Sign up for Google’s User Research program and help guide Android’s future — Here’s how!

Sign up for the Google User Research Experience.

Google doesn’t build Android in a vacuum (literally and figuratively). The company works with many people, including Android users like you, to add features, improve performance, and make the OS better, year after year.

One way you can help is by signing up for the Google User Research Experience, which gives you access to unreleased products, services, and Android features before anyone else. By signing up, you participate in studies (and get cool incentives when you do) that can help shape the future of Google and Android, and your experience within that ecosystem.

The commitment is pretty minimal, but the really cool part about it is that you join a growing community of people doing the same thing — helping make Android better, and Google better informed about what users want. We even have a forum you can visit after signing up, where you can meet other participants and discuss the things you’re allowed to discuss.

Are you interested? Sign up for the Google User Research Experience now and then jump into the forums to learn more!

Sign up now!

Top 5 things I want to see in Fitbit’s next smartwatch

Here’s my wishlist for Versa 2 (or whatever Fitbit comes out with next).

Following three years of trial and occasional error with the Surge and Ionic, Fitbit finally found its perfect smartwatch recipe this year with the Versa. Offering a clean design, mostly intuitive software, and an affordable price, the Versa gets much more right than in the areas it stumbles.

However, those stumbles do occur, and while none of them are deal-breakers, they do give Fitbit a clear path of what to focus on for its next smartwatch release.

Whenever that time comes and whatever it ends up being called, this is what I’d like to see in Fitbit’s next smartwatch.

Add a microphone for voice control

Using my voice to respond to messages like this would be 👌

Fitbit OS does a decent job of handling notifications from your phone, but in its current form, offers no way to reply to text messages, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, etc. Fitbit will be adding customizable pre-made replies this May, but I’d like to see things be taken a step further with voice controls.

Pebble introduced voice control functionality with the Pebble Time in 2015, and this was done by doing nothing more than adding a microphone and creating a bit of software to support it. By default, you could use the microphone for replying to notifications, but Pebble later opened up an API that allowed developers to integrate the microphone into third-party apps.

Pebble already had a great voice reply feature.

Seeing as how Fitbit purchased Pebble in 2016 and likes to tout that its SDK is even easier to work with than Pebble’s, adding voice features to its next smartwatch should be easy. This would allow for even greater control when replying to notifications, and if Fitbit wants to go the extra mile, it could even integrate Alexa or Google Assistant for much deeper interactions.

Heck, throw on a small speaker so we can accept voice calls right on the watch. Why not?

More on-watch health data/tracking

While on the topic of software, something else I’d like to see added to Fitbit’s next smartwatch (and its existing ones, for that matter) is more health-related data and tracking.

The Fitbit Today app saw a big upgrade with Fitbit OS 2.0, but Fitbit has room to make it even better. I’d love to be able to track my water intake without having to use a third-party app, see my logged sleep for the past few nights, and possibly a more detailed breakdown of my most recent workouts compared to what’s offered right now.

I understand Fitbit not wanting to clutter up your watch face and giving you a reason to still jump into the Fitbit app on your phone, but these small additions would go a long way in helping Fitbit OS stand out as the smartwatch platform of choice for people that are serious about living a healthier life.

Bring back the Ionic’s watch bands

This next item might not sound like a huge deal, but it’s something I desperately want to see changed in Versa 2 or whatever else succeeds it.

Fitbit created one of the most simple watch band mechanisms I’ve ever seen on a watch with the Ionic. Press a button, pull the band, and it came off. To put it back on, hold the button, push it in the slot, and that’s it.

For whatever reason, Fitbit ditched this design with the Versa and came up with a new quick-release system that requires you to fiddle around with a teeny-tiny metal bar that’s infuriating to work with. It’s not user-friendly in the slightest, and it makes changing watch bands something you dread (which is a shame considering how many excellent ones there already are for it).

With your next watch, Fitbit, please bring back the Ionic’s band system. Please.

Keep the Versa’s design

As much as I hate the Versa’s watch band setup, I simply adore its physical design.

The aluminum-made squircle body looks great both at the gym and at a nice dinner, and the lightweight design means you often forget it’s even on your wrist unless you actually think about it.

The Versa may not look like anything special browsing through pictures online, but after wearing one for myself and getting some quality time with it, it’s quickly become one of my favorite smartwatch designs in recent memory.

Have NFC available on all models

My last point is a minor one, but it’s still something I’d like to see addressed going forward. NFC used to be a very rare feature that only flagship gadgets got, but now even certain versions of Motorola’s Moto E phones are shipping with it.

NFC should be a given in 2018.

All Fitbit Ionics come equipped with NFC, but on Versa, you need to pay an extra $30 for the Special Edition to get this functionality. $229 is still a very fair price considering everything the watch has to offer, but I’d much rather see this adopted across all models for future releases.

I’ve had a positive experience with Fitbit Pay each and every time I’ve used it, and I’d love for more people to share in it. Having an MST chip for similar functionality like what’s seen on Samsung Pay would be even better, but I’m not holding my breath for that one.

What do you want to see?

Those are the things I’d like to see in Fitbit’s next smartwatch, but what about you? What killer feature would you love to see the company work on? Sound off in the comments below!

P.S. – All of these wishes are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. The Fitbit Versa is already an excellent smartwatch, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you owe it to yourself to do just that.

See at Fitbit

Pete Lau says the OnePlus 6 will come with a glass back and ‘premium hand-feel’

The OnePlus 6 will feature a glass back with a five-layered Nanotech coating.

OnePlus served up a teaser over the weekend showcasing the back of the OnePlus 6, hinting at a possible ceramic or glass back. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau took to the company’s forums earlier today to confirm that the phone will indeed feature a glass back.

This isn’t the first time OnePlus opted for a glass back, as the OnePlus X also used the same material. But based on the initial OnePlus 6 design sketches shared by Lau, it looks like OnePlus’ upcoming phone will have a curvier design, and if the image up top is any indication, we’ll see more vibrant color options.

Lau also said that the OnePlus 6 will retain the company’s signature “horizon line and characteristic curve” aesthetic, and that the phone will offer a five-layered Nanotech coating. Lau mentioned that glass has numerous advantages over metal, stating that the material conveys a “transparent, bright, and pure” feeling. From the post:

Appearance-wise, we’ve always maintained our signature horizon line and precise curve to the back of the device. From the OnePlus One to the OnePlus 5T, the horizon line and characteristic curve are important elements of our design language.

In addition to retaining the horizon design, we’ve also tried to incorporate glass materials on OnePlus 6. Although OnePlus is not the first manufacturer to use glass, we are confident that we are providing users with our interpretation of a familiar material.

OnePlus 6’s glass design is centered around creating a “sense of value” and “premium hand-feel.” As I mentioned at the beginning, people relate deeply to the products they use. We gave a lot of thought to how users should feel when they use the OnePlus 6. The advantages of glass over metal are manifold: glass communicates a transparent, bright, and pure feeling. The way glass transforms under different lighting is a particularly important challenge—the OnePlus design team tested over 70 glass prototypes before selecting the best one.

At the same time, we always want to create devices that feel premium to the touch. We care about the user’s experience from the moment they touch the device. We also want our devices to feel burdenless in the hand, even after an extended period of use. OnePlus users have exacting standards for great industrial design. These standards often push and challenge us to meet our users’ expectations, to commit an extra layer of detail and polish in everything we do.

As an example, the OnePlus 6’s glass back contains five printed layers of Nanotech Coating, a first in the smartphone industry. We applied 5 layers of Nanotech Coating instead of 3, even though the degree of separation between each layer is extremely subtle and tough to discern. However, the additional layers give the back of the device a stronger impression of depth that our most demanding users will surely appreciate. Closely examine the OnePlus 6 and you’ll indeed see this subtle nuance embedded in each device.

It’s likely the OnePlus 6 will also offer a gradient finish at the back, like the Huawei P20 Pro. What are your thoughts on the OnePlus 6’s design?

Is it best to buy the Galaxy S9 or wait for the Note 9?

The never-ending debate of buy vs. wait.

Samsung makes some of the most popular smartphones on the planet, and as we usually see every year, the company’s biggest competition is often itself.

The Galaxy S9+ is a truly excellent phone and easily one of the best to come out so far in 2018. However, with Samsung likely announcing the Galaxy Note 9 in just a few short months, should you bother spending your money on an S9+ now or just wait for the latest in the Note series?

One of our forum users is currently faced with this very decision, and when asked for advice on what they should do, this is what some of our other members had to say.

Rukbat
04-22-2018 02:03 PM

“

If you want a note (totally different from the S line – go to the store and play with a Note 8 to see if you fall in love with the things you can do with the S-Pen, or if you think it will grow old without ever being used), I’d wait until at least a month after the Note 9 is released. Samsung has been known to release some dogs, and never really get them working. (And even though they offered…

Reply

jeetu4444
04-22-2018 07:05 PM

“

Note 9 will be basically be a S9+ with S pen …so decide if u want for sure a S pen then wait for Note 9 or buy the s9+..I shifted from Note 8 to S9+ and very happy

Reply

jhimmel
04-22-2018 08:58 PM

“

Tadpoles, that would be great, I agree. What has me a little worried though is the camera. I get great results with my Note 8 camera, while the S9+ seems to have some issues with the new configuration – with a lot of examples being shown of loss of detail. I hope they can sort out whatever is going on there before the Note 9.

Reply

naturalguy
04-23-2018 04:57 AM

“

If you have to wait for July then you should go for the Note 9. The spen is a game changer even if you don’t use it daily and the Note 9 will be an upgrade in specs and features from the s9

Reply

Now, we’d love to hear from you – Do you recommend getting the Galaxy S9 or waiting for the Note 9?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

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• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
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• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
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Grab a RAVPower wireless charger for as low as $9 today only

It’s just so much easier.

The RAVPower Qi wireless charging pad is down to $8.99 on Amazon. That’s a drop from a regular $15 street price and one of the only direct deals we’ve ever seen.

This sale is part of Amazon’s Gold Box deals of the day, so the price is temporary. You can also get this RAVPower wireless charging stand for $37.49. That is down from a street price of $50.

The Qi wireless charging is compatible with both Android and iPhone smartphones. Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ can get fast 10W wireless charging, and phones like the iPhone X and 8 can get 5W wireless charging. You’ll need to connect the pad to a Quick Charge adapter if you want the faster charge. The pad has LEDs to let you know if the phone is charging and safety precautions to protect your device from overheating and things like that. Users give it 4.1 stars based on 345 reviews.

See on Amazon

Moto G6 Plus vs. Moto G5 Plus: Should you upgrade?

In case you missed it, Motorola just announced a handful of new low-cost devices for its wildly popular Moto G and Moto E series that finally look as nice as they perform, with rounded glass backings and dual cameras galore!

The highest-end of all the phones announced was the Moto G6 Plus, which replaces last year’s Moto G5 Plus in Motorola’s powerful budget lineup. The G6 Plus isn’t going to be available in the U.S. — stateside customers will want to look at the smaller Moto G6 instead — but that doesn’t mean it’s out of the question for the rest of the world, with the G6 Plus launching in Brazil, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. So how does this new affordable powerhouse stack up to last year’s top dog?

Specifications

Before comparing the value of the Moto G6 Plus’s newer features against where the Moto G5 Plus still holds its own, it’s good to have an understanding of how the two differ in specs.

What’s new with the Moto G6 Plus?

The Moto G6 Plus brings a lot of new features to the table, including a complete redesign that’s more akin to the Moto X4 than other Moto Gs before it. In addition to the rounded glass back, the fingerprint sensor up front has been shrunken down to make room for the G6 Plus’s new 18:9 aspect ratio display — that’s up from 5.2- to 5.9-inches year over year. The G6 Plus also features dual cameras, which didn’t show up on a Moto G until the Moto G5S Plus late last year.

The G6 Plus brings a gorgeous curved design to the Moto G lineup, with smarter software and a dual camera module.

The differences aren’t all on the surface, though. The Moto G6 Plus stays up to date with Android 8.0 Oreo, and starts off with twice the internal storage of last year’s G5 Plus. In addition, it houses a larger battery — 3200mAh vs 3000mah, respectively, though that may be negated by the G6 Plus needing to power a larger display.

The Moto G6 Plus is also smarter than last year’s model. Motorola has outfitted the G6 Plus with new intelligent camera settings, allowing the phone to identify specific objects and even apply fun face filter effects. Moto Voice has gotten smarter as well, combining on-device commands (“turn off Bluetooth,” “play Narcos on Netflix,” etc.) with Google Assistant as a fallback when necessary.

See at Motorola UK

Why you might not need to upgrade

At the end of the day, most people that buy a Moto G aren’t necessarily doing so because they’re tech fanatics. They’re buying it because so few other series of devices are able to offer the same levels of performance and reliability at such a reasonable price. Motorola is one of the most trusted brands in the budget space for a reason, and a year later the Moto G5 Plus is still as good a deal as ever — perhaps even more so now that it’s readily available at steep discounts.

The Moto G5 Plus isn’t suddenly a bad phone just because there’s a new model.

Intelligent camera features can come in handy, but they’e far from a requirement for most people. You probably won’t miss features like object recognition in the camera app, face filters, or the G6 Plus’s speedy face unlock — so why pay for them? Same goes for the newer Moto Voice features, though luckily you don’t have to give up Moto Gestures if you stick with the Moto G5 Plus.

Both phones are pretty evenly matched in the specs department. The Moto G6 Plus has a slightly newer Snapdragon 630 versus the G5 Plus’s Snapdragon 625, but both chipsets utilize the same Cortex-A53 microarchitectures (albeit at different clock speeds). If you still prefer the Moto G6 Plus for its 18:9 display, curved glass back, and dual cameras, then by all means, you should go for it. But with nearly equal specs and features in a smaller body, don’t discount the Moto G5 Plus — leave that up to the retailers.

See at Motorola

Which is right for you?

Are you interested in buying either of these budget champions? Or if you already have the Moto G5 Plus, does the G6 Plus bring enough to the table to make you consider upgrading? Let us know in the comments below!

Play an old school classic or pick something new in this one-day board game sale

Did you know you don’t need a screen to have fun?

Today’s Amazon Gold Box deals of the day features a selection of board games all on sale. This is a huge list with a lot of options to choose from, so pick something for you and a friend or something for the whole family. Some of the games are cooperative and some are competitive.

If you haven’t played a board game in a while, you might be surprised about what the more advanced ones are like. You still have the old-school games you know and relate to like Sorry! for $12.62 and Stratego for $16.49. There also some more advanced games like the $21.12 Pandemic, where you have to stop deadly diseases from wiping out the world, or the $27.99 Tokaido with its beautiful artwork and strategic gameplay.

Check out the full sale and add to your collection today.

See on Amazon

Best Chrome extensions to protect your online privacy and security

Use these Chrome extensions to stay safe and manage your privacy online.

The internet has become more than just a fun tool and is now considered a necessity the same way electricity and indoor plumbing are. You can do without it, but you don’t want to and your life will be a good bit more difficult. It’s also filled with sites and scripts that are designed to harvest as much as your information as possible through malware. A Chromebook is more secure than most because Google has a vested interest in blocking as much of this sort of behavior as possible because its ad business relies on data collection under a strict privacy policy. If you block all ads and scripts and third-party content when you use the internet, Google doesn’t make any money. That’s why the company spends so much money and time to make Chromebooks secure.

As good as Google’s efforts might be, they sometimes aren’t enough. Especially when it comes to things like tracking cookies and “bad” ads. The internet is huge and millions of people will come in contact with something before Google finds a way to blacklist it. There is something you can do though — install a few extensions that can make the internet a better place. Here are our picks of the best Chrome extensions when it comes to online privacy and safety.

AdGuard AdBlocker

AdGuard isn’t necessarily the very best ad blocker. It can use the same blacklist as all the others but it does use a little more processing power to do its thing than Ublock Orgin (our next pick). AdGuard is the best all-in-one blocking tool for someone who doesn’t want to use more than one extension, though.

it gets a special shout-out here (and a hearty recommendation) because it blocks crypto-mining. A website can hijack your CPU to mine cryptocurrency for it while you are visiting a web page. Some websites tell you this up front as it can be a good way for a website to make a few dollars, but most don’t. AdGuard stops a site from doing it unless you say differently.

Download AdGuard (free)

uBlock Origin

An ad blocker that’s open source and easy on your CPU and memory. If you choose to install a stand-alone mine blocking extension, this should be your ad blocker of choice. it’s also easy to turn on and off for the times when you want to allow ads to support a specific website.

Download uBlock Origin (free)

No Coin

No Coin is open source and only does one thing — blocks websites from hijacking your CPU and memory to mine cryptocurrency. There are several miner blocker extensions available on the Chrome store, but No Coin is the only one I’ve found that doesn’t hit your processor about as hard as a coin miner would anyway so it’s our top pick in the category.

The extension has a small UI when you click it to allow you to whitelist a website or allow mining for a limited time so you can support your favorite places on the web.

Download No Coin (free)

Ghostery

Ghostery does a great job of blocking trackers that want to know where you are, what site you came from and what sites you’re going to next. They track you, which is why they are called trackers. You probably don’t want them to be tracking you.

Ghostery works without any setup though you can create an account and customize things if you like. it’s also easy to pause, which is important because many website design elements will be falsely identified as social trackers because social trackers are crafty and mimic them.

Download Ghostery (free)

Flashcontrol

Adobe Flash is a horrible thing. Page elements and ads that use it will eat your CPU cycles and have a huge memory footprint, Flash is notoriously insecure, and anything that plays by itself — especially if there is audio — is annoying and needs to go away.

Flashcontrol stops Flash elements from playing on every web page. You’ll see a grey box instead, and if you want to see the content you click it and it appears. Don’t use the internet without it.

Download Flashcontrol (free)

Disconnect Facebook

Facebook is so good at tracking your every move when you have your browser open that you need a standalone extension to stop it. Disconnect Facebook will kill Facebook trackers and pixel trackers and stop them from following you when you leave a website that has them running.

Using this extension doesn’t stop you from opening Facebook and using your account, but it will stop Like and Share to Facebook buttons from appearing on websites, too, but if you want to keep Zuckerberg out of your business that’s the trade-off.

Download Facebook Disconnect (free)

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• The best Chromebooks
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
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• Acer Chromebook 14 review
• Join our Chromebook forums

These discounted Michelin windshield wipers will help you see clearly in the rain

Here comes the clarity.

Amazon is running a big sale on a variety of Michelin windshield wipers today as part of its Gold Box deals of the day. There are a bunch of different sizes available in this sale, starting at 16 inches and going up to 28 inches. If you are in need of wipers for the front and back of your car, Amazon has a couple bundles with different sizes, making it even easier to grab the ones you need.

Vehicles do take different size wiper blades, so you’ll want to make sure you get the right ones for your make and model. If you are unsure of which size you need for your car, be sure to use the vehicle selector tool at the top of the page and enter the year, make, and model of your car so Amazon can narrow it down for you. Spring is here, whether it feels like it or not. Odds are this winter beat up your current wipers, and with prices as low as $9 for a blade, there’s very little reason not to grab a new set for your car.

See at Amazon

No Trust Necessary [#acpodcast]

The power trio of Daniel Bader, Andrew Martonik, and Jerry Hildenbrand talk about ZTE being banned from using U.S.-based hardware or software in their products as a consequence of selling products into North Korea and Iran. Could this put an end to their smartphone business? Also, Google is set to announce ‘Chat’, a messaging client intended to unify chat across all Android devices and eliminate the need for SMS in most situations.

But wait, there’s more! The gang also discuss rumors that LG’s G7 will have a dedicated Google Assistant button, Huawei punts on the U.S. market, Xiaomi gets on the analog stick with a gaming-focused phone in China. Plus, Moto continues to lead the way with some new, cheap phones.

Listen now

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Show Notes and Links:

• The LG G7 will have a dedicated Google Assistant button
• Xiaomi’s Black Shark shows that the next big leap for smartphones will be gaming
• Huawei will stop focusing on the U.S. following security setbacks
• ZTE banned from using U.S.-based hardware or software in its products
• Moto G6 series hands-on preview: Hello photo
• Moto E5 and E5 Plus hands-on preview: Your next cheap phone
• Google to evolve Android Messages into ‘Chat’ using RCS, will pause Allo development