Commune with nature in ‘Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp’ for mobile

App Attack is a weekly series where we search the App Store and Google Play Store for the best apps of the week. Check out App Attack for the latest apps we’ve tested out.

If you’re looking for a new game to dive into this holiday weekend, all you’ll need is your smartphone and maybe some patience. You’ll get to manage your own campsite, interact with cute little animals, and even travel a bit. This week we’re bringing you a beloved Nintendo franchise that’s finally available for mobile devices.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp — now available for iOS and Android — reunites you with nature. Where in main series entries you serve as the mayor of town, you’re now modestly appointed as campsite manager. To help decorate your campsite, you’re completing tasks for animals along the way who reward you with currency and crafting materials.

Since the game was released a day earlier than expected, there have been a few connection errors while playing. If that happens, I recommend force quitting out of the app and starting back up again; I was able to pick right back up again from where I left off.

Technical hiccups aside, it’s been a fun and entertaining experience so far. While I’m not the most avid gamer, I am familiar with Animal Crossing from my Nintendo GameCube days. Downloading the game for my iPhone was thus a nostalgic trip, considering that previous versions aren’t available on mobile. You can also log into your Nintendo Account to save data and earn points (redeemable for discounts and in-game items in other Nintendo titles).

In the beginning, I got to design my avatar by picking her hair color, hair style, and eye shape. I was then presented with a hipster-style outfit — knit sweater and striped socks included. Later on you can customize your camper with different colors and patterns. You’ll also get to choose between a total of four themes for your campsite — sporty, cool, natural, and cute.

When the game starts to pick up, you’re able to travel to other destinations like Sunburst Island and Saltwater Shores to meet other animals. Each one will provide you with a task that’s themed to your surroundings whether it’s fishing or catching butterflies. Completing these missions not only win you tons of supplies, but you can also start to make your campsite look less empty by inviting the animal mission-givers to come hang out. It’s important to remember that while Animal Crossing looks like fun, it means serious business. Each animal is pretty needy with their requests — providing you with an entire list of tasks before they’re willing to actually become your friend. But therein lies the game: the more requests you complete, the more supplies you earn.

With the supplies, you’re able to craft  furniture. For example, you’ll need wood to put together a picket fence and for a modern dresser you’ll need some steel. Note however that you can only make one item at at a time. You can purchase more space with Leaf Tickets, one of two in-game currencies, which you can either earn in-game or, if you’re impatient, purchase with real money. Fortunately I found that the game was generous with both supplies and Leaf Tickets, providing us with more than we needed in just a few hours of play. The game also includes Bells, the series’ traditional main currency, which are used to buy furniture and can only be earned in game (though much more rapidly than Leaf Tickets). I do recommend being strategic about the order in which you complete tasks, however, to avoid wasting too much time in transit between the various locations. There’s also the Market Place where you can shop for items instead, or set up your own “Market Box” where other players can purchase items you offer.

In order to fulfill the animals’ requests, you must purchase furniture for them to use when they’re at your camp site. It also serves to fill out your campsite, making it look cozier. The sky is the limit with customization, from the necessities like a couch and bed to an electric guitar or an even bigger tent. Unfortunately, this does mean you might have to sacrifice the furniture you actually want in order to save up leaf tickets and supplies for furniture that the animals request.

A new location for those who are already fans of Animal Crossing is Shovelstrike Quarry — where you can collect ore by mining rocks. There’s gold ore, silver ore, sapphires, and rubies, that can then be sold for Bells. To access the area, you’ll either need to use 20 of your Leaf Tickets or put together a group of five friends you’ve made to mine for minerals.

Since the game is fairly new, I managed to make a few friends already while playing. You can even visit their camp site — which made me a little jealous because some of them already had a ton of cool furniture laid out. But it’s definitely great for inspirational purposes when you’re trying to step up your camp site design game.

The interface is extremely easy to use, and it also keeps you super organized in a game where it can seem like there’s a lot to track. On the right-hand corner, there’s a menu with your Timed Goals and Stretch Goals that tell you whether or not they are complete. This is also where you can access all the different social features such as friend requests, notices, your mailbox, and more.

Timed Goals are much shorter and don’t require too much effort, and you also have a large amount of time to complete them. You’ll also be awarded with a variety of supplies to craft furniture. By completing stretch goals, you’ll receive perhaps the best prize of all — Leaf Tickets to use towards all types of different supplies, especially if you’re in a crunch. All your rewards from completing these tasks are stored in your mailbox which you can collect one by one or in batches.

Loyal Animal Crossing fans will be pleased to find that Pocket Camp captures the essential character and gameplay of the series, just in a different setting. With bright and cheery graphics and a satisfying core loop-, it’s still fun and easy to get hooked on. While I’ve only gotten through the first few levels, it’s definitely not a game I’ll tire of quickly.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Nintendo’s free mobile game ‘Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp’ arrives a day early
• Animal Crossing Pocket Camp brings Nintendo’s life sim to mobile devices
• Meet Apple’s Animoji, custom-animated 3D messages for iOS 11
• This backyard biodigester will turn your food scraps into free cooking gas
• Bring your animated avatar to the real world with Snapchat’s Bitmoji feature

Here’s what everyone’s saying about the FCC’s net neutrality plan (in GIF form)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock — Patrick Star style — it’s highly unlikely that net neutrality hasn’t popped up on your any of your news or social feeds. If you decided to keep scrolling because it’s too confusing to figure out, we don’t blame you.

In short, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will soon vote to reverse net neutrality rules originally set in place under President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. This basically means internet providers will no longer be required to give consumers equal access to online content. You’ll instead purchase the best service plan for your needs.

Since the proposal was announced, people have not been holding back on the internet to express how they really feel. Ironic, we know. Let’s take a look at a few responses, GIF-style.

Jessica Rosenworcel, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission:

“Our Internet economy is the envy of the world because it is open to all. This proposal tears at the foundation of that openness. It hands broadband providers the power to decide what voices to amplify, which sites we can visit, what connections we can make, and what communities we create.”

Meredith Attwell Baker, CTIA-The Wireless Association president and CEO:

“CTIA and the wireless industry commend FCC Chairman Pai for acting to free the Internet from investment-chilling utility style regulation. In doing so, Chairman Pai will restore the long-standing bipartisan approach to the Internet, which will help drive billions of new dollars into mobile broadband networks, boost our economy, and ensure that we continue to lead the world in mobile wireless services.”

Joan Marsh, AT&T executive vice president of regulatory and state external affairs:

“Importantly, the adoption of this order will restore the careful balance needed between ensuring internet freedom while continuing to attract private investment in broadband facilities – investment that is essential to delivering on the promise of broadband for all Americans.”

Kathy Grillo, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel, public policy and government affairs: 

“For decades, the internet flourished under a bipartisan regulatory approach that allowed it to operate, grow and succeed free of unnecessary government controls … Now, the FCC appears poised for a much-needed return to the approach that fostered so many years of internet openness and innovation,” Grillo told Digital Trends.

Harold Ford Jr., Broadband for America honorary co-chair:

“We strongly support the FCC plan to free the internet from 1930’s era over-regulation and usher in a new era of broadband investment, innovation, and job creation.”

Michael Powell, NCTA president and CEO:

“The draft order will not change how our companies view the freedoms intrinsic to internet service, but critically, it will correct the prior FCC’s mistake in relying on an outdated framework that elevates government micromanagement over market innovation and growth.”

Tim Berners-Lee, founder and web inventor of the World Wide Web Foundation:

“Do we want a web where cable companies determine winners and losers online? Where they decide which opinions we read, which creative ideas succeed? That’s not the web I want. To judge by support in opinion polls for upholding net neutrality, it’s not the web you want either.”

Jonathan Spalter, USTelecom CEO:

“FCC Chairman Pai’s proposal to restore the smart, common-sense, bipartisan policies that allowed the internet to flourish is a critical step toward closing the digital divide and ensuring net neutrality protections for all.”

Cinnamon Rogers, TIA senior vice president for government affairs:

“The FCC’s proposal, as outlined by the Chairman today, will improve the business case for deploying next-generation wireline and wireless broadband to meet growing consumer demand for connectivity, create high-paying jobs across the country, and enable new services powered by the Internet of Things.”

In addition to releasing public statements, people have also used Twitter as a main platform to voice their opinions on the issue:

#NetNeutrality is critical to ensuring the internet remains a place where people can come together, make their voices heard, & make change. We have to fight back.

— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) November 21, 2017

If the vote to overturn #netneutrality rules is passed, big business will benefit off a fatal blow to the internet's free exchange of information. FCC chair Ajit Pai can be reached at 202-418-1000. Dial him up. https://t.co/OYqGA4Rfnp

— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) November 22, 2017

New FCC rules give Comcast & Verizon full censorial powers over Internet akin to Chinese government

— Tim Wu (@superwuster) November 21, 2017

Taking away #NetNeutrality is the Authoritarian dream. Consolidating information into the hands of a few controlled by a few. Dangerous territory. https://t.co/ZVdvmGzcHf

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) November 21, 2017

It’s clear that most companies are in favor of completely dismantling net neutrality, but there are still those staying hopeful that we’ll come together to save it. Voting doesn’t take place until December 14, so we’ll be adding more reactions until then.

Update: Added new reactions for the latest proposal to reverse net neutrality rules.

Editors’ Recommendations

• These are the best comedies on Netflix, and that’s no joke
• What is universal basic income? A beginner’s guide
• A beginner’s guide to A.I. superintelligence and ‘the singularity’
• Grab your fedora: Here’s everything we know about ‘Indiana Jones 5’
• Jaegers, assemble! Here’s everything we know about ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’

Here’s what everyone’s saying about the FCC’s net neutrality plan (in GIF form)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock — Patrick Star style — it’s highly unlikely that net neutrality hasn’t popped up on your any of your news or social feeds. If you decided to keep scrolling because it’s too confusing to figure out, we don’t blame you.

In short, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will soon vote to reverse net neutrality rules originally set in place under President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. This basically means internet providers will no longer be required to give consumers equal access to online content. You’ll instead purchase the best service plan for your needs.

Since the proposal was announced, people have not been holding back on the internet to express how they really feel. Ironic, we know. Let’s take a look at a few responses, GIF-style.

Jessica Rosenworcel, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission:

“Our Internet economy is the envy of the world because it is open to all. This proposal tears at the foundation of that openness. It hands broadband providers the power to decide what voices to amplify, which sites we can visit, what connections we can make, and what communities we create.”

Meredith Attwell Baker, CTIA-The Wireless Association president and CEO:

“CTIA and the wireless industry commend FCC Chairman Pai for acting to free the Internet from investment-chilling utility style regulation. In doing so, Chairman Pai will restore the long-standing bipartisan approach to the Internet, which will help drive billions of new dollars into mobile broadband networks, boost our economy, and ensure that we continue to lead the world in mobile wireless services.”

Joan Marsh, AT&T executive vice president of regulatory and state external affairs:

“Importantly, the adoption of this order will restore the careful balance needed between ensuring internet freedom while continuing to attract private investment in broadband facilities – investment that is essential to delivering on the promise of broadband for all Americans.”

Kathy Grillo, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel, public policy and government affairs: 

“For decades, the internet flourished under a bipartisan regulatory approach that allowed it to operate, grow and succeed free of unnecessary government controls … Now, the FCC appears poised for a much-needed return to the approach that fostered so many years of internet openness and innovation,” Grillo told Digital Trends.

Harold Ford Jr., Broadband for America honorary co-chair:

“We strongly support the FCC plan to free the internet from 1930’s era over-regulation and usher in a new era of broadband investment, innovation, and job creation.”

Michael Powell, NCTA president and CEO:

“The draft order will not change how our companies view the freedoms intrinsic to internet service, but critically, it will correct the prior FCC’s mistake in relying on an outdated framework that elevates government micromanagement over market innovation and growth.”

Tim Berners-Lee, founder and web inventor of the World Wide Web Foundation:

“Do we want a web where cable companies determine winners and losers online? Where they decide which opinions we read, which creative ideas succeed? That’s not the web I want. To judge by support in opinion polls for upholding net neutrality, it’s not the web you want either.”

Jonathan Spalter, USTelecom CEO:

“FCC Chairman Pai’s proposal to restore the smart, common-sense, bipartisan policies that allowed the internet to flourish is a critical step toward closing the digital divide and ensuring net neutrality protections for all.”

Cinnamon Rogers, TIA senior vice president for government affairs:

“The FCC’s proposal, as outlined by the Chairman today, will improve the business case for deploying next-generation wireline and wireless broadband to meet growing consumer demand for connectivity, create high-paying jobs across the country, and enable new services powered by the Internet of Things.”

In addition to releasing public statements, people have also used Twitter as a main platform to voice their opinions on the issue:

#NetNeutrality is critical to ensuring the internet remains a place where people can come together, make their voices heard, & make change. We have to fight back.

— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) November 21, 2017

If the vote to overturn #netneutrality rules is passed, big business will benefit off a fatal blow to the internet's free exchange of information. FCC chair Ajit Pai can be reached at 202-418-1000. Dial him up. https://t.co/OYqGA4Rfnp

— Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) November 22, 2017

New FCC rules give Comcast & Verizon full censorial powers over Internet akin to Chinese government

— Tim Wu (@superwuster) November 21, 2017

Taking away #NetNeutrality is the Authoritarian dream. Consolidating information into the hands of a few controlled by a few. Dangerous territory. https://t.co/ZVdvmGzcHf

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) November 21, 2017

It’s clear that most companies are in favor of completely dismantling net neutrality, but there are still those staying hopeful that we’ll come together to save it. Voting doesn’t take place until December 14, so we’ll be adding more reactions until then.

Update: Added new reactions for the latest proposal to reverse net neutrality rules.

Editors’ Recommendations

• These are the best comedies on Netflix, and that’s no joke
• What is universal basic income? A beginner’s guide
• A beginner’s guide to A.I. superintelligence and ‘the singularity’
• Grab your fedora: Here’s everything we know about ‘Indiana Jones 5’
• Jaegers, assemble! Here’s everything we know about ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’

12 Great Star Wars Gifts 2017

These are the Star Wars gifts that are actually worth buying.

It’s a glorious time to be a Star Wars fan! We get a new movie every year, new books spanning so many different aspects of the universe, and an actual mountain of themed swag around every corner. So much Star Wars swag. In fact, it’s a little too much if you’re trying to buy something good for the Star Wars fan in your life. You can reach out in just about any direction of every store right now and find something with the Star Wars logo stamped on it — including, weirdly enough, oranges — but if you’re looking for the good stuff it can be a little intimidating.

This list should get you started down the right path. Everything here is stuff I’ve found worthy of the Force-sensitive people in your life, and there’s a little something in here for everyone.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar

If you’ve got someone younger in your life who enjoys counting down the days until Christmas, you can’t do better than this Lego Star Wars setup. It’s a new Lego Star Wars bit every day, including popular minifigs like BB-8.

It’s a cute way to get kids ready for the holiday, and at $50 you know you’re getting lots of Legos.

See at Amazon

R2-D2 Measuring Cup Set

Who says an Astreomech Droid can’t be helpful around the kitchen? This kit is meant to sit out on the counter and look exactly like everyone’s favorite helper, right until you need a cup of sugar. When that happens, you can disassemble this Droid into a whole bunch of different measuring utensils.

Aside from being a very reasonably priced $18 when you consider how many measuring cups and spoons you get, it’s a practical way to show off your Star Wars love in the kitchen.

Oh, and for those who prefer the shiny newness of BB-8, there’s a kit for you too.

See at Amazon

Jedi Challenges AR

Start your Jedi training virtually! Only, unlike a VR headset, this AR headset lets you see the real world while you interact with a training hologram. This program splits your training up into multiple games, including lightsaber battles with famous Star Wars villains and actually HoloChess!

Check out the Jedi Challenges review to learn more!

This $200 kit comes with an incredibly detailed replica of Rey’s lightsaber as the controller, and is hands down the best Star Wars game you can guy this year.

See at Best Buy

Propel Drones

Remote control toys that look like Star Wars vehicles aren’t a new thing by any stretch, and that includes flying toys that look like popular ships. Drones that can actually engage in combat with one another? That’s new, and Propel brought them to life in spectacular fashion this year.

Check out the review for more details!

For $99 you can choose between Vader’s Tie Advanced or the classic X-Wing, and these ships can actually play laser tag that ends in the loser “crashing” to the ground when it has taken the right number of hits. If you’d rather something a little closer to the ground, you can also grab one that looks like a Speeder Bike.

See at Amazon

Sphero Droids

Sphero took the world be storm last year with its BB-8 droid that could putter around your room on its own when you weren’t remote controlling it. This year, there are several more to choose from and a lot of new features. BB-9E, a droid from The Last Jedi, is available alongside R2-D2 and R2-Q5. Among the new features, all of these droids will sit with you and watch the Star Wars movies, reacting to everything exciting or scary in the movies.

For $130, these droids offer a ton of fun and the designs are just plain great.

See at Amazon

littleBits Inventor Kit

Toys are great, but creating something is an amazing feeling for any age. The littleBits Star Wars kit is designed to teach you how to make your own R2-D2, by helping you understand the tech inside and what it all does. When the kit is all assembed, you can use the littleBits app to teach R2-D2 new skills and send it out on missions.

There’s a lot of tech in here for $99, and it’s a fantastic start into the educational world of littleBits tech.

See at Amazon

Boba Fett Laptop Backpack

There are a ton of Star Wars backpacks out there, and unfortunately a lot of them are not very good at being a durable backpack. This Bioworld backpack has plenty of pockets, includes a nice padded section for keeping a laptop safe, and is rocking an amazing Boba Fett theme.

This is a decent backpack for $50 and looks nice enough to hand one out to each of your Dad’s clones.

See at Amazon

BB-8 Car Charger

If you’re ok with a car charger taking up a cupholder in your front console, this $30 kit will give you two USB ports providing 2.1a each and features an adorably animated BB-8.

The little Droid will twist and turn around as you drive, clearly keeping an eye out for anything that may be in need of repairs. You couldn’t ask for a better co-pilot.

See at Amazon

Lego Death Star

It doesn’t matter what age you are, the Lego Death Star is one of those things every geek covets. This $500 kit is massive, even by Lego standards, and is absolutely the kind of thing you will spend weeks working on.

It’s clearly only for the most hardcore of Lego Star Wars fans, but the grin on their face when they open this gift from you will stretch from ear to ear.

See at Amazon

Star Wars From a Certain Point of View

There are a lot of great Star Wars books out there, but this one is unlike all the others. If you’ve never read any of the From a Certain Point of View books, you should make this the first one. This is a collection of short stories from the Star Wars universe where the main themes we all know and remember are retold from the perspective of someone who is not the main character.

The paperback is only going to set you back $20, and this really should be on every Star Wars fans bookshelf.

See at Amazon

Star Wars Battlefront II PlayStation 4 Pro

You don’t have to be a hardcore Star Wars fan to enjoy the new Battlefront II game, but if you know a fan who has been looking to upgrade their PlayStation 4 you might consider this as a gift. It’s a standard PlayStation 4 Pro on the inside, but the outside includes three beautiful graphics on the top of the console and matching symbols on the included controller.

This $450 bundle is already a decent price for the nice theme, and getting the copy of Battlefront II in the box with it is a nice addition. Just, you know, keep an eye out for loot boxes.

See at Amazon

Millennium Falcon Multi-Tool

While not actually practical as a multi-tool you carry around and use every day — nothing replaces my Leatherman, sorry — this $30 kit will put a smile on the face of any Star Wars fan that is even the least bit handy.

The Falcon comes out the box looking like it has seen better days, and all of the included tools are actually functional. It’s cute, and you’ll probably try to use it a few times, but really this is something you’d rather have sitting on your workbench to bring a little geek into the shop.

See at Amazon

Did we miss something? Shout out in the comments!

Sharing your Gear VR with friends

Sharing a Gear VR with friends is fantastic and fun!

Playing in VR is a great way to experience things in a completely new way. You enjoy games and experiences you might never have gotten to otherwise. Of course, when you have an awesome new toy, you’re going to want to share it with your friends. If you’re wondering how you can best share your Gear VR, or how to play with friends, we’ve got you covered.

Read more at VR Heads!

Deal: Get 3 months of unlimited data for $99 from Rok Mobile

One of the cheapest unlimited data plans on the market just got cheaper.

ROK Mobile is offering new customers three months of unlimited data on Verizon’s network for just $99. Save $50 on this sweet Black Friday deal when you pay for three months upfront (regular monthly price marked down from $50 to $33).

ROK Mobile Black Friday Deal

• Deal is available for a limited time for new customers
• You can bring an unlocked phone which runs on CDMA and is 4G compatible. Check eligibility on carrier website.
• After the promotional 3-month service period, plans will move to standard monthly service and pricing
• Service must be activated on or before 1/15/18

ROK Mobile Unlimited data plan features

• Unlimited talk & text & high-speed LTE data, speeds may temporarily slow down at 20GB during times of high network traffic: this soft speed limit known as data deprioritization
• Video streaming in SD (standard def) 480p with the option of turning ‘data stretcher’ feature off for higher streaming speeds
• Access to 30 million WiFi hotspots via MyROK App this is not tethering (the ability to share your cellular data with other devices, laptops, and tablets) but the option to use more WiFi access points. ROK does not offer tethering aka mobile hotspots
• ROK Rewards, save on local deals (in-store and online shops, restaurants, …) Find out more here
• No contracts or credit checks required
• Roadside assistance

See at Rok

4 important things PlayStation could learn from Xbox

Sony has a pretty good thing going with PlayStation, but it could always learn a few things from the competition.

Differences between competing companies aren’t bad, but learning from the same companies could help improve those products. In the case of Sony and Microsoft — PlayStation and Xbox — the two platforms go about their business in fairly different ways.

But what if they didn’t? What if both companies learned from the other? Obviously there’s a bit of that going on already, but here’s how we think Sony could learn a bit from Microsoft’s Xbox successes.

More: A PlayStation 4 feature we’d love Xbox to copy

Make PlayStation Now more like Xbox Game Pass

PlayStation Now has always left me with a little confusion as to what Sony wants it to be. Initially it was an amazing idea and I started paying for it primarily to play games on the PS Vita. But instead of support growing, Sony has started to restrict the number of devices that can use it. That’s probably not without reason (why support something no-one uses) but PlayStation Now could be so much more.

It could be like Xbox Game Pass. It’s already more expensive without being quite as good.

While PlayStation Now allows folks to stream games from the cloud and play them on a PC, Sony could turn it into a subscription service where you get to download full PS4 games to play at your leisure for as long as you continue to pay up. This will always be better than streaming a game from the cloud, and Xbox Game Pass has quickly become a solid value-add.

4K Blu-ray support

Sure, this is something that will need another hardware revision, but Sony has to include 4K Blu-ray support down the road. The fact it isn’t included in the PS4 Pro is pretty laughable.

I remember trading in my Xbox 360 for a PlayStation 3 because of Blu-ray support. Sony was first out of the gate and now the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X are both ahead when it comes to the latest and greatest.

It has to happen.

Proper backward compatibility

Sony kind of has this, but not really. What Sony does is charge you to buy old games again to play on your PS4 whether you owned them in a past life or not.

What Microsoft does is both allow you to buy old games (now from both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360) as well as play them for free if you bought them in the past. Whether you’ve got the disc or a digital copy doesn’t matter.

Microsoft got around the hardware limitations by building a virtual console that runs on the Xbox One. Where there’s a will, there’s usually a way.

Integration with OTA or cable TV

Much was made of the ‘failure’ of Xbox One at launch thanks to Microsoft’s decision to focus a lot on home entertainment when really it should have been about the games. That’s in the past but what hasn’t changed is how good the Xbox One is at integrating with your home TV setup.

By plugging your cable box or OTA antenna (via an adapter) directly into the console the OneGuide app acts as your TV guide right on the console. It’s a little thing, but if your console is the center of your home entertainment setup, it’s super convenient.

There are ways and means of enjoying TV on PlayStation, in North America Sony will happily take money off you for it. But if you already have it, a way to hook it all together on the next hardware revision would be pretty fantastic.

Your ideas

Those are just a few things we enjoy on Xbox that we’d love to see Sony integrate to PlayStation in the future, but what about you? If you’ve got your own ideas be sure to drop them into the comments below!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Black Friday deal: Get two years of IPVanish VPN for just $69

Looking to invest in a VPN? This Black Friday deal might be too attractive to turn down.

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) have been gaining traction lately due to the eroding nature of our privacy while online. A VPN acts as an encrypted tunnel that shuttles data from your PC to a special server before hitting the open internet. This special server features a shared IP, also providing a bit of extra anonymity.

There are plenty of VPN services to choose from, but they aren’t all created equally. Paid VPNs are generally preferred due to increased performance, extra features, and a clearer agreement as to the logging of your data. One paid VPN service that we reviewed warmly is IPVanish, a leading provider in the arena.

See our IPVanish VPN review

IPVanish has strong encryption, works on a wide variety of devices (including some routers), has a long list of servers in plenty of countries, promises to not keep user logs, and offers solid speed and performance across the board.

When it comes to subscriptions, IPVanish usually offers three different options. You can get one month for $10, you can get three months for about $9 per month (total of about $27), or you can get one year for about $6.50 per month (total of about $78).

If those prices seem a bit steep, Android Central has a Black Friday/Cyber Week deal running from November 22-29 that makes a special two-year deal come in at just $69. That’s a monthly cost of just $2.87. Compared to the regular yearly subscription offer, you’re getting two years for less than half the price.

If you’ve been thinking about a VPN service to help protect your privacy online, this two-year deal for IPVanish might be the push you need.

See at IPVanish

OnePlus phones won’t support Project Treble, but that’s not a big deal

This is certainly annoying, but it’s not the end of the world.

Following the launch of its latest phone – the OnePlus 5T – OnePlus held an AMA on its official forums to answer any questions that its fans/customers had about the new tech. A lot of questions were answered, and one of the more interesting tidbits to come out of this was the fact that none of OnePlus’s phones will support Project Treble.

Quick refresher – what in the world is Project Treble?

This is a system that Google announced in May to help speed up the infamously slow update process for new versions of Android when they’re released, and although phones that ship with Android 8.0 Oreo or later have Treble turned on by default, ones that later upgrade to Oreo from previous versions of Android aren’t required to do so.

As a result of this, the OnePlus 3, 3T, 5, and even the 5T won’t support Treble. This could theoretically mean slower updates compared to other manufacturers, but we wouldn’t get too worried just yet.

The lack of Treble on the 5T is far from a dealbreaker.

First of all, we still haven’t seen any real benefit from Treble. This will hopefully change beginning next year as phones actually start shipping with Oreo out of the box, but there’s still no guarantee that we’ll see a noticeable difference in update turnaround times.

Secondly, OnePlus is already damn good at updating its hardware to new versions of Android in a timely manner. An open beta of Oreo will be released to the 5 and 5T in late December, and last year’s 3 and 3T recently received an update to a stable build of it.

Is it peculiar and potentially irritating that OnePlus won’t be supporting Treble on its phones? Yes. Is it reason enough to not buy the 5T? Not at all.

OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement

Enjoy Fios Gigabit Connection w/ phone & TV for $79.99 a month

Verizon is offering Fios Gigabit Connection, a Triple Play bundle with Internet, Phone and TV for just $79.99/mo. online with a new 2-year agreement.

Fios by Verizon gives you the best experience there is when it comes to internet, phone, and TV. The 100% fiber-optic Fios network delivers crystal-clear phone calls, beautiful HD TV with Custom TV channel packages, and blazing-fast internet with speeds up to 940 Mbps download and 880 Mbps upload.

Verizon is offering Fios Gigabit Connection, a Triple Play bundle with Internet, Phone and TV for just $79.99/mo. online with a new 2-year agreement.

With this offer, you’ll get internet with speeds of up to 940/880 Mbps, along with crystal-clear HDTV and home phone service. And to help sweeten the deal, you’ll also get multi-room DVR service and SHOWTIME® at no extra charge included for two years. SHOWTIME offers great original programming that includes shows like Ray Donovan, Shameless, Homeland and more.

Stuck in a contract with another provider? There’s no need to worry. Verizon is offering up to a $500 credit to help cover your early termination fee, to make switching to Fios that much easier.

What’s Included

• 100% fiber-optic network with Fios Gigabit Connection with speeds up to 940/880 Mbps.
• Custom TV plans powered by advanced fiber-optic network technology for incredible picture quality.
• Fios Digital Voice home phone service that delivers the voice quality of a 100% fiber-optic network and includes calling to the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
• 2 years of Fios Multi-Room DVR service
• 2 years of SHOWTIME at no extra charge.

Don’t want to go all-in with a Triple Play? You can still get amazing standalone Internet from Fios. For just $39.99/month online plus taxes, equipment charges and other fees, experience Fios 100/100 Mbps Internet and stream to your favorite devices, binge your favorite shows and video chat with friends across the globe — without missing a beat.

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