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Ben Schoon

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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

Connect with Ben Schoon

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eufy doorbell security camera

Eufy caught lying about local-only security cameras with footage sent to cloud, accessible in unencrypted streams [U]

Avatar for 9to5Google from Nov 29 2022 - 10:03 am PT

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.

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Apple’s Craig Federighi says iMessage for Android would have ‘held us back in innovating’

Avatar for 9to5Google from Oct 26 2022 - 8:22 am PT

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.”

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Spotify is finally bringing friend activity to its mobile app with ‘Community’

Avatar for 9to5Google from Jun 23 2022 - 8:09 am PT

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.

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