Kinda Blue Pixel 2 now available for non-Verizon customers

Your choice of getting it unlocked or on Project Fi.

The Pixel 2 might not be the best-looking phone released in 2017, but it’s still a big improvement over its first-generation sibling. Google launched the phone in four main colors, with Kinda Blue (my personal favorite) being limited to the small Pixel 2 on Verizon Wireless. Thankfully, that Verizon exclusivity is finally changing.

On its official Twitter account, Project Fi announced that the Kinda Blue Pixel 2 is now available for purchase through the carrier. The phone costs the same $649, but you can always finance it and pay just $27.04/month for 24 months.

If you’re not on Verizon or Project Fi, you can also now purchase the Kinda Blue Pixel 2 from the Google Store in an unlocked flavor with the same pricing.

The only real difference with the Kinda Blue Pixel 2 compared to the other colors is that it’s only available with 64GB of storage. If you want to step up to 128GB, you’ll need to stick with Just Black or Clearly White.

See at Google Store

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

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

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Keyboard and vital-tracking Moto Mods launching later in 2018

Motorola’s ‘Transform the Smartphone Challenge’ is also making a return.

Last year, Motorola launched its first “Transform the Smartphone Challenge” in which people from all around the world could submit ideas for their own Moto Mod and have the chance to get it manufactured and sold in stores across the globe. In 2018, consumers will be able to buy the first two Moto Mods created through the challenge – the Lenovo Vital Moto Mod and Livermorium Slider Keyboard Moto Mod.

Starting first with the Lenovo Vital Moto Mod, this will feature a variety of sensors to track your heart rate, respiratory rate, Pulse Ox, body temperature, and even diastolic blood pressure. All of this data is taken from a sensor that you place your finger on, and Motorola says this is “the smart way to measure your health.”

Tracking your body’s five key vital signs is cool and call, but most folks will likely be more interested in picking up the Livermorium Slider Keyboard. This was the grand prize winner of last year’s Transform the Smartphone Challenge, and it does exactly what you’d expect.

Lenovo Vital Moto Mod (left) and Livermorium Slider Keyboard Moto Mod (right)

The Livermorium Moto Mod gives you access to a full QWERTY keyboard and a hinge that’ll let you tilt your phone’s display up to 60-degrees. It’ll be available this winter for $99, and the Lenovo Vital Moto Mod will launch in April for a whopping $395.

Also new for 2018 is a revival of the Transform the Smartphone Challenge. Starting now, January 9, through February 9, you can submit your idea for a Moto Mod that you’d like to see created. Doing so gives you the chance to get a free Moto Z smartphone and Moto Mod Development Kit, and the grand prize winner will be flown out to Chicago to pitch their Moto Mod idea to Motorola’s executive development team.

Kinda Blue Pixel 2 now available for non-Verizon customers

Alcatel is bringing at least three new smartphones to MWC, but here’s a sneak peek

Alcatel is debuting three new devices at CES, but they won’t be properly detailed until next month at MWC.

Alcatel is bringing at least three new phone lines to Mobile World Congress in February, but it’s teasing the products at CES to gauge interest and set the stage for a resurgence in the brand throughout 2018.

TCL Communications, which owns both the Alcatel brands and BlackBerry Mobile, was quiet on the Alcatel front in 2017 as it focused on pushing the KEYone, but according to Christian Gatti, global president of Alcatel’s phone business, the brand is poised for a comeback of sorts this year.

To that end, Alcatel is debuting three phones at CES 2018 this week, one from each of its three new product lineups: the Alcatel 5, Alcatel 3B, and Alcatel 1X. While they vary in terms of size, build quality, and performance (most of which we don’t know yet) they all have 18:9 aspect ratio screens. Let’s take a quick look at each one:

Alcatel 5

This is the “affordable flagship” of the lot with an interesting squared-off design. While we don’t know pricing at this point, Alcatel is committing to a “sub-$300” price for the phone, which would put it in good company with many of the mid-range devices released late last year.

It lacks the dual rear camera setup of the Alcatel 3B (and it’s actually quite a bit smaller, too) it does feature a dual front-facing camera setup, one wide-angle and one regular, along with a rear fingerprint sensor. To align with its flagship status, Alcatel is outfitting the phone with a USB-C port on the bottom, and will offer a face unlock feature using the front-facing camera.

Alcatel 3B

Larger and more imposing, with a glass back and two rear cameras, the 3B is Alcatel’s “sub-$200” device for 2017, but it feels far more expensive.

It also has slimmer bezels above and below the LCD display than the Alcatel 5. It also has a rear fingerprint sensor and a more rounded design, which makes it comfortable to hold in the hand despite its imposing size. It will also have a Micro-USB port.

Alcatel 1X

The “sub-$100” device of the lot, this one is really interesting. It has a lovely felt-like texture on the back, along with a fingerprint sensor and a single camera. It has a Micro-USB port and, interestingly, will use its front-facing camera to support face unlock.

That’s all we know about Alcatel’s 2018 lineup right now, but what’s interesting is how confident the company appears to be about its offering. Of course, things are always subject to change, and Alcatel already contends with a saturated market that is getting better year after year. It’s not clear how these phones will fare in the U.S., but around the world, Alcatel is a trusted brand with enormous carrier penetration.

What do you think of Alcatel’s latest devices?

Vivo’s in-display fingerprint sensor shows the future of smartphone biometrics

This is the way of the future.

Phones are getting thinner and display bezels are getting smaller, so any time a company can save space in a phone it’s going to do it. The latest way to save space and give companies flexibility has been created by Synaptics, with its new in-display fingerprint solution.

The first company to use the new fingerprint sensor tech is Vivo, and I had an opportunity to use this awesome new sensor in one of its phones at CES 2018.

The in-display fingerprint sensor, as a standalone component, doesn’t look much different than any other capacitive style sensor. All it needs is a small contact point with the main board of the phone, and then companies are free to place the sensor anywhere they want. In Vivo’s case, it’s dead center near the bottom of the display, which is the easiest place to reach with either thumb when holding the phone.

This is the future of fingerprint sensors in smartphones.

This is an optical sensor rather than the capacitive type we’re used to seeing on most phones. It’s for this reason that the sensor only works with OLED displays (at least right now) — when the sensor is turned on, the display illuminates just the pixels coinciding with the sensor, shining light up to your fingerprint to then be recognized.

If you have the display turned off and tilt the phone ever-so-carefully at an angle you can see the sensor placed under the display, but it’s completely undetectable when the display is turned on. It’s up to the phone maker to handle the software side of things in terms of the on-screen prompt for your fingerprint, but the great part about this sensor is that it’s only enabled when the phone needs it.

Synaptics is quoting a 0.7-second response time for authentication, and in my testing it felt pretty speedy — just about on the same level as the capacitive sensors we all know and love. The only thing that’s hampering the speed, for me, is that it requires a bit of pressure from your finger in order to flatten out your fingerprint and be properly read by the sensor. That’s more of a mental roadblock, though, and I feel it won’t take long to retrain yourself to press it properly.

Vivo says that this is a full-production device that will be released, but it doesn’t have a time frame for it just yet. In fact, it doesn’t even have a brand name for the phone yet. Synaptics is undoubtedly making this same sensor available to other smartphone makers as well, so we could see this tech in dozens of phones in 2018.

Samsung said to start producing foldable smartphone in November

We could be looking at a launch as early as December.

For years, we’ve dreamed of the day when we can own a smartphone that’s able to fold in on itself. This would allow us to carry phones with large displays and easily carry them in our pockets when not using them, but perhaps more important, the idea of using a phone that you can fold is just plain cool.

There have been murmurings of foldable smartphones throughout the industry for quite some time, but now according to a report from The Investor, Samsung is ensuring that this actually becomes a reality with plans to start production of a foldable phone in November 2018.

Assuming that production stays on track for November, we could see a consumer launch of the phone either in December or early 2019. Samsung is supposedly meeting with individuals behind closed doors at CES 2018 this week to show off an early prototype of the device, but Samsung hasn’t confirmed this.

Not much is known about the foldable phone yet, but it’s said that it’ll have a 7.3-inch OLED display that can be folded inside itself for easy pocketability.

Vivo’s in-display fingerprint sensor shows the future of smartphone biometrics

Here’s how to factory reset your Nintendo Switch to give it a clean slate

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to return a video game console to its pristine, out-of-the-box state. Whether you’re getting ready to pass it off to someone else, or wish to undo some kind of software bug, sometimes you need to take drastic steps and “factory reset” your device.

The Nintendo Switch actually offers more than one way to reset, or “initialize,” its firmware, potentially sparing your save data if you choose. In fact, there are many options for deleting different types of data, depending on your needs. Here’s everything you need to know about deleting data from your Nintendo Switch, including how to do a “factory reset.”

Initialize from the settings menu

The easiest but most permanent way to reset your Switch is from the main menu. On the Home screen, go to the “System Settings” menu on the bottom of the screen — it’s the icon that looks like a gear. Hit the “A” button and you’ll see a list of options running down the left side of the screen. You want the bottom-most option, labeled “System.”

The System menu options will appear on the right side of the screen. You need to scroll down again to the bottom option, “Initialize.” There is a small exclamation point icon next to the Initialize option, warning you that this is a drastic, can’t-be-undone action. Hit the “A” button again and you will bring up the “Initialize” menu, which has a number of options for wiping and resetting the console.

Reset Cache: Use this option if you want to wipe internet browser data from your Switch but keep everything else. This includes saved user IDs and passwords for various websites, such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as your Switch browser history.

Reset Keyboard: The Switch’s virtual keyboard pays attention to the things you type and saves data about words and phrases you use often. It uses that data to offer predictive type options of words you use often, so you don’t have to type down every word as you’re using the keyboard, speeding up the process. This option wipes that predictive text data.

Format microSD Card: In order to use a microSD card as extra memory for the Switch, it has to be formatted. This option will delete any data on a microSD card you plug into the Switch, allowing it to be used in the console when you’re done. If you’re encountering errors using a microSD card on the Switch, this is the option you want.

Initialize Console: This is the big one. This option returns your Switch to its out-of-the-box state, deleting all saved data, screenshots, videos, user accounts, web browser data, game data, and system updates. It will also reset system settings like parental controls to their defaults. If you have a Nintendo user account linked to online services like the Nintendo eShop, the account will still exist online, but it will no longer be linked to the Switch. According to Nintendo, any data from the Switch you stored on a microSD card won’t be deleted. Aside from your screenshots and videos, though, the data on your microSD card will become unusable.

Only use this option as a last resort: Either if you’re getting rid of the Switch altogether, or you’re encountering errors that are so troublesome, no other option will fix the console. Nintendo notes that you also need your console to be connected to the internet to reformat it.

The “soft” factory reset: Initializing from Maintenance Mode

There is a second, less drastic way to “initialize” your Switch if you’re dealing with errors or other problems. Using the console’s “maintenance mode,” you can wipe most of the data from your Switch, while leaving behind things like game saves, user info, and screenshots. There are other maintenance mode options you might need as well if you’re dealing with errors, so try this mode before completely reinitializing your console. Maintenance mode lets you bypass the main Switch operating system, which can be helpful for getting around errors that are interrupting your ability to get to the System Settings menu.

To access Maintenance Mode, turn your Switch off by holding down the Power button on top of the console, then choosing “Power Options,” then “Turn Off.” Once the Switch is completely turned off, hold both the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons, as well as the Power button. Keep holding them down while you see the “Nintendo” and “Switch” logos appear on the screen, until you see the “Maintenance Mode” menu appear. From there, you have a few options for how to fix up your Switch.

Update System: If you are encountering errors you think can be fixed by an update to the Switch’s system software, this is the option you want. This option uses your Wi-Fi connection to download the latest Switch software and update your system.

Initialize console without deleting save data: This is a “95 percent factory reset” option, if you’ve identified an issue with your Switch’s firmware or a game. It “initializes” most of the console, deleting your games, software updates, and restoring the console’s firmware to factory settings, but keeps your game saves, screenshots, videos, and user data intact. If you’re having trouble with your Switch but don’t want to lose all of your data, use this option.

It’s almost always a good idea to try this before pulling the trigger on a full “initialization.” Worse case scenario: If this doesn’t work, you can always do a full restore afterward.

Note: As with a full initialization of the console, this option will also render any data on a microSD card you’re using with the Switch as unusable.

Initialize Console: Like the option in the System Settings menu, this is the big one that will completely wipe all data saved to your Switch, restoring it to its out-of-the-box state.

Again, a word of warning: Initializing your console will delete all your game and save data from the console, and unlink any online Nintendo accounts that are linked to it (you can see your Nintendo accounts online at accounts.nintendo.com). Initializing won’t wipe a microSD card you might have installed in the system, but all data on the card except for screenshots will become unusable, and you will have to reformat it to use it with the Switch again.

To leave Maintenance Mode without deleting anything, just hold down the Power button until the Switch turns off, then turn it back on again as normal.

What to do when you’ve “initialized” your Switch

Restoring your Switch to factory settings feels like a big step, and it may mean losing some save data, but sometimes it is necessary. Once you’ve done it, it isn’t hard to reinstall everything to get back to playing.

After you restore your Switch, you can link the console to your Nintendo account. Once your account is linked again, you will be able to download any games or DLC from the Nintendo eShop that you previously purchased. You can also reinstall any games you have as physical copies.

If you have a microSD card with any images, we recommend saving them to a computer by inserting the SD Card into a card reader, finding the “album” folder, and install that onto your computer. Once you have saved your screenshots, you can reinsert the SD card into the Switch, and reformat it using the option we mentioned before in the System Settings menu.

Essentially, you just have to set up your Switch the way you did when you first bought it in order to use it again.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to factory reset a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge smartphone
• The 20 best Nintendo Switch games you can buy today
• Need a fresh start? Here’s how to factory reset a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus
• The best Nintendo Switch accessories to pick up this holiday season
• How to factory reset an iPhone

Do you need to erase your device? Here’s how to turn off Find My iPhone

Find my iPhone is one of those very useful features that you want to have turned on. It can prevent a thief from erasing your iPhone, or it can help you locate your device. It also lets you erase it remotely, lock it, or simply send an alert.

As long as Find My iPhone is turned on, you can’t erase your iPhone. There are times when you will want to know how to turn off Find My iPhone, such as when you’re getting ready to sell your iPhone to trade it in for a new iPhone 8 or iPhone X.

How to turn off Find My iPhone

Step 1: Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Find My iPhone.

Step 2: Swipe the green toggle to the off position.

Step 3: Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.

Are you selling your iPhone? Read this!

Some people want to sell their iPhone, and this is the reason why they need to turn off Find My iPhone. The first thing to do before you move on to your next iPhone is to back up your current iPhone. If you don’t know how to do that, follow our guide on how to backup your iPhone with and without iTunes.

Keep in mind that before you erase and sell your iPhone, it is important for you to sign out of iCloud and iTunes and App Store. When you go to Settings > [your name], you will see Sign Out at the bottom of that page. Make sure that you sign out of your iCloud account, so that the new owner won’t be asked to enter your Apple ID and password.

Are you still learning how to use iOS? Let us help you master it with our best tips and tricks for iOS 11.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to factory reset an iPhone
• Is your smartphone frozen? Here’s how to reset your iPhone
• How to reset your Apple ID password and gain control of your account
• Apple detox: Switching from an iPhone to an Android device without missing a beat
• Tips on how to save battery life on an iPhone (and a common myth busted)

Deal: Get big data on the cheap from Ting, TPO, and Mint SIM!

If you’re looking to get some great data plans without shelling out a ton of cash, TPO, Ting and Mint SIM have you covered!

TPO (The People’s Operator)

Unlimited talk & text, plus 4GB for $45/mo.

TPO is offering unlimited talk & text plus 4G of data/month for $45 (with autopay). With TPO, you can choose Sprint or Nationwide GSM network for coverage, plus 10% of your bill goes towards a charity of your choice. And for a limited time get a free GSM SIM card.

With TPO, you have the option to purchase a new phone from the store or bring your own Sprint or GSM approved device. All Unlimited Goodness plans have no annual contract, activation fee or deposit.

Ting

100 min/100 text/100MB for $15/mo

For those who require a smaller amount of talk, text, and data, check out Ting’s deal. Each month you get 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts, and 100MB of data. With Ting, you have the option of bringing your own Sprint or GSM approved device since Ting operates on both Sprint and T-Mobile networks.

As a special offer, Ting will pay up to 25% of your Early Termination Fee (ETF) if you switch, up to $75 per device.

Mint SIM

Buy in Bulk 10GB for $25/mo

For those that want big data at a small price, unlimited talk & text, plus 10GB of data for $25/mo. This deal is available for new customers only and you’ll need to pay up front for three months of service in advance (Pay $75 for 3 months).

Mint SIM runs off T-Mobile’s network, GSM devices are compatible.

You never know when you might need the $40 Red Cross emergency radio

Never leave home without it.

The American Red Cross FRX3+ emergency weather radio and smartphone charger is down to $39.99 on Amazon. While it fluctuates a bit in price, its average street price over the last six months has been around $60. It has only dropped below $50 once or twice in the last year, and it has never dropped as low as this.

Whether you’re going camping or preparing for the zombie apocalypse, you should always have an emergency radio. You can power it the normal way with a rechargeable battery or use the hand crank and built-in solar panel. Get informed of the nearest government safe houses to escape the zombie horde… or the weather. Plus, it has a built-in smartphone charger powered by hand so you can get a little extra juice for your phone when you need it most.

Features include:

• This is the emergency radio with a large, ergonomic hand crank that requires little effort to generate power for delivering a superior combination of sound quality, playback time, and reception.
• Its superior audio quality provides clear, crisp sound that allows you to hear every word of a NOAA Weather Band, unlike other models that produce distorted, static-filled audio.
• Its superior battery provides 8.7X longer playback time than lesser models. Unlike other radios with analog tuners, it has an easy-to-adjust digital tuner that receives radio stations.
• Additional superior features include an integrated LED flashlight, USB port for charging smartphones, mini-USB cable, and a built-in solar panel for supplemental power.
• Utilizes a rechargeable lithium ion 3.7V battery.

The FRX3+ has 4.1 stars based on 246 user reviews.

See on Amazon

How to delete and reinstall games on the Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch was a runaway success in 2017, thanks in large part to its stellar, constantly growing selection of games. As your game library grows with new independent titles or digital versions of AAA first-party titles like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, storage space will become an issue. With 32GB of onboard memory, you’ll almost certainly need a microSD card down the line (if not already). Even then, there may come a time when you just can’t keep your whole digital collection on your Switch at once.

Luckily, the Switch allows you to delete and reinstall games you’ve purchased on your Nintendo account whenever you want, with no impact on your games’ save data. Managing your Switch library is incredibly easy: Here’s how to delete, archive, and reinstall Nintendo Switch games.

Deleting games and apps

Deleting software completely removes the game data from your Switch, along with the game icon. If your game library is cluttered and you don’t anticipate wanting to play that game again, this method is for you.

Step 1: On the Switch home screen, select the “all software” icon on the far right of the game selection bar. If you know the game you want to delete, and have played it recently, you can also select it directly on the home screen.

Step 2: Once you have selected a game. Press the options (+) button, then click “Manage Software.”

Step 3: Choose “Delete Software” and confirm your selection.

Archiving games (recommended)

The Switch has a secondary delete option called “archiving,” which deletes a game’s data, but leaves its icon in your library. Though it may leave your game library cluttered, we recommend archiving games, rather than deleting them, given the Switch’s relatively hidden library of purchased games not on your console.

Step 1: Repeat steps one and two above.

Step 2: Choose “Archive Software.”

Reinstalling deleted games

The Switch does not include an extended list of purchased games in its library, as you’d find on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Steam. To download games again, you’ll have to find them in the Switch eShop.

Step 1: Go into the eShop.

Step 2: Navigate to your avatar in the upper-right-hand corner in the eShop.

Step 3: Scroll to “Redownload” to check out the list of deleted games eligible for reinstallation.

Step 4: Simply press A on the game to start the download process.

Unarchiving games

If you archived a game, you’ll still have to reinstall it, but the process is more streamlined.

Step 1: On your home screen or in “All Software,” hover over the archived game (archived games have a cloud download symbol above their icons).

Step 2: Press A twice to download. That’s it.

Keeping tracking of your Switch’s storage

If you want to see which games are the biggest storage culprits before deleting or archiving, follow these steps.

Step 1: Go into “System Settings.”

Step 2: Choose “Data Management.”

Step 3: Click “Manage Software.” Software will be listed by file size.

Step 4: Select a game and choose whether you’d like to delete or archive it.

Alternatively, you can choose “Quick Archive” in “Data Management” to archive multiple titles at once. This menu will also tell you the last time you played each game to give you a better idea of which games you should think about removing from your Switch.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Playing games on the Nintendo Switch is so nice, you’ll buy your games twice
• The 20 best Nintendo Switch games you can buy today
• Here’s how to factory reset your Nintendo Switch to give it a clean slate
• 10 great Nintendo Switch games under $20
• Report claims Nintendo Switch won’t get 64GB game cards until 2019