Moto G5S Plus coming to the U.S. Sept 29 for $230

The best of Motorola’s mid-range product line is coming to the U.S. at the end of September.

Back in August, Motorola quietly unveiled revamped “special edition” versions of its popular Moto G5 and G5 Plus smartphones, aptly titled Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus.

Today, the larger and more expensive of those two phones goes up for pre-order at a number of U.S. retailers prior to its release September 29.

Available in Lunar Gray or Blush Gold, and in 32GB ($229.99) or 64GB ($299.99) variants, the phone sports a larger 5.5-inch 1080p panel than the regular G5 Plus, and has more metal (this one is called an all-metal body) and an upgraded dual camera system, with two 13MP sensors. Keep in mind that both variants are $50 until September 28, after which time they’ll rise to $279.99 and $349.99 respectively.

The phone still runs the same Snapdragon 625 processor as its Moto G5 Plus counterpart, but the $229 32GB entry level model comes with 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB, while the 64GB variant maintains the same 4GB of RAM. When purchased unlocked, the phone works with all four major U.S. carriers, including Verizon and Sprint.

Motorola will continue to sell the Moto G5 Plus in the U.S. for the foreseeable future, and once the special pricing ends, the G5S Plus will sit some $50 more than the older model.

This week, Motorola also announced that its Moto X4 “budget flagship” would be coming to the U.S. both as an Android One/Project Fi device and unlocked through Motorola retail.

See at Motorola

How to use multi window mode on the Galaxy Note 8

Multitask using two apps on one screen with multi-window mode on the Galaxy Note 8!

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 delivers the tallest screen yet in this line of phones. This, of course, means that using multi-window mode is more awesome than ever before. We’ve got the details on how to use multiple windows with your Note 8 so that you never miss an email or a message!

• How to open multi window mode
• How to close multiple window mode
• How to rotate window placement

How to open multi window mode

Multi-window mode lets you have two apps open and available for use at the same time. There isn’t any need to set anything up, you just need to know how to launch multi window mode in order to get started.

Open the first app you want to use.

Press and hold the return button.

Tap the multi window icon.

Tap to select a recent app to open in multi window mode.

How to close multi window mode

While multi window mode can be handy in a lot of cases, you may want to close it when you don’t need to keep an eye on multiple apps. Thankfully this is easy, and in just a few taps you’ll be good to go!

Tap the seam between the two open apps.

Tap the X to close one of the apps and leave multi-window mode.

How to rotate window placement

If you want to switch which app in multi window mode is at the top of your screen, all you need to do is rotate the open apps. This literally just takes a few taps and you’ll be good to go!

Tap the seam between the two open apps.

Tap the rotate icon to rotate which app is on the top and which is on the bottom of your screen.

Questions?

Do you still have questions about using multi-window mode with the Note 8? Have you used this feature? Let us know about in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy Note 5
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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The Canon Rebel t6i DSLR camera is down to a great low price refurbished

Canon’s “Pumpkin Spice Sale” is discounting already discounted refurbs by up to $450!

Please stop pretending your smartphone photos are awesome just because you tilted the screen and put a sepia filter on them. Step up your photography game with a real camera – a digital SLR. Canon’s refurb store regularly has some of the best deals on DSLRs along with a full one-year warranty and great customer service. Right now Canon is having a “Pumpkin Spice Sale” discounting already refurbished cameras and lenses, similar to the Labor Day sale we shared a few weeks ago.

The best deal in this sale is the Rebel EOS t6i camera, including one with the body and a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM starter lens for $498.99. That’s a $95 drop compared to other refurbs and an almost $250 drop off a new kit.

Learn everything there is to learn about the Canon t6i through DPReview.com’s in-depth break down of the camera. Too long, didn’t read: “The camera is an evolutionary follow-up to the T5i, adding a higher resolution sensor and improved autofocus, but with no significant changes in physical design. Its image quality is on par with most of its peers and the camera is capable of creating beautiful photos.”

While the t6i is a great camera and you can’t go wrong with it, its predecessor, the Canon Rebel EOS t5i is also an amazing DSLR and more entry-level in price. You can get a refurbished t5i with the same 18-55mm lens kit for about $100 less from the same store.

Be sure to check out the full list of cameras on sale if you want to add to your collection or throw in some extra lenses for your new kit.

See at Canon

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• How to get the most out of your Amazon Prime membership
• How to save money when driving

US music sales keep climbing thanks to streaming

Last year, streaming generated more money in the US for the music business than all other forms of distribution for the first time ever, and that trend is continuing in spades. In the first half of 2017, the industry raked in just under $4 billion, up 17 percent over the same period last year, with 62 percent of that coming from streaming. If the trend continues, the industry should easily surpass the $7.7 billion it earned in 2016, which was already the best year for music since 2009.

These stats are from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), an organization that has had a notoriously combative relationship with internet companies. Despite its objections (and continued demands for more money from YouTube and others), streaming generated $2.5 billion thanks to 30 million paid subscribers in the US.

Physical sales of music, surprisingly, are relatively flat, down just one percent. That’s thanks in part to vinyl sales that went up by three percent, and a drop in old-school CD sales of just three percent, because you still haven’t convinced your Mom to use Deezer yet.

What’s not doing so well are individual song sales, which fell by a rather astonishing 24 percent. That probably impacts Apple more than any other firm, but don’t feel too sorry for the Cupertino folks. The Apple Music subscriber base now stands at 27 million — that’s less than half of Spotify last we checked, but it’s only been operating for just over two years.

If you want to get more granular on streaming, subscriber revenue stood at $1.7 billion in the first half of 2017, while ad-supported revenue brought in $273 million and digital radio generated $493 million. Those numbers are all big increases over last year.

Given the disparity between ad revenue (from YouTube, Spotify and others) and subscriptions, it’s easy to see why the RIAA feels that the ad-supported versions of those services underpay artists. On the other hand, Spotify, YouTube and most others are still losing money thanks to an ongoing ad revenue crisis.

The RIAA has focused a lot of its ire on YouTube, saying it underpays artists. YouTube has countered that it paid out over a billion dollars last year (around the world, not just in the US) and actually pays higher royalties than Spotify and other streaming services.

Via: Recode

Source: RIAA (PDF)