On those rare occasions when I use AI, I always opt for a local version. Most often, that comes in the form of Ollama installed on a desktop or laptop. I've been leery of using cloud-based AI for some time now for several reasons: It consumes vast amounts of energy. There's no way to be certain it honors privacy claims. I don't want any of my queries or data to be used for training LLMs.
Lately, I've tried more overhyped, overly ambitious apps than I can even remember - all of 'em with lofty promises of completely changing my life and/or the way I get stuff done. Spoiler alert: None of those has lived up to that promise or really even stuck as something I'm still actively using in any significant way, as of this current moment.
When was the last time you opened your contact app? Do you even bother with it? If you use email, chances are you also use your contact app -- perhaps without realizing it. However, not all contact apps are created equal. Some contact apps are very basic, while others are overly complicated. And then there's the sweet spot -- those apps with just the right number of features wrapped up in a well-designed GUI. Are you ready for this? Let's get connected.
As an avid book lover, I'm a sucker for a great e-reader. Yet many of these devices are way too limited to really become a companion device. This is why I loved the TCL Nxtpaper tablet so much; however, the new DuRobo Krono is here to address that tablet's single downfall: it's a pocket e-reader and productivity device that is finally available for preorder.
Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics' Lara Craft reboot that released on PC and consoles in 2013, is coming to mobile devices next year. The action-adventure game, which serves as the first entry in Crystal Dynamics' reboot trilogy of Tomb Raider titles, will launch on iOS and Android on February 12, 2026. The mobile port is developed by Feral Interactive, which also brought Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light to iOS earlier this year.
Now it will be easier for Android users to watch Apple TV content on their TV with the addition of Google Cast support. However, even after this update, Google Cast is only an option on the Android version of Apple TV, not the iOS version. Likewise, the Android version still doesn't support AirPlay. The addition of Google Cast adds a core feature that's been missing from the Android version of Apple's streaming app since it launched earlier this year.
Little did I know that Google would use the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) to run a local virtual machine powered by Debian to give users access to a lot of powerful commands, even a package manager, and I am 100% on board with the addition. Also: 6 hidden Android features that are seriously useful (and how they made my life easier) With the Linux terminal on Android, you can do so much more (assuming you are comfortable with the Linux command line).
Google has announced a new feature called Android Emergency Live Video, and it's pretty much what you'd assume it would be based on the name - the ability to share live video with emergency services. And it works "in a single tap" too, because in an emergency every second counts.
Google launched Android Emergency Live Video on Wednesday, which allows people to stream video when contacting emergency responders. This feature could help give first responders extra context in circumstances like car accidents, fires, or medical crises. There's no setup required to use this feature. Instead, during an emergency call or text, a dispatcher can send a request to your device. Then, you can opt into sharing your camera's live video, which is encrypted and can be stopped at your discretion.
Next is the ability to attach files in the new search bar for AI to translate, summarize, or explain. This includes support for PDFs and images. To attach a file, open the Ask AI interface, tap the "+" icon, and select a document or photo from your Android device. You can also click a picture with the device's camera and upload it directly.
Google is adding more AI features to Google Discover, specifically pushing people from articles in Google Discover into Google AI Mode. When you click on an article from Google Discover and then click on the three dots at the top right of the screen, you are given three options to go into AI Mode. The options include: Summarize with Al Mode Ask a follow up with Al Mode Dive deeper with Al Mode
If you've never heard of GrapheneOS, think of it as a privacy and security-focused mobile operating system that includes Android compatibility and is developed as a non-profit, open-source project. GrapheneOS, which began in 2014 as CopperheadOS, achieves its heightened security by way of sandboxing, exploit mitigations, and the Android permission model. This alternative mobile OS mitigates entire classes of vulnerabilities to make exploiting the OS exponentially more difficult.
The company is bringing most of the desktop version's capabilities to Android. People can use Perplexity as the default search engine, and they can also mention tabs to ask questions to the assistant. They can also use the voice mode to ask questions about all open tabs. Plus, the assistant can summarize searches across all tabs. Perplexity said the browser can research and shop on your behalf as well, and you can look at what action the Comet assistant is taking.
Back in 2023, Apple introduced NameDrop as part of iOS 17. This feature lets you share files with another person by simply bringing your iPhone close to theirs. NameDrop also supports sharing of contact information. Now, more than two years later, Google seems to be working on a very similar feature for Android. This was discovered in a version of the Google Play Services under the name "Gesture Exchange".
They said it "would allow the parties to put their disputes aside while making Android a more vibrant and competitive platform for users and developers." Epic, which makes the hit online game Fortnite, won a victory over the summer when a federal appeals court upheld a jury verdict condemning Google's Android app store as an illegal monopoly. The unanimous ruling cleared the way for a federal judge to enforce a potentially disruptive shake-up that's designed to give consumers more choices.
Just when we thought Epic v. Google might be over, just one Supreme Court rejection away from a complete victory for Epic, both sides have agreed to settle this evening. And if Judge James Donato, who ordered Google to crack open Android for third-party stores, agrees to the changes, it might turn Epic's victory into a lasting global one. Previously, Judge Donato agreed to some of Epic's biggest demands.
HUMAN's Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team has uncovered and disrupted a sophisticated ad fraud and click fraud operation dubbed SlopAds. The threat actors behind SlopAds operate a collection of 224 apps and growing, collectively downloaded from Google Play more than 38 million times across 228 countries and territories. These apps deliver their fraud payload using steganography and create hidden WebViews to navigate to threat actor-owned cashout sites, generating fraudulent ad impressions and clicks.
The new attack, named Pixnapping by the team of academic researchers who devised it, requires a victim to first install a malicious app on an Android phone or tablet. The app, which requires no system permissions, can then effectively read data that any other installed app displays on the screen. Pixnapping has been demonstrated on Google Pixel phones and the Samsung Galaxy S25 phone and likely could be modified to work on other models with additional work.
Boox - the brand behind the smartphone-sized Android e-readers is gearing up to launch a new entry with the P6 Pro. It's still as compact as a phone like previous entries, but it will be available with an optional color e-ink display and a SIM slot for 4G and 5G data connectivity. Boox P6 Pro One of the big missing features on the Boox Palma 2 was the lack of cellular connectivity so the P6 Pro is bringing a welcome addition.
The skins are also available for Samsung, Google Pixel, and Apple's phones, including the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 lineup. "When Tim Cook hand-picked the new Cosmic Orange colorway, he had no idea we'd be ripping it off for a colormatched skin," Dbrand said in its press release. "To be fair, we didn't think it'd be popular enough to warrant a ripoff. Now that it has, we're all too happy to turn your Android into a Temu iPhone."
