Ever find yourself clicking on a video in your web browser only to discover that it’s a blocky, low-res video that was uploaded over a decade ago, when displays, cameras, and internet connections weren’t really good enough to make HD video on the web a thing yet? Microsoft is taking aim at low-res video on […]
f-droid
How to sideload Android apps on Windows 11
Windows 11 is the first version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system to offer native support for running Android applications. The official way to do that is to install the Amazon Appstore from the Microsoft Store and use it to find Android apps and games that you want to run on your PC. But while there […]
News Roundup: Hardware-accelerated video on the PinePhone, themes on the Librem 5
It’s been a busy few weeks in the Linux phone space (and a busy few weeks outside of it, which is why I haven’t had time to write much – but follow @linuxsmartphone on Twitter for more timely updates). Here’s a roundup of some recent news. Phosh 0.12.0 released [Purism] Updates to this open source, […]
iodé sells Android phones stripped of tracking and advertising (and the Play Store)
A new French company called iodĂ© is selling smartphones that ship with a custom Android-based operating system that offers some of the benefits of Android (like ease-of-use) while offering more privacy. The company says its software blocks advertisements, spyware, and other apps and services from tracking your personal data. One trade-off is that the phones […]
How to get Android apps without using the Play Store
Most Android phones, tablets, and TV boxes sold in the US ship with the Google Play Store pre-installed. Some devices, like the Amazon Fire line of tablets lack the Play Store, but it’s often easy to find a way to load it yourself. But the Play Store isn’t the only place to find Android apps. […]
F-Droid gets a makeover (app store for free and open source Android apps)
F-Droid is a third-party app store for Android apps. What makes it different from the Google Play Store is that while there are some free and open source apps available in Google’s store, the only apps you’ll find in F-Droid are FOSS. If you don’t care about those things, you’ll find a much wider selection of […]
F-Droid, Copperhead, Guardian Project partner to create a security-focused, Android-based ecosystem
Google’s Android operating system may be based on open source software, but most Android phones ship with a lot of proprietary apps and services (like Google’s own Gmail, Maps, and Play Store). But there are a number of initiatives designed to make Android more open… and many also claim to make it more secure. Now […]