Watch YouBionic’s 3D-printed robotic hand make freakishly lifelike movement

We’ve been covering the work of bionic prosthesis company YouBionic for some time now. As with any continuously iterating gadget or device, it has been fascinating to watch the concept evolve from a rough-hewn early prototype to what increasingly looks like a solid, well-engineered finished product. Well, maybe not quite “finished” yet — but it’s certainly getting there.

For those who haven’t been keeping track, YouBionic’s goal is to create a working 3D-printed robotic hand. This could be used for a variety of purposes, such as helping people with missing and partially functioning limbs, as well as acting as the final actuator for robotic arms. The fact that it is largely 3D printed also means it would be widely accessible to a large number of people.

“What can be seen in the video is the device created from the components which have returned the best results,” Italian engineer Federico Ciccarese, the creator of YouBionic, told Digital Trends. “These are the components which have finally made me proud, that I think will form the basis of what we do in the future.”

The YouBionic robot hand is capable of performing realistic motions on a level of fine-grain detail that’s similar to that of a human. Compared with the previous builds of the robot, this latest version boasts superior design and construction of the arm; thereby giving it more natural multi-rotational wrist movement, hand twisting, and elbow flexion. It’s also capable of increased strength, allowing it to interact with the outside world more like a biological hand.

It can either be controlled by a remote or pre-programmed movement or, as shown in the video, could be rigged up to mirror the movements of a person’s actual hand and arm. Ciccarese said that he is currently exploring ways that it could even be made to function based on the electrical activities recorded via a person’s brain.

“Our aim is to create devices that help or replace parts of our body,” Ciccarese continued. “We want to evolve humanity by using mechatronics. Imagine a completely robotic being that can be consciously controlled by a biological brain. That is what we are creating.”

Given how much of a game-changer, a high-quality, low-cost 3D printed hand prosthetic could be, we can’t wait to see what’s next for the project.

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Best Car Mounts for Google Pixel and Pixel 2

What’s the best car mount for Google Pixel?

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are beautiful, dependable phones that get updates years longer than the majority of Android. If you want to keep your Pixel safe, secure, and easy to use with Google Assistant or Android Auto’s standalone mode, you need a car mount you can trust to keep it from coming crashing down when you hit a pothole. Car mounts come in a wide variety of styles and types, and we have some favorites to share with you!

Best magnetic car mounts

• Spigen Style Ring POP
• Spigen Kuel Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount
• Oliv. magnetic button mount
• Nite Ize Steelie

Best cradle car mounts

• Kenu Airframe Plus Portable Car Mount
• Ram mount
• ProClip

Best magnetic car mounts

As the name suggests, this type of mount secures using magnets. Magnetic car mounts require you to attach a metal plate to the back of your phone, or slip one inside your Pixel’s case. Once installed, all you have to do is hold your phone close to the mount; magnetism will pull the phone to the mount and keep it there.

Note: If you keep the metal plate inside your case rather that on top of it, it is worth noting that the magnetic grip might not be as strong, meaning the mount could still drop your phone when it hits a big pothole or is involved in a car accident.

With no clips or holsters to deal with, you can easily grab your phone with one hand as you leave the car. While magnets can technically wear out over time, they’re going to last far, far longer than spring-loaded clip and cradle mounts, and chances are your magnetic car mount will outlive your Pixel and possibly your car.

Spigen Style Ring POP

Spigen’s original Style Ring was on this list with its locking hook car mount, but those mounts were proprietary, not easily transferable, and not sold separately. In short, they were a big, fat pain, and Spigen decided to go a better direction when it upgraded the Style Ring.

The Spigen Style Ring POP is a slimmer phone mount that lets your phone sit flat instead of teeter-tottering the way the original did, and since it has a flat back, Spigen has made the POP compatible with magnetic mounts. If you haven’t considered a phone grip before — and you really, really should — the Spigen Style Ring is a phone grip, a kickstand, and a verstaile, dependable magnetic plate to use with your choice of magnetic car mounts.

See at Amazon

Spigen Kuel Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount

Spigen makes a lot of really ingeniously designed smartphone accessories, and their Kuel Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount is as convenient as it gets. The mount itself quickly and securely clips onto an air vent on the dash. Because its so easy to apply and move around, you also take the Spigen Kuel with you and use it as a portable kickstand — or pack it along and use it in your rental car while you’re on vacation.

You can buy a single Kuel mount for $7.99, but if you belong to a multi-car family — or take business trips often enough to want a dedicated travel mount — then buy the 2 Pack for $9.99 and give the spare to your boyfriend, your Google Maps-dependant mother-in-law, or a coworker who really, really needs to put the phone down while she’s driving. The 2 Pack comes with 2 Kuel mounts and 4 magnetic plates.

See at Amazon

Oliv. Magnetic Button Mount

Oliv. mounts are minimalist, effective, and an awesome addition to your dashboard. They come in a few iterations, but I like the button mount the best. It has a 3M adhesive on the back and sticks to your dash anywhere you like it. The strong magnet then holds your phone in place in any orientation you like (there’s the adhesive metal plate, which I recommend you stick on your case, since it doesn’t seem to work through a case).

It really is just a button that adheres to your dash, and then the link sticks to that via magnet. The metal plate that goes on your phone is low-profile, and quite a bit more refined-looking than other metal mounting plates. At $30, the Oliv. doesn’t come as cheaply as other mounts on this list, but it does offer efficacy, a modern design, and it takes up minimal space.

See at Oliv.

Nite Ize Steelie

This is definitely the coolest looking mount on this list. The Steelie is a somewhat unique mounting system wherein a concave magnet adheres to the back of your Pixel and a spherical magnetic base adheres to your car’s dashboard or console.

Hop in the car, and your phone mounts in a snap. This is about as minimalist as it gets in terms of car mounts. Making sharp turns and hitting potholes? No worries: The magnet is super strong and the magnetic ball moves with your phone to prevent it from falling off.

If you want a mounting system that nigh unnoticeable, the Nite Ize Steelie is your slick solution for around $20.

See at Amazon

Best cradle car mounts

Cradle car mounts aren’t quite as widely used as they once were, seen as bulky, expensive and old-fashioned by many Android users, but they still have their place in the world and on this list. If you’re someone who wants a grip that they are 100% sure of no matter what they drive over, then a cradle mount is what the car mount you’ll want to trust your Pixel with.

Kenu Airframe Plus Portable Car Mount+

Minimalism and simplicity are important features for a lot of people. The Kenu Airframe Plus+ is a simple car mount that’s slim enough to comfortably fit in your pocket, but still secures your phone by clipping to an air vent. The clip is able to mount to any vent type, whether they be horizontal, vertical, angled or circular.

It’s so portable that you can take it with you and also use it as a kickstand. Simply slip a business card or something of a similar size in the clip on the back and it will stand on its own. Versatile, simple and portable — what more could you want? Grab it for around $20.

See at Amazon

Ram Mount

The Ram Mount is an adjustable crade-style mount that holds onto your Pixel or Pixel XL with four arms. It adheres to your dashboard or console via a suction cup and is adjustable via its ball socket, which allows you to orient your phone any way you want it.

The holder is spring-loaded, so you can just slide your Pixel in and away you go. It’s made of a high-strength composite, aluminum, and stainless steel, so it’s durable and strong, sturdily securing your phone. It’s a little on the expensive side at $50, but it’s worth it.

See at Amazon

ProClip

For a completely customized car mount, direct your attention to ProClip. They offer a two-part car mount solution that you customize for your specific needs. First, you select your Pixel model from the menu and indicate whether or not you want to factor in the case you use. You’ll be given a variety of six to eight images to choose from with specs and details for each phone holder offered.

Once you’ve decided on your Pixel holder, you move on to the custom mounting base. Select the kind of base you want (dashboard, pedestal, and so on) and select the vehicle you drive. The bases you will be selecting from are designed to snap into the seams of your dashboard or grip the necessary panels, so no sticky pads or bolts are necessary. Eliminate the guessing by customizing every aspect of your car mount and know that it’s going to fit just the way you want it to.

Pricing starts around $35.

See at ProClip

How do you drive with your Pixel?

Did we miss your favorite car mount on our list? Leave us a comment below!

Updated August 2018: We have reorganized this guide by mount type to help readers like you better compare and choose the one that’s best for you. We’ve also replaced the Spigen Style Ring with the Style Ring POP.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Google Store
Project Fi

Build your own Bose Bluetooth speaker at home for just $75

A project to do with the kids.

Amazon has the Bose BOSEbuild speaker cube on sale for just $74.96. Earlier this year, this build-it-yourself speaker was selling for $150 but dropped down to a new regular price of $100 around the end of April. It hasn’t been discounted since until recently, and this price drop marks a new all-time low for the speaker.

You may be wondering what exactly a BOSEbuild speaker even is, so let’s take a look. It’s a Bluetooth speaker with Bose-quality sound that you can build and personalize at home. You can add lights to it, change the covers, and more with ease. It’s intended for children ages 8 and above, and is compatible with any Bluetooth 3.0 device, though Bose does offer an iOS app to guide you through some additional hands-on activities.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a speaker to buy for my son to try and build this weekend!

See at Amazon

How to get Android 9 Pie’s Digital Wellbeing feature on your Pixel right now

The feature isn’t quite finished yet, but Pixel owners can get in on it first.

Android 9 Pie’s public launch is fresh and filled with tons of new features. But the biggest headline addition coming out of Google I/O earlier this year, Digital Wellbeing, isn’t available right away. Google still has some more work to do before it releases the feature to all Pixel owners, but in a continued spirit of open testing is offering it up to those who want to sign up and use unfinished software.

If you’re okay with knowing that you’re using software that’s still a work in progress, here’s how you can get the new Digital Wellbeing feature.

It’ll take some time to open up to everyone, but you’ll still get it early.

First, you need to have a Pixel phone that’s been updated to Android 9 Pie. Google has announced that Android One devices will receive Digital Wellbeing at some point as well, but has not made any claim that it will come to non-Pixel devices beyond that.

Head over to Google’s Digital Wellbeing beta sign-up page to get started. All you have to do is enter your email address — make sure it’s the address associated with your main Google Play account that you use to download apps. Select the radio button that you have a Pixel running Pie and click Submit — that’s it!

As Google rolls out the Digital Wellbeing beta to people who have signed up, the update will show up through the Play Store. Chances are Google will have far more people sign up than it initially needs to test the features, but just hang tight if you don’t get it at first since Google is likely to expand the beta program over time.

Android 9 Pie

• Android 9 Pie review: Greater than the sum of its slices
• Everything you need to know about Android 9 Pie!
• Will my phone get Android Pie?
• How to get Android 9 Pie on your Pixel right now
• Join the Discussion

Build-your-own Bose, car diagnostic readers, Ring spotlights, and more are all discounted today

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 the BoseBuild Speaker Cube for kids, Ring spotlights, the Automatic Pro OBD-II reader, and more! Most of these prices will be gone when the day ends, so don’t miss your chance to save big!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

How to use the new app switcher in Android Pie

Android Pie completely overhauls the app switcher — here’s what you need to know.

Switching back and forth between apps is something most of us do on our phones each day. It’s a pretty simple task that’s seen some minor improvements over the years, but with Android Pie, Google gave this a huge overhaul both aesthetically and functionally.

• How to open/close the app switcher
• How to copy text
• How to clear apps

If you want to learn more about the app switcher UI in Android Pie, keep on reading.

How to open/close the app switcher

Rather than tapping the Recents button to open the app switcher, Android Pie requires you to do a small swipe up from the bottom of your screen.

Once you do this, you’ll be taken to the new UI for viewing your recent apps. You can scroll left and right through all of the apps that show up here, and when you want to open one, either tap on it or slide down on it as if you’re dragging it to the bottom of your phone.

If you hop into the app switcher and then realize you want to exit it, either swipe down from the dock (the shaded area near the bottom) or tap the back button that appears to the left of the home pill.

How to copy text

One brand new feature that comes to the app switcher in Android Pie is the ability to copy text directly from the app previews in the switcher UI.

After opening up the app switcher, hold your finger down on any bit of text in one of the previews. When you do this, you’ll be able to drag your two handles around to precisely select the text you want and get quick buttons for copying it or sharing it with another app.

It’s a pretty small feature, but one that’s proven to be incredibly useful more times than not.

Learn how to turn this on/off here

How to clear apps

Last but not least, let’s talk about how to clear apps in Android Pie.

From the app switcher, you can remove apps one by one by just swiping up on them as if you’re flicking them off the screen.

Alternatively, you can keep swiping right until you see the Clear all text at the very end of the list. Tap this and all of your recent apps will disappear in a snap.

That’s it!

With that said, that’s everything you need to know about using the app switcher in Android Pie.

Have any questions or concerns? Sound off in the comments below!

Android Pie: Everything you need to know about Android 9!

Android 9 Pie

• Android 9 Pie review: Greater than the sum of its slices
• Everything you need to know about Android 9 Pie!
• Will my phone get Android Pie?
• How to get Android 9 Pie on your Pixel right now
• Join the Discussion

Will my phone get Android Pie?

A new version of Android means it’s once again time to peer into my crystal ball.

Did you hear? Android Pie is a thing now. And we know that everyone will want it and want it as soon as possible. That’s how it works and that’s how we are wired. We want updates, we want them to be spectacular and we want them right now.

The reality of the situation is a bit different. Most phones made in the last 18 months will see Android Pie, but some of them will only get updated when we see the first developer preview for Android Q (Quince Jelly or gtfo, Google!) come along. It’s a lot easier for manufacturers to update their phones to a newer version, but it’s still not any better. That’s another article for another time, though. This one is where I guess which phones will get updated sometime in the next 12 months.

Predicting anything Android-related is 10% science and 90% interpretation.

It’s not as easy as you think and many sudsy cold beverages worth of thought goes into my guesses each and every year. About one-third of them are no-brainers, but some of the others are basically the same odds as a coin flip. It seems like manufacturers only care about a few models that get a lot of press time. But I do have to toot my own hat (or something) and say I have a pretty good track record. Luck or skill? You decide. (It’s totally skill.)

Let’s break it down by the major manufacturers of the phones we love and make a few predictions. Remeber, these are just predictions and not any official word on anything from any company unless otherwise noted.

Still waiting for Oreo? Check to see whether your phone will be upgraded!

Google

I always start with Google because it’s easy and I’ll get it right every time. That’s what I want at the top of the page. I say it’s easy because Google has already told us which phones get updated and which won’t.

• The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be updated to Android Pie.
• The Pixel and Pixel XL will be updated to Android Pie.
• While not actually from Google, any Android One phones manufactured since October 2017 will also be updated.

And that’s it. Prior to the Pixel, Google promised two years of full support and three years of security updates for phones they sell under their own brand. The Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X are just about three years old. Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu, Adios, Good Bye. They were great phones.

More: It’s time to say goodbye to the Nexus program for good

Android Beta Program Partners

For the first time ever other companies have joined Google in supporting the Android Beta Program. When it was started for Android Pie (then known simply as P) the following phones joined Google’s Pixel and Pixel 2 family in supporting it:

• Sony Xperia XZ2
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
• Nokia 7 Plus
• Oppo R15 Pro
• Vivo X21
• OnePlus 6
• Essential PH‑1

That means that every one of these phones should see a full-on update to Android Pie in the very near future. In fact, the Essential PH-1 is seeing its update at the same time the Pixel and Pixel 2 are!

We’re proud to bring Android 9 Pie to Essential Phone the same day it’s released! Check your phone now for the update. 🥧 pic.twitter.com/pniUDl9yr8

— Essential (@essential) August 6, 2018

Samsung

Samsung makes more models of a single flagship line like the Galaxy S each year than Google has made in total, but it’s also pretty easy to know which phones Samsung will update because they’re predictable. Samsung offers four “premium” models each year. like 2018’s Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, the Galaxy S9 Active that we all know is coming, and the Galaxy Note 9. Even when Samsung sold 15 different models of the Galaxy S6, they were all treated the same when it came to expecting an update.

When to expect it is just as predictable, and it will happen about a year from the date this was first published (March 2018). Some models in Europe will see it first, about a month later it will show up somewhere else, and once Samsung is satisfied it’s not going to totally wreck about a gazillion phones they will give it the green light. Add in whatever time your carrier needs and the final result is just about a year from its initial release.

• The Galaxy S9 and S9+ (and any S9 Active that comes in the future) will be updated to Android Pie.
• The Galaxy Note 9 will be updated to Android P.
• The Galaxy S8 and S8+, and the Galaxy S8 Active, will be updated to Android Pie.
• The Galaxy Note 8 will be updated to Android P.

Here’s where it gets interesting. there are a handful of other Galaxy phones that have a huge regional fanbase. In India, for example, the Galaxy J models are huge hits because they offer most of the same experience you find in a Galaxy S at a lower price. Samsung will give them the same treatment the Galaxy S and Note lines receive. That’s not the most interesting part, though. That would be the seemingly random phones that Samsung decides to update. We don’t know why we see this every year (Carrier requests? Developer favorites? Aliens?) we just like seeing it. And we all wish we saw more of it.

LG

LG has always been a wildcard when I write this post every year. Like Samsung, there are a few “important” models that get all the press coverage and plenty of other more inexpensive models that most of us aren’t talking about.

LG also mentioned some streamlining in the release cycle, which hopefully gives the development teams time to get an update out the door and have it be a good update.

• The LG G7 ThinQ will be updated to Android Pie.
• The LG V30 (including the V30S or whatever models we have seen or will see) will be updated to Android Pie.
• The LG V20 will be updated to Android Pie.
• The LG G6 will see Android Pie.

Older models like the G5 and V10 are done seeing any attention and won’t see any updates. LG makes a handful of phones that aren’t quite flagship material, and we know it is willing to spend the time and money on updating some of them even if your carrier isn’t and you never see it. That means nothing is a given.

I also think LG consolidating things and releasing phones when they think it’s time for a new model rather than by looking at a calendar will make a difference here and lead to longer support.

Huawei

Huawei is tough to read. It hasn’t abandoned the Asian way of doing smartphones like LG and Samsung have for their U.S. divisions and sometimes that means the things the company does can be puzzling to those of us used to the Western way of thinking. Just when I think I have figured out exactly which phones are the company’s flagship models that will get the lion’s share of time and money spent, they change it all up. That’s a good thing.

Something made Huawei change the way it redistributes and maintains phones running the EMUI operating system (Huawei’s version of Android) in 2017 and I think that’s going to be reflected when it comes to Android P updates.

• The Huawei P10 will be updated to Android Pie.
• The Huawei Mate 10 will be updated to Android Pie.
• The Honor 9 and Honor View 10 series will be updated to Android Pie. I’m hoping, but less confident about the Honor 7X.
• The Huawei Mate 9 will probably be updated to Android Pie, but we’ll see.

This includes the various Plus, Pro, and Porsche models (I want a Porsche phone) as well, and because EMUI is so different than every other smartphone software available users will have no idea which version of Android they are running unless they look.

Besides, if the things a handful of little birds are saying happen to be true, EMUI 9 isn’t going to be able to run on any hardware older than what comes in these phones.

Motorola

Motorola had a weird 2017. That’s putting it mildly. They released like 100 phones in the Americas and Western Europe (Editor’s note: it was actually 9) and they ranged from the surprisingly great $100 Moto E4 to the Moto X4, the first of hopefully many non-Google phones you can use on Project Fi, and all the Z and Force you can handle in between.. And they did it without compromising the G series which has been a company staple for years from the smartphone division.

Moto phones under Lenovo are slowly becoming like the Thinkpad — quietly chugging along in the background doing their thing. And doing it well.

So far in 2018, we’ve heard the company is going to release more phones than ever this year and that they were scaling back and had to lay off employees (in the same week, no less) so we’re not sure just what to expect in the coming months. One thing I am pretty sure of is that every one of those 2017 phones, as well as any we see in 2018, will be updated to Android Pie.

That’s right, no bullet point list of the highlight models. Every Moto phone manufactured in 2017 or later will see Android Pie.

Lenovo has taken a lot of the fanfare surrounding Android version updates away and quietly builds them in the background. Maybe the update horrorshow that happened when the company first absorbed Moto branding made them decide the limelight is a better place to be. Or maybe when you build like 100 different models, an update day feels more like a Tuesday than something special.

Must mentions

These may be the companies we’re most familiar with in the west that sell Android phones, but they aren’t the only companies doing it. Out of the literally hundreds of models available, a few stand out and need mentioning.

• OnePlus will update the 5 and 5T.
• Sony’s high-end Xperia like the Zs and Xs from 2017 and 2018 will be updated, but other models probably won’t be.
• I’m not sure how changes in the company will affect HTC, but thinking all their phones as far back as the U11 and UBolt will see an update.
• The BlackBerry KEYone probably won’t be upgraded to Android Pie, but we know the KEY2 will be.
• Now that Nokia has committed to Android One across all of its devices, there’s a good chance many of the more expensive models, like the Nokia 7 and Nokia 8 Sirocco, will join the 7 Plus in Pie-land.
• Someone at XDA will update their Nexus One to Android Pie and I am going to do my best to get Google to send that person a brand new Pixel 3 NotchXL.

Like mentioned earlier, these are just educated guesses at this point. but one thing I know for certain is that no matter what the phone, any updates will feel like they took too long to make it into our hands. That’s just how we’re wired.

Deals: AirPods for $135.99 and Anker’s New 20% Off Back-To-School Sale

AirPods have been discounted again this week, with Rakuten seller Altatac selling Apple’s wireless headphones for $135.99 when using the sitewide discount code SAVE15. Altatac is a highly-rated seller on the retailer’s website, and the AirPods are in new condition.

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

Once you sign into your Rakuten account, head over to Altatac’s page for the AirPods, add them to your cart, enter your shipping information, and place the code SAVE15 into the discount code box during the payment stage. AirPods were on sale for $144.99 at Amazon and Adorama last week, so today’s sale is about $10 cheaper and the best for a new pair available online.

On Amazon, popular accessory company Anker has launched a big back-to-school sale on a variety of iPhone cases, portable chargers, cables, and more. We’ve rounded up every item in Anker’s sale on Amazon in the list below, and to gain access to the savings enter the discount code ANKERBTS during checkout.

The Anker back-to-school sale will last through Sunday, August 12, and each item has been discounted by 20 percent:

Cases

• iPhone X Soft TPU Touch Case (Black) – $4.79, down from $5.99

• iPhone X Soft TPU Touch Case (White) – $5.59, down from $6.99

• iPhone X Shield Case – $5.59, down from $6.99

Portable Batteries

• PowerCore+ mini 3350 with Lightning Cable – $18.39, down from $22.99

• PowerCore Fusion Battery/Charger 2-in-1 (White) – $23.99, down from $29.99

• PowerCore 26800 Dual Input Power Bank – $52.79, down from $65.99

Cables

• PowerLine II USB-C to C 2.0 Cable (3ft) – $7.99, down from $9.99

• PowerLine II USB-C to C 2.0 Cable (6ft) – $9.59, down from $11.99

• PowerLine+ Lightning Cable (3ft, Gray and Red) with Pouch – $11.19, down from $13.99

• PowerLine II USB-C to USB-C 3.1 Cable (3ft) – $15.99, down from $19.99

Chargers and Surge Protectors

• Wireless Charging Pad – $7.99, down from $9.99

• Dual USB Ultra-Compact Travel Charger – $11.99, down from $14.99

• USB Type-C Wall Charger – $20.79, down from $25.99

• PowerPort Power Strip with 12 Outlets & 3 USB Ports – $27.99, down from $34.99

Miscellaneous

• 2-in-1 USB-C Memory Card Reader – $10.39, down from $12.99

• 4-Port USB-C to USB 3.0 Portable Data Hub – $12.79, down from $15.99

• 3-Port USB-C to USB 3.0 Portable Data Hub with Ethernet – $23.99, down from $29.99

• SoundCore Boost 20W Bluetooth Speaker – $63.20, down from $79.00

Head over to our full Deals Roundup for more sales and offers kicking off this August.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Google Releases Android 9 Pie as Previous Oreo Release is Installed on Just 12% of Devices

Google’s latest Android operating system update, Android 9 Pie, was officially released to customers today following a beta testing period that started earlier this year.

Android Pie introduces a new gesture-based system interface that’s similar to the interface of the iPhone X, with iPhone-like swipes for navigating through the operating system. We went hands-on with Android Pie earlier this year when it was in a beta testing phase.

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The new update also introduces the Android Dashboard, designed to tell you how much time you’re spending on your device, which is similar to Apple’s own Screen Time feature. A new Do Not Disturb option called “Shush” silences Android devices when placed facedown, and a Wind Down option lets Android users select a specific bedtime to turn the interface gray to discourage smartphone usage at night.

Android Pie also includes an Adaptive Battery feature that maximizes battery power by prioritizing the apps you’re most likely to use next, App Actions for predicting what you’ll want to do next (much like Siri Suggestions), and Slices, a feature that brings up information from your favorite apps right in search, is coming in the future.

Like all new versions of Android, Android Pie is available for a limited number of smartphones at its launch because Android-based smartphones use customized versions of the Android operating system, and each smartphone manufacturer needs to make the new software available to its customers.

Android Pie is available to Pixel phones today, with the update set to roll out to recent devices from manufacturers that include Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential later this year.

The majority of Android devices are not likely to ever see the Android Pie upgrade given Android smartphone fragmentation. The previous release, Android 8 Oreo, is installed on just 12 percent of Android devices as of July 23, 2018, despite the fact that it was released in August 2017.

Most Android smartphones continue to use Android Nougat, Marshmallow, and Lollipop, updates that came out in 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

Comparatively, Apple’s most recent operating system, iOS 11, was installed on 81 percent of devices as of May 31, 2018. 14 percent of devices use iOS 10, released in 2017, and just five percent of devices use an earlier version of iOS.

Apple is able to control the operating system on all of its devices which allows the company to distribute bug fixes, new features, and more to customers much more quickly.

When iOS 11 was launched, 25 percent of customers had downloaded it after just one week, and iOS 12, with the wealth of features that it brings like Screen Time and Siri Shortcuts, could see even faster adoption when it’s released alongside new iPhones this September.

Tags: Google, Android
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Asus bringing super-budget ZenFone Live (L1) to the U.S. for $110

If you’re looking for a cheap, low-powered phone in order to save cash, but you still want all the fun of Android, then Google’s Android Go is likely going to be your phone of choice. While it hasn’t had the best start in the U.S. with the Alcatel 1X, Asus is looking to change that with the bargain priced Asus ZenFone Live (L1).

The phone will cost $110, and it is exclusive to Best Buy for the moment — but you get quite a lot of phone for your money, even for that low asking price. The ZenFone Live (L1) is equipped with a midrange Snapdragon 425 processor, and a large 5.5-inch display running a 1,440 x 720 resolution in an 18:9 aspect ratio. As it’s an Android Go phone, it’s limited to a single GB of RAM at most — which it has — but storage is a bit on the paltry side regardless, with just 16GB of onboard storage available. Still, that’s able to be bolstered by up to 2TB via a MicroSD card.

Those decent budget specs are backed up by a hefty 3,000mAh battery. That’s standard for a flagship phone with powerful specs, so we expect a battery of that size to work extremely well on a phone with specs as relaxed and a display as power-efficient as the ones packed into the ZenFone Live (L1). Asus is claiming that the phone will be able to last for up to 29 hours of talk time — or 4 days of consistent music playback, which seems a tad excessive.

The budget specs are evident elsewhere on the phone, with a MicroUSB port down the bottom of the device. The camera’s specs seem solid, too, with a single 13MP lens around the back of the device (some models seem to be equipped with an 8MP lens instead), complete with phase detection auto-focus, and beauty modes, panorama shots, and the ability to shoot video in 1080p Full HD. There’s also a 5MP selfie shooter around the front of the device.

Being priced so low, the ZenFone Live (L1) isn’t going to be the fashionable device of the summer, but it is shaping up to be a great device for the budget-conscious, or anyone who doesn’t want to risk their pricey phone while out and about. It will be available for $110 from Best Buy — but if you’re keeping an eye out, keep in mind it won’t work on CDMA networks like Verizon and Sprint.

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