Google Fit gets a revamped home screen on Android and new Wear OS features

Staying active and healthy is more important than ever. That’s why Google is introducing new features to Google Fit, with a big revamp to the home screen and new features for Wear OS.

The update to Google Fit collects all the information from your connected apps and devices into a new easy-to-view hub. You’ll be able to view a summary of your metrics, your daily and weekly goals for Heart Points and Steps, and also view your most recent workout. The new hub will also display your heart rate, weight and blood pressure trends over time.

The new Google Fit home screen will also provide users with quick access to sleep analytics. If you own a connected wearable like the Fossil Gen 5E or Oura Ring, you’ll be able to track your nightly activity, view sleep stages, set a goal for your bedtime schedule and more. Google said support for more devices and apps will come as the company expands this feature.

For Wear OS, Google is introducing new tiles that making accessing information and starting workouts easier. There are new tiles that will take you to your most recent workouts, so it’s easier to get moving. Once you do start working out, Wear OS will show you important metrics in one view on your screen. You’ll be able to set goals for workouts and, if you’re a runner, receive pace alerts to keep you motivated.

Users will also be able to see a summary of their walks or runs on a map. The summary will feature information for pace and mile markers, so you can get a better idea of how you’re doing over time. This information can easily be shared with friends or family, keeping you accountable on your fitness journey.

Finally, Wear OS is getting an improved weather experience that features more relevant forecast details. There’s also a new Breathe Tile that will take users through guided breathing exercises, which is something we could all benefit from in 2020.

These new updates follow a major revamp to Google Fit in 2018. The company said these updates will be rolling out on Android and iOS over the next few days.

Google Fit: Health and Activity Tracking (Free, Google Play) →

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Google now sells replacement remotes for Chromecast with Google TV

Chromecast with Google TV has already been a big hit since its launch in September. But already, there are anguished cries from around the internet from users who’ve already lost the remote. Fortunately, Google is listening and has added the option to buy a replacement from the Google Store. For $20, you can now replace it, in the same color as the original (or if you prefer, one of the others).

Chromecast with Google TV is the first device in the range to have a remote of any kind, and although it’s kind of nice in the hand, it’s pretty small and let’s be fair here, pretty easy to lose, so it’s not surprising that a few of them have already ended up stuck down the back of the sofa. Given that it’s more than a simple IR remote, with Bluetooth and a microphone for Google Assistant integrated, it’s not a bad price by remote control standards, though it still represents half the cost of a whole new device.

In addition to the replacement remote, the previously announced Ethernet adapter is also now on sale for $15. As with the Chromecast Ultra, the Ethernet port is integrated into the power supply, and so replaces the one supplied with the original device. Most users won’t need an Ethernet connection, as Wi-Fi support is excellent. More likely, the arrival of an Ethernet option is in preparation for compatibility with Google’s game streaming service Stadia, which bewilderingly wasn’t available at launch.

Google has already suggested that this isn’t the end of integration for Chromecast with Google TV and other products in the range. It recently emerged that Google is working to create the parts of a home theatre system by allowing users to pair their Chromecast with two of the recently launched Nest Audio devices in a stereo array.

Both the remote and ethernet adapter are available in the Google Store.

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Twitter rolls out its Instagram Stories-like “Fleets” to everyone, teases Clubhouse-like voice chat rooms

Twitter has been testing a “Fleets” feature for several months now, and it’s finally rolling out to everyone across the globe on iOS and Android. The company is also testing a Clubhouse-like feature for voice chat rooms.

First announced earlier this year, Fleets is a feature that brings ephemeral tweeting to the platform.

“That thing you didn’t Tweet but wanted to but didn’t but got so close but then were like nah,” Twitter said in a Tweet. “We have a place for that now—Fleets!”

That thing you didn’t Tweet but wanted to but didn’t but got so close but then were like nah.

We have a place for that now—Fleets!

Rolling out to everyone starting today. pic.twitter.com/auQAHXZMfH

— Twitter (@Twitter) November 17, 2020

Fleets is a lot like the Stories feature that’s available on pretty much every social platform. You can post text, photos and videos, and you can also share a Tweet in a Fleet, which sounds like a rhyme in a Dr. Seuss story. In the future, stickers and live broadcasting will be brought to Fleets.

Fleets will live in a row above your timeline and then disappear into the ether after 24 hours. As of now, you can’t like or retweet a Fleet, and users won’t get a notification when someone screenshots your Fleet. You can, however, reply to a Fleet through Direct Message.

Twitter said when testing Fleets, the feature “helped people feel more comfortable sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings,” so it’s hoping engaging will go way up once the feature is in more hands.

As for Twitter’s new Clubhouse-like voice chat rooms, the company announced plans to begin testing the feature for a possible launch in the future. However, there are moderation challenges related to live audio, so the feature may not roll out on a wider basis.

“It’s critical we get safety right — safety and people feeling comfortable in these space,” Twitter Staff Product Designer, Maya Gold Patterson, said in recent briefing with reporters.

While Twitter’s voice chat rooms are in testing, Fleets are rolling out globally to users on iOS and Android.

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Google Pay adds support for ten more countries in mainland Europe

Google Pay is finally rolling out across much of mainland Europe not previously covered by the service. From today, customers in Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania will be able to sign up and add their cards, if their payment issuer supports it.

According to a statement from Mastercard Europe, the new countries will join the existing European states which have been gradually rolling out to support the contactless payment service, This is the first significant expansion in coverage since April 2019, when Switzerland came on stream. Before that, France was added at the end of 2018 with the Scandinavian countries added the previous October. It also represents the biggest rollout to new countries in a single day since the service launched. It’s about time, too, with an estimated 80% rise in contactless payments since the start of the pandemic.

If you live in one of these countries and have an NFC-enabled phone, you can download the app and start adding cards, either directly in the Google Pay app, or through a link in your bank’s app – though that will depend on if your bank is participating yet. Equally, it may take time for participating merchants to come on stream because although Google Pay is accepted wherever contact payments are, some businesses are a bit slow to adopt it, so it’s best to carry a back-up card, at least for now. Also worth noting is that, at the time of writing, only Mastercard has announced the rollout, though it would be highly unusual for one to be supported and not the other.

Additionally, certain types of cards don’t behave as intended, particularly prepaid cards, multi-currency cards (eg Revolut), and multi-bank cards (eg Curve). It’s recommended in these cases that you check with your issuer first. Once that’s all sorted though, you can load your cards into Google Pay with confidence. All data uploaded is cryptographically protected and the retailer will be shown a dummy card number when you pay (a process called ‘tokenisation’), making it impossible to skim your credentials.

In the past 24 hours, Google has posted that a redesign of the Google Pay app is in the pipeline too, which we’ll report on when we know more, but it’s thought that it will bring bank accounts offering more of the digital-first features used by challenger banks.

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NVIDIA SHIELD TV gets a new software update to SHIELD Experience 8.2.1 with tons of bug fixes

NVIDIA has once again put other OEMs to shame with a firmware update for its NVIDIA SHIELD TV range — including the original generation device from all the way back in 2015. Shield Experience Upgrade 8.2.1 doesn’t add a massive amount of new functionality over version 8.2 but rather addresses a lot of niggling bugs from previous editions.

The biggest change is for owners of the most recent (2019) versions. The IR capabilities of the SHIELD Remote have been updated to allow control of more third-party devices such as TVs, speakers, and projectors from brands including Monoprice, ONN, Sennheiser, and Tascam. Owners of older NVIDIA SHIELD TV models won’t find this functionality unless they upgrade to the 2019 style remote (which is backward compatible and will set you back around $30).

Other tweaks include adding a notification to enable AI-upscaling for streaming service GeForce NOW, better handling of sound when routed through a USB DAC or Bluetooth Headset, support to send IR commands as part of an Alexa command, and as you’d expect, security updates, in this case taking us up to August 2020’s security patch level. There’s also a fix for that annoying issue where the SHIELD would stop receiving IR commands from the remote, and the long-time issue of the NVIDIA SHIELD TV device not appearing as a destination for casting.

The changelog is impressively large, so we won’t dissect it all here, we’ve placed it at the bottom of this article for your reference. However, it’s worth saying again that, biannual revisions aside, this is all the same basic device that was launched in 2015, and to see it get another update, just a week after OnePlus confirmed it would only offer one upgrade for its latest Nord handsets, is a refreshing change.

NVIDIA SHIELD TV (2015 & 2017 Forums) ||| NVIDIA SHIELD TV & TV Pro (2019) Forums

Better still, it doesn’t take a lot of work to upgrade, as ever, you’ll get a huge banner on the home screen telling you what to do.

NVIDIA SHIELD Experience 8.2.1 Changelog

Enhancements

• Adds notification to enable AI-upscaling when upscaling GeForce NOW
• Adds IR power control for projector displays
• Adds IR power/volume control for the following brands: Arris, Atyme, BC Acoustique, Dayton, Kora, Monoprice, ONN, Point Source Acoustics, Savant, Sennheiser, SMSL, Tascam
• Improves system volume levels when audio is routed to USB DAC or Bluetooth headset
• Adds developer option to force HDCP 1.4 compatibility mode (4K protected content will not be available)
• Allows IR power commands sent from SHIELD Remote 2019 when using Alexa skill
• Includes security patches up to Android security bulletin (August 2020)

Bug Fixes

AI Scaling:

• Resolves issue where AI upscaling would incorrectly detect content as unsupported, requiring a reboot
• Resolves issue where AI upscaling would randomly detect content as unsupported
• [SHIELD TV Pro 2019] Resolves dropped frames when AI upscaling 60fps video when overscan is adjusted

Display:

• Fixes issue where line is visible when using AI upscaling on Prime Video
• Resolves issue where Screen Saver timers were not set properly
• Resolves black screen issue when playing Dolby Vision content and overscan adjusted

Network/Storage:

• Allows special characters in username when accessing SHIELD over network
• Fixes issue when copying >2GB files from Mac to SHIELD 2019
• Fixes issue when connecting to SHIELD over local network when username has a space
• Fixes rare crash bug when mounting network storage to SHIELD
• Fixes bug where connected storage would become inaccessible, requiring reboot to recover

Accessories:

• Fixes bug where IR volume control would stop working when Talkback is enabled
• Fixes “Long Press Menu” functionality for customized menu button
• Resolves issue where configuring IR control might fail when older SHIELD remotes and controllers are paired
• Fixes bug where IR control was still active after factory reset
• Fixes bug where IR control would not be available after changing language to traditional Chinese
• [SHIELD TV 2019] Resolves issue where IR control would stop working, requiring reboot to recover
• [BFGD] Resolves volume and play/pause button press issues on new SHIELD Remote 2019

Audio:

• Improves system volume levels when using USB DAC or bluetooth speakers
• Fixes bug where audio would randomly drop, requiring a reboot to recover
• Resolves issue where manually enabling AC3 in “Available formats” was not working as advertised
• Fixes NETFLIX issue where 5.1 audio would not be available after disconnecting bluetooth speaker
• Fixes bug where volume control notification would show up incorrectly on KODI

Other:

• Fixes bug where SHIELD Experience upgrade would be blocked if accessory battery is low
• Resolves background display issue when exiting settings menu
• [BFGD] Fixes YouTube crash issue
• Fixes alignment issues on “Ok Google” configuration page

• Resolves issue where SHIELD would not show up available as a cast device

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These are the best AMD Ryzen laptops: Surface Laptop 3, ROG Zephyrus G14 and More

AMD has become quite competitive when it comes to CPU processors in the past few years. Not only does it have a solid lineup for desktops, but the company’s mobile processors have proven to be better than Intel on numerous occasions. While Intel continues to dominate the market in terms of sheer volume, ‘Team-Red’ offers excellent performance with the Ryzen 4000 series at a fairly good value. AMD is already ahead of Intel as it has been using the 7nm architecture for a while now, while Intel is expected to finally move to 7nm by the end of 2021. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Intel-based laptops are incompetent. Intel has just begun shipping its new 11th-gen mobile processors based on the 10nm process. Not only is the new series expected to provide improved performance, it should also be efficient in terms of battery life and brings the company’s new Xe graphics.

Having said that, if you are planning to buy a new laptop with an AMD processor at its heart, we have the right ones for you:

• Best 2-in-1 laptop: HP Envy x360 13
• Best budget gaming laptop: ASUS TUF A15
• Best budget laptop: Acer Swift 3
• Best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X13
• Best premium laptop: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
• Best overall laptop: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

Best 2-in-1 laptop: HP Envy x360 13

HP has been on the top of our lists when it comes to 2-in-1 convertible notebooks. The company offers the Envy x360 with the AMD Ryzen 4000 series processor and a choice of either a 13-inch or a 15-inch model that offers the same set of specs apart from their size. Apart from the options of a Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, or Ryzen 7 4000 series processors to choose from, the convertible notebook is backed up by 8GB of RAM (upgradeable on the 15-inch variant), fast SSD storage, and a vibrant touch display along with support for a touch pen. You also get a sleek aluminum design giving it a premium look and feel.

HP Envy x360 13

Looking for an AMD powered 2-in-1 notebook? Then check out the HP Envy x360 that offers a sleek design and support for a stylus pen as well.

$849 at Amazon

Best budget gaming laptop: ASUS TUF A15

If you are looking for a budget gaming machine with AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series processor, then this is a great option. The TUF line continues to offer solid value in the entry-level range with the TUF A15. This notebook is powerful enough for your everyday work as well as gaming needs. The overall design isn’t slim or very premium, but you do get MIL-STD 810 certification and some RGB lighting for the keyboard. You also get the option for a 144Hz panel, and if a 15.6-inch screen isn’t enough, then there is also the larger A17 variant that comes with a 17-inch display. The notebook is available with either the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, Ryzen 7 4800H, or the Ryzen 9 4900H processor.

ASUS TUF A15

The ASUS TUF A15 is a great entry-level gaming laptop loaded with AMD's power-packed Ryzen 4000 series processor and option of Nvidia GPUs.

$837.96 on Amazon

Best budget laptop: Acer Swift 3

Available for under $700, the Acer Swift 3 is one of the most affordable options. Currently available with either the Ryzen 5 4500U or the Ryzen 7 4700U, the Swift 3 is meant for users looking for a light and sleek machine. The notebook offers Radeon graphics from AMD and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, and a built-in fingerprint scanner for added security. There is also support for Alexa voice assistant allowing you to set reminders, timers and alarms, create shopping and to-do lists, and so on. The company claims a battery life of 11.5 hours, but practically you should get at least 7-8 hours for your productivity tasks.

Acer Swift 3

Apart from being one of the most affordable AMD Ryzen powered laptops, the Swift 3 from Acer is also one of the lightest and slimmest ones around.

$604.99 on Amazon

Best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X13

Lenovo’s ThinkPad lineup is a leader when it comes to business laptops. The Ryzen-powered ThinkPad X13 is a solid contender and offers great performance thanks to the Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U processor. The notebook also comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It isn’t the best looking notebook but you get military-grade durability, a variety of ports, and an excellent keyboard. Battery life is rated to be around 8 hours in real-world usage, but overall this notebook should not disappoint.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13

We recommend the ThinkPad X13 by Lenovo if you are looking for a business notebook powered by AMD's powerful Ryzen processor. It offers an excellent keyboard, sturdy build quality and a good array of ports.

$1,249.99 on Amazon

Best premium laptop: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

The combination of a Surface notebook and AMD’s Ryzen processor is unheard of, but that is exactly what Microsoft did last year. The Surface Laptop 3 is available with the custom Ryzen 5 3580U and Ryzen 7 3780U processor options. Now while those processors are from last year, they still offer great performance. Do note that the AMD processors are only available on the 15-inch variant and it is one of the more premium options on the market. Apart from that, you can get up to a whopping 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD, and a 15-inch touchscreen panel.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15

Microsoft introduced the first 15-inch AMD powered Surface Laptop last year giving a performance oriented choice for its customers. It is also one of og the premium laptops in this category.

$1,229.99 on Amazon

Best overall laptop: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

I repeatedly suggest the ROG Zephyrus G14 by ASUS for a reason. Apart from offering respectable performance, this notebook is also one of the best looking notebooks of 2020. It might not offer you fancy RGB lights, but the lid comes with white LEDs that act sort of like a retro secondary 8-bit display that you can fully customize. You also get great graphics performance with options of up to NVIDIA’s RTX 2060 Super. Speaking of which, you can opt for either a standard 60Hz QHD (2560 x 1440) display or a 120Hz refresh rate at 1080p. Clearly this is meant for both gamers and creative professionals. The notebook is offered with either the AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS or the Ryzen 9 4900HS, up to 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz RAM, and 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 SSD. The only big question here is the company’s decision of not adding a webcam, which might be a deal-breaker for some.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ROG Zephyrus G14 offers an excellent blend of performance and a unique design language. This laptop is great for gaming as well as creative professionals who want a sleek looking machine.

$1,199 on Amazon

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Having personally used the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, I can say that it is one of the best notebooks I used this year. It just has a sense of flair and the perfect mix of performance and styling that makes it a solid recommendation. Do note that if you are planning to buy a new laptop soon, make sure you hold on for some great deals that should be available during the Black Friday sale later this month. Also, check out our list of the best laptops to buy in 2020, or if you want to stick to something cheaper, check out the best Chromebooks around in 2020.

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Amazon’s Epic Daily Deal has you nabbing a Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 for just $350

As part of Amazon’s Early Black Friday sale, the massive online retailer has been offering Epic Daily Deals on a variety of great stuff. Today, you can save on Lenovo products, and that includes the helpful Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5. For today only, you can get this device for just $350.

Chromebooks have been getting more and more popular this year, and it’s easy to see why. With the need to work and study from home being a big factor, Chromebooks are an affordable solution for those that need a laptop that will run well enough for work and Zoom calls. Powerful laptops are all well and cool, but sometimes you don’t need all that power if all you need is something to do schoolwork on.

The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is perfect for just that! With a 10th generation Intel processor and a battery life that goes for up to 10 hours, the Flex 5 will be able to keep up with you all day. In addition, you can flip (or flex, I guess) the screen all the way around, turning the Chromebook into a tablet-like device, with a built-in kickstand of sorts! With a 13-inch screen, you should have no difficulty seeing whatever is happening on your screen.

Normally $410, today’s sale knocks $60 off the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5. It’s a pretty darn good deal for what is a higher-end Chromebook. But, you can only get the sale price until the end of the day, and it’s unclear if the Flex 5 will hit this same price again on Black Friday.

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5

Get your work done without any issues with the Flex 5! Available today only at Amazon for $350

Buy at Amazon

This sale is a part of Lenovo’s deal of the day at Amazon, which includes a number of the company’s products on sale. Whether you’re looking for a gaming laptop, a nice monitor, or even an all-in-one computer, you’ll be able to find something that fits your needs. All of these deals are only available until the end of the day, though!

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