’ve seen the reviews. The 12-inch MacBook earns its fair share of the criticism from time to time. Still, taking a look around our offices, you’ll see wide variety of MacBooks on quite a few desks. While we know Apple won’t be giving the MacBook Pro a significant update in 2018, rumors have begun swirling around a new entry-level 13-inch MacBook in the works to take the place of the discontinued MacBook Air. Now we’re paying attention.

The new laptop will likely be a continuation of the current MacBook lineup, and according to the latest rumors, it could feature an Apple co-processor working in tandem with the standard Intel processor. It’s not a huge change, but it does suggest this new MacBook might be a bit more than just a simple refresh. With that in mind, we got to thinking: What would we like to see out of the rumored entry-level MacBook? Well, we asked around the office, and there was no shortage of opinions on the matter.

Entry-level pricing

The current rumor mill suggests very strongly that the new MacBook will fill the $1,000 slot currently occupied by the (now discontinued) MacBook Air, and we certainly hope that’s the case. Currently, the cheapest MacBook starts at $1,300 and that’s for a laptop with an underpowered Intel Core M processor. So although the MacBook was probably intended to replace the MacBook Air, it’s premium price put it out of reach of the entry-level crowd.

Bringing the price down on a laptop with similar specs would make it a much more appealing choice given the sheer number of inexpensive high-quality laptops we’ve seen hit the market in the past year. In addition, it would give the MacBook a stronger value proposition against the MacBook Pro 13, which is currently the same price.

More Ports

Everyone had a slightly different wishlist for the next MacBook, but the most common request was a simple one — more ports. The last MacBook Air featured two USB-A ports, a MagSafe adapter port, a Thunderbolt 2 port, an SDXC card reader, and a headphone jack. Compared to the current lineup on the MacBook that’s a pretty expansive lineup, despite being a bit outdated. Even though all those ports will likely be replaced by USB-C ports on the new MacBook, it’d be nice to see at least four of those, instead of just one or two.

It’s unlikely Apple would actually change course here, given its insistence on cutting down the number of ports to the bare minimum, but we can hope. It’s more likely that the new entry-level MacBook rumored to take the MacBook Air’s place in Apple’s stable will feature one or two USB-C ports and maybe a headphone jack, but that’s probably going to be it.

A new display

The MacBook Air’s entry-level model never featured a Retina display, so we certainly hope the new MacBook taking its place will. It’s one of the best features of any MacBook, Pro or otherwise, so seeing it make its way down to the entry-level offering would definitely make it an appealing alternative to cheaper laptops.

Additionally, it might be nice to see a matte display option on the new MacBook. It’s not only a good idea for photo and video editing, but if the new entry-level MacBook is aiming to take over the role the MacBook Air filled, it’s going to see a lot of use on-the-go. A matte display would cut down on the glare from those bright cafe lights.

Same thin design, hold the Touch Bar

Okay — so we’re not expecting Apple to actually do this. However, we all know Apple can be a bit stubborn when it comes to its decisions. Apple is incredibly proud of its OLED Touch Bar, which debuted on the MacBook Pro laptops in 2016. We were open-minded when we saw the Touch Bar — it looked cool, at least. But in daily use, we found it to be pretty much useless, only adding unnecessary cost to an already-expensive laptop. For that reason, we can’t imagine Apple trying to squeeze it into an entry-level laptop, but like we said before: Apple likes to stick to its guns.

With that being said, we love the sleek, light design of the 12-inch MacBook. We don’t know for sure if Apple will just reduce the price of that product or introduce a new 13-inch model — but either way, we want Apple to bring its design chops to the game.

Editors’ Recommendations

• MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro 13 (non-Touch Bar)
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Addition of Google to the Universal Stylus Initiative may improve Pixelbook Pens

Google is the newest member of the Universal Stylus Initiative, joining the likes of Intel, Dell, Lenovo, LG Display, and Sharp, among others. The move could see it capable of adopting some exciting features and standards for future Pixelbook Pens, making them more accurate in busy environments. We may even see it adding support for user preferences and enabling multi-user collaboration on a single screen.

The Universal Stylus Initiative, or USI, is an open, active stylus development association that looks to drive progress in the field of active styluses in a unified direction. Its standards already offer improved noise protection using two-way communication, support for up to six styluses on a single device, and better pressure sensitivity. Better yet, they can even stop you from having stylus anxiety driven by their locking to specific devices. Future developments could go further still.

With some analysts predicting that the active stylus market could be worth as much as $6 billion by 2021, joining the collective in the relative early days of its development is hardly a poor move by Google. It could also be an indication that it is looking to compete on a more even footing with the likes of Apple and Microsoft in the active stylus market. The USI could certainly help it in that regard, as in our comparison of the Pixelbook and Surface Pro, we found one key area that Google’s laptop was lacking, was with the Pen. Its reduced sensitivity and chunky design made it a far less useful tool than the Microsoft alternative.

Google signing on to the USI is also noteworthy as it represents the first of the largest technology developers in that space to sign on to the initiative. Although a number of major tech companies are listed as promoters, contributors, and adopters on the organization’s site, Google is easily the biggest name there. Other notable absences are Google’s big competition in that space: Microsoft and Apple.

The question now remains of how soon we can expect Google to implement the specifications laid out by the USI. Its “breakthrough specification 1.0” was released as far back as September 2016, though at the time we were told that we wouldn’t see new devices sporting those sorts of features until 2018. Now that the year’s here, maybe we’ll see Google devices able to support multi-user inputs and cross-device compatibility in the near future.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Pixelbook nearly doubles Samsung’s Chromebook Pro in price. Is it justified?
• Is Google’s Pixelbook a worthy competitor to the Surface Pro?
• Google Pixelbook Review
• Samsung’s Notebook 9’s S Pen challenges Google and Apple, sans batteries
• The best Chromebooks you can buy right now

Addition of Google to the Universal Stylus Initiative may improve Pixelbook Pens

Google is the newest member of the Universal Stylus Initiative, joining the likes of Intel, Dell, Lenovo, LG Display, and Sharp, among others. The move could see it capable of adopting some exciting features and standards for future Pixelbook Pens, making them more accurate in busy environments. We may even see it adding support for user preferences and enabling multi-user collaboration on a single screen.

The Universal Stylus Initiative, or USI, is an open, active stylus development association that looks to drive progress in the field of active styluses in a unified direction. Its standards already offer improved noise protection using two-way communication, support for up to six styluses on a single device, and better pressure sensitivity. Better yet, they can even stop you from having stylus anxiety driven by their locking to specific devices. Future developments could go further still.

With some analysts predicting that the active stylus market could be worth as much as $6 billion by 2021, joining the collective in the relative early days of its development is hardly a poor move by Google. It could also be an indication that it is looking to compete on a more even footing with the likes of Apple and Microsoft in the active stylus market. The USI could certainly help it in that regard, as in our comparison of the Pixelbook and Surface Pro, we found one key area that Google’s laptop was lacking, was with the Pen. Its reduced sensitivity and chunky design made it a far less useful tool than the Microsoft alternative.

Google signing on to the USI is also noteworthy as it represents the first of the largest technology developers in that space to sign on to the initiative. Although a number of major tech companies are listed as promoters, contributors, and adopters on the organization’s site, Google is easily the biggest name there. Other notable absences are Google’s big competition in that space: Microsoft and Apple.

The question now remains of how soon we can expect Google to implement the specifications laid out by the USI. Its “breakthrough specification 1.0” was released as far back as September 2016, though at the time we were told that we wouldn’t see new devices sporting those sorts of features until 2018. Now that the year’s here, maybe we’ll see Google devices able to support multi-user inputs and cross-device compatibility in the near future.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Pixelbook nearly doubles Samsung’s Chromebook Pro in price. Is it justified?
• Is Google’s Pixelbook a worthy competitor to the Surface Pro?
• Google Pixelbook Review
• Samsung’s Notebook 9’s S Pen challenges Google and Apple, sans batteries
• The best Chromebooks you can buy right now

Here is everything we know about the Xiaomi Mi 7

After launching the wildly successful Xiaomi Mi 6 and Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 in 2017, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is looking to best itself in 2018. While the Chinese electronics manufacturer has several phones in the pipeline for 2018, we’re expecting to see its flagship Xiaomi Mi 7 in the coming months.

As we approach this year’s Mobile World Congress, rumors about Xiaomi’s upcoming smartphones are beginning to accumulate. Here’s everything we know about the Xiaomi Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus.

Design

Techlector

A report from Gizmochina states that the Xiaomi Mi 7 will feature a 5.65-inch LED screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Mi 7 Plus will feature a 6.01-inch OLED screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Both phones will feature a bezel-less design with a 20-megapixel front-facing camera in the upper right corner.

Android Headlines states both the Xiaomi Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus will feature a glass back; the choice of materials is a good indicator that the device will support wireless charging. The Mi 7 will also feature a horizontal dual-camera array. The fingerprint sensor is also reported to be on the back of the device.

Specs

Numerous reports have confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi 7  and Mi 7 Plus will ship with the Snapdragon 845 SoC. BGR is reporting the Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus will feature a hefty 6 or 8GB of RAM.

According to several reports, both the Xiaomi Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus will feature dual-camera arrays. Gizmochina is speculating both devices will feature a monochrome+RGB dual-camera setup with two-tone LED flash.  The same report states the phones may feature A.I.-enhanced photography, similar to the Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro.

The Xiaomi Mi 7 will also feature a facial unlock feature, similar to Face ID on the iPhone X, if reports from BGR and other outlets are to be believed.  Since there will also be a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, we’re assuming it will be more of a secondary convenience as opposed to the primary authentication method.

Both the Xiaomi Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus will offer 64GB of storage on its base models, according to Tech Advisor. The same article reports that the devices will ship with Android 8.0 Oreo with the Miui 9.0 skin. Tech Advisor also reports that phones will feature a 3,500mAh battery, though we believe the Mi 7 Plus may actually house a larger battery.

Release and pricing

While there were rumors that the Xiaomi Mi 7  would launch at the 2018 Mobile World Congress, it now looks like that may not be the case. Although Xiaomi is confirmed to attend MWC, a high-level employee with the company told Android Headlines that the company would not introduce the Mi 7 at this year’s event.

The company appears to be following the lead of other smartphone manufacturers like HTC and LG in waiting to launch the phone until after MWC. The companies are holding off on announcing their newest devices because they do not want to be overshadowed by Samsung’s announcement of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

Since Xiaomi has typically followed an annual upgrade schedule, we’d anticipate a device launch around April. A leaked image, showing phones launching with the Snapdragon 845 chip, appears to confirm this time frame as well.

Pricing for the Xiaomi Mi 7 may be a little higher than last year’s flagship. Gizmochina states the Xiaomi Mi 7 will start around $475.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Snap the best picture you can by mastering the Xiaomi Mi A1’s camera
• Here is everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy S9
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 review

CDMA vs. GSM: What’s the difference between these cellular standards?

If you’re in the market for a new smartphone or carrier — or you’re simply interested in cell phone networks — you’ve likely encountered the acronyms CDMA and GSM before. But what are they, and how do they affect your phone?

The two cellular standards function in different regions and allow for global communication between individuals, and each converts incoming and outgoing data into radio waves differently. Neither should be a huge factor when buying a cell phone (unlike 4G and LTE), but it’s definitely worth knowing your stuff, since not all cell phones are guaranteed to work on both standard. It depends on where you are, what you’re looking for, and who you’re with.

GSM explained

The iPhone 7 is a smartphone that typically functions on a GSM network.

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication, and unless you live in the United States or Russia, this is probably the technology your phone network uses, given it’s the standard system for most of the world. GSM networks use TDMA, which stands for Time Division Multiple Access. TDMA works by assigning time slots to multiple conversation streams, alternating them in sequence and switching between each conversation in very short intervals. During these intervals, phones can transmit their information. In order for the network to know which users are connected to the network, each phone uses a subscriber identification module card, or SIM card.

SIM cards are one of the key features of GSM networks. They house your service subscription, network identification, and address book information. The cards are also used to assign time slots to the phone conversation, and moreover, they tell the network what services you have access to. They store your address book, too, along with relative contact information. They can even be used to pass information between phones, if a carrier allows it.

CDMA explained

The Google Pixel XL is a smartphone that runs on a CDMA network.

CDMA — or Code Division Multiple Access — is often found in the U.S and Russia, though GSM is also present in those countries. The Allied Forces developed the technology during World War II, primarily as a method to prevent Nazi forces from jamming radio signals. Unlike GSM, CDMA grants users full access to the entire spectrum of bands, thus allowing more users to connect at any given time. It also encodes each user’s individual conversation via a pseudo-randomized digital sequence, meaning the voice data remains protected and filtered so that only those participating in the phone call receive the data.

Phones on CDMA networks do not use SIM cards. Instead, each phone is built specifically to work on that carrier’s network. What does this mean for consumers? For starters, it means that phones are tied to a carrier and their bands, so if you decide to change providers, you’ll have to buy a new phone.

Is one better than the other?

Huawei’s phones very rarely support CDMA

Not necessarily. Both are the global standards for cell communication. The major factor affecting call quality is the network itself, not the method it uses to transmit information. Of course, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes time to choose between CDMA and GSM phones. For starters, CDMA phones without SIM slots are tied to their carriers, and cannot be transferred to other networks. A Verizon phone could not be transferred to Sprint’s network, for instance, or vice versa. But sometimes it’s not as cut and dried as all that — although some Verizon devices do use CDMA, they also have an unlocked SIM slot, so could be unlocked for use on other networks. Sprint is less forthcoming with unlocked SIM slots when its devices do contain one, but you can usually find ways get your carrier to unlock your phone when you’re done with them.

In contrast, GSM phones are fairly easy to unlock and transfer to other networks. Additionally, third-party manufacturers often sell phones designed for GSM networks, since they don’t require access to a specific carrier’s bands. GSM phones will even work in countries with compatible GSM networks.

CDMA networks allow for a greater number of users, meaning their capacity for communication is greater than that of GSM networks. Moreover, CDMA is the infrastructure on which all 3G networks are based — for both GSM and CDMA carriers. However, there’s now a third type of network that is quickly becoming the frontrunner in terms of quality, with many major cell phone companies quickly adopting it. Dubbed LTE for Long-Term Evolution, the technology represents an evolved form of GSM, and uses a similar technology as GSM networks. The new standard boasts enhanced voice quality and functions as the base of high-speed, 4G data networks. In this case, LTE does have an edge over the competition in terms of overall speed and quality.

If you’re a U.S. customer and wondering what companies use which type of network, the split is right down the middle: AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM carriers, while Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. In truth, picking a new phone or carrier solely based on what standard it adheres to doesn’t necessarily matter because the services, features, phones, and service quality a network offers aren’t solely dependent on their network infrastructure. So unless you have a particular need for choosing one over the other, go with the carrier that best fits your tastes, needs, and budget.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Google took down more than 700,000 apps from the Play Store in 2017

Apple’s App Store has traditionally been known as slightly more secure than the Google Play Store, thanks largely to the amount of control that Apple exerts over the marketplace. Google, however, is seriously stepping up the security of the Google Play Store and just published a blog post highlighting exactly how it did that in 2017.

According to Google, the company took down more than 700,000 apps from Google Play because they violated Google’s policy. That’s a hefty 70 percent more apps than 2016. On top of that, Google was able to identify and remove apps earlier than ever — and Google notes that 99 percent of malicious apps were taken down before anyone installed them.

Google isn’t just targeting malicious apps — it is also targeting the developers behind them. That is especially true of repeat offenders on the Google Play store. Google has been working to create new detection models that can identify repeat offenders, even when those developers create new accounts — 100,000 developers were banned from the Google Play store in 2017.

There are a few common types of apps that pop up that violate Google’s policies, and the company highlighted a few of them in its blog post. For starters, it bans copycat apps — or apps that try to impersonate already popular apps. Popular apps are often searched on the Google Play Store, so apps that impersonate them may get a lot of search traffic — and hence a lot of downloads. That could mean that a lot of people download an app with malicious intentions.

Google also doesn’t allow apps with “inappropriate content.” That could include pornographic content, but it could also mean apps with extreme violence or those that promote hate or illegal activities of any kind. Google is leveraging its machine learning chops to identify these apps.

In general, it seems as though Google is slowly but surely tightening its grip on the Google Play Store but, ultimately, that is a good thing. What it means is that the billions of people who use an Android phone are more protected, and ultimately at a lower risk of having their device compromised, their identity stolen, and so on.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Did you download this fake ad-infected WhatsApp from the Google Play Store?
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The final frontier? Astronauts could recycle their waste into protein paste

We might sometimes talk about eating crap on a night in, but that’s nothing compared to the more literal crap future astronauts could well find themselves chowing down on. That’s thanks to researchers at Penn State University, who have been using a research grant from NASA to develop technology for breaking down solid and liquid waste, and transforming it into food that’s hygienic and safe for humans — albeit something you probably won’t be serving at a dinner party anytime soon. The resulting foodstuff is high in both protein and fat, and apparently not dissimilar to savory British sandwich spread, Marmite.

“This is not the typical research direction for my laboratory, but among other things we do work with unusual microorganisms,” Christopher House, professor of geosciences at Penn State, told Digital Trends. “In 2009, NASA had a call for proposals for educational research projects that advance the topic of space colonization. Lisa Steinberg, who is an environmental engineer, and I proposed to that call the general concept here of coupling anaerobic digestion to microbial growth of non-pathogenic microbes.”

The proof-of-concept system the Penn State researchers built involves sending human waste through a fixed-film, plug-through anaerobic reactor which converts the organic matter into methane and carbon dioxide. The reactor uses a plastic media with a high surface area-to-volume ratio, and is typically used in aquariums and ponds to treat ammonium from fish waste.

“In our reactor, this plastic media provided a surface for the bacteria to attach so the waste material could flow through the reactor and past these microbial biofilms, where the attached microbes would remove organic matter and other nutrients,” Steinberg told Digital Trends. “A special group of bacteria in the reactor, named methanogens, produce methane which we used to grow methylococcus capsulatus, a methane-consuming microbe. Using the gas from the anaerobic reactor allowed us to prevent the transfer of potential pathogens or other unwanted microbes into the reactor growing M. capsulatus.”

Sadly, the project is currently concluded and Steinberg says “there is nothing else planned,” although she noted that it could be picked up by another research team wanting to continue the work.

“Deep-space flight is really difficult with food production being one of many tough to tackle issues,” House concluded. “I am most excited by the concept that remarkable, and sometimes extreme, microorganisms might help make deep space flight more practical. Naturally, this paper is only a small step, and I think that we have not necessarily found the optimal solution with respect to which microbes are used and how.”

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