Best new songs to stream: Taylor Swift, DJ Premier, and more

Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click — you want the best new songs to stream right now.

But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.

Here are our five best new songs to stream this week. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.

Taylor Swift — Look What You Made Me Do

An ’80s dance groove lays the foundation for pop star Taylor Swift’s bizarre new single, punctuated by speech-song vocals and strings. There’s a dystopian feeling to the singer/songwriter’s new song that isn’t altogether convincing for those who remember Swift as a leader of the pop country movement, but recent super fans who have been waiting since 2014 for new material will surely help make the tune a megahit. Swift’s upcoming album Reputation is out in November.

DJ Premier & The Badder Band — KRS-One Attacks (and more)

Legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier appeared with his Badder Band at NPR’s Tiny Desk this week, performing with turntables while the live ensemble layered in tasteful melodic accompaniment. If you haven’t begun your journey into hip-hop history, this live concert is a perfect one to watch with the iconic beatsmith showcasing the skills and the genre he’s helped develop over the past several decades.

MF Doom — Doomsayer (Explicit)

Underground rap king MF Doom has been releasing new tracks this summer in partnership with Adult Swim, the latest being this short, classic-style hip-hop track produced by Alchemist. A head-bobbing cut filled with Doom’s signature tongue-in-cheek lyricism, Doomsayer is a potent combination of tasteful samples and lyricism that will keep you coming back for more.

Beach Fossils — Be Nothing

Too often, a band’s live performance isn’t as clean as it is on the record, but there’s an impressively clean quality to this live take of Be Nothing by Beach Fossils from the band’s recent KEXP performance that actually mirrors the depth of the production on their recent full studio album. Layers of guitars, bass, and percussion coalesce in a wall of sound that could easily be mistaken for a studio take.

Phoebe Bridgers — Motion Sickness

A four-on-the-floor drumbeat propels pop songwriter Phoebe Bridgers’ Motion Sickness throughout its four-minute runtime. Bridgers rides a scooter around Los Angeles in the music video for this latest single, taking you with her on a journey that culminates in a passionate chorus onstage at a karaoke bar.

That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more songs to stream, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:

Lend researchers computing power and they’ll use it to study your microbiome

Why it matters to you

Conducting millions of experiments in the name of science takes a lot of processing power, but little old you can actually contribute.

Who better to study what lives inside you than, well, you? IBM certainly agrees, and now, the company has teamed up with the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of California San Diego, and the Flatiron Institute to form the Microbiome Immunity Project. It’s described as an IBM-facilitated citizen science project that will take advantage of the “surplus processing power on volunteers’ computers to conduct millions of virtual experiments on behalf of the researchers.” The goal? To map the three million bacterial genes found in your microbiome — which is to say, the bacteria that lives in and on you.

The hope is that this collective science experiment will help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the microbiome’s interaction with our own biochemistry, and thereby examine how these interactions could affect certain diseases, including Type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. These afflictions already plague hundreds of millions of individuals around the world, but a microbiome study holds out the hope of improved treatment and possibly prevention, of these diseases.

So why haven’t these studies been done before? The problem with conducting this experiment on your own (or on anyone’s own), is that it would require massive supercomputing processing power. And while a single supercomputer might have trouble dealing with so much data, a whole lot of normal computers could do the trick. As such, IBM is actually crowdsourcing computing power by way of IBM’s World Community Grid.

“This type of research on the human microbiome, on this scale, has not been done before,” said Dr. Ramnik Xavier, Institute member and co-director of the infectious disease and microbiome program. “It’s only possible with massive computational power.”

To participate, you need only to download a secure software program that will automatically sense when your computer can offer spare processing power. In those times, IBM will tap your machine to run virtual experiments on behalf of the scientists. The data that comes out of these millions of experiments from across the country will ultimately be analyzed by the project’s team. And in keeping with the crowdsourcing theme, this data will be made publicly available to other scientists, hopefully improving our capacity to treat autoimmune diseases.

As Dr. Rob Knight, Director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation at UC San Diego noted, “By harnessing the efforts of volunteers, we can do something that exceeds the scale of what we have access to by a factor of thousands. For the first time, we’re bringing a comprehensive structural biology picture to the whole microbiome, rather than solving structures one at a time in a piecemeal fashion.”

Best Ultra Thin Cases for Google Pixel

What are the best ultra-thin cases for the Google Pixel?

The Google Pixel is a brand new, sleek and stylish phone, so having a big bulky case on it might not be the most ideal thing for those who want to keep the minimalist beauty of the device while still showing it off (and keeping it protected!)

There are plenty of cases to pick from when it come to customizing your Pixel, but with so many options available, which one should you go with? Here are our choices we think you should consider while picking out the best ultra-thin case for your Google Pixel!

• Peel Super Thin Pixel Case
• Dbrand Skins
• Diztronic Pixlee Slim-Fit Case
• Maxboost mSnap Thin case
• Pixel Case by Google
• DGtle Anti-Scratch case
• Spigen Liquid Crystal case
• Bear Motion Ultra Slim case

Peel Super Thin Pixel Case

If you’re searching for the absolute thinnest case, it’s hard to beat the ultra thin offerings from Peel. Its goal seems to be to keep your phone protected without anyone ever really noticing that you’ve got a case on your phone.

For the Pixel and Pixel XL, that means offering cases that match the color of your phone (even that gorgeous Really Blue) without any brand markings on the case. It really lets the Pixel’s design come through and at only .35mm of thickness, even you might forget you’ve got a case on your phone over time. You can get a peel case in Very Silver, Quite Black, or Really Blue for either the Pixel or Pixel XL for just $25.

See at Peel

Dbrand Skins

I don’t know exactly where Dbrand skins fall in terms of being an actual case — typically I would define a case as something you can pop on and off as needed. But if you’re looking to customize your Pixel with a thin layer of protection and have the patience for a precise, one-time installation, you really need to check out Dbrand

They offer a wide variety of skins for the Pixel and Pixel XL that can be as subtle or flashy as you want. It’s all about customization here so choose the color and texture style you want. These vinyl skins are less than .25mm thick so you’re adding basically no bulk at all to your phone while protecting the body from any scuffs and scratches from drops. If you decide to remove the skin, Dbrand guarantees that their skins will leave no residue on your phone. So keep it protected and thin with a Dbrand skin.

See at Dbrand

Diztronic Pixlee Slim-Fit Case

If you enjoy a good pun, you’ll enjoy the Diztronic Pixlee Slim-Fit Case. It’s a minimalist case made of TPU with a matte finish and a pixelated texture on the back… For your Pixel.

It’s a really slim case that adds barely any bulk to your phone, but will keep it protected even when you put it face down on a table with a slight lip around the front edge. All the coverings and cutouts for the buttons and ports are precisely designed so you’ll have no issues fitting this case on your phone. It’s available for just $10 on Amazon, so get yours today!

See at Amazon

Maxboost mSnap Thin case

If you’re looking for a Google Pixel case that’s thin and out of the way, but that still adds a little bit of protection and security to your phone, then take a peek at the highly-rated and recommended Maxboost mSnap Thin case!

Designed to precisely snap to fit your Google Pixel and built with durable 4-side protection that covers your phone’s corners, along with a raised bezel to protect your Pixel’s screen, the Maxboost mSnap Thin case may be thin, but it will also protect your phone from day-to-day wear and tear.

You won’t have to worry about pulling your Pixel in and out of the case to charge it, either: the Maxboost mSnap Thin case comes with cutouts for your speakers, charging ports, and buttons. You can pick up the mSnap in vibrant colors like turquoise or rose gold, or in a standard color like black.

The best part? The case is less that $15, so you won’t have to break the bank to find a case that works for you!

See at Amazon

Pixel Case by Google

Keep your Pixel protected and secure without the weight and inconvenience with the Pixel Case by Google.

Designed and built with a silicone exterior to provide extra shock absorption from high falls, the Pixel Case by Google comes finished with a high-quality microfibre interior for additional protection. Simply slide on the flexible, yet perfectly-fitting case, and your Pixel is ready to go!

Unlike some minimalist cases that only come clear or in basic colors, Google’s case comes in a number of bright, fun shades to match your sense of style, including grey, blue, green, coral, and peach.

See at the Google Store

DGtle Anti-Scratch case

With an anti-scratch guarantee and a sleek, ultra-thin design, the DGtle case is another ideal partner for your Pixel if you’re looking for a case that isn’t bulky or cumbersome!

Made from a durable TPU material to protect your Pixel against any outside trauma or force, and designed to be firm, yet flexible, this non-slip DGtle case is a smart minimalist option to consider as you hunt for the perfect case.

The case fits snugly to your Pixel to protect it, and comes in a clear style, or you can also pick and choose from frosted purple, pink, mint, blue, gray, and so many others!

See at Amazon

Spigen Liquid Crystal case

Protect your Pixel in true minimalist style with the Liquid Crystal case from Spigen.

If you’re looking for a truly ultra-thin case, Spigen has you covered with the Liquid Crystal. The case is made from a clear TPU material and is extremely flexible and lightweight. With some clear cases, smudges and dirt can easily gather on the back of your phone, but Spigen’s inner-dot pattern prevents any grime from muddying up the look of your Pixel.

While the Liquid Crystal only comes in one color (clear), and might look like a bit of a flimsy case, it’s actually voted one of the best Pixel ultra-thin cases out there, so check it out for just $12 if you’re looking for a reliable clear case option!

See at Amazon

Bear Motion Ultra Slim case

Snap, secure, and go with the Bear Motion Ultra Slim case for your Pixel!

With full-access to all ports and buttons, the Bear Motion case is a great accessory to partner with your Pixel. While it’s not as protective as other cases on this list, it’s super-slim design is perfect for minimalists who are looking for a simple, stylish look and feel.

This lightweight case will protect your Pixel from small scratches and bumps and comes in five different color choices, including bright red, black, navy blue, gray, and forest green. Get yours today for just $8!

See at Amazon

What’s your pick?

Is there a minimalist, ultra-thin Pixel case that you simply cannot get enough of? Have you found the perfect combination of simplicity and protection? Style and functionality?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Updated August 2017: Added Peel, Dbrand, and Diztronic options to our list!

Get this 200-hour network security training bundle at 98% off!

Network security is an issue that plagues plenty of internet users, especially corporations with important data they must safeguard. To ensure their security is up to snuff, they call in a professional who understands the risks involved and who can test their systems. These professionals are in high demand, but the training needed to pass the certification exams is usually quite expensive.

Anyone interested in becoming a network security ninja needs a course that won’t break the bank — it’s tough switching careers, but it’s usually a move that pays off.

Right now, Android Central Digital Offers has an incredible offer on a network security mastery bundle. Normally priced at $2719, you can grab it right now for $69. That’s 98% off the regular price.

For this amount of money, you might expect a small number of courses — not so. There are 200 hours of content within eight complete courses, which include:

• Certified Ethical Hacking
• CompTIA SY0-401: Security+
• Cisco 210-260: CCNA Security
• Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI)
• Data Security Compliance
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
• Certified Information Systems Security Pro (CISSP)

By the time you’ve completed all these courses, you’ll be ready to tackle the key certification exams required to become a network security professional.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get the training needed for a new, in-demand career, the time is now. Don’t wait too long; this deal won’t last forever.