Everything you need to know about Night mode in Samsung Internet
Night mode in Samsung browser explained. How it breaks page contrast and accessibility, pastelify SVG colors, and why web developers can’t do anything about it.
Android
What is Samsung Secure Wi-Fi?
Secure Wi-Fi is a VPN service from Samsung and McAfee. Here is what it does and how to stop its adverts and remove it from your phone.
Unobtrusive sleep tracking app for Android
Sleep Debt Tracker is a simple Google Fit-compatible Android app that assumes you’re sleeping in the hours when you don’t use your phone at night.
Android apps time out connections after setting up a PAC proxy
An over-aggressive power-savings system causes Android devices configured with a PAC proxy configuration file to lose networking.
How to use Xiaomi Mi Band 3 or 4 as a continuous heart rate monitor for Google Fit
Sync your continuous heart rate monitoring data collected by the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 or 3 fitness tracker to the Google Fit app.
Why I prefer using Instapaper on the web over their Android app
The Instapaper app for Android has several issues, but its mobile web app is mostly okay.
Contour Diabetes app, Bluetooth, and why diabetics can’t have nice things
The Contour Next glucose monitor and its companion app communicate with each other over Bluetooth. Well, they try to anyway.
Work-around the extension popout-tab refusing to close on Firefox for Android
window.close() closes a Firefox WebExtension pop-out window on desktop. That doesn’t work on Firefox for Android, causing many extensions to misbehave.
Don’t trust YouTube’s break-reminders
The YouTube app is supposed to remind you to take periodic breaks, but fails to prompt users across devices.
The tiny NFC area on the Nokia 7 Plus
The Nokia 7 Plus has an unusually small NFC contact area and it’s located in an unusual place.
Google Chrome finally includes a Reader Mode but only on Android
Chrome goes against Google’s ad-business-interests and introduces a distraction/ad-free reading mode experience in Chrome for Android.
How to change to the European English locale on Android
How to use European English date-formats and locale settings while still using Android in American English. Customize your Android device’s locale settings.
LastPass quietly deprecates Firefox for Android extension
The LastPass password manager has discontinued support for one of Firefox for Android’s most popular extensions.
Replaced the default Google Now Launcher app to save my Nexus 5X
My Android device struggled with high-memory usage from the Google Now Launcher app. Moving to a different launcher app gave my phone a new lease on life.
Does Casting videos from YouTube to the big screen come at the creators’ expense?
YouTube can show fewer ads when using Chromecast compared to desktop and mobile. Are YouTube creators losing out when you watch on the big screen?
How to debug a WebExtension background script on Firefox for Android
Firefox for Android supports WebExtensions. However, debugging them can be a little tricky.
Mozilla celebrates 1M new non-Gecko users
Firefox Focus browser, built on WebKit, for Android has been downloaded 1 million times in a month. Whatever happen to Mozilla’s commitment to GeckoView?
The fabulous USB Type-C Simulator app
An amazingly simple app lets you experience the joy of having a reversible USB Type-C cable.
KDE Connect: Making friends between Android and the Linux desktop
A smart app connects your Linux desktop and Android device. Lets them share files and clipboard with each other.
The food allergies of Android release codenames
Android releases are named after desserts and sweets. However, food allergies mean these codenames aren’t inclusive of everyone.
Conversations: The best open-source XMPP client for Android
There are a number of XMPP clients available for Android, but Conversations is the one you’ll want to use.
Looking back on a year with Android Wear
I’ve worn a Moto 360 for one year and I’ve got a lot to say about the experience.
Experiences with monetizing on Google Play Store
I made a quick niche app and published it on Google Play Store. Here are my experiences trying to monetize it.
Proxy Troubleshooter app for Android
I developed an Android app to detect and troubleshoot HTTP proxy configuration issues.
android.net.Uri breaks IPv6 addresses in the wrong places
Use Java APIs instead of Android’s URI API to avoid Android’s mishandling of IPv6 literal addresses.
Sense sleep tracking system review
I tried out the new Sense sleep monitoring system and its kind-of-stupid “smart” alarm clock.
Non-Google flagship Android devices plain aren’t good enough
Google is the only company that seems able to deliver good Android smartphones.
Photos on the gay dating app Grindr are by no means private
Grindr doesn’t use HTTPS-encryption allowing network operators and man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept private pics in the app.
Two months with the Moto 360 and Android Wear on my wrist
I’ve used Android Wear for the last two months. It’s not all “OK Google”.
CyanogenMod’s one big advantage over stock Android
An Android competitor has much better security and privacy tools than the original Android from Google.
The abysmal state of backup on Android
It’s difficult to back up your things on a platform not built for being backed up.
SnooZy: Keeping the screen off when connecting a charger to an Android device
Prevent your Android phone’s screen from turning on when connecting it to a USB-charger or Qi wireless charging mat.