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Moshi Avanti and Mythro: USB C audio at its finest

Matt Adams
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Audio is still complicated in 2019. With the removal of the headphone jack in most phones, you’re left to consider your options. Most people opt for Bluetooth headphones since you can find something as low as $10, up to premium headphones like the Bose QC 35 II which run north of $300. To say you have options would be an understatement.

Read more: Bose QC 35 II vs. JBL Everest 710GA: Getting what you pay for?

But, Bluetooth isn’t the only option for our headphone jack-less friends. USB type-C audio is still a thing and headphones and earbuds that connect through the USB port are rarer, but they’re still kicking around. In fact, they may be a superior option to Bluetooth headphones because they don’t need a battery and are therefore generally lighter and you never have to worry about charging them. Plus, there’s the added benefit of better sound quality.

Despite these advantages, USB type-C headphones and earbuds are pretty rare. Moshi is one of the companies committed to making USB type-C audio products and has sent over its Avanti headphones and Mythro Earphones for us to check out.

If you know anything about Moshi, you’ll not be shocked by the high quality and fashionable looks of these audio products and we were not disappointed one bit as we took them out of the box.

Moshi Avanti Headphones

Before I even placed the Avanti headphones on my head, I was already in love. The build quality and aesthetics here are second to none, and honestly, they’re not even really my style. I prefer over-the-ear headphones and a little more of an industrial-type design, but the Avanti headphones are just so striking.

With leatherette earcups and a metal band, these just scream high-end audio. I love how the band stretches as far as it needs to because my big noggin has led to some painful audio experiences in the past. The earcups are comfortable to wear for long periods of time and since they’re on-ear rather than over-the-ear you don’t get hot wearing them. One thing you do need to be aware of, these are meant to be worn at a big of an angle. They sit a little bit further back on your ears and angle the music into your ear canal, rather than sitting directly on top of your ears. It feels a little bit weird at first but you get used to it.

And once you get used to them, you’re going to love how they sound. While you’re not going to be blown away by the bass or soundstage, they sound really great for everyday listening. I wouldn’t suggest these for the gym because they’ll fly off of you at some point, but I was pretty impressed at how they kept out outside noise out of my ears. You wouldn’t expect that from on-ear headphones but they do a pretty good job.

Overall, I really love using the Avanti headphones due to how great they sound and their out-of-this-world looks. The headphones click as you fold out the earcups which make them feel even cooler and the hard carrying case is a nice touch. You can grab the Moshi Avanit USB type-C headphones for $199.95.

Moshi Avanit from Moshi Moshi Avanit from Amazon

Moshi Mythro Earbuds

With a design that will remind you of an Apple device, the Mythro earbuds are going to be attractive to anyone who values how your earbuds look as much as how they sound.

But, that’s not to say that they don’t stand up on their own in terms of audio quality. the Mythro do sound very nice in day-to-day use and provide a decent soundstage and bass for the price ($50). Mids are just fine here and anyone not looking for audiophile quality sound should be pleased with bumping out rap, rock, or even spoken word tracks.

 

The brushed aluminum and cable look great, if not subtle until a close inspection. The little details like the included remote are all in line here for a nice experience which is important in a segment like USB C audio where there just aren’t that many great choices. I wouldn’t say that you need to run out to the store to buy these because they’re that much better than anything else on the market, but I would put them up there with pretty much anything else, especially when you take price into consideration. A comparable pair of Bluetooth earbuds will probably cost more and come with all the compromises of Bluetooth audio.

I really enjoyed my time with the Mythro earbuds just due to the convenience of them. I also work at a television station and will occasionally have to call into our IFB lines (those little earbuds TV anchors and reporters wear) to communicate with our control room. My daily driver OnePlus 6T doesn’t have a headphone jack and when you’re pressed for time, fumbling around for a dongle can be a huge pain. The Mythro earbuds provided unexpected relief and really demonstrates why the death of the headphone jack sucks and while USB type-C audio is the next best option.

You can grab the Moshi Mythro earbuds for about $50 from Moshi and Amazon.

Moshi Mythro from Moshi Moshi Mythro from Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G now available at Verizon

AndroidGuys
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Verizon on Thursday began offering its 5G-enabled version of the Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone.

Available in Majestic Black and Crown Silver options, the phone packs a 6.7-inch display and runs Android 9 Pie. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G comes in two storage options: 256GB and 512GB. As a refresher, this version of the device does not have a microSD expansion card slot.

The phone costs a pretty penny, to be sure, with prices starting at $1,300. And, when you consider its 5G tech only works in select markets, it doesn’t make sense to pick this one up yet. Nevertheless, if you live in one of the cities with Verizon 5G support, and must have the newest and best from Samsung, here’s what you can expect to spend.

Verizon has a number of promotions to help bring the cost of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G down. Indeed, both current and potential customers can save a few hundred dollars, or more. In the right situation one could receive up to $650 toward the phone.

Promos:
  • New and existing customers can trade in an eligible smartphone and save up to $450. Discount offered as monthly bill credits.
  • Switchers can get an additional $200 prepaid Mastercard if they switch to Verizon. purchase a GalaxyS10 5G on device payment plan and sign up for Verizon Unlimited.
A quick note about the 5G network for those who might not be fully up to speed. The Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband service is only available on the Above and Beyond Unlimited Plans. Typically it costs $10 per month for the access, but it’s free for a limited time.

Here’s how to turn T-Mobile’s Scam Blocking on and off

Matt Adams
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Scam calls are a problem. If you own a cell phone, and if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you do, you know it can be pretty awful. Scammers call day and night to try and get your hard earned cash and if you’ve ever gotten behind on your bills, the problem and be twice as bad.

A report by First Orion in 2018 predicted that by the end of this year, half of all calls would be spam calls. That’s up from 3.7% in 2017 and 29% in 2018. Just to give you some perspective, back in 2016, Americans were estimated to have received 2.4 billion unwanted automated PER MONTH calls in 2016 alone. And it’s only gotten worse.

The scams can be pretty serious too. From targeting immigrant communities that are unsure of how things work in a new environment to going after the elderly or low-income households with scare tactics, these people truly have no shame and inflict massive damage on their targets. I have had members of my family fall for one of these scams even after I tried to educate them. While they lost “only” $400, that’s a ton when you’re on a fixed income.

Nine apps to block spam calls and text messages in Android

While the FCC says it’s working to fix the problem, carriers have seemingly tried to step in and help. With scam identification, carriers can outright block calls from ever getting to you and other apps like T-Mobile’s enhanced caller ID let you know if the call could be a potential threat. It almost feels dangerous to pick up the phone if the number isn’t already saved in your contacts list.

But these programs have a downside too. If you’re looking for a new job, you may have experienced this already and not even known it. Some numbers can be misidentified as spam and not even make it to your phone. No voicemail, no nothing. Luckily, T-Mobile lets you turn this feature off if you want. Here’s how you do that:

  • Open the phone app
  • Dial #632#
  • Press dial

A prompt will pop up on your screen that says, “Your request to disable Scam Blocking is being processed. Please wait a few minutes for Scam Blocking to stop.”

Easy enough, right? Just hit okay and you’re done.

If you start getting bombarded by calls and you want to turn Scam Blocking back on, do this:

  • Open the phone app
  • Dial #662#
  • Press dial

This sends a request to T-Mobile to turn Scam Blocking back on. Just like when you turn it off, there will be a small period for it to kick in, but you should be good to go.

Let us know down in the comments if you’re going to turn Scam Blocking off or keep it on.

You can now buy the Pixel 3a and 3a XL directly from Amazon

Matt Adams
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Picking up a Pixel device hasn’t exactly been easy in the past. The original Pixel and Pixel XL weren’t available in carrier store aside from Verizon and most readily available directly from Google through its website.

Since the death of carrier contracts, customers have become used to paying monthly for their devices and this threw up a huge roadblock to getting the device. Yes, Google did pair with a financing partner to offer 24 months of payments, but it required a credit check and that sucks.

Nothing changed with the Pixel 2 and 2 XL. You could now walk into a carrier store and pick one up, but still just one carrier, Verizon. And it was great that Google paired with the largest US carrier (AT&T and Verizon trade the title back and forth) but it locked customers from the other big three carriers out of the conversation. Plus, the Verizon models come with a locked bootloader and that sucks, too.

There was hope before the Pixel 3 and 3 XL dropped that we’d see expanded carrier support, but no, still a Verizon exclusive. It was disappointing, to say the least. But, we’ve recently had a ray of hope.

With the introduction of the Pixel 3a and 3a XL, all of the major US carriers now carry the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. It’s never been easier to get your hands on one of the devices.

Pixel 3 versus Pixel 3a: Which is right for you?

As anyone will tell you, Amazon is the biggest retailer around, save for Walmart by some metrics. Amazon and Google had basically been at war the last couple of years with Amazon refusing to sell Google hardware and Google pulling its apps from Amazon’s fire ecosystem. Luckily for consumers, peace was declared and we saw a return of YouTube to our Fire Sticks and Chromecasts to the Amazon marketplace.

Now, the companies are teaming up again to offer the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL directly from Google, sold by Amazon. There’s no purchasing from murky third-parties or non-warrantied phones just to use your Amazon store credit card or that gift card you picked up for your birthday.

You can now head over to Amazon to pick up the Pixel 3a for just $399 or the Pixel 3a XL for $479 and feel safe in your purchase.

I’ve personally been using the Pixel 3a XL for the last couple of days and I’m completely blown away. This is the best budget phone I’ve ever used and really crushes everything else around the same price.

Performance is worse than the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, but not really noticeably so. Plus, you get that amazing Pixel camera setup that wows us every time see pictures from the device. Google really hit it out of the ballpark with these phones and you can get yours right now by hitting the buttons below.

Get the Pixel 3a Get the Pixel 3a XL

You can’t get the OnePlus 7 in the US, but that might not be a bad thing

Matt Adams
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OnePlus had a pretty big week. With the introduction of the OnePlus 7 Pro, the company has planted a flag in premium flagship territory to challenge the likes of Samsung, LG, and Huawei. While the company has long been the king of budget flagships, we now see a new strategy from OnePlus that asks for a little more money for a lot more phone.

But, many were disappointed because OnePlus has long asked for about half of what other device makers did. Some saw the company as the natural successor to the Nexus lineup that died when we started getting Pixel devices from Google. Getting the best phone out there is great, but getting a phone that does 90% of the things for 50% of the price is an attractive option.

But alas, OnePlus went another route. We should’ve seen this coming with the introduction of the OnePlus 6T at T-mobile. It was a clear sign that OnePlus wants to be taken seriously and be seen as a major player in the space. With those aspirations come higher prices as the company looks to bring in even more money to pad its bottom line.

Many leaks pointed to multiple devices from OnePlus this time around, but we only got details on the OnePlus 7 Pro during the presentation from New York City. Noticeably absent was the standard OnePlus 7, not the Pro variant. Leaks before the event pointed to a device that saw a slight spec bump from the OnePlus 6T but retaining the same body, waterdrop notch, and dual-camera setup. It turns out the leaks were right and the OnePlus 7 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor is indeed a thing. But, what the leaks didn’t hit on was availability.

The OnePlus 7 is not coming to the United States. The US has long been one of OnePlus’s most important markets, but it decided to skip The States this time with its new phone. So why is that? It looks like the reason is that it wants to push people to buy its more expensive phone since people tend to have higher budgets than in emerging markets like India and some Asian and European markets. That makes sense from the OnePlus point of view. For potential customers looking for a deal, it stinks.

That’s why OnePlus is keeping the OnePlus 6T around. And not only are they keeping it around, but they’re also making it even cheaper. You can get the base model that features 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage for just $549. If you want to bump the specs a bit more, you can get a model with 8 GB of storage and 128 GB of storage for $579 and 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage for $629.

Ten tips and tricks for the OnePlus 6T

All of the phones come with last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. I’ve used a few phones with this year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and to be honest, I can’t tell much of the difference. My OnePlus 6T is still my daily driver and the fastest phone I’ve ever used. Plus, it has great features like 20W fast charging, an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, and the most overlooked feature in tech, the alert slider.

Despite the really competitive market, it’s hard to find a phone with those specs at that price. While it’s disappointing that we won’t see the OnePlus 7 here in the US, OnePlus is doing the right thing by continuing to offer a really fantastic phone at an even better price.

If you want to pick up a OnePlus 6T for yourself, hit the button below. Feel free to read our full review before you do.

Get it from OnePlus

Deal: Grab a 400 GB microSD card for just $56

Matt Adams
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Even though our cell phones are including more and more storage, there’s never quite enough. Between recording 4k video, saving RAW picture files, and saving music libraries, you can quickly run out of the 64 or 128 GB of space that comes standard in most phones today.

Luckily, a ton of phones still include microSD card slots that allow users to expand their storage. Phones like the Galaxy S10 can even support up to 1 TB of external storage! While those cards are just going on sale now and are prohibitively expensive, you can get a great deal on a 400 GB card right now for just $56.

Whether you want a physical backup of your media or you just want to save your files on a removable card, microSD cards are perfect. I love them because I change phones often and I don’t like to move everything through the cloud. Sure, it may be mostly secure, but you never know, and you’re relying on a data connection to get your data back. If you just save it on a microSD card, you have it as soon as you pop it into your new phone. Plus, people are using phones for longer and longer these days and it’s helpful to have a ton of storage because we all know how easy it is to fill up space as time goes on.

Just in time for new phone season, Amazon has an excellent deal on the SanDisk 400 GB class 10 microSD card. What does class 10 mean, you may be thinking? It refers to the speed at which the card can read and write data. Class 10 is the highest you can go and it supports speeds up to 100mb/s for data transfer which means you can move about 1200 pictures a second. That’s crazy fast.

If that’s not enough to convince you, SanDisk includes a 10-year limited manufacturer warranty because it stands behind its product. If you want to pick one up for yourself, hit the button below. They also have 256 GB cards for just $38 and 200 GB cards for $32.

Get it from Amazon

Teach yourself the top project management disciplines for $5 a course

AndroidGuys
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Stuck in a rut at work, spending your days working for the man? Wouldn’t it be better if you actually were ‘the man”? As you know, many jobs and careers worth pursuing require upper management knows how to organize and run things smoothly. They need to know how to manage projects.

One way of ensuring candidates are qualified to head up projects or teams is with certification. There are many disciplines to project management and some of them are trusted more than others. Among the key methods are Six Sigma and Agile.

The AndroidGuys Deals Store has a really awesome bundle of training around project management. The Complete Project & Quality Management Certification Bundle features eight courses and some 114 hours of instruction to you through the basics of the best approaches.

Whether it’s Agile, PMP, Scrum, or Six Sigma, this training blows the door wide open on securing certified project manager status and one of the six-figure salaries that come with it.

Features

  • Agile Scrum ($146.25 value)
  • Agile XP ($146.25 value)
  • Certified Associate In Project Management (CAPM) 6th Edition ($146.25 value)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) 6th Edition ($146.25 value)
  • Agile Project Management ($146.25 value)
  • Certified Scrum Master (CSM) ($146.25 value)
  • Six Sigma Green Belt ($146.25 value)
  • Six Sigma Black Belt ($146.25 value)

Where to Buy

You can Complete Project & Quality Management Certification Bundle kit from the AndroidGuys Deals Store for only $39. With a retail value of around $1,200, it can be yours for a massive 96 percent off. Think about it, that forty dollar bundle could change your career, and life! At five bucks a course it’s one of the cheapest ways to invest in your future.

Save even more!

In addition to the savings above, when you buy through AndroidGuys Deals, for every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your account. What’s more, should you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

If this is your first time buying, then you are also eligible for a further 10% discount when you subscribe for email updates.

How about a freebie?

Not looking to spend any money today? That’s alright, we understand. Why not visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and take something anyhow? Go ahead, grab two!

Meet the Motorola One Vision: Big screen, big storage, and 48-MP camera

AndroidGuys
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Motorola on Wednesday announced its latest smartphone, but don’t look for it on US shelves anytime soon. It’s a shame, too, because it’s got the makings of a great device and a price we can appreciate.

The Motorola One Vision is an Android One endeavor which means it will receive monthly security updates and major software releases. In fact, its partnership with Google means it will “exceed software requirements”.

Looking at the hardware, we really like what we see in the One Vision. It’s a big screen device with some of the best of what Motorola can offer.

The phone packs the industry’s first 21:9 CinemaVision 6.3-inch full HD+ (1,080 x 2,520 pixels) display, delivering a wide screen image for showing off games and video. There’s a hole-punch in the screen for a 25-megapixel front-facing camera.

Flipping the phone over we locate a dual-camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor and a secondary one (5-megapixels) for depth data. It’s worth noting that the pictures aren’t a true 48-megapixel image but Quad Pixel technology used to combine 12-megapixel photos with “four times the light sensitivity”.

By combining four pixels into one large 1.6µm pixel, the 48 MP sensor delivers four times the light sensitivity. You’ll enjoy incredibly sharp 12 MP photos with improved brightness and reduced image noise.

The One Vision employs optical image stabilization to help with blurry photos and videos. Motorola is also introducing Night Vision mode to create bright, sharp images with more detail in lower light settings.

Powering the show are a Samsung 9609 processor with 4GB RAM. Other key hardware in the phone include a 3,500mAh battery with TurboPower charging. Just 15 minutes on a charger is enough to add seven hours of power.

Internal storage is generous at 128GB but a microSD expansion card slot allows for up to 512GB of external media.

The Motorola One Vision is available immediately in Brazil and it will soon hit Mexico and other countries in Latin America. Other markets expected to see the phone include Europe, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and select countries in Asia, Middle East, and Australia.

The phone is available with a “promotional launch price” of 299 euros (approximately $335 USD). Pricing will vary by market.

Waterfield Vitesse messenger bag review: the perfect bag?

Matt Adams
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It can be really tough to find the “perfect” bag to keep your most valuable and useful technology products protected. Sure, you can just find a decent backpack, throw everything in there and be on your merry way. But what if you have a lot of things, or don’t want a backpack, or just want something different? That’s where the search begins.

For the last few years I have used my fair share of backpacks, some of which are great, and others that served as nothing more than a catch-all. I finally got fed up and decided that I wanted to try out a premium satchel or messenger bag. For some reason, more reviews of these types of bags have been cropping up, but there was one that kept catching my eye – the Vitesse Messenger Bag from Waterfield.

Who is Waterfield?

Waterfield is a company based out of San Francisco that provides a stunning array of storage options for your various devices. There are messenger bags, traditional backpacks, sleeves, wallets, gaming cases, briefcases, and so much more. But what is even more awesome is that Waterfield also offers bags/sleeves/cases for specific devices such as the Nintendo Switch or iPad Pro.

Since Waterfield is based in San Francisco, the company actually manufactures its products here in the good ole’ US of A, which can help you feel good, if that’s your thing. Plus, these aren’t just mass-produced like something you would see from other popular bag makers. With some products, there is some stock available, but for the most part, these are made to order so that you know your case has an extra-special touch to it compared to others.

Waterfield Vitesse

To put some context into the things that I carry with me on a daily basis, here’s a list for you:

Now that you see everything that I have to carry, let’s talk about the bag itself. The Vitesse is made from waxed canvas with a leather handle strap at the top, and two leather straps to close and secure the bag. Once you have un-done those aforementioned straps, you are presented with a large opening at the top and a zipper pocket on the front.

This is a single pocket that stretches across the entirety of the front of the Vitesse bag. On the right side, Waterfield has included an “ultra suede” phone pocket which has been a convenient place to house my earbuds and whatever extra phone I’m carrying with me. The rest of this front pocket holds both of my notebooks and the pen that I carry with me on a daily basis.

Now for the main event. The large pocket of the Vitesse has several additional pockets that can be found around the inside. There is a primary laptop pocket that easily holds my laptop, with some room to spare. Waterfield thought of everything and included a Velcro strap to help keep your laptop in place, and this has been rather pleasant.

Around the outer edge of the notebook, there are three smaller pockets that are great to throw your headphone case into or an extra portable charger. The convenience of this cannot be understated as there are times I just need to throw something in my bag and go and don’t have time to fiddle with everything.

This brings us to the main “pocket” compartment. This compartment holds my Nintendo Switch, cable bag, 12.9″ iPad Pro with its Waterfield Sleevecase, and laptop charger. Being able to get everything into this bag has been a life-saver as I can just reach in, grab what I need, and keep it moving. There’s no need to search for extra pockets, and even a lesser chance of something going missing.

Vitesse Comfort

Admittedly, I probably have too much stuff in my Vitesse Messenger bag, and that does weigh me down from time to time. But the wonderful thing about the bag is that I can just reach in and take something out if it needs to stay behind, or if I want to grab my iPad Pro and leave the bag behind.

The Vitesse looks good and is still functional, regardless of whether you are left-handed or right-handed. The leather strap at the top makes it easy to take just pick the bag up and go if you don’t really want to throw it over your shoulder.

This brings me to the biggest and truthfully, only, gripe that I have with the Vitesse Messenger bag. I wish there was some type of padding that was included on the shoulder strap that could help relieve some of the pressure. But that’s nothing that can’t be adjusted or overcome in other ways, in fact, Waterfield offers shoulder pads that can be purchased and then added so that all of the pressure is not on your collar-bone or shoulder.

Waterfield iPad Pro Sleevecase

You may ask yourself why I carry both the laptop and an iPad Pro 12.9. The answer is both complicated and simple. I use my laptop on a daily basis for my day job and I refuse to leave it behind in case something were to happen to it. As for the iPad, this is my device of choice, other than my smartphone. I try to get as much work as possible completed with the iPad Pro and then switch to the laptop if something needs a bit more attention.

When you pick up the iPad Pro, you will quickly realize that the true experience can’t be had without a keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2. This Sleevecase comes in two sizes, so that you can get one regardless of whether you have the 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro. On the inside, there is a shock-absorbent neoprene which not only will protect your iPad Pro from scratches, but will also help in the case that you accidentally drop the Sleevecase itself.

Unlike the Vitesse, opening and closing this is done with a Velcro strap, which is actually much stronger than I expected. I’ve tried turning the case upside down with the iPad Pro inside and it has remained secure, which is extremely relieving, but we don’t recommend doing this yourself.

On the inside of the flap, you’ll notice a little protrusion that looks like a sleeve for a pencil, and that’s exactly what it is! Simply slide your Apple Pencil 2 into the slot and it will also stay secure, without needing to keep it attached to the top of your iPad. Just another way that Waterfield makes life more convenient for everyone.

Finally, there is a pouch on the back-side of the Sleevecase which can hold a portable charger and a cable, an extra phone, a microfiber cloth, or any other smaller accessories. Unfortunately, this is not secured by anything, so we don’t recommend putting anything of much value in here in the case that you get up and walk away from your table at Starbucks or something.

Conclusion

Waterfield has been in the business of making high-quality and useful products since 1998, and you really see the care they put into each product once it arrives. The Waterfield Vitesse will continue to be my messenger/shoulder bag of choice for the foreseeable future, and you can grab one for yourself from the Waterfield website for $159.

For those who want a phenomenal sleeve for their iPad Pro or other tablet, this Sleevecase starts at $69, regardless of whether you want the 11″ or 12.9″ version. Plus, you can choose which orientation you want for the sleeve, coming in horizontal or vertical, and you can even get a strap for it, if you think it will come in handy.

Waterfield knocks both of these products out of the park, and I’ll be definitely turning to them for my tech storage needs. Just like the newly launched Tech Rolltop Backpack that is launching later this month. Let us know what you think about these and if you’ll be looking to get one for yourself.

Google gives away almost 20,000 Home Minis

Matt Adams
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At last night’s Western Conference Finals game between the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers, Google made a ton of fans very happy. They gave one lucky fan a chance to sink a half-court shot to send all of the 19,000+ fans in attendance home with a Google Home Mini, but what fans didn’t expect is that if he missed, they’d still get their assistant-enabled speaker too. And that they did.

The giveaway was the largest and most expensive sports giveaway in Google’s history. It was designed to draw attention to the search giant’s new Nest branding for its smart home products and to highlight just how powerful the speakers can be. Performing everything from simple tasks like telling you how to spell words to setting timers, casting media to cast-enable TVs and playing music, the Google Home Mini has become a go-to for people looking for cheap smart home speakers. At just a touch under $50, it’s really a steal.

Google Home review: After nearly two years, is it still worth it?

But, there was a second surprise in store for fans as well. When they activated their free speakers, they were also entered into a drawing for free Warriors tickets. The Warriors are currently in the middle of a dynasty phase and come as one of the hottest tickets in the NBA. Next year, they’ll be moving into their new stadium where ticket prices promise to be even higher than the current Oracle arena. It’s a helluva giveaway.

So, why did Google do this? The company says it wants to thank fans for being awesome. It obviously also wants to show off what a little speaker can do to change the lives of all those who interact with it. If you want to see just what Google Assistant and Google Home speakers can do, check out these articles next:

If you want to pick up your own Google Home Mini, hit the button below.

Get the Google Home Mini

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