Technology & Business
OnePlus policy that makes it a better buy than Samsung, HTC or LG
As a security technologist, the security philosophy of the OEM is a crucial determinant of my decision to buy or recommend a device. This is where Apple shines with it's iPhone update strategy. Every single iPhone receives updates (security and version) at the same time. This is why I highly recommend Google's Pixel devices. The Pixel line offers the same regular and speedy update schedule. The other Android manufacturer that has shown it cares about upgrades is OnePlus. Until this week, it did a great job delivering updates quickly, but it didn't formally commit to a software upgrade schedule.
Snapchat usage grows among teens
Pew Research publishes interesting surveys, and they recently shared results about what teens use most. Contrary to public opinion, Snapchat is still king with teens, followed by Youtube. Facebook usage amongst teens is down 71% compared to the 2014-2015 Pew report. 45% of teens admitted to being online "almost constantly." 24% of teens admitted to being online "several times a day." Girls are more likely to be "almost constantly" online (50%) compared to boys (39%). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="446"]<img src="https://ekiledjian2.
Samsung Note 8 review from an iPhone user
You should take the time to read my article about why I am switching from an iPhone to an Android device. A summary of the situation is that I have had every iPhone since the very first one ten years ago and the spark isn't there anymore. I have been dual carrying Android phones for the last 5 years but my main personal daily driver has been an iPhone. Looking at messages from readers, many of you are in the same boat and I will be reviewing a handful of phones for switchers with the requirements of an iPhone users looking to geek out.
Bell Mobility to unlock all devices
Bell is now offering to unlock all carrier locked devices, even second had devices for users that have never been Bell customers. Prior to this policy, Bell Mobility only unlocked devices for current and former customers in good standing (you had to be the original buyer of the phone). Telus and Rogers already have similar policies (unlocking all devices even second hand for non-customers).
Run a speed test from Google Search
There are dozens of sites and services that promise to test your internet speed. The most popular are: Ookla Speed Test testmy.net Netflix Fast.com Speed of Me Now you can also add Google to the list. 1 - Go to the Google Search Page (on a PC or Android device) 2 - Enter Speed Test <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/0f77a668bd.jpg" alt=""> 3 - Choose the Run Speed Test option and ignore the search results <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/d264129f3d.jpg" alt=""> 4 - Wait until Google delivers your speed test results
Google Chrome to block "bad" ads in February
The Sultan of Search, Google, announced in June that it would introduce ad blocking tech in an upcoming version of the Google Chrome browser (and Chromebook). We can now confirm that this feature will make it into our browser on February 15 (2018). Chrome 64 will be delivered on January 23 and Chrome 65 on March 6. Either this feature will be part of Chrome 64 and turned on with a remote trigger, or it will be a server-side function.
Google Home forced me to switch to Spotify
Tech titans Google and Amazon chose Christmas 2017 to battle it out for your love and money. These smart speakers are designed to quickly provide access to each company's ecosystem and make your life easier. At least that is the promise. I am heavily invested in the Google ecosystem and have been for over ten years. In addition to using their free services, I pay for Google Music, storage, have an android phone (so I buy apps), etc. I signed up for the free Google Apps service in 2007 (predecessor to GSuite) when each domain was given 100 free user accounts.
Do you need a dual-SIM smartphone?
Do I need a dual-sim phone? The answer is probably not. Most people sign a carrier contract and live with that service for two years. There is a small niche group that could benefit from a dual-SIM phone, and this is an article for them. Who are these mythical "special" people: users with a personal and professional mobile phone line that want to carry one phone users that travel often and want to use a low-cost SIM in their destination users that live in regions were carriers aren't national providers, and "
Amazon Music Unlimited expands to 28 more countries. So what?
Amazon Music Unlimited is (in my opinion) just another streaming music service, but since it's Amazon, it's worth mentioning. It is expanding to 28 additional countries, so the world a little more inclusive today. Similar to another (nameless) streaming service, Amazon Music Unlimited stresses the fact that its playlists are "human curated". The requisite PR created launch statement can be found here. “Customers can choose from content hand-curated by Amazon Music experts, build their own playlists, or find new favorites through Amazon’s personalized recommendations either on the Amazon Music app or Web Player.
Google's Chrome Remote Desktop has been refreshed and is still free
Chrome Remote Desktop has been around for years and has always been a free and reliable alternative to products like TeamViewer, GoToMyPC, and many more. Not only was (and is) it a free service but even the most non-technical user could get it setup and running in a matter of minutes: download the Chrome extension, install a mini app, set up a local password and voila. Long live Progressive Web Apps I will write about Progressive Web Apps in a future article but I am in love with them.
3 writing tips when using Google Apps
Google apps have hundreds of features (some from Google, some from third parties) most users don't know about. In this short article, I want to share four tips that will make your life writing in Google apps easier (useful for students and professionals alike). Voice Typing Over the years, I have spent hundreds of dollars on voice typing apps for Mac and Windows (most going to the Dragon Naturally speaking product line from Nuance software). For 85% of users, these expensive & complicated products are overkill, and Google makes it's excellent voice recognition engine available for free to all Google Docs users.
Canada Promo : Buy a Google Pixelbook and a free Google Home
If you buy Google new premium Chromebook, the Pixelbook, you now receive a free Google Home. This promo is live now and runs until December 31, 2017, and is open to Canadian customers. To receive your free Google Home, all you have to do is add it to your shopping cart with the Pixelbook, and the price will be $0. Offer is available while supplies last (shouldn't be a problem) and remember that the Pixelbook is not available in Quebec (probably since they don't offer french keyboard, box and manuals.
OnePlus 5T: The good and the bad
There are hundreds of reviews on the internet explaining the specifications and showing performance tests. I won't rehash any of that information. Instead, I will provide my personal opinion on the phone. My opinion is based on a short usage window thanks to a friend that lent me the device. This will be a short, easy to read review that can help you make a purchasing decision (if you are on the fence). The OnePlus 5T Screen The OnePlus 5T moved to an 18:9 (tall and narrow display).
Essential now has an Android 8 Oreo beta porogram
Android 8 Oreo is the next thing for Android devices and everybody is working hard to bring it to their phones. Now Essential has implemented a special Oreo beta program for owners of its beautiful Essential Phone. Where Samsung allows you to install the Oreo beta (on the S8 and S8 Plus) via OTA update, Essential will force you to use ADB. Essential does provide clear instructions but this can be seen as a natural filter that disqualifies anyone that doesn't really understand how Android works or understand what a beta is.
Google's FilesGo File Manager cleaner is now available as beta
TL;DR : Go here and download this app (while it's available). Earlier this week, we saw FileGo leak on the Google Play Store but it was quickly taken down. FileGo is specifically built to help users (even novices) manage and clean files from their devices (duplicate photos, application cache files, etc). FileGo also contains a function (similar to Apple's AirDrop) that allows Android users within close proximity to transfer files to each other. FilesGo is still beta software (aka it could still have bugs) but in my testing has been reasonably reliable and hasn't crashed yet (tested on a Nexus 6P and Note 8).
Essential phone get's another $50 price drop at BestBuy
I wrote a short article about the merits and issues with the Essential phone here. I wrote that review because dozens of readers wanted to know if the phone was worth it at its newly reduce $499 price. Another day and another discount for the struggling Essential phone. Now BestBuy is kicking in another $50 off (bringing the price to $449.99). For $449, you can buy a beautiful unlocked Android smartphone with the latest specs including: Snapdragon 835 4GB of RAM 128GB of storage Dual cameras If you read my review, there are some shortcomings but at $449, it is hard to complain.
Is the $499 Essential phone worth it?
No other Android smartphone in 2017 has been as polarizing as the Essential phone. Created by the father of Android, many of us (tech reviewers) wanted a no compromise phone we could love. A device that would be a trailblazer showing other manufacturers what is possible and ushering in an new era of innovation through competition. Instead the Essential phone is a device I want to love but can't. Essential recently dropped its Canadian and US price and many readers wanted to know if I could recommend this phone at the new price.
Important issues with the Google Pixelbook
So the Google Pixelbook is the most elegant expression of what a Chromebook could be. There are dozens of review on the internet extolling the wondrous virtues of the device. I think it is a fantastic device for the right user because it is fast, hassle-free and as secure as a mobile computing device can be. Instead of just writing another copycat article about the positives, I wanted to share some of the less than perfect elements of the device.
What is DXO Mark Mobile and should you care?
Over the span of a couple of weeks, we saw three phones released, and with every release, the manufacturer touted the device's incredible "best ever" DXO Mark Mobile performance rating: Samsung released the Galaxy Note 8 with a DXO Camera score of 94 Apple released the iPhone 8 Plus with a DXO Camera score of 94 Google released the Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL with a DXO Camera score of 98 Manufacturers love touting these scores to "prove" that they have designed the finest camera a distinguished tech user could ask for.
Which Smart Assistant is the smartest
Silicon Valley has been promising life-changing personal digital assistants for years, but we all know most are semi-useful at best. A new research project to measure the IQs of these "smart assistants" concluded that Google is the smartest but has an IQ equivalent to a six-year-old (Google received a score of 47.28 while a typical 6-year-old would receive a 55.5). An average adult would rate between 85-115 points. Where does the "digital golden child" (aka Siri) score? It received a very disappointing 23.