Amazon UK will take £10 off orders over £50 today

Sometimes, it’s nice to be appreciated. In Amazon’s case, that means ranking number one in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index. While the company sits back and basks in the knowledge that it’s scoring highly for professionalism, quality and efficiency, problem solving and complaint handling — for the second year running — it’s extending an offer to all of its UK customers. For today only, if you place an order over £50, Amazon will take £10 off the total.

To get involved, you’ll need to enter the discount code “BIGTHANKS” at the checkout and ensure that the products in your basket are all sold directly by Amazon. Like last year, digital items, gift cards or anything listed by a third-party seller won’t count. If you’ve been putting off that New Year purchase, now might be the time treat yourself.

Source: Amazon UK

Here are the best deals from Amazon’s Great Indian Sale

Amazon India kicks off first major sale of 2017.

Amazon’s Great Indian Sale is now live, with the three-day sale event featuring thousands of discounted items across categories. The Moto G4 series is on sale, as is Lenovo’s Phab 2 Plus and Samsung’s On7 Pro. The Z2 Plus has picked up a permanent price cut, and Amazon is using the sale to promote the device.

Phones

• Moto G4 Plus – 2GB RAM/16GB storage – ₹11,499 – ₹2,000 off
• Moto G4 Plus – 3GB RAM/32GB storage – ₹13,999 – ₹1,000 off
• Moto G4 Play – 2GB RAM/16GB storage – ₹7,999 – ₹1,000 off
• Lenovo Z2 Plus – 4GB RAM/64GB storage/Snapdragon 820 – ₹17,499 – ₹2,500 off
• Lenovo Phab 2 Plus – 3GB RAM/32GB storage – ₹13,999 – ₹1,000 off
• Samsung On7 Pro – ₹9,999 – ₹1,200 off

Accessories

• SanDisk Ultra 16GB microSDHC Memory Card – ₹349 – ₹261 off
• SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC Memory Card – ₹699 – ₹400 off
• SanDisk Ultra 64GB MicroSDXC UHS-I Class 10 Memory Card – ₹1,326 – ₹649 off
• Xiaomi 20000mAh Power Bank – ₹1,899 – ₹600 off
• Lenovo PA13000 13000 mAh Powerbank – ₹1,099 – ₹1,900 off
• Ambrane P1122 10000mAh Power Bank – ₹799 – ₹1,000 off
• SanDisk Cruzer Blade 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive – ₹589 – ₹186 off
• SanDisk Ultra CZ48 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive – ₹639 – ₹130 off
• SanDisk Ultra Dual 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive – ₹519 – ₹331 off
• boAt micro-USB cable (1.5 meters) – ₹199 – ₹100 off
• Jabra BT2046 Bluetooth Headset – ₹799 – ₹400 off
• D-Link Dir-600M Broadband Wireless Router – ₹699 – ₹451 off
• Canon Pixma E477 All-in-One InkJet Wifi Printer – ₹3,899 – ₹1,596 off
• Reliance Jio JioFi3 4G Router – ₹2,045 – ₹655 off
• Logitech K230 Wireless Keyboard – ₹799 – ₹196 off
• Logitech M235 Wireless Mouse – ₹619 – ₹176 off

Audio

• Sony MDR-EX150AP1 In-Ear Headphones with Mic – ₹699 – ₹791 off
• Sony MDR-XB250 On-Ear Headphones (Extra Bass) – ₹899 – ₹591 off
• Sennheiser CX 180 Street II In-Ear Headphones – ₹749 – ₹241 off
• JBL C100SI In-Ear Headphones with Mic – ₹799 – ₹500 off
• UE Roll Wireless Mobile Bluetooth Speaker – ₹5,582 – ₹2,913 off
• JBL Flip 2 Portable Wireless Speaker – ₹3,999 – ₹3,991 off
• Logitech X50 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – ₹1,299 – ₹264 off
• Philips BT50B Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker – ₹1,049 – 950 off
• Logitech Bluetooth Audio Receiver – ₹1,299 – ₹996 off

Amazon is offering a cashback of 10% (15% on the app) to State Bank of India debit and credit card holders. You’ll also get 15% cashback (up to ₹750) if you pay using Amazon Pay. If you’re interested in taking a look at all the items on sale — over 3,500 items are discounted — hit up the link below.

See at Amazon

DOT establishes 10 autonomous vehicle proving grounds

So far, testing autonomous vehicles on city streets has had mixed results. Uber’s plan did not go over well in the company’s hometown of San Francisco, but cities like Phoenix and Boston have been a little more receptive to the idea. Now, to solve some of those bureaucratic headaches and foster a little more collaboration at the same time, the US Department of Transportation has laid out 10 autonomous vehicle proving grounds where research teams, automakers and startups can try out their technology before it hits the streets.

According to US DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, the proving grounds will provide more than just the physical roads to drive on — they’ll also form a community where new findings can be shared between the participants.

“The designated proving grounds will collectively form a Community of Practice around safe testing and deployment,” Foxx said in a statement. “This group will openly share best practices for the safe conduct of testing and operations as they are developed, enabling the participants and the general public to learn at a faster rate and accelerating the pace of safe deployment.”

The proving grounds were picked from over 60 potential sites and include a range of academic, state and private institutions around the country. Those sites are:

City of Pittsburgh and the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute
Texas AV Proving Grounds Partnership
U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center
American Center for Mobility (ACM) at Willow Run
Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) & GoMentum Station
San Diego Association of Governments
Iowa City Area Development Group
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partners
North Carolina Turnpike Authority

Although it’s unclear whether big names like Uber, Google and GM will participate (they have their own test sites and plenty of intellectual property to protect, after all), here’s hoping that a little more collective knowledge helps the next generation of autonomous vehicles avoid that pesky bike lane problem. It remains to be seen, however, how Foxx’s successor and Trump appointee Elaine Chao will handle the department once the President-elect takes office.

Source: US Department of Transportation

NPD estimates video game industry raked in $30.4 billion in 2016

The video game industry tracker NPD Group has occasional releases throughout the year, tallying up things from the month’s top-selling games to console vs. console sales to how many NES Classic Editions flew off the shelves back in November. But it’s the annual revenue generation that draws real attention as a loose report card for the industry, and last year’s has just come out. In 2016, NPD estimates that consumers spent $30.4 billion on games and accessories, which is a modest $200 million more than in 2015.

That’s a comprehensive number, including hardware, software, peripherals and in-game purchases. While software sales saw a slight 6 percent boost over last year, hardware of all stripes sold 24 percent less, reflecting lower unit sales and some slashed console prices. This translates to a combined 15 percent lower average retail price (ARP) for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, with 7 percent fewer units sold. The exception is Nintendo’s 3DS, which moved 4 percent more handhelds than in 2015, likely thanks to this year’s release of Pokemon: Sun and Moon back in November.

Source: NPD Group

Donald Trump trades in his Android for a ‘secure’ device

On the last day before President Barack Obama leaves the White House, the New York Times and Associated Press report Donald Trump has traded in his Android smartphone. The device (which a profile last year identified as a Galaxy smartphone) that was the source of so many tweetstorms is apparently gone, replaced by what NYT sources say is a “secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service with a new number that few people possess.

When Obama took office in 2009, he famously agitated to maintain his Blackberry smartphone over the approved (and outdated) options. A compromise allowed him to keep it, however, the communication and capabilities were limited. He did eventually upgrade, telling Jimmy Fallon over the summer that his new device was a smartphone, but without the ability to call anyone, install apps, take pictures or play music.

The Associated Press sources now say that he upgraded to an iPhone, capable of sending and receiving emails from a limited group of people, surfing websites and reading news. Obama reportedly had a different phone used for tweeting — one of the only devices able to access the Presidential account — and rarely hit send himself.

For security reasons — this is the person who controls the nuclear launch codes — access to the president is limited, and fears of hacking put severe restrictions on available devices. It remains to be seen how the new administration will manage communications from within the bubble, but it may not be easy (we hear that maintaining one’s own email server is inadvisable). For the outgoing Obama, one of his first post-presidential stops might be a cellphone store for a long-awaited upgrade.

Source: Associated Press, New York Times

Channel Master Smartenna review – CNET

The Good The Channel Master Smartenna sports some of the best reception of any of the indoor models we tried. It offers the flexibility of indoor or outdoor use and features a coaxial socket so you can provide whatever length of cable you need.

The Bad Expensive. Relatively large and bulky, so it needs to be screwed to a wall or mounted on a table. Coaxial cable not included.

The Bottom Line The Channel Master is a large indoor/outdoor OTA antenna that performed well but costs more than competitors.

The Channel Master Smartenna is the grown-up version of the company’s Flatenna, and it’s designed to be used in areas where TV reception is a little patchy. While none of the indoor models we tested are designed to perform like a dedicated outdoor antenna, the Smartenna did better than most at pulling in a usable signal.

It’s also one of the most expensive we tested, and we consider the $40 Antennas Direct Clearstream Eclipse a better value.

Unlike the other indoor models others in our test, the Smartenna can also be used outdoors, and Channel Master says it will work over a greater distance if you do — 50 miles versus 35 miles indoors. To this end, the antenna is designed to be weather-resistant with “UV stabilized plastics” that can also be painted. While the cheaper Flatenna is lightweight and designed to be mounted in a window, the Smartenna is heavy at 1.5 pounds and needs to be screwed to a wall with the available bracket or propped up on the included feet. When we say it’s big, we mean that, at 13 inches by 11 inches by 1.5 inches, it’s even bigger than the (admittedly slim) DVR we used to test it with.

Sadly the Smartenna doesn’t come with a coaxial cable, which means you’ll need to factor in the extra cost (or borrow one from the cable box you won’t use any more).

The antenna is designed to be used without amplification, and as a result we found it had the most watchable signals on our test channels in both our Manhattan and Long Island tests. Of our list of 11 test channels, the Smartenna fared second-best with six displayed to a watchable standard (most got five or less, and only the unamplified RCA SLIVR did better). The extra channels the Smartenna received mostly came from our Long Island test, so if you already live in a good reception area, as with our Manhattan test, this antenna could be overkill. As far as the total number of channels it could pull in, it was in the middle of the pack, though.

While the model is clunky and requires a little more effort to install than the other antennas the Channel Master Smartenna is definitely one to look at if you want to improve your television signal. That said, it’s not the best value at $60.

See how the Channel Master fared in our cord-cutters guide to indoor antennas here.

Star Wars: Force Arena Tips and Tricks

How to dominate your opponents in Star Wars: Force Arena.

So you’ve got the game, you’ve read through our Beginner’s Guide, and you’re working to upgrading your favorite cards. Now it’s time to talk a little strategy!

We’ve got some tips and tricks that will help you to go from a young Padawan to a legendary Jedi Master — or a Sith Lord if that’s more your thing.

It all starts with picking the right Leader

Each Deck you build is based around a Leader, so it’s important to pick ones that fit the play style you’re most comfortable with. At the most basic level, you’ll be choosing between a Leader that focuses on melee attacks or one with a ranged weapon. Whichever you choose will greatly affect how you build your deck and plan your attacks.

Leaders like Luke Skywalker, Ezra Bridger, Darth Vader, and The Grand Inquisitor all use a lightsaber as a weapon, meaning you’ll need to be right in the fray to use them effectively on offence. To balance that out, they also have higher health than most other leaders, making them great for taking the enemy’s focus and absorbing some damage while your troops work on the turrets. Once they get in close, these melee leaders can deal out some serious damage quick, making them ideal for rushing in to take out a damaged turret for the win.

Meanwhile, Leaders like Princess Leia, Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Dengar are better for players who would rather sit back behind their wave of troops and deal out damage with ranged attacks. Ideally when attacking a turret, you’ll want to send in some troops to take the turret’s (and any defending troops’) attention, then come in and deal damage from afar with your leader.

You’ll also want to consider each Leader’s special ability and skill. A special ability typically gives the Leader a stat boost in certain game scenarios — for example, Emperor Palpatine gets a 15% power boost for 14 seconds whenever an enemy or ally Leader is defeated, which can be a decisive edge in a 2 vs. 2 match. Other special abilities might affect troop cards such as Captain Cassian Andor, who increases the attack range of his ranged troops.

Unique cards make the difference

As you progress through the Tiers and continue to unlock and open card packs, you’ll start to unlock Unique cards. These are super-charged troops that are linked to a specific leader, meaning that if you want to use them, you’ll need to have and use the Leader they’re associated with.

Not only are they total game-changers when you’ve got them in your deck, but on the flip-side if you don’t have one in your deck and your opponent does, you’re in for a bad time. Having said that, once you get into Tier 3, you’re absolutely going to need to roll with a Leader with a Unique card linked to it. Unique cards have higher health and typically deal out much more damage in more ways than your average troop, so you’ll also want to play them strategically as part of a larger attack rather than potentially wasting them by throwing them down a lane all by themselves.

Managing your energy

Just like other PvP card casting games like Clash Royale, finding success in Force Arena is all about spending your energy wisely. This starts with building balanced deck that keep the average energy cost relatively low. It’s always important to have a couple low-cost cards in your deck so that you can both throw something down if you need a quick counter, or are looking to cycle through your deck to find the perfect card for the situation you’re in.

When you’re in the heat of the battle, you’ll also want to avoid foolishly burning energy such as wasting an X-Wing or Tie Fighter attack to take out only a couple of low-level troops that would have been taken out by your turret anyways. Also, if your opponent is overwhelming you with powerful troops, resist the urge to spam out as many low-level troops before your Leader is defeated. All that will do is temporarily slow down your opponent.

Instead, take your lumps, let your Leader fall, and use the cool-down period to build up more energy so you can come back fresh with a full energy bar and ready to mount a proper counter.

Sneak attacks with a long-range troop

This one is just a classic strategy that can be absolutely devastating for your opponent when executed to perfection.

The idea here is to draw all of your opponent’s attention to one lane by mounting an all-out assault on their turret … while sneakily placing a long-range troop on the other lane to quietly deal damage to their other lane turret. This strategy works best while playing as the Empire with the Rocket Stormtrooper, as they can make short work of a turret if left unnoticed.

Ideally, you’re going to want to wait until you’ve got an army of troops working away at the first turret. Once your opponent has been alerted that their turret is taking damage, they’ll likely rush over to counter your attack. That’s when you spring the trap and place your Rocket Stormtrooper (or Dressellian Sniper if you’re fighting for the Rebels) just outside the range of the other turret. Now you can actually let up a bit and let your opponent counter and push down towards your turret, as long as they keep their focus on you and away from the other lane.

This is a frequently used strategy, and the best counter for it is to make a habit of checking the map in the top-right corner. If you see a solitary red dot working its way up the opposite turret, you’ll want to drop a troop to counter, or run over their yourself to cut them off before too much damage is dealt.

Steal your opponent’s health when the opportunity arises

This might be categorized as a dick move, but all is fair in love and Star Wars. Health boosts are located behind turrets on both sides of the arena, and can be grabbed by either player in the heat of the battle. When you’ve got momentum on your side and have taken down one of your opponents lane turrets and are moving on towards their base, take a quick detour and take their health boost. They take forever to respawn and stealing them will make it harder for your opponent to fight back as you make your final push.

It’s even more effective if the base turret’s focus is already locked onto another one of your troops, as you’ll actually replenish your own health, but grabbing the health while taking a hit from one turret is still a net-gain.

What are your best strategies?

Hit us up in the comments with your own tips and tricks. Also, if you’re looking for a guild, you’re welcome to join ours! Search for AndroidCentral.

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Facebook bans known protest-tracking tool for law enforcement

Facebook has blocked Media Sonar from accessing its data, according to Motherboard, a month after Twitter cut off its access. The Canadian company is known for selling social-media-monitoring tools to law enforcement agencies, who mostly used them to track activists of color and keywords such as “BlackLivesMatter” in the past. A Facebook spokesperson told the publication that it also banned the company from accessing its API last year. In addition, Facebook-owned Instagram banned Media Sonar from its platform for violating its terms of service.

It’s not exactly clear which agencies are using Media Sonar’s tools, but Motherboard says the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Toronto’s police department are most likely two of its customers. Further, it might have peddled its wares to authorities outside the US and Canada, as well. It apparently won an award for “going global” back in 2016 and mentioned going “into new geographies” before. Since the company keeps its dealings under lock and key, we can’t confirm whether its tools are being used by oppressive regimes to monitor its citizens. Either way, it can’t keep an eye on protests through three of the biggest social networks anymore.

Source: Motherboard

Tesla cars may be even safer now due to Autopilot, US probe finds

Tesla’s got to be gloating right now.

The electric automaker’s crash rate has fallen ever since it launched its semi-autonomous Autopilot feature. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Thursday that it’s finished a preliminary investigation into Autopilot and found no defects in design or performance, and according to the report, vehicle crash rates have dropped by almost 40 per cent.

Government regulators reviewed mileage and airbag deployment data from 2014 to 2016 for Model S cars and Model X vehicles equipped with Autopilot – either installed when the car was bought or through an update – and it officially concluded that systems like Autopilot help in reducing auto accidents. However, they warned that these systems do not mean drivers can stop paying attention to the road.

• Tesla: Everything you need to know about it

“While ADAS technologies are continually improving in performance in larger percentages of crash types, a driver should never wait for automatic braking to occur when a collision threat is perceived,” the NHTSA said. Keep in mind the government’s probe began last summer after a controversial fatal crash in Williston, Florida that involved a Tesla with the Autopilot feature engaged.

Tesla has responded to the conclusions with the following statement: “At Tesla, the safety of our customers comes first, and we appreciate the thoroughness of NHTSA’s report and its conclusion.” CEO Elon Musk also tweeted and retweeted highlights from the report.

Tesla’s Autopilot vindicated in NHTSA probe that shows a 40% drop in crashes https://t.co/u6ouLjaYnf pic.twitter.com/BETOhKq8lv

— Tom Randall (@tsrandall) January 19, 2017

LG’s Music Flow speakers will soon be Google Home speakers

Forget about Alexa. Google’s Assistant is going to be everywhere soon.

With Amazon’s Alexa appearing in every other gadget these days, it’s no surprise to see Google is allowing third-party device makers to integrate its Google Home assistant into their own products. LG, for instance, has announced that it is planning to integrate Google Home into its existing Music Flow speaker system, which originally launched in 2015 with the Flow app for remote control and multiroom listening.

On Thursday, an LG employee revealed in a forum post that LG will not only add Google Home, which presumably means Google Assistant voice functionality, but it’ll also add Google Chromecast multiroom audio to Music Flow. Keep in mind Chromecast wireless multiroom audio has been available since the launch of the Chromecast Audio, which essentially lets you control/sync speakers (even dumb ones).

• LG Music Flow: Hands-on with the most compelling Sonos

LG is probably eager to add an alternative multiroom experience since many, including Pocket-lint, found syncing issues during their time with the system. The LG employee wrote that a software update will bring both features. It’s expected to arrive by the end of February.