Chipolo Bluetooth trackers are the solution to your absent-mindedness

Why it matters to you

Don’t lose your stuff — just attach the thinnest tracker on the market to cure you of absent mindedness.

Your lost items will always be found thanks to a couple new trackers branded as the world’s tiniest and thinnest solutions to absent-mindedness. Meet the Chipolo family, a series of Internet of Things tags that will keep tabs on your important belongings, no matter how small they may be. So whether it is your glasses or your wallet that you are constantly misplacing, Chipolo can help.

“Our end goal is not to sell as many products as possible, it’s to give every inanimate item the power to be found,” said Primož Zelenšek, CEO and co-founder of Chipolo. “We’re doing this by unifying our products as well as our business partners’ products into one massive community that anyone can take advantage of to locate missing items. With our Bluetooth technology and hardware that can be easily integrated into any product, we’re on our way to creating an expansive global network with a reach so large that in the future we won’t need GPS technology to locate lost items.”

Chipolo Card

The Chipolo Card is the newest offering from Chipolo and promises to be the slimmest Bluetooth tracker yet. Just 0.08 inches thick, the Card is 11 percent thinner than the Tile Slim and 63 percent thinner than the TrackR Bravo, so you can keep tabs on your possessions without adding any additional weight or bulk. The Chipolo Card is offered in white and comes with a one-year warranty and a 30-day-back guarantee. Shipment will begin in late September.

Chipolo Clip

The Chipolo Clip promises to be the world’s thinnest battery-powered tracking device, and is 28 percent slimmer than the Tile Slim. With a 90-decibel volume, you can stick this clip on an ID, a passport, or just about anything else that needs safekeeping. You can even remove the detachable clip to slide it into a wallet or iPhone case. The nonreplaceable battery of the Clip will give you a year of use and once it’s done for, you can buy another Chipolo Clip for 50 percent off.

Chipolo Sticker

Approximately the size of a paper clip, the Chipolo Sticker claims to be the world’s smallest wireless tracking device, which means it can track some of your smallest items. Though it is 63 percent smaller than its predecessor, what it lacks in size it makes up for in volume. When you set off the Sticker, you activate its 85-decibel melody, so you can figure out just where in the couch you dropped your remote. You can charge the Sticker wirelessly so that you don’t have to disconnect the tracker in order to juice it up (reducing the chance that you may lose an item during the charging process).

Chipolo Plus

And of course, there’s the Chipolo Plus, heralded as the world’s loudest Bluetooth tracker.

All three products pair with the Chipolo app, available on iOS and Android. Simply use the app to trip the melody when you have misplaced an item, as long as you are within 200 feet. If you are out of range, the app will show you the item’s last known location. If you still can’t find it, mark your item as lost, and if someone in Chipolo’s Lost and Found Network comes within range of it, you’ll be notified of its location.

And speaking of the Lost & Found Network, Chipolo has introduced the Chipolo Platform, inviting any company to join its tracking community. “By opening our Lost & Found Network for any company to use, customers can take advantage of Chipolo’s community search feature and join the more than 1 million Chipolo users to be a part of the world’s largest lost and found community,” said Tadej Jevsevar, CEO and co-founder of Chipolo. “We challenge the ordinary by solving simple problems. Our secure, scalable solution enables every item to have the power of smart location, which brings peace of mind to our users in their everyday lives.”

Update: Add information regarding the Chipolo Chip. 

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

DeliTape

Convert your iPhone into a retro Walkman with Delitape. This vintage music app brings you back to the old days. Swipe through the finest tapes animated with a great passion for detail.

Available on:

iOS

Social Media Job Search

With over 90 percent of hiring managers using social media to find and screen candidates, using social media to build a solid personal brand and search for a job is a must for the modern job seeker.

Available on:

iOS

Remote Drive Pro

Turn your iPhone or iPad into the wireless flash drive for your Mac. Have full access to your Mac files — use your iOS device to stream videos, and view photos and documents, from anywhere within your home.

Available on:

iOS

Aura

Apply stunning filters to your photos more easily than ever. Choose from a beautiful collection of stunning filters to make your photos achieve the specific look and glow you want.

Available on:

iOS

Night Mode Camera

The application takes real pictures and videos at the lowest luminosity without any additional appliances on iPhone.

Available on:

iOS

Top Speed App

Top speed app is used for calculating an automobile’s top speed, gear ratios, engine RPMs, and tire sizes.

Available on:

iOS

How to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in the U.K.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is one of the biggest smartphone releases of the year, in terms of anticipation, size, and price. We’re sure you can’t wait to get your hands on it, but are confused by the many deals, and the many places where your can buy the Galaxy Note 8.

We’ve got a comprehensive roundup for Galaxy Note 8 buyers in the U.S. here, and below we’re gathering all the places to buy the Note 8 in the U.K.

Wallets at the ready? Just don’t forget to read our Galaxy Note 8 hands-on review before buying. Or, if you’re still unsure, there are some compelling reasons to wait before buying.

Samsung

The Galaxy Note 8 is available without a contract direct from Samsung itself.

• Pre-orders are open now for the midnight black or maple gold version, which costs 870 British pounds. Samsung Mobile Care, a comprehensive insurance scheme that runs for 12 months, can be added for another 100 British pounds.
• Your Galaxy Note 8 will be delivered after September 14.
• If you’re set on getting a Note 8, then placing a pre-order will also get you a Dex Station to connect your phone to a monitor, creating a desktop computer.
• Samsung also offers an upgrade program. Buy the Galaxy Note 8 for a monthly cost of 32.58 British pounds over two years, and after a year, you get the chance to upgrade to any newly released product in the program. You’re entered into a two-year agreement, which is interest free but requires an 86.90 British pound deposit.

Retailers

If you don’t want to buy an unconnected Galaxy Note 8 through Samsung, there are also opportunities to pre-order one through a high street or online retailer; but the price remains the same at the moment.

• Carphone Warehouse sells the 64GB midnight black and maple gold models for 870 British pounds, and is also participating in the free Samsung Dex Station docking station promotion for anyone who pre-orders the device.
• Mobiles.co.uk has the 64GB phone for the same price, as does Clove Technology, but neither are offering the free Dex Station. Both have the Galaxy Note 8 launch date as September 15.
• The Galaxy Note 8 launch day is September 15, when you’ll be able to buy the phone on the high street at selected stores.

Major networks

Want to buy your Galaxy Note 8 with a contract and service? Vodafone, O2, EE, and Three all offer deals on the new phone.

• Pre-order the Note 8 with EE and you’ll get the free Dex Station. The network’s recommended plan is 50 British pounds upfront for the phone, then 63 British pounds each month for two years, including 15GB of 4G LTE data each month, and roaming in Europe. Other plans are available with higher monthly costs and more data.
• Vodafone also has the free Dex Station, and has the Note 8 for 50 British pounds up front, with a 60 British pound monthly contract for two years, which includes 16GB of data, and European roaming. Other plans will be available after the phone launches.
• Visit O2 and the same 50 British pound upfront cost applies, with a free Samsung Dex Station. Monthly costs vary, with O2 recommending a 76 British pound, two-year tariff with 30GB of data, and a chance to upgrade the phone after a year. Alternatively, spend 190 British pounds up front to get the phone, then 53 British pounds per month for two years, with 3GB of data.
• Finally, Three has the most frugal plan for the Galaxy Note 8. It’s 100 British pounds for the phone, the 44 British pounds each month for two years, but that only comes with 500MB of data each month. Spend 80 British pounds on the phone, and 56 British pounds each month, and you get 12GB of data, which is the same price the network usually charges for 4GB. Three will also give you the Samsung Dex Station if you pre-order the phone.
• The Galaxy Note 8 launch day is September 15, when all networks should have the phone in retail stores, but you’ll miss out on the Samsung Dex Station by not pre-ordering.

Other networks

The U.K. has many Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) that also sell phones, but haven’t announced deals for the Galaxy Note 8 yet. If you’re not in a hurry, and aren’t worried about the Dex Station, it may be worth waiting to see if any offers come along that better suit you. BT Mobile and GiffGaff are two which have yet to offer the Note 8.

• Virgin Media is one of the few MVNOs where the Note 8 can be pre-ordered. The deal includes the Samsung Dex Station, and is 50 British pounds for the phone, and 50 British pounds per month for two years with 6GB of data.
• Sky Mobile also has the Galaxy Note 8 with the Samsung Dex Station, on its Swap24 and Swap12 plans, where the phone can be upgraded after a year or two years. For Swap12 the phone is 100 British pounds, then 45 British pounds per month for year one, and 23 British pounds per month for year two. To swap the phone after a year, a one-off 276 British pound payment is required. Also, you pay extra for data, and 3GB per month is an additional 15 British pounds.

Other deals will surely arrive once the Galaxy Note 8 is released on September 15, and we’ll update here with the best ones.

6GB Galaxy S8+ gets a decent price cut in India ahead of Note 8 launch

Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is now available in India for ₹65,900 ($1,030).

With the Note 8 on the horizon, Samsung is slashing the price of the Galaxy S8+ variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The model initially launched back in June for ₹74,900 ($1,170)](https://www.androidcentral.com/galaxy-s8-6gb-ram-and-128gb-storage-goes-sale-india), and has picked up a price cut last month, bringing its cost down to ₹70,900 ($1,108). Samsung is now selling the phone for ₹65,900 ($1,030) on its website.

You also get a free fast wireless charger when you pick up the 6GB Galaxy S8+, and HDFC customers are eligible for ₹3,000 ($45) cashback. As noted by Fone Arena, the 6GB variant of the S8+ is available in just the Midnight Black color option.

With the latest price cut, the 6GB Galaxy S8+ is just ₹1,000 ($15) costlier than the standard S8+ model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage. However, Samsung will likely roll out a price correction for the standard S8 and S8+ in the coming weeks.

There’s no mention of an official launch date for the Note 8 in India, but Samsung was quick to bring the Galaxy S8 and S8+ to the country and will be looking to do the same for its latest flagship. The phone is now up for pre-order in the U.S., with prices starting at $930 (₹59,540). Going by the markup for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ in India, the Note 8 will likely end up costing ₹70,000 in India.

We’ll let you know once we have more details on the Note 8 launch in India, but if you’re in the market for an S8+, now’s the time to pick one up.

See at Samsung India

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

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Forget Oreo — These are the Android P names you need to know

Android P is coming, and the rampant naming speculation begins NOW.

Android Oreo? Old news. With version 8.0 of the OS finally out the door, and literally some devices now receiving over-the-air updates, it’s time to focus on what’s next.

Android P!

That’s right, at the time of writing we’re just seven short months away from the first developer preview of the next, next version of Android.

We would never be so crude as to see anything comical in Googlers at I/O 2018 proclaiming that “developers can get P on their devices today”. So instead we’re going to focus on the eventual nickname for P, which should be heading to a device you probably don’t own yet from mid-2018.

Android 9.0 Petit Four

Image credit: Wolfgang Meinhart, Wikimedia Commons.

If you’re a huge Android nerd, you may already know that there’s already been an Android “Petit Four.” Before Google settled into alphabetic desserts, Android 1.1 went by that name internally.

Might Google revisit these tiny French cakes for the 2018 release of Android? It’s possible. Petits fours come in many varieties, both savoury and sweet, reflecting the diversity of the Android ecosystem. They’d also make for ideal hors d’oeuvre at whatever launch event takes place for the version.

There’s also a British variety known as a French fancy, which is… a less likely moniker.

• Pro: A diverse confectionary, petits fours are together, but not the same.
• Con: Confusing plural form. Petit fours? Petits four? Petit fourses?

Android Central rating: 4 /10

Android 9.0 Pound Cake

Image credit: Douglas Paul Perkins, Wikimedia Commons.

From a historic European appetizer to an American classic, the pound cake is a no-nonsense dessert that cares not for fancy toppings or intricate pastry layers.

It’s basically a cake with all the sliders set to their default levels: Just a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of eggs, and a pound of sugar — or any other weight that sticks to that 1:1:1:1 ratio.

Android Pound Cake wouldn’t be the most imaginative dessert, nor the most visually appealing. (Your basic pound cake looks a bit like a loaf of bread gone wrong.) But hey, Google could always surprise us. Just stick a couple of antennae in there and you’re halfway towards a Bugdroid.

• Pro: Pays tributes to Google’s roots as an American company.
• Con: Visually bland: Android statue would basically look like a cinder block.

Android Central rating: 1/10

Android 9.0 Pastille

Image credit: Evan-Amos, Wikimedia Commons.

We’re getting into more esoteric territory here, at least depending on where you live — or what time period you reside in. (Anyone who grew up in the UK, either recently or in the distant past, will be more than familiar with Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles.)

Sometimes used for medicinal purposes, pastilles are hard, chewy, gum-like candy, often dusted with sugar. It’s easy to envision tiny Android sweets in various colors, and so pastille might be a decent outside bet for Android 9.0.

• Pro: Varied and colorful, like the Android ecosystem.
• Con: Victorian-era candy perhaps not best suited to a futuristic OS.

Android Central rating: 4/10

Android 9.0 Popsicle

Image credit: Dumbfounding on Flickr.

Android Popsicle would be the first frozen dessert in the pantheon since 2011’s Ice Cream Sandwich, and overall it’s probably the most likely candidate for Android 9.0. Though the word popsicle is mostly a North American thing, most of the world is familiar with the concept of a the underlying treat — colored sugar water, frozen into a mold and held by a stick. (Yes, fellow Brits, I am describing an ice lolly.)

So there you go. There’s an excellent chance Google will be doling out frozen Bugdroid ice pops in the summer of 2018.

• Pro: A refreshing summer treat for August 2018.
• Con: British people might be confused.

Android Central rating: 9/10

Android 9.0 Pancake

Image credit: jeffreyw on Flickr.

Who doesn’t love pancakes? Monsters, probably. Terrible people. Whether topped with maple syrup, banana, nutella, jelly, bacon or even fried chicken, the humble pancake is a not insignificant achievement of human civilization. What other tasty treat has an entire day dedicated to its worship?

As a much-loved dish in all its various forms, pancake has the mainstream appeal Google would need to promote its next OS to the masses.

• Pro: Delicious as breakfast, dessert, supper, or anything in between. Solid branding opportunity for Bugdroid-shaped cakes.
• Con: Inconvenient timing of Shrove Tuesday 2018 in early February.

Android 9.0 Profiterole

Image credit: Tamorlan, Wikimedia Commons.

We’ve already ventured close to profiterole territory with Android Eclair, all the way back in 2010. And I’ll be honest — compared to the other desserts on this list, profiteroles don’t really do anything for me. Light pastry, consisting mostly of air, is combined with whipped cream, again, with air occupying much of that space.

Chocolate toppings sometimes become involved, but honestly, by then, why even bother?

The name is pretentious, and so is the dessert itself. Just look at it, up there, thinking it’s better than you.

• Pro: None.
• Con: Consists mostly of air. Basically just a jumped-up eclair.

Android Central rating: 0/10

Android 9.0 Puff Pastry

Image credit: Lukasz Katlewa, Wikimedia Commons.

We’re kinda scraping the barrel here, as puff pastry isn’t really a dessert in its own right. (Unless you’re really hungry.) Nevertheless, unlike that snooty profiterole up there, puff pastry is a sweet (or savoury) treat of the people. So at least it’s got that going for it.

• Pro: Potential marketing tie-in with Sean Combs
• Con: More an ingredient than a dessert. Diddy likely unreceptive to marketing tie-in.

Android Central rating: ¯_(ツ)_/¯ /10

Android 9.0 Pecan Pie / Pumpkin Pie / Anything Else In a Pie

Image credit: Stu Spivack on Flickr.

Here’s your best bet for the internal Google codename for Android P. Internally, Lollipop was Lemon Meringue Pie, and KitKat was Key Lime Pie before Nestle got involved. There’s pie history, you might say. Pecan and pumpkin would be popular choices, but there’s also peach pie and pirog pie, a Russian pastry sometimes involving apples, berries and other fruits.

None of these pastries are likely to emerge as the marketing name for Android P — too many syllables, for one — but we’ll be keeping an eye out for pie-related code commits in AOSP early on in the new year.

• Pro:
• Con:

Android Central rating: / 10

So which will it be? Share your P predictions down in the comments! We’ll find out exactly who’s right in just under a year!

Android Oreo

• Android Oreo review!
• Everything new in Android Oreo
• How to get Android Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
• Oreo will make you love notifications again
• Will my phone get Android Oreo?
• Join the Discussion

Best NFL apps for Android

Football season is coming.

Summer is almost over, and as the weather starts to cool down we all know it’s time for beer, snacks, a pigskin, and rooting for your favorite team. As they duke it out to see who will rule the 2017 NFL season, you’re going to want to watch as much as you can. Things kick off on September 7th, but you can make sure you’re prepared to see every play with a few apps to help you out.

Never miss a moment when you use the best apps for NFL on Android!

NFL Mobile

NFL Mobile is the official NFL app which includes news, video clips, and live streaming for NFL Network subscribers on Verizon or Bell. Set your favorite team for quick access to the latest news and analysis from the Stories and NFL Now sections. Tablet users can access NFL Network 24/7/365 and NFL RedZone if they’re eligible subscribers of AT&T U-verse, Charter, Cox, DirecTV, Optimum, Verizon FiOS, DISH, and many more providers. If you’re not a subscriber of any of those service providers, you can check into the NFL Now tab for breaking news and analysis.

NFL Mobile offers fast, polished football news right from the source. The week leading up to the big game is known as media week, and you can get all the latest news, interviews and highlights straight from the source via the NFL Mobile app.

Download: NFL Mobile (Free)

theScore

If you’re looking to catch up on news after the game, theScore is widely regarded as the best app out there. You can follow specific teams, get home screen widgets for the latest information at a glance, and notifications when things get crazy with your favorite teams. The best part is, you can keep tabs on any other sports you might happen to be into, including college sports and all the other “football” leagues that the rest of the world follows.

If keeping up to date on football news is your top priority, get theScore.

Download: theScore (Free)

Madden NFL Mobile

Fans of EA’s Madden series on PlayStation or Xbox might be wary of diving into the mobile version of the celebrated NFL video game, but there’s lots to love here. It uses the same card upgrading system that’s become so popular in both mobile games and EA’s Ultimate Team systems alike — not ideal in my mind — but it offers many ways to play and earn coins and XP. There are daily and weekly live challenges (think the mini-games from Madden 2004), a single-player season mode, and time-delayed head-to-head matchups in which you and your opponent take turns on offense. If that sounds a little too casual, you’re right, but it allows you to keep multiple games going at one time without dedicating a huge chunk of time to play a game to completion. And, of course, there’s the constant temptation of micro transactions to upgrade your team in a hurry.

Other than those downsides, the gameplay and graphics are on point and the control scheme is pretty smart as well. Football fans would be remiss if they didn’t at least give Madden Mobile a shot. In celebration of the big game, be sure to check out the Super Bowl-themed daily challenges to rack up some quick rewards for your account.

Download: Madden NFL Mobile (Free)

ESPN

When it comes to sports — especially Football — ESPN is the go-to for ensuring you see the Pre-game, the real action of the game itself, and dissect every moment in the post-game. That attention to details and love of the game is baked right into their app as well. From up to the minute game scores, news coverage, podcasts, and live play-by-plays of every pass, there is a ton here for you to really dive into.

ESPN’s mobile app gives you access to as much action as it possibly can. You can watch live video — provided you pay for a compatible cable provider — see highlight reels, check the stats after the game, and so much more. Delving into everything they offer will take some time, but for the discerning fan it really is worth it.

Download: ESPN (Free)

Are you ready for some football?

Those are our picks, but there are plenty of ways to get in on the action. Do you like to use just one specific app, or do you pick and choose through multiple apps to get everything you want during the season? Let us know about it in the comments below!

Update, August 2017: This article has been updated with all of the great improvements for the 2017/2018 football season!

Sprint is offering new and existing customers a free ticket to Jay-Z’s 4:44 Tour

If you’re looking to go to Jay-Z’s upcoming 4:44 tour, you won’t want to miss this deal from our friends at Thrifter.

Whether you are thinking about making the move to Sprint from your existing carrier, or are already a customer, you won’t want to miss out on this offer. Sprint has announced that through its partnership with TIDAL it will be offering its customers a free ticket to Jay-Z’s upcoming 4:44 tour in one of 10 different cities across the U.S. You will need to activate the free 6-month trial of TIDAL to qualify for this promotion, and if you add two or more lines you can qualify for two tickets.

With ticket prices for this tour starting at around $40 and going as high as $500, being able to score a free ticket from your cellular carrier is pretty awesome. The dates and locations that are included in this promotion are:

• Las Vegas – Oct. 28
• Miami – Nov. 12
• Atlanta – Nov. 12
• Boston – Nov. 25
• Brooklyn, NY – Nov. 26
• Brooklyn, NY – Nov. 27
• Washington, D.C. – Nov. 29
• Chicago – Dec. 5
• San Diego – Dec. 19
• Los Angeles – Dec. 21

The catch here is that you’ll only be able to score a free ticket for one day, August 26. You’ll want to make sure that you have located the closest Sprint store prior to that since this offer is first come, first served. The tickets are not transferable, exchangeable or refundable, and if any scheduled event is delayed, postponed or canceled for any reason, you will not be reimbursed for tickets.

More from Thrifter:

• How to get the most out of your Amazon Prime membership
• Here are some of the best AmazonBasics products to buy

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

Best Accessories for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 … So far

These are the best accessories for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is official, and it’s sure to be a hot seller (no pun intended). To get the most out of the Note 8 experience, you’re going to need the right accessories.

We’ll keep continuously updating this list throughout the release of the Note 8 and beyond to provide you with the best accessories, but here are the best that we’ve rounded up so far!

• Samsung Gear 360
• Samsung DeX Station
• Micro SD card
• Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Convertible Charging Stand

Samsung Gear 360

If you’re pre-ordering your Galaxy Note 8, you might receive an offer to choose between a free Gear 360 or a wireless charging pad and microSD card bundle. While the charging pad/microSd card option is clearly the more practical choice, who can resist a super-cool 360-degree camera that shoots in 4K?

If you missed out on that deal or opted for the latter deal, you can still pick up your own Gear 360 for around $200 on Amazon. Check out our full review to learn more about how easy and fun it is to use this portable 360 camera.

See at Amazon

Samsung DeX Station

Samsung introduced DeX alongside the Galaxy S8, but it was prominently featured in the Note 8 announcement presentation, too. It’s a dock that you plug your phone into that lets you use it more like a desktop computer — all you need is a monitor, keyboard and mouse to complete the setup.

While Samsung likes to talk about DeX as if it’s a full replacement for carrying a laptop with you, we beg to differ — it’s something different entirely, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful. Then again, we tested it on the Galaxy S8, so maybe the extra RAM and newer software build on the Note 8 will make a difference. Either way, if you love the novelty of using your phone as a computer and like being on the cutting edge you’ll probably want a DeX Station for your Note 8.

See at Samsung

MicroSD card

The Note 8 ships with 64GB of internal storage, but if that’s simply not enough for your needs you’ll be happy to know Samsung has included a microSD card slot — meaning you can add more storage for those 4K videos or whatever reason you need more storage.

Our recommendations for the Galaxy S8 should certainly apply to the Note 8 in a pinch, but if we had to recommend just one card, we’d go with Samsung’s own 256GB EVO Select microSD. Available for around $150 it ain’t cheap, but you get what you pay for — read speeds of up to 100MB/s, write speeds of up to 90MB/s, and Class 10 UHS 3 classification which ensures it’s good to go for 4K video.

There are other options available with the same speed specs available, but if you own a Galaxy Note 8 we imagine you live by the mantra “Go Big or Go Home.”

See at Amazon

Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Convertible Charging Stand

Like the Samsung flagships that came before it, the Note 8 allows for wireless charging. Samsung’s own wireless charging pad is the first option you should consider. All you need to do is place your phone on the charging pad and it starts charging at Fast Charge speeds.

Need your phone to be accessible while you work? Flip up the stand and you’ve got a charging stand that lets you read incoming notifications or accept calls without interrupting your phone charging. You can get yours for around $52 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Which accessories are you buying?

We know the hype is real for the Note 8, and many of you may have already started picking up accessories for your new device. We want to know what you got, or what you want! Let us know in the comments.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 hands-on preview
• CompleteGalaxy Note 8 specs
• All Galaxy Note 8 news
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

‘Dissidia NT’ tries to add MMORPG dynamics to a fighting game

Fighting in Dissidia NT, coming to the PlayStation 4, is mayhem. Six characters from the Final Fantasy universe, of varying levels of popularity, are rushing each other, launching giant magical projectiles, charging up summon attacks, and watching their backs as they do it. While the first two Dissidia games on PSP were one-on-one affairs, this time you’re part of a trio. And similar to Overwatch and other competitive team games, characters are meant to work together in unison. Each is assigned to one of four classes, and that decides their play-style, weaknesses and strengths. You can also choose your attacks, buff skills and summons on top of that. In short, the demo I played was a complicated introduction — even for someone that played the last two Dissidia games to death.

Director Takeo Kujiraoka tells me that the UI has been simplified from the arcade version, with KOEI’s Team Ninja helping to ensure the battle system is a balanced one, but with three times as many players on screen, Dissidia NT is a now a competitive team fighter, and there’s an awful lot to take in all at once.

Dissidia battles were already slightly different from your typical brawler. While there is a health bar, battles are won by accumulating “bravery” (hitting your opponent with certain attacks), and then delivering that payload with HP attacks. In short, you have to use both. When your rival attacks with bravery techniques, your own bravery gauge decreases, but your health does not, and those HP attacks are the only way to knock your opponent out. Barring that base rule, Dissidia NT has been pretty much redesigned from the ground up: move sets are reimagined, and characters are noticeably slower — moves take longer to both launch and land.

Then you add in the classes: heavy-hitting Vanguards, agility-based Assassins, ranged attacking Marksmen, and Specialists — which can’t quite be categorized so easily and often mix up talents of the others. You’d do well to mix up your squad with several types — I think it was how I crushed my gracious rival during a few rounds of the demo. I already get a sense that unravelling how those classes interact will be key to winning matches

Characters can buff their own stats and debuff rivals, while powered-up versions add an area-of-effect to all your allies — or all your enemies. Kujiraoka explained that he sees the game less like a one-on-one fighter and more like Final Fantasy XIV, an online RPG where you have to work alongside your allies to win the day. Those aforementioned buffs, looking out for your team-mates, and securing your summon spells to ensure your entire team hits harder, or at least shrugs off a few hits. My main impression that the game is chaotic, but I’m willing to learn.

The good part is that many of these characters have been around for decades — plenty are instantly recognizable and arrive with a weighty backstory that comes from being the star of their own RPG. For this Final Fantasy fan, it makes battles intrinsically more thrilling. The game, however, is definitely a multiplayer fighter first, and a single-player experience second: There’s no dedicated story mode, this time, instead new story cut scenes are revealed as you accumulate points won in battle either in ranked online play or against AI.

The team has said in other interviews that the character roster could well swell to around 50. (Dissidia Duodecim totalled 28 playable characters.) This means there’s a strong chance of your Final Fantasy favorite making the grade — as long as it’s not that spoony bard. He never was much good in a fight anyhow. Dissidia NT arrives on PS4 on January 30th, 2018.

Follow all the latest news live from Gamescom here!

One week with Siri

The iPhone has been my primary smartphone for well over a decade, and therefore I’ve had Siri on my phone ever since its introduction in 2011. But I never really found a reason to use it. I’ve always felt self-conscious when talking to my phone — I find people who use voice commands in public really annoying — so I wanted to avoid doing it myself. I have Bluetooth in my car so I don’t have to use my phone while driving, and when I’m at home, I have my trusty fingers instead. So I imagined that being forced to use Siri for a whole week was going to be a nightmare.

My basic approach to my week with Apple’s assistant was to go about my day but just incorporate Siri where appropriate. Specifically, I wanted to see if I could use Siri with the “Hey Siri” voice trigger instead of just long-pressing the home button. After all, the whole point was to see if the Siri experience could be as hands-free as possible. I also installed a couple Philips Hue lights at home to see if I was able to use Siri in conjunction with Apple’s HomeKit to control them.

I started my experiment on a Monday. And at first, everything went surprisingly well. The first thing I tried was asking it to call my husband, and it did so instantly. Sending a text was pretty easy too; I just had to say “Tell Brandon I’ll be late” and Siri would kindly respond “Your message to Brandon says ‘I’ll be late.’ Do you want me to send it?” And then when I said “Yes,” it would do just that. I later asked Siri to “Take me to the Golden Gate Bridge,” and it would helpfully launch Apple Maps to get me there.

I was also pleasantly surprised with how Siri worked with Twitter and Facebook. When I said “Hey Siri, tweet something,” it would then ask me “What would you like your tweet to say?” I would then respond with “Hello World,” for example, Siri would then ask for confirmation, and then go ahead and post it if I gave it the OK. The process was the same with Facebook, except of course, my command was “Hey Siri, post something on Facebook” instead.

The next day, I thought I’d try using Siri with Lyft. When I said “Use Lyft to take me home,” it was smart enough to confirm my address and then show me the closest car on a map as well as the estimated cost. I also used it to play music (which triggers Apple Music), and it did so just fine. I was especially impressed when I hooked up my Philips Hue lights to Siri. I could just say “Good night” to have the lights turn off. I felt like I was on the USS Enterprise.

What’s more, that evening I also found out that Siri’s voice recognition is smart enough that no one else can use my Siri except me. My husband tried to trigger it with “Hey Siri,” and it wouldn’t work — only my voice could. Man, I thought, Siri is pretty awesome. I started to think that Apple’s assistant had an unfair bad rap, and that it was more useful than I realized.

And then the problems started. And oh boy, did it have problems.

I had a pretty late night on Tuesday and didn’t catch the San Francisco Giants game like I usually do (I’m a big baseball nut). So on Wednesday morning, I asked Siri “How did the Giants do last night?” Siri then responded with “Did you mean the New York Giants or the San Francisco Giants?” Seeing as it’s still baseball season and football season hasn’t started yet, the answer seemed pretty obvious. But clearly Siri didn’t know that. So I had to say “San Francisco Giants.”

Once Siri had the right team, it gave me the score (Giants won 6-3 over the Cubs, yay), but it also stopped listening. I had to trigger “Hey Siri” again to ask a follow-up question. That question was “Where is it in the standings?”, and Siri was smart enough to know I was still talking about the San Francisco Giants and gave me the results (Spoiler: It’s not pretty). This made me think that threaded searches work as it appeared that Siri was able to remember previous answers.

Except this is only partly true. I asked Siri every day for the rest of the week, “How did the Giants do last night?” and it kept asking me if I meant the New York Giants or the San Francisco Giants. It never really got through to Siri that 1) I don’t live in New York and 2) I’m not interested in football.

That’s not all, either. Sometimes Siri is smart at search, and sometimes it straight up sucks. At one point I asked Siri “Who is the President of the United States” three different times, and got three different responses. The first time, it just brought up Google search results. The second time, it brought me to the Wikipedia page for “President of the United States.” And the third time is when some sort of AI thinking seemed to kicked into gear — it responded with “Hmm, let me think” — and it finally said “The answer is Donald Trump,” (an answer sourced from Wolfram Alpha).

But when I then tried to follow up that search with “How tall is he?” I had to say “Hey Siri” again to trigger the question, and instead of bringing up Trump’s height, Siri somehow thought I meant to say “How tall is United States?”, which brought up Google search results for that question. I repeated the thread — by asking “Who’s the president of the US” and then following that up with “How tall is he” — at least three times before Siri “thought” a little more and responded with “Donald Trump’s height is 6’3″”

The problems continued on Thursday when I tried to use Siri with certain third-party apps. As I usually use Spotify for my music needs, I figured I’d try to use Siri to launch it. But saying “Play music on Spotify” doesn’t actually launch Spotify; it’ll just play Apple Music like it always does. Similarly, when I tried to play podcasts on Overcast — my podcast app of choice — it refused to do that, and instead launched Apple’s own Podcasts app. And when I tried to use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps — I said “Take me to the Golden Gate Bridge on Google Maps” — it would launch the app, but it wouldn’t give me any directions.

The more I used Siri for communicating like via texts, the more frustrating I found it. For example, I had an event to go to on Friday, and I wanted to tell my friend Whitney that I might be a little late. The problem is, one of my other friends has the last name Whitney. When I asked Siri to “Tell Whitney I’ll be late,” Siri automatically assumed I meant last-name Whitney instead of first-name Whitney. It didn’t give me a choice at all. Surely I would refer to my friends by their first name instead of their last name? When I tried saying “No, Siri, I didn’t mean that Whitney,” it thought I meant to send that whole sentence as the text instead. It was such a nightmare trying to get Siri to text her, that I ended up just not doing it at all.

By the time Saturday rolled around, I was so sick and tired of trying to make Siri work, I gave up on it entirely. I’d rather go through the hassle of typing out my Google searches than ever having to deal with a frustrating voice assistant that doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say. And, thankfully, I don’t usually make a ton of calls or texts over the weekend anyway. Even if I did, I’d probably have made up an excuse that my phone was out of battery or something. I was just done.

Sure, Siri has certain benefits, and when it works, it works well. But it just isn’t consistent enough for me to use it regularly. At the end of the day, trying to use Siri felt like I was shouting and screaming at a willfully stubborn computer. No, thanks.

This week Engadget is examining each of the five major virtual assistants, taking stock of how far they’ve come and how far they still have to go. Find all our coverage here.