For companies, managing paperwork well is one of the most essential parts of a strong foundation. Transferring a workflow from paper to digital is not only responsible, it can be a revenue game changer. In fact, collecting and completing paperwork digitally helps businesses prevent user drop-off — and moving to eSignature increases revenue on average by 8% in its first year.
HelloSign is a platform that helps businesses collect legally binding signatures on documents. The platform also reduces administrative overhead by automating signature reminders, optimizing workflows by standardizing the entire process. And because the tools that businesses use vary, the HelloSign API lets you integrate eSignature capabilities into your own app, or set it up where there’s the most interaction with the eSignature process.
If you want to learn more about digitizing your workflow, look into HelloSign’s Digital Strength Program, which focuses on training enrollees in effective methods for organizing and executing successful transformation programs in your company. Signing up is free: click on the link to determine how you can increase ROI and improve customer experience.
Having a mobile phone that’s capable of taking pictures and videos, creating documents, and downloading media is something we often take for granted. That such a small device is so powerful and able to house so much is lost on a lot of us.
In the early days of PDAs it was a different situation, and for a number of reasons. Chief among them was the fact that much of what was stored on these phones was locally housed and not backed up. Drop the phone and break it, or simply lose track of it, and you were in a bad way. All of those precious photos and important documents were often gone.
Thanks to the advances in data speeds and cloud services, we can now routinely back up our files. Whether manually synchronized from a computer, scheduled to run, or automatically done, it’s now possible to ensure your stuff is safely stored in a secondary location.
Android users have no shortage of options to choose from when it comes to places to safely and securely back up files. Be it pictures, videos, music, important documents, or something else, there’s plenty we want to keep long term.
Finding the right place to house them can be daunting, if you allow it. But, do a little digging and you’ll see that there are a few that do much more than others, and often for free. Here are a handful of the best cloud storage services for your Android device.
Google Drive
You can’t have Android without having Google. Thankfully, nearly every single Android phone on the market is built with Google Drive right into the experience. Use it.
Not just designed for office-like files, Google Drive is your one-stop-shop for things you want to have readily available. Share items from your mobile email, sync from Chrome OS, upload in the web browser, and so much more.
You can create folders, set sharing permissions with other people, and give variable rights to view or edit. Have a bunch of memes you want to keep close? Upload them to a folder and pull them out when the time is right.
Everyone gets 15GB of space for free, but you can add on more as your needs change.
Dropbox
Perhaps one of the first names you ever learned when it comes to cloud storage, it’s still rocking and rolling in 2018. Not only can you use the service to back up your private files, but you can also work on files with other users through shared folders.
Need to deliver a massive file to someone? Upload it through Dropbox and send links to your co-worker or colleague. For those of you who want to keep track of expenses or important documents, use your camera to scan receipts or notes and turn them into PDF files.
You start out with just 2GB of space in the personal accounts but you can quickly add more by referring other users. Also, different products sometimes come with additional space, even if for a limited time.
Access files from pretty much anywhere in the world, regardless of platform. Log in via Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, OS X, and you’ve got everything at your fingertips. We also like that there are so many third party apps that tie in nicely with Dropbox’s APIs.
OneDrive
If you spend a lot of time in the Microsoft ecosystem of Office apps, you’ve probably encountered OneDrive along the way. Indeed, it’s a great resource for backing up your Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and other documents. It’s also an excellent cloud-based backup tool for your other files and media, too.
Those of you who make it a habit to upload or back up your photos, you can tag them for easier location and identification. Organize them into folders and share birthday parties, graduations, and other collections at once.
This one might skew a little more toward students or professionals but there are enough of them out there for us to recommend downloading. We live in a world of collaboration and sharing; OneDrive is the best you’ll find for Office and Microsoft fans.
Box
An awesome all-around cloud resource, Box allows you to not only back up your files, but collaborate and share, too. Start out with 10GB of space and house your images, videos, school documents, and other important files.
Once you’ve got your files uploaded you can easily locate them with the search tool that can also look inside of PDF docs. And, lest you worry about security, Box provides multi-layered 256-bit AES encryption. Heck, you can digitally watermark your files so you know if someone’s been sharing them with the wrong crowd.
If your needs are more business-based, you might find comfort in the different plans and services here. Plan to scale your company or grow over time? There are a handful of affordably priced options to support you along the way.
Mega
While a lot of cloud-based storage solutions simply provide 10GB-15GB of space, Mega throws down the hammer with 50GB. With end-to-end encyrption you can sleep well knowing your media is tucked away securely.
Pictures and videos are precious to us, and we want to access them from anywhere. You can back ’em all up across your various phones and pull them up from essentially anywhere in the world.
Not only is there an Android app, but you’ll also find iOS, Windows Mobile, and MEGAsync for desktop computers. What’s more, there are extensions for Firefox and Chrome to quicken loading times and increase performance.
Google Home is the original Google Assistant enabled smart speaker. When it launched competition didn’t exist. If you wanted an Assistant enabled speaker, it was your only choice. Since then, there have been several Assistant smart speakers released. Your choices are no longer as limited as they once were. Now the question is, how does Google Home compare when it is no longer your only choice?
Design
The Google Home has a neutral design that blends seamlessly into most rooms. It mostly resembles an air freshener in my opinion, and I mean that as a compliment. Google Home simply blends in and won’t draw any extra attention to itself. It is not meant to look like a piece of tech and it excels at this.
A lot of this comes from the color choice and shape of the device. However, if you want yours to stand out you can easily buy replaceable bases and even skins for the top plastic section. The fabric base is held on securely by magnets and is easy to slide off and on. I’m happy to let mine look like a fancy air freshener.
My favorite part of the design would be the hidden LEDs on the top of the unit. The purpose of these is to give you feedback when Assistant is listening, thinking, or speaking to you. There is something so satisfying about watching the four multicolored LEDs light up and dance around. It’s honestly what I miss most when using any other Assistant enabled speaker.
Besides the animated LEDs on the top, there is also a touch sensor for controlling the volume. By running your finger in a circle around the top you can lower or raise the volume as indicated by the white LED volume meter. Then, of course, there is the mute button for the microphone on the back.
Features
Google Home launched with some fantastic features such as controlling your smart home, music playback, alarms, timers, updating you with your daily news and weather, and more. All you had to do was utter the command and like your digital genie, Assistant would light up and do your bidding. Over time it has gained more and more abilities such as making phone calls, adding reminders, playing games, and the list goes on and on.
While all Google Assistant smart speakers share essentially the same features, there is one exclusive to the Google speakers. For whatever reason, you can only make calls using the Google Assistant speakers at this time. Asking any other Assistant enabled speaker to make a call will be met with the reply “sorry I can’t make calls yet”.
Microphone Performance
The far-field microphones used in the Google Home speaker are some of the best I’ve ever used. Through my testing of several other smart speakers, I’ve always found the Google Home to be one of the top performers in this category. In fact, it even works better than the one on my smartwatch. Many times when trying to activate my watch only inches from my face Google Home would light up while the watch laid dormant.
Sound Quality
As a bit of an audiophile, I’ve been disappointed in the audio quality of the Google Home speaker since day one. The good news is the Google Home speaker has tons of bass and is very loud. I didn’t expect that given the compact size of this speaker. The bad news is, the bass is overwhelming and it lacks any detail in the high end making audio sound muddy overall.
An overwhelming amount of bass isn’t always a bad thing. For instance, when listening to rap, pop, or dance music it can be nice to feel the impact of the bass. Thankfully, if you’re not enjoying the sound quality of the Google Home speaker, there is a solution. Nearly a year after its release, Google finally added an equalizer option into the settings.
With the ability to tweak the bass and treble you can greatly improve the sound quality. However, even after adjusting the equalizer audio quality still falls short of some other Assistant speakers on the market. While the equalizer is a great feature, it also appears to be another Google speaker exclusive. None of the other speakers I’ve reviewed have included this option.
Final Thoughts
The great thing about smart speakers is they don’t age the same as other tech does. They don’t get slower over time, the battery life doesn’t decline, and a new faster one doesn’t come out every year. That means your smart speaker never gets worse, in fact, it actually gets better over time. Your smart speaker is always evolving as the AI improves and new skills and features are added.
With that said, there is no doubt that Google Home is better now than it has ever been. However, it no longer stands alone and you now have more choices than you have ever had when buying an Assistant enabled speaker.
My biggest complaint about the Google Home was always the audio quality. However, after the introduction of the equalizer setting Google has almost negated that entirely. There are still slightly better sounding speakers in the same price range, but none are as fully featured as the Google Home. Making it one of the best choices when it comes to buying a midrange smart speaker. If you’re interested in picking one up you can get it from one of the links below.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an expensive phone, there is no way to get around that. As such it is only wise to want to protect your investment. Below you’ll find some great cases and one of the best screen protectors around to keep your new Galaxy Note 9 looking new.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Rugged Protective Cover Case
I found the back of the Rugged Protective Cover Case didn’t offer a lot of grip but it does offer a lot of protection. The buttons were easy to find and click, and all the openings for ports were easily accessible. However, the true benefit of this case is the stand built into the back making it easy to prop up the Note 9 for taking photos or enjoying videos.
I don’t particularly like folio type cases but the Clear View case stood out to me in a big way. The front cover appears to be opaque yet allows you to view the always on display. This is a great way to be able to check the time and notifications without ever having to open the folio case.
While that was the most impressive part of this case it still had another trick up its sleeves. You can fold it out into a stand for watching videos or taking photos with the new S-Pen. All in all this is the most impressive folio case I’ve ever used. A drawback to using folio cases though is the volume and Bixby button are difficult to find unless you physically look at the phone.
Out of all the cases I tried, the Silicone Cover was by far my favorite although I would have preferred it in another color such as the black one. The silicone used on this case was so soft and provided a fantastic grip when holding the phone. The buttons were easy to find and press and the cutouts left plenty of space. The only downside was it could stick in your pocket a little and pick up lint.
While I don’t particularly like folio cases, I really wanted to love the LED Wallet case. The color looks great and the retro feel of the LED clock is super cool. Unfortunately, the clock doesn’t stay on all the time and the smell of this case was terrible. It had that new plastic smell and I could not tolerate it and had to remove the case. Even days later the smell remained and I couldn’t force myself to use it.
Things to love about the Plasma Series of cases from Urban Armor Gear are the industrial sci-fi design, rubberized grip, and it meets military drop test standards. It was a really nice case that offered plenty of protection, but the one flaw was the buttons were not easy to find.
Due to the buttons being flush with the case and all of the texture throughout I could never tell when my fingers were actually on the buttons. Unfortunately, this had me bringing up Bixby when I wanted to adjust the volume and was quite annoying. Otherwise, it’s a unique looking case that offers great protection.
Many of the same benefits of the Plasma series are present on the Plyo series from Urban Armor Gear. This includes meeting military drop-test standards, a protective lip for the front screen, and compatibility with Samsung Pay and fast wireless charging. I actually preferred the more simple design of this case. However, it is a pity it also shares some of the drawbacks such as buttons that are hard to discern through touch alone.
As Gorilla Glass has gotten stronger against cracks it has gotten weaker against scratches. For this reason, having a screen protector these days is essential on your phone. When it comes to a high-quality glass screen protector you can’t do much better than the Whitestone Dome Glass protector.
It is made to fit the curved screen of the Galaxy Note 9 without showing any colors along the edges. It uses a frame system allowing you to line up the protector perfectly and prevents bubbles during installation.
The only downsides are it can be a bit pricey, involves a pretty complicated install process, and the glue smells awful and takes days to dissipate. In fact even days later I could still smell the glue when the phone was close to my face.
Regardless, I’ve never felt a glass screen protector that felt as good as the original glass on the phone. It also did a great job of covering the curved edges and showed no signs of peeling days later.
October is shaping up to be quite an interesting month for smartphone lovers. First off, Google is expected to unveil the Pixel 3 during an event on October 9. Then, if the rumor mill is correct, OnePlus will be taking the stage to launch its next-gen creation the OnePlus 6T on October 17.
Well until then, OnePlus plans to keep us distracted with something else. The phone maker just announced a new challenge on Twitter. It’s called Crackables and apparently OnePlus teamed up with Google for it. This is a game that fans will be able to start playing come September 18 at 8 AM EST.
Think you have what it takes to crack the code? Play #Crackables to find out. Starting September 18.
OnePlus is no stranger to this kind of tactics. At one point, the Chinese phone maker did a racing challenge in partnership with Gameloft which awarded a grand prize of $7,000 and a brand new OnePlus 6 + Bullets Wireless earphones. Sadly, the tournament was available only for Indian users.
Think you can crack the code?
Now it seems quite possible that OnePlus will be giving fans the opportunity to win an OnePlus 6T in the new Crackables challenge which will be available worldwide. So mark the September 18 date on your calendar and make sure you visit the official OnePlus page.
Earlier this week, OnePlus confirmed that its second smartphone of 2018, the 6T will have an in-display fingerprint sensor. The company revealed it has dubbed its implementation of the technology as Screen Unlock. Apparently, OnePlus was hoping to include in-display fingerprint scanning since the OnePlus 5T, but the technology wasn’t mature enough. Well, it seems that that’s no longer the case.
Character from Crackables?
However, there’s a downside to this new tech. The in-display method tends to be a bit slower than the fingerprint sensors you’d normally find on today’s flagships.
Other specs expected to make it on board the new phone include a display with a smaller notch, a Snapdragon 845 and quite possibly a tri-camera setup.
Back in August, Fossil unveiled its latest smartwatch efforts, the Q Venture HR and Q Explorist HR. These new wearables combine both fashion and technology into a chic, attractive package.
Now company unveiled a new collection of digital watch dials for the two models designed by Fossil’s new ambassadors that are bound to make them even more fashionable. Actress Mandy Moore, actor KJ Apa and artist Darryl Westly all joined forces with the fashion tech company to create their own watch dials for the Q Venture HR and Q Explorist HR.
Fossil’s new smartwatches have a new face
Moore’s creations were inspired by her newly renovated home and feature a marble background with colorful specks. As for Apa, his inspiration came from his Samoan heritage, as well as his passion for art and music. Lastly, we have Westly who has created visually compelling collages that reflect his unique artwork featuring elements of hyperrealism and architecture.
The new watch dials will automatically roll out on all Fossil Q devices beginning September 10. So if you have one at your disposal, check to see if they have been made available for you. If that’s not the case just yet, you might have to wait a bit.
Fossil introduced the two new Q smartwatches this summer and bundled them with what the company is calling Gen 4 tech. That includes a heart rate tracker on the back of the device, GPS and a waterproof design for taking your watch to the pool with you. There’s also an NFC chip inside that will allows users to make payments through services like Google Pay.
Each watch is running on a Snapdragon 2100 chipset, but keep in mind that Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon 3100 whose main purpose is to bring longer battery life for wearables. Even so, Fossil says its smartwatches should last for over 24 hours.
Fossil also plans to release a Snapdragon 3100 smartwatch soon, although Montblanc and Louis Vuitton are expected to release products based on the new platform sooner.
When the Notti Smart Light by Witti Design first came across my desk, I was largely uninterested. Great, another gadget to fill space and serve no significant purpose. After spending some time with it, I’m ready to eat humble pie. I severely underestimated both the usefulness and charm of this little light.
Notti, a sister product to the Dotti pixel light, is a 4-inch polygonal structure that immediately adds character to your room by lighting up via Bluetooth synchronization with your phone’s alerts and notifications. All of the colors are completely customizable, thanks to the Notti app (Google Play and iOS compatible), and can serve as incredibly useful. Let’s say you’re washing dishes in the kitchen and using your device to play music through a Bluetooth speaker. Your hands are soapy but with a quick glance in Notti’s direction, you can instantly tell if you have an update worth drying off and attending to.
When not lit, the device’s minimalist white design looked beautiful in my apartment. The Notti boasts an alarm mode that gradually lights up your room with warm hues to gently start your day. I wasn’t a candidate for this feature (my bedroom windows allow plenty of sunlight) but I could see it being a nice bonus for the right person. I found the Music Mode, which syncs Notti to your tracks and pulses in time, to be a fun feature and compliment to a lively social setting.
Notti has a battery life of over 700 hours in notification mode and 5 hours when using constant light. It charged easily via MicroUSB, which I kept plugged in for the majority of my time with the unit.
I enjoyed using this, not just for practical purposes, but for mood lighting as well. While I’m not quite ready to call it a must have or game changer, Notti is a natural byproduct of our evolving lifestyles and progression toward a completely connected home.
At best, it’s a smart device with the power to soothe or energize. At worst, it’s a cool conversation starter in any household. At $39.99, it may just have a place in yours.
Worried about your kids’ online safety? Busy parents can’t possibly monitor their children’s activities all of the time. But with an app like iKeyMonitor, adults can easily keep tabs on what their kids are doing on their phone or tablet.
iKeyMonitor is an app that is available for Android users, although you won’t be able to get it from the Google Play Store. Instead, you’ll need to access the iKeyMonitor official website and download it from there (it’s also available for iOS).
To install the app, you’ll need to grant certain permissions on your phone. Alternatively, you can also install the app remotely on another device which you possess or are allowed to monitor.
Impressions
Once you’ve launched the application you will need to create an account and log in with it. Then you’ll be required to configure certain parameters. Like for example turning off Battery Saver. These settings are required to keep the spy app running in the background or prevent the app from being flagged.
Even so, I was reluctant to comply with some of these requests. Like the Disabling of Google Protect. This is an essential tool that regularly checks the device for security threats. So turning it off doesn’t seem the best of ideas. Fortunately, I was able to proceed further without disabling Google Protect.
The app offers an impressive array of functions including comprehensive keylogging, SMS and phone call tracking, social media tracking (including Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp). There’s also a call recorder feature, so you can hear exactly what your child has been saying over the phone.
What’s more, parents get to take advantage of an App Blocking tool which lets them set limits for device usage. For example, you can set the maximum usage time per day or block any apps from being active once it’s time for bedtime. Adults can also keep some apps blocked at all times.
While most of the features are free to use as part of a free trial, some are locked behind a paywall. For example, the app will monitor and record every photo that was taken using the monitored device. However, it will only show you the most recent images for free. If you want to dig deeper, you will need to pay.
All the gathered data is available either in the App or in the Spy Panel which is a dashboard from where you can access things more easily. The app interface looks a little bit outdated, but this doesn’t affect the app doing its job.
Is it for you?
iKeyMonitor delivers on its promise. It tracks a device’s full activity and can stay undetected (you have the option to hide the icon showing on top). But although the app was created with a positive scope in mind, I can’t help but be concerned about all the nefarious ways in which people might end up using it.
So should you use it? Of course, if you’re a parent trying to keep your children safe in an age of digital predators, by all means, get this app. It will serve your purposes very well.
Great news for smartwatch fans as Qualcomm has finally released their brand new chip for Wear OS. The new Snapdragon Wear 3100 includes high-performance quad-core A7 processors, a highly efficient integrated DSP, and an ultra-low power co-processor. What makes this great news is the next generation of Wear OS watches should have even better battery life.
Battery Life
Extending the life of your smartwatch is the main focus behind the Snapdragon Wear 3100. The new co-processor the Qualcomm QCC1110 is optimized for low power consumption and includes a deep learning engine. Along with the main processor, the co-processor will be used for many tasks such as audio, display, and sensor experiences.
There is also a new wearable power management sub-system in place to support lower power usage and higher integration. The new DSP framework supports next-generation sensor processing and implements a dual display hierarchy. Meaning we might see more instances of watches using dual displays in the future to extend the battery life.
Even the 4G LTE modem is now paired with new high-performance Gallium Arsenide power amplifiers to increase power efficiency.
Typical battery life is expected to increase by up to 4-12 hours over the previous Snapdragon Wear 2100 when using a 450mAh battery. During Personalized Sports Experiences using GPS and heart rate monitors your watch should last up to 15 hours total.
Personalized Experience
The new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform is also becoming more personalized for different watch experiences. Three examples of these personalized experiences include Enhanced Ambient Mode, Dedicated Sports Experiences, and Traditional Watch Mode.
Enhanced Ambient Mode includes support for up to 16 different colors, a smooth moving second hand, live complications, and improved brightness. Offering fashion watch lovers more of a traditional watch experience even when in ambient mode.
Dedicated Sports Experience gives active users what they want by allowing them to use GPS and heart rate monitoring as they do ultra-marathons, bike for miles, hike mountains, or swim long distances.
While Traditional Watch Mode allows consumers to enjoy their watch for an extended amount of time. Switching to this mode gives you basic functions and allows your watch to last up to a week. Perfect for those times when you won’t be near a charger.
None of these would be possible without the new ultra-low power co-processor. It takes over providing for longer battery life and gives the more power hungry and faster A7 cores a rest until needed.
Due to the need for different experiences in the smartwatch market, the Snapdragon 3100 will come in three different variants. One will be strictly for Bluetooth and WiFi enabled watches, one for GPS tethered watches, and one for 4G LTE connected watches.
Fashion Brands at the Forefront
The first brands to get their hands on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 series of chips will be Fossil Group, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc. Putting fashion watch manufacturers front and center for the next generation of smartwatches.
It has never been a better time for smartwatches. Between the enhancements to Wear OS, the improvements to the Snapdragon 3100 platform, and partnerships with major fashion brands things have never looked brighter.
A new category of products has surfaced in recent months. If you follow tech somewhat, you’ve probably heard of the term “smart displays”.
But what exactly are smart displays and why should you really care about them? In this article, we take a look at this new type of gadget and see what sets it apart from the other available tech on the market.
The definition of smart displays
Smart Displays are basically virtual assistant-powered speakers that also feature a screen. The first company to give this concept a go was Amazon with its last year’s Echo Show, although the company didn’t market it using the “smart display” moniker.
The touchscreen adds extra functionality to the classic Bluetooth speaker equation by allowing users to do things like watch photos/videos, place voice calls and more.
What’s the difference: tablets vs smart displays
You might have noticed by now that smart displays do sound a lot like tablets. In both cases you get a touchscreen display you can use for your entertainment. And both types of products give you access to a virtual assistants like the Google Assistant or Alexa.
But there’s one big difference between the two categories. Smart displays aren’t really meant to be carried around, they aren’t portable. Instead, like a land phone, they are meant to take up a stationary place inside your home. Moreover, these gadgets are also set up so that you can easily control what other smart devices you might have laying around the house.
On the other hand, the experience of a tablet is far more customizable, thanks to the huge number of apps and games it can run and the numerous tweaks you can apply to Android.
While on smart displays, you get the virtual helper which has been adapted for this type of products, so things are a lot bolder and simpler. However, smart displays aren’t just another type of Android device, so you won’t be able to load up Android apps.
What smart displays are currently available on the market?
If you’re looking to give the new smart display category a shot, you currently have a few options at your disposal.
Lenovo Smart Display
Lenovo’s Smart Display launched this summer with all of the great features of the Google Assistant on board. This includes allowing users to listen to music from their favorite services including Spotify, Pandora or YouTube Music. You’ll also be able to get directions from Google Maps, watch YouTube videos, check the calendar and have a quick video chat.
The Lenovo Smart Displays comes in 8-inch and 10-inch flavors. The larger one features a FHD panel, but both include a 10-watt full range speaker. Prices start at $199.
In contrast to the Lenovo device, the JBL Link View smart display doesn’t look very much like a tablet. Instead it’s shaped like an oval that gives you the impression you’re actually looking at an alarm clock.
The product is IPX4 rated and comes with an 8-inch screen. The display is flanked by two 10W stereo speakers that work in concert with a passive radiator to produce “rich, deep bass”.
The smart display also supports Google Cast and features a 5-megapixel camera on top of the screen. You can get one for $249.95.
LG also has a smart display with Google Assistant. Powered by the company’s ThinQ platform, the WK9 features an 8-inch display and speaker tuning from Merdian Audio. However, unlike the other options in this list, the WK9 boasts a bulky, rather unappealing design.
The product is yet to go on sale, but when it does (soon) it will have a $299.99 price tag attached.
If for some reason you’re not really a fan of the Google Assistant, you might want to check out Amazon’s Alexa-infused smart display line up. The Echo Show was actually the first smart speaker to come equipped with a screen.
The device lets you access Amazon Prime Video content, which is perfect if you’re a Prime user. What’s more, you also get access to Alexa’s extensive skills library. The product is currently available at the discounted price of $129.99.
The Amazon Echo Spot is a small circular device with a tiny display in the middle. And while you won’t be able to use it for watching videos, the device makes for a pretty nice video chat phone/fancy alarm clock. It’s also one of the cheapest model from the list at $129.99.
