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F-Droid now supports automatic background updates (Free and open source Android app store)

F-Droid maintains a repository of free and open source (FOSS) Android apps, and the F-Droid client for Android devices basically functions as an alternative to the default app store on most Android devices: the Google Play Store. But up until recently, F-Droid lacked one of the Play Store’s key features: the ability to automatically install updates […]

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Google loosens restrictions on alternate payment methods for Play Store apps (for customers in the US)

One of the things that sets Google’s Android operating system apart from Apple’s iOS is that Android has always allowed users to sideload applications, as well as allowing device makers to pre-load third-party app stores… as long as they were in addition to the Google Play Store rather than a replacement for it. But the […]

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Android app maker Simple Mobile Tools acquired by ZipoApps

Simple Mobile Tools is the developer behind a suite of open source Android apps that live up to their name, with simple, ad-free user interfaces and features. Simple Voice Recorder has long been my go to recommendation for anyone looking for a no-nonsense way to record voice memos on an Android phone, and the developer […]

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Firefox for Android is adding support for 400+ add-ons

Desktop web browsers have long supported add-ons and extensions that change the user interface, add features, or otherwise change the behavior of the browser. But it’s more rare to find a mobile browser with support for third-party add-ons. Firefox is one of the exceptions. Firefox for Android first added support for add-ons in 2011, but […]

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Lilbits: Ryzen Z1 mini PC previewed, Meteor Lake laptops leaked, and some Google apps are losing support for older Android versions

Google is ending support for two of its key Android apps on devices running older versions of Android… sort of. Starting early next year the latest versions of the Google Chrome and Google Calendar apps will require Android 8.0 or newer. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use Chrome or Google Calendar on phones running […]

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Lilbits: ARM invests in Raspberry Pi, Spotify brings audiobooks to subscribers, and Copilot AI could be coming to Windows 10

Microsoft’s new “Copilot in Windows” is either a brand new way to interact with your computer using artificial intelligence, or a souped up version of Clippy, depending on who you ask. But there’s no doubt that Microsoft, like most major tech companies these days, is betting big on generative AI… and hoping that its set of […]

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Google releases Android 14 (and a Pixel Feature Drop with more features for Google phones)

Android 14 is now rolling out to Google Pixel phones, and should be coming soon to phones from other companies. Among other things, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system brings new customization features to the home screen and lock screen, updated privacy, security, and accessibility features, and automatic framing during video calls. Google […]

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Fairphone releases Android 13 for the Fairphone 4

Most modern smartphone makers release several new models every year. Dutch company Fairphone takes a slower, more deliberate approach, releasing one new phone every few years… but offering long-term support for hardware as it ages. So a little over a month after introducing the Fairphone 5, the company has announced an official Android 13 update […]