Google Duo might merge with Google Meet

Google has a habit of developing overlapping apps and services, especially when it comes to messaging and calls. There was a time we had Google Allo, Meet, and Duo, to name a few. Allo is already gone. But now, it seems Duo might meet the same fate. Reports claim the company might merge the two video chat apps as their features overlap more and more. And with video conferencing tools on the rise, because COVID-19 has kept a lot of us home, Google Meet is emerging as the video chat app of choice.

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Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup – 8/9 – 8/15

Review: Alcatel Go Flip 3

Huawei Mate 40 to be last Kirin-powered model 

Reports claim TikTok might soon sue White House over ban 

Wellness takes centre stage with Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 

Toshiba exits laptop business, sells Dynabook brand to Sharp 

LG Tone Free with UVnano charging case is now available in Canada 

Benchmark shows Google Pixel 5 running on Snapdragon 765G 

Xiaomi launches a see-through TV 

'The Last of Us Part II' gets ultra-difficult Grounded and permadeath modes, more tweaks 

Surface Duo shipping September 10 for US$1,400 

Google Clock brings Bedtime Mode, Sunrise Alarm to all Android phones 

Waze rolls out railroad crossing alerts 

Google Lookout app is now available in Canada 

'Fortnite' developer Epic Games files antitrust lawsuits against Apple, Google 

Apple reportedly plans to offer subscription bundles for its services 

Google reportedly prevented OnePlus from preinstalling the Epic Games app on its devices 

'The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special' to debut on Disney+ on Nov. 17

Lucasfilm

We're getting a parody/update of the campy 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special in Lego form. The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special will debut on Disney as a 45-minute special on November 17. It will feature characters from the recent trilogy, including Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. Some of the film actors will be reprising their roles. The characters in the special will be gathering to celebrate "Life Day."

According to executive producer Josh Rimes, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is inspired not just by the '70s special, but also by films like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, It's a Wonderful Life, and Christmas Vacation.

Source: USA Today

Google reportedly prevented OnePlus from preinstalling the Epic Games app on its devices

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Epic Games just launched a lawsuit against Google and Apple, claiming the companies are engaging in anti-competitive behaviour. For Google's part, the lawsuit focuses on how Google makes it more challenging to sideload applications than installing them from the Play Store. A surprising claim in the filing describes how Google reportedly stopped OnePlus from preloading the Epic Games app.

Fortnite uses a launcher app called Epic Games to release updates for it when it's installed from the Samsung Galaxy Store or Epic's site. According to the developer, it struck a deal with OnePlus to preload the app on new devices, but Google struck down the agreement. Epic Games even reportedly designed a version of Fortnite for some OnePlus devices to take advantage of the state-of-the-art framerate. The deal was supposed to cover a worldwide release, but Google supposedly only allowed OnePlus to release the app in India.

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