Fender Newport: The king of guitars arrives into the Bluetooth speaker scene (Review)

I shouldn’t even introduce a brand like Fender. They are so famous and renowned throughout the world that there’s nothing I could say that you didn’t know already… Except for one thing: they are now making Bluetooth speakers. It’s like a match made in heaven: a brand that has dedicated its entire life to creating music instruments is now manufacturing their own Bluetooth speakers. What could go wrong?

The answer is: almost nothing. Fender didn’t make these devices just for fun or for making a quick buck. They actually thought this through and has come up with a superb product that, despite some very minor flaws, matches or outperforms its competitors.

Specs

These are the specs for the Fender Newport, right out of Fender’s official website:

• Maximum Output Level: 30 watts.
• Speakers: Two woofers and one tweeter.
• Dimensions: 3″ (7.5 cm) W x 7.25″ (18.41 cm) L x 5.25″ (13.3 cm) H.
• Weight: 3.2 lbs (1.5 kg).
• Battery: Up to 12 hours.
• Ports: 3.5mm auxiliary port, USB-A port, charging port.
• Bluetooth: Version 4.2, range of approximately 33 foot, codecs apX, AAC, SBC
• Microphone: Integrated, echo cancellation.

Massive giveaway!

Celebrating ten years of Android and AndroidGuys (Giveaway Week 3)

September 14, 2017

In the box you will find the speaker, AC adapter, 3.5mm audio cable, a USB to microUSB cable, and manuals.

Design and Build

Upon receiving your box, the first thing you will notice will be its weight. It’s not an assumption, it’s a fact. This thing is heavy, but it could be worse. Other speakers with similar prices, such as the Marshall Kilburn and JBL Xtreme are even heavier. However, the Bose SoundLink Mini II and Marshall Stockwell are lighter, allowing easier transportation.

I had to carry this around New York City while taking pictures of it and it was definitely noticeable. It is not something you would carry with you “just in case,” but rather because you are 100% sure that you are going to use it.

After you stop lamenting about the speaker’s weight, you will be amazed at how good it looks. You will not mistake it for one of Fender’s original amplifiers (like you might do with a Fender Monterey), but this is no conventional Bluetooth speaker either.

The metallic grid on the front accompanied by the Fender logo looks and feels superb. While the Monterey used a rugged plastic that closely resembles an amplifier, the Newport uses a soft, smooth surface that still manages to avoid feeling cheap.

On the top you will find perhaps the most unique aspect about this speaker. If the overall design wasn’t enough for you, Fender made sure that you actually feel like you are using an amplifier by making its controls look like one. Instead of having buttons only, the Newport has three knobs (for volume, bass, and treble), one switch for power, two small buttons for pairing and answering calls, and one indicator light. They all feel incredibly sturdy and premium.

I had the chance of checking out some actual Fender amps and the similarities are incredible. The Newport knobs feels strikingly similar to the ones in real Fender equipment.

As always, looks are subjective, but this device has caught the attention of absolutely everyone that has seen it. I always get a “that is so cool” (or its equivalent in Spanish) from the people I’ve shown it to, and the fact that it is made by Fender means that everyone immediately associates it with high quality and superb sound. Of course, it was just a small social experiment that I made, but I think it is safe to say that Fender has done a superb job in the design department, and that very few devices in the market look as good as this one.

Connectivity

Fender didn’t stop with the amplifier resemblance at the design level. Each action that you do will trigger a nice guitar sound. The company has included tunes for turning it on, pairing, low battery, and everything in between.

My only gripe with them is that they don’t respect the volume knob setting. Even if I have it at position 0, it still sounds loudly. I feel sorry for my flatmates, since they have to listen to these guitar tunes every day every time I turn the speaker on and there’s no way I can make something to avoid it.

Pairing the speaker with your preferred Bluetooth device is extremely easy. You just need to press the Pair button, select it from the available devices in your device, and away you go. The speaker will make a sound accordingly and the pair button will stop blinking to let you know that everything went as expected.

I haven’t had any connection drops, even when I moved my device to other rooms with several walls between the speaker and my Samsung Galaxy S8.

I did notice a couple of skips when testing with a Huawei Honor 7 Lite, but, since these skips were not present when testing with the S8, I attribute it to a poor antenna in my Huawei phone rather than a flaw with the speaker.

Apart from the Bluetooth connection, the speaker has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. The first one is a regular AUX port. I tested it with the included cable and found no troubles with it whatsoever. I would definitely not use it but it’s good to know that it’s there for people who prefer the reliability of a regular AUX connection.

The other one is a USB port. No, not a microUSB port, but a regular USB port. You can use this port to charge your device. I am really glad that Fender decided to add this to the speaker because there’s nothing sadder than having to stop the music at your social gathering because the phone with the premium Spotify account just died (been there).

Sound Quality

Of course, any connectivity features or nice looks are irrelevant if the speaker sounds bad, right? Fortunately, it doesn’t. From the moment I played my first tune, I quickly realized that this was one of the best Bluetooth speakers that I’ve had the chance of using.

This is courtesy of Fender’s tri-driver system, in which they have incorporated two woofers and one tweeter into the speaker. The arrangement produces a (maximum) output level of 30 watts. Fender hasn’t provided figures for the frequency range of the speakers, though, but it is probably no different than competing products, around the 90 to 20000 Hz range.

Sound is clear and powerful, but it’s is fairly balanced. There is no emphasis on anything, just a balanced, crisp sound. You could say that bass sounds a bit muffled and not as strong as it could be, but, other than that, the sound that the Newport produces is top-notch.

In case the default sound is not up to your standards, you can change the bass and treble knobs to adjust the output. I normally setup my devices to have a bit more bass than the default. I found out that setting the Bass knob on 10 is not as noticeable as one would expect, but it is a huge improvement from the normal setting.

I don’t consider myself a person with a varied taste in music, but I did test songs like The Solace System by Epica, Panic Station by Muse, Hell Yeah by Rev Theory, and On the Rocks by Amaranthe. Songs like Panic Station, which rely heavily on bass (you could say the same for a lot of Muse’s songs, frankly), are greatly enhanced with the bass knob turned up a bit. Songs from Dragonforce, for example, that don’t rely as much on bass sounds, benefit from adjusting the treble instead. It’s just a matter of finding what works best for you, but when you do, the Fender Newport sounds as good as the best speakers in the price range.

Another thing. This thing can get VERY LOUD. At first, I thought that it wasn’t as loud as I would expect when testing it with my S8, but nothing ever tested with this phone is loud. That’s when I figured that maybe I should try it with something else, and my Honor 7 Lite came to the rescue.

The first time I tested the maximum volume, my mother freaked out about the fact that I would disturb our neighbors. This is incredibly handy in open spaces and gatherings with several people, where a speaker with middle-range volume won’t cut it.

Finally, in case you receive a phone call, the Fender Newport has a built-in, echo-cancelling microphone. When you receive a phone call, the Talk button will flash on the top of the speaker and you will be able to answer the call. Overall, it worked pretty well the two times I received a phone call while testing this, and the other party didn’t mention anything in particular, neither positive nor negative. It’s there and it does its work the way it should.

Battery Life

The official specs say that this speaker can last for up to 12 hours. You don’t have to be so modest, Fender. This thing lasts forever. I haven’t been able to replicate this figure, but I’ve been getting at least 15 hours of playback time consistently. This is while having it on max volume (through the hardware knob only, not through Spotify) throught days and days of testing. I’ve always had the bass and treble on five (out of a possible ten).

Granted, I’m not much of an outside person, but knowing that, if the time comes where I have to see the outside world, I can just take this speaker with me and blast some Nightwish for 12 to 15 hours in a row, makes things much easier. I use this speaker every day for at least a couple of hours in my apartment, and not having to worry about its charge is something I appreciate a lot.

If that wasn’t good enough, the charging time for the speaker from 0% to 100% was approximately one hour and a half. However, this is possible thanks to a propietary charger that comes with the device.

Hopefully you are careful with your stuff, since, if you lose it, then that’s the end of your air jamming sessions. In case you were wondering, you can charge it and play music at the same time.

Apart from laptops, I can’t think of another device that comes with a propietary charger these days. It’s either microUSB, USB-C, or Lightning, and any of the three are easily available. I’m pretty sure that you could find this charger online as well in case something happens to yours, but I would gladly trade up charging time in return of a more universal cable.

On the bright side of things, this charger is capable of accepting 110V to 240V currents, so you can just use an adapter if you buy the US version and want to use it in Europe, for example. Believe me, that’s exactly what I did.

Conclusion

Even though it is Fender’s first foray into the Bluetooth speaker scene, it is definitely a solid one. It should definitely be on your list if you are in the market for a high-end Bluetooth speaker. If you want to buy one, you can head to Fender’s website and get yours. It will set you back $199.99/€225. This positions the Newport in the upper end of the market, competing with products like the Bose SoundLink Mini II, Marshall Kilburn and JBL Extreme. However, you get a quality, good-looking speaker with great sound quality and impressive battery life for your hard-earned cash. That sounds like a good deal to me.

Buy the Fender Newport from Fender’s official website.

Google Earth VR now takes you down to Street View level

Why it matters to you

If you have an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset, your Google Earth VR experience is about to become even more immersive.

Google has just enhanced its already impressive Earth VR experience, adding Street View imagery to make the virtual reality app even more immersive.

Up to now, you could fly around the planet like Superman, exploring locations from above using an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset. But now you can drop down to ground level to explore Street View imagery from 85 countries using the Google Earth VR app. The content comes from the Street View team as well as regular folks who’ve been contributing 360 photos to the online tool.

In a post outlining Earth VR’s new trick, Google’s Joanna Kim suggests a few choice spots where you might want to get started. They include AT&T Park in San Francisco, and Dubrovnik in Croatia, which Kim notes will be familiar to Game of Thrones fans.

Google Earth VR’s latest feature takes the app to a whole new level — in every sense of the expression — and looks set to make your sofa-based excursions even more real. Offering Street View imagery from so many locations around the world and embedding the functionality into the app should also prove useful for planning trips and checking out places before you go.

Besides the new Street View element, Google Earth VR lets you use the VR headsets’ hand controllers to pass high over countries, with the option to fly around and zoom in to landmarks and other places of interest for greater detail — check out Rome’s Colosseum, Switzerland’s Matterhorn, and Seattle’s Space Needle for some exciting Earth VR experiences. You can also drag the sun and sky around to quickly flip between day and night views.

Google launched Earth VR in 2016, breathing new life into the huge amount of Google Earth content it’s been gathering and creating in recent years. The app has been getting rave reviews, and several updates, like the one this week, are helping it to build on its initial success.

As we noted earlier, you’ll need either the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift headset to enjoy the new Google Earth VR feature. But if you have neither, you can still check out Street View in VR with a smartphone by downloading the Street View app for the Daydream and Cardboard viewers.

Share songs without ever leaving iMessage thanks to Spotify’s new feature

Why it matters to you

You don’t need to leave iMessage to share a Spotify track with your friends any longer.

You don’t need to be in the same room to enjoy the same tunes as your friends. Thanks to Spotify’s new iMessage app, you can easily text your favorite beats to your favorite people with just a few taps of the finger. Similar to the Spotify Messenger app, this new iMessage feature allows music lovers to search Spotify’s extensive music catalog for any track, and will begin suggesting song titles as you type. Once you’ve found your desired piece or song, tap a button to add a preview to your iMessage session with your friend — the preview is comprised of an album image, song title, and artist information.

There’s no “play” button associated with your Spotify iMessage, however. Recipients will instead see a Spotify logo in the top left corner — the only clue that the image you have sent is, in fact, a piece of music.

We should point out that recipients can only play a 30-second preview of the song within iMessage — to hear the whole thing, they’ll have to go to the Spotify app. And in order to play the preview at all, they’ll have to enable the new Spotify iMessage app (which is to say, have Spotify installed on their phone).

While Spotify hasn’t made a big announcement about the new feature yet, the iMessage extension was included in the music platform’s newest iOS app update this week. “Spotify’s iMessage app is available now, allowing users to quickly search for and share music with friends directly from iMessage,” a Spotify spokesperson told Engadget. “It’s the latest way in which we’re empowering users to share music with friends in a fast and fun way.”

The straightforward nature of this iMessage app ought to make it quite popular. After all, you don’t need a ton of functionality to just share a song with your friend. So the next time you think that the best response to a message comes in the form of a clever tune, just open up your new Spotify iMessage app, and get to sharing.

We’ve come a long way since the days of sharing mix tapes!

Best Playstation 4 Bundle Deals

Looking to pick up a PlayStation 4 for yourself or as a gift but don’t want to pay full price for it? Here are some of the best bundles available right now!

Consoles are always going on sale, and there are always different deals that include games, controllers, and other accessories, but hunting them down isn’t always the easiest thing. Whether you are looking for an original PlayStation 4, the refined PlayStation Slim, or the newest PlayStation Pro, we’ve got you covered on the best deals available.

If you aren’t quite sure which console to be looking for deals on, be sure to check out our amazing comparison which breaks it all down for you.

PlayStation 4

• Walmart offers the PS4 with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for $294

PlayStation 4 Slim

• eBay offers the PS4 Slim with Uncharted 4 for $264
• Newegg is offering the PS4 Slim with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for $269

PlayStation 4 Pro

• Best Buy offers the 1TB Limited Edition Destiny 2 Bundle for $450
• Best Buy sells the PS4 Pro with a 1TB hard drive and a single controller for $399

Your favorite deals?

Have you found a great deal that isn’t listed here? If so, be sure to drop a link in the comments along with a line about what makes it such an awesome deal!

Update: Updated September 2017 with current deals. Previous deals have been removed and new deals added.

Save 60 percent on this Wireless and Waterproof Endoscopic Camera!

Typically when you hear the word endoscopic camera it’s being said by a doctor for the purpose of looking inside a patient. But these bendable snake cameras can be used for many everyday things beyond medical applications.

The versatility of an endoscopic camera can allow you to investigate what’s clogging a drain, peer inside the tight spaces of your car, or give you an inside look at any tough to reach areas of your home. The camera head is adjustable and waterproof, making it perfect for inspecting underwater areas, gaps or holes.

Best of all, you can get your very own waterproof endoscopic camera that records in crisp 1080p for just $33.99 via Android Central Digital Offers! This camera can snake its way into the tight and dark spaces our fingers or eyes can’t and send a feed right back to any device you own via Wi-Fi.

Typically, endoscopic cameras like this are sold for $99.99, but you can get yours and save 60%! What a deal!

So what are you waiting for? You never know when you may need a versatile endoscopic camera to get you out of a jam. But act fast — this deal won’t be around forever!

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Advertisers are upset with Safari’s new anti-tracking features

One of the lesser talked about announcements from Apple’s WWDC event is that High Sierra’s Safari will have something called “Intelligent Tracking Prevention,” which uses machine learning to identify ad tracking behavior. Specifically, it’ll stop you from being tracked by advertisers as you go from site to site, so that you no longer keep seeing an ad for that thing you looked up on Amazon that one time. As you might expect, however, advertisers are not too happy about this, and a group of them have come forward to condemn the company for its “unilateral and heavy-handed approach” to user privacy.

Six major advertising trade associations released a joint letter stating that the new Safari would “create a set of haphazard rules over the use of first-party cookies (i.e. those set by a domain the user has chosen to visit) that block their functionality or purge them from users’ browsers without notice or choice.” They continue to say that the rules will hurt the user experience and that they’re “bad for consumer choice and bad for the ad-supported online content and services consumers love.”

Apple, however, is firmly convinced that it’s doing the best it can for users. In a statement, the company says: “Apple believes that people have a right to privacy. Safari was the first browser to block third-party cookies by default and Intelligent Tracking Prevention is a more advanced method for protecting user privacy.”

It further states: “Ad tracking technology has become so pervasive that it is possible for ad tracking companies to recreate the majority of a person’s web browsing history. This information is collected without permission and is used for ad re-targeting, which is how ads follow people around the internet. The new Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature detects and eliminates cookies and other data used for this cross-site tracking, which means it helps keep a person’s browsing private. The feature does not block ads or interfere with legitimate tracking on the sites that people actually click on and visit. Cookies for sites that you interact with function as designed, and ads placed by web publishers will appear normally.”

This is how ITP works: First-party cookies, which are the ones set by the domain that you visited, are allowed to stick around for 30 days. If you don’t revisit it after that, those cookies are purged. Third-party cookies, which are ones set by third-party ad networks, are purged immediately if they’re used as tracking cookies. If you interacted with those third-party cookies in a first-party context — aka they’re added when you visited a certain site — they’re allowed for 24 hours. After that, they exist in a partitioned state for 30 days before getting purged.

Advertisers, of course, would prefer that this was a user choice rather than one imposed on you by the browser. And, according to Apple, ITP can be turned off. But if you’re a user who’d rather not have companies track your browsing habits to show you ads, then you probably won’t do that.

This is just one problem that advertisers are dealing with. Google is also fighting back against ads with the introduction of a Chrome ad-blocker in early 2018, which should have Chrome users see fewer pop-ups and auto-playing videos. Yet, the Chrome ad-blocker doesn’t block all ads; just the annoying and distracting ones.

Source: CNBC

A Chinese tech giant tried to buy Spotify

Spotify is known for being fiercely independent, but that go-it-alone attitude might have been put to the test in the past several months. A TechCrunch source understands that Spotify rejected a buyout bid from Tencent, the Chinese internet giant behind WeChat, earlier in 2017. Reportedly, Tencent saw Spotify as an opportunity to expand its streaming music influence beyond China, where it thrives through services like QQ Music and KuGou. The insider doesn’t say whether or not talks got to the point where a price came up.

Neither Spotify nor Tencent is commenting on the apparent leak, to no one’s surprise, so there won’t be any official clarification as to what took place. If talks happened in first place, though, they’re still notable. They show that larger Chinese tech firms can feel confined by their home market — Tencent’s 600 million music customers may easily dwarf Spotify’s 140 million, but that still leaves a lot of potential listeners up for grabs.

Also, it’s significant that Spotify might have given up an opportunity for not only some useful financial support (it lost about $568 million in 2016), but a chance to expand into countries it doesn’t yet serve. There’s no guarantee that a Tencent deal would have guaranteed Spotify access to China (Tencent might have just used its existing services), but it might have opened doors to markets that weren’t even on the radar. While we won’t know Spotify’s reasons for turning down the offer without an official explanation, it’s possible that the company decided that its freedom was worth more than a potential market share grab.

Source: TechCrunch

Samsung Q9 setup and unboxing guide helps get your TV up and running

Samsung’s QLED series of televisions represents the best the company has to offer and some of the best TVs out there, period. Contrary to popular opinion, they are not actually just OLED televisions with a Q thrown in — they are entirely separate technologies, which both Samsung and LG will be happy to tell you.

Semantics aside, QLED displays are top-notch and the Q9F represents the cream of the crop when it comes to Samsung — the world’s top TV manufacturer (when it comes to sales, anyway). Featuring 4K Ultra HD resolution, flat-panel design, and a proprietary lighting system, the 65-inch variant of the Q9 is the perfect centerpiece for any den or living room.

Such fancy gizmos can be tough to figure out, though, which is why we put together a Samsung Q9 setup and unboxing guide to help minimize the amount of time spent reading instructions and maximize the amount of time spent beaming Game of Thrones into your eyeballs. Let’s get to it.

What’s in the box?

Other than the TV itself, the Q9 comes with:

• An external power adapter.
• A Samsung OneRemote.
• A fiber-optic HDMI spool cable.
• A Samsung One Connect box.
• A user manual.
• Two aluminum legs with screws and sheaths.

Note that the package does not include HDMI cables. You will need to buy HDMI cables to connect your TV to other devices. The easiest way to ensure you have HDMI cables at the ready is to buy the AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI cables at the same time as your TV. If you do not buy the AmazonBasics HDMI cable, make sure that the HDMI cables you do buy are rated as “high speed” to accommodate the large amount of data they’ll have to carry for 4K HDR content.

The TV also does not come with wall-mounting equipment. For more information about wall mounting check out our wall-mounting guide video.

Hardware setup

If you want to mount the Q9 on a wall, you need a mount. If you opt for a regular mount, you will use the four VESA-compliant holes on the television’s back panel. The Q9 is optimized for Samsung’s special wall mount, though, which docks in the center of the TV (behind the pop-out panel) and angles the television flat against the wall.

If you are happy setting the TV up regularly, slide the hooks on the two legs into their homes, located along the bottom of the TV. After screwing the legs in tight, you can slide the included sheaths over the vertical part of the legs to hide the screws for a cleaner aesthetic.

You will only find two ports on the television itself, both housed behind a slide-away panel at the bottom of the back panel. The first is, predictably, for the power adapter. The other is an HDMI port, which is where you plug the unique, fiber-optic spool cable into. The TV is designed this way to conserve space, so you can mount it flat against a wall without annoying cables in the way.

The other end of the spool cable connects to the included Samsung One Connect Box, which is like a super hub with basically every input you can imagine. It’s a cool solution for the web of cables we all have behind our TV.

Note: The 65-inch Q9 is a big, heavy TV. Setting it up is a two-person job, minimum. 

Features and design

Once your Q9 is set up on an entertainment center (or a wall), go ahead and take a second to marvel at its beauty. Its bezel is nearly nonexistent, with an anti-reflective display and a futuristic feel.

Like many newer televisions, there are no onboard buttons — everything runs through the remote, so don’t lose it (you can, however, use your phone with the Smart View app). Connect any device to your One Connect Box, and the television will detect it, label its input accordingly, and route it through the remote, which also features voice control.

Samsung’s Tizen smart operating system makes navigation a breeze, displaying a row of apps at the bottom of the screen and even suggesting content based on your activity.

Samsung MU6300 unboxing and setup: Get this stylish 4K TV up and running

We’re consistently impressed with Samsung’s TV lineup, and even the company’s entry-level options, like the MU6300 series, are well worth your consideration. If you’ve been won over by its 4K HDR picture and simple design and decide to make one of these TVs your own, this Samsung MU6300 unboxing and setup guide will help you install your new 4K display quickly and easily, and with some extra tips for the best possible setup.

What’s in the box?

• The MU6300 itself.
• Quick setup guide.
• User manual.
• Samsung One Remote, with batteries included.
• Breakout cables for install legacy devices.
• Power cable.
• Two separate stand pieces.
• Set of Phillips-head screws.

Several items are not included in with the TV. You will need to buy HDMI cables to connect your TV to other devices. The easiest way to ensure you have HDMI cables is to buy the AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI cables at the same time as your TV. If you do not buy the AmazonBasics HDMI cable, make sure that the HDMI cables you do buy are rated as “high speed” cables to accommodate the large amount of data they’ll have to handle for 4K HDR content.

The TV also does not come with wall-mounting equipment. For more information about wall mounting check out our wall-mounting guide video.

Hardware setup

There’s a quick setup guide included in the MU6300’s box to aid in setup, but rest assured the process is extremely simple.

First, assemble the stand. Make sure the lip on the top section inserts properly into the recessed notch on the bottom section. One that’s settled in, secure the pieces with screws.

Carefully set the TV screen-side down on a safe, flat surface. Insert the assembled stand into the slot at the bottom of the TV, and secure with screws. You can now stand the TV up.

Next, let’s plug it in. You’ll find the power cable port on the right-hand side, several inches in from the bottom-right corner. Plug in the power there.

On the other side of the TV is an inset bay housing the three HDMI ports (one with ARC for easy soundbar setups), two USB ports, an Ethernet port, and legacy connections. As noted in the above section, you’ll need your own cables to connect your devices.

An import thing to note here is that the MU6300 has some serious wobble if you touch it. It’s enough for us to recommend that you secure the TV with a security strap.

Features and design

The MU6300 is a handsome TV. Though not as flashy as some of Samsung’s other models, the MU6300’s steel gray bezel and stand are clean and simple, and should easily blend in with just about any home theater aesthetically. You can get our full thoughts on the MU6300 in our full review (needs link).

Software setup

Software setup starts with Wi-Fi if you’re not connected via Ethernet already. You’ll need to provide your Wi-Fi network’s login credentials. After you’re connected to the internet, the TV will automatically detect any connected devices – like gaming consoles, streaming devices, or Blu-ray players – and label them properly. You’ll then be able to control your connected devices with the included Samsung One Remote.

Next, let’s optimize your picture settings. For presets, we recommend the Movie setting. Should that be too dim, try enabling the HDR+ setting. You’ll find it located in the Expert Settings. This will give you and HDR-like effect for non-HDR content, while simultaneously giving you a brilliant picture.

Finally, we recommend switching off the motion smoothing. Under the Auto Motion Plus settings, we recommend setting the Judder Reduction to zero, or switch it off entirely. If you notice your picture is too stuttery, bumping the Judder Reduction back up a couple notches should smooth it out, but we don’t recommend going above 3, otherwise you’ll end up with that distracting soap opera effect.

The Wype ‘snack rag’ wants to keep your gadgets from going kaput

Why it matters to you

If you like to snack during a PC or gaming session, the Wype can take care of the mess and protect your devices in the process.

Crumbly cookies, greasy pizza, or a particularly nasty bout of influenza — these can all leave your fingers covered in muck, and as you may have already learned to your cost, gunk-covered hands can soon lead to messed-up tech gadgets.

To keep your equipment protected from all the mess, Utah-based Open-Vision Labs has come up with the Wype, a “personal desktop snack rag” designed to ensure your fingers always stay clean. At least, that’s the theory.

The Wype is a round piece of custom-made carpet consisting of microfibers that take dirt from your fingers with a quick wipe. It also includes an antimicrobial solution to kill any germs that may have been using your hands as a home.

“If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time on your computer, your phone, your gaming console,” Open-Vision Labs’ Seth Konopasek explains in his Kickstarter video. “You know that napkins don’t really get your fingers clean, neither do paper towels or wiping it on your pants. And we all know what happens if you have dirty fingers.” Yes, it screws up your gadgets.

The Wype’s cloth is removable and sits on a secure base that you can place beside your keyboard or console so it’s easy to reach. When it gets so gross that you don’t want to touch it anymore, you can either throw it in the laundry or donate it to scientific research — you never know, they might discover some new strains of bacteria living in there.

The team suggests a variety of scenarios besides PC and gaming sessions where the Wype might come in handy. You can use it to protect your TV controller when you’re snacking in front of the box, for example, or when you’re cooking in the kitchen and using a tablet to read the recipe.

Provided the campaign reaches its $15,000 funding goal, the Wype will be ready to cleanse your fingers in December, 2017. Pledge $15 and you’ll score yourself one Wype set comprising a black base and three covers; $30 will get you double that, while a $40 pledge offers better value for money with three black bases and nine covers coming your way.