More Bixby Vision features are hitting Verizon phones

Verizon users are now able to be just as disappointed with Bixby Vision as everyone else.

Due to reasons that totally had nothing to do with Verizon including its own version of the Amazon app on the Galaxy S8, Bixby Vision was missing the shopping feature at launch. Verizon users who tap the Bixby Eye in the camera app today will find Bixby Vision is updating today with the shopping feature, making VZW S8s just as feature complete as the rest of the Galaxy S8 line.

This update doesn’t improve the quality of Bixby Vision results, unfortunately, so unless you’re scanning a barcode the results will be questionable at best. In much the same way that Bixby Vision’s image recognition tool uses Pinterest for quality results, the shopping section relies entirely on Amazon. Though, even when the results couldn’t be more clear, the app still stumbles unless there’s a barcode.

The good news is Verizon Wireless variants of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are now just as ready to use Bixby Vision as every other variant, and with more users offering feedback it’s possible this service will actually be useful one day.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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Nvidia is now letting Shield TV owners beta test new features

If you’re a fan of unfinished software connected to your television, Nvidia would like to hook you up.

All of the best official beta trial programs make sure you know that participation will not void your warranty, right? The folks at Nvidia are reaching out to Shield TV owners this week in search of willing test subjects for upcoming features and software updates. It’s being called the Shield Preview Program, and all you need to sign up, and a willingness to test unfinished software and report back errors you discover.

Early preview programs aren’t a new concept, especially for Nvidia or its fans, so there’s not a lot of concern here. If you like tinkering with your Shield TV and you want to live on the bleeding edge of new software for your set-top box, this program is great for you. If you appreciate a stable experience and would prefer to avoid things like rebooting your entertainment center before you can watch the next episode of American Gods, this may not be for you.

Grab the link here to sign up, and you’ll be directed to a special private forum to discuss new features and bugs you may encounter!

Amazon’s excellent kids portal, FreeTime, comes to Android

Parents with Android phones and tablets can now use Amazon’s FreeTime service and get some much-needed quiet.

Amazon is expanding its excellent kids portal, FreeTime, to Android, moving over from the smaller, more limited confines of the company’s own hardware.

The free app is now available for Android phones and tablets in the U.S., and provides a number of books, television shows and movies, with a $2.99 monthly subscription ($4.99 for non-Prime members) adding considerably to that number.

The upside is that Amazon gets another sizeable revenue stream without alienating its core hardware audience, since FreeTime and its Unlimited subscription service still work a bit better on its Kindle tablets, sticks and e-readers, since external kid-approved apps will need to be added manually through the settings. But Android users get the same options that parents have loved about the service so far, including extensive filters and content controls, along with a dashboard that lets them monitor what kids are reading, watching and browsing on the service.

To that end, FreeTime has a SafeSearch browser that Amazon curates, including a selection of YouTube content that has been approved for kids.

The selections for FreeTime Unlimited are from well-known publishers like Disney, Nickelodeon, Amazon Studios, PBS Kids, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster, and include:

• Books: Splat the Cat, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, Frog and Toad Are Friends, Curious George Goes to the Hospital, Caps for Sale, Inside Out Junior Novel, National Geographic Readers: Mummies, Big Nate: Game On!, Beezus and Ramona, Bridge to Terabithia, Star Wars: Before the Awakening, The Princess Diaries, and many more
• Videos: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, Wishenpoof!, Fireman Sam: Ultimate Heroes—The Movie, The Gruffalo, Odd Squad: The Movie, Just Add Magic, Happy Feet, LEGO Friends, Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, An American Girl Story—Melody 1963: Love Has to Win, Tarzan, and many more

Are you going to subscribe to Amazon FreeTime?

Amazon Fire Tablet 7 vs Fire Tablet Kids Edition: Which should I buy?

Samsung Gear VR (2017) vs. Gear VR (2016): What’s different, what’s better

About that “New Gear VR” Samsung unveiled with the Galaxy S8.

Alongside the launch of the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung unveiled what they called the New Gear VR with Controller. It’s available for free to anyone that pre-orders the Galaxy S8 from just about anywhere, and after the phone has launched this bundle will be available for $129. Since the previous Gear VR was priced at $99, and the Gear VR Controller is available separately for $39, it sounds like this new bundle will be a pretty good deal for future Samsung phone owners.

But when we started digging into what was actually new about this new Gear VR, that deal started to sound less and less like a good thing.

Read More at VR Heads!

Get an HD dash cam for your car for only $24!

We’ve all seen some stunning dash cam footage posted online. As dash cams have come down in price, they’ve become more widely available. The practical uses for them are plentiful, from recording an epic road trip to documenting traffic accidents.

Get an HD dash camera for only $24.99! Learn more

If you’ve been thinking of picking one up for your vehicle, have we got a deal for you! You can get this high definition dash cam or only $24 from Android Central Digital Offers! Featuring 4x digital zoom, motion detection, and infrared night vision, this camera will be your expert witness in a fender bender no matter what time of day it happens.

This compact camera shoots in 1920 x 1080 resolution and features a built-in microphone. To get set up in your car you’ll need to supply your own microSD card (the camera supports up to 32GB), and then it’s simply a matter of connecting it to your dash via the included suction cup mount in your car. The back features a big vibrant screen so you can see what you’re camera sees when you’re setting things up.

Get an HD dash camera for only $24.99! Learn more

These cameras are regularly sold for $59.99, but you can get yours for 50% off! Don’t miss out on this great offer!

Google Wallpapers just got a huge update with lots of new goodies

Not even a smiley face in the changelog, Google? Alright, that’s fine. We’re not mad.

If you haven’t thumbed through the Google Wallpapers app recently, or you don’t have it installed at all, today might be a good day to rethink that. A huge update to Wallpapers has added tons of new incredibly high resolution images in several categories. Like the originals, they’re all amazing and there’s bound to be something there for everyone.

Take a look in the Cityscapes, Life, Textures, and Landscapes categories for the bulk of the new images, and drop us a comment with the name of your favorite!

Check out Google Wallpapers!

Hey Alexa, let’s save some money on a refurbished Echo!

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with a great way to pick up a discounted Amazon Echo!

The Amazon Echo has been quite a hit since its release, but one of the stopping points for many was its price point. Amazon is now offering refurbished versions of the popular speaker for just $134.99, which is $45 cheaper than buying a new one. This is a certified refurb unit, which means it will look, act, and feel like it is brand new, but you get to save a bit of cash on it. Amazon usually sells the refurbished versions for anywhere from $150 – $165.

You can use the Echo to control various smart home accessories, check on the local news, and even order pizza if you wanted to. Amazon has been adding new features to Alexa just about every week so it continues to become smarter and smarter. If you’ve been interested in checking one of these out and have been looking for a discount, this is the perfect way to see what all the hype is about.

See at Amazon

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Video: The best Android phone in spring 2017

Since it launched late last year, the Google Pixel has been our pick for best Android phone. And, assuming you can actually find it, it’s still a great option. But with a new generation of phones comes a new overall champion. And right now, in spring 2017, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best Android phone you can buy.

Whether you’re looking at the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 or the 6.2-inch S8+, these are two phones that feel like they’ve arrived straight from the future. It sets new standards in smartphone design, nails important areas like performance and software, and matches its best rivals in camera quality. The Galaxy S8 is a little odd in that it has a couple of obvious weaknesses — the awkward fingerprint scanner placement and the currently-useless Bixby AI. Even so, the S8 as an overall package is worthy of the massive hype surrounding the phone.

It’s going to be a long year full of many great Android flagships, but if you’re after the best phone of the here and now, there’s no question that’s the Samsung Galaxy S8. Check out our video feature for more!

• Android Central on YouTube
• Samsung Galaxy S8 review
• Google Pixel / Pixel XL

Hulu’s ridiculously pretty new UI is rolling out alongside Live TV features

The original Cable Cutter service just clapped back in a big way.

Hulu just unveiled a massive redesign to its user interface and added the most important feature it’s had in years. The massive streaming service now offers Live TV streaming and a personalized recommendation engine that filters down the things you like to watch on a per-device basis instead of per-account. It’s a huge change from the way Hulu has been doing things for years, and super visually appealing to boot.

You can sign up for a free trial of the new streaming service on the site now, and before you do there’s an option to check out exactly what channels are available in your area. Included in the $40/month service is a 200 hour Cloud DVR with unlimited simultaneous recordings, which can be streamed to anything with Hulu support (which, lets be honest, is everything). The service claims support for unlimited screens when you’re at home and up to three screens when you’re away, but it’s not totally clear how that will be monitored or limited.

Hulu has obviously been working hard on this in the background, because many of the locations we looked up included local stations and sports networks and all of the most popular cable channels. Compared to the recent beta for YouTube TV, Hulu is clearly ready to dominate this space and offer something unique.

Is this enough to make you switch from your current service? What do you think of the redesign? Sound off in the comments!

Ecobee’s new smart thermostat has Alexa built in

Ecobee has unveiled its latest smart thermostat, and it boasts the intelligence of Alexa.

Ecobee, the company behind the popular ecobee3 smart thermostat that has, over the years, rivalled Nest, Honeywell and others for dominance in the home temperature control space, has unveiled its latest product, the ecobee4.

The new product looks very similar to its predecessor, featuring a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a squircle outer design, but adds super sensitive far-field microphones and Amazon Alexa support. Ecobee announced the product alongside Amazon, in fact, and is working with the company to ensure that Alexa on the thermostat can do everything it can on the Echo.

There’s also a new smart light switch coming this year, so you can talk to Alexa anywhere.

Ecobee’s advantage over Nest has heretofore been its compatibility with external sensors placed throughout a home that report back to the main hub to determine overall ambient temperature. Ecobee says that the reasoning is pretty obvious: most thermostats are placed in front hallways where the temperature is often a few degrees cooler or warmer, depending on the season, than the upstairs. For many people, this means that the heat or air conditioning doesn’t work as long, or as intelligently, as it could. Ecobee4 works with those smart sensors, but also has another trick up its sleeve.

To further the whole-hole intelligence angle, ecobee plans to come out with a new smart light switch later this year that integrates the same ultra-sensitive microphones as the thermostat itself, allowing users to make changes to settings and temperatures, as well as communicate with Alexa, from anywhere in the house. According to ecobee, “this product will mark the company’s first venture beyond smart thermostats and is expected to lead the smart home category into a whole-home-voice future.”

The ecobee4 will be available on May 15 in the U.S., and pre-orders begin May 3. It costs $249.

See at ecobee