Editor profile

Ryan Whitwam

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Ryan is a writer, editor, and lover of all things electronic. He's been covering technology and science for almost 15 years at sites like Android Police, ExtremeTech, The Wirecutter, and more. He has probably reviewed more smartphones than most people will own in their entire lives. Follow him on Twitter

Recent posts

Google has invested heavily in artificial intelligence research over the past decade, and it paid off when researchers developed transformer algorithms in 2017—then it did nothing with it. Transformers are the underlying technology for all the fancy new generative AI applications. It was caught flatfooted when... Read more...
There's a shakeup at the top of Sports Illustrated. The storied magazine has abruptly fired CEO Ross Levinsohn, replacing him with Manoj Bhargava of 5-Hour Energy fame. While the company didn't explain the reason for the firing, it no doubt has something to do with the recently revealed use of AI content on the Sports... Read more...
Sony just released a slim variant of the PlayStation 5, but the rumor mill says a Pro update is still coming. This supposed Sony console won't reinvent the wheel, but reportedly will offer a substantial speed boost. The latest round of leaks claim higher clock speeds and a big GPU upgrade. For gamers who want to play... Read more...
A recent glitch in the desktop Google Drive app caused some files to disappear from users' cloud storage containers. It's been a few weeks of Google asking for patience, but it has now released a fix. Assuming affected individuals followed Google's recommendations, it should be possible to restore the missing files now. This issue first Read more...
Headphone jacks can be hard to come by in 2023, as smartphones, tablets, and even laptops drop the legacy port to save space. The new Fiio KB3 keyboard is going the other way, however, with not one but two headphone jacks. The KB3 isn't just a keyboard—it's also a HiFi amp. You might not know Fiio, but it's a popular manufacturer of portable Read more...
The holiday season is upon us, and Google has some early presents for Android fans. A raft of new features are beginning to roll out today. They run the gamut from phones, to TV, to wearables, to the Google Messages app. Google has split its surprise feature drop into two parts, with a special focus on Google... Read more...
Saving your files in the cloud affords a number of benefits, not least among them reliability. Why worry about hard drive failures when Google can keep copies of your files on multiple servers? That's all well and good in theory, but Google Drive has encountered a problem. In recent days, Drive users have reported... Read more...
Samsung will likely reveal the Galaxy S24 family in early 2024, and we already know it plans to integrate AI features with the phones. However, a new report illustrates just how much Samsung will embrace AI. According to some new trademark filings, Samsung will market the S24 as an "AI Phone." Hopefully, this works out better for Samsung than Read more...
Almost every smartphone today is constructed from slippery metal and glass, so cases are an essential accessory for the more clumsy among us. Phone cases are big business, and it looks like two of the leading makers are headed to court. Dbrand has filed a lawsuit against Casetify, claiming the latter copied and... Read more...
Your phone number is about to get more secure, and you don't even have to do anything to make it happen. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued new directives for cell carriers that will force them to take SIM swapping and port-out attacks seriously. Carriers will now have to use secure authentication... Read more...
Here's an announcement that can be filed under "unexpected." After previously refusing, Apple has confirmed it will add RCS support to the iPhone, giving Android users the ability to send feature-rich messages to Apple's smartphone. The days of green bubble discrimination are finally coming to an end. However, Apple... Read more...
WhatsApp is one of the most popular communication platforms in the world, and it reached that lofty position before it even had a backup solution. Beginning in 2015, the Facebook-owned app added support for Google Drive backup and restore. Google and WhatsApp inked a deal that ensured those backups would not count... Read more...
Google Pixel Watch 2: Starting at $349.99 The Google Watch 2 builds on the success of the original with better performance, battery life, and fitness tracking, but its starting price is still relatively high. Bright, sharp display A solid day of battery life Extremely comfortable on the wrist Stylish design Uses proprietary band connector... Read more...
That Gmail account you've been keeping in your back pocket could be on the chopping block. The company updated its inactive account policy earlier this year, and the deadline is fast approaching. Beginning December 1, Google will delete most accounts that haven't been touched in two years or more. You can save your... Read more...
Google is testing a new feature on YouTube and, stop us if you've heard this one before, it's based on generative AI. Advanced machine learning algorithms and large language models are popping up in numerous products from Google, Microsoft, and almost every other tech company under the sun. This time, Google is... Read more...
OnePlus is mere weeks out from the launch of its first foldable, the OnePlus Open, but the company has more up its proverbial sleeve. The flagship OnePlus 12 is still expected to appear this year, and leaks are already painting a picture of a powerful Android smartphone. After learning a bit about the device's camera... Read more...
The last year has seen an explosion of interest in generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney. Now, you can simply tell a computer what you want it to create, and it might just be good enough to replace a human. These tools are causing consternation in some corners of the internet, but others have embraced them... Read more...
Customizing and modifying your smartphone can be fun, but it can also leave you open to security threats. Samsung hopes to ameliorate that risk, however, with a new suite of optional features in its One UI 6 Android skin. A feature, known as Auto Blocker, will lock down your phone to lessen the risk of malware and... Read more...
Qualcomm revealed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 this week, delving into myriad new AI-enhanced features. Among them was Zoom Anyplace, a camera capability designed for Samsung's 200MP image sensors. Qualcomm didn't have much to say about ISOCELL Zoom Anyplace, but Samsung sure does. Samsung isn't naming names, but this... Read more...
Update, 10/30/23: We had a chance to go hands-on with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 prototype phone to confirm Qualcomm's numbers and run a few additional tests. Qualcomm revealed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at long last this week, at its Snapdragon Summit in scenic Hawaii. We expect to see this chip powering most of the... Read more...
It's that time of year again—the leaves and temperatures are falling, and Qualcomm is announcing a new flagship mobile processor platform at its Snapdragon Summit event in Maui today. As expected, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is now official, packing a faster CPU core configuration, an updated Adreno GPU, and... Read more...
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has moved to restore net neutrality. A vote on Thursday kicked off a rulemaking process that will once again bar internet companies from creating paid fast lanes for data or slowing traffic based on type. The last time regulators managed to enact strong net neutrality... Read more...
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