Google Pixel vs. Samsung Galaxy S8: Which is the better Android phone?

Well folks, the wait is over. Samsung has finally taken the wraps off of the long-awaited Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, two phones that are tipped to be the most powerful and stylish phones of 2017. As the powerhouses they are, however, they’re sure to go up against some competition — like, for example, the much-loved Google Pixel.

More: Everything we know about Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus pricing and availability

The Google Pixel may be a few months old now, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t hold its own. How do the two phones compare? We put their specs head to head to find out.

Specs

Google Pixel

Samsung Galaxy S8

Size
143.8 x 69.5 x 7.3mm (5.6 x 2.7 x 0.2-0.3-inches)
148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm (5.9 x 2.7 x 0.3-inches)
Weight
143g (5.0 oz)
155g (5.5oz)
Screen
5.0-inch AMOLED
5.8-inch AMOLED
Resolution
1,080 x 1,920 pixels (441 pixels per inch)
2,960 x 1,440 pixels (570ppi)
OS
Android 7.1 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage
32/128GB
64GB
MicroSD card slot
No
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 (International)
RAM
4GB
4GB
Connectivity
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
Camera
12MP rear, 8MP front
12MP rear with OIS, 8MP front
Video
2,160p at 30fps
2,160p at 30fps
Bluetooth
Yes, version 4.2
Yes, version 5.0
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, iris scanner
Water resistant
No
IP68
Battery
2,770mAh
3,000mAh
Ports
USB-C, headphone jack
USB-C, headphone jack
Marketplace
Google Play
Google Play
Color offerings
Very Silver, Quite Black, Really Blue
Black, silver, orchid grey, blue (international), gold (international)
Availability
Google Play, Verizon
April 21
Price
Starts at $650
Starts at $720
DT review
4 out of 5 stars
First take

In the specs department, there’s unsurprisingly a clear winner.

When the Google Pixel was released, it featured a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, a chip that was the best choice available to Google at the time. Months later, Qualcomm’s out with a new, better chip: The Snapdragon 835. We don’t yet know exactly how much better the Snapdragon 835 performs compared to the Snapdragon 821, but early benchmark results indicate the new chip is a good 20 percent or more than its predecessor.

Processor performance isn’t the only thing to consider here — but it is perhaps most important. Both phones offer 4GB of RAM. but when it comes to internal storage the Google Pixel offers options of either 32GB or 128GB, while you only have a choice of 64GB on the Galaxy S8 sits in at 64GB. The base model of the Galaxy S8 offers more than the base model of the Pixel, but what’s more is the Galaxy S8 offers a MicroSD card slot, so you can expand on your storage by up to 256GB.

Considering the fact the Galaxy S8 has a much better processor, the better performing device is unsurprisingly the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

The best laptop you can buy

If you’re looking to buy a laptop right now, the answer is Dell’s XPS 13. It’s light, portable, powerful, beautiful, and reasonably affordable. We recommend it not only over every other Windows notebook, but also Apple’s MacBook line and Google’s Chromebooks.

Still, if you insist, we have picked out the best MacBook for MacOS die-hards, the best Chromebook for those who desire an affordable laptop with a super-light OS, and the best laptop if you’ve $600 or less to spend. We’ve also selected the best 15-inch laptop — though it, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the Dell XPS 15.

Our pick

Dell XPS 13

Why should you buy this: It’s portable, fast, attractive, and reasonably priced.

Our Score

The best

Dell XPS 13 (Kaby Lake)

Portable, powerful, and beautiful, nothing offers the same value as Dell’s flagship XPS 13.

$1,616.99 from Dell

$1,147.11 from Amazon

Who’s it for: Everyone except gamers.

How much will it cost: $800 to $1,600

Why we picked the Dell XPS 13

Dell’s XPS 13 blends a metallic exterior with carbon-fiber interior. It’s a look that’s premium, yet inviting. The XPS 13 is the kind of cool new toy that you’ll be itching to show everyone willing to look.

The super-thin InfinityEdge bezel is another highlight. Most laptops have a half-inch to an inch of plastic surrounding the display on all sides. The XPS 13 has less than a quarter of an inch. That’s as functional as it is beautiful, as it makes the system smaller and lighter.

Does that make the XPS 13 too small? Nope. The touchpad is as large as the competition and the keyboard is a breeze to use. The system even squeezes in a large battery, which means most models can last a full day before needing a charge (the top-shelf Core i7 model with a 3,200 x 1,800 panel is borderline, though it can manage eight hours if you’re easy on it).

There is just one oddity you should know about — the web cam. The bezels are so thin there’s no room for it, so it’s below the display, rather than above. That makes for an awkward angle. Most people won’t care, but it will bug you if you video conference while traveling.

Cutting edge 7th-generation Kaby Lake Core i3, i5, and i7 processors are available along with a selection of solid state hard drives and up to 16GB of RAM. The Core i7 models don’t have the Core i7-6500U found in most expensive ultrabooks, but instead opts for the 7th-generation Core i7-7500U, which boasts quicker integrated graphics and a higher maximum clock speed.

But the XPS 13 doesn’t earn the “best laptop” title because of its premium configuration. The laptop starts at just $800, and can be handsomely equipped for $1,000. These entry-level versions don’t have the fastest available hardware, but they retain the same design, features, and battery life as the most expensive. Nothing else offers the same overall value, and many competitors feel hopelessly out of date when placed next to Dell’s flagship.

Before buying, be sure to read our XPS 13 buying guide.

Our full review

The best Mac

MacBook Pro 13-inch (without Touch Bar)

Why should you buy this: You refuse to use Windows.

The best Mac

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (without Touch Bar)

Apple’s notebook will appeal to commuters, Apple adherents, and anyone who despises the finicky touchpads on Windows PCs.

$1,499.00 from Apple

Who’s it for: Anyone who refuses to use Windows.

How much will it cost: $1,500

Why we picked the MacBook Pro 13-inch (without Touch Bar)

Most people are looking at a Mac for one of two reasons. Either you’re a fan of MacOS and refuse to use Windows, or you’re attracted to Apple’s brand and want to buy one based on the company’s reputation.

If you’re in the first group, then nothing we say will sway you. In that case, we recommend you purchase the MacBook Pro 13 without Touch Bar. Why not one of the more expensive models with the highly-anticipated OLED Touch Bar where the function keys used to reside? In our opinion, the Touch Bar just doesn’t add enough functionality, certainly not enough to justify an extra $300 to an already high price tag.

If you’re looking at a Mac based on its reputation, we suggest you reconsider. The company has allowed its computers to fall by the wayside. All Mac models equip Intel processors that are one or two generations behind the latest, as even the recently updated MacBook Pro line features processors from Intel’s 6th-generation lineup, not the new 7th-gen. MacOS is a fine operating system that does its job, but we think Windows 10 is even better. Finally, Apple’s laptops are much too expensive for the hardware they offer.

Apple does have one big benefit — service. The company tends to cover defective hardware that others might refuse to service, and you can take your Mac to a retail store if you need help. This might sway users who are particularly concerned with potential problems. But a Mac is not bombproof, and most modern laptops can easily last five years. We don’t think fear of an ambiguous future problem that may or may not happen should be what guides your buying decision.

Our full review (with Touch Bar)

The best Chromebook

Acer Chromebook 15

Why should you buy this: You want a nice, barebones laptop for less.

Our Score

The best Chromebook

Acer Chromebook 15

Looking for a cheap laptop to use as a second PC? You can’t go wrong with the Acer.

Who’s it for: Students, people who need only basic functionality, anyone who wants a cheap laptop to use as a second PC.

How much will it cost: $200 to $300

Why we picked the Acer Chromebook 15

Chromebooks — laptops that run Google’s Chrome OS — have become a popular budget laptop over the last few years, and we quite like them at Digital Trends. The Acer Chromebook 15 is a great example of their strengths. It has a 1080p display, fast Intel processor, and plenty of memory, all starting at $300 when the product first came out. No Windows notebook priced at $300 comes close. And today you can get it for less even than that.

If you’re looking for a budget laptop, Chromebooks are a good choice. But these systems rarely sell for north of $500, with the obvious exception of Google’s Chromebook Pixel, which is too niche for us to recommend. The price brings limitations, of course. You won’t find a Chromebook with a quad-core processor, a fast solid state drive, or an optional discrete GPU.

Even if Chromebooks were equipped to compete with the best laptops, the operating system would hold them back. Chrome OS, which is designed around Google’s Chrome Web browser, is wonderfully simple and intuitive, but it can’t run “normal” software. It only runs extensions and Web apps. So while you can access Word Online, for example, you could never install Word.

This, of course, means you’re reliant on Wi-Fi access, which isn’t a problem in most situations but becomes a very big problem if the Internet cuts out. Google has upgraded Chrome OS over time to combat this. Now, you can download your Gmail inbox and Google Drive content for offline access, and apps have offline modes for use away from Wi-Fi.

Our full review

The best 2-in-1 laptop

HP Spectre x360

Why should you buy this: You want a great laptop and a good tablet.

Product Card: The HP Spectre x360 is a 2-in-1 without compromises, combining stellar performance with a flexible, premium-built chassis.

Our Score

The best 2-in-1 laptop

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

The HP Spectre x360 is a 2-in-1 without compromises, combining stellar performance with a flexible, premium-built chassis.

$1,099.99 from Best Buy

Who’s it for: Anyone who needs versatility on top of performance.

How much will this cost: Starts at $1,050

Why we picked the HP Spectre x360

2-in-1 laptops are still something of an acquired taste, but if you’re not sure about laptops-as-tablets, the HP Spectre x360 might change your mind. First and foremost it’s a stylish, lightweight, and powerful ultra-portable laptop.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the tablet mode. The HP Spectre x360 is not a great tablet, if only because it doesn’t quite fold flat against itself and is just a tad too heavy to use as a tablet for any extended period of time. The Spectre is a laptop first and tablet second, you’re not going to be getting something as comfortable to use as, say, a Microsoft Surface or an Apple iPad, but being able to flip the screen around and use the Spectre as a tablet is a nice touch.

Think of it as a really versatile ultra-portable laptop, like a Swiss army knife with an HP logo.

Coming in at just over half an inch thick, it’s not the smallest laptop in its class, but it’s just as thin as the Lenovo Yoga 910, and a little bit lighter at 2.85 pounds. In other words, it’s very small. Toss it in a bag and you’d never notice the extra weight.

The form factor is particularly impressive when you consider the kind of power it packs. There are three configurations with three different price points, starting at $1,050, and topping out at $1,500, but each one has a 7th-generation Kaby Lake processor under the hood. The unit we reviewed is available for $1,300, and has a 7th-generation Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

That extra performance really shows. Not only did it perform spectacularly well in our benchmarks, it turned out excellent performance as an everyday workhorse. It’s quick, snappy, and versatile, everything you could want out of an ultra-portable laptop.

Our full review

The best budget laptop

Asus Zenbook UX330UA

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why should you buy this: You want an affordable PC that’s also a joy to use.

Our Score

The best budget laptop

Asus Zenbook UX330UA-AH54

The Zenbook starts at $700 and has fantastic specs — far better than what you’ll find from other competitors.

$699.00 from Amazon

Who’s it for: Everyone except gamers, other power users.

How much will it cost: $600 to $800

Why we picked the Asus Zenbook UX330UA

The Dell XPS 13 starts at $800. We don’t think that’s a lot for a laptop, but the world obviously disagrees; the average selling price of new laptops has hovered around $600 for years.

One option is to watch out for a sale. You shouldn’t have to wait long. Refurbished models have sold for as little as $470, and new systems sometimes dip near the $600 mark. Keep an eye out for coupons on Dell’s site and for sales at major retailers including not just the usual suspects but also the Microsoft Store, which carries a selection of the best Windows laptops.

If that doesn’t work, then we suggest the Asus Zenbook UX330UA, another ultrabook we’ve awarded an Editor’s Choice. The Zenbook isn’t as powerful as the Dell XPS 13, and doesn’t emulate the Dell’s strikingly thin bezels. But otherwise, it’s an incredible machine.

And its value can’t be beat. The base model, which is routinely priced at $700 on Amazon, has a 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, eight gigabytes of RAM, and a 256GB solid state drive. That’s twice the memory and storage of the $800 Dell XPS 13 — and far better than what you’ll find in other competitors. We’re not sure how Asus makes money off it.

Our full review

The best large display

Dell XPS 15

Why should you buy this: You want a sleek PC, but also need excellent performance.

Our Score

The best large display

Dell XPS 15

Beyond great a quick CPU and powerful graphics card, the Dell XPS 15 can be kitted out stellar 4K display.

$999.99 from Dell

Who’s it for: Power users, and those who want a big, beautiful display

How much will this cost: $1,000 to $1,650

Why we picked the Dell XPS 15

Okay, the XPS 13 is great, but maybe you want a larger display. You’re not alone. Sales figures have continually shown 15-inch systems beating their smaller rivals. We think this is partially because good, small laptops aren’t cheap — but some people just want a bigger display. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Fortunately, Dell also has the XPS 15. It’s great for all the same reasons the XPS 13 is great and, because it’s larger, can be optioned with the fastest hardware available today including a quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics, and a 4K display. It’s easily the best all-around 15-inch laptop on the market today.

The XPS 15 starts at $1,000, though, which is a steep sum. Is there anything more affordable?

There is, but nothing stands out as the clear winner. Acer’s Aspire E15 is affordable and powerful, but not attractive. Asus’ X555UB-NH51 looks and feels more luxurious, but is priced higher without a performance bump. Dell’s Inspiron 15 Gaming is a powerful do-it-all entry that can even serve as a budget gaming laptop, but its display is disappointing. Acer’s Chromebook 15 can’t be beat in value, but you have to be alright living with Chrome OS.

Yes, that’s a lot of options. Picking a budget 15-inch is a tough choice, but if you’re tired of looking and just want a name, go with the Acer Aspire E15 (make sure you buy one with a 1080p display). It’s ugly, but it’ll do the job well enough at an extremely low price.

Our full review

Should you buy now, or wait?

Intel has recently announced its new 7th-generation processors. If possible, it’s a good idea to wait until you see an update to the 7th-gen hardware before buying the particular model you have your eye on.

But it’s not critical. The new generation isn’t that much quicker than the previous version, and the battery life gain in 7th-gen is minimal. If you can buy a 6th-generation model at a slight discount, or you have reason to believe the 7th-gen update won’t come soon, go ahead and make a purchase.

AMD also has new hardware available. While we don’t generally recommend AMD over Intel in laptops, the company’s APUs can make sense in some affordable systems. Keep and eye out for the new chips, which are detailed in this post.

How we test

You’ve read our laptop reviews. You’ve read our conclusions. And now you’re wondering how we came to them.

Good question. Reviews often lack context, which is evident in the wildly different scores some laptops receive from different publications. Conflicting opinions can actually make buying a laptop more difficult if the review’s criteria isn’t made clear.

Allow us to lift the veil. Here we’ll explain the benchmarks we use for objective testing and the perspective from which we approach subjective topics. We don’t expect everyone to agree with our opinions, but we hope that sharing our process will leave you better equipped to decide what laptop best fits your needs.

Android 7.1.2 rolling out to some Pixel C and Nexus Player users

Android 7.1.2 brings the Pixel Launcher to the Pixel C and it’s apparently begun a wider rollout.

Along with the Nexus Player, people have reported to Android Police that they are seeing the update today to bring the two devices up to speed with the newest version of Android. There have been scattered reports of people getting the build on their tablet in the past days, but this seems to be less scattered and more focused.

A rollout right about now matches well with word from the Canadian carrier Rogers who has plans to push a substantial update on April 3 for the Pixel phones. We were told the 7.1.2 update would contain “bug fixes and optimizations, along with a small number of enhancements for carriers and users” and Rogers says their April 3 update will enable VoLTE and bring the latest updates.

Android 7.1.2 may not be chock full of features for most of us, but it’s great to see it on the way after an apparently successful beta period. And for Rogers customers, they’ll have a little more to look forward to in the near future.

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion

Roland founder and music legend Ikutaro Kakehashi dies

It’s a tragic time for both music and technology. Ikutaro Kakehashi, best known as the founder of Roland Corporation, has died at 87. The engineer turned corporate leader got his start making electronic drums and rhythm pattern generators, but it was after he founded Roland in 1972 that he hit the big time. His company quickly became synonymous with electronic music effects, and the machines built under his watch didn’t just become popular — they changed the cultural landscape.

Electronic music, ’80s pop and hip-hop in particular owe a lot to Kakehashi’s firm. The TR-808’s unique ‘sizzling’ drum and hand clap sounds were crucial to genre-defining songs from the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and Nine Inch Nails, and it’s so iconic that artists have sometimes based their albums or even careers around it. Think 808 State, or Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak. And that was really just the start of Kakehashi’s biggest accomplishments.

He also got the ball rolling on MIDI, the standard that helped kickstart digital music composition. The TR-909 (the first drum machine to use MIDI) and TB-303 bass synth were crucial to modern dance music’s early days, launching genres like acid house. And many PC gamers will have a soft spot for the SC-55 Sound Canvas, the first General MIDI sound card. It was a big step toward computer-based tunes that sounded as good as what you heard from recording studios, and represented PC music’s gold standard for years.

Kakehashi gradually bowed out of his company, retiring in 2013, but not before receiving honors ranging from a Technical Grammy through to a spot on Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame. In some ways, those accolades almost sell him short. While Kakehashi wasn’t as singularly responsible for redefining music as someone like synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog, it’s safe to say that the industry would have gone in a very, very different direction if he hadn’t been around. He’ll be missed.

Source: BBC

Police make first arrest in Facebook Live sexual assault case

Law enforcement is taking sweeping action following a horrific sexual assault streamed on Facebook Live. Chicago police report that they’ve made the first arrest in the case, bringing a 14-year-old boy into custody. There will be more arrests soon, according to the CPD, including a 15-year-old who’s next in line. Details of the case are mostly under wraps beyond a connection between the victim and one of her attackers (their age prevents disclosing some of the facts). However, it’s already clear that the livestream wasn’t the end to the internet-based trauma — in fact, it’s still ongoing.

Superintendent Eddie Johnson told a media gathering that the girl in the video has been subject to “off-color comments” and other forms of online bullying. The CPD is open to the possibility of charges for anyone caught making threats against the victim, but didn’t have any concrete action planned as of this writing.

The assault has already drawn attention to the ongoing problems with livestreaming, such as the challenges of enforcing policy mid-stream and a disturbing tendency for viewers to look on rather than call for help. And the arrests are likely to lay the groundwork for responses to future cases like this. However, the bullying suggests that Facebook and other social networks have more work to do. Ideally, they’d be quick to clamp down on harassment after a stream incident so that cruel commenters can’t make a bad situation even worse.

Via: Reuters

Source: Chicago Police Department (Facebook)

You can now search for Snapchat Stories thanks to advanced machine learning

Why it matters to you

Snapchat is looking to stay relevant, now that its highly anticipated IPO is history. It could do that with the introduction of searchable Snapchat Stories.

If browsing through your friends’ (and some strangers’) self-documented experiences via Snapchat Stories isn’t enough to satisfy your penchant for vicarious living, then perhaps the ability to search for specific uploads will help. On Friday, the social media platform announced “a new way to understand what’s happening in Snaps that are submitted to Our Story, and to create new Stories using advanced machine learning.” All that to say that as of now (in select cities), you can search more than one million unique Stories on Snapchat.

The new feature takes Snapchat out of the more passive realm of watching content and into a more active arena; one already inhabited by other platforms like YouTube or Twitter. And like Twitter, Snapchat is also deviating from one of its most defining features — it’s not character count, but rather ephemerality. With the introduction of searchable Stories, Snapchat confirmed in a statement to TechCrunch that “some Snaps submitted to Our Stories that appear in the new Search feature will be visible for less than a day to up to a few weeks or even months.”

More: Apple’s new Clips app is taking the fight to Instagram and Snapchat

So if you want to know what happened at the high school football game you missed or the latest looks from a Fashion Week anywhere around the world, you can look for it directly instead of trying your luck by scrolling endlessly. “The best part of Stories is seeing the world through the eyes of our community. It’s easy to add your point of view — simply take a Snap and add it to Our Story,” Snapchat wrote in a blog post announcement. “You might see it included in relevant Stories depending on what you’re Snapping.”

As Snapchat continues to refine this latest feature, it’ll add more functionality as well. In particular, the social media platform hopes to make it possible to categorize Story submissions by what voices are saying or by what music is playing, so you could even search for a specific conversation topic or song lyric.

So start searching, friends. You never know how deep and dark this rabbit hole might be.

Your Smart TV could be hacked a lot more easily than you might think

Why it matters to you

Smart home devices are useful, but are they leaving us vulnerable to attack? A new demonstration of Smart TVs suggests yes.

Your smart TV may know exactly what Netflix show you want to watch at the end of a long day, but it could also be letting hackers know more than you want them to about … well, you. As first reported by Ars Technica, there’s a new hack whose proof of concept suggests that terrestrial radio signals could be used to take control of a large swath of Smart TV sets without having actual physical access to any one of them.

In the demonstration of the hack, security consultant Rafael Scheel used a cheap transmitter to embed malicious commands into a rogue TV signal, Ars reports. When that signal is broadcast to devices in the vicinity, it’s able to gain access to the televisions. The key to the attack is the exploitation of two documented security flaws in the Web browsers that run in the background of the TV models used in the test, both manufactured by Samsung. But that doesn’t mean that other sets are immune — if the attack were engineered to target other browser bugs, it would likely be just as effective.

More: Samsung’s exotic new QLED televisions will start at $2,800

“Once a hacker has control over the TV of an end user, he can harm the user in a variety of ways,” Scheel told Ars. “Among many others, the TV could be used to attack further devices in the home network or to spy on the user with the TV’s camera and microphone.” Indeed, in Scheel’s demonstration, he was able to remotely control the TV, and even rebooting and resetting the device didn’t lock him out of the smart appliance.

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of Scheel’s proof of concept is that a hacker wouldn’t need any physical access to any of the devices. That means one could control a much larger number of smart TVs, too. And as an increasing number of concerns are raised about smart home devices overall, this demonstration certainly serves to underscore our vulnerability.

“This research is significant because TVs are used by a fundamentally different demographic than computers,” Yossef Oren, a security researcher told Ars. “People who use TVs don’t know/care about security, they aren’t used to getting security prompts from their TVs, they don’t have the discipline of installing security updates, and so on.”

Control this racing car without actually touching anything

Why it matters to you

Wearables are for much more than tracking your steps and your calories — they can also be used to control toy racing cars.

Why use a joystick when you can just flick your wrist? That’s the question Ultigesture is asking now that it’s debuted its new toy racing cars that promise to be “intuitively controlled by gestures from the wristband-wearing driver.” That’s right — no more fiddling around with remotes. Now, your body is all your need to drive a car; even a miniature one.

Your gestures will tell the racing car to do just about everything it can. Whether you want it to move in a different direction, speed up, slow down, or stop altogether, you can do it with your wearable-clad wrist. Promising a more natural and connected driving experience, Ultigesture believes it’s come up with the ultimate toy for racing enthusiasts.

More: World’s tiniest car race takes place at nanoscale, will stream live on YouTube

“There are plenty of remote-controlled toy cars which are fun to play, but we have discovered that wearing the wristband and using gestures makes for a much more realistic racing experience,” said Gang Zhou, CEO, Ultigesture. “The user experience is really improved by literally putting your body — or at least your arm — into the driving. It is very exciting to feel like you are connected to this small toy car as it goes racing down the street.”

Low power Bluetooth is all the wristband needs to power your car; when you raise your forearm, your car will go forward, and if you lower your arm, it’ll go backwards. Turn your writs clockwise and the car will go right, and go counter-clockwise to get it to go left. And thanks to the band’s accelerometer, you can control the speed of the car with your wearable as well.

Ultigesture can hit a top speed of 13 mph, and the car itself comes in at 13 inches, weighs 17 ounces, and six different color choices.

“We want to make remote control racing cars that are really cool and intuitive. With the wristband and gestures, it is amazing how much closer you feel to the car — especially when you compare it with using a remote controller,” Zhou concluded.

The gesture-controlled car and wristband are now available for pre-order now Ultigesture’s Kickstarter campaign for $89 with an estimated delivery date of August 2017.

Get the most out of your space for playing PlayStation VR

Making the most out of your playspace will make jumping into VR easier than ever.

PlayStation VR brought VR experiences to your console, which likely means you’re playing right in the living room. If you have roomies, pets, children, or other distractions this can make things a bit more difficult. There are a few things you can do to make carving out a space for VR a bit easier on yourself. These tips ought to help make sure you get the most out of your PlayStation VR playspace, no matter where you have it set up.

Read more at VR Heads!

What will we do when the first Galaxy S8 catches on fire?

The Galaxy S8 is fresh and new, but is saddled with the baggage of the Note 7.

Lithium-ion and Lithium-polymer batteries can fail, and when they do, they often do so catastrophically. This was the crux of the Galaxy Note 7 saga: phones didn’t just stop working or even puff a little smoke, they caught on fire and damaged property and harmed people. The new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have the same type of batteries in them as the Galaxy Note 7 did — a different design, and with dramatically more quality control checks for sure, but the same basic battery technology.

The problem for Samsung is that the Note 7 has not been completely forgotten.

And just like we’ve seen for years, some very small percentage of any given phone model — even prestigious brands like Samsung and Apple — will have instances of battery failures. That’s unfortunately expected, and a good reminder for everyone that you shouldn’t consider these devices entirely failproof — they can be dangerous if not designed and managed properly. The problem for Samsung, of course, is that the Note 7 has not been completely washed from our collective minds. The instances of “Note 7” written in articles about the newly announced Galaxy S8 are inescapable, and average consumers still make that association.

So even though the Galaxy S8’s battery design is dramatically improved, and the quality control standards have been beefed up, there is bound to be a battery failure at some point — there’s a good chance it would be completely unrelated to Samsung’s technology, like a physically damaged device, a bad charger or a combination of outside factors. But unlike the dozens of instances that happen every year with other phones, a new Galaxy phone catching on fire will unfortunately be headline news once again, even though no physical components carried over from the Note 7 to the Galaxy S8.

A Galaxy S8 will catch fire — the question is how people react.

The question for me is how responsible news outlets handle the information, and how Samsung reacts to the situation. At the start of the Galaxy Note 7’s battery fiasco, it was a rational response to say “well, these lithium batteries can fail, that’s not surprising” and give Samsung the benefit of the doubt for having sourced high-quality batteries until it was proved otherwise (which it eventually was). The issue now is that second part isn’t a given — Samsung can’t prove that its batteries won’t catch fire … because the only way it can do that now is to have something not happen. It has to ship tens of millions of Galaxy S8s and then wait for the public to regain whatever trust was lost.

There will be overreactions from some if this situation plays out as expected. Overreaction isn’t warranted, I don’t think, but skepticism certainly is.

Now for some quick hits on the week that was:

• As for the Galaxy S8 as a whole, I think it looks great and has the features required to be a big hit.
• Also, as we agreed on our Galaxy S8 special edition podcast, the Galaxy S8 is the model to get — very few will need the extra screen and cost of the GS8+.
• Just as I wrote in regards to the Note 7, you shouldn’t be worried about the curved screens — they’re very subtle.
• After a whole month with the LG G6, I’m still super happy with it; and still just absolutely loving the dual cameras.
• In my general quest to go all USB-C, I’m still in need of a battery pack that does USB-C right. Only a couple exist, and most seem to be funky and not fully compliant.

And with that, I’m off on a vacation for the next two weeks. My goal, of course, is to make everyone jealous via posts on social media.

-Andrew