Google app licenses for Android phones in the EU will cost up to $40/phone

The pricing for apps varies by pixel density on phone displays.

Back in July of this year, the European Commission fined Google $5 billion for heavily pushing its software and services on Android phones. Google appealed to the fine on October 16, and one of the biggest changes to come out of said appeal is that Google will now start charging OEMs in Europe that want to use its apps without pre-installing Chrome and Search.

Up until now, it’s been unclear exactly how much Google would charge. Thanks to a new report from The Verge, however, we now know that Google will require OEMs to pay up to $40 per phone.

That $40 per phone fee apparently applies to devices that have a pixel density on the display of 501ppi (pixels per inch) or greater. The pricing then works out as follows for lower resolutions:

• $20 fee for devices with 400 to 500ppi
• $10 fee for devices with 399ppi and lower
• $2.50 fee for “lower-end phones in some countries”

In addition to the new fees, companies that choose to not install Chrome and Search on their phones won’t receive any revenue that comes from Google searches on the company’s browser. Per part of the agreement:

If the Company elects not to place the Google Chrome browser on the Application Dock for any Qualified Device(s) supplied into the European Economic Area, Company will not be entitled to any portion of revenue generated from Google Chrome for such Qualified Device(s).

These new rules are set to go into effect for any devices that are activated either on or after February 1, 2019.

Google response to EU fine allows forked devices, shifts un-bundled apps to paid license

Rowkin Ascent Charge+ headphones review: Truly wireless, truly frustrating

These need a bit more time in the oven.

As truly wireless earbuds have become cheaper and better, I’ve been more and more tempted to pick up a set. What’s kept me away from most brands has been a bit shallow: I am trying to get all my devices to charge over USB-C instead of Micro-USB. Brands have stuck with the older connection, so I’ve stuck with waiting. I went strolling through Best Buy a few weeks ago, and finally found a pair that had a giant battery, USB-C charging, and a few more tricks up its sleeve.

Wireless wonder

Rowkin Ascent Charge+

• $140 from Amazon

Great sound and a giant battery.

If you want wireless earbuds that can last weeks on a charge, these are for you. That is — if you can deal with the connection issues.

The Good

• USB-C and Qi charging
• Decent sound
• Comfortable fit

The Bad

• Takes way too much effort to connect correctly to your phone
• Gesture controls are finicky

Rowkin Ascent Charge+ What’s in the box

You may see a few different Ascent headphones from Rowkin in stores, but the actual earbuds inside the cases are the same. The big difference comes down to the battery case and the other accessories. The less expensive Ascent Micro comes with a more diminutive battery case, meaning it can fit in smaller pockets and it has less reserve charges for the earbuds. The Ascent Charge comes with a much bigger battery and case, large enough that Rowkin added a Qi coil for wireless charging of the case itself. The Charge+ is the same product as the Charge, but comes with a Qi pad included in the box.

With each set, you also get a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging, a female USB-C to male USB-A adapter and three different ear gel sizes.

Rowkin Ascent Charge+ What I like

Everyone’s ears are different, but I’ve had trouble with other truly wireless buds. They either fell out of my ears or became painful before too long. I haven’t had any such problems with the Ascent Charge+, and I’ve been able to have them in my ears for long gym sessions without them either falling out or making me regret using them.

The case is also about the right size for my use. I’m glad that Rowkin offers a smaller case for those with smaller pockets, but I have no problem sticking this in the same pocket where I keep my keys and wallet. And with a large battery, I’ve yet to charge the case once since buying the headphones over a week ago.

It’s great to finally use the same charger for my laptop, my smartphone and my headphones.

Speaking of charging the case, this is what initially drew me to these headphones. There aren’t too many headphones that you can charge on a Qi mat, but more important to me in the immediate future is the inclusion of USB-C.

I really enjoy how these earbuds sound. No, they’re not going to be as detailed as professional studio monitors, but for on-the-go wireless earbuds they’re good. You don’t get AptX or other advanced audio codecs, but the trade-off is battery life: these earbuds easily last three hours on a charge, and can be topped up three more times in the case.

Rowkin has an app for Android and iOS where users can change equalizer settings, update the earbud firmware, or locate their earbuds if they go missing. I haven’t felt the need to change the EQ settings at all, but it’s good to see people have an option to get the sound better suited to their tastes.

Rowkin Ascent Charge+ What’s mediocre

The Ascent Charge+ has a big enough battery that you can use it to top up your smartphone, but you probably shouldn’t. The case itself has a capacity of about 2000 mAh, so it likely wouldn’t charge your phone more than halfway. You’re splitting that charge with the earbuds as well, and the USB-C only outputs at 5W. Having the battery is great in a pinch, but you’ll be much better off carrying a dedicated external battery.

Rowkin Ascent Charge+ What I Don’t Like

Using the same charger as my phone is great, but there are some problems when it comes to using the earbuds themselves. What should happen is you take the earbuds out of the case, they connect to each other, then they connect to your phone. Your music then comes through, and everything is great.

Using these headphones is just more trouble than it should be.

I’d say I’ve had about a 50% success rate of getting my music to play on the first attempt. I’ve used these earbuds with the Pixel 2 XL, Galaxy S8 and the LG Stylo 4, so it’s not an issue with a specific phone or a certain version of Android. The earbuds show they’re connected, but music still comes through my phone’s internal speaker. Sometimes I can open Bluetooth settings on my phone, manually disconnect and reconnect and the problem is solved. Other times, the earbuds have to go back in the charging case so they turn all the way off, then I take them out of the case and repeat the process.

You get playback controls on the earbuds in the form of tap gestures. A double-tap on the right earbud pauses playback, while a triple tap activates your voice assistant. On the left bud, a double tap will skip forward and a triple tap will skip back.

The biggest issue I’ve had with these controls is consistency. I’ve tried a few different cadences to my taps, but I can’t nail down how to make the controls do what I need them to. Sometimes I have to jab the earbuds — and therefore my ears — to get controls to work. Other times, a light brush counts as a tap and I end up activating my voice assistant when I just wanted to pause my music.

Rowkin Ascent Charge+ Should You Buy These?

Probably not — at least not until the connection issues are fixed. Give Rowkin a few more months to work out the control and pairing issues before spending the money on these. For a similar price, you can get the superior Jaybird Run or Samsung IconX 2018, or for a bit more the excellent Jabra Elite 65t.

3
out of 5

These earbuds fit and sound great, and it’s nice that I can use the same charger as my smartphone and laptop when it comes time to top up. If Rowkin can work out the kinks, these will be easier to recommend.

See at Amazon

UK Daily Deals: Fitbit trackers, Amazon devices, Cadbury’s chocolate, more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today on Fitbit trackers, Amazon Echo and Fire hardware, Cadbury’s chocolates, Xbox Live Gold membership, Philips Wake-up Lights, and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter UK team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more UK deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter UK and follow the team on Twitter for the most up-to-the-minute coverage.

Oppo’s two latest Android phones were cheating on processor benchmarks

The Find X and F7 are the latest Android phones to juke the stats.

The Oppo Find X and F7, two of Oppo’s latest Android phones, have recently been outed for cheating on processor benchmarks with the popular 3DMark benchmark app.

UL Benchmarks revealed this info on October 18, saying that the two Oppo phones were designed to know when 3DMark was running and then crank themselves into high-gear to get the best possible results. When a private version of 3DMark was used on the phones, results came in at 41% lower.

The Oppo Find X was previously listed as the #4 fastest phone in one of UL Benchmarks’ tests, but following this new evidence, both it and the F7 have been delisted from the site.

Oppo responded to UL Benchmarks, saying:

When we detect that the user is running applications like games or 3D Benchmarks that require high performance, we allow the SoC to run at full speed for the smoothest experience. For unknown applications, the system will adopt the default power optimization strategy…After the user has not actively operated for 5 to 10 seconds, the device limits the system performance to 70% to 80% of the maximum performance (according to different platforms)…When there is a user operation, it will immediately cancel the performance limit, to ensure that the user experience is not affected.

Along with that, Oppo also noted that it’s working on “upgrading the system” and looking for ways to “distinguish between the requirements of undetected apps or the subjective needs of users.”

OPPO Find X review: A beautiful disaster

Deals: Carriers Kick Off iPhone XR Promos, Anker and Choetech Launch New Charging Sales, and More

Today is iPhone XR pre-order day, and like with previous iPhone models you are able to pre-order the XR from all of the major cellular carriers, most of which are offering promotions. If you haven’t pre-ordered your iPhone XR yet, check out the list below to see all of the various deals and offers you can get when buying the colorful new iPhone.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

• AT&T – Buy one iPhone XR and get another $700 off / both must be bought on AT&T Next with wireless (minimum $80/month) / must have DirecTV (minimum $29.99/month)
• Verizon – Buy any iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, or X and get the 64GB iPhone XR at no cost, or get $750 off a higher capacity / must add a new line to one of the iPhones / bill credit of $31.25 over 24 months starting in 1-2 billing cycles
• T-Mobile – Get T-Mobile Unlimited with iPhone XR at $40/month ($30 for the plan and $10 for the iPhone XR) for four lines / qualifying credit, finance agreement, and trade-in required (including iPhone 7/7Plus and 8/8 Plus)
• Sprint – Get the 64GB iPhone XR for $0/month when purchased on Sprint Flex lease with eligible trade in (including iPhone X, 8/8 Plus, and 7/7 Plus) / $31.25 bill credits applied within two bill cycles / requires 18 month lease with new line of service or eligible upgrade and approved credit

Of course, a few retailers are also offering promotions if you visit their stores to buy the iPhone XR. If you pre-order the iPhone XR at Sam’s Club you’ll get a $100 Sam’s Club gift card, as long as you purchase and activate the smartphone by October 28 on an installment or two-year device plan. Sam’s Club says that all major carriers are participating in the offer, and it will keep pre-orders up for the iPhone XR through October 21.

If you visit your local Best Buy store, you can get up to a $275 Best Buy gift card when trading in iPhone 7 Plus or newer models, which you can put towards an iPhone XR pre-order. If you choose to go the Best Buy route, the retailer also supports the carrier offers for Verizon (BOGO $750 off) and Sprint ($0/month on Sprint Flex lease with trade in). Note that this offer is only available in Best Buy stores and not online.

Besides the iPhone XR, there are a few other deals going on as we head into the weekend. Over on Amazon, Anker has introduced two new discount codes for its premium nylon USB-C to USB-A cables of varying sizes. Additionally, Choetech has introduced a trio of new discount codes for shoppers interested in stocking up on cheap and reliable wireless chargers and car chargers. Check out all of these sales and a few others below:

• Anker Premium Double-Braided Nylon USB-C to USB-A Cable (2-pack, 3ft) – $7.19 with code ANKER322, down from $8.99 (exp. 10/24)

• Anker Premium Double-Braided Nylon USB-C to USB-A Cable Black (2-pack, 6ft) – $8.09 with code ANKER333, down from $9.99 (exp. 10/24)

• Choetech iPhone Wireless Charger – $6.99 with code PXGTHIDM, down from $12.99 (exp. 10/20)

• Choetech Dual USB QC 3.0 Car Charger – $5.99 with code P5I5G7O9, down from $13.99 (exp. 10/30)

• Choetech Bluetooth Sweatproof Sports Headphones – $12.99 with code WGFRPHUM, down from $18.99 (exp. 10/30)

• Top Greener’s USB-A and USB-C Wall Outlet – $20.92 with promo code TYWIRE20, down from $26.15

• Eve Degree Weather Station with HomeKit compatibility – $54.95, down from $69.99

For information on other savings be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Chrome 70 Now Enables Picture-in-Picture by Default on macOS

Google Chrome now enables picture-in-picture as a default setting on Mac, Windows, and Linux computers as of Chrome 70. If you are up-to-date and watching a compatible video in the Chrome web browser, you can minimize it and continue browsing the web in other tabs, while the video keeps playing in a new miniature screen (via Android Police).

The feature works similarly to Safari’s implementation of PIP: on compatible websites you can two-finger click twice on a playing video to find “Picture in Picture.” This will pause the video on the main tab, turn it black, and display the video in a new window that can be moved around anywhere on the screen.

PIP was previously in the Chrome 69 beta but it had to be manually enabled, so it appears that Google is making it easier for users to gain access to the feature with Chrome 70. PIP still isn’t available on every video-playing website since it will have to be adopted by each site, but you can enable PIP with YouTube in Chrome on macOS starting today.

Tags: Google, Chrome
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Jony Ive Discusses His Team’s Move to Apple Park, Remains Tight-Lipped About Prospects of Apple Car

Apple’s design chief Jony Ive sat down for an interview over lunch with Financial Times reporter Nicholas Foulkes earlier this month, discussing a wide range of topics, including the Apple Watch, Apple Park, and prospects of an Apple Car.

Jony Ive portrait via Financial Times
Questioned on why Apple’s design team was among the last to move into the company’s new Apple Park headquarters, Ive said that was the plan all along, adding that relocating some 9,000 people takes time:

It wasn’t late, it was always scheduled to be then. When you’re moving 9,000 people, you don’t do it in one day. We’re one of the last groups. It’s a loaded and significant event because it meant leaving a studio that has decades of history, where we designed and built first prototypes. This is the studio I went back to on the day that Steve died. And it’s the place where we figured out the iPhone and the iPod.

Ive said his team’s move to Apple Park has allowed for increased collaboration among different areas of creative expertise:

Moving to Apple Park represents the coming together, at last, of these different areas of creative expertise that are incredibly diverse. I’m fairly confident that this has never happened before, to have industrial designers next to font designers, next to prototypers, next to haptic experts. The best haptic experts in the world are sat next to a bunch of guys who have PhDs in material science.

On the prospects of an Apple Car, Ive remained tight lipped. In general, he said it’s important to work on the associated issues and challenges with any new product, rather than talk about it and risk having the ideas and technologies copied:

We explore so many different thoughts and so many different technologies for products or services. Some companies use the fact that they are exploring lots of different ideas as a PR tool — we don’t. If you are genuinely working on something, it’s better to be working on it and struggling with the associated issues and challenges, rather than talking about it. Our capital, our equity, is our ideas and the technologies that we’re developing. It’s important that as long as possible that remains ours, to try and postpone that point when they will then be copied — which is what history suggests.

When asked if the Apple Watch is best described as a watch, Ive instead referred to it as a “very powerful computer”:

No, I think that this is a very powerful computer, with a range of very sophisticated sensors, that is strapped to my wrist. That’s neither very descriptive nor very helpful. You and I share the same perspective and we had this same challenge with the product that we called the iPhone. Clearly the capability of the iPhone extends way beyond the function of what we would traditionally call a phone.

Ive went on to say that Apple believes it has a responsibility to understand and mitigate the implications and consequences, both positive and negative, of the products it creates — i.e. Screen Time in iOS 12. “It keeps me awake,” he said:

If you genuinely have a concern for humanity, you will be preoccupied with trying to understand the implications, the consequences of creating something that hasn’t existed before. I think it’s part of the culture at Apple to believe that there is a responsibility that doesn’t end when you ship a product… It keeps me awake.

Also See: Jony Ive Talks Secrecy, His Future, and More at WIRED Anniversary Event

Tag: Jony Ive
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How to Scan Documents With Your iPhone in Three Quick Steps

The document scanning feature found in Apple’s stock Notes app is a great way to digitize all sorts of print-based content, from letters and receipts to recipes and photos.

If you often make a digital record of paper in this way, you’ll be familiar with the typical steps involved: unlock your device, launch the Notes app from the Home screen, create a new note, tap the “+” button, choose Scan Documents, then line up the document you want to shoot and save.

It’s not immediately obvious, but there is a way to cut out several of these steps and make scanning a document a much quicker process, which is great news if you tend to scan things several times a day. First, you’ll want to add Notes to the Control Center, like so:

Launch the Settings app.
Tap Control Center.
In the More Controls list, tap the green “+” button next to the Notes entry.
Now that’s set up, you can get to the document scanning screen in fewer steps, as described below.

How to Scan Documents in Three Quick Steps

Launch Control Center from the Lock screen: On iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen; on iPhone X/XS/XR, swipe down from the upper right “ear”.
Hard press (or long press) the Notes icon.
Tap Scan Document and allow Face ID to automatically authenticate you (If you’re using an iPhone with Touch ID, place your finger on the Home screen to unlock.)
You’re now ready to scan your document and save it as a note.

Don’t forget, if you want to generate a PDF of the scan as soon as it’s been saved as a note, simply tap the Share Sheet icon (the box with an arrow pointing out) at the upper-right of the screen and select Create PDF from the third row of options.

Once it’s generated you’ll be offered the option to save it to the Files app, or you can share it elsewhere with another tap of the Share Sheet icon.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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Best AC Adapter for PlayStation Classic

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We’re an expert team of techies who also go nuts over video games. These recommendations come directly from the personal experiences of the men and women who write them.

The Anker Dual USB Wall Charger provides not one, but two capable USB ports for powering the PlayStation Classic. That means you can have your game going and maybe even charge your smartphone at the same time.

Our pick

Anker Dual USB Wall Charger

• $11 at Amazon

It’ll serve you well in more ways than one.

It has two capable USB ports to power your PlayStation Classic and another device of yours at the same time powered by Anker’s PowerPort 2 technology.

Who should buy this AC adapter?

The PlayStation Classic doesn’t use a traditional AC adapter, and can instead be powered by any USB wall charger outputting 5 volts and 1 amp. That means most USB chargers available will work just fine. You might even already own one, but if not, this is what you want.

Is it a good time to buy this AC adapter?

Anker’s latest PowerPort 2 and PowerIQ charging technology are in play here, meaning you are getting the company’s latest standard of quality and power. It has everything it needs to power most current devices and likely many others in the future.

Reasons to buy

• Two USB charging ports
• PowerIQ charging tech ensures save maximum voltages
• Pleasant design that looks right at home on the wall
• Compact build that fits into any pocket, bag, or purse.

Reasons not to buy

• You already own a USB wall charger
• You plan to plug it directly into a USB port on your TV

Ubiquity makes this a winner

Sony decided to exclude a power solution for the PlayStation Classic as a cost-cutting measure. This would have been an exorbitantly money-hungry gesture had the charging adapter and cable been proprietary, but the PlayStation Classic only needs a standard USB charger to work. That means you might already have what you need, and if you don’t, it’ll be very affordable to get one.

We suggest starting with Anker’s PowerPort 2 USB wall charger. At a paltry $11, this puck has all the makings of a fine USB wall charger. Starting with what you can see, it has two full-fledged USB ports capable of charging and power most compatible devices, including your smartphone, tablet, and — in our case — the PlayStation Classic. Its power plug can be stowed away into its tough outer shell and there’s an LED light to indicate when the juices are flowing.

Anker is unmatched in quality, affordability, and technology.

What you can’t see is Anker’s PowerIQ technology working on the inside. It allows the device to accurately read the exact power needs of whatever’s plugged into it and only serves up as much of a surge as that device can handle. It does this independently in each charging port, so your PlayStation Classic, smartphone, or whatever you’re charging won’t have a chance to compromise each other.

The cherry on top of all this is that Sony does still include a USB cable in the box, so you won’t have to supply one of those.

Alternatives to the Anker 2-port USB Wall Charger

There are endless products out there which can power your PlayStation Classic. One alternative is another Anker staple, which is the 4-port version of their wall charger just in case you have way too many devices to charge. You can also find something a bit cheaper than Anker’s 2-port charger.

Runner-up

Anker 4-port USB Wall Charger

More ports to charge more of your things.

$25 at Amazon

It has everything you’d expect from an Anker product — smarter and faster charging — but handles twice the devices.

Anker’s 4-port USB Wall Charger is a fair bit more expensive, but you’d get double the ports and the same charging and power capabilities. This option is perfect for those who have more than just a couple of devices to hook up on a regular basis.

Value pick

YUNSONG USB Wall Charger

It’s super basic, but it’s also super cheap.

$5 at Amazon

If your budget is really tight, this thing means you only have to give up one cup of coffee to afford it.

YUNSONG’s charger has one port, delivers power and charging currents at one rate, and the wall plug can’t be stowed away. It’s an ugly little thing and the company who makes it probably won’t be able to help you if it ever breaks. But it’s also only $5.

Bottom line

The Anker 2-port USB Wall Charger is worth paying the extra few dollars for. Anker has our trust for safety, quality, and reliability in all it power-related products, and that doesn’t change for the use case of powering a PlayStation Classic. And with this purchase, you can take solace in the fact that it’ll eventually be useful for other things, too.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Quentyn Kennemer has had a passion for gaming and tech for as long as he can remember. His recommendations are drawn from decades of personal experience in all facets of the two industries.

James Bricknell is the resident UK gamer. When he’s not entertaining us with his wit, you can find him using his 3D printers to create miniaturized versions of all his favorite geek things.

‘Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection’ Now on the Mac App Store for $39.99

Feral today announced that the Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection is now available on the Mac App Store.

Originally developed by Relic Entertainment and generally regarded as the definitive version of the critically acclaimed real-time strategy game, the Master Collection on Mac utilizes an implementation of Apple’s Metal that brings a leap forward in performance and graphics, according to Feral.

Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection challenges players to direct their troops through fast-paced real-time battles in the brutal fight to turn the tide of World War II. From the desperate defense of Stalingrad to victory in Berlin, they must defeat a tenacious enemy through the deadly cold of the Russian winter and the fast-moving battlegrounds of the western front.

The Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection comes with the base game, its entire catalogue of DLC, and all three expansions, including The Western Front Armies, Ardennes Assault, and The British Forces.

The Western Front Armies changes the course of multiplayer warfare by bringing U.S. Forces and the German Oberkommando West to Online and Skirmish mode. Meanwhile Ardennes Assault puts players in command of U.S. Forces in a single-player campaign against the Germany army. The British Forces challenges players adds a new multiplayer army and a new set of maps ranging from northwest Europe to Nazi Germany.

The game officially supports the following Macs:

• All 13-inch Retina MacBook Pros released since 2016
• All 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros released since Mid 2012
• All 15-inch MacBook Pros released since Mid 2012 with a 1GB graphics card or better
• All 21.5-inch iMacs released since Late 2013 with a 1.8GHz i3 processor or better
• All 27-inch iMacs released since Late 2013 (Late 2012 models with Nvidia 675MX or Nvidia 680MX graphics are also supported.)
• All 27-inch iMac Pros released since Late 2017
• All Mac Pros released since Late 2013

Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection is now available from the Mac App Store for $39.99/£38.99. Customers who already own the Mac App Store version of Company of Heroes 2 will receive all the DLC and expansion packs in a free update.

Tag: Feral
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