Best Ultra Thin Cases for Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Keep your Note 8 protected without adding too much bulk!

The Galaxy Note 8 is a device that’s so expensive you would have to be a fool not to try and keep it safe with a case — but it’s also a gorgeously designed phone. So I can understand some folks’ hesitation to cover it up with a thick layer of plastic and rubber.

That’s what makes a slim case such a compelling compromise, keeping your phone protected from the daily bumps and scratches without adding superfluous features or accents. We’ve rounded up the best options from the most trusted brands. Thin cases will also work well with wireless charging pads, so you won’t lose that functionality either!

Spigen Thin Fit Case

You’re not likely to find a case thinner than Spigen’s Thin Fit case. Just a millimeter thick, this case will snap on easily and keep the back glass of your phone protected from scuffs and scratches. There’s also a very subtle lip around the front to offer face-down protection for the screen, too.

We all know that the best cases have reinforced corners, and unfortunately, this case falls short there in an effort to keep the bulk down. But that’s why you’re here, right?

You can get it in matte black for just $10.99, or opt for a more colorful option for a few bucks more.

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Crystal Case

Want a case that’s nearly invisible while still providing rugged protection for your Note 8? Spigen has you covered with its Rugged Crystal case.

This slim case is made of a single layer of clear TPU and features reinforced corners to provide that rugged drop protection you may require. It’s got a grippy in-hand feel and its flexible design means that it’s super easy to pop on and off as needed.

You can get this slim clear case from Spigen for just $11.99 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Caseology Skyfall Series Slim Case

Caseology’s Skyfall Series of cases are always stylish and popular, mixing a clear acrylic back plate with colorful accents provided by the polycarbonate bumper.

The slim build of this case compliments the Note 8 well, while the two-layered design is capable of absorbing any drops that may occur. There’s a raised lip around the front of the phone as well around the camera and fingerprint sensor, so all the features of your phone will be protected and functional.

There are four color options to choose from designed to match the different colors of the Note 8 itself, starting at just $12.99.

See at Amazon

Ringke Slim Case w/ slot card holder

Ringke’s slim case for the Note 8 is pretty basic as you’d expect, but it has included a pretty nice accessory for cutting down your daily carry.

Along with this ultra-thin case that only adds about 2mm of bulk to your phone, Ringke includes an adhesive card slot holder that’s capable of holding two cards — say your photo ID and a credit card. It’s the perfect accessory for traveling or going out to the bar if you want to keep your carry light.

This one-piece case is made of rugged polycarbonate will keep your phone safe from bumps and scuffs while keeping the sleek design intact. You can get it in classic black for just $8, or opt for a powder blue or salmon pink option for $10.

See at Amazon

Ringke Transparent Air Case

Another great thin case option from Ringke, this clear case is just $7.99 on Amazon. You may even forget you’ve got a case on your phone it’s that clear and minimalist.

Made of lightweight TPU, this case is designed to take abuse so your phone doesn’t. Ringke uses its dot matrix technology to cut down on the rainbow effect on the backside of your phone, and the precise cutouts around the ports and S-Pen keep your phone entirely functional.

If you want to add a bit of flair to your phone, you can also get this case in transparent rose gold or smoke black, too.

See at Amazon

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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Get a Sticky Password Premium lifetime subscription for just $30!

Your passwords protect your whole online life, and they should be strong and secure. Unfortunately, those aren’t always the easiest to remember and manage because of how many accounts most of us have, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for something easier. Password managers are an amazing way of securely managing your passwords and ensuring that you can remember them without dumbing them down.

Some password management services are expensive, but not all of them have to be. For just $30 you can keep all of your passwords protected and easily accessible with a Sticky Password Premium subscription. This lifetime subscription gives you access to your passwords from mobile devices, computers and more.

Some of the other features include:

• Create strong, unique passwords, whenever & wherever you need them, on all of your devices
• Enjoy premium quality security for your all of your passwords & personal information
• Automatically log-in to recognized sites
• Choose between cloud-based or local storage for your password library
• Fill out online forms instantly w/ saved information
• Trusted technology — millions of people protected

Stop forgetting your old passwords. Stop making your passwords too basic. Enhance your life security with this lifetime subscription to Stick Password Premium for just $30, which is a fraction of its usual $150 price tag.

This 80% savings won’t last long, so be sure to act quickly if you are interested in securing your passwords.

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Cricket vs. Straight Talk: Which has the better prepaid phone plan?

See how Cricket and Straight Talk measure up against each other.

Cricket and Straight Talk have a few things in common. Both operate on AT&T’s network (although Straight Talk also operates on Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks) and each do unlimited plans differently than any other pre-paid carrier.

Cricket offers a cheap unlimited plan but caps your network speeds at 8 Mbps or 3 Mbps (depending on the plan), and Straight Talk requires you to buy a phone through it to have unlimited LTE for $55 per month as a promotion, while normally the unlimited plans only include a set amount of LTE data. While some may balk at these weird ways of offering service, they can work for quite a few people. With that in mind let’s run the numbers and crunch the data to see which network is better.

• Cricket background
• Straight Talk background
• Cricket plans
• Cricket phones
• Straight Talk plans
• Straight Talk phones
• Which should you go with?

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Cricket background

Who owns it? AT&T

Which network does it use? AT&T

How long has it been around? Since 1999

Tethering allowed? Yes, for $10 per month

Cheapest plan: $30 for one month: 1GB 4G LTE, unlimited nationwide talk and text

Straight Talk background

Who owns it? América Móvil DBA TracFone in the U.S.

Which network does it use? AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon

How long has it been around? Since 2012

Tethering allowed? No

Cheapest plan: $35 for one month: 2 GB 4G LTE, unlimited nationwide talk and text

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Cricket

Cricket offers five plans in total, with two separate unlimited LTE plans, differentiated by the data speed cap. The cheaper $55 plan caps LTE speeds at 3 Mbps and the $60 plan caps speeds at 8 Mbps. Here is the full list of plans Cricket offers. All Cricket plans include unlimited domestic talk and text.

	$30	1 GB LTE data
	$40	4 GB LTE data
	$50	8 GB LTE data
	$55	Unlimited LTE data at 3 Mbps
	$60	Unlimited LTE data at 8 Mbps

Notes: Video streaming at SD quality (about 480p). After 22 GB of data usage on an Unlimited Plan line, Cricket may temporarily slow speeds to 128 Kbps.

Family Plan

Cricket’s Group Save is available for plans starting at $40 per month. You save $10 for the second line, $20 for the third, $30 for the fourth and $40 for the fifth. An account with five lines of service at the $40 monthly tier or higher would save a total of $100.

Add-ons

• Cricket Protect: $7 per month
• Additional data: $10 per GB, per month
• Tethering: $10 per month

International use:

All plans that cost $50 per month or higher include unlimited text messages to 38 countries, calls from the U.S. to Canada and Mexico.

• Cricket International: $5 per month for unlimited calling to landlines in 36 countries
• Cricket International Extra: $15 per month for unlimited calling to landlines in 36 countries, Unlimited MMS to 36 countries, 1,000 minutes of mobile-to-mobile calling
• Individual country add-on: See the Individual Country Add-Ons support page

Cricket phones

Cricket actually has some great phones exclusive to it from ZTE and LG, including the ZTE Blade X Max and LG Harmony. Higher-end devices like the Galaxy S8 are also available if you are willing to spend a bit more.

Learn more at Cricket Wireless

Straight Talk plans

Straight Talk offers five plans with data, plus a special promotional plan with unlimited LTE data if you buy a Samsung phone through the company. All Straight Talk plans include unlimited domestic talk and text.

	$30	100 MB LTE data
	$35	2 GB LTE data
	$45	8 GB LTE data
	$55	12 GB LTE data (unlimited LTE data with purchase of select Samsung phones)
	$60	8 GB LTE data, unlimited mobile-to-mobile to Mexico, China, Canada, and India, calls to 15 unique destination numbers per service month, and 400 bonus minutes to call Claro Guatemala phone numbers

Family Plan

Straight Talk does not offer a family plan at this time.

Add-ons

• $10 Global calling cards with rates as low as 2.5 cents per minute to any destination, including mobile numbers

International add-ons:

• Straight Talk’s $60/8 GB LTE plan includes unlimited mobile-to-mobile to Mexico, China, Canada, and India, calls to 15 unique destination numbers per service month, and 400 bonus minutes to call Claro Guatemala phone numbers.

Straight Talk phones

Straight Talk offers a wide variety of Android and Apple phones, but a promotional offer that ends November 2017 gives you unlimited LTE data on the $55 monthly plan with the purchase of a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+.

Learn more at Straight Talk

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Which should I go with?

First, you need to check what the AT&T network is like where you’ll be using your phone the most. If it’s not acceptable, rule out Cricket. Straight Talk has the advantage of using all four U.S. carrier networks and has better service in more areas.

Next, decide if you want to buy a new Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 + from Straight Talk. If not, Straight Talk offers no unlimited LTE plans. Its advertised unlimited data packages have an allotment between 2 and 12 GB per month for LTE data and unlimited 2G data. In the 21st century, 2G data speeds are insufficient for anything except checking text-based email.

We’re unable to offer a blanket recommendation for either of these companies to anyone who needs unlimited.

Finally, decide if 3 Mbps or 8 Mbps data speeds are acceptable on an unlimited plan. Cricket throttles its unlimited plans much like its parent company AT&T on lower-tier unlimited plan.

If you need unlimited LTE data, it’s hard to outright recommend either Cricket or Straight Talk. Each company has an eccentric unlimited offering that’s just not going to work for a good many people. Between 3 Mbps and 8 Mbps are enough for a usable internet experience if not an enjoyable one for streaming media junkies, but even the FCC thinks broadband internet access requires data speeds of 25 Mbps or higher.

And if you’re in the market for a new phone, willing to buy before November 2017 is finished, and don’t mind the choice of a Galaxy S8, Straight Talk offers unlimited data. Otherwise, its advertised “unlimited plans” are what we would call deceptive advertising.

If you need unlimited high-speed data, look elsewhere.

If you don’t need unlimited data, Straight Talk’s $45 plan with 8 GB of LTE is a better option than Cricket’s $50 plan with 8 GB of LTE data, but as you can see it’s only a difference of $5. Both companies slow your data speeds to a crawl once you reach your limit, though Cricket will sell you extra data at the rate of $10 per GB, per month.

These prices are in line with most MVNO offerings. Because of the $5 price difference and its comprehensive $60 plan for international users, Straight Talk will be the better choice for more people. But there is nothing either carrier offers that is a stand-out feature unless you need international extras.

Alternative carriers (MVNOS)

• What is an alternative mobile carrier?
• What are the advantages of going with an alternative carrier?
• How to make sure your phone works on a prepaid alternative carrier
• 8 Important Considerations When Switching To An MVNO
• These are the cheapest data plans you can buy in the U.S.
• Mint SIM vs. Cricket Wireless: Which is better for you?

How to switch the navigation button placement on the Galaxy Note 8

If you don’t like the order of your navigation bar, just change it!

The Galaxy Note 8, like the Galaxy S8 before it, uses virtual navigation buttons — a big change, after years of capacitive buttons on Samsung devices. But the default orientation places the back button to the right of the home button. If you’re not a fan of the default settings, there is a way to change it, and a few things you can do to customize what your navigation bar looks like. We’ve got the details on how to adjust your navigation bar so that it looks the way you want it to.

• How to switch placement of navigational buttons
• How to change the background color of your Navigation bar

How to switch placement of navigational buttons

While the navigation buttons on your Note 8 are set to a default order of Recent – Home – Back, you can adjust this order. You don’t have full autonomy over which buttons go in which order, but you can choose between the default or Back – Home – Recent.

Open Settings.
Tap Display.

Scroll down and tap Navigation bar.

Tap Button layout.

Tap the new Button layout that you want to use.

How to change the background color of your Navigation bar

If you like to have a bit of flair on your screen, then changing the color of the navigation bar is a fun, and easy way to do it. You get access to a few different shades, all of which can be swapped out whenever you feel like it.

Open Settings.

Tap Display.

Scroll down and tap Navigation bar.

Tap to choose a new color for your Navigation bar.

Questions?

Do you still have questions about customizing your navigation bar? Have you experimented with switching up buton placement, or background color? Let us know 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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This $48 Yi Home Camera records in 1080p with night vision and motion detection

Get 1080p video recording, night vision, and a monitor for your baby at one of its lowest prices ever!

The Yi 1080p wireless home security camera is down to $47.99 with code YIHOMEST on Amazon. Make sure the seller is “Yi Technology” for the code to work. This camera usually sells at $60 and has never gone this low through a direct price drop.

We have shared deals on a different version of this camera, but that one does not go up to 1080p.

This camera not only comes with a motion sensor but it can also activate when it detects a baby crying, making it useful as a baby monitor. Night vision allows you to view a live feed of your child’s room without disturbing them when they’re sleeping. The camera works with the Yi Home app to send alerts directly to your phone or computer. The Yi Home app lets you view up to four live camera feeds at a time. Plus, with a two-way microphone system, you can give commands through the camera or engage in a conversation with someone on the other side using the app. It also has Yi Cloud support so you won’t lose your footage when you inevitably lose that tiny SD card.

If you plan to record your footage without using the Cloud (or as a supplement to the Cloud), you’ll want to get a 32GB SD card. The camera doesn’t support higher capacities, so you might want a couple if you’re recording in 1080p.

See at Amazon

More from Thrifter:

• 8 weird things you probably have in your house that sell on eBay
• How to save money when driving

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

Order from Walmart by chatting with Google Home

Last month, Google announced that Walmart would be the next retail partner to use Express, Google’s shopping and delivery service. At the time, it wasn’t totally clear when the integration would go live, but as of today you can order from Walmart via Google Express — which also means you can now shop Walmart with your voice using Google Assistant.

Setting this up is pretty straightforward — you’ll first need to link a Walmart account to your Google account. Once that’s done, you can ask Google Assistant to order whatever item you might be interested in. The Assistant will read you back options that you can accept or decline and it’ll tell you what retailer they come from as well as how much they cost. If you specifically want to order from Walmart, you can say “order dog food from Walmart” and it’ll only offer you options from that one retailer. Once you’ve placed an order, you can just tell the Google Assistant to “re-order” whatever you’re looking for and it’ll just re-buy whatever you picked up last time.

Walmart joins CostCo, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walgreens and a whole host of other retailers available in Google Express. It’s not quite the unified shopping experience you get when using Amazon’s Echo, which obviously has access to the retailer’s massive selection of goods. But given the many Express partners, there’s a good chance you can find what you’re looking for with Google as well.

Via: 9to5Google

What You Need to Know About HEVC Video in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11

With the arrival of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, Apple is supporting a new video format called HEVC, which replaces the previous standard most commonly used on Mac and iOS devices, namely H.264 / AVC. So why has Apple adopted the HEVC format, and what difference will it make to the end user?

What is HEVC?

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265, is a next-generation video compression standard developed by a group of encoding experts called the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding. The HEVC video format has been in existence since around 2013, and HEIF is the still-image version of the standard that both iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra also support. (You can learn more about HEIF here.)

Benefits of HEVC

Apple’s decision to adopt HEVC basically means two things – higher quality video and better compression rates. The HEVC standard enables a video to be compressed into a file that is about half the size (or half the bit rate) of H.265 / AVC. To put that another way, a HEVC video file offers significantly better visual quality than an AVC file of equivalent size or bit rate. While results vary depending on the type of content and the encoder settings, videos encoded in HEVC typically exhibit fewer compression artifacts and offer smoother playback than videos encoded using AVC.

According to Apple, HEVC can compress 4K video files to up to 40 percent smaller file sizes than AVC without losing quality, which means users who upgrade their devices to iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra will be able to take the same high-quality videos without using up as much storage space. At the same time, transferring high-resolution video files between devices and over networks will require significantly less bandwidth, a key advance considering new 4K iTunes content launched for the new Apple TV 4K.

Compatibility and Support

To capture and encode video in the HEVC format, iOS devices need to have at least an A10 Fusion processor, so owners of iPhone 7 or later and 2017 iPad Pro are fully able to take advantage of the standard. To check if your device’s camera is capturing video in HEVC, go to Settings -> Camera -> Formats, and ensure the “High Efficiency” option is selected.

All iOS devices running iOS 11 and all Macs on High Sierra will support HEVC playback, with encoding/decoding hardware acceleration on newer iOS devices and the latest 2017 Macs offering faster performance combined with less battery drain. Readers interested in further transcoding details are advised to watch Apple’s dedicated HEVC codec video presentation.

Related Roundups: iOS 11, macOS High Sierra
Tag: HEVC
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What You Need to Know About HEIF in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11

With the official release of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced support for a new image format called HEIF. Apple sees HEIF as a worthy successor to the JPEG format. So what makes it so good that it can replace an industry standard that’s been in use for almost 25 years?

What is HEIF?

HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image Format and can be considered the still-image version of the HEVC video codec that Apple’s ecosystem now officially supports. (You can learn more about HEVC here.) The HEIF standard wasn’t made by Apple – it was developed in 2015 by the MPEG group, which also invented the AAC audio format used in iTunes.

Benefits of HEIF Over JPEG

As the name implies, HEIF is a more streamlined method of storing image data and offers better quality than the traditional JPEG format. For example, HEIF supports image transparency and can capture a more extended color range than JPEG (16-bit versus 8-bit), which should increase the accuracy of photos taken on Apple’s latest iPhones. At the same time, a HEIF-encoded image should be around half the file size of an equivalent-quality JPEG, so users will be able to keep twice the number of shots on their Apple devices (or in iCloud) before they max out their storage capacity.

In addition, HEIF files include a 320×240 embedded thumbnail that’s four times the resolution but only twice the file size of a standard JPEG thumbnail. HEIF images can also be rotated and cropped without altering the image or re-saving them, all of which makes working with HEIF files that much faster than JPEG on both Mac and iOS devices.

HEIF also brings other benefits that JPEG doesn’t offer because it’s unlike your typical image format. That’s because it’s also capable of acting as a container for multiple files. This should be a boon for anyone who takes bursts of photos or lots of Live Photos – which can be edited in multiple new ways in iOS 11 – but it also means HEIF could become a wholesale replacement for GIF.

HEIF Compatibility and Image Sharing

Currently, Apple only supports HEIF image encoding on iOS devices with a minimum A10 Fusion processor, so that includes the 2017 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and of course Apple’s new 2017 range of iPhones. Owners of these devices can check their camera is encoding photos in HEIF by going to Settings -> Camera -> Formats, and ensuring the “High Efficiency” option is selected. The “Most Compatible” option means photos will be encoded in JPEG format.

HEIF is supported on all Macs capable of running macOS High Sierra, and many macOS applications work natively with HEIF, including Photos, Preview, and Quick Look. This means macOS users might consider converting their JPEG image files to HEIF for greater storage or network benefits.

The transition to HEIF within the Apple ecosystem should be mostly transparent, but if users need to move HEIF content outside of that ecosystem, it’s worth looking into transcoding options (JPEG, for example) to provide the best backwards compatibility for other users. Happily, iOS 11 will auto-convert HEIF images to JPEG when they are shared to devices running earlier versions of iOS, non-Apple devices, and popular social media sites, or when they are passed over to apps that don’t yet support the standard.

Related Roundups: iOS 11, macOS High Sierra
Tag: HEIF
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