tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15201667486094319662026-08-25T23:53:41.796-04:00Android ColiseumA site for the Canadian Android enthusiast, for tips and tricks, news and reviews!Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09600494376724323586noreply@blogger.comBlogger5000125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-25919426101606315442026-08-25T11:08:27.814-04:002026-08-25T11:08:27.814-04:003 UAG Cases for the Pixel 11 Pro XL
It had been about 2 weeks since Google had sent over the Pixel 11 Pro XL for
me to do my review (a fuller, in depth, review coming soon) and without a case
it had me nervous. The phone is slippery without a case, and it's a
bigger phone than I'm used to, so every day felt like myself growing more
nervous about the inevitable drop.
Luckily, a chat with our friends over at UAG Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-91256482242858840592026-08-24T10:00:56.813-04:002026-08-24T10:00:56.813-04:00Slots & Daggers is the right amount of simple entertainmentIt wasn't too long ago I was really wondering what kind of 'mobile gaming' do we have anymore, it was so hard to find something that wasn't just ultra annoying with ads.Mobile gaming is different than console, or whatnot, it's got to be some level of simple enough to load up, but also more than likely it's something you do between your emails and phone calls that it shouldn't be too 'engaging' Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-76740214120732195052026-08-19T22:46:35.372-04:002026-08-19T23:51:01.722-04:00Pixel 11 Pro XL quick first impressions
So, it's been a week that Google has gifted me this new model to test out, and
I'm happy that it's the 512MB version, so that the device will have the 16GB RAM
option. It's a $170 additional cost to the already $1800 (Canadian... I
always have to reiterate that the prices I share are in my local currency), but
I feel you're going ot want that extra RAM. 12GB just feels so... so
Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-1705452566034284382026-08-13T11:36:12.040-04:002026-08-13T11:36:12.040-04:00Watch the 2026 Made by Google eventIt was live yesterday, but it's always good to go back and rewatch something - pick up something I might have missed.If you missed it, or want to re-watch:I get the idea of having someone with celebrity status there, but ... also, I don't. None of them really seemed to know anything about the phone or devices whatsoever. But that's just my opinion.Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-65306432042829734762026-08-13T11:08:30.288-04:002026-08-13T11:08:30.288-04:00Unboxing the Pixel 11 Pro XLOkay, so we got to see the Made by Google event yesterday, showing off the new Pixel 11 lineup, the new Watch and the Tag.Just in time for me to have received the demo unit Google has sent over this year for me to give you my thoughts.But first, let's unbox!Now, what are you getting? yesterday I shared that the pre-orders were up and I shared the specs and costs of the devices. Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-29939968238574194242026-08-12T11:12:57.155-04:002026-08-12T11:12:57.156-04:00The next Pixel Watch (5) is available for preorderIn the Pixel line up we also are getting a new Pixel Watch 5; starting at $550CDN (for the 41mm, the 45 is $590 to start, and I definitely recommend the 45mm as the smaller sure does feel smaller)I have to admit, when you look at the specs of this over last years' it definitely makes sense to upgrade (more RAM, double storage, upgraded W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip). But, my Watch 4 is still Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-12279468504265682162026-08-12T10:44:21.576-04:002026-08-12T10:44:21.576-04:00The Pixel 11 lineup pre-order is readyOkay so the Pixel 11 is now available for pre-order!Will you be ordering the new device? Without an official 'launch event' (where we learned specs etc...) we have just the specs online to pair up with and make our decision.I have to admit, being on the call with Google as they unveiled to the media folks it was looking cool. The event showed off a lot. But is it sizzle, or is Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-87644526935298550732026-08-09T12:44:12.437-04:002026-08-09T12:44:12.437-04:00Google's Assistant being removed from Mobile devicesI have to admit, it's been a bit of a beat since I used the previous 'Assistant' from Google. Once Gemini started creeping in, I made the jump and have enjoyed how its tendrils creep through more of my "googleyness" than in the past.I assume that's been the case with most folks as Google is officially moving Assistant off of mobile devices in a couple weeks in favour of Gemini. Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-6611872152178697962026-08-06T01:18:11.771-04:002026-08-06T01:18:11.771-04:00Blogger - what happened?Okay, so for the dozens of you out there who do follow my blog on a fairly regular basis, I feel like I do owe you some explanation about what happened... as far as I can tell.Randomly, out of the blue, Tuesday, August 4th about 2pm EDT I got this email from Google's Blogger team:I freaked the F out. I had JUST published a post, was it something in that post? Was it an old post... Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-18046221162047437272026-08-05T10:19:00.875-04:002026-08-05T10:19:00.876-04:00Pixel August 2026 update goes out with seemingly little fixesIt's a new month and just 4 days in Google is sending around the monthly update for the Pixel family (well my 10 Pro got it, but not my tablet).What's included? For just 100MB download, it doesn't look too big.For starters, I know it hasn't fixed the Google Photos bug, nor the external mic compatibility for video modes... But here's what they didWhat’s includedThe August 2026 update Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-84014225539165578472026-08-04T11:47:40.547-04:002026-08-04T11:47:40.547-04:00Statik's NanoPack is my non-tech travel companionSo, I've talked a bit in the past about what I take with me when I travel, and what are my go-tos for that (and how sad it is that when I travel I spend more time worrying about what chargers, battery packs, adapters, etc... I need, over what clothes I bring); well today's accessory that is my now 'always take in the travel bag isn't so tech related (yet it is kinda).The Statik NanoPack Travel Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-59871962216673305432026-07-31T16:29:34.170-04:002026-07-31T16:29:34.170-04:00Gemini Spark is officially rolling out in CanadaNow, I had noticed it the other day, but it's now rolling out officially.Google is officially rolling out Gemini Spark to more users in Canada. Gemini Spark is a 24/7 personal AI agent that handles digital chores in the background. Powered by Gemini 3.6 Flash, it’s available to Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers and shifts AI from a reactive assistant to an active partner. Spark operates onRyan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-22392767582943462362026-07-22T13:27:12.402-04:002026-07-22T13:27:12.402-04:00New Gemini modes available (3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-lite)AI is ever evolving and today they've launched 2 new modes in the Gemini app for it to help you with your AI needs; 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-lite.This means we have 3 modes for Gemini to use (including the Pro mode).Now what is the difference? Which should you use? Honestly, I'm not quite sure the 'real difference' myself, so I asked Gemini:Gemini 3.1 ProBest for: Complex reasoning, Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-67711899317312560872026-07-22T13:03:34.425-04:002026-07-22T13:03:34.426-04:00[Game Review] Black Border 3Always looking for something to help fill in those long trips lately, you can only watch so many real crime documentaries on a flight before they blur together. So let's find a good game.Today, I had the chance to review Black Border 3. It's on sale for just 90¢ (Canadian) at the Play Store as well, so why not give it a shot.On its premise it looks like a simple app where a Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-11741031090461957772026-07-22T12:35:43.227-04:002026-07-22T12:35:43.227-04:00NotebookLM is now Gemini NotebookI'm loving my AI lately. Been showcasing it to a lot of colleagues, and I'm trying to find ways to implement its efficiencies into my life lately.One of my favourite tools for digesting a lot of information is the Notebook tool.This is a bit of a sandboxed AI, where you feed it specific information and tell it to come up with details. I've put in football rulebooks and created quizzesRyan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-37836036670720029712026-07-19T15:11:50.424-04:002026-07-19T15:11:50.425-04:00A quirky Google Photos bug [edited photos disappear]So I found this quirky little bug, and I've submitted the feedback, and they've said it's been elevated and looking for a fix. We'll see how soon it comes.Here's me giving a simple demoSo, essentially, if you take a photo, and then go into Google Photos and make a simple edit (a crop, in these cases), when you go to another app to select it to be included/attached, the image picker Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-87942716783219763462026-07-16T14:08:02.125-04:002026-07-16T14:08:02.125-04:00Sad to hear that OnePlus is leaving the North American marketSo, yeah, we'd been hearing the rumours for a bit. They made a huge splash and gotten into BestBuy, but just couldn't get that foothold needed and have decided to put their efforts where it better pays off for them, and are exiting sales in North America.If you go to their site today (and because I'm in Canada it defaults to their Canada page) you'll see they have an important bulletin:It Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-67689764516523500762026-07-16T12:07:28.119-04:002026-07-16T12:07:28.120-04:00We've got Gemini Spark now in CanadaI've been waiting for this, and can't wait to try it out properly. I'd given out hope that it might come for a while (usually a US English thing for the longest time), but doing some work last night I noticed now that on the web (and PWA), Gemini offers a Spark 'slider' for me to dive into developing some automated tasks.It's not yet available on the app yet, and I don't think it's meant toRyan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-28757175978329942042026-07-13T13:22:29.069-04:002026-07-13T13:22:29.070-04:00A Webbing Journey - a fun sandbox with spidersOkay, so I've been looking for things to help fill my time over the summer... it's quieter for me now and on days like today when it's a million degrees and poor air quality, I hunker inside and enjoy some dehumidification an AC. But what to do inside; find a fun game.Now the game I'm taking a look at today would be something that myself andmy son would have loved about 10 years ago as it Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-41869346459562775022026-07-13T10:17:12.788-04:002026-07-13T10:17:12.789-04:00Statik SmartCharge (2nd gen) reviewWork has me travelling a bit lately, and add in that it's pipe band travel season and a couple family trips too; and I'm always looking for something to ensure that I can charge my devices as I go around.My normal go-to accessory is the Statik SmartCharge, it doubles as a powerbank so I can watch movies on the airplane, and then a wall charger when I'm in the hotel.Well, Statik one-upped Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-33465634914622362102026-07-08T10:21:07.125-04:002026-07-08T10:21:07.125-04:00Mady By Google's big event will be August 12I was just reminiscing over this latest round of Pixel products and giving some of my hopes for the Pixel 11 / Watch 5, and then they announce the date for the next event:Gotta say, I do appreciate an evening launch. Look to watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/@madebygoogleRyan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-79016762027587447902026-07-07T20:54:19.428-04:002026-07-07T20:54:19.428-04:00July Pixel update out nowI can't believe that it's another new month (is this what getting old is like?) and pretty quick on the ball is this month's Pixel update.Just a small one that fixes a couple of bugs, not a lot to really see, from what I can tell.Here's what Google says on the site:What’s included The July 2026 update includes bug fixes and improvements for Pixel users – see below for detailsAppsFix for an Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-23748138169127958422026-06-30T15:32:41.211-04:002026-07-02T08:12:59.511-04:00Pixel ecosystem re-visit several months laterOkay, I do love Android for it's ... 'variety'. The 'be together, not the same' mantra we used to see. It warms my heart when I look out over phones and see not just iPhones but Samsungs, OnePlus, etc... It especially brings a bi of pride to have that recognition of the Pixel visor. The geek in me wants to saddle up to them and ask "did you get the latest update? That Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-52087523186054826542026-06-30T13:34:36.525-04:002026-06-30T13:34:36.525-04:00Google's got a new speaker!I don't know about you, but me, I love a Google speaker. I have several variations of them in my house and it's nice to be able to just walk in a room and ask a question, or have it turn on a set of lights... people find it funny on zoom calls when my speakers announce that my laundry is finished.I have a mix of original Google Home mini speakers, Nest minis, Google Home Audio, Nest Hub, Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1520166748609431966.post-91248383867002475832026-06-30T11:36:02.224-04:002026-06-30T11:36:02.224-04:00Hohem's iSteady m7 review - there's so much to learnOkay, this review has taken a while for me to write up because, it just highlighted to me how much I really don't know when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'd had my time as a camera guy before, a shutterbug, a hobbyist photog...But I never was a video guy. I mean, you've seen my YouTube videos. But here's an item to level up videos, well a certain kind of video (you'd still Ryan Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10874500325141997205noreply@blogger.com0