Best Screen Protectors for the Galaxy Note 8 in 2018

What are the best screen protectors for keeping my Galaxy Note 8 scratch-free?

The Galaxy Note 8 is a pretty marvelous phone. With a slightly larger screen than the Galaxy S8+, it’s Samsung’s biggest phone ever… and the most expensive. You’re going to want to keep that screen in pristine condition.

More often than not, your best choice for a screen protector is a tempered glass option, but phones with curved edges like the Note 8 can cause issues. Several users in the Galaxy Note 8 forum have reported adhesion issues with some of the tempered screen protectors here. Others have complained that both tempered glass and film screen protectors drastically change the feel of using the S-Pen.

It’s all a matter of trying out a few different styles and seeing what works best for you and the other accessories you may have. Let’s dive in!

• Whitestone Dome Glass Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• BodyGuardz Pure Arc Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy Note 8
• Spigen NeoFlex Screen Protector for the Galaxy Note 8 [2-pack]
• LK Flexible TPU Screen Protectors for Galaxy Note 8 [3-pack]
• IQ Shield LiQuidSkin Full Coverage Screen Protector

Whitestone Dome Glass Tempered Glass Screen Protector

This one was recommended by a contingent in the Note 8 forums and was a popular option for the Galaxy S8. The Whitestone Dome Glass uses a special UV machine (included) and a liquid adhesive during installation that manages to achieve full-screen adhesion where other screen protectors might only adhere around the edges.

It’s a premium option all around that’s compatible with more rigid cases or ones that don’t touch the front glass at all. It goes on crystal clear and shouldn’t affect your touch sensitivity at all. Most importantly it’s tough enough to take the abuse of a drop so your phone’s screen doesn’t.

It’s a $45 accessory, but it comes with that little UV machine for installing it and is arguably your best bet if you’re serious about protecting your Note 8 above all else.

See at Amazon

BodyGuardz Pure Arc Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Another quality tempered glass option comes from BodyGuardz. This one was recommended in the forums as the brand has a solid track record for making tempered glass screen protectors for curved screens.

The adhesive is around the edges of the screen protector, so you’ll need to make sure to apply pressure around the edges and not the center. The kit comes with a cleaning cloth for the screen and installation instructions. It’ll work with BodyGuardz cases and OtterBoxes, but you’ll want to be careful testing other makes.

This is a premium $40 product that’s backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee along with a 30-day money back guarantee, so it’s a great option if you’re on the fence about tempered glass screen protectors.

See at Amazon

amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy Note 8

Tempered glass is typically your best bet for a screen protector, but the curved edges of most new phones make it difficult for accessory makers to deliver full edge-to-edge protection. amFilm has a tempered glass solution which uses slightly curved slabs to achieve the perfect fit for the Note 8.

You receive everything you need for a clean and accurate installation, including an installation guide tray along with the prerequisite wet/dry wipes and dust removal stickers. The adhesive portion of the screen protector is around the edges with a dot matrix on the display itself which helps maintain the touch sensitivity so you can use your finger or S-Pen flawlessly.

You can order this kit for just $12.

See at Amazon

Spigen NeoFlex Screen Protector for the Galaxy Note 8 [2-pack]

Spigen typically offers a quality line of tempered glass screen protectors for the latest flagship phones, but for the Note 8 they’ve opted for a flexible screen protector made of TPU.

It’s a wet installation here, which typically guarantees reliable adhesion without any bubbles or that dreaded halo or rainbow effect. Spigen gives you everything you need for a perfect installation — a dust removal sticker, the solution spray, a silicone squeeze card. You also get two screen protectors and that’s important because non-tempered glass screen protectors are more prone to collecting scratches. Let the NeoFlex take the daily abuse and wear and tear so your Note 8 screen does not, then replace it with the back up when it’s time for a fresh start.

If you have any issues with the installation process or the quality of the screen, Spigen offers a lifetime warranty on its products, so reach out to them and they’ll gladly send out a new one. As you’d expect, these $9 screen protectors are case friendly, and Spigen recommends installing them with your case on the phone for the best fit.

See at Amazon

LK Flexible TPU Screen Protectors for Galaxy Note 8 [3-pack]

LK offers the best value with a 3-pack of screen protectors made of TPU and PET materials for just $8. It’s a dry installation here, so there’s no need to mess with messy spray. They are case-compatible and easy to install if you follow the included instructions. LK (which stands for Lightning Knight) backs their products with a lifetime warranty and no-hassle replacements which is super rad.

While other screen protectors have a big cutout around the top for the front-facing camera and ear speaker, LK has opted for precise cutouts around each which should help you when lining things up. If you mess up, simply try again with one of the included spares — that’s the benefit of buying your screen protectors in bulk.

See at Amazon

IQ Shield LiQuidSkin Full Coverage Screen Protector

If your biggest pet peeve with using a screen protector is that they don’t provide full-screen protection and they’re too tricky to install perfectly, you’ll want to check out the IQ Shield LiQuidSkin screen protector for the Note 8.

This is a flexible film screen protector that only leaves a fraction of a millimeter gap around the edge of the screen. It’s a wet-install method which is a little more involved than other film options, but if you spend the time and get it right using the included installation guide you should be left with outstanding scratch protection for your phone.

IQ Shield backs all their products with a lifetime replacement warranty and guarantees that you’ll be satisfied with their product. Available for just $8, you really don’t have much to lose here.

See at Amazon

Do you go naked?

Protecting an expensive new phone makes sense to us, but we always hear from those who swear they don’t need a screen protector. Got any near-miss stories? Ever had a screen protector saved the day on a nasty drop? We want know in the comments!

Update, April 2018: These are still your best options for protecting your Note 8 screen.

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Samsung launches new version of its Chromebook Pro with a backlit keyboard

It still costs the same at $599.99.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Samsung’s taken its already great Chromebook Pro and made it even better by adding something that should have been there in the first place – a backlit keyboard.

Spotted by SamMobile, heading to the Samsung website will show a new listing for “Samsung Chromebook Pro with Backlit Keyboard.” It costs $599.99 just like the previous version, and for whatever reason, exists alongside the non-backlit model with the same price rather than replacing it.

Aside from the backlit keyboard, however, this is the same Chromebook Pro that we’ve known and loved for over a year. There’s a 12.3-inch 2400 x 1600 LED display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, Intel Core m3 processor, a built-in stylus, and a 360-degree hinge that allows for its 2-in-1 design.

The backlit keyboard-touting Chromebook Pro is available on Samsung’s site right now, and if the $599.99 price tag is too much of an upfront cost, you can also pay $50/month with zero interest if you pay it off within 12 months.

See at Samsung

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Today’s best deals you won’t want to miss

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

Today you can get big discounts on a Roomba robotic vacuum, the Apple MacBook Pro, cable modems, and more! Don’t pass these up.

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If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

This is what the future holds for Android TV

Android TV’s currently in a rut, but Google can still save it.

When you think of smart TV platforms, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you probably conjure up images of Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. These four platforms have proven to be the top dogs for consuming media on the big screen, and despite Android being the world’s most used mobile operating system, it’s still failed to attract a similar audience when it comes to televisions.

Google’s first big bet on Android TV came with the Nexus Player in 2014 following the disaster that was the Nexus Q, but that also happened to be its last. Companies like NVIDIA, Xiaomi, and Sony have tried keeping the platform alive through their own set-top boxes and TV sets, but the lack of commitment from Google over the past couple years has put a damper on the platform as a whole.

In addition to the numerous Sony televisions that use Android TV as its smart TV platform of choice, CES 2018 also saw new partnerships with Westinghouse, Hisense, Philips, and NVIDIA. Third-party brands are still using Google’s smart television interface, but the fact that the OS still exists doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s succeeding.

Android TV is in a pitiful state at this point in 2018, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dead. Google’s got a lot of work to do to catch up with the lead Roku, Amazon, and Apple have gained, but this feat is still achievable.

We may see a rebrand similar to Wear OS

This past March, Google came out of left field rebranding Android Wear as Wear OS. The operating system is still the same, but the Android Wear logo and branding are dead in favor of the Wear OS ones. We haven’t heard any plans regarding an Android TV rebrand, but I certainly wouldn’t count it out.

Television OS would exist nicely with Wear OS and Chrome OS.

Not only does Wear OS help Google push more and more away from the Android branding it seems so keen on killing, it also helps to create a cohesive naming scheme for Google’s various operating systems. Now that we have Chrome OS and Wear OS, it’s not crazy to think that we may eventually see a Television OS or something else along those lines.

Android TV’s name certainly isn’t its only pitfall, but it’s a small change that would help Google appeal to a broader audience. Instead of the Nexus Player running Android TV, what if we got the Pixel Player running Television OS?

Copy the Chromecast model

Although Google’s yet to see any real success with Android TV, the exact opposite can be said for Chromecast. First introduced in 2013, the Chromecast hs remained as one of the most affordable and popular options for easily bringing Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and more onto your TV.

Chromecast Ultra

There’s no denying that Chromecast is an excellent platform, but why has it succeeded when Android TV’s failed?

Chromecast is far cheaper ($35 for the regular model and $69 for the 4K HDR variant)
App developers simply have to add Chromecast functionality to existing mobile apps rather than building new ones for Android TV
The dongle form factor is more discrete than a bulky set-top box

Google’s nearly perfected the formula at this point, and despite the two models nearing three and two years old later in 2018, they’re still the easiest options to recommend for people that want to add affordable smarts to their existing television.

In my opinion, Google needs to market Android TV as an extension of Chromecast. For people that want the Chromecast experience in addition to a physical remote and user interface they can interact with on the big screen, Google should release something with a similar form factor that runs the Android TV operating system, allows users to cast their content, comes with a remote, and still sells at a competitive price (maybe around $100 or so).

What’s going on with that mystery dongle?

With that said, it looks like we may actually see something along those lines before the year is over. A Chromecast-like dongle running Android TV recently passed through the FCC, and it did so with a giant Google “G” logo plastered on its front.

The dongle supports 4K playback, has the same processing power as the newest Amazon Fire TV, and its remote features a dedicated button for prompting the Google Assistant.

As exciting as this all sounds, there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the gadget. Right off the bat, the hardware itself is undeniably cheap-looking. The power adapter and USB cable look like something you’d buy at your local dollar store, and the “G” logo almost looks too in-your-face.

The remote appears to be made with more thought, but there’s an uncanny resemblance to the one that comes with the Xiaomi Mi Box.

All of this could easily lead to the conclusion that this is just some knock-off product pretending to be made by Google, but the plot quickly thickens. Shortly after the spotlight was shown on the dongle, almost all of the images found in the FCC listing were removed and placed under a Short-Term Confidential label until October 8, 2018. For what it’s worth, Google held events on October 4, 2016, and October 4, 2017, to announce its new Pixel hardware for the respective years.

I have a hard time believing that the hardware shown in the FCC listing is something Google would sell to consumers, but it could very well be meant for developers similar to the ADT-1 that was released as part of Android TV’s original development kit in 2014.

Announcements could be coming soon

At the time of publication, Google I/O is a little more than two weeks away. Last year’s conference saw the unveiling of a new interface for Android TV as part of the Oreo update, but thanks to lacking developer support, not much ever came of this. One of Android TV’s big new features with Oreo are custom “channels” that show recommended content based on what you’re watching in that particular app, but as NVIDIA explained in late January, “if you release a whole new interface, and the apps aren’t supporting it, then we don’t feel like it’s a good launch for us.”

With the recently revived interest in Android Wear (er, Wear OS – still trying to get used to that) and this dongle popping up, I wouldn’t be surprised if Google takes time throughout the event to talk about Android TV in some fashion – whether it has to do with a new name for the platform, an early look at upcoming hardware, or yet another visual refresh.

Whatever happens, what direction would you like to see Google take with Android TV this year? Sound off in the comments below!

I’d rather have excellent software over flashy hardware

Improve the air quality in your home with Dyson’s $349 Pure Cool Link Wi-Fi purifier

Just in time for allergy season and warm weather!

The Dyson Pure Cool Link Wi-Fi Air Purifier is down to $349 on Amazon. This deal on the White version is conveniently timed to compete with Best Buy’s one-day deal on the Blue version, so I’m willing to bet this price won’t be here tomorrow. It normally sells for around $500.

Dyson’s air purifier does the purifying thing all year round with a HEPA filter that removes allergens and pollutants. It can also keep you cool like a fan during the summer. It works with Alexa devices, like the Echo Dot, and includes a smartphone app that lets you monitor your air quality and control the machine. It has several speed settings and modes including a night-time mode and sleep timer. It can be cleaned easily and has no exposed spinning blades that might accidentally catch a wandering finger or two.

See on Amazon

The ethically murky marriage of technology and beauty

The last time I bought foundation, I couldn’t decide if I was a “Fair” or a “Light.” Confusing names aside, shades of cosmetics are particularly tricky for me — a relatively pale Asian woman with yellow undertones in my skin. Colors designed for Asian complexions tend to be a bit dark or dull for my liking, while those for white skin look unnatural on me.

I’m already luckier than many people whose complexions fall on the darker range of the spectrum: Finding an accurate shade may be a challenge, but I can almost always get an option that’s close enough. For others who are more tan, though, that’s not always possible.

The latest spate of beauty tech seems intent on changing all that. Companies are using tech to provide highly customized products like makeup, corrective skin care and shampoos that are tailored to your exact needs. But while on the surface these appear to be well-meaning efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity, the industry needs to carefully examine every step as it moves forward or risk exacerbating problems around perceived ideals in beauty.

Lancome launched its Le Teint Particulier custom liquid foundation in 2016 at select Nordstrom stores. It uses a skin scanner to detect your complexion at various points on your face with the help of an onsite consultant and creates a formula that’s best suited for you. The company says it can detect more than 72,000 skin tones and mix your foundation on the spot. Oprah magazine’s Manouska Jeantus even said it “answered all our prayers for a foundation that works for dark skin tones.”

Meanwhile, businesses like Curology, Insitu and Skinceuticals have sprung up in the last few years or so, offering personalized skin care with the help of tech. Curology and Insitu learn about your skin from your pictures and answers to online questionnaires, while Skinceuticals’ Custom DOSE (Diagnostic Optimization Serum Expertise) will use in-person evaluations when the service launches this summer.

The idea is that the traditional way of classifying your skin as oily, dry or combination is no longer enough — you should be able to get products based on exactly how dry, supple and pigmented your skin is. That’s good news for people who don’t fit neatly into a category and want to treat their faces with a precise combination of moisturizers and active ingredients. And it’s not just about your complexion. Benefit Cosmetics, which launched an AR brow try-on app earlier this year, said: “All brows are unique, so we built an AR solution that is customizable for any person.”

But while these products seem to promise greater inclusivity for more diverse skin types, they also come at a cost. Literally. Lancome’s Le Teint Particulier will set you back $88 per 1-ounce bottle (price includes the consultation, although refills also cost $88), while the brand’s other foundation lines like Teint Idole and Teint Miracle, which have more-limited shades, cost $47 for the same amount.

Meanwhile, systems like Custom DOSE and Schwarzkopf’s smart salon, which scans your hair to better understand its moisture and color profile for a more accurate treatment, aren’t available everywhere. When Skinceuticals launches DOSE, it will start with specific dermatology and plastic-surgery clinics, while Schwarzkopf’s service will hit select partner salons first. It’s not clear where these are located yet — whether they’re in primarily affluent neighborhoods and major cities — but typically plastic surgeons don’t see very diverse clientele. Reports from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that almost 70 percent of all patients who underwent cosmetic procedures in the US were Caucasian, while Hispanic, African-American and Asian-American people made up 11, 9 and 7 percent, respectively.

That goes against the very notion of inclusivity. Higher prices and limited availability impede access to these products, so, many people still will not be able to enjoy the benefits. Those aren’t the only factors, of course, and things like income inequality and expensive materials aren’t necessarily the beauty industry’s problem or something companies can control. But they do have a say over other parts of the challenge.

“As more and more companies are using technology to develop customized cosmetics, they need to pay attention to issues of accessibility not only from the standpoint of price and availability but from a marketing standpoint as well,” said Tiffany Gill, associate professor of history and Africana studies at University of Delaware.

Fenty Beauty (website screenshot)

“Even if customized beauty provides an opportunity for any women who have been marginalized by the beauty industry, like women of color with darker complexions,” Gill explained, “If these products are not marketed in an inclusive way, it sends a message that women of color are not central to [that] brand.”

To be fair, Lancome does use ethnically diverse models in its marketing for Le Teint Particulier to show off how it can create accurate shades for different people. And other makeup brands like IMAN, MAC, Make Up Forever and L’Oreal have stepped up representation in their marketing. Although, these companies, in particular, have generally provided a wider range of hues than their competitors and benefited from the buzz generated from Rihanna’s cosmetics line Fenty Beauty. The singer’s 40-shade range of foundations, which include more colors on the darker end of the spectrum than other brands, highlighted the industry’s failure to provide good, affordable products for people of varying, and frequently deeper, skin tones. The foundation I mentioned at the beginning of this article, for instance, offers only five shades.

Of course, in some cases, exclusivity is the whole point. Maya Mikhailov, chief marketing officer and co-founder of mobile commerce platform GPShopper, believes there are two approaches to beauty personalization — mass and highly individual. “Mass personalization would be along the lines of Fenty Beauty or Curology –- they offer a great range of products for your individual skin types and shades, but they have an affordable price point and are looking to serve 95% of the market,” she said. Lancome and Skinceuticals, on the other hand, are targeting a more discerning audience that might be willing to pay more, she added.

Also, companies may simply be reacting to the market’s desire for greater diversity instead of being motivated by nobler intentions. “Consumers are the ones pushing the personalization trend and brands are just echoing this change in beauty ethos,” Mikhailov said. “[They] no longer idealize one standard of beauty and expect the industry to be responsive to their skin tones, textures and tastes.”

In its push for personalized products, the beauty industry has more to consider than just inclusivity and diversity. “I worry about the ways the beauty industry is using technology to diagnose beauty problems,” Gill cautioned. “Are these technologies going to be based on beauty standards that exalt certain standards of beauty as the norm? Can the technologies fully accommodate a full range of complexions and hair textures? Before embracing these technologies, beauty brands need to ask themselves some hard questions.”

We’ve already seen examples of these. From selfie-tuning apps that think of “beautifying” as lightening skin color and sharpening jawlines, to smart mirrors that seem to think freckles or wrinkles are problems, beauty tech is a situation as delicate as giving a kid a box of matches. Tech products have historically been designed for a specific audience that tends to be white-first and masculine. VR headsets, for example, still can’t quite fit on the heads of people (especially women) with thick locks and afros, nor over the glasses of nearsighted, contact lens-averse folks.

The industry’s effort to use tech and address individual needs seems borne of good intentions. It could be the beginning of a widespread change to being more inclusive, but it also runs the risk of exacerbating problems with marginalization and racial bias. The products we are seeing so far are early examples, so the lack of access and higher prices are somewhat expected. If companies truly want to embrace a broader pool of people in the long term, though, they need to make inclusion a core part of their business and not just marketing hype.

US and UK warn that Russia has been hacking routers worldwide

This morning, reports surfaced that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has been briefed on possible incoming Russian-based cyberattack that could lead to the release of compromising information about the country’s lawmakers. But the threat has been expanded beyond gaining leverage on politicians. UK cyber intelligence agency NCSC, the FBI and the DHS have jointly accused Russian-based attackers of engaging a campaign for months trying to compromise routers, switches and firewalls around the world to hijack the Internet’s infrastructure.

Globally, this effort had targeted millions of machines to spy on ISP customers, organizations and government agencies. The attack strategy let Russia peer at the data passing through the compromised devices, whether that be business or intelligence-related. It had also let attackers cripple firewalls and intrusion detection systems that organizations use to flag malicious internet traffic, according to the BBC. Any compromised hardware might even be used as a foundation for future attacks, the alert theorized.

The joint warning stated stated that the main targets have been ISPs, firms running ‘critical infrastructure,’ government departments and big companies. Finally, the alert outlined what erratic hardware behavior should indicate a device has been compromised. The report didn’t identify which companies have been affected, nor the number of devices that have been hacked.

Source: The BBC, Forbes

We’re listening to: ‘Acquisitions Inc.’ and ‘The Adventure Zone’

This week’s IRL is about podcasts. Or games. Or both? Kris Naudus loves role-playing games — the ones with dice rather than pixels — and she also loves podcasts. Combining the two should be a dream, but Kris has struggled to get into some of the most popular shows. Until now.

Kris Naudus
Senior Editor

I never played Dungeons & Dragons when I was young. My role-playing was limited to a vampire LARP in high school and a d20 Star Wars game post-college. I was aware of D&D’s existence, but it always seemed like something I would forever miss the boat on.

Now, 20 years later, D&D is having a bit of a moment. Some of this is due to its publisher, Wizards of the Coast, updating the rules and embracing digital tools to make it more accessible to new and returning players. But a lot of its newfound popularity has come from groups recording or streaming their games for audiences, producing podcasts and shows like Critical Role and HarmonQuest.

About two years ago, my book club started up its own campaign, and it didn’t take long for people in the group to gravitate toward their favorite D&D shows. Some are partial to Penny Arcade’s Acquisitions Incorporated (Acq Inc), having seen the team perform in person at a few PAX shows. But, for the majority, it’s all about The Adventure Zone (TAZ).

I was a bit hesitant to jump into TAZ: I never got into My Brother, My Brother and Me, the comedy advice podcast by the McElroy brothers, who also host TAZ, and it was starting to feel overhyped. My fellow gamers talked it up nonstop, Tumblr was full of fangirling and then one night I found my favorite bar filled with Taako cosplayers because (surprise!) the after party for the MBMBAM show was there. RIP to my peaceful night with a drink and a book.

Eventually, I relented and gave the show a try, starting with the first arc, “Here There Be Gerblins.” The first few episodes were understandably rough as the guys sort of figure out how to play D&D and what they want their characters to be. I got as far as the second arc, “Murder on the Rockport Limited,” which, I am told, is when it starts to get good, but even as the flow improved, I still wasn’t feeling it. So I moved on.

A week ago PAX East took place in Boston, and I went with my brother and a few friends. The Acq Inc live show is always a highlight for us and, needing a new podcast in my rotation, I decided to give the early episodes a try in the week running up to the convention. It didn’t blow me away, either, but I am impressed with how well-drawn the characters were from the start. Sometimes revisiting old things can be a bit of a culture shock, but all the base ingredients were present from the very beginning. It surprised me to notice little jokes and character traits that survived to this day. I can only hope my group can be this solid in 10 years.

Of course, that was a simpler time, and now Acq Inc has grown into a beast, with costumes! Props! Special effects! (The animated recaps are my personal fave.) It’s veered away from being a mere podcast, which I don’t mind since I’ve discovered that maybe D&D is as much visual as it is audio for me. Yes, it’s ultimately supposed to live in my imagination, and good storytelling should be able to do that. But D&D is also a game — one that can get bogged down in its own rules sometimes, and that can be rough on listeners as players try to figure out things like bonuses and damage. I also like being able to see the players and the maps.

Acq Inc has embraced its spectacle more and more with each episode, and that was on full display at PAX East as the team was dropped in the middle of “WizardUnknown’s Battle Royale.” Yes, that name should invoke a certain popular genre of computer game. It wasn’t just a few in-jokes, either — the players were stripped of their equipment and the available area was cut down as time passed. The screen graphic displayed recent kills and how many players were left, and it got pretty intense as that number dropped into the single digits.

Also — and this is a bit of a spoiler — there were Twitch jokes. Which were hilarious if you’re familiar with game streaming culture, but also still funny in the way overlaying modern elements onto a medieval fantasy world is (something Terry Pratchett excelled at in the Discworld series). It reminded me of how often I wish my gnome bard had a camera, because sometimes, after a particularly hard-fought or ridiculous battle, I just want to take a selfie. It just seems like something my character (who wears a shirt with her name on it) would do.

I sometimes find myself missing technology in medieval fantasy stories, and I wonder if that might be why I never actively sought out Dungeons & Dragons when I was younger. I didn’t read Lord of the Rings until I was out of college, and even now I tend to prefer fantastical stories set in an early 20th century-type world, like Fullmetal Alchemist or Legend of Korra. My speculative-fiction diet also veers heavily toward the modern day, from X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the ’90s to more recent entrants like Supernatural and Gravity Falls.

So when my colleague Aaron recommended I give TAZ another shot with its “Amnesty” arc, about monster hunting in contemporary West Virginia, it was right up my alley.

The show has just started its second season. but prior to that, the McElroys ran some experimental mini-arcs, switching game-running duties, systems and genres. Amnesty is run using the Monster of the Week RPG system, which is really evocative of how the tale is structured. It’s very heavy on the storytelling, which is a godsend when you’re trying to, well, tell a story. D&D sometimes gets bogged down in the results of die rolls, with potentially awesome moments in battle getting derailed by a critical fail, or terrifying monsters being waylaid in one turn by a clever player with just the right skill bonuses.

As Amnesty tells a contemporary story, we get to enjoy elements of popular culture and technology without it feeling out of place or forced. Well, mostly, as Amnesty is set in the National Radio Quiet Zone, so radio and cellphone use is dodgy to nonexistent over the course of the arc — the inability to contact people remotely plays a role at several points.

A rules system that doesn’t get too wrapped up in specifics made the story easy to follow, especially if, like me, you’re not familiar with the game being played at all. It’s also a more collaborative storytelling system, with the players — Justin, Travis and Clint — playing a larger role in how the story is shaped and where it ultimately goes. The first season of TAZ was accused of “railroading” its players to move the plot forward as intended, so it’s nice to see the boys being allowed to drive more. The five-episode mini-arc of Amnesty still wrapped up rather nicely, with the characters being left in a place where, if we never saw them again, it wouldn’t feel like we were cheated, but with an inkling of more to come. Which we do get, as episode six, the first episode of the second season, was released last Thursday.

I’ll probably stick with The Adventure Zone for a while. Amnesty fills the gap in my heart left by the departure of cryptid-hunting, monster-of-the-week-type shows like Gravity Falls and Grimm. I love supernatural investigation as a genre, and it’s even more interesting when it delves into American folklore — something you won’t see in the medieval fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons, given its roots in the very Anglocentric Lord of the Rings. There’s so much out there to explore beyond liches, fiends and, yes, dragons. Chupacabra, anyone?

“IRL” is a recurring column in which the Engadget staff run down what they’re buying, using, playing and streaming.

Google offers access to virtual 3D models of ancient monuments

Historic monuments around the world face threats from natural disasters, tourism and war, which is what led Ben Kacyra to found CyArk — a non-profit organization working to scan and digitally archive ancient monuments. With laser scanning, photogrammetry, drone imaging and structured light scanning, CyArk’s team has been developing detailed, digital 3D images of structures like the Ananda Ok Kyaung temple in Myanmar, the Al Azem Palace in Syria and Chichen Itza in Mexico. Now, Google is making these models available through its Arts & Culture platform.

In 2016, an earthquake damaged a number of Myanmar’s ancient temples. But because CyArk had scanned and photographed some of the structures both inside and outside prior to the quake, it was able to create accurate 3D models of the damaged temples. You can now explore them through your computer, smartphone or VR viewer and see how they once looked. The data collected by CyArk could also be used to aid in restoration efforts.

Through Google Arts & Culture, you can now see 25 historic locations in 18 countries and those wanting to download CyArk’s data can apply to do so through this form. You can explore those sites in 3D here and check out the video below for more information about CyArk’s efforts.

Source: Google (1), (2)

Weibo reverses planned purge of LGBT content

Last Friday, China’s social network Weibo said it had plans to remove violent and gay-themed content on its platform in order to comply with strict new Chinese cybersecurity regulations. Now, however, after many users of the Twitter-like system protested the removal of LGBT content, the company has relented, saying that the main purpose of its cleanup efforts is to remove pornographic, violent and gory content, not homosexuality.

According to What’s on Weibo, thousands of users responded to the plan to include gay content in Weibo’s three-month purge with the hashtag, “I am gay.” The reversal of the company’s plans around LGBT content was met with positive responses, reports What’s on Weibo, including the @LGBT account on the service which claimed this was a “step forward” in showing “respect for people who are different.” While this news may be heartening for LGBT Weibo users, the Chinese government still has the right to shut down products and services at will if it feels there is a security risk. Hopefully the protests and new Weibo decision will stick, however.

Via: The Verge

Source: Weibo