Ben Sage

Google has just rolled a big update for the Pixel C with the Android 7.1.2 Beta. The first noticeable addition is the inclusion of the Pixel Launcher from the Pixel phone. The tablet launcher includes the swipe up app drawer and the circle icons and folders. It also adds an extra space for an icon in the bottom tray with 6 icons compared to 5 on the Google Now Launcher. The navigation buttons have also been filled in like those on the Pixel phone. Pixel Launcher on Pixel C There is also a major overhaul to the multitasking interface with a new tile interface for switching between apps and putting them into split-screen. The only annoyance with this is that you can't seem to swipe away the apps and instead have to click the crosses or clear all. New Multitasking Interface Another feature to come over from the Pixel phone is the wallpaper app that gives you loads of curated wallpapers straight from Google. Wallpapers This update is definitely the biggest sin...

A year ago I bought the Google Pixel C and the optional keyboard accessory, this post will run through my experience with Google’s convertible Android tablet/laptop. I first bought this tablet in order to make sure I have the best Android tablet on the market and there is no doubt it fits that certain criteria with the full aluminium build and snappy software. At the time I was also looking at getting a Chromebook not long after purchasing the Pixel C to be my main productivity device for College. I soon realised I had that the device I needed I had already bought. When I first got the Pixel C it was running stock Marshmallow which had barely any multitasking features which made it a tricky device to properly do work on but once the Nougat betas started rolling out I quickly jumped into the Android Beta Program. I did this in order to get the most out this device and ensure that with split-screen capabilities it could properly be the productivity device I was hoping before. ...

I've spent the last month deciding over which phone to purchase next and I've assessed a lot of options including the iPhone. In this post I will look at the reason as to why I'm choosing the Pixel Phone by Google over the iPhone. 1: Putting Google First I am fully integrated to the Google ecosystem in which I use a lot of Google apps such as Calendar, Keep, Inbox and Drive Pretty much everything I do on technology, apart from my Xbox One, always involves some kind of Google service or product so it makes sense to continue that by choosing the Pixel. I am of course aware that almost all of Google's apps are available on the App Store for iOS but nothing will quite beat that pure Google experience offered by the Pixel Phone. Google Daydream 2: Daydream This is something that I believe will completely revolutionise the virtual reality industry for everyday consumers with a simple affordable headset and controller combination this is the first place most peo...

Launch Actions Launch actions are the biggest addition to Android 7.1.1 in my opionion. The ability to get to where you want to in an app without having to find it within the app itself is really quite useful. To use this feature you just long press on an app icon and it will bring up a range of shortcuts. You can still move icons in the same way by long pressing and dragging. For now it seems like only Google apps have these shortcuts but I'm sure that developers will soon start adding support. However, since the first beta Twitter has added Launch actions to their app. Twitter Launch Actions Gender Equality Emoji There is a host of new emoji in this Nougat update. One the main additions is job based emoji now have both male and female representation. There are also loads of now job emoji such as rock star and teacher. GIF Keyboard There is now an option to send a GIF straight from your keyboard in Android 7.1.1 in supported apps such as Allo, Hangouts a...