YEVO 1 truly wireless earbuds – the best you can buy, but at a steep price

Unboxing Yevo’s first foray into the truly wireless market – aptly if rather unoriginally dubbed the 1 – is a bit of an adventure.The box is black, textured – almost (but not quite) leather-feeling – with silver foil lettering and a folding flap concealing the goods. Under said flap is a plastic covering (which by the way, is an absolute pain to put back in place), under which sits the Yevo 1, encased in foam. It seems like an awful lot of packaging for such a little thing. The whole package does have a premium feel to it, though it almost feels like faux premium. It’s tough to explain. Anyway! Packaging isn’t terribly important, as it almost always ends up in the trash about five minutes after the product is removed from it, but hey – why not mention it.

Build

The YEVO 1 is built well. The semi-gloss finish is classy, reflecting a sense of class without picking up fingerprints the way full-gloss does. YEVO has conveniently included three different sizes of tips to fit all ear canals, which is more or less standard for earphones these days. The earbuds themselves are extremely smooth, utilizing a buttonless design and rounded pentagon aesthetic that differentiates it a bit from the standard bulbous earphones. The touch-based interface gives it a very sleek appearance, unbothered by buttons and charging ports.

As solid as the design of the ear buds is, though, the case seems to lack that polish. It’s a simple design; a two-piece casing with an aluminum ring to cap it, and a sliding rack – inside which sit the earpieces. The casing is made of the same semi-glass plastic as the earpieces, but the seam between the two pieces of the case is very obvious. I feel like it would have been better suited as a single piece aluminum casing, rather than the two-piece plastic one, especially for the price tag.

The rack slides out of the case very smoothly – almost too easily, really – and the magnetic closure holds it closed admirably. Each earpiece fits snugly in the rack, held in place by the six charging pins that snap into the chassis when you insert them. The cap at the end of the rack – made of the same plastic as the rest of the case – also houses a rather-oddly shaped Micro-USB port and five small LEDs. These LEDs are clever in their implementations, displaying the battery life of the case when closed and that of the headset when open.

Check out that weird, squared off MicroUSB port.

While I personally would have preferred to see a USB-C port – which would have allowed the case to serve as an external battery for a phone as well as for the YEVO 1 – and perhaps a more recent Bluetooth standard than 4.1 – the YEVO 1 nonetheless offers strong build quality and aesthetic anyone would be proud to be caught dead wearing.

Performance

I’ll get the bad stuff out of the way first; YEVO 1 utilizes NFMI technology, which while exciting in its own right is still a technology that’s very-much in development. It’s excellent when it works, but even when it doesn’t the drops and stutters are only occasional and never long. The touch controls, while creating a sleek, crisp aesthetic, are a bit unwieldy at times – the lack of tactile or audio feedback makes it tough to tell what’s going on, and clumsy to manipulate.

Now for the good. The sound quality is probably the best I’ve heard in a pair of truly wireless earbuds, with exceedingly crisp audio and high volume. As with all earbuds, the YEVO 1 struggles a bit with bass, but again – it’s probably the best of the ones I’ve tested personally.

There are a number of great features packed into the little guys but my favorite is Audio Transparency, an adjustable setting that either allows sound from the outside world in, or blocks it altogether. This setting, like all others contained in the 1s, is configurable from the companion app – and it works really well. I was able to hold a conversation while listening to music with no problem whatsoever. It’s a little startling at first, but very clever once you get used to it.

The YEVO 1s are also compatible with Siri/Google Assistant/Cortana – a single, long press on the right earpiece pulls up voice commands for your favorite assistant. I wasn’t able to get Alexa to work on my V30, but I’m sure it’ll become available in time – one of the nice things about the YEVO 1s is that since it has built-in memory settings, it can likely be patched via software.

Value

I’m just going to get this out of the way – $249.99 is a lot of money for a pair of Bluetooth earbuds – truly wireless or not. The Rowkin Bit Stereo is $129.99, Apple’s AirPods are $159, and even the Samsung Gear IconX runs $199.99. While I firmly believe that the Yevo 1 is better than both of those products, I still have a bit of trouble recommending them at that price. If you have $250 laying around, and if you want to get the cream of the wireless earbuds crop, the Yevo 1 is for you. If $250 is just too much, though, you can easily settle for one of the options listed above and probably sleep just fine at night with the decision.

Buy the Yevo 1 on Amazon

Frame – Wallpapers (Review)

Customizing our devices can include a lot of different facets, but everything starts with the wallpaper. This is the quickest and easiest way to express your personality, while also attempting to find something that fits in with the theme you’re attempting to achieve.

One such application which has been on the Play Store for a bit is called ‘Frame – Wallpapers‘. This app offers a bit of a different feel and interface compared to something like Backdrops or Wallpapers HD.

Interface

When you download Frame for the first time, you’ll be greeted with a few screens to scroll through before being able to access the various sections. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to scroll through five different sections:

• Photo of the Day
• Latest
• Popular
• Featured
• Settings

The application pulls its resources from Unsplash and mostly includes nature and building wallpapers, but there are some other goodies thrown in the midst. At the bottom of the app, there are three buttons to check out: Home, Search, Favourites. This provides a little bit of a better way to find the best wallpapers and to ensure that you don’t forget which wallpapers are your favorites.

Downloading an image is rather easy, as you can just tap on the picture of your choice, and then select from the pop-up toolbar at the bottom. From here, you can either download the picture, share it with your friends, or automatically set the picture as your wallpaper.

Extra goodies

The other problems with wallpapers is that they may not be perfectly optimized for your specific device. Frame helps with this thanks to a settings feature which allows you to adjust the Download Quality.

The ‘Full’ option offers a high-quality image, and an “average file size”, while the ‘Raw’ option offers the “highest quality” and a “larger file size”. This will help make sure that you are getting the best image possible for whatever device you may be using at the time.

Not everything is rosy

While Frame is a great app and offers an excellent experience and interface, we ran into some issues in our time with the app. The first was a rather major problem, as the ‘Popular’ and ‘Featured’ sections were completely blacked out.

‘Popular’ Problems

We’ve tried using the app on multiple devices and from different Play Store accounts, and the issue continued to be present. We also could not find exactly how to easily favorite images to download later.

The problems don’t stop here as it seems that the ads that appear when you download wallpapers can cause the app to crash. This means that if you’re bored and have been scrolling for a while, you’ll likely lose your place on the list and will have to start from the beginning.

Is it for you?

We still would recommend for everyone to check out Frame, but there are definitely some reservations about the app. Currently, the last update to the app came back in February of 2017, so we’re hoping this hasn’t turned into abandonware.

Nonetheless, Frame is free to download and has a 4.5-star rating based on almost 3,500 reviews. If you want to give it a shot, hit the button below and let us know what you think about it.

Download Frame – Wallpapers!

Gear Up: Skinit offers another great skin and case option for the Galaxy Note 8

In a world of shiny glass phones and scratches galore, there are a few different options to consider to keep your device protected. While most everyone has already heard of dbrand and SlickWraps, some folks may not have heard of a company called Skinit.

This company has been around for some time, but isn’t the first to be suggested, despite some pretty awesome offerings. Today, we’re going to take a look at two options from Skinit, including a skin and one of the company’s standard two-piece cases.

Carbon Fiber Skin

First up, we’re going to take a look at the Carbon Fiber skin that I received to review for my Galaxy Note 8. I am a huge fan of skins for protecting my devices from being scratched, but hands-down, the biggest pain with these is the installation.

Unfortunately, Skinit didn’t reinvent the wheel here, as the installation process is pretty much the same as any other skin. The problem that I ended up finding lied within trying to ensure that the camera holes were properly lineup.

I ran into an issue when it came to lifting and reapplying the skin, as the top portion of the skin became a bit stretched out. Once I was finally able to get everything lined up and applied, then the skin worked just as advertised.

Considering the fact that I’m a bit bigger of a guy, I have a tendency of sweating a bit here and there. This is important to note because the Carbon Fiber skin became a bit more slippery if my hands were even a little bit moist.

There was enough grip to help keep the sometimes-unwieldy Galaxy Note 8 in my hands, but I did have to worry about. I felt the need to wipe down the skin often enough that it became annoying.

Nonetheless, the Carbon Fiber skin from Skinit did the job, and did it well enough to keep it on my phone for awhile.

Skinit Pro Case

Not everyone wants to use a skin as it offers no more than just protection from scratches. If you’re looking for something with a bit more protection, then we’re here to show off the Skinit Pro Case for the Galaxy Note 8.

First of all, the Pro Case comes in two different pieces, with a soft, inner shell, and a hard exterior. As you would expect, the inner shell should be placed on the phone first, and then you can fit the outer shell to lock everything into place.

If you were worried about whether Skinit provided access to all of the necessary ports, then there’s no concern here. The Pro Case gives you easy access to all of your ports and buttons, and leaves more than enough space around the camera cutout to keep getting those awesome pictures.

As was the case with my Galaxy S8 Case Roundup, the Skinit Pro Case also makes life a bit easier for those who use the fingerprint scanner. Being able to find the edge of the rear cutout makes finding the scanner faster than if you didn’t have a case at all.

Since the buttons are covered by the soft inner shell, this makes it easy to find them when you aren’t looking, even for those who use the Bixby button. There’s a nice tactile feel to the buttons, so that everything is accessible with ease.

When it comes to protection, there’s not much to worry about here with the Pro Case. The case will definitely keep your Galaxy Note 8 protected in the event of an accidental drop. However, due to the curved display, I would still recommend picking up a screen protector to help keep your Note 8 in pristine condition.

Conclusion

While Skinit doesn’t have the same brand recognition as dbrand or SlickWraps, the company offers more than a few different options, putting it ahead of the pack. We’ll have how well the skin holds up over time, but I’m sure it will perform quite nicely.

If you want to check out more of Skinit’s offerings, hit the button below where skins start at just $14.99 and include options for your favorite sports teams, comics (Batman FTW!), and other designs. Let us know what you think about these offerings from Skinit and if they are something you’ll be considering for your device of choice.

Buy the Galaxy Note 8 Skinit!

Build.com’s In-Home Preview lets you test-drive your appliances in AR

You can’t exactly take your furniture for a test drive (not yet, at least), but the next best thing just may be the introduction of augmented reality to a growing number of home improvement platforms. The latest to jump on the AR bandwagon is Build.com, an exclusively online home retailer that is not opting for a brick-and-mortar experience, but just may be the next best thing. With “In-Home Preview,” the company is leveraging Apple’s ARKit development platform, and promises to “take users beyond just visualizing how a product will look in their home.” In fact, folks can now interact (virtually, of course) with various appliances, turning a faucet on and off, moving handles, and more.

It’s a pretty nifty feature that allows you to remodel your home with a bit more information than you might’ve had previously. For example, if you’re looking to revamp your kitchen, you can scroll through Build’s iOS app, and select a faucet that best matches your existing appliances. But not only will you be able to “see” what it looks like once installed, you’ll also be able to play around with it, adjusting the water temperature (if you turn it to hot, you’ll see steam), changing water flow and spray patterns, and more.

Similarly, those hoping to install new lights can check out various lighting fixtures, rotate them 360 degrees, or even move them up and down and down by virtually adjusting a chain. And if you want to see how you would switch these lights on and off, you can do that too from within the app.

Different finishes can also be applied to suit various aesthetics, and as it stands, the AR experience includes products from Delta Faucet, Kichler, Hansgrohe, Progress Lighting, Miseno, and Park Harbor.

“Customers have always told us how important it is to ‘touch and feel’ products before making a purchase. Now, we have a way to bridge that physical world with the digital,” said Dan Davis, Build.com’s chief technology officer. “Our website offers more than 800,000 products and we are aiming to have over a 1,000 available in the ‘In-Home Preview’ feature.”

The Build.com app is now available for the iPhone and iPad. You’ll need to have iOS 11 and have an iPhone 6s or newer mode in order to take advantage of the AR functionality. An Android app could soon follow with the AR Core technology.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 9 ARKit apps to try on your iPhone or iPad using iOS 11
• Anthropologie hands you AR and CGI tools to design your living room
• Weekly Rewind: Techie tiny homes, AR fighter jets, SpaceX bloopers
• Apple iPhone X review
• MAC Virtual Try-on Mirror review

Torchcity makes securing your home as easy as screwing in a lightbulb

Securing your home is as easy as screwing in a lightbulb. After all, keeping yourself and your loved ones safe is of the utmost importance, so why shouldn’t it be of the utmost convenience, too? With Torchcity, you ought to be able to combine a surveillance camera, sensors, and of course, wireless LED lighting, all into a single device.

“Making our homes smarter shouldn’t be rocket science,” the team notes on its Kickstarter page. “At Torchcity, we envision smart homes to be the future living and should be as easy as installing a light bulb.” Rather than depending on a consortium of various devices, Torchcity claims to deliver an all-in-one solution.

Embedded in the light is a camera lens, which claims to give users the ability to view “every corner of the room at once,” and in full HD, no less. Thanks to an embedded motor, homeowners can adjust the camera angle by 18 degrees at a time, allowing them to monitor the entirety of the room. Footage from the camera can be streamed directly to your smartphone, and can be stored in Dropbox or other cloud solutions. If you see something out of the ordinary, Torchcity’s built-in microphone and speakers support two-way audio, so you can speak to folks in your home, and hear their responses. So whether you need to communicate with a loved one or scare off a potential intruder, this smart light bulb could help.

Torchcity also claims to double as a smoke and gas detector. Featuring “industry-standard smoke and gas sensors,” you ought to be able to keep tabs on any dangerous situations within your home. Should the Torchcity detect unusual levels or either smoke or gas, users will receive a smartphone alert, while folks at home will see six red LED lights blinking as an alarm sounds. And to ensure that you can’t just ignore the sound, the alarm isn’t deactivated until a user presses the stop button from within the app.

Of course, as a lightbulb first and foremost, Torchcity can also help illuminate a room. Fully controllable through the companion app, users can control the temperature and color of a light from afar. Claiming a broad spectrum of colors and various tonalities (warm for the evening and cool for the day), the Torchcity hopes to help create the right ambiance for every setting.

You can pre-order the smart light from Kickstarter for $199, and delivery is expected in April.

Editors’ Recommendations

• All Alexa-enabled devices you can utilize with Amazon’s Echo lineup
• Brighten your home in 64,000 shades of white through Wiz Connected Lights
• Get a more holistic view of your home with Notion sensors and Nest
• You don’t need wires or even a smart home hub to use iHome’s new sensors
• Digital Trends 2017 Home Awards

Pay what you want for a 10-course coding bundle!

To become a successful coder these days, it pays to have a well-rounded education. Only knowing one or two languages just won’t cut it anymore, but it can be difficult to amass this type of knowledge without spending a ton of money.

Right now, however, Android Central Digital Offers has a deal on a huge 10-course coding bundle. Valued at $1,479, you instead get to pay whatever you want. If you beat the average price, you get to take home all 10 courses. If you don’t beat the price, you still get to take home an Introduction to R Programming course.

The other nine courses include:

• Complete Python Web Course: Build 8 Python Web Apps
• How to Make a Freaking iPhone App: iOS 11 and Swift 4
• JavaScript for Beginners
• The Complete PHP MySQL Professional Course
• Learn React by Building Real Projects
• Programming for Complete Beginners in C#
• The Complete Java 9 Masterclass: Beginner to Expert
• Beginner Full Stack Web Development: HTML, CSS, React & Node
• Angular Crash Course for Busy Developers

If you’re at all interested in becoming a learned coder, this bundle is no doubt quite appealing. The longer you wait, the higher the average price will climb; don’t hesitate!

See at Android Central Digital Offers

How to set up PlayStation VR

Get the best start in life with PlayStation VR with our handy set up guide!

So you’ve picked up a shiny new PlayStation VR, and brought it home, excited about the possibilities of having a VR headset run on your PlayStation 4 console. Before you can put the headset on, and jump into your favorite game, you’ll need to get everything set up. Everything that you need to get set up is sitting right inside that big blue box.

While Sony does include a fairly conclusive set of instructions in the box, there are some tips and tricks to ensure that your setup process is as simple and easy as possible.

Read more at VRHeads

Here are leaked images of Alcatel’s higher-end lineup for 2018

A quick look at some of Alcatel’s offerings for 2018.

Alcatel’s not the most popular phone brand around, but the company has proven to be able to kick out some really solid handsets for not a lot of cash (one of the most recent examples being the Alcatel Idol 5). Evan Blass shared an image of the company’s higher-end lineup for 2018 back in October, but we now have higher-resolution shots of all the handsets that were previously leaked.

(Left to right) Alcatel 5, 3V, 3X

The devices include the Alcatel 5, 3V, 3X, 3, 3C, and 1X – ranging from highest to lowest-end in that order. There aren’t any accompanying specifications to go along with the images, but that doesn’t mean we can’t infer anything about what’s being shown off here.

In regards to the most premium of the bunch, the Idol 5 features a pretty unique design that should help it to stand out a fair bit. There’s a pretty large top bezel, but very slim ones on the bottom and sides. The phone appears to be made out of metal, but strangely enough, there’s only a single camera. If you want dual cameras, you’ll have to go with either the Alcatel 3V or 3X.

(Left to right) Alcatel 3, 3C, 1X

A glass construction appears to be present for the 3V, 3X, 3, and 3C, but the cheaper 1X features a plastic one. The 1X is also the only phone of the bunch that doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor.

It’s unclear when in 2018 Alcatel will release these phones or how much they’ll cost, but if past devices are anything to go by, we’ll be looking at competent Android handsets that are very competitively priced.

Alcatel Idol 5 review: One of Cricket’s best

Get a DualShock 4 controller in black or camo for just $39 right now

Replace an old controller or just have an extra for some couch-based multiplayer.

This Sony DualShock 4 wireless controller is down to $39 on Amazon in Jet Black and Green Camouflage. The Jet Black version regularly sells for $44, and the Green Camo one sells closer to $49.

Most retailers plan to offer the controller for around $40 on Black Friday, and it’s also a regular sale price we’ve shared a couple times before. However, it’s limited to two colors right now. Best Buy, for example, is promising Magma Red controllers at $40, which might entice you to wait. But I imagine we’ll see that on sale online, too, before next Friday.

Features of the DualShock 4 controller include:

• Precision controller enhanced to offer players absolute control for all games on PlayStation 4.
• Improved feel, shape, and sensitivity of dual analog sticks and trigger buttons
• New multi-touch and clickable touch pad on the face of the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller opens up worlds of new gameplay possibilities for both newcomers and veteran gamers.
• DualShock 4 Wireless Controller features a built-in speaker and stereo headset jack, putting several new audio options in the player’s hands.

See at Amazon

Google’s fabric case for Pixel 2 is my favorite accessory in years

Google’s fabric case for the Pixel 2 is expensive and maybe not the most practical, but it sure is a joy to use.

When it comes to materials used on phones these days, things have gotten pretty boring. More manufacturers are opting for glass and metal than ever before, and while this does make phones more “premium” in some people’s eyes, it comes at the expense of devices that all end up looking and feeling the same after a while.

Becuase of this trend, I immediately fell in love with the Pixel 2 as soon as I picked it up for the first time. Although technically made out of aluminum, the special coating on the back allows for fantastic grip that’s surprisingly difficult to find on a modern flagship. I didn’t initially think the Pixel 2 could look or feel any better, but then I slapped on Google’s fabric case.

This. Thing. Rocks.

If you’ve been following Google’s products over the past year, you’ve likely noticed that a lot of them are made out of fabric. The Daydream View and Google Home that debuted in 2016 were the first to introduce this design trend, and that style was continued this year with the Home Mini, Home Max, and Pixel Buds. And, of course, the Pixel 2’s fabric case.

Simply referred to as the “Pixel 2 Case” on the Google Store, you can buy the accessory in Carbon, Cement, Midnight, and Coral for the Pixel 2 and 2 XL. I opted for the Carbon (black) variant, and after using it on my Pixel 2 for the past few days, I can’t remember the last time I was this impressed with a phone case.

Fabric might be impractical, but it sure does look and feel amazing.

One of the biggest reasons for this is, well, the use of fabric. Look — I get that this isn’t the most durable material in the world and that it’ll probably start showing noticeable signs of use after a couple of months. You know what, though? I don’t care. Holding a material like this in my hands each and every time I pick up my phone is such a unique experience, and it’s something you simply can’t find with any other device (at least not to this quality). It’s soft, decently grippy, and a pure joy to use.

The volume rocker is covered by the same fabric, but the power button cover is made out of a hard plastic. Not only do both buttons still feel great to press, but the different material choice between the two makes it easy to determine which one your finger is resting on without having to glance at your phone.

Google’s Coral and Midnight colors for this case are particularly striking, but I’ve been really impressed with how good the Carbon option looks. The fabric material is still very noticeable even from a distance, but it does this while also looking classy and not overly flashy.

The only possible annoyance is the fingerprint scanner cutout.

Two other strong points for this case are that it’s compatible with the Pixel 2’s Active Edge feature and the slightly raised edges around the front help protect your screen in the event of a drop. My only real nitpick with the case is with the cutout for the fingerprint scanner. Because of the added thickness, it does feel like you have to “dip your finger in the hole” rather than just tap it on the back.

So, should you buy the fabric case for the Pixel 2?

I’ll be the first to admit that the $40 asking price is a bit much, but it’s well worth it. This is one of the most unique-looking and awesome-feeling cases I’ve ever had the pleasure of using, and it’s currently one of the best ways to outfit Google’s latest.

See at Google Store

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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