Google Photos now lets you customize photo book layouts

Google Photos is fantastic for storing and organizing all your pictures, but there's something just neat about flipping through a paper photo album. The service has provided those since last year, but your options for customizing them were more or less limited to choosing which photos to include and whether you wanted a hard or soft cover. Now, you're able to customize the layout of each page for a more personalized album.

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Google Photos now lets you customize photo book layouts was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Looks like a lot of people in Western Europe really want the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

• Huawei announced record pre-order sales of the Mate 20 Pro in Western Europe during the first 10 days after launch.
• The previous pre-order record holder in the region was the P20 Pro.
• Unfortunately, the Mate 20 Pro will not be officially sold in the U.S.

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With October proving to be the #phonepocalypse we predicted, Huawei announced that the Mate 20 Pro broke the company's pre-order record in Western Europe that was previously held by the P20 Pro.

According to Huawei, Mate 20 Pro pre-orders eclipsed P20 Pro pre-orders by 40 percent. Such a wide margin was achieved during the Mate 20 Pro's first 10 days of pre-order sales. Huawei did not say exactly how many pre-orders it saw for its latest flagship smartphone, but you can bet that the company is happy with its seemingly increased presence in Western Europe.

Unlike Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo, Huawei has had its presence known in Europe for years. Not only does Huawei sell many of its products in Europe, but the company also looks toward the continent as it aims to be in the forefront in the continual development of 5G technology.

Also helping the Mate 20 Pro's pre-order numbers were pre-order promotions that bundled the phone with a Huawei wireless charger and the Huawei Watch GT.

Editor's Pick

Here are the best Huawei phones you can buy right now

Huawei makes and sells lots of smartphones, and it can get quite confusing for consumers who might want to buy them. The company has plenty of choices for those looking for the latest and greatest, …

Those promotions helped relieve the sting of the Mate 20 Pro's four-figure price tag. Even without the pre-order promotions, the Mate 20 Pro is easily the most desirable phone on the market right now. As a recap, Huawei's latest flagship features a 6.39-inch curved AMOLED display with a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution, Huawei's own Kirin 980 processor, either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, either 128GB or 256GB of expandable storage, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and a 4,200mAh battery that supports Huawei's new 40W Supercharge standard.

The Mate 20 Pro also features three rear cameras that make it a very powerful camera phone and were more impressive than the LG V40 ThinQ's triple-camera setup.

It will be interesting to see how Huawei carries this momentum with whatever it has cooking for next year. So far, however, the company looks to end 2018 with a very loud bang.

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Why wait until November 23rd? Best pre-Black Friday deals (including Lenovo doorbusters, today only!)

Black Friday is just around the corner, November 23rd to be specific. The good news is that you don't have to wait that long. Hoping to get an early start on holiday sales, Lenovo, Walmart, and Sam's Club have announced their pre-Black Friday deals. it's only a matter of time before other retailers join in too. In fact, Lenovo's deals are today (10/31) only!

Walmart's pre-Black Friday deals are already live too, though Sam's Club deals don't go live until November 10th. Below we've gathered up some of the best deals for smartphones, tablets, TVs, and more.

Editor's note: Over the next few weeks will be adding to this list with special deals and  pre-Black Friday promotions we feel are worth highlighting. 

Lenovo's special doorbuster deals – 10/31 only!

Here are our favorite Lenovo deals:

• Lenovo ThinkPad X280 laptop – starting at $869 ($710 off)
• Lenovo Yoga 720 2-in-1 laptop – starting at $1,099 ($450 off)
• Lenovo Yoga 920 2-in-1 laptop – starting at $1,199 ($400 off)
• Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Mobile Workstation – starting at $1,379 ($460 off)
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 3rd Gen 2-in-1 laptop – starting at $1,253,25 ($417.75 off)
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen laptop – starting at $1,139.25 ($379.75 off)
• Lenovo IdeaPad 330 laptop – starting at $749.99 ($330 off)
• Lenovo ThinkPad E480 laptop – starting at $659.99 ($289.02 off)
• Lenovo Legion Y730 gaming laptop – starting at $1,072.49 ($357.50 off)

Check out all the special pre-Black Friday Sneak Peak deals at Lenovo's website

Best pre-Black Friday smartphone deals

• Get $300 gift card with select Samsung phones and iPhones
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

Best pre-Black Friday tablet deals

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 inch and 32GB microSD card – $148.83 ($120 off)
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• Lenovo Tab E7 7-inch tablet – $59 ($41 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

• RCA Galileo Pro 11.5-inch 2-in-1 tablet with keyboard – $79.98 ($101 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

Best pre-Black Friday TV deals

• 75-inch LG 4K UHD Smart TV – $400 off
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• 70-inch Vizio 4K UHD Smart TV – $649
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• 65-inch Sharp 4K UHD Smart TV – $449 ($200 off)
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• 58-inch Samsung 4K UHD Smart TV and 2.1 Soundbar – $579
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• 50-inch Vizio 4K UHD Smart TV – $279
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• 40-inch Vizio 4K UHD Smart TV – $179
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• 82-inch Samsung 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV – $4397.99 ($1102 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

• 75-inch Samsung 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV – $2797.99 ($2002 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

• 75-inch Samsung 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV – $1997.99 ($2202 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

• 65-inch curved Samsung 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV – $2097.99 ($1102 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

• 24-inch Visio HD LED TV – $88 ($20 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

• 32-inch Dell Full HD Monitor – $179.99 ($70 off)
  • Retailer: Walmart
  • Available: Now

Best pre-Black Friday laptop deals

• HP Pavilion 17.3-inch laptop – $749 ($250 off)
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• HP Pavilion x360 convertible laptop – $649 ($350 off)
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• HP Pavilion 17.3-inch laptop – $599 ($200 off)
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• HP Pavilion x360 convertible laptop – $499 ($400 off)
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

Best pre-Black Friday misc deals

• $30 off Apple AirPods
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

• $50 off select Apple Watches
  • Retailer: Sam's Club
  • Available: 11/10

Affiliate disclosure: We may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. See our disclosure policy for more details.

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WhatsApp exec confirms the inevitable, says ads are coming to the app's 'Status' section

After a year of rumors and the departure of both co-founders, WhatsApp is officially getting ads. Vice-president Chris Daniels confirmed to Outlook India today that the days of an ad-free platform are numbered: "We are going to be putting ads in 'Status.' That is going to be [the] primary monetisation mode for the company as well as an opportunity for businesses to reach people on WhatsApp."

The 'Status' section is WhatsApp's take on Instagram Stories, itself cribbed from Snapchat's core feature set.

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WhatsApp exec confirms the inevitable, says ads are coming to the app's 'Status' section was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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The 2nd-generation Chromecast is on clearance for just $11 at some Target locations

Google announced a refreshed Chromecast at its hardware event in New York earlier this month. That device is now on sale for $35, the same price as the previous model. The new version has replaced the old on the Google Store, and retailers are clearing their stock of the older generation — and some Target locations have it on clearance for as low as $10.64.

You can't order the last generation for delivery anymore; this is an in-person-only deal.

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The 2nd-generation Chromecast is on clearance for just $11 at some Target locations was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Twitter now lets you specify the type of spam you're reporting

Crappy posts are part and parcel with any social network, and Twitter has more than its fair share of spam, scams, and bald-faced lies. The platform has always allowed users to report spammy posts, but now, the functionality is getting more granular, letting you specify the particular type of spam you're flagging.

When reporting a tweet as "suspicious or spam," you can now choose between five different reasons for doing so: the account that tweeted the message is fake; the tweet directs to "a potentially harmful, malicious, or phishing site;" it contains unrelated hashtags; or it uses replies to spam.

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Twitter now lets you specify the type of spam you're reporting was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Best Bluetooth headphones

Although Bluetooth audio quality can't hold a candle to wired options, it's convenient for most and preferred by many. Seeing as the consumer market is settling comfortably around wireless earbuds and headphones, we present to you a truncated version of our sister site SoundGuys' list of the best Bluetooth headphones.

See: In-depth article available at SoundGuys

Best all-around Bluetooth headphones: Focal Listen Wireless

The headband effectively distributes weight across the head, minimizing fatigue.

Reasons to buy the Focal Listen Wireless:

• The Focal Listen Wireless provides aptX support for improved audio streaming.
• The headphones feature a 20-hour battery life.
• Hinges allow the headphones to fold up for transport.
• Passive isolation is effective at attenuating background noise.

Get the Focal Listen Wireless!

Best durability: V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex

Despite the bulky build, the V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex folds up to a more compact form.

Reasons to buy the V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex:

• These durable Bluetooth headphones have received MIL-STD 810G certification.
• Both aptX and AAC codecs are supported.
• Wired listening affords hi-res audio quality and zero latency, great for gamers.
• The headphones house an integrated DAC/amp.

Get the V-Moda Crossfade 2 Codex!

Best noise cancelling: Sony WH-1000XM3

The new Sony WH-1000XM3 uses LDAC as its main Bluetooth codec, but you might not be getting the best they have to offer.

Reasons to buy the Sony WH-1000XM3:

• Sony's WH-1000XM3 boasts top-notch noise cancellation.
• It offers LDAC support and granular EQ controls via the free app.
• USB-C charging is supported as well as NFC.

Get the Sony WH-1000XM3

Best sound: Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless

These headphones support all Qualcomm aptX codecs and AAC.

Reasons to buy the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless:

• These large over-ear cans feature effective noise isolation rivals the Focal Listen Wireless.
• aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low-Latency, and AAC support.
• Connectivity is reliable even when moving about.
• Sound quality is stellar and listeners can take a hearing test, whereby the Amiron Wireless adjusts music playback accordingly.

Get the Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless!

Best bang-for-your-buck: Anker Soundcore Vortex

For around $50, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value that offers aptX support.

Reasons to buy the Anker Soundcore Vortex:

• The Anker Soundcore Vortex retails for around $50.
• It provides aptX support, a rarity for headphones of this price.
• Listeners enjoy 20 hours of playback before needing to charge the headphones.
• The earcups are spacious and comfortable without applying excess pressure to the head.

Get the Anker Soundcore Vortex!

What you should know about Bluetooth headphones

• The effectiveness of Bluetooth codecs depends on your source device. For instance, AAC doesn't perform well on Android devices, and generally speaking, LDAC isn't hi-res.
• Bluetooth connectivity is fallible, even with Class 1 Bluetooth and Bluetooth 5.0 technology.
• Noise-cancelling headphones are more expensive than non-noise-cancelling options, but they can reduce your risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

As our sister site, we entrust the folks over at SoundGuys to know their way around consumer audio, Bluetooth headphones in particular. Each writer has years of experience keeping tabs on the audio industry and understands that audio requires both subjective and objective analysis.

The SoundGuys team spends plenty of time testing consumer audio products so you don't have to.

None of the writers may benefit from featuring one product over another, and ultimately want readers to enjoy what they listen to without spending an exorbitant amount of time researching products. If you have the time and desire, feel free to read up on the ethics policy.

NEXT: Best Bluetooth headphones for your headphone jack-less OnePlus 6T

Affiliate disclosure: We may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. See our disclosure policy for more details.

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