Best Galaxy Note 8 cases to safeguard your Samsung phablet

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 smartphone is a giant blend of curved glass and metal that probably won’t survive an encounter with the sidewalk unscathed. If you’re going to spend close to $1,000 on a smartphone, then you had better invest a little more in some decent protection. We’ve highlighted a few different styles to help you find the right look and feel for you. These are the best Galaxy Note 8 cases and covers so far.

Incipio DualPro Case ($30)

The DualPro design is one of the original and best dual layer cases, combining a hard, polycarbonate exterior with a shock absorbent inner core. The soft layer includes chunky button covers and generous cut-outs for all your ports, cameras, and other features. This solid, unfussy case offers drop protection up to 12 feet and there’s a raised edge to safeguard that curved display. It comes in a choice of different color combinations to provide a bit of contrast between the inner and outer layers. You’ll also find that this case has a soft-touch finish that enhances grip and makes it really comfy to hold. Incipio puts a lot into making cases, so you can be sure of a quality product.

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Incipio

Speck Presidio Grip + Glitter Case ($50)

It’s tough to find cases that combine style and reliability with clever design like this one does. This is a protective case that combines a hard polycarbonate shell with a shock absorbing rubber material that will keep your Note 8 safe from falls of up to 10 feet. The flexible material is also used to create a series of ridges on the outside which give it an interesting look, but, perhaps more importantly, seriously improve your grip. This eye-catching pink and peach combo is also infused with gold glitter, but you can get the same design, minus the glitter, in more conservative colors if you prefer.

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Speck

Carved Traveler Wood Case ($24+)

We’re big fans of Carved’s range of real wood cases, all designed and made in Elkhart, Indiana. They start out from $24 for a plain wood grain finish, or you can pay a bit more for inlaid wooden designs, painted finishes, inlaid shell and mother of pearl, or even cases made from recycled skateboards. There are a lot of beautiful and unique designs to choose from and they work with some talented artists to make Note 8 cases that really stand out from the crowd. The wooden panels are mounted on a basic black, plastic shell that holds your Note 8 securely. All the cut-outs you need are present and correct, there are thin button covers, and the texture on the sides enhances your grip.

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Carved

Samsung Alcantara Case ($65)

This official Samsung Galaxy Note 8 case is covered in alcantara, which is a soft blend of polyester and polyurethane that feels like suede, but is more durable. The case is a slim shell, so it won’t interfere with wireless chargers and it adds very little to the profile of your phone, but it does cover the corners and extend around the screen to provide basic protection. You’ll find large openings for uninhibited use of the camera, ports, S Pen, and other features, and there are button covers on the side for the volume and power. If you want a soft, warm feel with your case, then this could be the one for you. It comes in black, gray, khaki, or pink.

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Mobile Fun

Griffin Survivor Clear Case ($20)

Why not protect your phone without masking Samsung’s gorgeous design? Griffin’s clear Survivor case can do exactly that with solid drop protection for falls from up to 4 feet, a 6H hardness rating, and scratch-resistance. The crystal clear back panel is glossy polycarbonate, but the bumper around the frame is a softer material designed to take the sting out of bumps and falls. It’s a slim and subtle case that will still provide the protection you need. Opt for a completely clear version or pick up a case with a translucent colored tint.

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Griffin

UAG Monarch Series Case ($60)

If you want really solid protection for your Galaxy Note 8, why not go all in with a tough case from Urban Armor Gear? The Monarch Series sports the usual industrial UAG look, adding leather panels and alloy metal highlights to the lightweight, but strong, plastic frame. This case exceeds military drop test standards, so there’s no need to be concerned if your Note 8 takes a tumble. You also get big textured, tactile button covers and generous openings for easy access to everything. The sides are textured to add grip and the corners are reinforced and extend in all directions to prevent your phone from ever touching down. This Note 8 case also doesn’t interfere with Samsung Pay or the fast wireless charging. You can get it in black or crimson.

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UAG

Tech21 Evo Tactical Case ($45)

Having seen Tech21’s testing methods first hand, we know they take drop protection very seriously. The Evo Tactical has a clever design that goes around the frame of your Note 8, effectively providing three layers of protection and ensuring your phone can survive drops of up to 10 feet without a mark. Despite this level of protection, the case is fairly thin and light. There are large openings for easy access to ports, camera, and other features. You’ll also find button covers and raised lips top and bottom to protect the screen. Although it just comes in black, Tech21 has thrown in a design flourish on the back with a geometric pattern that’s also textured to create an interesting look and enhance your grip.

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Tech21

Skech Polo Book Case ($45)

This Galaxy Note 8 wallet case from Skech has a very clever design. The folio-style, wallet exterior has a leather-look with a textured finish and stitching. It folds back to act as a viewing stand and also sports a handy magnetic clasp for secure closure. Inside there are three pockets for cards, one windowed for an ID, and a larger pocket at the back for cash. The slim, hard shell case for your Note 8 is minimal, with large openings for easy access to phone features. It can also detach from the folio and be used a slim, standalone case if you prefer. The back is magnetic, so you can stick it on a magnetic mount in your car and use your Note 8 to navigate.

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Skech

Snap the Shaveman on a disposable razor to instantly turn it into an electric shaver

Why it matters to you

Tired of your boring old disposable razor? Then you may want to check out the Shaveman, a razor-vibration applicator designed to be mounted on any disposable razor.

Do you ever find yourself yourself shaving with your boring old disposable razor and wishing that you had some kind of high-tech attachment, resembling a tiny electric hockey puck, to vibrate the blade at a rate of hundreds of times per second for an altogether more thrilling shave? Probably not, but someone has invented one anyway — and you can pre-order it right now on Kickstarter.

Called the Shaveman, the device is a razor-vibration applicator designed to be mounted on any disposable razor available on the market. With a compact housing, containing a lithium polymer battery, the Shaverman will bring your otherwise stationary razor to life with up to 11,000 fine vibrations per minute. The result? A smooth shave at a low cost.

“In most cases, each man’s facial hair lies in a different direction,” Benjamin Kim, director of manufacturer Dearbros, told Digital Trends. “However, regular razors often fail to cut those lying-down beard hairs. They get swept along, or they get caught and pulled out. Due to this, users try to stick the razor up closer to their skin, and this leads to the skin becoming more irritated, among other complications. [But] if you make the razor vibrate, the vibration transfers to the skin and catches the beard hairs that lie flat, reducing skin irritation and allowing for a cleaner shave.”

As to the all-important question of safety, Kim says that Shaveman’s waterproof body makes it safe enough to wash with water after you’re done shaving. The built-in lithium polymer batteries also feature a function that prevents overcharging.

As to that minor issue of whether or not it’s going to cut your face off like Hannibal Lecter escaping his captors in Silence of the Lambs: “Those worried about cutting themselves due to the vibration during shaving can have those worries alleviated by taking a glance at the brand-name vibration razors being sold on the market already,” Kim said.

You can pre-order Shaveman on Kickstarter right now, with prices starting at $30 and shipping set to take place in December. We recommend you just grow a beard until then.

Will ‘Final Fantasy XV’ have mods on PC? Hajime Tabata says “maybe”

By far the biggest announcement to come out of NVIDIA’s Gamescom 2017 presentation is the upcoming Windows PC port of Final Fantasy XV, developed in partnership with NVIDIA. Digital Trends sat down with game director Hajime Tabata (via translator) after the show to learn a bit more about Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition, which is slated for an early 2018 release via Steam and Origin.

Digital Trends: How has developing for the PC compared to consoles?

Tabata: I don’t have any experience developing for PCs. Final Fantasy is traditionally a console franchise, with some subsequent ports over to PC (with the obvious exception being XI and XIV the online MMOs). But we really felt that we hadn’t done a game that was truly designed for PC gamers and what they want, so that’s a new challenge we wanted to take on for Final Fantasy XV.

“In a lot of ways handheld consoles and home consoles are not that different from a developer’s perspective. Spec-wise they’re not that different.”

In a lot of ways handheld consoles and home consoles are not that different from a developer’s perspective. Spec-wise they’re not that different. Certainly PC gaming is another animal entirely, though. Beyond the different setting in which you’re playing, you’ve got lots of different spec levels–people playing on different kinds of machines–which is something we obviously don’t have to take into account developing for console.

Personally, in my past I’ve loved playing a lot of great PC games, and so I know that there area ton of great games out there in that market, so if we really wanted to compete we couldn’t bring PC gamers the same experience they had on console: we had to add something new for them.

Can you elaborate on those new features?

The minimum level of what we had to do for PC is provide the best possible graphics experience with the technology we have. Then PC gamers really want to be able to enjoy the best experience they can have with the spec available to them, so we had to introduce a lot of graphical options, tuning and customization abilities so they could have the game at the best performance they can on their machine.

The other thing we really value is the way people relate to games. On PC, a lot of players really like first-person gameplay, so we decided to introduce a first-person view mode as well. We didn’t just want to have the camera change and everything else stay the same. Rather we’ve had to make sure that the whole experience really works as a first-person game as well.

One of the other things that we’re really looking into at the moment — something that’s quite important to the PC market — is the idea of adding mods to the game so players can enjoy the game the way they want to have fun with it on their own.

Mods will be supported on release?

We’re looking into that very much at the moment. We’ll probably have details about that — what the plan is and whether we’ll incorporate mods or not — some time around autumn this year, so you’ll have to hold out until then.

As a 30-year-old franchise there are a lot of people in the position that they were big fans of Final Fantasy in the past, but maybe moved away and don’t play anymore, or who used to be console gamers, but are now PC gamers, and we really wanted to create the opportunity for those people to come back to the series and play Final Fantasy XV the way they want to on PC.

A lot of the focus in PC gaming is on the highest graphical settings–what are your considerations for low-spec machines?

For graphics cards I believe GeForce is on their 10th generation now, and we’ve allowed so that the game will work quite well three generations back, so that’s the 760, I believe. You still need a 4-core CPU, but not necessarily the kind that just hardcore PC gamers have–we’ve done several tests, and it should work well on the quad-core processors that more regular PC users have as well. The way we’re approaching development, and we’re still working out the details, is we set the high bar of the top possible spec we could go for, and now we’re doing the work on how far down we can expand the range of how low we can push that and still get a good gaming experience. Though at the current spec we’re at the moment, my personal PC at home won’t play it, and that’s quite sad for me!

Logitech G433 review

Research Center:
Logitech G433

We often criticize gaming headsets for their cheesy designs, but we’d always rather have something that sounds good first, and looks good second. After all, gaming headsets are designed for communicating with teammates and exploring the virtual world, not the real one, and few people will likely see them anyway. However, Logitech seems to have flipped these priorities with the G433. While the exterior design is fit to compete with the latest from Beats, as we discovered in our Logitech G433 gaming headset review, the company may have put a little too much effort into looks, and not enough into performance.

Out of the box

After slipping off the box’s outer shell, the magnetized lid unfolds to reveal the G433 resting in a shell of molded plastic. The first impression is a strong one: The headphones are sleek and minimalist in design, cloaked in a single shade of black in matte across the headband, and mesh along the earcups.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Removing the headset uncovers a small collection of accessories, including USB and 3.5mm cables, instructions, a detachable mic piece, and even an extra pair of earpads with a suede fabric instead of mesh. Also inside is a circular soft-zipper case for toting the G433 around.

Setup

Depending on your system of choice, you’ll plug in either the USB cable (for PC or PlayStation 4), or the 3.5mm cable to connect to an Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, 3DS, or mobile device. If you’re using a PC you’ll need to download drivers from Logitech’s website to enable 7.1 surround sound — otherwise you’ll be good to go for stereo listening.

Features and design

As we’ve alluded to, we really like the G433’s look. The succinct, single-color design is disrupted only by the stylized Logitech “G” on the earcups and headband, and unlike the decals for most gaming headsets, they’re tastefully designed for a pinch of visual flair. The attractive design makes sense considering Logitech is marketing the G433 as a pair of cans that easily transforms from a gaming headset to your daily headphones for music.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

To make a quick transition from gaming to listening, the G433’s removable mic attaches easily via one of two 3.5mm jacks on the left earcup. The mic arm is highly articulate – more so than many other headsets we’ve reviewed – and stays put, making it easy to find an optimal spot.

The G433 includes every wired connection option you could want, though it falls just short of the plug-and-play nature of the Cloud Revolver S, whose USB virtual surround card can be used with both PC and PS4. The G433’s virtual surround, on the other hand, can only be used with PC, but since it’s a wired headset it can be used in stereo mode with PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and iOS or Android mobile devices.

The G433 has an attractive design that works as both a headset and headphones.

While we love the look, putting the G433 on is a different story. The clamping pressure is fairly severe for the first few hours, and even after breaking them in, they’re not very comfortable. This is largely due to the mesh fabric covering earpads. It’s stiff and scratchy, especially after longer gaming sessions. The second pair of suede earpads feels better, but only marginally so. Like the band, both sets of pads eventually break in, but we still never found them as comfortable as even the G433’s predecessor the G533, which is surprising considering it uses a similar mesh covering for the pads. That said, we do appreciate the G433’s lightweight construction, clamping force and scratchy fabric notwithstanding.

Despite these gripes, the G433 do have some positives. We especially appreciate the inclusion of a few more accessories than you’d normally get with a headset. It’s not much, mind, but the soft carrying case and (cables) is a modest improvement from the standard components included with most headsets. Finally, while the unit we tested was black, we also appreciate the availability of multiple colors, including blue, red, and blue/black camo.

Performance

We won’t bury the lead here – the G433 are not the greatest sounding headset. With gaming headsets, a strong seal around the ears is important for keeping your gameplay in, and outside noises out. The G433 have very poor sound isolation. In fact, when we put them on, we weren’t sure if they were open or closed backed, it’s that noticeable.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

We first gave this headset a go while playing the recent Destiny 2 beta and the recently released Final Fantasy XII: Zodiac Age. The G433 suffers from a distinct lack of bass, which left both games feeling gutless. Gun shots in Destiny 2 – arguably one of the primary highpoints of the series’ gameplay – sounded tame compared to the way sound in beefier headsets like the Cloud Revolver S or the Sennheiser GSP 350. In Final Fantasy XII, a game largely defined by its masterful orchestral soundtrack from composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Hayato Matsuo, the music lacked texture and fullness, coming across as hollow.

Elsewhere in the mix, we noticed the upper register getting a bit muddy, and at higher volumes there was some distortion.

The mic arm is highly articulate, making it easy to find an optimal spot.

Compared to the G433’s more expensive wireless predecessor, the G533, this is a noticeable step down both in terms of sound quality and comfort. One could argue that the G433 being $50 cheaper than its older sibling is a point in its favor, but other $100 headsets like the Arctis 5 offer better quality, and even the Astro A10, which is just $60, outperforms the G433 — especially in terms of sound isolation.

The G433 does have one redeeming feature when it comes to audio quality: Virtual 7.1 surround sound. Though virtual 7.1 has become common among most serious gaming headsets out there, you’ll often have to cough up $150 or more to get it. As usual, we opted for a multiplayer shooter to test out the G433’s surround sound accuracy, specifically Overwatch. It worked well enough, making for more accurate sound staging, but we wouldn’t call it a massive improvement simply because the general sound quality is just passible.

Logitech G433 Compared To

Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver S

Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition

Sony Platinum (PS4) wireless headset

Sennheiser PC 373D

Logitech G533

PlayStation Gold

Turtle Beach Ear Force i30

Turtle Beach Ear Force i60

Tritton Kunai

Tritton Warhead 7.1

Turtle Beach Ear Force X32

Sennheiser X 320

Turtle Beach PX3

Cooler Master Storm Sirus

Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5

The final piece of performance critique is the mic. In testing, we found the G433’s mic to be decent quality compared to similar headsets – that is to say, it’s good, not great. It does have an edge over the mics on other headsets thanks to the G433’s mic being so articulate, so easy to find the perfect position, and once you’ve found it, it won’t budge. But that’s about it.

Warranty information

According to Logitech’s support site, the company offers a two year limited hardware warranty for the G433.

Our Take

In the end, this headset is mostly just “okay.” The best feature is the way it looks, but that’s immediately undermined by the way it feels. On the one hand, the variety of color options and small batch of accessories makes for a decent $100 option. But in many ways, it lags behind even less expensive models, specifically the Astro A10 and Arctis 3.

Is there a better alternative?

As mentioned above, $50 more lands the G533, which is more comfortable, sounds far better, and is wireless (though only compatible with PC or PS4). For something wired at the same price point, the Arctis 5 does everything the G433 does, but better, and with the added benefit of offering the best virtual surround software available. If you’re looking for something cheaper, the $80 Arctis 3 or the $60 Astro A10 are great alternatives, too.

How long will it last?

Logitech has clearly put most of its focus into the G433’s looks rather than performance. While that makes it much more enticing to take on the road, you’ll easily find a reason to leave these behind once you put on something more comfortable and better sounding.

Should you buy it?

No. On paper, this is a great headset; in execution, it’s only passible. The only reason we could recommend it is because of how good it looks and how light it feels when wearing it. But for serious gamers, there are better options out there.

Razer attacks the Xbox One Elite Controller with its vicious Wolverine Ultimate

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking for a new, elite controller for Xbox One and Windows 10, Razer’s new device is ideal for those who want customizable controls and cool RGB lighting.

While using a controller to play games on Windows 10 may seem like blasphemy to many die-hard PC gamers, they’re still useful for titles that don’t need precision controls, like No Man’s Sky and Mass Effect: Andromeda. Xbox One controllers work just fine on Windows 10, but if you’re looking for a bit more oomph in your PC or console gaming, then Razer’s new Wolverine Ultimate controller might just be your ticket to gaming glory.

According to Razer, its new gamepad can adapt itself to any gameplay style due to interchangeable parts. That includes a set of two different D-Pads, and another set of swappable thumbsticks with different shapes and heights. There are also six triggers and buttons that can be mapped via Razer’s free Synapse software on PC, and the upcoming Razer Synapse app on the Xbox Marketplace.

What’s interesting with the Wolverine Ultimate is that it supports the Razer Chroma illumination platform. The device includes an RGB strip running along a small area on the face of the controller, and across the front. The strip supports 16.8 million colors along with various cool lighting effects such as Spectrum, Wave, Breathing, and several others.

“The Razer Wolverine Ultimate will be the first console product to support the Razer Chroma SDK, allowing developers to integrate advanced lighting capabilities for Xbox One games, and console controllers for next level gaming immersion,” Razer says.

Based on product images, the Wolverine Ultimate is a wired device with a removable, braided USB cable. It includes four extra buttons on the bottom (M3 to M6), and two added buttons between the trigger sets (M1, M2). The controller’s face adds four buttons for muting the sound of a connected headset (via the built-in 3.5mm audio jack), muting the microphone, synchronizing profiles, and remapping button commands.

As for other features, this premium controller includes a hair-trigger mode that reduces the response time of the left and right triggers, allowing them to activate faster. There are trigger stop switches as well that shorten their overall travel distance. The action buttons are based on tactile switches that provide a slight “clicky” feel so that you know your action is recognized.

Finally, the controller ships with non-slip rubber grips, a carrying case, and a 10-foot braided fiber connector with a MicroUSB connector. It’s very similar in nature to the Razer Wildcat controller for Xbox One, but ditches the Wildcat’s Razer Green/Black theme for a completely black design. The Wolverine Ultimate also packs a few additional buttons, and appears to be more ergonomic in shape so it feels comfortable in your hands during long gaming sessions.

The Razer Wolverine Ultimate will arrive in North America sometime during September for a hefty price of $160. It’s slightly more expensive than the $150 wireless Elite Controller for the Xbox One, which has a few less buttons, no integrated media buttons, and no cool RGB illumination.

Tiny acoustic antennas could help make brain implants a reality

Why it matters to you

Revolutionary antenna, hundreds of times smaller than existing models, could help shrink phones and satellites, and even make smart brain implants a real thing.

Researchers at Northeastern University have made a major advance in developing significantly smaller antennas, hundreds of times tinier than currently existing versions. The development is significant because, in a world in which virtually every piece of portable wireless communications technology has shrunk over time, antennas have stubbornly remained the same size.

“Current antennas are limited to large sizes, which are hard for many applications like bio-implantable, bio-injectable, and bio-ingestible antennas,” Nian Sun, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern, told Digital Trends.

The antennas described by Sun and his colleagues are based on an entirely different design principle to the traditional ones currently used. Traditional antennas receive and transmit large electromagnetic waves, and have to remain a certain size to function with electromagnetic radiation. Northeastern’s new antennas, on the other hand, are designed for acoustic resonance, which have a wavelength thousands of times smaller than electromagnetic waves.

The team has so far developed two types of acoustic antenna. The first has a circular membrane and is used for frequencies in the gigahertz range — including those frequencies used for Wi-Fi. The other acoustic antenna has a rectangular membrane for megahertz frequencies, typically used for TV and radio. Each antenna measures under a millimeter and both could be placed together on one chip. In tests, the new acoustic antennas have been shown to work better than traditional antennas in certain contexts.

Some of the potential applications for the new acoustic antennas include shrinking the size of technologies ranging from smartphones to satellites, which rely on antennas for communication. However, the really exciting possible uses involve incorporating antennas into technologies that are not yet in mass-market existence — opening up the possibility of ingestible antennas, brain implants, and the like.

As to what’s next for the project? “Further improving the acoustic antenna performance, and applying them to wireless communication systems,” Sun said. He acknowledges that the present models are still a proof-of-concept rather than a finished product but the researchers are optimistic about what is next. “We are in the process of commercializing these antennas now,” Sun said.

A paper describing the research was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

Bixby: Everything you need to know!

What is Samsung Bixby? Get started here!

Bixby is Samsung’s take on the pocket assistant, combining machine learning, voice assistance, visual help and more into an all-encompassing helper. Whether you’re rocking a Galaxy S8 or you’re eyeing a shiny Galaxy Note 8, we can help you get started with Bixby the right way.

Everything you need to know about Bixby Voice

Up until the latest preview, all we knew about Bixby is that it enabled you to press a button to control the phone with your voice. Well, now that we’ve had some time with it, we can confirm that Bixby Voice really is all about talking to the Galaxy S8. It’s not quite the same as Google Assistant, though, as Bixby is more conversational and apologetic when it messes up. This is a voice-activated virtual assistant that truly aims to please.

Everything you need to know about Bixby Voice

Best tips for wrangling Bixby to get it to do what you want

Bixby Voice delivers a pocket assistant that you can talk to in order to get things done. However, if you can’t seem to get Bixby to do what you’re asking, then using the assistant can feel like more of a hassle than a help. These tips will help to ensure that when you tell Bixby Voice to do something, it listens.

Best tips for wrangling Bixby Voice to get it to do what you want

How to disable Bixby Voice

Bixby Voice lets you ask a question out loud to your Galaxy device and have your phone answer right back. While this is handy for some people, not everybody wants to have Bixby answering questions for them. By turning off Bixby Voice, holding the Bixby button will now launch the app instead of a speech bubble. Turning Bixby Off — or back on — only takes a few moments, and we’ve got the details for you here!

How to disable Bixby Voice

How to access your Bixby History

Bixby Voice records all of the questions you ask, along with all the answers that it has delivered in response. If you’ve been wanting to take a look back at something you’ve asked in the past, you can access the history feature from within the Bixby app. It only shows you the last 7 days’ worth of questions and answers, but it can be totally worth it.

How to access your Bixby History

How to use Bixby Vision

Bixby Vision is a feature that’s unlike any other and designed to take your pocket assistant to the next level. Using Bixby Vision you can extract or translate text, search for images similar to what your camera sees, shop for those items, and plenty more. With so much going on it can be hard to get a decent grasp on everything when you’re just starting out. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you, and detailed out what you need to know to get the most out of everything Bixby Vision can do!

How to use Bixby Vision

How to replace Bixby Voice with Google Assistant

Not everyone wants to use Bixby Voice, and if you’d prefer Google Assistant, then you’re in luck! There are a few things you can do in order to replace Bixby with Google Assistant.

How to replace Bixby Voice with Google Assistant on your Galaxy S8

Most popular Bixby Voice commands

There is plenty that Bixby is capable of doing simply by using voice commands, from playing music from your favorite app, to adding items to your calendar. We’ve got the details on the most awesome commands to aid you in your Bixby adventures!

Most popular Bixby Voice commands

How to customize Bixby Home

Bixby Home is the central hub where Bixby delivers summaries of what is going on in your apps in the form of cards. We’ve got the details on how to customize the look of Bixby Home, as well as the information it displays for you!

How to customize Bixby Home

How to improve Bixby Voice using Samsung Feedback

Bixby Voice can easily answer your questions and help you access the apps you want with just a few words. However, if Bixby Voice doesn’t understand what you are saying, then you definitely aren’t going to get the results that you’ve been hoping for. There is an easy way to help fine tune what Bixby hears while you’re speaking to it using custom feedback to correct incorrect words or phrases.

How to improve Bixby Voice using Samsung Feedback

How to change the language and speaking style of Bixby Voice

Like most other virtual assistants, Bixby talks back — but some folks might not want to listen to Bixby’s default voice “Stephanie”. Or maybe you might like to have Bixby respond in a different language. Either way, it’s a pretty simple process from within the settings of the Bixby app, and we’ll show you how.

How to change the language and speaking style of Bixby Voice

How to customize Hello Bixby

You can conveniently access Bixby on the Galaxy S8 or Note 8 by swiping right on the home screen or by pressing the Bixby button (on the left, below the volume buttons) at any time.

But Bixby is only going to be useful if you make it your own. Here’s how to customize your Bixby experience.

How to customize Hello Bixby on your Galaxy S8

Questions?

Do you still have questions about a feature on Bixby? Have you been leveling up in Bixby, or do you miss Google Assistant? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

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• Get to know Samsung Bixby
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• Galaxy Note 8 hands-on preview
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Sony Xperia XZ1 leak showcases bezels, camera bump, parrot

2017 specs, 2013 design.

Sony’s been putting out big, bezelly, monolithic smartphones for almost five years, and even in the age of the Essential Phone and Galaxy Note 8 it’s showing no sign of stopping.

The company’s upcoming handset, the Xperia XZ1, will purportedly break cover next week in Berlin, but Roland Quandt of WinFuture has already revealed the handset in all its underwhelming glory. Essentially, this is the same Sony design we’ve been seeing since the original Xperia Z, a phone launched in January 2013, with another round of incremental spec upgrades.

Sony Xperia XZ1 pic.twitter.com/ymb3KpFTF6

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) August 23, 2017

Sony Xperia XZ1 pic.twitter.com/2MWjOgV5Et

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) August 23, 2017

On the inside, the XZ1 is rumored to pack the same internals as the XZ Premium, namely a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and 19-megapixel with slow-mo video capabilities, only in a smaller 5.2-inch form factor.

More interestingly, showcased in today’s leak are: ample bezels, an ample camera hump, and a parrot on the screen. The bird appears to be an eclectus parrot, but we’ll have to wait for the official unveiling for confirmation of this.

Sony’s new phone, and parrot, are set to debut on August 31 ahead of IFA 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Any bets on whether it’ll finally be able to ship a fingerprint scanner in the U.S. this time?

(Sony, not the parrot.)

More: IFA 2017 preview

Microsoft’s Xbox One X is still a tough sell

We get it, Microsoft. The Xbox One X is a beast! It’ll run games in native 4K! (Not like that sometimes-4K from the PlayStation 4 Pro.) It’s basically everything we’ve ever wanted, spec-wise, from a video game console. And yet, many aspects of the Xbox One X still fall flat, even though we’re just a few months away from its November 7th release. That was clearer than ever at Gamescom this week, where Microsoft kicked things off with an over-long presentation that didn’t give us many reasons to actually get excited for the One X.

Let’s start with the good: It’s nice to see there there are more than 100 Xbox One X enhanced games on the horizon. While they won’t all be available for the system’s launch, the list is a good sign that developers are actually eager to take advantage of the new console’s additional horsepower. Unfortunately, it’s still unclear how “enhanced” these games will be — we don’t know if they’ll offer full 4K rendering, for example.

All of the other Xbox One X news at Gamescom, meanwhile, was disappointing on some level. Microsoft kicked off pre-orders of the console by announcing the limited edition “Project Scorpio” model, which has some special branding and a “sophisticated and dynamic” case pattern. Oh, and it’s the only launch Xbox One X with a vertical stand. Yay?

As for new games, there’s Jurassic World Evolution, the dino-theme park builder nobody asked for, and a “Definitive Edition” of the ill-received ReCore. Additionally, Microsoft is remastering its two Disney games, Disneyland Adventure and Rush: A Pixar Adventure, as well as Zoo Tycoon, with 4K and HDR support. I’m sure those games have an audience, but they’re not the sort who would care about having more pixels. And I wouldn’t call any of them system sellers — especially for a high-end console.

All in all, it’s a shame to see that Microsoft’s pitch for the Xbox One X hasn’t changed much since E3. At the time, I argued that it was too expensive and didn’t really have many compelling for Xbox One owners to upgrade this year. That’s still the case. Engadget associate editor Timothy J. Seppala called it “aspirational in the purest sense of the word.” To get the most of the Xbox One X, you’d need a 4K HDR TV and a fancy surround sound system with Dolby Atmos support. There’s nothing wrong with aspirational tech — Apple and Tesla have pretty much banked on that. But if you’re going to go down that route, you’d best be sure you’re offering something nobody else is.

In my brief hands on time with a few Xbox One X titles at Gamescom, it was clear that it was pushing out significantly better graphics than the standard Xbox One. Fighting enemies and running around the world of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War was silky smooth in native 4K and 30FPS — I didn’t notice any slowdown, even when I was surrounded by a dozen enemies. The HDR lighting also made my character’s ghostly superpowers pop on the screen. Gears of War 4 also looked fantastic, with better texture and model detail than before. It also features HDR, but so did the Xbox One S version. (It remains to be seen if future HDR games will support the older console.)

Microsoft

But while it looked better, seeing the Xbox One X in action made it abundantly clear that it’s something only hardcore gamers will appreciate. The $250 Xbox One S is still a very capable machine, especially if you’re stuck with a 1080p screen. Even if you’ve got a 4K TV, the One S also features 4K Blu-ray, and it upsamples games to the higher resolution (though that’s no match for actually rendering them with more pixels). Honestly, it seems like Microsoft is simply confused about how it wants to position its consoles. Why else would the company announce a $400 Xbox One S for Minecraft fans?

The Xbox One X is a particularly tough sell because it comes a year after the PlayStation 4 Pro, which also made 4K and HDR a big part of its appeal. It’s not powerful enough to play most games natively in 4K, but it still gives developers the ability to push past 1080p and cram in more visual effects. Together with the addition of HDR (high-dynamic range) lighting, the PS4 Pro can still make games look much better than the standard PS4. And it did all of that last year for $400. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see slight discounts as we approach the holiday season, which will make the Xbox One X’s $500 price stick out even more.

Another major disappointment? Microsoft still isn’t saying anything about the Xbox One X’s VR support. We know it’s coming eventually, but the lack of clarity around the company’s VR plans is a sore point. That’s particularly true since the PlayStation VR also launched last year, just in time to pair nicely with the PS4 Pro’s additional horsepower. Sure, PS VR had some issues at launch, but it was still better than I expected, and it managed to bring the entry price for VR down significantly. And since then, it’s also built up a solid library of games.

When Gamescom began, I eagerly pre-ordered the Xbox One X, even though I knew it wouldn’t reach its full potential until next year. But at this point, I’m considering canceling my order. It just doesn’t make sense to invest in the Xbox One X now, when there’s little differentiating it from the PS4 Pro. That will change eventually. And for Microsoft’s sake, I hope it’s sooner rather than later.

Follow all the latest news live from Gamescom here!

Twitter’s Xbox app can stream live 360-degree video

Twitter launched on the Xbox One last fall, and did so with a focus on video. Today, an update adds some new video types, most notably live 360-degree video. Given that just about every platform has been focusing on 360 video lately, so it’s not surprising to see Twitter look to expand the places where users can watch it. The Apple TV has supported live 360-degree video for a while now, so it’s not a huge surprise to see it arrive here as well.

For those among us with literally no attention span, the app also now supports watching two video streams side-by-side. It’s not clear exactly how the audio works in that situation; we’re guessing that you can just pick which stream you can hear at any given moment. And if you’re a Periscope fan, the Twitter app also lets you browse the “global map” that lets you see where people are broadcasting from at any given moment.

Ultimately, a focus on video makes sense for Twitter on a large screen — plenty of people tune in to Twitter to comment on big live events. Doing it all from your big TV can be a good way to keep up with the chatter around whatever particular video on Twitter catches your interest.

Source: Microsoft (Twitter)