Deal: Get 50% off the Samsung Galaxy S8 from Cricket!

While the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy S9 is alluring to many, anyone looking to pick up a new Galaxy S8, which isn’t even a year old, can now do so on the cheap from Cricket. New customers can save 50% on the cost of the Samsung Galaxy S8 ($699) and pay just $349 when signing up for an eligible line of service.

Since Cricket is owned by AT&T, you can count on receiving the stellar quality coverage of AT&T’s expansive network. Plus, all of Cricket’s service plan pricing includes all taxes, surcharges, and fees (which could add an extra 18% on to your bill).

Plus, for a limited time, you can get 1 line of Cricket Unlimited 2 plan for $40 (with autopay) for customers who switch to Cricket. *Does not apply to customers switching from AT&T. This offer ends 4/12/18. *

Here’s what you’ll get with Cricket Unlimited 2 plan:

• Unlimited talk, text to/from US, Canada, and Mexico
• Unlimited data with max data speeds of 3Mbps running on AT&T’s network (users of more than 22GB in a month may notice temporary reduction in speeds during times of high network traffic)
• Video streaming at SD quality (480p)

The fine print

• Offer does not include sales tax which will be charged at full price of the device
• Offer is available until 3/29 and is only for new customers who transfer number. AT&T port in excluded
• Must sign up for a qualifying plan that costs at least $30/mo
• Need to be on Cricket service for six months after phone activation.

See at Cricket

Did you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S9?

Go, go, go!

Just a few short days after they were announced at MWC 2018 in Barcelona, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are now both available for pre-order.

You can pick up the phones from a variety of different retailers/carriers, and there are a number of on-going promotions to help offset the cost of the phones.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are likely going to be two of the best phones of the year, and now that you can reserve one for yourself, have you placed your pre-order yet?

speed13
03-02-2018 12:08 AM

“

I’m have just placed the order with TMobile 64gb midnight black

Reply

Victor Hernandez Jr
03-02-2018 12:24 AM

“

Placed an order for a coral blue s9 plus @12.01am est, sales rep told me phone should start shipping next week I won’t be surprised if we get them early

Reply

Monee_121
03-02-2018 12:31 AM

“

Finished my online pre-order of lilac purple S9 and had my confirmation emails at 11pm CST. Didn’t have any problems, and I upgraded through Jump. Took like 3 minutes.

Reply

racedog
03-02-2018 01:05 AM

“

Ordered a 9 plus by phone. Lilac and paid extra for overnight shipping. Order went smoothly but I’ll wait for email confirmation to see if the whole deal goes smoothly.

Just received confirmation email.

Reply

Now, we want to hear from you – Have you pre-ordered the Galaxy S9/S9+?

Join the conversation in the forums!

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Instagram appears to be working on video and voice calling

How do you feel about this?

Some people may only know Instagram as a place for sharing and browsing through photos/videos, but over the last year or two, the app’s evolved into much more than that. Following the launch of direct messages, Stories, and livestreaming, Instagram’s next project appears to be video and voice calls.

After decompiling the latest version of the Instagram APK, Ishan Agarwal discovered something interesting – multiple files for video and voice calling.

The files don’t give us an exact idea of how these features will work in Instagram, and while these may seem like strange additions to a social network designed around sharing photos, it’s actually not all that crazy.

Instagram already offers a number of different ways for its users to interact with one another, and last December, the company announced it was testing a standalone “Direct” app to put a greater emphasis on its direct messaging feature. Public photos and videos may be the highlight for Instagram, but it clearly wants to be much more than that.

There’s currently no ETA as to when voice and video calling will launch on Instagram, but until then, I’d like to hear from you – Are these two features you can see yourself using? I’m not a heavy Instagram user myself, but I imagine anything to give the app an edge over Snapchat is time and money well-spent.

Instagram Stories on Android: Everything you need to know

It’s 2018 and Android phones still can’t compare to the iPhone’s Taptic Engine

Just like on your favorite gaming controller, good haptic feedback can make all the difference in the world on your phone.

You’ve probably heard of Apple’s Taptic Engine before. It’s the vibration motor that first appeared on the iPhone 6S, eventually running out the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 and consequent models. It’s also what allowed Apple to replicate the clicking button of the old days on newer iPhones with nothing more than a firm buzz under a pressure-sensitive portion of the glass. Subtle as it may be, the Taptic Engine has made a huge difference in the overall experience of using an iPhone.

Meanwhile, Android phones haven’t exactly made haptic feedback a high priority, with most phones limited to only a few different settings for vibration intensity. Most users probably don’t notice the difference, largely because they’ve likely never experienced the iPhone’s Taptic Engine, but spending even a few hours with a modern iPhone can make it hard to go back to the rattly motors of most Android phones.

What’s so great about the Taptic Engine?

Remember that HTC phone you used to have that sounded like it was going to explode every time you got a notification? Remember getting scared half to death because you left your phone on the table and the vibrations practically shook the entire room?

The Taptic Engine focuses on more subtle and focused vibrations. Unlike a lot of other phones, the iPhone doesn’t aggressively alert you of a new text or email; it’s more like a tap or a knock in your hands. But the Taptic Engine isn’t special just because it’s gentle; it’s because nearly every interaction with it is different.

Thanks to the Taptic Engine, getting a text won’t cause an earthquake with your iPhone.

When you get a text, the iPhone vibrates along with your notification tone, matching the dynamics with softer and harder pulses. Same goes for phone calls — you can really take advantage of this by setting different ringtones for certain callers. Even with the phone set on vibrate, you can literally feel who’s calling.

The Taptic Engine works great alongside the iPhone’s 3D Touch display, as well. As I mentioned before, the non-moving home button on newer iPhones (save for the iPhone X, which eliminates the home button entirely) is just a pressure-sensitive portion of the front glass. The “click” is emulated by the Taptic Engine, and you can adjust how hard you need to press down — and how strongly it vibrates back at you — in the settings.

You can also feel the effects of 3D Touch and the Taptic Engine on the home screen and throughout the UI; pressing an icon on your home screen with a bit of force will prompt a small buzz and open a contextual menu for the corresponding app. Similarly, you can 3D Touch a module in Control Center to open additional options — again, with a light haptic response.

The Taptic Engine isn’t great because of any one feature; it’s a series of nuanced interactions that make the iPhone more enjoyable to use.

Which Android phones get the closest?

I’ve seen a lot of people clamor over the great haptic feedback on the Pixel 2, and it’s certainly better than that of any Pixel or Nexus before it. But after buying a Pixel 2, along with an iPhone X, earlier this month (for my fiancee and myself, respectively) and using both side by side … let’s be honest, it’s not even close. It doesn’t feel rattly like other Android phones, which is a huge plus, but there’s really no correspondence between the vibration motor and the different actions on your phone.

The LG V30 has the best haptic response of any Android phone I’ve tried, and it’s not even close.

LG gets a lot closer to greatness with its HD TouchSense technology on the V30. Rather than using the same two or three vibration settings throughout the entire UI, LG spent some time configuring parts of its software to exhibit small details in the haptic feedback, much like on the iPhone. Pressing one of the navigation keys feels nice, with a quick tap-like response, but the best showcase of the V30’s high-quality actuator is the camera software.

If you personally carry a V30, you already know what I’m talking about. Tapping the shutter button to take a photo actually sort of feels like taking a photo with a real camera because the button clicks back at you. If you dive into manual controls, scrolling lists will click back at you as if you were spinning a dial. It’s one of my favorite uses of what LG calls “HD haptics,” and something even the iPhone doesn’t do, because, well — the camera doesn’t have manual controls.

When I was formulating this article, my colleague Daniel Bader mentioned that Sony’s newly announced Xperia XZ2 has some pretty great haptics of its own, and while I haven’t yet tried it for myself, it definitely has my interest. In short, the “Dynamic Vibration System,” as Sony likes to call it, uses a larger than normal vibration motor and buzzes along with movies and music. Unfortunately, Daniel also says that Sony’s motor isn’t as accurate as that of the V30 or iPhone X in general, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Is it really that big a deal?

If you’re coming away from this article thinking “it doesn’t matter that much,” I don’t blame you. Haptic feedback will vary in importance from person to person, but it’s hard to imagine calling poor haptics a deal-breaker on an otherwise attractive phone.

Still, the more I use the iPhone X it’s becoming increasingly noticeable when I pick up another phone and feel just how far behind other vibration motors are. I sincerely hope LG continues to integrate its fantastic TouchSense system, and hopefully other OEMs will soon follow suit.

What are your thoughts and experiences with haptic feedback, Taptic or otherwise? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Morning After: Tesla Model 3 review

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

We’re still not done with Mobile World Congress, and the show has a few surprises left — like LG’s G7. But first, it’s time to take a ride in the Model 3.

The Fast and the InfuriatingTesla Model 3 review

Whether you’re on the waiting list or on the fence, the Model 3 is one of the most-anticipated vehicles in a long time. Roberto Baldwin reports from behind the wheel of Elon Musk’s mainstream EV and found the experience a mixed bag. It’s faster and more nimble than Tesla’s S and X, but its touchscreen isn’t quite ready to make up for a missing dash cluster and button controls.

Sneaky.An LG G7 showed up in Barcelona after all

Ready for one more MWC 2018 flagship device? Israeli news site YNET got hands-on time with LG’s G7 even though it was never officially revealed at the show. An LG spokesperson told Engadget that the phone in question was a “concept,” and that LG never had this particular device at its main MWC booth. Whatever it was, the device sports a familiar-looking notch and OLED screen design with a Qualcomm 845 chipset inside.

The streaming show starts at 6:30 PM ET.Facebook will stream The Oscars red carpet this weekend

The Academy Awards take place this Sunday, and if you’re an Oscar fan who can’t get enough behind-the-scenes looks, Facebook has you covered. Actors Sofia Carson and Wesam Keesh along with commentators Chris Connelly, Ben Lyons and Adnan Virk will host “The Oscars: All Access,” which you can also stream from ABC or on Oscars.com.

Oreo with just 1GB of RAM.The first Android Go phones blend low prices with lots of promise

Android Go may well change how people around the world get to experience Android. By reworking the OS to perform on phones that cost well under $100, people in more places can run versions of the latest software and features. We went hands-on with a few, including Alcatel’s 1X and the Nokia 1, to find out how it compares.

Get on the sticks while you watch.Xbox One tests spring update

Microsoft’s next big update for the Xbox One is rolling out for preview program testers, and it has some features you may find intriguing. One of them is the ability for people who are streaming over Mixer to share their game controller with remote viewers, right through the web browser. There are also some tweaks for custom background music and 1440p support on the way, so keep an eye out for its arrival this spring.

Time to choose.The best cameras under $1,000

Nowadays, you can spend less than $1,000 for a camera body and get almost as much as you would with a model with three times the price. The only trick is answering a few questions: mirrorless vs. DSLR? Fixed vs. interchangeable lens? What size sensor do you need? Our guide can help you figure out the right answers.

But wait, there’s more…

• Best Buy will close 250 Mobile stores in the US
• MWC 2018: The Finns who refuse to give up on Sailfish OS
• US mobile carriers test a replacement for two-factor authentication
• MWC 2018: Archos’ ‘Hello’ smart displays hands-on
• Pico C review: making homebrew beer easy for beginners
• Strava simplified opting out of its heat-map data collection
• GitHub survives massive DDoS attack relatively unscathed

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Cyberdyne’s therapeutic cyborg legs arrive in the US

While we’re still a ways away from a proper Aliens-esque Power Loader, our enhanced exo-suit future is already upon us. The HAL (that’s Hybrid Assistive Limb, not the murderous space AI) from medical device manufacturer, Cyberdyne Inc., has already been leveraged for a number of rehabilitative procedures since being released in Japan in 2011. Cyberdyne announced on Friday that it has teamed with the newly opened Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center of Jacksonville, Florida to make HALs available here in the US.

The HAL is designed to fit around a spinal injury patient’s legs and abdomen, providing support for people who would otherwise be unable to stand or walk. But unlike other exo-suits, patients command the HAL with their minds. Instead of a joystick or other manual controller, the HAL uses an EEG-like sensor to pick up nerve signals from the patient’s brain through their skin which it then translates into a command to engage the suit’s legs. What’s more, this method trains the user to activate specific neural pathways for voluntary movement, which helps them improve their ability to walk unassisted.

You will need at least some degree of sensation, however, for the treatment to work, Dr. Geneva Tonuzi, Medical Director of the Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center, told Engadget. “It doesn’t have to be much, but there has to be at least that signal. If you do have enough [bioelectric signal] going through to where the surface EMGs that are put on the legs can pick up the signal, then the robot can basically do the rest.”

“So what’s really nice about [HAL], it basically operates off what your intentions is,” she continued. “Maybe you’re only able to give one or two percent, and then the robot gives the remainder of the motion. But, with time, because of that sort of recovery, you’re about to get three percent, four percent, and so on, and the robot gives you less and less of that support.”

“The goal is actually to get rid of the robot,” Tonuzi concluded. “This is your intervention, and after a certain period of time, you just move on back to regular therapy.”

GM expands Maven Gig into Austin with all-electric rental fleet

General Motors’ Zipcar-style service Maven is expanding into Austin, Texas with its first all-electric fleet. From today, Austinites who want to get their side hustle on will have access to one of 20 Chevrolet Bolt EVs, which they can use to provide rideshares or package and food deliveries, as a freelancer in the ever-growing gig economy.

Prices start at $229 per week plus taxes, which as we’ve looked at before, doesn’t leave a huge amount of scope for earnings after the initial outlay, but the service does provide a convenient way for those without a car (or one that’s not good enough for ridesharing platforms like Uber) to make a bit of extra cash. Plus the price includes maintenance, commercial-use insurance and unlimited miles, which are big stingers for gig drivers that use their own vehicles.

Maven is rolling out its first all-EV scheme with the support of Austin’s “Plug-in EVerywhere” network of chargers, and says it will provide free charging for its customers for a limited time, although it’s not clear when the cut-off point will be. The Chevy Bolt has a range of around 238 miles, which could prove restrictive, but the program has already seen reasonable success in other cities, including San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. In fact, since the company’s launch in November 2016 it’s rolled its service out to nine cities in the US, so GM is certainly working the gig economy to its advantage.

How to Set Up and Use Accessibility Shortcut in iOS 11

Apple includes a raft of accessibility options in iOS 11 to meet the various needs of its users, allowing them to customize their iPhone and iPad interface in several helpful ways. To make these features quicker to access, Apple also includes an Accessibility Shortcut feature in iOS 11 that, once set up, can be invoked using a triple click of the Home button (or Side button on iPhone X).

This shortcut feature is ideal for users who could benefit from fast access to a customized menu of accessibility options. It’s also a great solution if you just want a quick way to control a single accessibility mode, like Smart Invert for example, which remains the closest thing we have to an official “Dark Mode” in iOS 11. Here we’ll show you how to set up Accessibility Shortcut for either use case.

How to Set up Accessibility Shortcut in iOS 11

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap General.
Tap Accessibility.

Scroll down to the bottom of the list and tap Accessibility Shortcut.
Tap the options you’d like to include in the shortcut menu. You can also drag on the bars at the far right of each option to change the order in which they appear.
A brief description of the Accessibility options available to you:

• AssistiveTouch: Enables the AssistiveTouch onscreen menu, which can help users perform gestures, and find and adjust certain settings like volume, Rotate Screen, Lock Screen, and more.
• Classic Invert Colors: Inverts all colors on the screen, which can be invaluable for users with certain visual impairments.
• Color Filters: Specific filters and tint options for users with different types of color blindness.
• Reduce White Point: Dims the brightness of whites and bright colors on the screen.
• Smart Invert Colors: Like classic invert, above, but inverts only certain areas of the user interface and leaves images and some graphical elements in their original format and colors.
• Switch Control: Management hub for controlling ability switches and other adaptive devices, for users with limited mobility.
• VoiceOver: Makes your iOS device speak to you during use – helpful for people who have trouble seeing display information.
• Zoom: Three-fingered double tap zoom function that makes display elements bigger and easier to read.

Note that if you tick only one option for your Accessibility Shortcut, you can enable it instantly with a triple-click of the Side/Home button. If you’ve ticked several, the triple-click action brings up the Accessibility Shortcut menu. Then just tap the option you want to use.

If you’re having trouble pressing the Side/Home button three times in quick succession, you can adjust the triple-click speed by going to Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> Side Button / Home Button. Alternatively, you can add the Accessibility Shortcut to Control Center in the following way.

How to Add Accessibility Shortcut to Control Center

Launch the Settings app.
Tap Control Center.
Tap Customise Controls.
Find Accessibility Shortcuts under the “More Controls” list and then tap the entry to include it in Control Center.

Next, launch Control Center on your iOS device in the following manner: On iPad, double-tap the Home button; on iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen; or on iPhone X, swipe down from the upper right “ear”.
Tap the Accessibility Shortcut button in the Control Center grid and select the desired accessibility option from the onscreen menu.

Related Roundup: iOS 11Tag: accessibility
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Instagram Code Suggests Upcoming Voice and Video Calling Features

Evidence has emerged that Instagram is planning video calling features for the social media app. TechCrunch has unearthed icons from the Android version of the app that seem to point to the new calling and video calling functions likely destined for Instagram’s Direct messaging system.

Files named “call” and “video call” with phone and camera icons were dug up in the app’s Android application packages (APKs), which can often reveal components for unreleased functions that are present but not yet live.

The company has been improving its private messaging capabilities at a steady rate, most recently adding live video support. Instagram has also been testing a new standalone app called “Direct” that will be solely focused on direct messaging friends and family members.

The addition of voice and video calling would put Instagram in competition with Snapchat on yet another front. Apart from Stories, Instagram has been working hard to outdo Snapchat with other new features like replay privacy controls, which the latter doesn’t currently offer.

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Google Song Maker adds a music suite to your browser

Google loves using sequencers as a way of teaching folks how to make music, and it’s a neat toy to put on its homepage every now and again. The repository for all of these experiments is Chrome Music Lab, a suite of kooky music-makin’ tools for budding musicians. And now, the company has added Song Maker, a way for you to craft your own basic tunes.

Anyone who grew up using Mario Paint Composer to re-create the pop hits of the day will be familiar with how Song Maker works. Simply click a block and you can create a ditty, although you’ll need to tweak the settings to make it longer than a few seconds long. Then, you can share your works with friends, and they can tweak your experiments to further make the next great pop hit.

Source: Song Maker