Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at 9to5Google, a sister site of 9to5Mac. Ben has been working for the publication as one of its primary news writers for the past 5 years. In 2013, Ben helped start an independent tech publication where he learned the skills used at 9to5Google including writing, product photography, and videography. He is located in the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina where he lived with his wife Melissa, married in 2019.
He primarily covers Android products, including Google Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as devices from OnePlus, Oppo, LG, Motorola, and more. Beyond just covering news about these products, Ben also spends time using these products himself, speaking from experience with the articles he writes. Some of Ben’s most recent hands-on reviews include; Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, Fitbit Versa 3, Nest Thermostat, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Fitbit Sense.
Ben is also a leading source for information about Google’s Android TV, diving deeply into important parts of the platform including its powerful Operator Tier, explaining future changes to the platform, and reviewing its products such as Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield TV, and more.
In 2019, Ben leaked one of the first in-person photos of the Pixel 4 before later revealing the Recorder and Pixel Themes apps months ahead of launch. In 2020, Ben also reported on multiple upcoming Pixel devices including Pixel 5a and the first report of Google working on a foldable Pixel smartphone. That same month, he was also the first to correctly report the $49 price point of what became the Chromecast with Google TV.
Ben Schoon is active on Twitter, @nexusben, but can also be found on Instagram and LinkedIn. For questions or tips, you can email him directly, and his portfolio is also available online.
Email: schoon@9to5mac.com | Encrypted Email: benschoon@protonmail.com
YouTube TV launched a UI redesign earlier this year for all platforms, but Apple TV users were left out due to some issues. Now, YouTube TV appears to be restarting the rollout while also working to fix an ongoing crashing issue.
Expand Expanding Close
Twitter’s latest move under Elon Musk is to start charging a fee for the use of SMS messages for two-factor authentication. To avoid that charge, here’s how to use Google Authenticator for Twitter two-factor authentication.
Expand Expanding Close
Geekbench is getting its latest major revision, with Geekbench 6 available today for iOS, macOS, and other platforms.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the launch of Matter last year, Samsung SmartThings is now expanding support for the smart home standard over to its iOS app.
Expand Expanding Close
If you’re having trouble with YouTube TV on your Apple TV this week, you’re not alone. A recent update has broken the live channel guide.
Expand Expanding Close
The past several weeks since Elon Musk’s takeover have seen Twitter in turmoil as rapid changes hit the platform, and tonight it appears something is going on with the Twitter API as Tweetbot and many third-party Twitter clients are down.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the past several months Google has been pushing hard for Apple to adopt the RCS standard that could greatly improve messaging between Android and iOS, and at CES 2023, Google put out huge ads for Android that further pushed that campaign.
Expand Expanding Close
Nvidia is bringing a big new update to its GeForce Now cloud gaming service that unlocks better streaming performance and twice the framerate for the same price. GeForce Now “Ultimate” has arrived.
Expand Expanding Close
After months of negotiations, YouTube has officially landed a major deal to bring NFL Sunday Ticket games to YouTube and YouTube TV starting in 2023.
Expand Expanding Close
After showing up earlier this year in a false start, the Philips Hue app seems to now be rolling out its “Natural Light” scene to more users with the ability to change the color temperature of lights in your home throughout the day.
Expand Expanding Close
Recently it was revealed that Anker’s Eufy was sending data from its cameras to the cloud, despite advertising the opposite. Now, Eufy has updated its app to with a disclosure more clearly explaining that it is sending data to the cloud when certain settings are enabled.
Expand Expanding Close
Home security cameras have gotten a lot better in recent years, but the security of your footage has always been a concern. Anker’s Eufy brand claims to keep data local, but a security researcher has exposed that the claim is far from true, with footage not only going to the cloud, but remaining visible even after it was supposed to be deleted.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung is just a few months out from debuting the Galaxy S23 series, and rumor has it the company’s next-gen flagship will take a note from the iPhone 14’s satellite connectivity, as well as upgrading its fingerprint sensor.
Expand Expanding Close
T-Mobile probably isn’t the first name you think of with a suitcase, but the carrier is today debuting the “Un-Carrier On,” the first suitcase with built-in wireless charging and a vibrant magenta look that ought to prove tough to misplace.
Expand Expanding Close
iMessage is a powerful messaging platform for iPhone users that changed the game for messaging, but over the years, it has also served as a lock-in tactic and even developed a prejudice between Android and iPhone users. In an interview this week, Apple’s Craig Federighi said that iMessage for Android would have been a “throwaway” effort that would have “held [Apple] back in innovating.”
Expand Expanding Close
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are now widely available and shipping to early customers, but there’s a new bonus for iPhone users looking to switch as Google has boosted trade-in values.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s other navigation app, Waze, is an incredibly helpful way to stay informed on your route, but lately, the app has been suffering from lag issues on Android Auto and CarPlay for some.
Expand Expanding Close
Mobile games continue to improve in quality every year, and now Ubisoft is bringing its popular shooter series The Division to Android and iOS with the upcoming title “Resurgence.”
Expand Expanding Close
Epic Games first brought Rocket League to mobile devices last year with “Sideswipe,” and now the game is entering Season 4 with a bunch of new perks for players.
Expand Expanding Close
Spotify has, for years, included some social features that make it easy to share playlists with friends, and even see what your friends have been listening to. But for as long as those features have been around, they’ve never been available in the mobile app. Now, Spotify is finally preparing to bring friend activity to the mobile app with a “Community” feature.
Expand Expanding Close
Apple’s ecosystem is famously fairly locked down, but things have improved a lot over the past few years. With the upcoming release of iOS 16, Apple appears to be working towards better support for Chromecast and other casting standards in apps.
Expand Expanding Close
eSIM support has been expanding for a few years now, with Google and Apple at the forefront. This week, Verizon is opening up support for BYOD users to get their service going on Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and iPhones with an eSIM instead of waiting for physical delivery.
Expand Expanding Close
Almost two years after it hit Android, the Google TV app is finally coming to iOS for iPhone and iPad users.
Expand Expanding Close
Playing Fortnite on mobile phones is about to get a lot better, as Nvidia GeForce Now is rolling out support for the full hit game with touch controls on both Android and iOS.
Expand Expanding Close