Google’s changes to EU licensing could mean more expensive Androids

Appeal or not, Google’s making changes.

Google just announced it has filed an appeal with the European Commission (EC) following a $5 billion fine from July related to its licensing terms for Android and Google apps. The crux of the EC’s decision earlier this year was its opinion that Google was taking advantage of its position as a dominant operating system to be unfriendly to companies making Android devices. The EC took particular umbrage with Google’s requirements to include several Google apps as a bundle, and that licensees making Google-sanctioned Android devices were forbidden from making non-Google-licensed (aka “forked”) Android devices.

Though Google has just filed an appeal in hopes of overturning the decision, it has also just outlined its plans for addressing the EC’s concerns regardless. The changes fall into two groups: how Google will handle Android licensing terms in the European Economic Area (EEA), and how it will handle licensing of its Google apps on top of Android.

Companies can now make licensed Android builds while also shipping forked builds in Europe.

The most significant change from the manufacturer side is that Google will now allow companies that make Android devices with Google apps to also make other Android devices with their own “forked” versions of the operating system and no Google apps. For example a company could make a regular Android phone with full Google certification, and also an Android tablet with its own version of the OS and no Google apps or services. The one catch here is that Google is only opening this up to companies distributing to the EEA, meaning any devices would have a significantly limited market to sell in.

Next are the changes to the way Google apps are licensed. Android device makers will now be able to license Google’s suite of mobile apps (Gmail, Maps, Photos, etc.) separately from Google Search and Google Chrome, which were both previously required. So now, you could theoretically see a phone that had Gmail and Google Maps, but with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Mozilla Firefox with no sign of Google Search or Chrome at all. Google will continue to offer Search and Chrome to anyone, and is going to keep signing commercial agreements for preferential placement of the apps on phones — those are just separate deals from the rest of the apps now.

Google is complying with the EC’s complaints, but it’s hard to see what the consumer benefit is.

It all sounds good, and more choices for manufacturers is a bonus. But here’s the rub: now that Google is removing Search and Chrome from the app bundle, the two apps that actually make Google money, it will have to make the rest of its apps available through a paid license. If a company in the EEA wants to make Android devices with Google apps, sans Search and Chrome, it will now have to pay for the privilege. And you can bet that those apps won’t be cheap, nor will the cost simply be eaten by the company — it’s likely to be passed on to the retail price.

Who wins in this situation? The EC, sure, but this may also mean more expensive Androids in Europe.

Google’s making changes to comply with the EC’s exact complaints over exclusivity of Android licenses and app bundling, and it’s doing so as a show of good faith even as it appeals the decision. But Google’s also putting its foot down to show just how much value it gives away for free as of today, with a suite of extremely popular and well-made apps that would typically cost companies millions of dollars to develop for themselves. By forcing Google’s hand to un-bundle its money-making Search and Chrome, manufacturers shipping Android in the EEA that decide to forego those apps, as the EC claims they want to do, will pay for the privilege. In the incredibly competitive and price-sensitive consumer electronics world, that’s a tough cost to manage.

So who wins in this situation? It’s tough to argue European consumers do. The EC’s stipulation that companies were being hindered by their inability to ship devices with forked versions of Android is of dubious merit, and now there’s a very real possibility that Google-sanctioned devices — a vast majority of Androids sold in the EEA — will cost more when they hit store shelves.

The coming weeks will reveal whether Google’s appeal is accepted or the original decision is enacted, but Google plans on placing the above licensing changes into effect on October 29 regardless.

Gaming monitors, speedy SSDs, and more are discounted today

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

There’s never a shortage of deals available, but sorting through all of them can be difficult at times. We’ve handpicked all the best tech, and everyday essentials discounts that you can take advantage of right now and brought them to one central location. From solid state drives to AeroGardens, these are today’s best deals.

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Google Pixel 3 XL vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Which should you buy?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Android phones, and use nearly every one to find the best phones for everyone.

Google Pixel 3 XL

Pure Google

$899 at Best Buy

Pros

• Large, high-quality screen
• Great camera
• Dual selfie cameras
• Wireless charging
• Guaranteed software updates

Cons

• No headphone jack
• Display notch

Google refreshed its hardware and jumped to a 6.3-inch 18.5:9 display. It’s not just about size though since the display is dramatically better as well. The rest of the phone builds on all of Google’s strengths: simple hardware, capable specs, smooth software, and an amazing camera experience front and back. It also added wireless charging and kept stereo speakers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Mighty S Pen

$935 at Amazon

Pros

• Huge screen
• Great camera
• Headphone jack
• Wireless charging
• S Pen stylus

Cons

• Cumbersome software
• Slow ongoing software support

This is Samsung’s absolute top-of-the-line phone, and it shows. It has a best-in-class display, top-end specs across the board and loads of hardware features. The cameras are great, too, and the S Pen is truly unique. You just have to take the time to configure and tame Samsung’s software.

Though they’re both high-end phones that command an equally high price, Google and Samsung have entirely different philosophies about what makes a great phone, so a lot of it comes down to personal preference. We compare the two in detail below.

What’s the difference between the Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9?

With a handful of improvements this year, Google’s Pixel 3 XL is more of a competitor to the Galaxy Note 9 than the 2 XL was to the Note 8. The Pixel 3 XL’s screen is almost as big as the Note 9 and almost as good — it’s indistinguishable in all respects except total brightness. Google has added wireless charging, a staple Samsung feature, and is IP68 water- and dust-resistant, just like the Note 9. They run on the same Snapdragon 845 processor, and have all of the same supporting radios and chips elsewhere inside.

These are flagship phones through and through — but in terms of raw specs, Samsung has a slight advantage.

But still, Samsung wins in the spec battle in a few ways. The Note 9 has 6 or 8GB of RAM to the Pixel’s 4GB, giving it more runway for performance with taxing apps in the future. Its 128 or 512GB of storage also beats the Pixel’s 64 or 128GB, and Samsung still offers a microSD card slot. The Note has a regular 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is still preferable to using Google’s in-box USB-C headphones — and the Pixel’s better stereo speakers doesn’t make up the difference. The Note 9’s 4000mAh battery is a clear winner over the Pixel 3 XL’s 3430mAh, both in capacity and overall battery longevity.

Design-wise, these phones are very similar — they’re panes of glass sandwiching metal frames. There are just two main differences here: the Pixel 3 XL is smaller and lighter, while the Note 9 has a curved screen on the sides that some people find is tough to handle. Being smaller and lighter is certainly a win every time, but whether the Note 9’s curved sides bother you will be something you have to experience for yourself.

The bigger differences between the phones are more nuanced ones: camera performance and software experience.

Right off the top, I’ll recognize that both phones have fantastic cameras and take really good photos. Any differences noted between the two are either small, minimally consequential, or simply a matter of preference. That being said, if I have to put my foot down on one I’ll say the Pixel 3 XL takes better photos overall, the reason being that the Pixel consistently takes more eye-pleasing photos with more accuracy and more lifelike representation of scenes. The Note 9 is certainly capable of these kinds of shots, but tends more toward upping the colors unnaturally and overly smoothing details to an unrealistic level of sharpness. The photos look amazing, and you may even prefer them that way, which is why it’s really tough to pick between these two.

These phones are matched in so many ways, but there’s a clear divide in software and experience.

When it comes to portrait mode and zooming, things are about a wash even though the Note 9 has a second camera to work with. Google does amazing things with just one camera, making digital zoom and portrait mode look just as good as what Samsung does with a single lens. Where Google has an upper hand is in selfies, where its secondary camera provides an actual portrait mode for front-facing shots, as well as a wide-angle view, whereas Samsung sticks with a single camera — but in either case, you get great selfies with a high resolution and auto focus.

Now, software. It’s no secret that Google goes with a simpler, cleaner approach than Samsung. You don’t get as many features, but you definitely get an easier-to-understand software experience that’s faster to pick up and figure out whether you’re a novice or a pro. The features Google chooses to include are easy to “set and forget” so they’re not getting in your way, and you don’t feel like you’re spending time in menus and settings to get the phone to just work. On the other hand, those are all things you have to tread through with the Note 9 — the upside, of course, is the customization angle so you can get the exact experience you want. If you work at it, you can leverage the dozens of features to accomplish even more without installing apps. And that dovetails right into the discussion of the S Pen, which is something without equal on the Pixel side.

With either one of these phones, you get a high-end hardware experience with the latest specs and hardware features. You get a great camera, plenty of power, really nice design and so much more. The question is whether you want the extra bump in specs and features on the hardware side, and are willing to give up Google’s preferable software experience to get it.

Google Pixel 3 XL

Pure Google

$899 at Best Buy

Google’s best-ever phone

Phones are large nowadays, and Google’s Pixel 3 XL is no exception. A 6.3-inch OLED screen is dramatically improved from the Pixel 2 XL, and the rest of the experience builds on Google’s strengths: awesome software, great performance, innovative camera features, and guaranteed updates.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Mighty S Pen

$935 at Amazon

The do-everything flagship

Samsung’s “more is better” approach is in full effect with the Note 9. It has a packed spec sheet, all of the hardware features you want, and tons of extra software to support it. Plus, it has an S Pen stylus and a huge battery. It just lacks some of the polish you get from Google’s Pixel line.

The new Analogue Mega Sg can play your old Sega cartridges on your new TV

Take me back.

Today Analogue announced its new Mega Sg console, which takes your old games and transforms them to high-resolution, high-fidelity, high-quality experiences on your modern TV. It connects simply via HDMI and can support more than 2,100 Sega Genesis, Mega Drive, and Master System cartridges.

The Mega Sg is a fantastic way to get some use out of the games you’ve saved from your childhood or picked up while thrifting. The console features original controller ports and comes with an adapter for the Sega CD. You’ll also be able to snag cartridge adapters for things like Game Gear titles once the console is out.

This is a huge win for old-school Sega fans, since they’ve been left in the dust when it comes to retro gaming. Nintendo fans have the NES Classic and SNES Classic, PlayStation fans can look forward to the PlayStation Classic, and up until now, Sega fans have received the short end of the stick. While this isn’t an official release like the aforementioned consoles, the officially-released Sega Genesis Classic received ultimately poor reviews. Analogue is a well-known and trusted third party, and the Mega Sg is an addition to its highly-praised console lineup.

The new console is available in four color schemes, and it will sell for $189 when it launches in March of 2019. You can pre-order yours now and it will ship in April of 2019.

See at Analogue

Shuffle through your Spotify playlists offline with the new $86 Mighty Vibe

Listen up.

Mighty has introduced a new-and-improved way to listen to your Spotify playlists offline. Dubbed the Mighty Vibe, this $85.99 gadget is actually a new iteration of last year’s plain-old Mighty. Unfortunately, that model was littered with issues such as spotty connections, an unimpressive battery life, and inadequate playback. The new version improves on all of those issues, and brings those improvements to a nice little black, blue, or red package. As you’ll see on the product page, the company was super transparent in the issues they faced with the first model. The new version doesn’t come with a steeper price tag, either.

Basically, this little gadget streams your Spotify music offline. It does require a Spotify Premium account, which you’ll want to keep in mind before purchasing. It updates each night so you always have fresh music, and you can easily select the playlist you want using its Voiceover Playlist Navigation. It pairs to your phone and headphones via Bluetooth, but you can also use a pair of wired headphones seamlessly with it.

The Mighty Vibe can store more than 1,000 tracks. It has a five-hour playback battery life and clips onto clothing, making it perfect for athletes or traveling. Your purchase is also backed by a one-year warranty. You can pick yours up here.

See at Mighty

If you believe your phone is distracting you too much, check out Forest (Review)

We’ve all been in this situation: we need to get things done today. That easy for history class. That last piece of code to finish a ticket. That budget planning for the next vacation. But our phone is constantly nagging us about a post you commented on Facebook, or the likes you received on your Instagram post. Our high school friends keep writing on Telegram about the latest meme. Amazon is asking us to check the latest deals.

It is very hard to do actual work with the amount of services, messaging, and social networking going on inside our phones. If you need a little push to stop your mind from using the phone and get back to business, then Forest might be a good addition to your list of apps.

Developer: Forestapp.cc
Price: Free

Forest Overview

If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, then you can read more about it here. Although this app is not exactly a Pomodoro timer, you can see some elements of it crawling into the app.

The premise of Forest is the following: you define a period in which you want to get work done, and a virtual tree will blossom during that time. However, this will only happen if you don’t use any other app in your phone during that time. Failing to do so means that your tree dies. Immediately. No questions asked.

Setup

Forest will present you a small onboarding with some information about what it is and how does it work. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it. Upon completion of it, Forest will show you the main screen with a small tutorial about how to start the timer and change the type of tree you want to grow. You are probably smart enough to figure everything out by yourself, especially if you are familiar with these kind of applications. However, it is never a bad idea to have a small tutorial for newcomers, so kudos to the developer for that.

Planting Trees

Forest works best by giving it access permission. This means that Forest will be able to check if you have changed to another app while the timer is on. In case you do so, your phone will start vibrating and will send you a notification about coming back to the app immediately if you don’t want your tree to die. I can understand that this might be giving too much information to an app, but not granting this permission will mean that you will be able to cheat.

If your tree dies because you left the app, you will be left with a lifeless log in your forest. You can remove this if you don’t like the look of it, but you will need to either pay coins to do it, or watch a video ad.

However, if everything goes well and you manage to control the impulse of using your phone, you will be rewarded with a glorious tree. Its gloriousness depends on how much time you decided to stop using your phone, from 10 to 120 minutes.

This will start filling your forest, giving a meaning to the app’s name. Every period you complete will not only grant you a tree, but also coins. These can be used at the store to buy new kinds of trees to plant. Every purchase you make will make next purchases more expensive, and, combined with the fact that you get coins in a really slow way, getting everything that is available at the store will take a very, very long time.

If you want to keep things more organized, then you can also add tags to each of your periods. Stuff like “work,” “social,” or “study” are available by default, but you can also add your own custom tags (with the pro version). This will help you keezp a record of the time that you have concentrated doing different activities. All of the activities that you make will then be available in the timeline navigation item.

Pro Version

As many apps and games these days, Forest is provided for free, but offers a pro version for those interested. At $1.99, the pro version is really affordable and it brings benefits such as ad removal, sync between devices, custom tags, and whitelist.

This last option is particularly clever, since there’s people that actually use their phones for valuable stuff, such as working or studying with it. So, for some people, using Slack or Outlook would actually constitute a working activity. Forest lets you whitelist these kind of apps so that you can stay away from social networks and other useless activities while actually getting work done with your phone.

However, the most interesting option that you get with the pro version is the ability to plant actual trees. Through an alliance with Trees for the Future, you can plant trees in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Not only are you improving your concentration in activities that matter to you, but also improving the conditions in which other less fortunate people perform activities that matter to them. It’s a perfect example of a win-win situation, and the cause is a really commendable one.

Settings

There are several options at your disposal, primarily aimed at improving the core experience of the app. Some of the options available to you are notification mode, keeping the screen on while the app is on the foreground, turning on sound effects, configuration of planting reminders, and advanced detection. This last option provides some workarounds for common problems with the app, such as notifications being wrongly interpreted as leaving the app.

If you have the pro version, this is where you will be able to configure things like custom phrases and app whitelist.

Conclusion

Forest combines a gameified experience with cute graphics and solid performance in order to help you use your phone less and do more work. Its functionality is just as advertised (provided you give it the appropriate permissions) and its pro version actually helps you to do good deeds for other people. If you find yourself struggling to keep your phone down and work, then it doesn’t hurt to check this out.

Download and install Forest from the Google Play Store.

This $10 electronics travel organizer keeps all your cables close by

Get organized.

The Jelly Comb electronics and cables water-resistant travel organizer is down to $10.49 with code FLLDDV9Y on Amazon. The organizer normally sells around $14 or so. This code is only valid on the Black & Green version of this product.

The storage bag has two Nylon layers with enough space for all your cables, USB drives, chargers, mice, and more. It uses six elastic mesh segments, two mesh pockets, 12 elastic loops, one storage segment for SD cards, one big adhesive pocket for a mini tablet, and one detachable hand strap. The outer surface is water-resistant, and the inside is padded for protection. This could also be used to store items like pens or pills, and it’s designed to be easy to travel with since it can quickly open and close to make sure everything’s in there. Users give it 4.4 stars based on 169 reviews.

See on Amazon

How to disable the microphone on the Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo lineup offers some of the most cost-effective and efficient products to enter the world of smart homes. However, there are times when you don’t want the microphone always listening — such as an Amazon event where they’re saying Alexa every 30 seconds, or figuring out where to bury a dead body — but turning off the microphone on an Amazon Echo is a single click away.

Products used in this guide

• Amazon: Echo Dot ($49.99)
• Amazon: Alexa Voice Remote for Amazon Echo ($29.99)

How to disable the microphone on the Echo

On the Amazon Echo, press the microphone button.

When the ring and button turn red, then your microphone is temporarily disabled.

Once this has been completed, your Amazon Echo will no longer for the ‘Alexa’ trigger word. This means that any voice commands that you make will not be performed, with one exception: using an Alexa Voice Remote for Amazon Echo.

The Alexa Voice Remote works independently of the mic mute on an Echo device itself because it only ever listens when you’re pressing the microphone button on the remote. On the bright side, you never have to worry about your Alexa Voice Remote listening in, but on the other hand, you’ll have to grab the remote and press the microphone button for every command and query.

How long does the microphone stay off?

Your Echo device will keep that ring red and the microphone off until you press the mic button again. Even if you lose power and your Echo reboots, you don’t have to worry about the mic turning itself back on; your Echo will remember its previous state and keep the microphone disabled.

Can I tell Alexa to turn off the mic?

One would expect that something as dependent on voice services as the Echo products, there’s a questionable omission. For some reason, there are no voice commands that you can use to disable the microphone without using the hardware button.

Google Home devices and Apple HomePod both have voice commands to mute the microphone from across the room — “OK Google, mute the microphone” and “Hey Siri, stop listening” — but not Amazon Echo devices. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to un-mute the mic with a voice command, but being able to mute it without getting up and crossing the room would be useful at times.

How to re-enable the microphone on the Echo

When you’re ready to turn your Echo’s Alexa listening capabilities back on, follow these steps:

On the Amazon Echo, press the microphone button.
When the ring and button turn blue, the microphone will be enabled.

Once completed, the microphone button and ring will flash blue before turning off. Then you can get back to using Alexa’s voice services in the way that it was intended.

Our top equipment picks

Smart speaker

Amazon Echo Plus

$150 at Amazon

The hub without a screen

The Amazon Echo Plus features great sound in a gorgeous package. Amazon has also included a built-in Zigbee smart home hub so you can control all of your smart home products without needing extras.

Secure commands

Alexa Voice Remote for Amazon Echo

$30 at Amazon

Use your Echo, even when the mic is muted

This discreet little remote can pair with your Amazon Echo devices using Bluetooth and act as handy control for controlling your music and giving Alexa commands without shouting across the room, even while the Echo’s microphone is muted.

Canada Daily Deals: AMD Ryzen processors, Nintendo Switch, and more

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

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on AMD Ryzen processors, Choetech Micro-USB/USB-C 2-in-1 cables, Nintendo Switch pre-orders, Game of Thrones DVDs and much more!

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

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA, sign up for the Canadian newsletter and follow the team on Twitter.

SimpliSafe smart video doorbell now available for $169

The doorbell supports 1080p video recording and has a 162-degree wide-angle lens.

Founded in 2006, SimpliSafe has become one of the best brands when it comes to home security solutions. On October 16, the company announced its first outdoor security solution in the form of the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro.

The Video Doorbell Pro replaces your traditional doorbell and has a camera lens that can record in 1080p Full HD and capture a wide field of view with a 162-degree lens. There’s also support for HDR and an infrared night vision for capturing movement no matter what time of day it is.

SimpliSafe detects motion in two ways — including a PIR sensor that captures human heat signatures and an image classification one that’s able to detect the shape/form of a person. Add that together with two-way audio communication, and you’ve got a pretty well-rounded package.

You can purchase the Video Doorbell Pro at Best Buy starting today for $169, and if you have other SimpliSafe products, it’ll tie right into those, too. Compared to the Nest Hello and Ring Video Doorbell Pro that retail for $230 and $250, respectively, SimpliSafe certainly has the upper hand when it comes to price.

Do you plan on picking one up?

Nest Hello vs. Ring Pro: Say hello to the new best connected doorbell