Google's smartwatch

 

The Pixel Watch is proof that Wear OS isn't bad.....

Google Watch

Google has also made sure the Pixel Watch integrates well within its own ecosystem. The Camera shutter controller is useful for remotely snapping some images with my Pixel 7 Pro, the Google Pixel Buds Pro connect immediately to the watch because they’re already paired with my phone, and some apps (like Google Maps and Citymapper) automatically transfer my navigation directions from my phone’s screen to the watch’s screen. Notification sounds also sync up pretty well between phone and watch. When I’m wearing the watch, it vibrates while the phone stays silent; when I’m not wearing it, the phone starts pinging instead.

In general, the experience seems solid, but that’s about it. There’s nothing new-new with Wear OS 3.5, and there hasn’t been anything really new with Wear OS for years now. While competitors like Samsung and Apple are busy adding features and improving the ecosystem integration between their smartwatches and phones, Google is giving us a robust foundation that lacks a million extra pieces.

On the ecosystem side, Google’s integrations feel like a one-step forward, two-steps back deal. There’s no cross-device unlocking for your Android phone or Chromebook with your watch. Do not disturb settings can’t be synchronized between phone and watch, nor the bedtime mode. You don’t get a friendly nudge to open the camera controller on your wrist when you launch the camera on your phone. Any Google Cast controls on your home’s smart speakers don’t show up on the watch for easy controls.

Finally, Google’s own Wear OS implementation is still pretty weak on the customization front. We should have more watch face styles and designs, more colors, and more app tiles. (I’d love to see one for reminders, a world clock, Citymapper, and Todoist for example.) I also need options to pin my most-used apps in the app list, and custom button shortcuts for quickly launching my favorite apps.

Want to run abandoned apps on your Pixel 7

 

You can now (unofficially) add 32-bit support to your Pixel 7 phone....

Pixel 7

The Google Pixel 7 series is the first Android phone to ship with 64-bit app support only. But what if you need to run 32-bit apps for some reason?

Thankfully, two solutions have popped up in recent days to bring 32-bit support to Pixel 7 series phones (h/t: XDA-Developers and r/Android). These solutions are the Pixel 7 32-bit helper and Magisk Delta.

Both solutions are modified versions of the Magisk rooting software tool, and basically flip a switch for 32-bit support. This is possible because Google has disabled 32-bit support in the Pixel 7 firmware rather than removing it altogether. Furthermore, the Tensor G2 processor still supports 32-bit operations.

Twitter Update

The Elon Musk says ,Twittwe Will beign manually authenticating Blue,Gray and Gold acounts.....

Eldffdo

"Elon Musk says that Twitter’s check mark program could return on Friday, December 2nd, with a new procedure to verify individual identities in order to resolve impersonation issues. Musk described the new manual authentication process as “painful, but necessary.” Verified check marks will also be expanded with additional colors — gold for companies, grey for the government, and the original blue for individual accounts.

As it turns out, offering so-called verified check marks for an $8 monthly subscription without actually verifying identities wasn’t a brilliant idea. After Musk ignored warnings from Twitter’s own trust and safety staff, the platform’s paid Twitter Blue subscriptions rolled out and quickly resulted in some ‘verified’ accounts impersonating notable public figures and brands, driving away advertisers from the “high-risk” platform. Musk has since said that the company wouldn’t relaunch Twitter Blue until “we’re confident about significant impersonations not happening.”

Samsung Galaxy S23 series

Samsung Galaxy S23 series:         Everything we know

The Galaxy S line is Samsung’s most popular premium smartphone series. It is inevitable that the company would launch a new entry in the series, just as it has done every year since 2010.

S21 Ultra 5G (Unsplash)

When will the Samsung Galaxy S23 release date be?

• Galaxy S10 series — February 20, 2019
• Galaxy S20 series — February 11, 2020
• Galaxy S21 series — January 14, 2021
• Galaxy S22 series — February 9, 2022

Historically, Samsung has launched Galaxy S phones within the first three months of the year. In recent years, Samsung has launched them in February, with only the Galaxy S21 series as an exception. This was likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It stands to reason that Samsung would launch the Galaxy S23 series in February 2023. However, don’t rule out a January or even March launch. Samsung has launched the phones in those months in the past. There’s also no telling how the ongoing global chip shortage could change the company’s plans.

What features and specs will the Samsung Galaxy S23 series have?

S22 Ultra (Unsplash)

Samsung Galaxy S phones are almost always the first globally available devices with the latest flagship silicon from Qualcomm. We don’t expect 2023 to be any different in this regard. As such, you can expect all three Samsung Galaxy S23 phones to have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside. That would certainly be for devices in North America, Korea, and India, while other countries might get the unannounced Exynos 2300.

However, Samsung and Qualcomm announced a deal that will see Galaxy S23 phones powered by Snapdragon chips “globally.” The announcement didn’t outright say that all S23 phones would be powered by Snapdragon hardware. So it stands to reason that we could still see an Exynos variant launching in some capacity. According to a report from SamMobile, it’s also possible that the Galaxy S23 could get a faster, higher-clocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

Samsung also very rarely downgrades specs across the years. We expect the Galaxy S23 Ultra to have similar or better specs across the board when compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. That would mean at least 8GB of RAM, at least 128GB of internal storage, a 1440p display with at least a 120Hz refresh rate, a battery capacity of at least 5,000mAh, and a wired charging speed of at least 45W. It would also mean a similar quad-sensor rear camera with two telephoto lenses and the main sensor to meet or exceed 108MP in quality.

Samsung apparently confirmed with camera partners that it will bring a 200MP camera sensor to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. A leak that seemingly exposed the Ultra’s camera specs further supports this information. According to the leak, it looks like the 200MP camera could be joined by a 10MP 10x periscope camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Last, but not least, the camera might use an ISOCELL HP2 which would give the phone better nighttime performance for both videos and photos.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus should carry a lot of specs over from the Galaxy S22 series. That would mean at least 8GB of RAM, at least 128GB of internal storage, and displays with 120Hz refresh rates.

A tipster recently asserted that the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus will have 6.1-inch and 6.6-inch screen sizes, respectively. Unfortunately, if you were hoping for a return to QHD+ resolutions, the tipster claims that both phones will have FHD+ screens (2,340 x 1,080).

One of the biggest overall criticisms of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus was battery life. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense for Samsung to increase the battery capacity of both models in 2023. Fortunately, Galaxy Club reports that the S23 Plus could receive a capacity bump to 4,700mAh. The outlet adds that the S23 Ultra will retain a 5,000mAh battery.

Currently, Samsung is in the process of releasing its version of Android 13 — One UI 5 — to its collection of phones, so it would be expected that the S23 would launch with One UI 5 as well. However, a leak found in November by SamMobile revealed that Samsung may actually be working on a newer version of One UI for the S23 that would see it running on One UI 5.1 instead.