GoKawiil
Tech News
Google began selling its first Googlebook laptops on October 4th, and The Verge received review units of all five models about a day later. The devices resemble Chromebooks but add new ways to link an Android phone to the laptop, including casting apps, moving tasks between devices, and accessing phone files and notifications directly from the laptop.
A review of phone cooling accessories finds they matter most for long gaming sessions, livestreaming, video processing and other sustained workloads where performance throttles due to heat. Everyday fixes—removing thick cases, avoiding direct sunlight, repositioning near AC vents in cars, or using a Galaxy feature that pauses USB PD charging during gameplay—can often resolve heat issues without a dedicated cooler.
A longtime CNET phone reviewer reflects on more than 15 years of testing devices, recounting how industry leaders like Apple and Samsung endured while BlackBerry, HTC, LG and OnePlus faded out. Among the oddities highlighted is BlackBerry's 2014 Passport, a square-shaped phone with a physical keyboard, which the reviewer still keeps in storage.
A tech guide lists ten practical second uses for retired Android phones, noting that even older devices retain working cameras, GPS, displays, speakers, sensors and Wi-Fi. Suggested uses include turning the phone into a kitchen display, hiking GPS unit, or retro gaming handheld. The guide recommends backing up data and performing a factory reset before repurposing a device.
A Reddit leak combined with reporting from The Mobile Report outlines T-Mobile's unannounced T-Mix plan lineup, showing 15 total plans split into Standard, More, and Loaded tiers, each with regular, 55+, First Responder, Military, and Student variants. The leaked pricing, which excludes AutoPay or other discounts, shows costs ranging from roughly $55 to $180 depending on tier and number of lines, with some discounted plans capped at two lines.
Android Authority's Robert Triggs suggests ways to keep using a retired phone rather than discarding it, including as a dedicated secondary device for work or personal use, as an Android Auto display via apps like Open Headunit, or as a backup device. The piece also notes old phones can be converted into standalone gadgets using their remaining camera, microphone, screen and storage functions.
Nothing is accepting applications through October 5 for its Community Review Program, which gives selected fans early hands-on access to unreleased hardware or software. Participants receive a device to test, provide direct feedback to Nothing's team, and must return the product once the review period ends.
Phoebe Bridgers has instituted a strict no-phone policy on her current tour, requiring fans to lock away smartphones, smartwatches and smart glasses in Yondr pouches for the duration of her shows. Without devices to record the performance, some attendees have resorted to sketching the stage and lighting displays by hand, with examples shared on Reddit.
An Android Authority writer describes keeping a four-year-old Nothing Phone 1 running after it reached the end of official software support. The fixes included a third-party battery replacement, switching to a slower 18W charger and thinner case to reduce heat, and moving to lighter, open-source apps to cut battery drain and improve speed.
Google has listed its new Antigravity development platform on the Play Store, but the app is built exclusively for Googlebook OS devices rather than Android phones. Android Authority sideloaded the APK onto a Pixel phone and found the interface poorly scaled, with setup failing at a Terminal VM configuration step due to a permission error.
Thomas Kennedy, an Argentinian-American writer and immigration advocate, has sued the federal government alleging that a Customs and Border Protection agent searched his bags and phone upon his re-entry into the US at Miami International Airport. He says the agent took his phone for about 45 minutes, during which he believes data was copied, before releasing him without charges. Kennedy is seeking a court order requiring the government to delete any data taken from his device.
Google has released its third Google Home app update this September, focused on making Gemini for Home better at filtering background noise to register voice commands and respond faster. The update also improves multilingual recognition, Find My Phone reliability, smart light controls, camera tiles, and device setup, alongside fixes for Matter switches, Favorites tiles, camera playback, Onn camera history, and Automations.