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LG’s first Google Assistant smart speakers are now up for pre-order in the US

Alexandra Arici
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There is no shortage of smart speakers on the market, yet LG thinks it can take on the competition with a couple of its own offerings.

Launched a few months ago, LG’s first Google Assistant-powered smart speakers are now available for pre-order in the US at B&H.

The online retailer is currently offering two LG ThinQ speakers, one of them coming with an embedded touch display.

Does LG have what it takes to compete in the smart speaker niche?

LG has partnered up with Meridian Audio so that the speakers can offer a premium audio experience. The non-touchscreen ThinQ speaker is available for $196.99, while the touchscreen version can be yours for $296.99.

Obviously, the latter is meant to be a more affordable version of the Google Home Max, which is currently sold for $399.99. This particular ThinQ includes two speakers tuned by Meridian Audio and there’s also a camera on board, so users can make calls via Google Duo.

With Google Assistant powering the device, you can go ahead and ask questions, set reminders and of course, watch YouTube videos.

While the two speakers are available for pre-order at B&H, there’s no information regarding when the new products will start shipping out to buyers. Assuming there are people interested in purchasing anything other than an Amazon Echo or Google Home.

So, LG just made a debut on the smart speaker market in the US. But what about its future flagship, the G7 which was MIA at MWC 2018? When will you be able to pick that up?

According to recent reports, the LG G7 will be unveiled in May and will come with a pretty hefty price tag, higher than last year’s model.

Even so, expect it to pack some premium features such as a dual-rear 16-megapixel camera with AI integration. To better compete with the Galaxy S9, the G7 will also include a Snapdragon 845 processor. But perhaps the most controversial rumored feature is the iPhone X-like notch.

LG ThinQ smart speakers purchase links: B&H Photo | B&H Photo (2)

Google Camera’s Portrait Mode technology from the Pixel 2 goes open source

Dan Bartram
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The Pixel 2 is arguably the best camera experience on Android with Google achieving with software what others require hardware to do.

One of these features is the Pixel 2‘s Portrait Mode which identifies a subject and then blurs the surrounding background to provide focus on that subject. Google is using semantic image segmentation to achieve this, which is essentially analyzing each pixel in a picture and categorizing it as a person or sky, for example. By applying an identification to each pixel, the software knows exactly what the subject is and therefore which pixels to blur out.

The Portrait Mode has been exclusively available to the Pixel 2 devices, but Google has now made the magic that achieves this open-source. This means that developers can use the same technology in their own implementations so not only can Portrait Mode be brought to other devices and apps, developers can take it one step further.

This release includes DeepLab-v3+ models built on top of a powerful convolutional neural network (CNN) backbone architecture [2, 3] for the most accurate results, intended for server-side deployment. As part of this release, we are additionally sharing our Tensorflow model training and evaluation code, as well as models already pre-trained on the Pascal VOC 2012 and Cityscapes benchmark semantic segmentation tasks.

The move to bring this open-source is great news for Android users who either don’t have a Pixel 2 or prefer other manufacturers. It means that developers can freely enhance their own apps with the technology that makes the Pixel 2 deliver such good results.

Does this lessen the appeal of the Pixel 2 now the technology could potentially be used in other devices? Let us know in the comments below.

Amazon issues recall for 260,000 power banks due to overheating concerns

Alexandra Arici
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Most retail stores have their own off-brand versions of popular products. Amazon is no different with its own Amazon Basics initiative, which is basically the retail giant’s equivalent of a store brand.

Well if you purchased one of the power banks sold by Amazon Basics, then you should know the company this week issued a recall for these products due to overheating risks.

These power banks are affordable options that many users may have purchased to charge their Android smartphones and tablets on the go.

Amazon’s power banks might not be safe to use

Amazon is targeting 260,000 units including the 16,100 mAh, 10,000 mAh, 5,600 mAh, 3,000 mAh and 2,000 mAh capacity models. So far Amazon received to 53 reports of defective power banks, that in some unfortunate cases, even led to chemical burns and property damage.

One of the affected units

Some units are apparently leaking liquid. If this is happening to your battery you shouldn’t touch it because the battery acid could easily lead to skin burns.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission already set up a page for the recall. So we can see the batteries were made in China by Guoguang Electric Company Ltd.

If the product ID number printed on the back is one of the following, you should unplug the power bank immediately and contact Amazon to get a full refund.

  • B00LRK8EVO,
  • B00LRK8HJ8,
  • B00LRK8I7O
  • B00LRK8IV0
  • B00LRK8JDC
  • B00ZQ4JQAA

Amazon is also sending out emails to customers who might have purchased these faulty units.

Amazon has been selling these products on Amazon.com, Amazon Bookstore and Amazon Pop-Up Stores from December 2014 through July 2017 for between $9 to $40.

Another affected unit

In case you’ve purchased one of these batteries, but you haven’t been contacted by Amazon yet, you can follow this link to Amazon’s recall site and register to get a refund for your purchase. And remember, unplug the product as soon as possible, to avoid any inconveniences!

US Consumer Product Safety Commission

What’s the difference: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

Alexandra Arici
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The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus made a debut at MWC 2018, alongside its smaller brother the Galaxy S9, but did Samsung make enough changes from the Galaxy S8 Plus?

Well Samsung did make sure to include a bunch of new gimmicky features with the new Galaxy S9 Plus. The new flagship is a nice incremental upgrade. But we’re wondering if it will be enough to get people to open their wallets again.

In an attempt to anticipate consumer behavior, below we take a look at how this year’s Galaxy S Plus model differs from the one that came before it.

Design and Display

Considering the major overhaul the S-series received last year, the S9 Plus was not expected to see a major re-design this year. So the Galaxy S9 Plus keeps the curvy glass and metal look, minimal bezels and 18:5:9 aspect ratio, but also the headphone jack, microSD card slot and IP68 rating for water resistance.

Thankfully, Samsung moved the fingerprint scanner beneath the camera sensor, where it should have been sitting all along, ever since last year.

Subtle Differences

At first glance, it looks like overall Samsung has made no major alterations to the Galaxy S9 Plus. The new flagship features a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2960 resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5, just like last year. Although the screen-to-body ratio is now at 84.2%, thanks to the thinned-out top and bottom bezels. A slightly straightened side curve ensures a better, more ergonomic grip too.

The S9 Plus is also slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor at 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm and 189g. Comparatively, the S8 Plus dimensions are 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm. The phone tips the scales at 173g.

Samsung also put a thicker, tougher Corning Gorilla Glass 5 as a cover glass for the new Galaxy S9+, a measure taken with the aim of preventing screen damage.

What’s more, the physical keys on the Galaxy S9 Plus are a bit thicker too and placed higher than on its predecessor. As a result, they are easier to feel and press, even without looking when you’re holding the phone with one hand.

Samsung also improved the metal frame on the Galaxy S9 Plus, which is now made of a higher series alloy that fends off scratches better than the Galaxy S8 Plus’s wrapping.

More Obvious Differences

If these differences are too subtle for you, let us point out more obvious ones. Like the fact that the Galaxy S9 Plus has gained a pair of stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos supports). The phone will be able to provide surround sound. This is achieved thanks to the bottom-firing speaker and earpiece which now acts as a speaker.

Performance

Obviously, the Galaxy S9 Plus takes advantage of Qualcomm’s latest premium chipset, which was unveiled not long ago, the Snapdragon 845.

The CPU inside the Snapdragon 845 is called the Kyro 385, and just like its predecessor, the Snapdragon 835 which powers the Galaxy S8 Plus, it features eight-cores: four performance cores and four efficiency cores.

The performance cores have a clock speed of up to 2.8GHz. They’re said to offer a 25-30% boost over those in the Snapdragon 835. The efficiency cores, for their part, which clock at up to 1.8GHz, offer a 15% performance increase.

This year, the S9 Plus comes packing 6GB of RAM instead of the 4GB found in the S8 Plus. The flagship will go on sale with a choice of 64GB/128GB or 256GB of internal storage, depending on the market. The latter option is a new addition, which wasn’t available for the Galaxy S8 Plus.

Samsung also made sure to boost cellular performance on the new phone. So at least on paper the device can reach 4G speeds of 1200 Mbps (downloads) and 200 Mbps (uploads). This is an increase from the 1024 Mbps and 150 Mbps of the Galaxy S8 Plus.

On the other side of the coin, the S9 Plus relies on the same 3,500 mAh unit. Yes, you’ll still get fast wired charging and fast 15W wireless charging. But will the Galaxy S9 Plus be able to deliver satisfactory battery life with the new dual camera on board?

Users can at least console themselves with knowing that thanks to Samsung’s 8 Point Quality Check, the battery is promised to boast a 95% battery capacity retention after two years, which is pretty impressive.

Cameras

The biggest difference between the Galaxy S9 Plus and Galaxy S8 Plus is that the latter now comes with a dual-camera setup à la the Galaxy Note 8.

On top of a main 12-megapixel sensor, the S9 Plus also includes a 12-megapixel telephoto lens which offers 2x optical zoom.

But the main sensor is pretty impressive on its own too, since it’s the first to boast a dual aperture. This means it can switch automatically between f/1.5 (for low light) and f/2.4 (for well-lit shots) depending on the amount of light present in the environment.

With the Galaxy S9 Plus, Samsung also added a super-slow motion feature. This allows users to shoot at 960fps at 720p resolution.

Love to take selfies? You won’t be too happy to hear that the Galaxy S9 Plus comes with the same selfie 8-megapixel camera. No improvements included.

Other features

The Galaxy S9 Plus is full of minor improvements and revisions. One such upgrade is facial recognition, which Samsung has fortified with the help of machine learning and the inclusion of a second sensor.

The new system is called Intelligent Scan. Basically what it does is switch between facial recognition in daylight and iris recognition at night. This is a step beyond the Galaxy S8 Plus, but the Galaxy S9 Plus still doesn’t bundle a dot projector, a tool that adds true depth sensing to Face ID for improved reliability and security.

This year, Samsung also introduced AR Emoji with the Galaxy S9 Plus (and Galaxy S9). Inspired by Apple’s Animoji, Samsung’s take on the whole AR avatar thing is a bit unsettling.

What you do is snap a single picture of yourself smiling, and the S9 Plus will take it from there. The phone uses machine learning to create an animated 3D model of your face, which you can then customize.

In the software department, the S9 Plus ships out with Android 8.0 out of the box. But Android 8.1 has been out for three months. We’re not surprised, given how long it took Samsung to update the Galaxy S8 to Oreo.

Samsung made Bixby (its own version of the Google Assistant) a central part of last year’s Galaxy S8 launch, but this info about Bixby upgrades seem to have slipped through the cracks.

Yes, Bixby does sport a few new features, but unfortunately they are far from being groundbreaking. There’s an integrated makeup store that lets users try out makeup on virtually. Also included is a calorie detection feature that can estimate how many calories are in the food item you’re about to eat.

Price

Samsung is selling the unlocked Galaxy S9 Plus with 64GB of storage for $840 (pre-tax), which is actually a bit less than what the company was asking for last year’s model which is $850. Prices vary by carrier, so you could end up spending up to $929.99 at Verizon. Ouch! On the bright side, this might be the best time to buy a Galaxy S8 Plus, as many retailers and carriers are offering it with a discount.

Should you upgrade?

Even if you’re coming from a Galaxy S8, the S9 Plus might be interesting for you because of the dual-camera. Other than that, the differences aren’t really big great enough to warrant an upgrade. But if you’re coming from an older phone, by all means, the Galaxy S9 Plus is a significant step upwards.

ShotOn review: Automatic photo stamps to show off your phone

Alexandra Arici
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Apparently there’s a new trend developing among people who love to shoot photos with their smartphone. And that’s adding a “Shot on” custom watermark on your pictures. Want all your friends to know you shot that gorgeous image using your trusty Huawei Mate 10 or Pixel phone? Or maybe you’re looking to protect your vision and prevent your work from being used without consent?. Then you’ll definitely want to try the ShotOn app.

Setup

Simply download the app from the Google Play Store. But before you go ahead and do that, let us tell you this is a paid app. It costs $0.99 to download and use. Sure, a free version of the app is also available (here), but you won’t be able to use all the features.

Impressions

Once you open the app, it will show you a quick tutorial, so you can sense what it can do.

At first, you need to select the phone you’re using. There are a few pre-set options including the Google Pixel, Huawei Mate 10, Moto G5S+, Nokia 8 or Samsung J7.

If you want to play by the rules, you’ll pick exactly the model you have. But you don’t necessarily have to.

Once you’ve selected the type of phone you’re using to shoot your images, you can go on and customize the look of the watermark and what it says.

Basically, the stamp says “Shot on X phone model, by Your name”, but you can easily change that. Use the Settings section located in the upper right corner to Change the text and Change the logo, which appears on the left side of the text. You can opt for any logo you like, regardless of the phone you’re actually using.

ShotOn: watermarking photos made easy

The app includes a bunch of options to customize the stamp. You can choose the location of the watermark (left, right, middle, etc) and you can also easily change the text font and colors.

The app works as intended, although at times it’s a bit difficult to arrange the stamp in the right position using only the X, Y coordinates provided. Or to adjust the size.

Because the logo, “Shot On” text and “By your name” text each come with their own set of X, Y coordinates, sometimes they can overlap. Or stretch beyond the screen. This makes your job a little bit difficult and can easily lead to frustration.

I would have liked to be able to simply drag and drop the watermark and pinch it in an out to resize the logo and texts. It would have led to a more seamless experience.

Anyway, apart from stamp creation, the app also lets you auto apply the Watermark on all new photos.

You simply have to choose your preferred stamp and select the camera folder path. So the app will know to apply the watermark whenever you use a certain camera app. A message will be displayed once the watermark has been successfully applied to an image you just snapped.

The app will automatically stamp the default watermark (although you can tweak the text), so if you want to customize the size or color of the stamp, you’ll have to take the image first and edit later. The auto feature seems to work with some apps, but not with others.

You’re also supposed to be able to save the images stamped with the customized watermark from the app, but for the life of me, I couldn’t find them in my gallery after I had done so. That’s probably due to some sort of bug.

Conclusions

Overall the app delivers what was promised: you can stamp your photos with a watermark which lets viewers know who took the photo and using which device.

However, you can customize the text to say whatever you want. So if you wish to communicate something else entirely, you can.

You’re also not restricted to using the logo of the company which produced your smartphone, as the app does not recognize your device.

The problem with Shot on is that anyone with basic Photoshop skills could do what the app does within minutes. With perhaps better results. So the auto-stamp feature is probably the only highlight of this app.

Indeed not everyone uses Photoshop, so if you want to be able to easily apply custom stamps on your images, then this app is for you.

Fitbit’s new Versa smartwatch now official with a $200 price tag

AndroidGuys
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Fitbit is taking another shot at the smartwatch game with their new Versa smartwatch. Coming on the heels of its previous Ionic smartwatch, Fitbit aims to make the Versa a more pleasing and versatile product for the masses.

The Versa sports a flat, thin, squircle design, with a square watch face. We find two buttons on the right and one on the left, followed by the Fitbit name below the screen. The Versa will come in several different colors and edition, including Black aluminum, Silver aluminum, and Rose Gold for standard versions; Graphite aluminum and Rose Gold for special editions.

As far as specs and features go, the Versa has a high-resolution LCD touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 3 and goes up to 1000 nits brightness. There’s also 50m water resistance, 24/7 heart-rate tracking sensor, Bluetooth 4.0, and a connected GPS. With all that included, Fitbit says the Versa will still last over four days in battery life. The special editions come with NFC for making payments using Fitbit Pay and a woven wristband alongside the classic wristband.

All that hardware pairs with Fitbit’s OS 2.0 software. The OS has a new personalized dashboard with quick and easy access to workouts, sleep tracking, stats, reminders and social media. The latest update has more watch faces, support for music playback, and smart notifications on Android thanks to quick replies. Fitbit has also added female health tracking for women wanting another way to follow their menstrual cycles.

Fitbit already has the Versa available for preorder on their website for $199.95. It expects to ship the smartwatch in April. With the low price compared to the competition and compatibility with both Android and iOS, I expect the Versa to sell well.

What do you all think about Fitbit’s Versa? Do the fitness features make it more attractive than an Android Wear watch? Let us know down in the comments.

Gear Up: Ventev refreshes product line for 2018

AndroidGuys
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Smartphone makers, as most of you know, tend to refresh their products roughly once a year. Flagships, for instance, often arrive in the spring from a variety of players, each with new specs and features. It’s also about once a year that accessory makers shake up or refresh their portfolio, to. Ventev is one of those brands.

We had a chance to meet up with Ventev earlier this year at CES where it showed us some of its recently introduced products. We’ve long been a fan of its efforts and liked what we saw in Las Vegas.

A few weeks after we returned home, Ventev sent us a box of some of its newer items. Each is a little different from the other, but all fall under the same umbrella. Moreover, each builds on the company’s previous efforts and does well to represent Ventev as a premier accessory manufacturer.

Below you’ll find details for the products we were sent with corresponding feedback and insight.

Wireless Charging Kit

Ventev Car Mount

It’s 2018 which means that a lot of the phones we buy today feature wireless charging capabilities. This bundle includes a car mount, which attaches to your vehicle air vent, as well as a microUSB charging cable. Together they offer a strong, secure clamp to hold your phone in place and a wireless pad to charge at the same time.

Easy to set up, the mount can be moved to a new location in a matter of seconds. Have a short commute to and from work or school? No worries, the Quick Charge 3.0 speeds mean you’ll still get plenty of juice to power the rest of your day. $59.99 through Amazon

  • 4-product bundle
  • Rapid Charge: 12W (5V, 2.4A)
  • Charges 1 wireless-enabled device
  • Universal compatibility: Qi, PMA, Fast Wireless Charging
  • Quick Charge 3.0: 24W (5V, 3A/9V, 2A/12V, 1.25A)
  • Output: up to 15W (up to 9V, 1.6A) wireless
  • 1-Year Limited Warranty

Wallport pd1300 Wall Charger

Ventev PD1300

Given that so many phones, tablets, laptops, and gaming accessories have turned to USB Type-C, it makes sense to pick up some extra cables and chargers. The Wallport gives you more than enough power to charge up your phone. Got a Pixelbook or Nintendo Switch? The 3A/45W unit is exactly what you need to replenish your devices. $58.99 through Amazon

  • Charges 1 USB Type-C™ device
  • Input: 100–240V
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • Output: 15W (5V, 3A), 27W (9V, 3A), 45W (15V, 3A), 45W (20V, 2.25A)

Chargsync Alloy USB Type A-C 2.0 cable

Ventev ChargeAlloy

Offered in four different colors (Cobalt, Gold, Silver, Steel Gray), this cable is as practical as it is strong. You’ll have a hell of a time tangling it up, thanks to its braided high-tensile wrap and aluminum housing. And, at four feet long it reaches behind desks and furniture with more than enough cable left over.

With up to 480Mbps data speeds, the cable plugs directly into your standard USB ports with the Type-C plug for newer phones and tablets. The attached Velcro fastener lets you wrap things up nice and compact for travel. $24.99 through Amazon

  • Premium braided cable aluminum housing
  • Supports up to 3A
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • Includes cable management wrap

Wireless Chargestand

Ventev Wireless ChargeStand

An excellent desktop solution, this lets you prop your phone up at an angle with wireless charging coming from behind. It doesn’t matter where your phone’s charging coils are, the Ventev gives you control over height placement. Simply snap out the puck and place it in the desired spot.

Use the stand to watch media, take and make video conference calls, or whatever else tickles your fancy. The unit works just as well in landscape as it does in portrait orientation. And, because it has super-fast 15W charging, you don’t have to keep it in place very long before the phone’s ready to go another ten hours. Thanks to the six foot cable you can put the mount anywhere you want. $59.55 through Amazon

  • Charges 1 wireless-enabled smartphone
  • Universal compatibility: Qi, PMA, Fast Wireless Charging
  • Fast charging speed (15W)
  • Input: 100–240V
  • Wireless output: up to 15W
  • Power cord: 6ft UL-certified power supply
  • 1-Year Limited Warranty

Cricket Wireless turns 19 and celebrates with deals

Alexandra Arici
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Cricket Wireless will turn 19 on March 19, so in order to celebrate the company s offering a few deals designed to attract new customers.

Aimed at switchers, the promotion will allow new subscribers jumping ship to Cricket Wireless to purchase select smartphones for only $19.99.

You’ll have to port or have ported an existing number from any carrier that’s not AT&T between March 9 and March 18 and sign up for a plan that costs at least $30/month or more. Which means the basic no-data Talk & Text plan is not an option.

So if you are a current Cricket customer, unfortunately, you won’t be eligible to take advantage of the discounts. Sorry, folks!

Anyway, switchers can choose from one of the eight eligible smartphones which include offerings from Samsung, ZTE, and HTC. You’ll find the whole list of devices below, complete with specs.

Samsung Galaxy Halo

  • 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 6GHz octa-core processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB/32GB of expandable internal storage (up to 256GB)
  • Rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with flash
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera with display flash
  • 3,300 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed

Get the Samsung Galaxy Halo

Samsung Galaxy Amp Prime 2

  • 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425
  • 5GB of RAM
  • 16GB of expandable internal storage (up to 256GB)
  • Rear-facing 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus
  • Front-facing 2-megapixel camera
  • 2,600 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed

Get the Samsung Galaxy Amp Prime 2

LG Harmony

  • 3-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425
  • 5GB of RAM
  • 16GB of expandable internal storage (up to 256GB)
  • Rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera
  • 2,800 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed

Get the LG Harmony

LG X Charge

  • 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of expandable internal storage (up to 256GB)
  • Rear-facing 13-megapixel camera with flash
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera with front-flash
  • 4,500 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed

Get the LG X Charge

LG Stylo 3

  • 7-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of expandable internal storage (up to 256GB)
  • Rear-facing 13-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera
  • 3,200 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed

Get the LG Stylo 3

HTC Desire 555

  • 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 210
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of expandable internal storage (up to 256GB)
  • Rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera
  • 2,200 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed

Get the HTC Desire 555

ZTE Blade X Max

  • 6-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution
  • 4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 435
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 32GB of expandable internal storage (up to 128GB)
  • Rear-facing 13-megapixel camera with LED flash
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera
  • 3,400 mAh battery
  • Android 7.1 Nougat pre-installed

Get the ZTE Blade X Max

ZTE Blade X

  • 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution
  • 4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 425
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of expandable internal storage (up to 128GB)
  • Rear-facing 13-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus
  • Front-facing 5-megapixel camera
  • 3,000 mAh battery
  • Android 7.1.1 Nougat pre-installed

Get the ZTE Blade X

But that’s not all. Cricket has some other goodies in store for switchers. New subscribers signing up with an Unlimited 2 plan will get a $10 bill credit to their account each month for a year. With Auto Bill Pay installed, users will be asked to pay only $40/month for a year of unlimited data.

The price of YouTube TV goes up to $40 per month today

Dan Bartram
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The YouTube TV pricing of $35 per month is unfortunately no more, as today the service increases to $40 per month.

The hike in price sees the streaming service align with comparable streaming services such as Sony’s PS Vue, and Hulu’s Live TV.

Google announced the plan to increase the pricing of YouTube TV last month amongst its continual expansion in what the service offers so shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise.

YouTube TV is Google’s answer to cutting the cable by utilizing its YouTube platform to deliver a variety of live cable and streamed content. Since the launch of the streaming service, many new providers have been added and that has prompted the increase in price. YouTube’s Heather Moosnick said that the decision to add channels and raise the price is a result of a balance between content and price that the company has been paying attention to since YouTube TV launched. “We’ve looked at both qualitative and quantitive info to understand what is the perfect package for our users, the vast majority of whom otherwise stopped watching live TV,” she said. “Live sports was a key driver in terms of getting new users interested and subscribing to [YouTube TV].”

Those who were already subscribed to YouTube TV and those who hit the button before March 13th will retain the $35 per month price.

Honor View 10 is now available for pre-order in the US for $499

Alexandra Arici
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This week, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor opened up pre-orders for the View 10 smartphone in the US.

Introduced back at CES 2018, the View 10 is now available unlocked for $499 a pop. The phone will start shipping to customers starting March 22.

Honor also throws in a free gift with the purchase, either a phone case or a pair of AM116 earphones in white (sold out). There are two color options to choose from: Navy Blue and Midnight Black.

Spec-wise, the Honor 10 View is quite similar to the Huawei Mate 10 Pro flagship (which is also available in the US), although it does not offer water-resistance and includes a smaller battery.

Honor View 10 ships out starting March 22

The phone takes advantage of a 6-inch display with 1080 x 2160 pixels. It bundles an octa-core Huawei-made Kirin 970 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage space.

Customers buying the Honor 10 View will also get to take advantage of a rear-facing dual camera (20-megapixel + 16-megapixel) and a 3,750 mAh battery. Honor claims the View 10 can the battery up to 50% in just 30 minutes.

The handset also includes a front-facing fingerprint scanner embedded in the physical home button. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo with Huawei’s EMUI 8 skin on top. Honor is also pushing an augmented reality (AR) focus on the View 10. The company has included advanced machine learning capabilities that imbue the phone with all sorts of smart features . For example, based on AI algorithms, EMUI 8.0 allocates resources dynamically to give more CPU and memory to the apps in-use in order to ensure a smooth experience.

Just like the other Honor phones that launched in the country, the View 10 is compatible only with GSM/LTE carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. Unfortunately, Verizon and Sprint subscribers will have to look somewhere else.

Pre-order the Honor View 10

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