Google Home, Pixel 2 deals hit the UK holiday season

If you’re looking to treat yourself or a loved one this holiday season, Google’s UK store has reintroduced deals on the Home, Home Mini and Pixel 2 in the run-up to the festivities.

As recently as Black Friday deals could be had on the same items, but discounts are back as folks are clamoring to get their last gifts in time. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are both reduced by £50, to £579 and £679 respectively. You can also still snag a free Google Home Mini when you buy a phone as well, as an extra sweetener.

The Google Home and Home Mini are also hacked down in price. The Home is down to just £89, matching the latest generation Amazon Echo, while the Home Mini is back at its Black Friday pricing of just £34. At these prices, both are fantastic value.

The discounted prices are valid it seems until December 16, so not too long to take advantage, so hit the Google Store linked below and get them while they’re hot.

See at Google

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

Best Buy
Verizon
Google Store
Project Fi

Here’s how to sync smart home gadgets using Google Assistant

“Ok, Google, sync my devices.”

Thanks to products like Philips Hue light bulbs, WeMo smart switches, and more, our homes are now smarter than ever before. However, as awesome as these things are when they work, they can often be a pain in the butt to pair new gadgets, move them to another room, etc.

Thankfully, it looks like there’s now a command for Google Assistant that makes these tasks a whole lot easier.

When talking to the Google Assistant on your phone, Google Home, etc., saying “Ok, Google, sync my devices” will automatically search for any smart gadgets and sync them up to your Google account. In addition to this, you can also get a tad more specific by saying something such as “Ok, Google, sync my lights” if you only want to sync up your smart light bulbs.

This functionality is available for Google Assistant now, and while it’s not revolutionary or ground-breaking, it should make your life with smart gadgets a whole lot easier.

Google Pixel Buds UK review: A second opinion

Your shiny new OnePlus 5T can’t stream HD videos

A future software update will fix this, but why is it an issue in the first place?

Our phones are capable of more than ever before nowadays, and because of this, there are some things we no longer have to think about as we just expect it to work. Pretty much every phone from the past few years has been able to stream HD videos without a hitch, but for whatever reason, the all-new OnePlus 5T is currently unable to do this.

In order to stream videos in HD from the likes of YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, etc., phones need to support something called Widevine Level 1 DRM. As some users on OnePlus’s forums have noted, the 5T only supports Widevine Level 3 which is capable of just SD video streams.

What’s even more peculiar is that The Verge has tested and confirmed that this is an issue that also plagues the original OnePlus 5 that was released this past summer.

OnePlus says that a software update will be available in the future for the 5T that’ll enable support for Widevine Level 1, but the company has failed to state why in the world this is something that wasn’t supported out of the box.

We wouldn’t necessarily deem this as a reason return or not purchase a 5T seeing as how it’s a fix is on the way, but it’s just mind-boggling as to why this is an issue in the first place.

OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5

• OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement
• OnePlus 5T specs
• Should you upgrade from the OnePlus 3T?
• OnePlus 5T vs. Galaxy S8: Beast mode
• All of the latest OnePlus 5T news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

The Best Universal Remotes

You don’t have to go too far to find a really good universal remote control. And, in fact, you’ve got some really options.

Remote controls, as a general rule, suck. It’s not a matter of your device — stereo, TV, set-top box, whatever — having a good remote. It’s more of “OK, which is the least worst?” … and “How many do I have to keep on hand?”

Universal remotes changed all that. Though for years and years they also were a source of frustration. Were all of your devices supported? Was there any way to update the remote for new devices? How hard was it to program? Just how well (or poorly) would all of this work?

That was then. This is now. Universal remotes are good again. And there’s really only one company whose remotes I’d turn to. That’s Logitech and its Harmony system.

And there are a number of options — and price points — to consider. Let’s take a look.

The basics of Logitech Harmony

Here’s Harmony in a nutshell:

The Harmony Hub: This is a hub that connects to your Wifi and makes all the things work. It connects to the internet so you’ll always have access to the latest device profiles. It also does Bluetooth control, which can be important for things like Apple TV and Android TV boxes. And it also does old-school infrared controls, and it has extenders that you can connect to make sure that all of your devices are within sight, even if you want to keep the hub hidden away somewhere.

The Harmony app: This is how you’ll set up all your devices and activities. And you can control various smart devices through it as well. While it’s maybe a little slower to use than I’d like, it’s also methodical in the setup process, making what used to be a complicated task into something anyone can do. It also lets you control everything via your phone or tablet, if that’s how you roll.

The Harmony remotes: Logitech has a number of remotes of various degrees of sophistication, and at various price points. Some are simple and (relatively) inexpensive, while others have touchscreens. Both have their merits.

Smart assistant integration: Logitech Harmony also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant (and that means Google Home), so you can control things with your voice, if that’s how you roll. Note that it is not compatible with

Let’s take a closer look at what I think you should be taking a closer look at:

Logitech Harmony Hub

If you’re only going to get one thing, get this. It’s the heart of the Harmony system. And while I’d still recommend getting an actual Harmony remote control, you can do a lot with just the hub.

For starters, it’s the one thing that links all the other things together. That’s kind of important. It also lets you control everything from the Harmony app, which is available on Android and on iOS.

And it’s the thing that talks to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You’ll at the very least want this, and it’s only about $80.

See at Amazon

Logitech Harmony Companion

The Harmony Companion is certainly more than a bare-bones basic universal remote. And while it’s certainly not inexpensive, at about $133, you get a whole lot here.

First and foremost, you get the Hub. So that’s covered. And then you get a beautiful universal remote. It’s still probably the most nicely designed product in my home — and that’s including smartphones.

If you want to go cheaper, there’s the Harmony Smart Control. But I’d spring the extra money for the Companion for this reason — it has dedicated buttons for smart devices like lights and plugs. That’s great future proofing if you’re not already using those things — and it’s an excellent silent way to turn off the lights at night if you already are.

If you ask me which remote to get, this is the one I recommend.

See at Amazon

Logitech Harmony Elite

This remote control is ridiculous. As in ridiculously cool. It’s not nearly as svelte as the Harmony Companion, and it’s more expensive. (It lists at about $350, but big discounts aren’t uncommon — I’m currently seeing it 25 percent off.) But Logitech also has crammed a touchscreen in here.

What’s so important about the touchscreen? For one, it’s a totally different paradigm for controlling things. While I’m not at all interested in only using my phone as a remote, when you’ve got a mash-up like this it opens a lot of doors.

It also makes things easier. Instead of guessing which activity button turns on the TV and which one launches the Xbox and which one switches things over for the Nintendo Switch — it’s all there, using words and stuff. So kids can use it more easily. Grown-ups can use it more easily.

And I’m a huge fan of the one-touch access to things like my Sonos favorites. Wanna start up some music? It’s literally just a swipe and a touch away. No loading up apps.

Plus this has the Harmony Hub included and a bunch of home control buttons. If you want the best of the best, this is what you get.

See at Amazon

Tech pioneers tell FCC: ‘You don’t understand how the internet works’

Today, pioneers of the internet such as Steve Wozniak, Tim Berners-Lee and Vinton Cerf sent a letter to the FCC telling them, “You don’t understand how the internet works.” The letter calls on the FCC to cancel the December 14th vote, which would repeal net neutrality.

The letter specifically says, “it is important to understand that the FCC’s proposed Order is based on a flawed and factually inaccurate understanding of Internet technology.” These problems were outlined in detail and sent to the FCC as part of a 43-page-long comment back in July. The FCC did not correct its misunderstandings, but instead “premised the proposed Order on the very technical flaws the comment explained,” according to the letter.

The letter also calls out the problems with issues with the FCC’s comment system. FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel wrote a powerful op-ed at Wired asking for an investigation into the public comments on the proposal, after it came to light that around a million comments were fraudulently filed using the names of real people. Another half million were from Russian email addresses. The letter makes it clear that the FCC has failed to respond to a FOIA request from the attorney general of New York about these problems.

We’ve discussed in detail how the repeal of net neutrality would be disastrous, and also how it would hurt artists and small businesses the most. Plenty of companies and organizations have come out against the repeal, but it’s unclear whether the ongoing commentary surrounding the issue is having any effect on the FCC. Apparently we’ll find out on December 14th.

Source: Pioneers for Net Neutrality

‘Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp’ adds gardening to its list of chores

Collect fruit, trade it with villagers, build furniture, rinse, repeat. That’s been the experience with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp thus far, and if it’s getting tedious, know that there’s an update coming soon that’ll add some variety to the mix. Next month, you’ll be able to start crafting clothes like shirts, pants and shoes. Players will also gain access to a garden. As you might expect, the garden is where you can plant flowers, and you can even water friends’ flower beds for them.

At this point, the flowers could just be another resource type for building stuff (like apples), but there’s every chance that gardening could be a full-blown new activity. We won’t know until we get our hands dirty. Even with this update, Pocket Camp is a far cry from full-fat Animal Crossing, but it’s a step in the right direction. Compared to something like Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Heroes, though, it’s feeling pretty sparse at the moment.

Source: Animal Crossing (Twitter)

Netflix leads the streaming pack with nine Golden Globe nominations

Nominations for next month’s Golden Globes ceremony were announced this morning and streaming services had a pretty decent showing. Netflix led the pack with nine TV nominations while Amazon and Hulu each received three.

Netflix’s The Crown took two nominations — one for Best Drama Series and another for Best Performance by an Actress, which went to Claire Foy. Stranger Things also received two nominations — another Best Drama Series nod and one for David Harbour, nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Master of None received two as well with the first going to the show itself for Best Comedy Series and the other going to Aziz Ansari for Best Performance by an Actor. Ozark, 13 Reasons Why and Glow each received one nomination each. All were for Best Performance by an Actor or Actress and they went to Jason Bateman, Katherine Langford and Alison Brie.

Two of Amazon’s went to the brand new show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. One nomination was given to the show for Best Comedy Series and the other to the show’s lead, Rachel Brosnahan. The third nomination was for Kevin Bacon’s role in I Love Dick.

All three of Hulu’s nominations were for The Handmaid’s Tale. It received a Best Drama Series nomination and Elizabeth Moss and Ann Dowd received nominations for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

The Golden Globes ceremony will air on January 7th on NBC.

Via: Variety

Source: Golden Globes

Fake ‘MyEtherWallet’ App Rises to #3 Spot on the iOS App Store’s Finance Charts

An unofficial iOS app for MyEtherWallet.com rose to the top of the App Store over the weekend, nabbing the third spot in the Finance category after being on the storefront for a little over a week (via TechCrunch). MyEtherWallet.com is a popular service made for storing cryptocurrencies but it doesn’t have an official iOS app, so the company tweeted out a warning for users to not be fooled by the “MyEtherWallet” iOS app, as well as asking for Apple to remove it from the App Store.

At the time of writing, MyEtherWallet still remains at #3 on the App Store’s Finance chart. The app lists its developer as Nam Le, who has two other iOS apps — “Panda Warrior: Kung Fu Awesomeness” and “Mr. Beard: Icehole Fishermans” — and one Apple Watch app called “Wrist Count.” MyEtherWallet costs $4.99 and its App Store page says that it allows users to anonymously manage their ethereum wallets, create wallets offline, and store wallet keys securely inside their iPhone.

This is NOT US. We have file reports and emailed and reported. Would appreciate the communities assistance in getting these scamtards out of our lives.

PS: We are #Foss4Lyfe https://t.co/SmI8cqNvxA

— MyEtherWallet.com (@myetherwallet) December 10, 2017

As the company’s mission statement explains, MyEtherWallet.com is a “free, open-source, client-side interface for generating Ethereum wallets & more,” so the fake app’s $4.99 price tag raises legal questions in addition to the questions of how it got past Apple’s app review process in the first place. Tracking service Apptopia told TechCrunch that the app’s week-long existence on the App Store has seen around 3,000 downloads so far. Apple has yet to comment on the unofficial app’s existence and if it will be allowed to remain on the App Store.

Apps for buying and selling cryptocurrency have become popular recently, with one called “Coinbase” — this one official — rising to become the #1 most downloaded free app in the United States iOS App Store last week. This happened after the price of bitcoin rose past $17,000 and saw a price jump of over 20 percent in one day. As the app climbed the App Store charts amid the bitcoin frenzy, Coinbase servers crashed for much of last Thursday, affecting both its website and the iOS app’s performance.

Tag: App Store
Discuss this article in our forums

Refreshed Five-Year Deal Between Verizon and NFL Allows for Mobile Streaming of Games on Any Carrier

Verizon and the NFL this morning announced that the carrier will no longer be the exclusive home for mobile streaming of NFL games in the United States, with anyone able to stream the games to their smartphone “regardless of mobile network” beginning next year.

The announcement comes within a new five-year deal struck between the two companies, which will see Verizon pay around $2 billion over a five-year period (via Recode).

The new deal begins January 2018 and will allow users on any U.S. wireless carrier to watch NFL games on their mobile device using the apps for Yahoo Sports, go90, and the NFL, with the company putting emphasis on Yahoo Sports as a premium destination for sports coverage.

This will start with the NFL playoffs next month, and then include national pre-season, regular season, playoff games, and the Super Bowl. Most of this coverage is described as “in-market” by Verizon, meaning that it will vary by your location and depend upon your local news channels’ coverage of such events.

We’re making a commitment to fans for Verizon’s family of media properties to become the mobile destination for live sports,” said Lowell McAdam, Chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications. “The NFL is a great partner for us and we are excited to take its premier content across a massive mobile scale so viewers can enjoy live football and other original NFL content where and how they want it. We believe that partnerships like this are a win for fans, but also for partners and advertisers looking for a mobile-first experience.”

Verizon’s previous deal with the NFL was priced at $1 billion over the course of four years and runs through the current season, so the two companies are doubling down on their partnership with the new, expanded agreement.

Verizon says that it will remain an official sponsor of the NFL, providing “unique experiences” at events like the Super Bowl for customers enrolled in its Verizon Up rewards program. The partnership will also see Verizon continue efforts to improve stadium technology at NFL games to “improve operations” and enhance experience for customers.

Tags: NFL, Verizon
Discuss this article in our forums

Many Sprint Customers Unable to Use Wi-Fi Calling on iOS 11.2

Sprint customers with an iPhone are widely reporting that Wi-Fi calling does not work after installing iOS 11.2 and carrier settings version 31.0.

Hundreds of complaints have surfaced across the web, including the MacRumors discussion forums, Sprint and Apple Support Communities, Twitter, and Reddit, since the software update was released earlier this month.

All models of the iPhone that support Wi-Fi calling appear to be affected, ranging from the iPhone 6 to iPhone 8 Plus, among others.

It’s unclear if the issue is due to iOS 11.2 or the updated carrier settings, which support features like Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile customers are not affected, suggesting this is a carrier-specific problem.

Many affected customers have performed basic troubleshooting, such as resetting the iPhone’s network settings or simply turning the device off and on again, but there doesn’t appear to be a solution that works on iOS 11.2.

As a temporary workaround, some users have downgraded to iOS 11.1.2 and found that Wi-Fi calling becomes functional again.

MacRumors does not have an iPhone on the Sprint network in its possession, so we’re unable to reproduce the issue. Apple and Sprint have not responded to multiple requests for comments over the past few days.

Last week, a support representative on Sprint’s website relayed that the carrier plans to apply a temporary fix across a limited number of Wi-Fi calling servers while evaluating a long-term solution to the apparent bug. After several days, however, Wi-Fi calling is only working intermittently at best for some customers.

Apple also appears to be collecting data from affected customers who contact the company so that its engineers can investigate the matter, as it routinely does with any potential hardware or software issues.

For those unaware, with Wi-Fi calling, you can make or receive a phone call if you have a Wi-Fi connection in an area with little or no cellular coverage. The feature can be enabled in Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling.

We’ll update this article if we receive any additional information from Apple or Sprint about the issue and a potential fix.

Related Roundup: iOS 11Tags: Sprint, Wi-Fi calling
Discuss this article in our forums