Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Folding helmets and emojis for your carna

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the fidget spinners and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Isolite — light modifier for photographers

You know those “light field” Lytro cameras that allow you to take a picture, then adjust the focus later? Isolite works on basically the same principle, but rather than allowing you to adjust the focus of an image after you’ve shot it, the system allows you to adjust the lighting of the scene. That might not sound particularly impressive on its own, but think about that for a second. Focus is controlled by the camera, but lighting is controlled by the light source, and generally isn’t something you can change after you’ve done your exposure. Isolite changes that.

“It fits on your light like any soft box or beauty dish,” creator Christ Gergley said. “But what makes Isolite unique is these special optical components that encode the light. These are used generally in scientific and medical imaging, but never before in conventional photography. All the information is captured in a single RAW file. The isolate hardware encodes the light into very specific wavelengths, and then we can easily decode it with our software, essentially splitting them into editable layers. Once you’ve adjusted the light, you edit as you would any other photo. Instead of pushing pixels, you’re playing with light.” 

Carwink — emoji-based car communication

When someone drives like a prick and cuts you off in traffic, you have a wide variety of non-verbal communication methods to express your feelings: you can flip that idiot the bird, lean on the horn, or just sit there and quietly fantasize about murdering him with a cheese grater. But what happens when somebody does something nice on the road, like giving you room to merge comfortably when you enter a busy freeway?  Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to express your gratitude? That’s precisely where Carwink comes in.

Carwink is a voice controlled, solar powered, emoji-based car-to-car communication device. “Designed with both form and function in mind, CarWink sets out to break the boundary between vehicles by using simple and pure communication methods,” the device’s Kickstarter page explains. “Gone are the days of rude hand gestures, sailor mouths and reckless driving. With CarWink’s hands-free voice control, drivers can now use a wide variety of emojis to communicate with one another.”

Want to give gratitude for lane change? Just say “Thanks!” and Carwink will display a smiley face to show how you feel. Accident ahead? Say it out loud, and Carwink will alert the cars behind you with an animated display.

Swytch Kit — ebike conversion system

If you’re looking to upgrade your traditional bicycle to an ebike, then you generally have two options: either install a complicated retrofit kit, or ditch your analog bike altogether and buy a ready-made electric one. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easier option? Well, thanks to the Swytch Kit, there finally is. Unlike most of other retrofittable ebike kits out there right now, the Swytch is designed to be installed in just a few minutes. Using basic hand tools, the device can be affixed to just about any bicycle. Once you’ve got the kit on, the system’s electric drive module can be clipped on or off in seconds.

The secret to Swytch Kit’s success is a small electric motor that’s hidden inside a special front wheel. This wheel is available in all standard sizes, so no matter what kind of bike you have, Swytch has a setup that’ll work for you. This wheel is then linked up with a lightweight and removable power pack that sits between the handlebars — like a basket you can’t fill with anything. Inside the power pack is a battery, user display, controls, front light, and USB output for charging other devices.

Skateboard Surf Adapter — wave-simulating trucks

There are countless longboards that claim to give you a very surf-like feel while you ride, but the Skateboard Surf Adapter might be the first product that truly makes you feel like you’re riding a wave. It’s basically a swiveling truck system that’s specifically designed to make your land board feel like it’s cruising on water. And the best part is it’s just an adapter — not an entire board. You don’t have to dish out big bucks for a completely new setup. Just buy the little metal bracket, attach it to your existing skateboard, and start shredding.

So what’s so special about it? Well, unlike a normal board, a skate deck equipped with a Surf Adapter doesn’t need to be pushed. Instead, it can be powered by pumping, similar to how you might pump on a wave in the water. The front truck is designed with a slope that matches the direction of momentum, while also allowing for freedom of movement.  The rear two wheels work similarly to surfboard fins, providing stability in the tail of the board. You can attach it to practically anything, from a short deck to a giant land cruiser.

Lid — collapsible helmet

Riding your bike without a helmet is a bad idea — but many people forego one simply because lugging around a cumbersome helmet when you’re not riding the bike is inconvenient. Helmets just aren’t easy to stuff in a backpack or tuck in a purse, so you’re forced to clip them awkwardly onto exterior straps, or just wear them around and embrace the fact that you look like a doofus. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if there was a helmet that could not only offer protection for your melon, but also collapse and fit inside a backpack? Good news: there finally is, and it’s called the Lid.

“Our research told us that ‘helmet hassle’ is the No. 1 reason why cyclists opt not to wear a helmet, and also that safety concerns prevent many commuters from cycling altogether,” creator Sam Terry told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “We went about changing this and developed an eco-friendly helmet which would bring ‘safety with convenience’, by folding to a size and shape which would slip easily into a backpack, satchel, or handbag. We’ve designed Lid with clean lines and an urban profile, so we think it also looks great too.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best smart helmets are full of cool tech, and totally worth the messy hair
• Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Heated coats, folding ebikes, and more
• Nuviz motorcycle HUD review
• Ditch your bulky commuter bike helmet and ride smarter with the foldable Lid
• Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: 8K VR, smoke-free fires, a drone for your home

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Folding helmets and emojis for your carna

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the fidget spinners and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Isolite — light modifier for photographers

You know those “light field” Lytro cameras that allow you to take a picture, then adjust the focus later? Isolite works on basically the same principle, but rather than allowing you to adjust the focus of an image after you’ve shot it, the system allows you to adjust the lighting of the scene. That might not sound particularly impressive on its own, but think about that for a second. Focus is controlled by the camera, but lighting is controlled by the light source, and generally isn’t something you can change after you’ve done your exposure. Isolite changes that.

“It fits on your light like any soft box or beauty dish,” creator Christ Gergley said. “But what makes Isolite unique is these special optical components that encode the light. These are used generally in scientific and medical imaging, but never before in conventional photography. All the information is captured in a single RAW file. The isolate hardware encodes the light into very specific wavelengths, and then we can easily decode it with our software, essentially splitting them into editable layers. Once you’ve adjusted the light, you edit as you would any other photo. Instead of pushing pixels, you’re playing with light.” 

Carwink — emoji-based car communication

When someone drives like a prick and cuts you off in traffic, you have a wide variety of non-verbal communication methods to express your feelings: you can flip that idiot the bird, lean on the horn, or just sit there and quietly fantasize about murdering him with a cheese grater. But what happens when somebody does something nice on the road, like giving you room to merge comfortably when you enter a busy freeway?  Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to express your gratitude? That’s precisely where Carwink comes in.

Carwink is a voice controlled, solar powered, emoji-based car-to-car communication device. “Designed with both form and function in mind, CarWink sets out to break the boundary between vehicles by using simple and pure communication methods,” the device’s Kickstarter page explains. “Gone are the days of rude hand gestures, sailor mouths and reckless driving. With CarWink’s hands-free voice control, drivers can now use a wide variety of emojis to communicate with one another.”

Want to give gratitude for lane change? Just say “Thanks!” and Carwink will display a smiley face to show how you feel. Accident ahead? Say it out loud, and Carwink will alert the cars behind you with an animated display.

Swytch Kit — ebike conversion system

If you’re looking to upgrade your traditional bicycle to an ebike, then you generally have two options: either install a complicated retrofit kit, or ditch your analog bike altogether and buy a ready-made electric one. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easier option? Well, thanks to the Swytch Kit, there finally is. Unlike most of other retrofittable ebike kits out there right now, the Swytch is designed to be installed in just a few minutes. Using basic hand tools, the device can be affixed to just about any bicycle. Once you’ve got the kit on, the system’s electric drive module can be clipped on or off in seconds.

The secret to Swytch Kit’s success is a small electric motor that’s hidden inside a special front wheel. This wheel is available in all standard sizes, so no matter what kind of bike you have, Swytch has a setup that’ll work for you. This wheel is then linked up with a lightweight and removable power pack that sits between the handlebars — like a basket you can’t fill with anything. Inside the power pack is a battery, user display, controls, front light, and USB output for charging other devices.

Skateboard Surf Adapter — wave-simulating trucks

There are countless longboards that claim to give you a very surf-like feel while you ride, but the Skateboard Surf Adapter might be the first product that truly makes you feel like you’re riding a wave. It’s basically a swiveling truck system that’s specifically designed to make your land board feel like it’s cruising on water. And the best part is it’s just an adapter — not an entire board. You don’t have to dish out big bucks for a completely new setup. Just buy the little metal bracket, attach it to your existing skateboard, and start shredding.

So what’s so special about it? Well, unlike a normal board, a skate deck equipped with a Surf Adapter doesn’t need to be pushed. Instead, it can be powered by pumping, similar to how you might pump on a wave in the water. The front truck is designed with a slope that matches the direction of momentum, while also allowing for freedom of movement.  The rear two wheels work similarly to surfboard fins, providing stability in the tail of the board. You can attach it to practically anything, from a short deck to a giant land cruiser.

Lid — collapsible helmet

Riding your bike without a helmet is a bad idea — but many people forego one simply because lugging around a cumbersome helmet when you’re not riding the bike is inconvenient. Helmets just aren’t easy to stuff in a backpack or tuck in a purse, so you’re forced to clip them awkwardly onto exterior straps, or just wear them around and embrace the fact that you look like a doofus. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if there was a helmet that could not only offer protection for your melon, but also collapse and fit inside a backpack? Good news: there finally is, and it’s called the Lid.

“Our research told us that ‘helmet hassle’ is the No. 1 reason why cyclists opt not to wear a helmet, and also that safety concerns prevent many commuters from cycling altogether,” creator Sam Terry told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “We went about changing this and developed an eco-friendly helmet which would bring ‘safety with convenience’, by folding to a size and shape which would slip easily into a backpack, satchel, or handbag. We’ve designed Lid with clean lines and an urban profile, so we think it also looks great too.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best smart helmets are full of cool tech, and totally worth the messy hair
• Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Heated coats, folding ebikes, and more
• Nuviz motorcycle HUD review
• Ditch your bulky commuter bike helmet and ride smarter with the foldable Lid
• Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: 8K VR, smoke-free fires, a drone for your home

Major investment firms are preparing to offer Bitcoin futures

Bitcoin has seen rapid growth this past year, but the virtual currency’s growth has increased more than its monetary value. It has also increased the coin’s credibility as an investment. Bearing testament to this is the fact that  major investment firms are getting ready to offer Bitcoin futures, as reported by Business Insider.

The first of these firms is the Chicago-based Cboe Global Market, which is expected to launch its exchange on Sunday. One of the company’s main rivals, CME Group, is expected to offer its own future exchanges later this month. Nasdaq is also getting ready to launch an exchange, but it won’t be ready until the second half of 2018.

Futures are basically a form of gambling where two or more parties place a bet on the price of the certain item at some point in the future. The concept has been around for more than a 100 years, and is normally handled by professional firms and investors. The winner of the “bet” is then paid either in cash or in the form of the item that is being speculated upon. In the case of Cboe Global Market’s Bitcoin futures, the winner is paid in cash rather than Bitcoins.

Those who are interested in getting involved in the Bitcoin futures market should know that, due to the instability of the Bitcoin marketplace, the group is requiring all investors to have at least 44 percent of the settlement price set aside for the bet. This practice is fairly common in future exchanges, but the percentage normally hovers around 10 percent.

Instability is certainly one of the biggest fears that investors have regarding Bitcoin. Many believe that the market isn’t mature enough to support futures exchanges, and the price of Bitcoin has experienced some rather rapid fluctuations in recent months. Currently, the coin is valued at $15,298, but it should be noted that it went as high as $19,000 before falling back down to the $15,000 range.

While the risks are blatantly apparent, there are many who excited by the prospect of major investment firms getting involved in Bitcoin, as it might open new doors for other cryptocurrencies.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Bitcoin’s latest boom sends it scorching past $9,000
• Bitcoin is still soaring. What’s the limit?
• Bitcoin Cash surpassed Ethereum as world’s second most popular cryptocurrency
• You’ll soon be able to bet on Bitcoin’s future value on NASDAQ
• Bitcoin reaches new heights, surges beyond $7,000 in value

Best new songs to stream: Benjamin Booker, King Krule, Ty Segall, and more

Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click — you want the best new songs to stream right now.

But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.

Here are our five best new songs to stream this week. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.

Benjamin Booker — The Slow Drag Under and more, live on KEXP

Benjamin Booker brings his signature vintage soul aesthetic to this live performance at Seattle’s KEXP radio station, performing four classic-sounding singles from his catalog. On the first track, The Slow Drag Under, we hear bluesy guitar licks over a fat drumbeat, with Booker’s gravelly voice slithering calmly through the center. We can’t think of anything better to unwind to after a long week.

King Krule — Midnight 01 (Deep Sea Diver) and more, live at NPR

Guitarist and songwriter Archy Marshall (aka King Krule) has been making big waves with this year’s release The Ooz, an album that’s garnered much critical acclaim for its use of mixed musical textures. An interesting blend of acoustic and digital instruments showcase the album’s complex layers during this recent appearance at NPR’s headquarters, as jazzy guitar lines and saxophone solos are joined by whirling audio samples and vocal effects.

Ty Segall — Fanny Dog

Rock and roll isn’t dead: Ty Segall is still making it. A big and musically skilled band dressed in white backs up the garage rock icon during this performance of a hilarious, yet powerful song about his dog on Conan. If you need something to pick you up this week, this tune — one of the first released tracks from Segall’s upcoming album Freedom’s Goblin — is sure to do the trick.

Phoebe Bridgers — Would You Rather, live on KCRW

Warm slide guitar and piano hold together this live performance from LA-based songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, whose emotional ballads have garnered much acclaim this year. A love song with compelling story-style lyrics, it’s perfect for sunsets or remembering the ones you love.

Twin Peaks — In The Meadow

Chicago rockers Twin Peaks have been releasing two songs a month as part of their Sweet ’17 Singles series, a group of songs that will eventually be compiled onto a full 12-inch vinyl release early next year. One of the last songs in the series, In The Meadow, is a guitar-fueled single with subtle distorted lyrics. An excellent driving song, this is a great one to put on when you head out for your weekend adventures.

That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more songs to stream, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:

Editors’ Recommendations

• Best new songs to stream: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sufjan Stevens, and more
• Best new songs to stream: Moses Sumney, Ty Segall, Sufjan Stevens, and more
• Best new songs to stream: Radiohead, Weezer, Son Little, and more
• Best new songs to stream: Chance The Rapper, Ty Segall, and more
• Best new songs to stream: Porches, Alvvays, Feist, Grizzly Bear, and Goon

Tom’s favorite tech of 2017

Tom’s Favorite Tech of 2017

2017 was big year for me. At the beginning of the year, I was living in Texas, working and administrative job and completing my Bachelor’s of Science in Information Technology. It’s the end of the year, and I’m living in Indiana, working an IT job during the day and writing for Android Central at night (and sleeping…sometime). The tech I’ve used has changed drastically over the course of the year, as my needs and tastes have changed. Here’s what I’m using at the end of 2017, and I hope to be using most of it at the end of 2018.

Google Pixel 2 XL

While I’m disappointed by the lack of a headphone jack, everything else about this phone is exactly what I want. I personally love the display, the software is rock solid, and the battery life is fantastic. I’m looking forward to getting some great pictures and video with this camera and seeing what new software features 2018 will bring.

$849 Buy now

Bowers & Wilkins PX headphones

These headphones are simply awesome. The best feature for me is the fact that they charge and can receive audio over USB-C, but they can also remember up to 8 Bluetooth devices and use the ole reliable 3.5mm plug. More than that, they sound fantastic, have great noise cancellation and smart features and the battery lasts forever. If you’re in the market for a good pair of over-ear headphones, be sure to give these a listen.

$399 Buy Now

Google Pixelbook

Chromebooks are great for their normally low price, but an expensive Chromebook can be even better. The Pixelbook is just as glorious to use as a tablet as using it as a normal laptop, Chrome OS is dead simple to use, and Android app support make this one of the best companion devices out there.

$999 Buy Now

Xbox One X

I’m actually still playing on my One S, but I intend to get the One X sometime in the new year. What Microsoft achieved with this device is nothing short of amazing. Anyone who has built a gaming PC can attest to how much space and money you need for a system that can play games at 4K with 60 frames per second, and the One X is both tiny and less expensive than a great graphics card alone. I can’t wait to use an Xbox One X.

$499 Buy Now

Optoma GT80 Darbee projector

This is part of the reason I’m not in a rush to get the Xbox One X. I bought this projector when I moved into my current apartment, and it’s been great to use. Games are smooth, and open world games are a treat on a 150-inch “screen.” 4K projectors are starting to come down in price, but I’d like to hold onto this one as long as I can.

$749 Buy Now

Nintendo Switch

This is another device I don’t actually own myself, but in the time I’ve spent playing my nephew’s Switch I know it’ll be something I buy for myself. I’m personally waiting until a proper Pokemon release before buying my own Switch, but the idea of playing Doom on the go is super appealing as well.

$299 Buy Now

Keep your kids occupied with an Amazon Fire Tablet for as little as $30

These are the best tablet deals around!

If you’re still looking for a great gift to give your kids, an Amazon Fire Tablet may be just the one you are looking for. With options starting at just $30, you can’t go wrong with one of these. They give your kids access to a variety of apps and games to play, and you can use FreeTime Unlimited to give them access to these without having to pay for each app they want to try.

• Fire 7 Tablet – $29.99 (Was $49.99)
• Fire HD 8 Tablet – $49.99 (Was $79.99)
• Fire 7 Kids Edition – $79.99 (Was $99.99)
• Fire HD 8 Kids Edition – $99.99 (Was $129.99)
• Fire HD 10 Tablet – $134.99 (Was $164.99)

Be sure to pick up a microSD card though, because the internal storage on these can fill up rather quickly.

Here’s how to get a PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB console for just $299, this week only

Grab the PlayStation 4 Pro console for its lowest price ever with a few simple steps.

This week only, PlayStation dropped the price of the PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console down to just $349 at major retailers across the US. That deal is in-line with the price of the console back during Black Friday which is great, but Amazon has an offer allowing you to pick up the console for just $299.

Amazon is giving a $50 promotional code to be used on the PS4 Pro when you trade-in any video game, video game accessory, or console. This can be literally anything gaming, so if you have an old PS2 controller you haven’t used in five years or a random Wii game, trade it in and you’ll earn $50 off the PS4 Pro, in addition to the value of your trade in! That would bring the console’s price down from $349.99 to $299.99 (the lowest its ever been).

Since the $350 deal for the console lasts this week only, you’ll want Amazon to approve your trade-in as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Amazon provides “instant payment” on many trade-ins. Visit the trade-in page, preferably in Incognito mode. Search for the item you’re sending in, then select it and confirm your trade-in’s condition. On the last confirmation page should be an option for an instant payment.

By selecting this, you’ll instantly receive an Amazon gift card worth the value of your trade-in, plus the $50 PS4 Pro credit. You also agree to be charged for the value of the gift card if your trade-in is not received or not in the condition you specified. Once finished, you can use the credit to buy the PS4 Pro console for just $299.

PlayStation has also dropped the price of the PSVR by $100 for the next two weeks, bringing the Gran Tourismo Sport bundle down to just $199 now. You can also grab a one-year membership to PlayStation Plus for just $40 while supplies last.

See at Amazon

Best Apps For Book Lovers

Just because you’re a big reader doesn’t mean you have to stick to physical books!

There’s something awesome about curling up on the couch with a good book, and falling face first into a fantastically written story. With apps on your phone books and the communities that love them are more accessible than ever. From social media networks for book lovers to digital libraries, there is plenty here to love.

Check out our picks for the best apps for book lovers!

Amazon Kindle

It should come as no surprise that Amazon’s Kindle app is the best place to find new books and the ones that you already love. It has an absolutely amazing collection of books for purchase, with everything from Roxanne Gay to Stephen King available to be downloaded directly to your phone.

With the Kindle app, you can search out the authors you already know and love, get personalized recommendations, and even find great hidden gems that may be available for free. Amongst those free books are essay collections, novellas, new fiction and memoirs, and many great classics are available for free as well.

Download: Amazon Kindle (Free with in-app purchases)

Goodreads

If you’ve been looking for a social network built for bookworms, then Goodreads is precisely where you need to go. You can read reviews from other readers, share reviews of the books you read, and so much more.

Goodreads lets you build lists of the books you own and ones that you plan on reading so that you can keep track of everything. By adding friends you get a full social feed that is all about books. It’s a great way for the shyest of bibliophiles to network and find friends that love the same books they do.

Download: Goodreads (Free)

Libib

While plenty of folks prefer to keep their books in a digital format, there are those of us who have still built a library. If you’ve got books by the dozen, then Libib is the perfect way to keep track of everything. It’s easy to forget precisely which books you’ve already bought, or the name of that new author you just picked up. By adding your books to the app, you can ensure that you always know exactly which books you already have.

Libib lets you enter your books manually, enter their ISBN number, or scan a barcode, and no matter which way you go it’s simple and easy. You can build multiple lists which is perfect for anyone who likes to separate different types of libraries or juggles one at home and another at work.

Download: Libib (Free)

Scribd

Scribd is a monthly subscription service that gives you access to a pretty huge collection of books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers and more. Instead of purchasing a book or magazine, you pay for Scribd and get access to everything in the catalog.

If you prefer cultivating a personal library, then Scribd is going to be better for checking out questionable books than it is for finding new favorites. You can download what you want to read so it’s available for later, as well as adjusting the format when you are reading.

Download: Scribd ($8.99/month)

Overdrive

While making the trip out to the library might not be feasible — especially if you tend to forget to return books on time — if you have an active library card you can borrow books electronically with Overdrive. No more worrying about late fees, or having to go to multiple branches to borrow the book you want, now you can find it in ebook format.

Each participating library — and there are over 30,000 of them — creates their own collection of ebooks. This means that you can ask for and suggest books at your local branch and see them appear online.

Download: Overdrive (Free)

Do you have a favorite?

From cataloging your physical collection to buying new ebooks, or getting involved with other readers over social media, there are plenty of great apps out there for the book lovers in your life. Do you have a favorite app for books that we didn’t mention here? Let us know about it in the comments below!

After Math: Game On

This has been a celebratory week for video games, what with the industry coming together at the the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday to honor 2017’s standout titles. Celebrities were spotted and hobs were knobbed but that’s not the only news! Overwatch players are in for a holiday treat on December 12th, Bayonetta’s third installment is coming to the Switch and HTC showed off its $600 standalone Vive for the Chinese market. Numbers because how else are we going to determine the high score?

5: That’s how many Yeti you’ll be fighting off as Mei in Overwatch’s annual Winter Wonderland event when it goes live on December 12th.

2: The number of additional Bayonetta games I didn’t know existed until news broke that the third one will be a Switch exclusive in 2018. Luckily, they’re bundling the first two along as well so you’ll be able to hair fight to your heart’s content.

100: That’s how many players will be packed into a single arena in PUBG-rival Fortnite’s new 50-on-50 team deathmatch. The matches will be free until December 17th.

1st: That’s what the Sacramento Kings’ new “venue within a venue” eSport training center is. The first. Yes, of it’s kind. No other team has had the audacious vision to attempt such a thing.

1 month: That’s how much longer you’ll have to wait to battle a batshit right-wing militia-cult in Far Cry 5 now that Ubisoft has delayed the title’s release.

2 million: That’s how many PSVR headsets Sony’s sold in the last year. And critics said VR was the next 3D TV.

$600 (3,999 yuan): That’s how much HTC’s new standalone Vive VR headset will retail for in China once pre-orders begin on December 12th.

The best DNA ancestry test

By Amadou Diallo

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After more than 80 hours of research and reporting, and evaluating results from a panel of testers representing every major population group, we think AncestryDNA is the best DNA testing service for most people who are curious about their ethnic roots or are searching for contemporary relatives. All five DNA services we tested involve compromises, and you should keep in mind that the TV ads for these companies suggest a level of certainty that is well beyond the science upon which current tests are based. But AncestryDNA presents your data in a way that is easier to understand than many of its rivals, makes use of the largest database of DNA participants we’ve seen, and is among the lowest-priced services we tested.

Who this is for

Submitting your DNA sample requires either swabbing the inside of your cheeks or, even less elegantly, spitting into a tube, depending on the company you’re testing with. Photo: Caroline Enos

DNA testing can have a wide range of use cases, from paternity disputes to informing if you’re predisposed to genetic-based diseases. For this guide, however, we focus exclusively on services offering ancestral DNA testing: tests that comb through your DNA to help find where in the world you came from, unknown contemporary relatives, or both.

Although these tests can make accurate continent predictions, information about your genetic makeup at the country level is often dubious. You should also be prepared for the unexpected: you could find relatives that you’ve never met, or find out someone in your family isn’t actually genealogically related to you.

How we picked and tested

We tested kits from five companies that offer ancestral DNA testing for under $400. Photo: Caroline Enos

Because the major companies now offer DNA testing for as little as $100, we eliminated prohibitively expensive options. We further limited our contenders to those with large databases of existing customer DNA. The experts we consulted told us that large databases of customers increase the accuracy when estimating ethnicity and the likelihood of finding relatives.

Eventually, we settled on five companies to test. After recruiting a panel of seven testers (three men and four women) with ancestries from all over the world, we had each tester sign up for the programs. We then mailed their physical DNA samples back to the companies, and waited for the results. Once they arrived, we asked each tester to complete a survey comparing the quality and usability of each company’s reports.

Privacy concerns

Testing for something as personal as your DNA sequence highlights obvious privacy and security issues. We commissioned a legal analysis of the terms of service and privacy policies of our picks by Brian J. McGinnis, a partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP and a founder of the firm’s data security and privacy practice group. After a comparative analysis of each company’s policies, McGinnis found them to be in line with common industry practices, but he did see some room for improvement.

Our pick

Photo: Caroline Enos

AncestryDNA is the service we recommend for most people who want to learn about their ethnic heritage and/or connect with unknown relatives. It’s one of the most affordable services we evaluated and our testers ranked it among the top in offering useful information in an easy-to-understand presentation. The company also has the largest reported database of DNA customers we’ve seen, providing significantly higher odds of a successful search for contemporary relatives than its competitors. Three of our testers matched with first or second cousins.

Once the results are ready, you’ll receive an email with a link to your user page. From there, a single click takes you to an overview of your ethnicity estimates as well as potential relatives the site has flagged among its user base due to their similarity to your DNA makeup. Until you join AncestryDNA’s subscription service, the information you can glean from these family matches is limited to only their username and profile picture.

For data-savvy genealogists

Family Tree DNA may not have the fancy packaging of its rivals, but it provides a more comprehensive range of testing options than any service we tested. Photo: Caroline Enos

Family Tree DNA offers an affordably priced autosomal test that gave our panel of testers results that were broadly similar to those from our top pick. But their services extend beyond just ethnicity estimates, with à la carte options for both Y-DNA and mitochondrial testing at various levels of precision. Family Tree DNA’s most detailed tests can set you back more than three times what you’d spend using our main pick, but they provide extremely huge (even overwhelming) amounts of information. As one of our testers put it, “Family Tree DNA had the most complete info … even if you can’t really understand some of it.”

With 1.5 million users, Family Tree DNA’s database is not as large as that of our top pick, but still offers a reasonable chance of connecting with relatives. Family Tree DNA provides separate family matches for each test you order. If you pay for both an autosomal and mitochondrial test, for example, you’ll have access to two sets of matches. You’ll see users who share your autosomal DNA and could be related on either your mother or father’s side going back five generations. You’ll also see users who share DNA only from your maternal side of the family going back many centuries.

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