ASUS is moving further into the cryptocurrency hardware market with a motherboard that can support up to 20 graphics cards, which are typically used for mining. The H370 Mining Master uses PCIe-over-USB ports for what ASUS says is sturdier, simpler c...
On May 14th, the United States Supreme Court eliminated a 26-year-old law prohibiting states from sponsoring sports gambling. Today, states are free to establish their own sports-betting laws, and a few governors are acting fast. New Jersey, the stat...Smart Text Selection and Style Match are also rolling out.
Google announced quite a few new features for Google Lens at its I/O conference in early May, and now the company's confirmed that those are now rolling out to Android users everywhere.
The two big features for Lens are Style Match and Smart Text Selection, with the former allowing you to scan various objects around you and show things that are similar to it. For example, scanning a shirt with Lens will show other clothing items with the same design/aesthetic and provide quick links for buying them, too.
I'm personally most excited about Smart Text Selection, a feature that enables you to scan the text on a book, letter, etc., copy it, and then paste it into a text field on your phone. I'm not sure how I'll use that in my day-to-day workflow, but it's insanely cool.
Last but certainly not least, Google Lens is now making its way into your phone's main camera app. This is something that was also announced at I/O, and supported phones include ones from Google's own Pixel line, Sony, LG, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Asus, TCL, Xiaomi, BQ, and Transsion.
If you don't own a compatible phone from one of the above brands, Google also says that it'll soon have a dedicated Lens app you can download.
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Mark Zuckerberg has testified before Congress and the European Parliament and now Russia is calling for the Facebook CEO to address its politicians as well. The Moscow Times reports that Senator Anton Belyakov suggested the invite, who, pointing to P...
2018 is shaping up to be a big year for Motorola.
Ever since its acquisition by Lenovo, Motorola's turned into a company that's not shy about releasing a lot of different phones each year. This allows for a lot of choices, but it can also make trying to pick the perfect phone a bit headache-inducing. No matter your opinion on Motorola's release cycle, however, there's no denying that 2018 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for the company.
We've seen a ton of leaks, rumors, renders and more for Motorola's lineup of phones for 2018 ever since the beginning of the year, and this is everything we know so far.
The wildcard on this list easily goes to the Motorola One Power. We didn't have any idea such a phone existed until late May, and based on what we know so far, it looks quite a bit different from the rest of Motorola's 2018 handsets.
First off, the overall design language isn't anything like the rest of this year's Moto phones. There's a giant notch at the top of the screen, vertical dual cameras on the back, and what appears to be a metal unibody.
Android One branding suggests that this phone will be among the first Motorola phones to get software updates and new security patches, and the full-on "Motorola" branding is unique from the short-hand "Moto" tag on the rest of the company's products.
Next, let's talk about Motorola's highest-end and most premium phones for 2018 – the Moto Z3 and Z3 Play.
Just like last year, we're expecting Motorola to release two entries in its Z-series in 2018. The regular Moto Z3 will be the most powerful of the two, whereas the Z3 Play will come with slightly lower specs and a more affordable price tag. Specifications for these two phones are mostly up in the air, but what does seem like a sure bet is slimmer bezels.
Both the Moto Z3 and Z3 Play will supposedly come with 6-inch FHD+ displays, and like we saw through a lot of 2017, bezels surrounding these panels are going to be cut down considerably. The Z3 (pictured below) has the slimmest bezels of the two, but the Z3 Play still looks a lot more modern when compared to the Z2 Play.
Something that's got our attention with these two renders is the lack of a physical fingerprint sensor. It's possible that Motorola will be opting for one that lies underneath the display like we saw with Vivo at CES 2018, a facial recognition system, or a combination of the two. It's too early to say for certain, but we'll likely see at least one of these things make an appearance.
Along with showing off the phone itself, the image of the Z3 also reveals a new Moto Mod. It may not look like anything at first glance, but the "5G" branding near the bottom suggests that this Mod will allow the Z3 to get 5G data speeds. Furthermore, the monthly data allotment page is taken right from the Project Fi app and could be a hint that more Moto phones will find their way to Google's MVNO.
If you're not about the Moto Mod life but still want a quality phone from Motorola, the X series has proven to be the way to go. Our first look at the Moto X5 shows a very similar design compared to the X4, but there are a couple key differences.
Just like the Z3/Z3 Play, we're looking at a tall display with slim bezels on all sides. However, unlike those two phones, the X5 appears to have a notch near the top just like another phone with an X in its name. This is one trend I was really hoping wouldn't catch on, but if it has to make its way into one Moto phone, so be it.
The screen on the X5 is said to measure in at 5.9-inches with a FHD+ resolution, there are dual cameras on the front and back, and there's also mention of "Moto's Smart AI."
Unfortunately, it's possible none of this will mean anything. A report surfaced in early March suggesting that Motorola had canceled the Moto X5, meaning it won't be released at all. As a big fan of the X4, this would be incredibly disappointing if it turns out to be true.
Motorola's Moto G series has been its most popular (and profitable) since the very first Moto G that came out in 2013, and this year's entries have proven to be some of the best so far.
For 2018, Motorola released three G phones — the Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus. The Play is the most affordable of the bunch, with the G6 Plus being the flagship entry and the regular G6 finding home in between the two.
While the G6 Play is made out of a shiny plastic, the G6 and G6 Plus both have glass bodies that look and feel much nicer than their asking prices. Add that together with dual cameras, 18:9 screens, and Snapdragon processors, and there's a lot to like here.
Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus: Everything you need to know!
Similar to the G series, Motorola released three entries in its E5 series this year in the forms of the Moto E5, Moto E5 Plus, and Moto E5 Play.
The E5 Play is the cheapest phone in Motorola's 2018 portfolio, touting a plastic body, 16:9 display, removable battery, and pretty low specs.
The E5 and E5 Plus still won't blow your socks off, but they're a bit more modern with glass designs, big, 18:9 screens, and respectable specs across the board. Oh, and did we mention the E5 Plus has a gigantic 5,000 mAh battery? 😳
If this year's G6 phones are too rich for your blood, the E5 models are absolutely worth a look.
Moto E5, E5 Plus and E5 Play: Everything you need to know!
Updated May 2018: I've refreshed this list with all the latest phones announced by Motorola!
Out of the handful of new devices from Xiaomi today, it was the Mi 8 Explorer Edition that stole the show with its transparent design. Right after the keynote, I had to fight a crowd to get up close and personal with one of the few demo devices avail...
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off on Monday and it looks like we can expect more of a focus on software tweaks and little in the way of hardware updates. Bloomberg reports that while MacBook and MacBook Pro refreshes -- including the...
Roblox is something of a mix between a game and a development platform. It allows users to play games developed by other people, as well as create their own games. Now, the company is introducing an education initiative for its 60 million-strong kid...
Audio-only and casting to Google Home are Premium features, but please don't pay YouTube Music Premium to get them.
Let's call a spade a spade: This is a price jump.
YouTube made several announcements this month, from the announcement of a "brand-new" YouTube Music to the evolution of YouTube Red into YouTube Premium. There were many things to get excited about in the new YouTube Music, but one thing made absolutely no sense: the pricing for YouTube Music Premium.
Well, the pricing makes a tiny amount of sense, but only in one way: YouTube Music Premium is here so that you feel better about paying more for the same service millions of subscribers have enjoyed for years.
There's no point in denying how confusing Google's subscription offerings for music have been for years now to the average consumer, but up until May of 2018, things were actually pretty easy to sum up:
If you subscribed to one of Google's music/media apps, you subscribed to all three of them.
If you signed up for Google Play Music back in 2013 when it was called All Access, you paid $7.99/month ($9.99/month is the price today), and you have an unlimited subscription in Google Play Music, YouTube Red, and premium service in YouTube Music. And to early adopters still paying $7.99 today, meaning that you have saved $120 over the life of your subscription. Good for you.
If you signed up for YouTube Red back in 2015, you paid $9.99/month, and you have an unlimited subscription in Google Play Music, YouTube Red, and premium service in YouTube Music.
This meant that while there may be some surface confusion about which subscription to get, the bottom line was dead simple: you buy one, you get them all.
With the new Premium models, YouTube is splitting up if benefits. Now, you can:
Google Play Music's inclusion in YouTube Premium for new subscribers is unclear. We know that anyone currently subscribing to YouTube Red will continue to receive Google Play Music, and Google Play Music subscribers will get all YouTube Premium benefits in addition to their current GPM subscription (and early adopter price, if you have it).
YouTube Music premium is 83% the price of YouTube Premium with less than 20% of the benefits. While it matches the subscription prices for Spotify Premium and Apple Music, no one in their right mind should pay for YouTube Music Premium. You will be dramatically overpaying for your benefits. Pay for YouTube Premium instead.
Price hikes are a part of any long-term service. Netflix has raised prices, Amazon Prime has raised prices, and Hulu has used subscription add-ons for channels, No Commercials, and Live TV to stave off doing the same. Even with a $2 price hike, YouTube Premium is still a great value, eliminating ads and giving us background and offline capabilities for the most popular video platform in the world.
But the bottom line should be this: if you haven't bought YouTube Red yet, go sign up now to lock in $10/month before the price goes up.
Computex marks the midpoint of the technology calendar, an oasis of new hardware in an otherwise barren summer. In the first week of June, Taipei plays host to PC makers and startups showing off what they think is the next big thing. Just before team...
NVIDIA Shield TV is still the gold standard for Android TV. It starts at $179 on Amazon.
The only Android TV box you should buy just got better.
Update: NVIDIA seems to have found some bugs in the 8.0 update during the early stages of the rollout, and has paused the update while fixes are applied.
Big news for those of you who have NVIDIA Shield TV — which, by the way, is the only Android TV box you should consider right now. The Android 8.0 Oreo update (which brings it up to the latest major version of Android) is available starting today.
This'll bring along a major update to the user interface. You'll get new sections along the left side of the screen, with your favorite apps (customizable, of course), play next (where what you've been watching and playing recently will appear) and channels (which is what apps are now called, sort of).
In addition, Amazon Prime Video will get a major refresh, Plex Media Service is improved, and a whole bunch more.
And, of course, Google Assistant still plays a big role here, and that means you can take advantage of all the smart stuff you've got scattered throughout your home, accessible via the Shield remote or game controller.
A few other things NVIDIA says to look out for:
To update your Shield TV, just head into the settings menu, then About, then choose the update option.
If you're wondering why Telegram hasn't updated its iOS app in two months, there's a clear reason for that, according to founder and CEO Pavel Durov. He says Apple blocked Telegram from issuing updates after Russia ordered the app's removal from the...Claure's now serving the company as Executive Chairman.
In late April, T-Mobile and Sprint announced the two brands were merging together to form one new company to spearhead the 5G revolution. Current T-Mobile CEO John Legere will act as CEO of the new venture, but as part of the deal, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure will be stepping down from his existing role.
May 30, 2018, was officially Claure's last day. His new position within the company will be Executive Chairman and Sprint CFO Michel Combes is being promoted as the company's new CEO — at least until the merger is officially completed.
Claure became CEO in 2014, and in a thread on Twitter, highlighted the transformed company culture, Sprint Says Thanks initiative, the Hulu partnership, and more as some of his most memorable accomplishments.
As for Michel Combes, he joined Sprint just a few months back in January as a replacement for former CFO Tarek Robbiati. Prior to his time at Sprint, Combes was acting as CEO of Alcatel-Lucent at the time it was being sold to Nokia.
T-Mobile and Sprint Merger FAQ: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admitted the service handled its policy to limit promotion for artists based on their conduct poorly. "We rolled this out wrong and could have done a much better job," Ek said at the Code Conference, according to Deadline. He sa...Upgrade your kitchen gear!
Amazon Prime Day brings a ton of great deals along with it, and this year should be no exception. Since its inception a few years ago, Prime Day has evolved into quite a shopping event, with big discounts on popular name brand items in a variety of product categories. There's no denying that small kitchen appliances and accessories can be quite pricey, but we hope to help you save some money on your purchase.
Whether you're looking for an Instant Pot to join the craze or a Vitamix blender, Keurig coffee maker, or even a Roomba iRobot RoboVac to clean up after you, we expect to see them all on sale at some point during the event. Amazon has yet to officially announce the deals that we will see, but based on what we've seen during previous year's and this past Black Friday, we've put together some predictions to help you figure out how to maximize your savings on Prime Day.
The Instant Pot craze doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but the prices don't seem to be dropping either. During Prime Day 2017, the Instant Pot was one of the most-sold items, and it was super popular during Black Friday. We saw some pretty stellar pricing during Black Friday, but that pricing has been beaten on select models this year already, which leads us to believe that Prime Day could bring the prices even lower.
You'll want to keep an eye on the LUX Mini 3-quart cooker for it to hit between $50 and $55, the 6-quart Ultra to drop to around $100, and more.
If you want a blender that just about does it all for you, Vitamix is the way to go. Not only can they make smoothies and chop up ice, but most of them can even make hot soup for you. Seriously. How cool is that? What makes Vitamix even cooler is that there is a whole ecosystem of extras to go with its blenders, like cups, blades, bowls, and more.
The TurboBlend two speed blender is great for those who are looking to get started. It generally sells for around $325 and has never sold for below $275. The more features you want, the more expensive these get. The Vitamix 7500 is $529.99 regularly but has dropped down to $400 a few times in the past.
You've probably heard of Kitchenaid before. The company makes all kinds of kitchen-related stuff, and it's available at a variety of price points. We regularly see discounts on small blenders, food processors, and plenty of other kitchen accessories throughout the year. Since the items are at a lower cost, the discounts may not appear as huge, but they can still be quite substantial.
These mini food processors sell for an average of $32, but we've seen them drop down to around $20 before, and that's a great target price. The 5-quart standing mixers average $250 to $300 most of the time, though they've dropped down to $200 once.
You'd be surprised how much the quality of the pots and pans you use while cooking can affect the outcome of your food. Le Creuset makes some truly great strengthened pots and pans in a variety of materials, including cast iron, stone, and more. Unlike some other brands, the pieces look unique thanks to the various colors the company offers them in, from red to light blue, dark blue, orange, and black.
The 11.75-inch cast iron skillet is selling for $199.95 right now but has previously dropped to $100 during Black Friday time. If it gets that low again, treat yourself, seriously.
It's the household brand for single-serve coffee machines, and there are some great deals on the brewers from time to time. Some of them will only hold enough water to make one cup, others will hold enough to brew several cups, but all of the K-cups are made to brew just a single cup of coffee. Over the years, the company has branched out beyond just coffee and now makes K-cups for hot chocolate, tea, and more.
If you're looking for the most basic and affordable Keurig, the K15 single serve compact maker is the one to check out. It sells for around $60 normally and has only ever dropped to $50 once before. The K575 holds more water, can brew various cup sizes and dispenses hot water on demand. A great price for this one would be around $125.
Keurig might be the most common name in household capsule-based coffee machines, but Nestle's Nespresso brand isn't far behind. The Nespresso capsules can be found right next to K-Cups and generally cost just as much. So if you want to stock up on coffee for your Nespresso machine, Prime Day will be the day to do it.
Nespresso machines are made by some major kitchen manufacturers. We've seen one of DeLonghi's Nespresso machines, the VertuoPlus Deluxe, drop as low as $90 recently. Breville's Essenza Mini Original Espresso Machine has gone as low as $60. Regular Breville and DeLonghi appliances don't go on sale nearly as much, so Prime Day will be a great time to grab one of these.
Your first thought when it comes to kitchen gadgets may not be a RoboVac, but let me tell you, it should be. Having something else vacuum for you while you kick back and relax is amazing, and Roomba's iRobot line are some of the most popular options on the market. There are a whole bunch of models available, each doing something a little different. Pricing tends to start around $300 for the mort entry-level ones, and goes up to nearly $1,000 for one with all the bells and whistles.
During Black Friday and around the holidays the Roomba 690 dropped down to $275 from its regular selling price of $325. Since then, the company has dropped its average price down to $299, so we hope to see a Prime Day discount closer to $250. The Roomba 890 has a few more features and should be an instant purchase at any price under $400.
From hand-held vacuums to corded ones, and even Wi-Fi-enabled air purifiers, Dyson is a brand that people know and trust. With that trust comes a price tag, but you can often find a decent deal if you look around or wait. Big shopping events, like Prime Day, are often a great time for Dyson related discounts to surface, and we hope Prime Day is no exception.
Earlier this year, we saw the Wi-Fi Air Purifier drop to $349, which was an awesome price for it. The historic low is $339 and that was a limited-time sale for Black Friday. If the price gets close to either of these, it's worth buying immediately. The Dyson V8 animal cordless vacuum is normally sold for as much as $499, and more recently we've seen it at around $425. If it gets to $375 and you don't buy it, you'll regret it later.
From the moment that Donald Trump set foot on the Trump Tower escalator, the promise of mass deportations for undocumented immigrants was a pillar of his presidential campaign. This is one promise that the current administration has managed to keep,...
Dads. They're like you, only they think they're really good at tech stuff but are perpetually 10 years behind the curve. That's OK, because this gift guide can go a long way to making sure he's at least partially caught up to 2018 ... and beyond.
The Pixel 2 is our favorite phone on the market, and a perfect present for the dad who wants a fast, reliable Android phone. Not only does it have an amazing camera, but it's mercifully easy to set up and use. For a dad coming from an older Android, or even an iPhone, this is the best option.
$649 Buy now
Buying a phone shouldn't be complicated, the Moto G6 just works. It's compatible with all four major U.S. carriers, and at $249 or less, it's super giftable. The beauty of Motorola's Moto G line is that it imitates flagships so well that you'll never get FOMO.
from $235 Buy Now
Whatever phone your dad ends up using, Spigen has a case for it. From rugged and protective to transparent and super minimalist, we love Spigen products because they're cheap and they just work.
from $10 Buy Now
Gaming is no longer a young person's pasttime, and with the Nintendo Switch's incredbile lineup of games, including Zelda: Breath of the Wild and upcoming Super Smash Bros., it's the perfect time to gift dad a console.
$299 Buy Now
If dad's into the Great Outdoors, or just the Great Backyard, the UE MEGABLAST (yes, capitals are necessary) sounds incredible, with real bass and over 10 hours of battery. The best part is that it supports Alexa, which means dad can get his most pressing questions answered anywhere, anytime.
from $190 Buy Now
Is your dad looking for something a bit more permanent than Bluetooth? The Sonos One is incredible. Not only does it connect to Alexa (and soon, Google Home), it sounds so, so good. And if you end up buying two, they can be paired together for whole-home audio!
$199 Buy Now
Sometimes dad needs a break from the world. Sony's MH1000XM2 have amazing sound and even better noise cancellation. Seriously, these are probably the best bang for your buck in headphones right now.
$348 Buy now
How much would you spend on really good wireless earbuds? Thankfully, OnePlus doesn't force you to make that tough decision, as the $69 Bullets Wireless outclass most headphones twice the cost. Dad will love that they sound great and snap together using magnets to automatically shut off when not in use.
$69 Buy Now
A classic re-imagined. Your dad may have worn the original Koss Porta Pros back in the 80's, and now they're here in a fantastic wireless version. They bend into a tiny portable pod and have 12-hour battery and in-line controls, all for $80.
$80 Buy Now
I bet your dad has a ton of CDs lying around that haven't been used in a while. And while vinyl is back, the true future of music is streaming. Spotify is the biggest music streaming service in the world for a reason, and it's available everywhere, from the phone to Google Home and Sonos.
from $10 Buy Now
Netflix is the best gift for dad because even if he doesn't have a subscription, you know he wants to binge all the comedy, drama, and serialized Marvel action that Netflix offers. Amazon has $30 or $60 gift cards so you can buy him a few months at a time.
from $30 Buy Now
Upgrade dad's coffee game — get him an Aeropress — it's the cheap and easy way to making better coffee at home in just 90 seconds. It sounds too good to be true, but this is all physics: the Aeropress combines the best ideas from espresso and French Press into a single, easy-to-clean contraption.
from $33 Buy now
Skip the grocery store beans and get the best from your new Aeropress with a monthly subscription to amazing coffee at Blue Bottle. You won't believe the difference freshly-roasted beans make to a good cup, especially if you grind them at home right before you brew.
from $15/mo Buy now
Has dad been talking about finally getting that espresso machine he's always wanted? The Breville Barista Express is an amazing entry-level espresso machine that grinds beans, froths milk, and pulls impressive shots in an extremely compact space.
$582 Buy Now
If you splurged on that 4K TV recently, the Chromecast Ultra is an amazing companion. Almost every media app supports it in some way, and it works with the Google Home or Home Mini to load those hilarious YouTube videos everyone loves watching.
$59 Buy Now
Cozy up to Prime Video exclusives like Catastrophe, The Grand Tour, Sneaky Pete and more… in 4K! The Fire TV is an amazing gift for anyone who watches shows or movies.
$70 Buy Now
4K HDR. Built-in Roku streaming box. 55-inch low-profile LED panel. One of the best-rated TVs on the market today. Check, check, check, check. TCL's newest 55-inch TV offers incredible value, and dad will love it. He'll even help you throw away the old clunker he's been meaning to upgrade for years.
$650 Buy Now
How do you fit thousands of books into your hand? With an eReader! Amazon's Kindle has a glare-free touch display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a battery that lasts for weeks at a time. If you're shopping for a bookworm, there's no better gift than a Kindle.
$80 Buy Now
There's nothing simpler than a good-quality charging cable, and nothing more frustrating than not having one nearby. Anker makes great products, and these PowerLine+ cables will charge your dad's phone and, because they're made of woven nylon, won't get busted.
$10 Buy Now
How much do we love Eero? Let me count the ways. If your dad's Skype calls keep cutting out, if he's calling because his internet is always going down, or if there's no signal in the bedroom, Eero's mesh router solution is amazing. At $400 it's expensive, but worth every penny — for your sanity.
$400 Buy Now
Google Home is big and powerful, but Google Home Mini is cheap and useful! If you already have a bunch of connected speakers, or just want Google Assistant everywhere, the Home Mini is the best gift you can give. And if your house is already full of Google products, Assistant is even better. A must-gift!
$49 Buy Now
Smart lights can set the mood, especially when paired with a smart speaker powered by Google Assistant or Alexa. It's simple to set the mood for a party, or for bed time, but either way, these lights will last for years.
$160 Buy Now
Give your dad's old alarm clock an upgrade with the Amazon Echo Spot, the latest — and cutest — Alexa-powered gadget. This one's perfect for the bedroom but, thanks to its small screen, can double as a living room or kitchen tool.
$129 Buy Now
The Versa is the best tracker and smartwatch Fitbit has ever made. It can track steps, exercise, sleep, and more and its battery lasts an incredibly long four days. Your dad will love its selection of colors and bands, and you'll love spending less than an Apple Watch!
$199 Buy Now
If your dad is the outdoorsy type, or just wants to make movies with footage from new vantage points, the DJI Spark is an outstanding gift. Portable and versatile, the drone gets over 15 minutes of flying time with its replaceable battery and goes anywhere you do.
$399 Buy Now
Give your dad the gift of a phone that doesn't run out of batteries! This Anker PowerCore pack can charge most phones two or three times and is portable enough to bring anywhere.
$27 Buy Now
