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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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Lilbits: ZBOX Pico PI430AJ mini PC with solid state cooling reviewed, Bose Frames discontinued, Epic beats Google in court, Google plans to appeal

The Zotac ZBOX pico PI430AJ is the first computer to feature Frore’s AirJet solid state cooling technology, which is designed to offer active cooling without the use of noisy fans. First unveiled earlier this year, the PI430AJ is now available in select markets and the first reviews are starting to come in. Hong Kong-based website […]

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How to install Google Play on 12th-gen Amazon Fire tablets (2022 models running Fire OS 8)

The 12th-gen Amazon Fire tablet is the first device to ship with Fire OS 8, the latest version of Amazon’s tablet operating system, and it’s now available from Amazon for $60 and up. While Fire OS continues to put an emphasis on Amazon’s apps and services, making Fire tablets most useful for customers who stream […]

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Google Play Store can be installed on 2022 Amazon Fire tablets again

Amazon’s Fire tablets ship with a modified version of Android called Fire OS. It’s tightly linked with Amazon’s apps and services including the Kindle, Prime Video, and Amazon Music apps. It also features Amazon’s Appstore instead of the Google Play Store. But folks have been installing the Play Store on Amazon’s tablets for years. Up […]

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Lilbits: Bringing 32-bit apps to the Pixel 7 and a DIY pint-sized PC for some seriously retro computing

Google’s Android operating system has supported 64-bit processors for more than 9 years. But up until recently, every Android phone and tablet that shipped with a 64-bit chip could also run apps and games designed for 32-bit processors. That changed when Google began shipping the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, which are the […]

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Google Play Store now shows ratings from people using devices like yours

User reviews for apps and games should give you an idea of whether the game is challenging, fun to play, or a buggy mess, or apps are worth the money the developer is charging. But up until recently there’s been a problem with reviews for Android apps that you saw in the Google Play Store: […]

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Lilbits: Google Play Store and the Windows Subsystem for Android, turning the Surface Go 2 into a Linux tablet, and more

The Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) is an optional Windows 11 feature that allows you to run Android apps within Microsoft’s desktop operating system. Out of the box, the feature is tied to the Amazon Appstore and only a limited number of apps are available for download. But shortly after Microsoft released the first preview […]

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Lilbits: Google introduces audio switching for wireless headphones, promises to bring app permissions back to the Play Store

Google’s new Data Safety information is now live in the Google Play Store, which means developers have to submit information about how their apps collect, use, and protect information about you. But ahead of launch, some users noticed that Google had also removed a Play Store feature that showed which permissions were used by apps, which […]

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Lilbits: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4 leaked just as global smartphone shipments are falling

Samsung’s next foldables are on their way… and a series of leaks give us a pretty good idea of what they’ll look like. Unsurprisingly, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 will look like a small tablet that folds in half like a book to give you a pocket-sized smartphone, while the Galaxy Z Flip4 will […]