Alan Martin

How biometric wearables could transform well-being for dogs

There is increased demand for monitoring pet health. But how useful and reliable is the data collected by ‘smart’ devices? Humans have benefitted from on-the-wrist heart- rate tracking for years, and the dog equivalent seems on the verge of going…

This could be the next Apple product to ditch Lightning after iPhone 15

It looks like the iPhone 15 isn’t the only Apple product ditching the Lightning connector for a USB-C port. Earlier this week, the Twitter user @aaronp613 discovered two unidentified models of AirPods in the Release Candidate of iOS 16.4: “A3048” (a…

10 genius uses for NFC tags – the Amazon buy that costs less than $10 and will make your smart home so much smarter

For the smart home that has almost everything, NFC tags are a great way of taking things to the next level. But what exactly are they? They’re little stickers that can be placed around the house. When tapped with your iPhone or Android device,…

Pebble’s creators want to make small phones great again

When even Apple — the company that somehow managed to normalise wandering around with AirPods in your ears — can’t sell small phones, you would think it’s time for small-handed folk to just give up. But not everyone is going down without a fight, and…

Counter-Strike 2 is real, and coming this summer

A fter weeks of speculation, Valve has confirmed that Counter-Strike 2 is coming this summer, as a free upgrade to the already free-to-play CS:GO. It will, the developer claims, be the “largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history”.…

Amazon’s Luna game streaming service launches in the UK — how does it compare to its rivals?

W ith Amazon making layoffs and its game streaming service reportedly struggling to make an impact, you wouldn’t expect the company to be rushing to expand it beyond the US. And yet that’s exactly what the company has done, launching Luna in the UK,…

Glaze will stop AI copying artists

The idea that AI will kill jobs has been around for as long as I’ve been writing about tech, but 2023 has certainly accelerated things. Both Microsoft and Google are letting AI scrape websites for a quick cribbed answer without giving said sites any…

This portable speaker is made from waste plastic and batteries

W hile most tech brands talk up their sustainability credentials, it’s tricky to know which companies take their responsibilities seriously and which are engaging in some PR-friendly greenwashing. But if you’re in the market for a high-end speaker…

Meet Glaze, the tool that stops AI copying your art style

F or many, AI art generators such as Misjourney and Dalle-2 are fun tools that can create impressive pictures from just a prompt. But for independent artists trying to make a living by selling their work on the internet, they represent an existential…

Microsoft wants to put an Xbox app store on your phone

“We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play,” Spencer told the Financial Times. “Today, we can’t do that on mobile devices but we want to build…

Microsoft wants its Xbox app store on your iPhone

You’ve got to hand it to Microsoft: it really, really wants to be part of the smartphone party, no matter how many times it slinks off home early after being roundly rejected by consumers. While it still makes its own handset in the chunky…

How does the government’s new emergency alert message system work?

O n Sunday 23 April your phone will play a loud siren for 10 seconds even if it is on silent. That is because the government is testing a new emergency system to warn citizens of urgent threats. This, the government says, will bring us into line with…

A folding iPhone could react to survive drops

As anybody who has ever sat through an aeroplane safety briefing will know, the brace position can limit the damage should you come hurtling to Earth at speed. Phones facing shorter journeys are considerably less protected, as the burgeoning industry…

The Apple Watch just saved a man's life — here's how

Officially, in terms of emergency care, the Apple Watch keeps an eye out for early warnings of atrial fibrillation (AF), unusual heart rates and serious falls. You don’t have to look very far to find examples of buyers claiming the Apple Watch has…

'Avoid the "soap opera" effect' – 4 tweaks you should make to your TV settings to improve your watching experience

When you buy a brand new TV, the temptation is to set it up as quickly as possible and put on a movie to really show it off. That’s a mistake. Most TVs will look reasonable out of the box, but it pays to take 15 minutes to ensure it looks its very…

I’m finally giving the Steam Deck a chance — here’s why

I am, it’s safe to say, not short of options for playing games. I have a gaming PC, a PS5, an Xbox Series S and a Nintendo Switch knocking about, none of which get the kind of attention that the 16-year-old me would be screaming at late-30’s Alan to…

Best smartwatches for fitness in 2023

Readers like you help support Android Police. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More. Summary List 8.00/10 1. Editors choice: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 8.00/10 2. Premium pick: Garmin Venu 2 Plus…

Is it game over for TikTok, as UK bans app on Government phones?

The short-form video app may have over an eighth of the world’s population logging in every month, but such popularity has led to intense scrutiny, which the app may not be able to withstand for too much longer. And, with today’s breaking news that…

A folding iPhone could react to survive drops

As anybody who has ever sat through an aeroplane safety briefing will know, the brace position can limit the damage should you come hurtling to Earth at speed. Phones facing shorter journeys are considerably less protected, as the burgeoning industry…

The Pixel 8 could be a phone for smaller pockets

This article was first published at thebit.nz. In recent years, phones have kept getting bigger. Consumers seem to have decided that the benefits of having something light and compact are less important if it means squinting through the latest…