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Just a few days ago we heard that Amazon was planning on launching a slate of new Alexa-enabled devices, which could include a microwave. The rumors at the time pointed Amazon announcing the devices soon, and launching each before the end of the year. And sure enough here we are with a plethora of new devices with access to Amazon’s own digital personal assistant, Alexa, on board. We have a new Echo Dot, a new Echo Plus, the company’s attempt at rounding out its home audio options, and even unveiling a brand new microwave. Amazon held its own live blog of sorts of the event. The company announced the most device it has during one event, and there is quite a few to get through. So, let’s get right into it: Echo Dot and Echo Plus First up is a more polished and updated Echo Dot. This new device features a puck-like design, and Amazon is actually reducing the number of microphones available in the device. This time around there are only four microphones, rather than seve...

Amazon’s digital personal assistant, Alexa, is all over the place. And according to a new report, it’s going to keep spreading. According to a report from CNBC , Amazon is working on a variety of different devices that it plans on bringing to market, all of which will feature Alexa in some fashion or another. These Alexa-enabled devices will allow users to quickly talk to the digital personal assistant, with some of the devices having Alexa built right into the hardware. As for what’s coming? Amazon is working on an amplifier, a subwoofer, a receiver, and what is being billed as an “in-car gadget”. Oh, and a microwave. That’s right, we will soon have an Alexa-enabled microwave. Unfortunately, other than hearing that Amazon will unveil some of these devices, not all, at an event later this month, there’s no word on a specific launch date. So Amazon could introduce an Alexa-enabled microwave before the end of the month, which basically mean we...

One Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Exynos) Owner Receives Android Oreo Update The Galaxy Note 8 hasn’t gotten a stable version of Android Oreo yet, but Samsung launched a beta program in select markets last year. Since then, it’s issued updates with fixes for the KRACK Wi-Fi exploit and Google’s December Android security patches , and new evidence suggests a broader release is forthcoming. On Friday, a redditor  claiming to work for Samsung published pictures of a Galaxy Note 8 model (SM-N950F) that recently received an update to Oreo. The software (version N950FXXU2CRA1.DM) is an internal test build, according to  SamMobile , and reportedly contains the January 2018 Android security patch. Source: SamMobile Interestingly, the redditor’s phone is an Exynos model of Galaxy Note 8. The Note 8 comes in two variants — one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor that’s sold in China and the US, and one with Samsung’s Exynos 8895 processor that’s ...

HTC Edge Launcher Updated with Support for HTC U11 and Customization Options The HTC U11 and U11+ are departures from their predecessor, the HTC 10 . Both drop the aluminum unibody construction in favor of a 3D glass back and a metal frame, and have another unique feature, Edge Sense , which actives shortcuts when you squeeze the phones’ sides. Unlike the  Active Edge functionality on the Google Pixel 2, HTC’s Edge Sense is highly customizable, and  it’s only gotten better since its release . On Friday, HTC updated the Edge Launcher — the small menu of apps and quick settings that triggers when you squeeze the sides of the HTC U11+ — with support for the HTC U11. It’s optional — you can choose not to enable the Edge Launcher on the HTC U11 if you prefer the default Edge Sense behavior. The core functionality of the Launcher hasn’t changed — squeezing the sides of the HTC U11 and HTC U11+ brings up apps, contacts, and quick setti...

Best Apps of 2017 As the year of 2017 comes to an end, Miles looks back at all of his favorite apps of the year. This video covers some of the best new apps, as well as apps that saw significant growth and support during 2017. Apps mentioned in this video: Today Weather Lawnchair Launcher Substratum Custom Navigation Bar notin XDA Feed tags : android auto, android wear, android device manager, android 1, android phone, android messages, android studio, android tablet, android emulator, android tv, android p, android 17, android tv box, android browser, android keyboard, android apps, android best games, android oreo, android lost, android latest version, android versions, android central, android police, android, android one, android screen recorder.

Andromeda Lets You Theme Oreo Without Root, and It’s on Sale One of the reasons people root their Android phones is to get system-wide theming support. In the past, it was built into CyanogenMod’s popular Theme Engine (CMTE) , but CMTE was retired in LineageOS , and the baton of system-wide theming support has been passed to Substratum . Substratum required custom ROM support initially, but that changed with the release of Android Oreo . Android Oreo brought native support for themes based on the Overlay Manager Service (OMS). The developers of Substratum released Andromeda , a paid add-on package for Substratum that allows system-wide theming even on rootless Android devices . Andromeda requires the Substratum application and a one-click desktop too, which allows Substratum to get elevated privileges. For rootless users, Andromeda opens a world of possibilities: You can apply a system-wide dark theme, change your phone’s navigation bar icons, and a lot more. Check o...

Xiaomi Mi A1’s Android Oreo Beta Adds Fast Charging Feature The Xiaomi Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first Android One device. Android One is a program aimed at providing cheaper devices running near stock builds of Android. The Mi A1 thus launched with a near stock version of Android Nougat with a promise to receive an Android Oreo update. Indeed, after seeking beta testers , Xiaomi began rolling out the Mi A1’s Android Oreo update to a select group of users. The update adds many typical Android Oreo features such as picture-in-picture mode, Autofill API, and more, but it also adds an unexpected feature: fast charging. Xiaomi devices are known for their large batteries, but they typically do not support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology despite having the hardware capabilities. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is no exception, but it seems that is now changing. With the Android Oreo beta test release, Indian technology site  Telecomtalk has confirmed that the device has now received...