These Screen Protectors Are a Good Idea if you Own an Essential Phone

How can I keep my Essential Phone screen protected?

The Essential Phone features one of the most unique-looking screens we’ve ever seen on an Android phone. With tiny bezels around the display and the unique camera divot at the top, it’s a phone that’s sure to stand out from the crowd for some time.

But you’ll want people to be staring at your Essential Phone for the right reasons. That means keeping it protected from scratches, cracks and worse with a quality screen protector. We’ve rounded up some of your best screen protector options and the good news is there’s value to be had across the board.

• amFilm Essential Phone Tempered Glass Screen Protector (2-Pack)
• Mr Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector (3-Pack)
• J&D Tech Matte Film Screen Protector (8-Pack)

amFilm Essential Phone Tempered Glass Screen Protector (2-Pack)

First up is this two-pack of tempered glass screen protectors from amFilm. These screen protectors are just .33mm thick but will provide the necessary protection for your Essential Phone against drops, bumps, scratches, and normal wear and tear.

This kit includes everything required for a clean installation: wet and dry wipes, dust removal stickers, and a squeeze card for removing any air bubbles. With this two-pack, you’ll have a backup in case your first one takes a hit on behalf of your phone. Get yours for just $8!

See at Amazon

Mr Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector (3-Pack)

Two is good, but three is better! If you’re seeking out the best value on tempered glass screen protectors for your new Essential Phone, look no further than Mr Shield’s offerings. You get three slabs of rugged tempered glass that feature rounded edges for a smooth feel for your fingers, along with everything you need for a clean installation — all for only $8 on Amazon.

These protectors are also covered by Mr Shield’s lifetime replacement warranty, which means they will send you a replacement free of charge if you run into an issue during installation such as air bubbles.

See at Amazon

J&D Tech Matte Film Screen Protector (8-Pack)

Tempered glass is typically the way to go, but if you’re more concerned about scuffs and scratches on your screen, a film screen protector should offer adequate protection. That makes this 8-pack of Essential Phone screen protectors from J&D Tech virtually a lifetime supply for only $8.

Made from high-quality PET film, these screen protectors feature a matte finish that helps to cut down on glare and they’re also resistant to fingerprint smudges. It protects the full display, but does not provide edge-to-edge coverage because of the curved edges of the phone — but it does allow these screen protectors to be compatible with cases. You just get the eight screen protectors in the box, so you’ll have to do the work to ensure the screen is clean during installation, but then again you’ll have seven other tries to get it right if you mess up the first time.

See at Amazon

Picking up a screen protector for your Essential Phone?

What accessories are you eyeing to keep your Essential Phone in mint condition? Or do you like to gamble and keep it entirely bare? Let us know in the comments below!

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These new Star Wars drones are the most fun you can have with a controller

“This is not a toy. I can’t stress that enough.”

Propel CEO Darren Matloff stood six feet from me earlier this week, resting a tiny replica of the classic Tie Advanced fighter in his hand, with the most serious face he could muster as he uttered that phrase. It sure looked like a toy; in fact, it looked like a palm-sized drone I’d be able to fly around my office in a few days. But he was seriously standing there telling me the three Star Wars-themed drones being introduced to the world were not toys.

If not toys, what are they? For Propel, these drones are a huge step forward in being publicly recognized as a leader in the drone world. For the rest of us, these drones are the most fun way you could possibly have to learn to fly any kind of drone like a pro. They are also toys, ridiculously fun toys, but I get where Darren is coming from.

Advanced Laser Battle Drones

The partnership between Propel and Disney is, like all of the truly special Star Wars products released every year, an effort to go above and beyond what consumers would expect. These aren’t just drones you fly around one at a time, they’re designed with a laser tag-like combat system and a communication platform for gameplay in a public space with up to 11 other pilots. So yeah, not your average drone.

Currently, Propel is selling the Tie Advanced X1 alongside the T-65 X-Wing and the 74-Z Speeder Bike. While one of those things is clearly not like others when it comes to the actual Star Wars universe, these little drones are plenty detailed and can really move when you know how to fly them.

With the safeties unlocked, these drones are capable of 30MPH and can fly for up to 8 minutes on a charge. The drones all light up in ways that line up with the classic designs of the vehicles, and the use of clear propellers on the bottom of the drones makes the designs a little more realistic.

Not only are the drones themselves impressive to look at, the limited edition boxes available with these drones are staggeringly beautiful. Break the wax seal and lift the case up to see a lit display to show off your tiny drone, with its controller safely tucked underneath. It makes a compelling display case, assuming you don’t crash your drone a few minutes after using it the first time.

The perfect training system

To complement these drones, Propel has an app that does more than you can imagine. It starts as a simple training app, syncing your phone to the controller and letting you fly around a virtual version of your drone. This game includes 34 different training modules, including advanced flying techniques like in-air corkscrews and firing the lasers at the right time. Using the actual controller you use to pilot the drone makes it possible for you to really learn how to fly the drone without damaging it, and it helps that the game itself is a lot of fun.

The difference between what you can buy now and what Propel is offering here is staggering.

When you aren’t training, the app is used as the network for multiplayer gameplay. You can see a leaderboard for all of the action, and get tips for what will make you better next time if you lose. This information all comes from the drone itself, including information on who you are playing against, thanks to new tech called Li-Fi that allows data to be transmitted from drone to drone, and then to your phone.

Of course, you don’t actually need to use the app at all for training if you don’t want. The controller uses barometric sensors to create a training zone you can enable. This means the drone has a safety floor and ceiling that the user can’t pass, so no accidental slams into floors or ceilings. If the drone takes a hit, it shuts off and safely lands. Assuming you don’t crash immediately thanks to this safety mode, you can use this to become comfortable with everything you learned in the app before moving on to actual combat.

I’m going to own all of these

Star Wars-themed drones are not a new concept, but the difference between what you can buy now and what Propel is offering here is staggering. These drones look nicer, fly faster, and do way more for a much better price. These drones are available for $179 in a ton of places starting September 1, with several upgrade options planned for drone pilots that would like to really get serious about drone combat.

The bottom line is these drones should be on every holiday shopping list, but hardcore Star Wars collectors need to get on this immediately in order to get that limited edition display.

Lenovo’s Jedi Challenges AR game uses your Android phone as its brain

Train like a Jedi, with a little help from Augmented Reality.

Every Star Wars fan wants to participate in the universe somehow. Maybe you want a little BB-8 to follow you around everywhere, maybe you want to chill out in a slimy bar to play some Holochess, but most of you probably want to pick up a Lightsaber and show Kylo Ren who is in charge around here. While you can get your BB-8 on any time you like thanks to the folks at Sphero, those other two things weren’t possible until Lenovo introduced the Mirage AR headset.

Now, with the help of this headset and your phone, you can participate in the Star Wars universe with your own two hands.

Lenovo’s Mirage AR headset uses two fisheye cameras and your phone to provide an inside-out tracking experience where the Star Wars world is projected on the display in front of you. Instead of obscuring your vision, it uses a Tracking Beacon and a Lightsaber-shaped controller to put you in control of three different games. From Lenovo:

• Lightsaber Battles: With their very own lightsaber, fans can train against legendary
  dark side villains like Kylo Ren and Darth Vader.

• Strategic Combat: Players marshal the forces of the Republic, Rebel Alliance, and the
  Resistance against the might of the Separatists, Empire, and First Order in epic battles
  across their living room floors. Players can hone their skills in strategy and tactics as
  they engage in battles that involve X-wings, AT-ATs, battle droids, and even iconic
  heroes.

• Holochess: Perhaps one of the most iconic board games brought to film, Holochess first
  leapt into moviegoer hearts when it was first played on the Millennium Falcon in Star
  Wars: Episode IV – A New HopeTM. It has now been brought to life in Jedi Challenges.
  Fans can direct their holographic alien pieces across the board, wrestling for territory
  and control.

To make all of this work, you install the Jedi Challenges app from the Play Store and connect your phone into the headset with the included cable. You’ll see the lightsaber blade spring from the controller, and be able to interact with the augmented world around you.

Jedi Challenges is going to be available in Best Buy stores starting in November, but you can pre-order now directly from Lenovo. Are you adding this to your holiday shopping list, or is this something you’re getting for yourself as soon as it is available? Shout out in the comments!

These are the coolest new Star Wars things you can buy

“It’s time for the Jedi… to end.”

Luke’s chilling statement in the first trailer for The Last Jedi leaves a ton of questions, and it is going to be a while before we’re all able to sit in theaters and get the answers we’re looking for. Just like the launch of The Force Awakens, Disney has teamed up with tech and toy companies the world over for a unified launch of new things designed to celebrate this film.

This unified launch is called Force Friday II, and we’ve got the complete list of exciting new things for you to add to your collection.

Advanced Laser Battle Drones by Propel

Fly your favorite Star Wars vehicles in tiny drone form, and when you’ve got the hang of things there’s a special laser combat system where you can battle with friends and strangers alike.

Check out our Star Wars drone preview!

Jedi Challenges AR Game by Lenovo

Plug your phone into the headset, grab your Lightsaber, and prepare for a series of augmented reality games including Holochess and drone combat!

Check out Jedi Challenges for more!

BB-9E and R2-D2 by Sphero

It’s BB-8’s evil twin alongside the classic R2-D2? This new character in the Star Wars universe leaves us asking a lot of questions, but also leaves us wanting to grab this new robot ball and race it with the existing lovable Sphero droid!

Read more at Sphero.com

Build your own Droid with littleBits

Why limit yourself to play when you can create? The folks at littleBits have a unique take on R2-D2 as a kit you can assemble yourself. No word on whether there’s a snark chip you can add or remove, but if you want to do more than just build an R2 unit there’s a whole universe of DIY options available to you!

Check it out on LittleBits.com

7,541 piece LEGO Millenmium Falcon

The biggest LEGO model ever sold is this new Millennium Falcon! It’s going to have minifigs for classic Star Wars scenes as well as characters from the new movies! This massive kit is impressively detailed and massive, so naturelly there’s an impressive price tag to go with it. Expect this kit to show up in stores starting October 1 for $799.

BlackBerry KEYone ‘Black Edition’ goes worldwide, bringing bumped specs and a higher price

The black BlackBerry is going global.

BlackBerry KEYone sales have turned out to be surprisingly strong, and to give them an extra little boost BlackBerry Mobile is releasing a new color of the phone with bumped specs around the world. The Black Edition, as you’d expect, has shed its silver and grey adornments for a full blacked-out look. It looks stealthy and clean, but you’ll surely still stand out with that keyboard on the front.

More important than the color change is the addition of more RAM and storage in the Black Edition. You now get 4GB of RAM (up from 3GB) and a healthy 64GB of storage (up from 32GB). Everything else inside remains constant, meaning you’ll get basically the same experience as the standard KEYone; the extra RAM will help keep a few more apps open and available, and offer a bit more runway for keeping things smooth throughout 2018 as well.

You’ll pay at least a $100 premium for a black exterior and a bit more RAM and storage.

The Black Edition is initially launching in seven countries around the world by the end of September, with more to come by the end of the year across Europe, Asia and Latin America. At launch you’ll be able to find it in the UK (£549), Germany (€649), France (€649), Canada ($799), UAE (2,299 AED), Saudi Arabia and Japan (¥79,800). Depending on the region that’s roughly a $75 (or equivalent) bump in price over the MSRP of the original KEYone, but in the open market where it can currently be found for much less than the sticker price it may be a tough sell for some people to grab a full-price Black Edition.

It’s worth noting that the KEYone Black Edition is not slated for a U.S. release at this time, and that the black-colored KEYone currently exclusive to AT&T isn’t technically a “Black Edition” model. It’s simply a black version of the standard KEYone with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

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Press release:

TCL COMMUNICATION INTRODUCES THE BLACKBERRY® KEYone BLACK EDITION TO THE WORLD AT IFA 2017

BERLIN – August 31, 2017 – TCL Communication is today unveiling an all-new version of its award-winning BlackBerry KEYone with the introduction of the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition coming soon to markets in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. With today’s announcement, TCL Communication’s BlackBerry Mobile brand is responding to BlackBerry smartphone fans around the world who have asked for additional styling and performance options within the BlackBerry KEYone lineup. The BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition will go on-sale beginning in Q3 2017 initially in the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Japan starting at €649 EUR/£549 GBP/$799 CAD/2,299 AED/ ¥79,800. It will also be available in other markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America later this year.

“The global release of the BlackBerry KEYone from TCL Communication has far exceeded our expectations, with our re-imagined BlackBerry smartphone now available in more than 30 countries around the world; and more coming later this year,” said Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for TCL Communication’s BlackBerry Mobile brand. “We’re excited to follow our initial launch with the all-new BlacKBerry KEYone Black Edition that delivers on our promise to expand our BlackBerry smartphone portfolio in 2017, while laying the groundwork for another addition to our lineup later this year.”

“The demand and excitement for the BlackBerry KEYone across the globe has been fantastic,” said Alex Thurber, senior vice president and general manager of Mobility Solutions, BlackBerry. “We congratulate TCL Communications for bringing to market their second device so quickly, and know it will provide the performance and trusted security people expect from the BlackBerry brand.”

BLACKBERRY KEYONE BLACK EDITION

Carrying the same distinct hardware design as the original BlackBerry KEYone, the all-new Black Edition comes with a matte black finished added to the device’s aluminum frame offering a new style variant that fans around the world have been asking for since the original launch back in May. This new BlackBerry KEYone variant also features 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, while still supporting microSD expandable storage up to an additional 2TB.

BLACKBERRY KEYONE PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

• Includes a 4.5-inch touch display featuring impact and scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 offering the best in resilience and durability.
• Reimagined communication experience thanks to an innovative Smart Keyboard that allows you to set up to 52 customizable shortcuts and transform each letter key for quick access to your favorite apps and most important contacts. Includes the world’s first keyboard-embedded fingerprint sensor conveniently located in the spacebar and provides added device security and convenience.
• Distinct BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android, with the familiarity and functionality of AndroidTM 7.1 Nougat giving users access to the entire Google PlayTM store and over one million apps.
• Unmatched battery life offering up to 26+ hours of mixed use, and Qualcomm® Quick ChargeTM 3.0 technology enables up to 50 percent charge in roughly 36 minutes.
• Pre-loaded with DTEKTM by BlackBerry, offering constant security monitoring and protection of your operating system and apps by letting you know when your privacy could be at risk and how you can take action to improve it. The BlackBerry KEYone will also receive regular monthly Android security updates, ensuring you have the safest and securest Android smartphone experience.
• Features a 12MP rear camera with an industry leading camera sensor (Sony IMX378) that captures sharp, crisp photos in any light. The wide aperture lens with large 1.55μm pixels and dual-tone flash ensures your photos will have superior color and clarity.

Swappa Gaming is an all-new place for buying and selling used games

Arguably the safest place to buy and sell phones will now take care of your games.

The folks at Swappa do one thing very well — maintain a healthy environment for buying and selling used gear. What started as a phone swapping site has grown considerably over the years, and is now the best place to get top dollar for your used phone as well as get a sweet deal on a used phone when you need one.

This service has expanded several times in recent years, but the latest push into gaming is an area where the used phone skills are really going to come in handy. Welcome to Swappa Gaming.

It’s exactly as simple as it sounds. If you have a game to sell, or you’re looking for a game to buy, search the site by game or platform and choose the price you’d like to pay. Sellers can offer games at whatever price they think will sell, and provide proof right on the listing that the disc is either in pristine condition or has a few flaws you should know about.

Transactions on Swappa aren’t listed as complete until the buyer gets the game and confirms its quality, ensuring both sides of the deal are happy. It’s a solid, positive experience made all the better by Swappa’s knowledgeable staff and forums crew.

You can check out Swappa Gaming right now, and see if there are any solid PlayStation 4 deals to your liking. The other platforms are there for you to check out too, just in case you’re not a one platform household!

See at Swappa

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HARMAN’s new speakers work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

HARMAN has announced new speakers featuring Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

At IFA 2017, HARMAN has announced new speakers for its own brand and for the JBL sub brand. The speakers are part of the growing list of gadgets to feature Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. First is the Harmon Allure, an intelligent speaker powered by Alexa. Harman says the speaker includes 4 microphones for far-field voice recognition, 360-degree sound and lighting to complement any decor, and Bluetooth streaming for your favorite music service.

From Harman:

We’re excited, to integrate with Amazon Alexa to deliver a beautiful speaker with astounding audio coupled with all the intelligent features of Alexa,” said Michael Mauser, President, Lifestyle Audio Division at HARMAN. “Research shows the number one use of digital voice services is music streaming and Allure with its premium sound quality, iconic design, and exceptional voice-enabled technology, will produce a spectacular sound experience while delivering on our promise of elevating a connected life through smart technology.”

The Allure smart speaker will bring Harman Kardon’s premium audio and the 20,000+ skills available for Amazon Alexa to even more customers,” said Steve Rabuchin, VP Amazon Alexa. “This is a great benefit for customers who love quality music and want a voice service in their home. Customers can just ask Alexa to play great sounding music, control their smart home, get news or weather, play games, order food, and more.

The Harman Allure will be available for $249.95 starting winter 2017.

For those that prefer Google Assistant, JBL has announced three LINK speakers with the voice assistant built-in. The LINK 10, LINK 20 and LINK 300 vary in terms of size, speaker array and battery life — the LINK 300 is a stationary speaker — but all will feature voice activated Google Assistant. While other speakers have had button-activated Google Now and Google Assistant before, these are the first portable speakers with hotword activation. The LINK 10 will feature 5 hours of battery life, while the LINK 20 will have 10 hours. The LINK 10 will be available for $149, the LINK 20 for $199 and the LINK 300 for $249, beginning in fall 2017.

Are you looking forward to these new smart speakers? Let us know down below!

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An official free-to-play Game of Thrones MMO is coming to Android

The latest Game of Thrones mobile game is now available for pre-registration.

Ever wanted to rule Westeros with an iron fist, but without risking your own blood. Good news! The latest Game of Thrones game is now available for pre-registration, and it will let you do just that! After an earlier release on iOS, Game of Thrones: Conquest is now available for pre-registration in the Google Play Store.

Game of Thrones: Conquest is similar to other MMO strategy games in that the player will be able to make alliances with other factions, and defeat rivals in order to maintain territory. While the game won’t arrive any faster, those who pre-register will gain access to the Prepare for War bundle, allowing them to get a jump start with upgraded weapons and other resources. The Prepare for War bundle is a $50 value, and will only be available during the first week after the game’s launch.

Warner Brothers has not announced an availability timeframe for the game, nor a price. The title is free-to-play on iOS, so we can presume the same will be true when it arrives on Android.

Are you interested in Game of Thrones: Conquest? Let us know down below!

‘Katamari Damacy’ creator’s next game will be released in 2018

We noticed that Sony was taking a concerted step away from quirky indie games back at E3. One of the titles caught in the fray was Wattam, a charmer rom a few of the minds behind Katamari Damacy and Journey that made it debut at the first PlayStation Experience back in 2014. Sony’s newfound reluctance toward indies left Funomena’s debut title in a lurch, but PlayStation’s loss is publisher Annapurna Interactive’s gain. The game will drop is PlayStation 4 exclusivity and will be released next year on “console and PC.”

Last time we saw it, the game was about an anthropomorphic green cube of a mayor trying on a variety of hats. The trailer embedded below looks a little different. There’s a disembodied pair of lips eating things, sushi rolls running for their lives and it might all be a dream inside the mayor’s head. There’s a lot to unpack in the 49 second video.

Creator Keita Takahashi and producer Jeb Alvarado told Polygon that the game is still about making friends and solving puzzles, though. It’s just gotten “beefier.” If you’re in Seattle this weekend for the annual Penny Arcade Expo, you can check out exactly what that means for yourself.

Sphero Reveals New iPhone-Controlled R2-D2 and BB-9E Droids

Sphero today unveiled all-new iPhone-controlled Star Wars toys, including R2-D2 and a new character from Star Wars: The Last Jedi called BB-9E (via TechCrunch). This latter droid is described as originating from the same astromech series as BB-8, but is instead associated with the villainous First Order.

Similar to Sphero’s BB-8 droid from 2015, BB-9E (priced at $149) comes with a set of pre-programmed moves and voice lines, but users can also manually control the droid from their iOS device. BB-9E’s head is equipped with LED lights and is magnetically attached to the droid’s body, so it can roll around similar to the character within the upcoming movie.

The company said that BB-9E will interact with its other Star Wars iPhone-controlled droids, as well as react to Star Wars films when users watch with the droid nearby. Sphero said that BB-9E will receive consistent updates, including new voice lines, particularly as the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi draws closer.

Additionally, Sphero revealed an iPhone-controlled R2-D2 droid (priced at $179), which includes all of the same features as the other Star Wars products from Sphero. R2-D2 can patrol on its own and includes fully-functioning LED lights and an integrated speaker that produces the droid’s recognizable sounds.

Both BB-9E and R2-D2 use the same app that Sphero launched with BB-8 two years ago, so users can simply keep adding new droids to play around with, without needing to download a separate app for each. Both of the new droids will support a few augmented reality experiences in the connected app, where fans can view iconic Star Wars settings and characters through their iOS device, with the Sphero characters interacting in the same space.

AR games will also be available to play, and BB-9E is shipping with an “augmented reality platform,” which users can place to keep the droid still in order to play AR games around it. BB-8 Sphero droids will be shipped with the same platforms starting today as well.

Force Friday II begins tomorrow, September 1, and previous reports have stated that Apple Stores will be getting a few Star Wars-themed items to participate in the toy release celebrations. Since BB-8 originally went on sale in Apple Stores for Force Friday back in 2015, it’s expected for the same thing to happen this year for BB-9E and R2-D2, but many details regarding the shopping event are still under wraps with information about specific toy releases just beginning to emerge today.

If customers do stop in at an Apple Store this weekend, they’ll be able to participate in a few Star Wars-themed sessions where they’ll learn how to build a Star Wars trailer in iMovie, program a droid, and more.

Tags: Star Wars, Sphero
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