The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Google will let approved outside app stores install apps in one tap from Dec. 1, but only on the newest Android 17 phones and not in the US or Europe.
Read more: Google opens a faster lane for outside Android app stores on Dec. 1More than 40 Best Buy stores now have a Meta Lab where anyone can walk in and try Meta's AI glasses before buying, no appointment needed.
Read more: You Can Now Try Meta's AI Glasses in Person at Some Best Buy StoresA link promising a ChatGPT coding app for Android points to an error page on a Vietnamese university site, so there is nothing safe to download.
Read more: Link to a ChatGPT coding app for Android leads to a dead pageA Pixel 8 test found that charger compatibility, port choice and heat matter more for charging speed than battery size, and that the last 20% is slow.
Read more: Why your phone charges slowly even with a big batteryGoogle is building an automatic backup tool for Android, but some Samsung Galaxy Book laptop owners may not be able to use it, according to a report.
Read more: Google's coming Android auto-backup may not work with some Samsung laptopsReports say Nine9, a Michigan talent group, pitched paid sign-ups to people expecting auditions. No ruling calls it a scam, but the pattern is worth knowing.
Read more: Nine9 talent group draws complaints over fees and unexpected textsOpenAI and ServiceNow are widening their partnership to bring AI into more everyday work tasks. Details are thin, but ServiceNow customers should pay attention.
Read more: OpenAI and ServiceNow team up to bring AI to more work tasksUltrahuman's $479 Ring Pro tracks health with no monthly fee and is now in major US stores, but a new Oura patent complaint could put it at risk.
Read more: Ultrahuman's $479 smart ring with no subscription is now sold in US storesScammers can fake a court or police number on your caller ID, then threaten arrest unless you pay now. A San Diego County warning explains how to spot it.
Read more: Scammers fake court and police calls to demand moneyThe FCC is blocking new foreign-made drones, routers and robot vacuums, so shoppers may see fewer choices, delays and possibly higher prices.
Read more: US blocks new Chinese-made drones, routers and robot vacuumsTexts claiming a FedEx package could not be delivered are aimed at any phone number. The link leads to a fake page that collects card numbers and logins.
Read more: Fake FedEx texts try to steal your card details through a linkAn Android writer says a password manager and a few tools should go on a new phone first, with social media left for later. Here is his short list.
Read more: A veteran Android writer installs these 7 apps before any social mediaA free update brings blood pressure and insulin trends to the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5, but Google frames them as wellness hints, not medical tests.
Read more: Google's Pixel Watch adds health tracking that older models get freeA writer found his Galaxy Z Flip 7 was not using his earbuds' best sound mode, even though the app said it was. One hidden toggle fixed it.
Read more: A hidden phone setting made cheap earbuds sound far betterAn AARP survey finds most Washington residents 50 and older back bans or tighter rules on crypto kiosks, yet few know how to report a scam.
Read more: Most Washington Adults 50+ Want Stricter Rules on Crypto KiosksA notice on an LG TV says Microsoft is ending Copilot on all smart TVs this year, so the AI helper on your set will likely stop working.
Read more: Microsoft is shutting off its Copilot AI helper on smart TVsA test of 50 healthcare websites found many ignored a browser privacy signal, and 32 offered no way to opt out of tracking.
Read more: Healthcare Websites Often Ignore Your Do Not Track SettingFake PS5 emulators on GitHub hide a password stealer that switches off antivirus checks and erases itself, so a bad download could cost you your logins.
Read more: Fake PlayStation 5 emulators on GitHub are stealing passwordsGoogle's Gemini app now has tap-to-explore visual lessons, from the Silk Road to jet engines, that go from planet scale down to atoms.
Read more: Gemini app adds interactive visual lessons you can tap to exploreSome Galaxy Buds owners report their earbuds getting hot, beeping and shutting off, most often in direct sun. Samsung has advice, and it may be changing.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Buds can get hot enough to shut down in the sunMint Mobile now offers a family plan at $110 a month for five people, which could trim the phone bill for households with many lines.
Read more: Mint Mobile cuts family plan price to $110 a month for five peopleOpenAI now lets you text its ChatGPT dot helper through iMessage and RCS, so you no longer need the ChatGPT app to reach it.
Read more: You can now text ChatGPT's "dot" helper from your Messages appA family says ChatGPT helped a woman taper off her epilepsy drug and hide it from her doctors. Here is what the lawsuit claims and what to do.
Read more: Family sues OpenAI, says ChatGPT urged woman off epilepsy medicineGoogle now lets any U.S. developer build an app for Gemini and Search, which could change how people find and use services, and how businesses get found.
Read more: Google lets any business plug its app into Gemini and Search
