Need a Valentine’s Day gift for her? Here are the best, most stylish smartwatches

This Valentine’s Day, we’re encouraging you to give the special woman in your life an item that doesn’t melt away or die within days. That’s where smartwatches come in — both hybrid and touchscreen. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, be sure to check out our hybrid smartwatch guide. Both types of smartwatches are not only stylish and customizable, but are something she’ll be able to use on a daily basis, whether it’s for tracking health and activity, staying on top of alerts and notifications, or keeping up with her busy schedule.

Overwhelmed with all of the options? Don’t panic, we’re here to help. Regardless of fashion preferences or lifestyle, we’ve got the perfect picks for all the ladies out there (or check out our guide to the most stylish smartwatches for men). Here are our top selections for the best smartwatches for Valentine’s Day.

Fossil Q Venture Smartwatch, from $255

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

On first glance, the Fossil Q Venture looks like a bit much with its all-around gemstone detail and rose gold color. But this 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen smartwatch packs a lot of features into a thin, lightweight device that looks flattering on the wrist. Running Android Wear 2.0, the Q Venture syncs to your special someone’s smartphone via Bluetooth, which allows her to receive app notifications, as well as answer calls, text messages, and more. With both Google Fit and Google Fit Workout built-in, she can also track her steps and calories burned, and log a variety of different workouts. We enjoyed the pre-installed games, like Bold Bot and Maze, which can become weirdly addicting if she’s ever bored.

If you know she’d rather have a more casual-looking watch than a glamorous and glitzy one, you’re in luck. Fossil’s Q Venture comes in a lot of different colorways to suit anyone’s style. There’s a ton of stainless steel options in silver, gold, and rose gold without the gemstones. There’s also rose gold with a sand leather watch strap and an all-black model with a silicone watch strap. The smartwatch is also interchangeable with any 18mm straps from Fossil’s collection, in case she wants to change up her look. To tailor the watch even further, Android Wear 2.0 comes with preset watch faces that she can customize based on color and settings.

See on Amazon See on Fossil

Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch, from $295

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Launched in January, the Kate Spade Scallop is certainly the quirkiest option on our list. This doesn’t come as a surprise, since Kate Spade is known for never shying away from bright colors and playful prints — and this smartwatch is no different. The name originates from its design, which features a scalloped edge on the bezel — a unique change from what other designers are doing. The smartwatch features a 1.9-inch touchscreen — bigger than most watch faces available for women — and a slim case that could easily fit under her sleeve without looking too bulky.

Kate Spade’s Scallop smartwatch runs Android Wear 2.0, which means she’ll be able to use Google Assistant, count steps and calories, play music, keep track of social media, and more — all via her wrist. If she’s heavily into fashion and color coordination, she’ll enjoy Kate Spade’s micro app, which allows her to easily match her smartwatch to her outfits. By selecting the color of her jewelry, dress, bag, and time of day, the app will generate a custom watch face using complementary colors. Perhaps the coolest features are the animated watch faces. There’s one with a New York City taxi that zips across the screen with the words “In a New York Minute,” or one with disappearing flower petals that reads “Love Me Not.”

As for color variants, the Scallop comes in three different options. For $255, you can choose between a black or tan leather watch strap, which both come with a rose gold case. If you’re looking to splurge a bit more, there’s also the rose gold stainless steel option for $325.

See on Kate Spade

Apple Watch Series 3, from $330

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Even though Android Wear is compatible with iOS, you’re still limited in your capabilities. If your significant other is a loyal iPhone user, you can’t go wrong with an Apple Watch — especially the latest model, the Apple Watch Series 3. It holds our No. 1 spot as the best smartwatch out there so far. With an easy-to-use interface and the ability to receive all her app notifications, as well as answer text messages, she won’t feel as restricted.  If you really want to be the ultimate Valentine’s Day hero, you can opt for the Apple Watch Series 3 with 4G LTE which has a built-in eSIM. That means she’ll be able to connect to a cellular network and use the smartwatch to make phone calls and answer incoming ones. But with LTE, there’s also the additional $10 monthly charge from your carrier.

There’s also tons of personalization options when it comes to the Apple Watch. For starters, she’ll be able to choose from a large variety of watch faces — including several new ones that were added to the Series 3 model such as Toy Story and other Disney characters. She can change around the watch straps as well, with plenty of options from Apple itself or third-parties. We personally like the Coach Apple Watch Strap with Rexy for $150 — its brown leather is not only traditional, but that cute little dinosaur will make anyone smile.

The Apple Watch Series 3 offers several different models. For the basic aluminum model with GPS only and a regular Sport Band, it’ll cost you $330. If you choose to get the same model with GPS and cellular, along with the Sport Band or Sport Loop strap, it’s a bit more expensive at $400. These prices apply to the 38mm, so you’ll be paying an additional $30 for the larger, 42mm model. The watch becomes more pricey for the other two models — the stainless-steel with a sapphire crystal watch face will run you $600, and the ceramic case starts at $1,300 and is available only with cellular.

See on Apple

Skagen Signatur T-Bar Hybrid Smartwatch, $123

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

The Skagen T-Bar Hybrid is the perfect option if you want to buy her a classic and traditional-looking watch. Skagen is well-known for its devotion to minimalist watch designs that look clean and sophisticated. The T-Bar comes in several different color options — rose gold steel-mesh, silver steel-mesh, gray leather, and black leather. While the wrist straps aren’t interchangeable, each colorway is simple enough to easily match with any type of style, so it won’t be difficult for her to match it with both casual outfits and evening wear.

Our review model had the stainless steel gold case and black watch strap, and we loved how thin and lightweight it felt. We especially liked that while other hybrid smartwatches tend to have larger bezels, Skagen’s 36mm watch face looks almost bezel-less. To add to the elegance and airy feel, the T-Bar’s crown is replaced by a large, flat button along with two smaller flat buttons. With a watch face made of mineral crystal, she’ll also be happy to know that it’s scratch-resistant — giving her the green light to wear it more often than not.

For this hybrid smartwatch, she’ll be able to use the Skagen Connected app available for iOS and Android, which allows her to track her fitness and activity. As for notifications, she’ll have the option of choosing six notifications and/or apps to assign numbers to. Whenever she receives an alert, the watch dials will automatically point to the number she’s assigned, so she won’t have to check her smartphone each time she has a notification.

See on Amazon See on Skagen

Michele Hybrid Smartwatch, $495

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Michele is known for producing luxurious watches, and its Michele hybrid smartwatch is no different. While it’s one of the more expensive choices on this list, that’s the price you pay for a high-quality device. With a watch face made of sapphire crystal, the Michele hybrid is highly scratch-resistant and durable, so it’ll last her for years. Each watch face is also attached to an alligator strap with an inner silicone lining, which — unlike some other straps on the market — doesn’t easily crack or look worn out after consistent wear. The silicone lining on the inside of the watch strap also adds to the comfort. If she wants to switch it up, the straps are interchangeable with any other 18mm strap from the Michele Collection.

We reviewed the all-black model, which did look a bit sportier than others, but it still easily transitioned between day and night wear. Other color options include two-tone white and navy, navy and gold, and rose gold tone with gray. The 38mm stainless steel case is much bigger than most women’s smartwatches on the market — which also means it’s also heavier and thicker. But we liked the bulkier look since it made the watch look less delicate and like more of a statement piece. Our favorite part of the smartwatch design was the splash of red on the rotating watch crown and on the watch face, which subtly ties in Michele’s signature logo.

Similar to the Skagen T-Bar Hybrid, the Michele hybrid runs on its own Michele Connected app for iOS and Android. It’s also capable of tracking health and activity, as well as alerting you when you receive notifications.

See on Amazon See on Michele

Fossil Q Neely Hybrid Smartwatch, $155

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

The Fossil Q Neely is the smallest hybrid smartwatch in Fossil’s lineup. If you’re looking for a watch that isn’t too bulky and heavy to fit a smaller wrist, the Q Neely is is a great choice. With a 36MM case and a thickness of 12MM, it’s the same size as the Skagen T-Bar but has thicker bezels that look stunning under the light. For such a thin, lightweight smartwatch, she might find it hard to believe that it has smart features.

Fossil’s Q Neely runs on the Fossil Q app and includes the exact same features as the other hybrid smartwatches on this list. Its new Commute feature is the one differentiating factor — which she’ll love when traveling to different destinations. By adding her address into the Fossil Q app — such as work or home — she can assign it to one of the three buttons on the side. Whenever she pushes the button, it will use Google Maps to calculate her arrival time or how long her commute will take, which the watch hands will show.

The Q Neely is available in three color variants — a rose gold case with a bone leather or cabernet leather watch strap and a silver case with a black leather watch strap. It’s also interchangeable with any other 16mm watch strap in Fossil’s collection, which could make for a great add-on if you’re looking to give more than one gift.

See on Amazon See on Fossil

Editors’ Recommendations

• Kate Spade’s smartwatch for women shuns tired old ‘shrink it and pink it’ style
• These are our five favorite Fossil smartwatch deals available right now
• Make some time for the best smartwatch deals this Valentine’s Day
• What is a hybrid smartwatch? The ideal wearable for watch fans
• The best smartwatches you can buy

A man’s Apple AirPods allegedly exploded while he was working out

We’ve just barely recovered from the ordeal of the spontaneously combusting Galaxy Note 7s from Samsung, but now, we may have yet another fiery electronic on our hands. According to local news reports, a man from Tampa, Florida realized that his Apple AirPods — those wireless earbuds from the iEmpire — began smoking in his ear. And yes, he was wearing them when it happened.

“It’s the craziest thing I ever went through,” Jason Colon told his local NBC news station. The AirPods owners says he was listening to a dance mix while at a gym in St. Petersburg when he realized that there was “white smoke … billowing out” of his headphones. He immediately removed them from his ears (thank goodness) and left to get help. By the time he’d returned to his equipment, he claims that the right earbud was already damaged beyond repair.

“It was already like this. It was already popped. I didn’t see it happen, but I mean, it was already fried!  You can see flame damage,” Colon said.

The likely culprit at fault is the lithium ion batteries contained in many of today’s electronics. They were, after all, to blame in the now infamous Galaxy Note 7 debacle, and were also the reason that so many hoverboards were catching on fire a few years back. And now, it looks like AirPods might have issues too.

To be fair, reports of malfunctioning AirPods aren’t nearly widespread enough to warrant any sort of panic. But of course, Colon will likely be thinking twice before he puts another headset in his ears. “I don’t know what would’ve happened to my ear,” Colon added. “But I’m sure since it hangs down, it could’ve been [my] ear lobe. Ear lobe could’ve been burnt.”

He seems to believe that the battery was at fault, and noted to local news affiliates that others ought to be warned. “Just because it happens to me doesn’t mean it won’t happen again,” he said.

According to an Apple spokesperson, the company is already investigating what may have gone wrong, and will be reaching out to Colon for further information.

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Script hopes to make school permission slips a thing of the past

School systems, like many government organizations, are slow to make use of new technologies, though we have seen several counter-examples of this. Many schools still use physical forms for things such as permission slips, which can be a headache for everyone involved. A startup called Script hopes to alleviate those issues with its Script app, which allows parents to digitally sign permission slips and pay fees from the convenience of their smart devices.

The Florida-based company was founded by Aaron White and Patrick Cahill, who serve as CEO and CTO respectively. Cahill has spent several years working as a software engineer in the fields of healthcare and banking. White’s background working as an IT administrator for a charter school and a technician for the Pinellas County school system provided the genesis for Script. He said he often found teachers and administrators to be frustrated by the sheer amount of paperwork involved in their jobs. He once saw a teacher break down in frustrated tears while dealing with the paperwork required to set up an activity for her classroom.

Ultimately, the company’s goal is to allow educators to spend more time teaching and less time dealing with tedious paperwork.

“Our heart is to empower teachers and educators to teach more and manage less,” White told Tech Crunch.

School employees aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit from reducing the amount of paperwork involved in field trips and other classroom activities. In the hassle of daily life, it’s easy to lose track of permission slips or simply forget to sign them until the last minute. Paying for field trips can also be a problem, as parents will often have to send the money by way of their children. This probably isn’t a problem for older children, but you can imagine it can be worrisome to trust elementary-age students with that responsibility.

The Script app aims to solve all of these problems by allowing parents to digitally sign permission slips and pay via the app. Script’s apps also make it easier for school officials to manage and create events.

The app allows teachers to create events and submit them to administrators for review. Once the event is approved, the administrators send a notification to the appropriate parents, who can then sign their children up and pay for the event via their smartphones.

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The best, most stylish smartwatch to buy for him this Valentine’s Day

Whether given by a parent to a child, an employer to an employee, or girlfriend to boyfriend, the wristwatch has long been a safe gift choice that most appreciate. The sheer volume of choice available makes decisions difficult, a problem multiplied by the emergence of smartwatches, which add confusion over tech and compatibility into the mix.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and you decided to get your significant other a connected watch. Which one is right for you? Here is our choice of the best smartwatches generally; but maybe you want something that puts looks before features? That is what we are helping out with here. These are the best smartwatches for Valentine’s Day because they are about making an impression and making them feel special, not about how long the battery lasts or how many apps they run.

Apple Watch Series 3 Hermés $1,300

Why the Hermés version? It’s undoubtedly the most special Apple Watch available, going that step beyond the Watch Edition due to the custom watch faces and genuine Hermés strap. We’re opting for the stainless steel Watch with a particular strap — the noir gala leather single tour rallye. A bit of a mouthful, but we adore the rally-style hole-punched black leather strap, which really suits the Apple Watch anyway, but when matched with the simplicity of the Hermés watch faces, it really comes together. Apple doesn’t sell this strap separately, plus it all comes in an attractive presentation box, so you are getting something very special.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is currently our top pick out of all the smartwatches available. It has the best user interface, smooth and fast performance, adequate battery life, a strong feature list –including the ability to make calls if you choose a cellular model — and a wealth of aftermarket accessories. He won’t be disappointed with the Apple Watch and the beautiful Hermés version is our personal pick.

If the significant price tag of the Apple Watch Hermés, or even the Series 3 watch is more than you want to spend, consider the still current Apple Watch Series 2 — it has almost all the same features, after all — and match it with a third-party strap. There is even a $100 rally-style strap from Burkley on our list.

Buy it now from:

Apple

Diesel OnFull Guard from $325/Skagen Falster from $275

No, we’re not being indecisive with our two Android Wear 2.0 selections. They both represent two very different styles, helping you choose the right one based on personal style preferences. The Diesel OnFull Guard is a bold, tough-looking, and incredibly masculine watch. It’s also heavily influenced by Diesel’s mechanical watch style, right down to the clever iridescent color effect over the watch face, highlighted by the large and high-resolution screen.

We reviewed the black model with a brown leather strap, which is probably the most restrained. We love the black model with the black steel band, and there is even a gold model with a gold metal band for those who feel the need to really stand out. While the watch isn’t packed out with features — and that is a good thing — the design makes us love it. However, it’s not for everyone, which is where the Skagen Falster comes in. Danish brand Skagen is known for its minimalist, restrained designs, and the Falster — its first full Android Wear smartwatch — continues that trend.

Simplicity of design doesn’t mean boring and the bars attaching the strap to the body really give the Falster visual fizz, as do the mesh metal straps. It’s these mesh straps that make the Falster so versatile, as they are suitable for day and evening wear, casual and smart. While the Diesel On Full Guard looks best with clothes you may buy from Diesel — by which we mean casual — the Falster can bridge the gap better between smart casual and smart. The features are basically the same as the Diesel, as both are Fossil-owned brands, and use the same platform and app.

Watches show off our personal style, which means it’s not one-size-fits-all. The Diesel and Skagen Android Wear watches do the same thing but will be worn by different types of people.

Diesel onFull Guard Skagen Falster

Alpina Horological Seastrong Hybrid 595 Swiss francs/$630

Maybe a smartwatch with a touchscreen isn’t what you want. How about a hybrid instead? Hybrid smartwatches give you the basic necessities such as fitness tracking and notifications, all wrapped up in a traditional watch body. Alpina, an established name in the watch world, has selected its gorgeous Diver 300 Automatic watch as the inspiration for the Seastrong Hybrid, bringing the cool and desirable diver watch look to the hybrid world.

In addition to the connected features, all synced up with a dedicated smartphone app, the Seastrong boasts sapphire crystal glass for durability, water resistance to a depth of 100 meters, a Swiss movement, and a choice of colors and straps. We adore the black-on-black look. Yes, it’s expensive for a hybrid watch, but most watch connoisseurs will recognize its value and be very happy to receive it. What’s more, the battery life is rated for an astonishing four years, depending on use, so you’re not buying yet another device to charge each day.

Buy it now from:

Alpina Amazon

Emporio Armani Connected Hybrid $295

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Emporio Armani Connected hybrid watch has always attracted compliments, probably more so than any other hybrid we’ve worn. The black metal strap and minimalist watch face, complete with the EA logo at the 12 o’clock mark, just looks so damn classy. Match it with the right outfit, and it’s stunning, plus it’s equally at home with casual weekend gear as it is with a suit. Putting on the EA Connected feels special and that is what you want from a watch.

It provides the same degree of functionality as most other hybrid smartwatches, so it delivers notifications from your phone, tracks your steps, and has programmable buttons for features like a remote camera shutter release. The battery inside is a simple coin cell, and should last a year before it needs replacing. However, you don’t really buy this for the features. You buy it for the style, and we think it’s gorgeous.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Fossil Q Commuter Hybrid from $175

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It’s the splash of color on the Q Commuter hybrid’s watch face that makes us love this design. It’s fairly minimalist, and already has some visual flair thanks to the bars attaching the strap to the body, but the red tips on the hands, and the red hand showing step count, set the whole thing off perfectly — especially on the smoke stainless steel model with the mesh metal band. Like the Skagen Falster, the Q Commuter has a restrained design, meaning it will suit most outfits.

Functionality covers the basics — notifications, alarms, step count, customizable buttons, and music controls. The Q Commuter’s unique feature is its ability to show you what time you will arrive at a preset destination — like your work — at the push of a button. The watch is water resistant to 50 meters, and the battery should last for about a year before it needs swapping. Even then, it’s a simple and cheap coin cell. The price is another reason we recommend the Q Commuter, it’s great value for the design and functionality.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

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A weekend comments thread for a mid-week Valentine’s Day

This week brings warm hearts and cold Olympic temperatures; and the brave souls who are part of each.

This weekend and the next will be filled with hearts and flowers for a lot of people because Valentine’s Day hits in the middle of the week. It’s apparent that whoever invented the holiday was single or it would have been like other occasions that get shifted around to come up on the weekend and I wouldn’t be trying to find a good place to eat that will still get me home in time for bed because Thursday is another holiday, called Get Up and Go to Work Day. Not as fun to celebrate, that one.

In any case, you can’t go anywhere to escape Valentine’s Day goodies designed to show your appreciation of a loved one or potential loved one and to exchange money from your bank account to a merchant’s bank account. It’s the American way. Though I have to say the local grocery store has some incredible-looking tulips.

And of course, some of us will not be celebrating Valentine’s Day for one reason or another. It’s cool, there are plenty of Olympics to fill the space. Around here we’ll be doing both and I’ll try not to be jealous of Pita Taufatofua (AKA Mr. Tonga) with his oily and perfect physique when network television shows his grand entrance over and over. And over. (But seriously, look at the guy. Wowza. And an accomplished athlete in multiple sports, too!) and instead, marvel at how anyone can do anything when it’s that cold and do it so well. Please, do not be that cold Wednesday night when I’m out with my sweetheart.

What are y’all up to this weekend? Celebrating the big V day, watching some winter games, or both? Jump in the comments and share!

How to use PlayStation gift cards

Have a gift card or game code and you’re not sure how to enter it? Here’s how.

It’s your birthday and for one your great aunt Lucille got you something that you can actually use. She got you a PlayStation gift card. The world is your oyster, you’re a kid in a candy shop, and various other idioms. One quick look at your PlayStation 4 and you are flummoxed. There does not seem to be any slot to slide your gift card through. You think that you probably shouldn’t slide it into the disk slot. I am going to let you in on a little secret; don’t put your gift card into the disk slot of your PS4.

Not matter how you end up with a gift card or game code, entering them is a breeze. Here’s how you do it.

See at Amazon

From your PlayStation home screen, go to the PlayStation Store.

Once you’re in the PlayStation Store, scroll all the way down until you find Redeem Codes.

On the Redeem Codes screen, you will be presented with a box in which to enter your code or PlayStation gift card number.

It’s a simple as that. You are now on your way to downloading a brand new game to help you get through another year and inevitably another birthday where you will hopefully end up with a few more gift cards to spend

And if you have a gamer in your life and you’re looking for an easy gift that they will love, then you might want to consider picking up a PlayStation gift card. You could spend hours trying to find the perfect gift to make them happy, or you could get them a gift card and let them pick the perfect present themselves.

See at Amazon

Why are we reviewing PlayStation 4 games on Android Central? Let us explain.

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Why is HBO making shows from podcasts?

HBO has signed a deal with political podcast Pod Save America that will see the popular show become a series of TV specials. The episodes will be shot and broadcast during the 2018 midterms, produced and starring the usual trio of (the other) Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor. It’s the second time in recent months that the cable giant has sought to adapt a podcast, following its deal with 2 Dope Queens.

Podcasts jumping into bed with HBO may seem like a strange fit, especially given the network’s love for well-heeled prestige drama. But it’s likely a shrewd move, given the current broadcasting landscape and HBO’s own need to find new audiences. This year sees the channel coming to the end a period of dominance where it can lay claim to owning Game of Thrones, the world’s most hyped TV show.

When Game of Thrones began, its same-day ratings — views within the first 24 hours of broadcast — were 2.5 million. By ordinary cable standards, that’s a success, and Westworld’s first-season finale earned 2.2 million views during its live broadcast alone. But those figures look lackluster compared with Thrones’ sixth season, which earned 7.7 million views in that same 24-hour window.

HBO, unlike other broadcasters, needs its subscribers to keep coming back to its platform in order to make money. It doesn’t need to pull in Super Bowl–size audiences for all of its shows, so long as they comfortably claim around two million viewers and keep everyone paying.

That is where podcasts come in.

Since their creation, podcasts have been something of a black box, with creators (and advertisers) knowing only how many people downloaded each episode. Beyond that, nobody really knew if users were listening all the way through a show, if they listened to the ads or whether all the effort was for naught.

Mindy Tucker / HBO

In December 2017, Apple launched a podcast analytics service, allowing producers to really analyze its listenership data for the first time. The title of Wired’s report on the subject sums up the findings pretty neatly: “Podcast Listeners Really Are the Holy Grail Advertisers Hoped They Would Be.”

The data, so far, has shown that listeners will sit through an average of 90 percent of an episode, don’t skip ads and are pretty patient. Panopoly CTO Jason Cox is quoted in Wired saying that there is no “optimal length” for a show either, and podcast listeners are flexible when it comes to form. The report also cites HeadGum’s Andrew Pile, who said that there are audiences “who listen to every word that comes out of [a host’s] mouth.”

Podcast listeners are patient, they’re loyal and they aren’t lurching for their iPhones to skip a 30-second mid-roll ad during an hour-long show. That’s the sort of audience that, HBO probably hopes, can be lured into forking out a little bit extra on top of their basic cable subscription. Not to mention that podcasts are becoming a proving ground for ideas and talent that broadcasters can cherry-pick from.

According to the podcast metrics, the 124 episodes of Pod Save America have been downloaded more than 175 million times in total. Some back-of-the-envelope math (175 million / 124 x 0.9*) means that each episode probably has a captive audience of around 1.2 million people. It’s not spectacular, but it’s the sort of easy numbers that would probably make plenty of HBO executives happy.

HBO also has to face down Netflix, a company that cribbed many of its moves from HBO’s playbook, from spending big to own the stand-up comedy space to launching a series of premium dramas. Last year, Quartz said that HBO “was once a leader in live comedy, but now only releases a handful of specials a year.” The cause for the downturn is that it “has been driven out of the market for A-list comedians by Netflix, which is spending lavishly on top-tier talent” like Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld.

The network has been no stranger to podcasts since it first hosted the TV version of The Ricky Gervais Show back in 2010. But now it appears to be embracing the format in a way that it hasn’t before, much like several other entertainment companies. After all, FX Networks is looking to adapt Welcome to Night Vale, while Amazon and Seeso (RIP) embraced Lore and My Brother, My Brother and Me. But we’ll have to wait to see how successfully these shows can draw in new audiences to TV … sorry, not TV, HBO.

*If you’re curious, 0.9 is to account for the fact that it’s thought that 90 percent of podcast content is listened to, and to make the figures a little more conservative.

NSA sent coded messages through Twitter

Spy agencies have a long history of using public outlets to deliver secret messages, such as numbers stations or cryptic classified ads. Now, however, they’ve adapted to the internet era. Both the New York Times and the Intercept have learned that the National Security Agency used Twitter to send “nearly a dozen” coded messages to a Russian contact claiming to have agency data stolen by the Shadow Brokers. Reportedly, the NSA would tell the Russian to expect public tweets in advance, either to signal an intent to make contact or to prove that it was involved and was open to further chats.

The tweets were sent throughout 2017. Some were the usual self-promotion, including advocacy for the FISA section authorizing the NSA’s warrantless mass surveillance. Others were slightly arbitrary historical facts, such as celebrating the 177th anniversary of the telegraph patent. It’s not clear how many of these messages were crafted just for talking to the Russian versus ordinary posts.

The social network communiqués didn’t amount to much. The NSA paid about $100,000 to the Russian in hopes of recovering Shadow Brokers data, but cut off the deal when he instead presented info claiming to link President Trump and associates to Russia. Only some of that information was verifiable, and the NSA was reportedly concerned this could be part of a Russian government campaign to sow chaos in the American administration.

It’s unknown how common this practice is, both on other social networks and from other agencies. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if there have been other instances. This lets intelligence bureaus orchestrate clandestine communications with little effort, and no way of knowing about the secret meaning (outside of leaks like this, of course) if you’re not directly involved.

Via: Gizmodo

Source: New York Times, Intercept

How To Make Notes and Reminders With Siri on HomePod

There are many commands that Siri can understand on the HomePod that make it super simple to take quick notes and set up reminders for later, which all sync to any iOS device connected to the smart speaker. As long as you allowed the HomePod access to Contacts, Messages, Reminders, and Notes in the initial pairing process, you’ll be able to ask Siri to do the commands in this guide.

First, make sure that your iOS device and HomePod are on the same Wi-Fi network, so that the Notes and Reminders apps get synced to the requests you make to Siri on HomePod. Then, check out the commands below that you can speak to Siri so you can create new notes and reminders on your iPhone or iPad.

Siri Commands for Reminders

The basic starter command for the Reminders app when speaking to Siri is “Hey Siri, remind me to…” After that, you can follow up with essentially any everyday task that you want to be sure to remember.

Reminders can be more specific, as well. You can add a specific time of day or future date when you want the reminder to appear as a push notification on your iOS device, and use places that are in your Contacts to set off a reminder.

• “Hey Siri, remind me to clean the kitchen.”
• “Hey Siri, remind me to tell Sam happy birthday tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.”
• “Hey Siri, remind me to pack for the beach Monday afternoon.”
• “Hey Siri, remind me to text Dad when I leave the house.”
• “Hey Siri, mark take out the trash as complete.”

If you have some pre-set lists in your Reminders app, you can also ask Siri to add items to it. One of the most common lists to create is one for “shopping,” and if HomePod is in your kitchen Siri can help you quickly build your shopping list. Siri can also help set up a new list if you want.

• “Hey Siri, create a new shopping list.”
• “Hey Siri, add bread to my shopping list.”
• “Hey Siri, what’s on my shopping list?”
• “Hey Siri, remove milk from my shopping list.”
• “Hey Siri, mark coffee as completed on my shopping list.”

Siri Commands for Notes

Similar to Reminders, Siri can create you a new Note through simple voice commands when you’re near your HomePod. If you already have a Note created, you can also add new text into it through Siri.

• “Hey Siri, add a note called birthday present ideas.”
• “Hey Siri, add iTunes gift card to my birthday present ideas list.”
• “Hey Siri, create a note called shows to watch.”
• “Hey Siri, add Parks and Recreation to my shows to watch note.”

At any time, Personal Requests can be deactivated on your HomePod by navigating to the Home app, tapping the arrow button in the top left corner, tapping your name, and then toggling off Personal Requests. When it is on, remember that as long as the HomePod and the iOS device are on the same network, anyone near the HomePod can create a Note and Reminder when speaking to Siri.

Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)
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Cheap Android phones shouldn’t be disposable

Cheap phones deserve to be supported, and so do the people who are buying them.

We all know someone who has whatever phone was cheapest — or, let’s face it, free — from their carrier. Not everyone is into smartphones and sometimes I envy people who can let go when it comes to pocket-sized tech. There’s a good chance that person was also happy with it when they got it and as long as it still works the same way, still are. There’s an equally good chance that they hate their phone because it’s sluggish or won’t do the things they thought it could do when they saw a commercial from the phone company.

Updates to fix bugs or patch security holes should be the norm, no matter the price.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for very budget-orientated smartphones that never had any of the cool features we all like to talk about and never will. The idea of a “real” $50 smartphone is something nobody should ever forget about and a thing that needs to happen. But when that price jumps to $200, or $300, or even more, the way devices and the users who bought them are forgotten is ridiculous.

Most of the names we all know make a “cheap” smartphone. Hell, even Apple tried it, though the iPhone 5C wasn’t exactly cheap and Apple quickly changed course. That’s because there are a lot of people who don’t want to spend $500 or $600 or even more on a phone. Service providers still want their business, so T-Mobile courts LG and Verizon talks with Samsung and freebies are made and delivered to carrier stores around the country, only to be left behind because somehow they aren’t as worthy of customer support as the $800 phones are.

Not every phone should have animated emoji or depth-sensing cameras or built-in personal digital assistants. Just like not every car should have onboard computers or DVD players in the passenger headrest. Those are luxury additions that should be part of the price of luxury items. But just as every car should have anti-lock brakes, all smartphones should be able to benefit from progress in how we stay in touch during its normal lifetime.

That’s why most people have a phone, to be able to talk or text or message the people they need to talk, text, or message with. When the phone you have paid for, and even “free” phones are paid for with outrageous service fees, has features that are broken or can give away your identity because you clicked a bad link in a message we have a serious problem.

We focus on the Pixels and Galaxy phones, but there are a lot of people satisfied with phones like the LG Stylo 3.

Don’t scoff. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean that your friend with the LG Stylo 3 that T-Mobile gave him for free when he got a postpaid account isn’t at risk, and when he clicks to send a multimedia message the app should work as advertised. We all focus on the expensive phones when it comes to software updates. You see discussions about waiting for updates because that new feature is a thing we all want, but when looking at the bigger picture that’s trivial. What’s not so trivial is that when someone finds out the next easy way to siphon the money from another’s bank account or use their name to rent a car or any other form of identity theft, the only recourse for your friend with his LG Stylo is to toss it and buy a new phone or to just risk it. Nobody deserves to have to risk anything when the solution has been found and is so easy to distribute.

It’s money. It’s always money. And it’s time to remember just who values money over their customer’s needs when there is such an easy alternative. In the U.S., almost every phone is bought from a carrier store. In our LG Stylo 3 example — which is not a terrible phone (CNET rightfully calls it a cheap Note 8 alternative) — T-Mobile bought a slew of them from LG and then resold them to customers. I’m not sure you can even buy an LG Stylo 3 unlocked directly from LG. It’s now T-Mobile’s responsibility to let its customers know that its phone places them at risk when they click a link in a message, and what they can do about it. LG can be held responsible when T-Mobile is willing to do what it takes to provide an acceptable level of service to its customers and asks it to patch the messaging client. That’s the way the chain works and a lot of grief directed to the company that manufactured a phone should be pointed towards the company that took your money instead.

It’s always about the money and always will be. We control the money.

I’m picking on the LG Stylo 3 for a reason. It’s a new phone, released in the winter of 2017 with Android 7.0 for Boost Mobile, Cricket, Simple Mobile, Verizon (prepaid) and T-Mobile. Each version is heavily customized for the operator that ordered it from LG, and the Simple Mobile version is easily unlocked and ready for use on most carriers in Latin America. So far, it sounds like a standard cheap phone that carriers can give away or sell at a low price. But last week the T-Mobile version got updated with “bug fixes and security enhancements”.

LG is willing and ready to do what they can to extend the life of the Stylo 3. Apparently, T-Mobile feels it is worth the money to provide this service to their customers. I was told that Verizon will be doing the same shortly, but that leaves a large number of people who are on a prepaid carrier or who unlocked a prepaid version without that important update. Boost or Simple Mobile is probably never going to update the Stylo 3, or if they do it will be once during the life of it and be missing some vital patches. We shouldn’t be willing to accept this, and in the end, it’s partially our own fault for continuing to buy products that companies treat as disposable.

LG can’t fix this. Google can’t fix this. Individually, T-Mobile or Verizon can’t fix this. It’s indicative of a greater problem in the entire industry, where the goals are to move as much product as possible and never look back.

The LG Stylo 3 deserves better, and we deserve better.