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Back to school tech guide 2018

Jason England
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August has come and before you know it you’ll be back in class trying to keep your eyes open. Before you hit the books you’re going to need to stock up on all the essentials. To assist we’ve put together a list of some great tech to help you get the most out of your studying or the breaks in between.

Chromebooks

ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS01

Chromebooks are perfect for students because of their lightweight design, long battery life, and more affordable price. The ASUS C202SA makes a great companion for your little one. Powered by an Intel N3060 and 2GB of RAM it’s not the fastest machine out there. However, what it lacks in power it makes up for with a rugged design. With rubber bumpers along the edges and water resistance, it is built to stand up to the abuse of your younger ones without breaking the bank starting at $149.

Buy from Amazon

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Are you looking for something a little faster and more feature packed? That’s where the Samsung Chromebook Pro comes in. Using a 12.3-inch high-resolution touchscreen with an included pen you can use it as a laptop or tablet replacement. It is powered by an Intel M3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of memory with a microSD card slot for expansion. This Chromebook steps it up with more power, a quality build, and still comes in at only $580.

Buy from Amazon Samsung Chromebook Plus Review

Phones

Moto G6

A smartphone is one piece of essential tech that everyone needs. The good news is these days you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a decent phone. The Moto G6 is the perfect example of this with a starting price of $235.

For that low price, you get a Snapdragon 450, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage expandable with a microSD card, 5.7-inch full HD screen, dual rear cameras, 3000mAh battery, fingerprint scanner, and Android Oreo. While it is a little underpowered it is jam-packed with features for this price.

Buy from Amazon

OnePlus 6

If you’re looking to spend a little more, for almost double the price you’ll end up with a OnePlus 6 packed with top of the line specs. For the bargain price of $529 you get a Snapdragon 845, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 6.28-inch HD screen, dual camera, and a 3300mAh battery.

Buy from OnePlus OnePlus Review

Tablets

Fire HD 10 Tablet

The Fire HD 10 tablet from Amazon is one of your best options if you’re looking to save some money. For the $149 price tag, it’s not packing a lot of power but it’s durable and works fine for streaming videos. At first, it is a little limited with only the Amazon app store and 32GB of storage. However, there are ways to load the Play Store and the microSD card slot allows you to expand the storage.

Buy from Amazon

Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4

The Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4-inch is a more compact premium tablet. Coming in at a little over double the price of the Fire HD 10 at $313, it packs a high-resolution screen, metal build, and way more power. Due to the size, it is easy to take on the go making it perfect for playing games, watching movies, or even getting in a little school work here and there.

Buy from Amazon

Audio

JBL Link 10

If you’re looking for a speaker for your room, dorm room, or on the go the JBL Link 10 has you covered. It has everything a student could need with its small size, water-resistant design, Google Assistant support, and great sound. Even better it will only set you back $100 for the time being.

Buy from JBL

Beoplay P2

The Beoplay P2 proves that good things can come in small packages. With sound that is louder with more bass than you could imagine, this little speaker impresses. It is one of my favorite speakers and you won’t have to sacrifice sound quality for size. It is a little more expensive starting at $152 but for quality sound that fits in the palm of your hand, you can’t beat it.

Buy from Amazon

JBL Clip 3

Sometimes you need something a little smaller but you still want plenty of volume. That’s where the JBL Clip 3 comes in with its compact size and convenient clip design. It’s easy to carry with you anywhere you go and water resistant so you won’t have to worry if it gets wet. You’ll miss out on the higher quality sound found in the previous two speakers but it has plenty of volume. With up to 10 hours of battery life, it will get you through the day and can be had for $60.

Buy from Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 35 II

When you’re a student, especially in college it can get noisy. Sometimes you just need to put on your headphones and block everything out. For those times you’ll want the best noise canceling headphones on the market and that means the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. These are the update to the very popular Bose QuietComfort 35 I but with the series II you get Google Assistant built in. Unfortunately, they won’t come cheap starting at $350.

Buy from Amazon

Anker Soundcore Spirit

The Anker Soundcore Spirit comes in at a much more affordable price point of $40. However, you won’t get the noise canceling features or sound quality offered by Bose. Regardless, these Bluetooth headphones help you cut the cord for a lower price and come with SweatGuard protection. Very helpful if you’re looking to hit the gym and keep off that freshman fifteen.

Buy from Amazon

Accessories

Anker PowerCore AC 22,000

Your all in one charging machine! The Anker PowerCore AC will charge anything and everything from your phone, tablet, and even your laptop. With a built-in AC plug and USB ports, you can carry this around and keep all of your gadgets powered up.

With 22,000 mAh worth of power, it can fully charge a 2016 Macbook or charge any phone or tablet several times over. All that power and options don’t come cheap though, the Anker PowerCore AC will set you back $150.

Buy from Amazon

Anker PowerCore 10,000

The Anker PowerCore 10,000 offers less than half of the power of the previous but at a much more affordable $30 price tag. It also won’t be able to charge your laptop, but if you’re just looking for a little extra charge for your phone or tablet this has you covered.

Buy from Amazon

Three-way charging cable

Between all these new and old gadgets you’re bound to have a variety of different ports. This three-way cable combines micro USB, USB-C, and Lightning connectors all into one convenient cable. No longer will you have to swap cables or search for the right one. This can be picked up for under $8 on Amazon.

Buy from Amazon

MicroSD Card

 

Several of the products here include a microSD card slot and adding a card is a cheap convenient way to add storage to your device. Most times you can double or triple your storage for under $50. A 64 GB or 128 GB card both offer a nice bump in storage and won’t hit your wallet too hard.

64GB Sandisk 128GB Sandisk

Backpack

Solo Duane Hybrid Bag

Now that you have all your new gear, you’re going to need a way to carry it around. This stylish Duane Solo Laptop Hybrid bag lets you do this anyway you choose with several carrying options. Whether you prefer a backpack, messenger bag, or briefcase you get all three with this one bag. What’s even better is it can be had only $31 dollars.

Buy from Amazon

New leaked images of Pixel 3 XL reveal USB-C headphones in box (Update: Video unboxing!)

Jason England
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Update (10:15 AM): We’re now getting a hands-on video unboxing of the Pixel 3 XL. This comes to us via Reddit. As many commenters point out, the big notch we’ve seen in previously leaked photos appears to be large and in charge at the top of the device. We also see a pretty hefty chin too, leaving us to wonder why exactly we’re getting a notch and a chin.

What do you think of the Pixel 3 XL? Hit the comment section and let us know.

Original post: The leaks keep coming as we await the release of the new Pixel 3 XL phone from Google. This time we get another view of the phone along with what’s inside of the box, which includes a pair of USB-C headphones. The design of the headphones borrows heavily from the Pixel Buds which launched last year with the same overall shape and ear loops.

It’s possible the Pixel 2 phones were supposed to launch with headphones last year but it got scrapped. That would have made a lot more sense considering it was the first year they dropped the headphone jack, but better late than never I suppose.

After the subpar reviews of the Pixel Buds last year hopefully these headphones will sound better. However, bundled headphones rarely have the best sound quality. Without requiring a tricky charging case, they’ll at least escape criticism for that.

With the lack of USB-C headphones in the market, something would be better than nothing. Especially when you drop so much money on a new phone and all you get is a dongle.

Along with the USB-C headphones, we also get some more looks at the Pixel 3 XL in Clearly White and its obnoxiously large notch. Personally, I’m not a fan of notches and to make matters worse they still have a bezel on the bottom chin. Without offering a bezel-free screen it really negates any benefit you’d gain from having a notch to begin with.

These photos come from a Russian tech blogger on his Telegram channel. Considering we’re not seeing anything new in the photos of the Pixel 3 XL itself, it does confirm what we’ve already seen and adds validity to the photos of the headphones.

In screenshots, we get further confirmation that this is the Pixel 3 XL along with some of the same specs we’ve seen leaked previously. Such as a Qualcomm processor with 8 cores that is most likely the Snapdragon 845, 4GB of RAM, an Andreno 630 GPU, and it is running Android 9 Pie.

Just when we thought there was nothing new to learn about the upcoming Pixel 3 XL we get this gem. It’s not much, but for those of you looking to buy or upgrade I’m sure you’ll be happy to know you won’t have to keep up with a dongle, or have to track down a pair of USB-C headphones.

OnePlus offers special OnePlus 6 bundles to celebrate Back to School

Alexandra Arici
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The start of the new school year is drawing inexorably close. With this in mind, tech companies have already started to announce their own back-to-school sales.

For example, OnePlus has its own promotion going on. The company is currently offering a Full Survival Kit for which it’s asking students to pay $529 instead of $583. This includes:

  • OnePlus 6 Mirror Black with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage
  • OnePlus Bullets V2
  • Fast Charge Cable (100 cm)
  • Fast Charge Power Adapter

Keep in mind one thing: the free accessories will not come with a standard warranty.

OnePlus: Score an A+ in flagships today

That’s not the only choice you have. OnePlus also offers the Tough & Smooth Bundle for $579.00 (discounted from $603.95), which includes

  • OnePlus 6 Mirror Black with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage
  • Karbon or Sandstone Case

If you’re a student, this seems like a great time to buy the OnePlus 6. The device is among the best flagships of this year.

It comes packing a 6.28-inch display with a 2280 x 1080 resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor and features an improved dual-camera on the back. The OnePlus 6 is going to be among the first phones to get the new Android Pie update, which just became available a few days ago.

For those of you own an older OnePlus (the 5 or 5T) and don’t want to upgrade to the latest version, the company also offers a few discounts on related accessories.

The biggest one cuts 50% off OnePlus 5 Protect Yo Self Bundle which includes a Protective Case and a 3D Tempered Glass Screen Protector. You can get it for only $19.95 instead of $39.90.

Now, if you’re a student with a valid ID card, you might want to register for the Student Beans program. Verify your student identity with Student Beans in order to get up to a 10% discount on any order.

Palm’s comeback smartphone to be called Pepito?

Alexandra Arici
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Back in March, we reported that TCL revealed it has plans to revive the once iconic phone maker Palm this year.

Well, it seems that a new Palm smartphone is indeed in the pipeline. In recent days a new Palm device was spotted at the FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance. What’s more, the device also appeared in the Bluetooth SIG database revealing it might be called Pepito. It’s unclear at this point whether this is simply a codename or the final name for the device.

The FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance listings have revealed the model number for the phone, which is PVG100. Very little is known about the device at this point, but the FCC label on the back of the handset clearly shows the “designed by Palm in San Francisco” branding.

Palm Pepito might get unveiled at IFA 2018

The Wi-Fi Alliance filing also shows that the phone won’t support 5GHz Wi-Fi, but rather 2.4GHz. This suggests Pepito could be a budget affair and not a flagship. As most premium handsets these days tend to come with support for 5GHz. The same certification confirms that Palm’s upcoming device will run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

As for the Bluetooth SIG listing, it reveals Palm’s comeback device will offer support for Bluetooth 4.2.

So when can we expect Palm’s new device to make an appearance? Well given that IFA 2018 is coming at the end of the month, we might get to see it then. We previously heard the phone will be sold through Verizon.

In case you don’t recall, TLC – the same company that gave BlackBerry a new life – acquired the Palm brand back in 2011. In August of last year, TCL’s marketing manager Stefan Streit confirmed that the company has plans to bring Palm back in 2018. With only a few months left in the year, we’ll have to assume the new Palm smartphone is coming soon.

HOT TAKE: Android Pie (Podcast #17)

Matt Adams
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A new version of Android is out! Matt, Donovan, and Andrew sit down to discuss what’s inside, what they love, and the future of notches! Plus, there’s some more about where we feel Android is going and the future of Android skins. Tune in to hear the conversation and leave your comments on this post with what you think!

Android Pie coverage

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JBL Xtreme 2 review: Plenty of power for your summer and more

Jason England
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The JBL Xtreme 2 is the follow up to the initial JBL Xtreme speaker that sits in between the JBL Flip and JBL Boombox series of Bluetooth speakers.

The JBL Xtreme 2 is for consumers who want something more powerful than the JBL Flip speaker but not quite as large or expensive as the JBL Boombox. JBL was kind enough to provide us with one for review, so keep reading to see how it stands up and if it’s the right speaker to rock your summer.

Don’t Miss

Design

The JBL Xtreme 2 does not differ in design from most other JBL Bluetooth speakers. It uses a cylindrical body covered in a fabric with visible bass radiators on the sides. I have the Midnight Black version for review but it also available in Ocean Blue and Forest Green.

There are two rubber feet on the bottom in order to keep it upright but they are a little on the narrow side. I found they didn’t always keep the speaker from rolling over on uneven surfaces. However, if you’re only placing it on a table or flat ground then this shouldn’t be an issue.

For this being JBL’s middle of the road speaker it is still quite large and heavy weighing in at a little over 5lbs. There is no comfortable way to carry this speaker with one hand, so it’s a good thing it comes with a carrying strap. The strap is high quality and connects to the speaker via two metal loops.

JBL Xtreme 2

While the strap makes carrying the JBL Xtreme 2 more convenient, unfortunately, it lacks sufficient padding and rubber to prevent slipping. Due to this fatigue sets in much quicker on your shoulder and you often feel like the speaker is going to slip and fall. If there were any doubt that this is a party speaker then the included bottle cap opener on the strap should put that to rest. All in all, it works but it is not exactly perfect.

JBL Xtreme 2Controls

Along the top are buttons for Bluetooth pairing, volume down, power, Connect+, volume up, and play/pause. All the buttons are responsive and work well with the play/pause button also allowing you to skip tracks when pressed twice. There is no way to go back to the previous track though.

All of the ports on the JBL Xtreme 2 are hidden under a compartment on the back. The compartment is a little difficult to pry open and this is most likely to aid in the IPX7 waterproofing. That’s right, the JBL Xtreme 2 is waterproof making it perfect for hanging by the pool, the lake, or even the beach. Regardless, it still would have been nice if the compartment was easier to open.

Included under the door are a 3.5mm jack, a power port, USB port, and micro USB port for service only. Having a dedicated power port was a little disappointing because it requires a special charger you must use over using a more common micro USB charger.

To be fair, the JBL Xtreme 2 houses a rather large 10,000mAh battery and the dedicated port provides a way to charge faster. Thanks to this large battery the full-sized USB port can be used to charge your phone or tablet. This is a great feature that really comes in handy when you’re on the go with your speaker. Although, I’d much rather see JBL include a USB-C port for faster charging as well as power output for charging.

Bluetooth

The JBL Xtreme 2 is using Bluetooth v4.2 and has exceptional range when outdoors without any obstacles. I was able to get nearly 50ft. away with a steady connection and able to hear music. However, I noticed some interruptions in the music after reaching 30ft with some obstacles in between. This is similar to most other Bluetooth speakers I’ve used in the past though.

App

There is a JBL Connect app for Android and iOS that is used for updating the firmware and adds some new tricks to JBL speakers such as the JBL Xtreme 2. In my case, I found the Xtreme 2 needed a firmware upgrade immediately to version 1.6.0. Anyone out there purchasing one might want to check after setting it up.

The app also allows you to control the audio feedback sounds, speakerphone functions, and includes instructions for the Connect+ feature. I was able to use Connect+ with two other JBL speakers without using the app though. The JBL Connect app itself is mainly only useful for updating the firmware and switching the purpose of the play/pause button to activate your voice assistant.

Unfortunately, a feature you would expect to be present such as an equalizer is nowhere to be found. Personally, I enjoy the way the speaker itself is tuned, but this would be a welcomed addition to JBL’s app and make it more useful and win over more users.

Sound

Sound quality is one of the most important factors when it comes to a Bluetooth speaker. What good is a speaker after all if it doesn’t provide your ears with quality sound? Thankfully, the Xtreme 2 delivers first-rate sound, utilizing two 2.75-inch woofers for the low end and two 20mm tweeters to handle the treble.

Using this combination supplies your ears with a nice range of sound incorporating pounding full bass while not overpowering the high notes and vocals in songs. The nice balance between the treble and bass helped with instrument separation and preventing instruments from getting lost or becoming muddy.

JBL Xtreme 2

My only complaint in regards to the sound quality is when the volume is at its highest levels. When approaching 80% volume and above the high end overwhelms the bass making it almost disappear. Fortunately, with a speaker this loud I found myself rarely turning it up over 50% preventing this from being much of an issue.

Battery

Battery life on the JBL Xtreme 2 is rated for 15 hours to get you through a full day. In my experience, the speaker was even better than it claimed. After listening to the speaker for approximately 14 hours over a weeks time, it reports the battery is only half drained from a single charge. Obviously, this will all depend largely on what volume you listen to the speaker at and I’ve used it mostly between 20 and 50 percent.

Conclusion

JBL has delivered a durable waterproof speaker capable of big sound with the Xtreme 2. Between the sound quality, battery life, and extra features you can’t really go wrong with it. However, it’s also a bit on the pricey side starting at $300 and most likely out of many people’s price range. If you’re looking for something more affordable you might opt for JBL’s smaller Flip 4 currently priced at $85 on Amazon.

The Flip 4 trades in the more powerful bass and louder sound for a more budget-friendly portable speaker that still sounds good in its own right. Still, I’m certain there are others out there wanting something even larger and louder than the JBL Xtreme 2. For them, I say give the JBL Boombox a try. It is the larger, louder, longer lasting of the trio but will also cost you more at $441.

Six things we like about the Honor 10

Alexandra Arici
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The iPhone X-inspired notch based design has become quite a hit with Android phone makers. And the latest to join the pack is Honor with its new Honor 10 which launches globally today.

Packing flagship-like specs and design, the Honor 10 will be sold for a mid-range price, which is a big part of its appeal. First revealed in China last month, the device will go on sale today in Europe for €399 / $473 and up. There’s no word on US pricing on availability just yet.

Although given that some Honor smartphones launched stateside, there’s a chance tht the Honor 10 might land on the North American market at some point in time.

But why should you consider buying the Honor 10 in the first place? Well in what follows we are going to highlight the things we believe make the phone standout.

Gorgeous chameleonic design

When you look at the Honor 10, you can’t help notice there’s a striking Huawei P20 resemblance. You have the colorful glass back, complete with the stunning gradient color options and of course, the notch. The display cutout smiles at onlookers from the top of a 5.84-inch LCD screen with 2280 x 1080 resolution.

The most striking Honor 10 versions are the Phantom Blue and Phantom Green versions, as they benefit from the company’s so-called “color radiance” Aurora Glass coating technology.

Made from fifteen different layers of glass with a nano-scale optical coating, the Blue version shows shades of blue and purple depending on how the light hits it. While the Green model flaunts blue and green hues reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis. Honor will also offer two additional variants in Midnight Black and Glacier Gray, which aren’t as distinctive looking.

Under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint reader

The phone is the first from Honor to include an under-the-glass fingerprint reader. According to the company, the sensor is hidden under the display in order to keep the design clean.

The main advantage here is that the Qualcomm-made biometric authentication system should work perfectly even when wet or greasy.

AI-camera features galore

The Honor 10 relies on the flagship Kirin 970 chip and also includes a neural processing unit (NPU). This means the device packs some AI-related features with the camera being the main beneficiary.

According to Honor, the phone uses a NPU-powered semantic image segmentation technique to deliver better image quality. What this system does is identify all the subjects and objects by their outlines in a single shot. So the Honor 10 will be able to take multiple subjects into account when taking a photo and apply local optimizations on the image.

Just like the P20, the phone is also smart enough to be able to recognize different scenes and use the best settings to shot it. It has a library of 22 scenes including blue sky, texture of grass and more.

On the front sits a 24-megapixel selfie camera with portrait mode, complete with a studio lighting system which that replicates what we’ve seen on the P20 Pro. Thanks to the AI tech on board, Honor also promises the secondary camera will offer better face detection in the image gallery, as well as an advanced self-timer.

Powerful configuration

Albeit sporting a wallet-friendly configuration, the Honor 10 offers includes lots of RAM and storage.

The base model will ship out with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, the same as the Galaxy S9. Honor will also offer an option with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s no microSD card slot available.

3.5mm headphone jack

Unlike the Huawei P20 with which it resembles so much, the Honor 10 retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack. So rejoice, you’ll be able to use your old, favorite headphones with this stunner.

Last but not least…

Price

How could we forget the price? The phone will go on sale today for €399.99 / $473 for the 64GB option and €449.99 / $532 for the 128GB version.

Yet it remains to be seen whether the Honor 10 will be able to eclipse the competition, including the OnePlus 6, which is expected to launch tomorrow. Although it certainly appears to have the potential to do so.

Nine features we love from Android 9 Pie

Jason England
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Android 9 Pie has just officially been served to us with a new look and new features. For those lucky enough to have a Pixel or Essential phone you’re already running it. While many of us will still be waiting to enjoy our Android Pie ala mode in the future. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the features that make Android 9 Pie so delicious.

Adaptive Battery

First and foremost is adaptive battery. One of the biggest complaints and headaches with your phone is running out of juice. Android Pie takes care of this for you with their new artificial intelligence learning algorithms. Android takes a look at what apps you use, how often you use them, and when. With this information, it can adjust what apps use your power and when, providing you more battery life to get through the day.

Enhanced Notifications

Beginning with Android P, your notifications just got supercharged. In the past, you were able to send replies but now you’ll have the option of smart replies. That means less typing for you and a quicker way to deal with your notifications. Even better, you will be able to see previews of photos sent in the notification as well.

More info on your lock screen

Your lock screen and always on display just got more useful. Android Pie will now show your weather and calendar events. The most exciting part for me is that I won’t even have to turn on my display to see my upcoming events or weather. I’ll simply have to glance at the always on display and move along with my day.

App Actions

App Actions put Google’s AI front and center with the software trying to predict what you need to save you time. For instance, when you’re getting ready to leave for work in the morning quick shortcuts to Google Maps and your music app would appear up top.

Another example would be when you connect headphones and a shortcut for the last playlist you listened to would appear. Over time the AI should get to know you better helping you launch what you want faster and easier.

Adaptive Brightness

Meet your new intelligent adaptive brightness. Sure we are all used to our brightness adjusting automatically to our surroundings. We are also accustomed to setting our own threshold to our own personal tastes. These abilities are still here in Android Pie. However, it will now learn our preferences and adjust on its own based on these preferences.

More Privacy

Beginning in Android Pie when an app is idle or running in the background Android will restrict access to sensors such as the microphone, camera, and more. If the app requires this permission to run then there will be a persistent notification always shown. Making sure you know what apps are listening to you at all times. One of the best ways to know you are secure is through transparency and Pie is serving us a big helping of that.

Redesigned Volume Controls

The volume controls and the way they function were redesigned in Android Pie. The controls have been changed to a vertical orientation and moved to the edge with the volume rocker. Not only is this easier to adjust one handed but it makes more sense with it closer to the physical buttons. Another change is by default it will control your media volume. No more trying to adjust the media volume only to have it adjust your ringtone or some other random volume level.

New Overview Menu

 

The new overview menu where you view your recently used applications has gotten a serious overhaul. Instead of the old Rolodex view where you vertically scroll through your apps, it has gone horizontal.

Now you see a full preview of your app and you use the scrubber on the bottom to move through them. The full view of the app also comes with new features such as the ability to copy and paste text from the overview menu itself.

Digital Wellbeing

Unlike many of the other features, Digital Wellbeing was not a part of the Android P preview program. Instead, it was launched in beta form along with the official release of Android Pie. Digital Wellbeing looks to help you take control of your digital life and the time you spend on your phone.

Think of it as something similar to counting calories or wearing a fitness tracker. Once you start seeing those calories add up or realize how stationary you’ve been, it motivates you to make a change.

With Digital Wellbeing tracking your phone usage you’ll be more likely to cut back the time spent on your phone or on certain apps. Just like a fitness tracker, you can set goals or limits on apps and it will remind you when you’ve reached that limit.

Whether or not this will actually cause you to make a change is yet to be seen and it’s currently in beta for Pixel users only at the moment. Regardless, given the right tools and determination, anyone can make a change.

Fossil unveils next-gen of Wear OS smartwatches with NFC, heart-rate tracking and more

Alexandra Arici
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Fossil is among the few brands out there that fully dedicates itself to smartwatches. The company offers something suited for every taste and is regularly updating its portfolio of devices.

Case in point, this week Fossil unveiled a new line-up of Wear OS devices. The new Q family represents the fourth-generation of smartwatches launched by the company.

While the new smartwatches do bring a series of new technologies onboard, they are still based on the Snapdragon 2100 platform. Which was introduced back in 2016.

Back in May, we reported that Qualcomm has started working on new chipsets for Wear OS smartwatches. These processors will come to replace the current generation of wearables chips and will be available this fall.

These chips are apparently going to be designed from the group up and will allow manufacturers to build smaller watches with better battery life.

Should you buy a new smartwatch now?

So you might want to consider waiting a few months before your next smartwatch purchase. But if you need one now, Fossil’s updated Q line is already available for purchase on the company’s website.

The new family will include the Fossil Q Venture HR and Fossil Q Explorist HR, two models which have been designed to offer a holistic experience via a new set of features.

This includes heart-rate tracking, NFC (for Google Pay), untethered GPS and a swim-proof functionality. Fossil has also made some important battery optimizations so that new Q smartwatches can be charged within an hour and last all day long (up to 24 hours). The new models are compatible with smartphones running iOS 9.3+ and Android 4.4+.

The company says it will offer more than 36 exclusive dials. On top of that, users will be able to use a growing number of third-party apps on their devices like social photo apps.

The new smartwatch range will be available with interchangeable straps and bracelets soon. Pricing will vary between $255 and $275.

Android 9 Pie just dropped and you can already install it on your Essential Phone

Jason England
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Android 9 Pie finally got its name, it’s rolling out to Pixel phones, and the factory images are up. Usually, this is only exciting for owners of Google phones.

This time things are a little different if you’re the proud owner of the Essential Phone. Almost immediately Essential announced the Android Pie update would be available for their phone.

 

This is pretty exciting news as in the past if you didn’t have a Google phone you could be waiting months to get the update. Gone are the days of the latest Android update dropping and the long sigh as we all wait for our phone maker to push it out.

Essential continues to be super fast when it comes to updates

What makes this even more impressive is Essential canceled their next phone and have been rumored to be up for sale, which is quite regretful. To say the least. Yet, they were still able to come out of the gate with the latest Android update the same day as the Pixel phones. This beats out Motorola, OnePlus, LG, and by a wide margin Samsung.

Of course, project Treble has a lot to do with this but that doesn’t take anything away from Essential. Their team has always made speedy updates a priority. Even now as their future seems unclear and the Essential can be bought at bargain prices, their commitment to the phone has never waivered and should be commended.

The Essential Phone came out last year sporting a 5.71-inch display with 1321 x 2560 pixel resolution and a tiny notch on top. The phone is powered by last year’s flagship processor, the Snapdragon 835 and offers the services of 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

So if you are among those who purchase an Essential Phone, you can go ahead and try Android 9 Pie on your device. That’s pretty existing!

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