Cool your home for less this summer with a discounted ecobee3 lite smart thermostat

A worthy upgrade to your home.

Amazon currently has the popular ecobee3 lite smart thermostat on sale for just $144, which is a savings of $25 from its regular price. This thermostat can be easily controlled right from your iOS or Android device using the free app, as well as via Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. You can use the ecobee3 lite with a pair of room sensors to help ensure that your whole home is kept at a consistent temperature.

The team at iMore named this one of the best smart thermostats for 2018 and we list it as the best budget option. Smart thermostats can help save “an average of 23% annually on your heating and cooling bill”, which means that over time the investment will pay for itself.

See at Amazon

Best Android Phone for Gamers in 2018

• Best overall
• Best for smoothness
• Best value
• Best for accessories

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S9

See at Amazon

When considering the best phone for gamers, it comes down to three considerations: performance, display, and battery life. The Galaxy S9 check all of those boxes as it soundly bumps its predecessor from the top spot on this list. Maintaining a nearly identical form factor from the Galaxy S8, it’s the subtle improvements to the display and performance that makes the S9 tops for gamers. As Andrew Martonik points out in his comparison between the Galaxy S8 and S9, whether you get an S9 with the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9 chipset, both processors are more frugal with power for normal tasks, so even though Samsung hasn’t increased the battery size on this year’s flagship you should notice the improved battery performance.

Beyond the top-end specs, you get great hardware features like frontfacing speakers, a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, waterproofing, and support for wireless charging.

Coupled with the fixed placement of the fingerprint scanner, a totally revamped camera setup, and Samsung’s superior Gaming Mode for blocking notifications and integrated screen record features and it’s clear that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ can’t be beat early into 2018.

Bottom line: Samsung continues to refine it’s top flagship to make the performance slightly faster and the display slightly brighter for an all-around better experience for mobile gamers.

One more thing: If you don’t mind adding some extra size for a bigger battery, the Galaxy S9+ is right for you.

Why the Samsung Galaxy S9 is the best

In a lot of ways, the Galaxy S9 offered only subtle improvements over last year’s S8. But in terms of gaming, that extra bit of performance means everything when you’re playing a resource-heavy game like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite.

Both Game Launcher and Game Tools are back. Samsung has done a great job of implementing these very handy tools to create the most seamless mobile gaming experience on the phone. Game Tools especially, which has been built into the navigation bar and appears any time you load up a game. It includes the same features for turning off distracting notifications while also including important new features for addressing the curved edges of the screen and temporarily turning off the “invisible” home button so you don’t accidentally press it during gameplay. If you’re the type that likes to stream as you game, you’ll love the built-in screen recorder tools.

And of course, there’s the Samsung Gear VR for exploring VR experiences which are going to be great with the gorgeous Super AMOLED display. There’s a ton of great games available already and mobile VR might just be the most exciting space for innovation.

Simply put, if you’re a gamer in the market for a brand-new phone in 2018, your best bet is the Galaxy S9.

Advertisement

Best for smoothness

Razer Phone

See at Razer  

Razer burst onto the Android scene in 2017 with its first smartphone that was designed for the gamer on the go.

Razer went all out on the specs for this phone and it’s a beast, with a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 835 chipset, a whopping 8GB of RAM, a huge 4,000mAh battery, and a 5.7-inch display that supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz — capable of producing the most buttery-smooth frame rate you’ve seen on a phone. It’s also got front-facing speakers that sound amazing and 64GB of on-board storage along with a dedicated microSD slot.

It all sounds so promising — so why the heck isn’t the phone designed for gamers at the top of our list? Well, as Alex Dobie discovered in his review of the Razer Phone, while the phone certainly features some impressive specs, it falls short in a number of features that you’d come to expect from a $700 phone in 2018. The camera performance is shoddy at best, there’s no waterproofing, and to top it all off it’s got no headphone jack. In spite of all the features that make it great playing mobile games the Razer Phone just can’t stack up against Samsung’s ultra-refined Galaxy S lineup — But here’s hoping Razer keeps refining the design because they’re on the right track.

Bottom line: In designing a phone for gamers, Razer seemed to lose focus on other aspects of a well-rounded mobile experience. And there still aren’t enough games optimized to take advantage of that 120Hz.

One more thing: That massive battery is one of the largest you’ll find in an Android phone and should ensure your gaming sessions are never cut short by a low battery warning.

Best value

Samsung Galaxy S8

See at Amazon   See at AT&T  
See at Sprint  See at T-Mobile   See at Verizon

With the Galaxy S9 taking the top spot on this list, the still-fantastic Galaxy S8 still remains a great device for gamers to consider. Whether you go with the Galaxy S8 or the slightly larger S8+, you’ll be getting an outstanding device that can handle pretty much any game you throw at it and at a great

It features a brilliant AMOLED display capable of scaling up to QHD+ resolution — that’s 2960 x 1440. Depending on your region, the Galaxy S8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895 processor with a beefy 3,000 mAh battery tucked into the phone’s thin frame. It combines beautiful design with raw processing power to create a phone that delivers all the gaming action you can handle with nary a hiccup in gameplay.

On top of just being a fantastic phone with top-tier specs and a brilliant display, Samsung has done a great job of revamping the Game Tools first introduced on the S7. If you’re serious about mobile gaming and can afford the upgrade, the Galaxy S8 or S8+ is a quality investment to make.

Bottom line: The Galaxy S8 is still a great phone for gamers in 2018, and expect deals to emerge as the year rolls on.

One more thing: Make sure to turn on the setting that stretches the game to fill the Galaxy S8’s unique aspect ratio.

Best for accessories

Moto Z2 Play

See at Motorola

The latest in Motorola’s modular lineup, the Moto Z2 Play features a slightly smaller battery than its predecessor at 3000 mAh, paired with a Snapdragon 626 processor and 4GB of RAM.

But the real advantage to the Moto Z2 Play are the Moto Mods. Battery life still not enough? Take advantage of the Moto Z2 Play’s modular design and slap on the Incipio offGRID Power Pack and add an extra 2,260 mAh battery to your phone, along with charging efficiency and the added ability to wirelessly charge both the pack and your phone.

One Moto Mod that’s specific for gamers is the GamePad Mod which lets you trade touch screen controls for physical joysticks and buttons

Bottom line: Starting at around $499, the Moto Z2 Play is a pretty great phone that’s only made better with the right Moto Mods.

One more thing: Other awesome Moto Mods available for the Moto Z2 Play include a JBL Soundboost 2 speaker, Hassleblad True Zoom camera mod and the Moto InstaShare Projector.

Conclusion

For the best Android gaming experience, it’s really hard to beat the polished experience that the Galaxy S9 brings to the table. It’s got all the top-end specs you need to play any game in the Google Play Store at the highest settings, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. The Razer Phone is no slouch, either, but it’s Razer’s first foray into the smartphone world and it shows. If battery life is your biggest concern, the Moto Z Play is your best bet, especially with an optional Moto Mod to expand that battery life further. If you’re after top performance at a value price, check out the still-great Galaxy S8.

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S9

See at Amazon

When considering the best phone for gamers, it comes down to three considerations: performance, display, and battery life. The Galaxy S9 check all of those boxes as it soundly bumps its predecessor from the top spot on this list. Maintaining a nearly identical form factor from the Galaxy S8, it’s the subtle improvements to the display and performance that makes the S9 tops for gamers. As Andrew Martonik points out in his comparison between the Galaxy S8 and S9, whether you get an S9 with the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9 chipset, both processors are more frugal with power for normal tasks, so even though Samsung hasn’t increased the battery size on this year’s flagship you should notice the improved battery performance.

Beyond the top-end specs, you get great hardware features like frontfacing speakers, a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, waterproofing, and support for wireless charging.

Coupled with the fixed placement of the fingerprint scanner, a totally revamped camera setup, and Samsung’s superior Gaming Mode for blocking notifications and integrated screen record features and it’s clear that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ can’t be beat early into 2018.

Bottom line: Samsung continues to refine it’s top flagship to make the performance slightly faster and the display slightly brighter for an all-around better experience for mobile gamers.

One more thing: If you don’t mind adding some extra size for a bigger battery, the Galaxy S9+ is right for you.

Update April 5: The Galaxy S9 has stolen the top spot on our list!

Android Gaming

• Best Android games
• Best free Android games
• Best games with no in-app purchases
• Best action games for Android
• Best RPGs for Android
• All the Android gaming news!

Read Mark Zuckerberg’s media Q&A on data security

Yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted a call with the media in which he spoke about the Cambridge Analytica situation and how Facebook is working to protect its users’ data going forward. The transcript of that call, including the Q&A that took place after Zuckerberg made his opening remarks, is now available online. The company has posted it as part of its “Hard Questions” series, which has previously tackled subjects like whether social media is good for mental health and democracy, how Facebook counters terrorism and hate speech.

You can read our summary of the call here. During it, Zuckerberg talked about some of the changes Facebook has made recently regarding how it manages its users’ data and emphasized that the company is taking the many major elections going on worldwide this year very seriously. Zuckerberg was apologetic throughout the call and stated that no one had been fired at Facebook over Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify before Congress on April 11th. You can read the transcript of yesterday’s call here.

Source: Facebook

A tweet sent Fleetwood Mac back to the Billboard charts

Fleetwood Mac’s songs are not boring, and it’s very easy to dance to them. That’s what Twitter user @bottledfleet showed us all when responding to criticism from an unnamed source that “Fleetwood Mac’s music is so boring, you can’t even dance to it.” @bottledfleet posted a video of a dancer named Elexis Wilson, with backup from The Golden Girls from Alcorn State University, dancing to the song “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. The tweet and video went viral, with over 142,000 RTs and as a result, the song is back on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs.

“Fleetwood Mac’s music is so boring, you can’t even dance to it”

Me, an intellectual: pic.twitter.com/2QmrFycHy2

— i m m i g r ❀ n t (@bottledfleet) March 22, 2018

“Dreams” originally was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1977. It returned to the Billboard Hot Rock list on April 7th at No. 14. Older songs often make their way back onto the Billboard charts through placement on soundtracks and movies. Billboard notes that the 2000 song “For the Damaged Coda” by Blonde Redhead made the Billboard list last week, thanks to a Rick and Morty meme. It’s a fun little story, but it’s also an impressive testament to how social media can influence our purchasing habits.

Via: The AV Club

Source: Billboard

Spotify’s challenge is to prove it’s a real business, not a fantasy

Three months after quietly filing to become a public company, Spotify finally made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday. It was a big day for the Swedish music-streaming giant, to say the least, and it ended up exceeding expectations from Wall Street analysts on its first day of trading. But for many investors, Spotify may not be the safest bet. In its IPO filing, it disclosed that it has incurred significant operating losses over the past few years, warning investors that it may be a while before it’s able to generate profits on a sustained basis.

Spotify said that, from 2015 to 2017, its operating losses were $290 million, $430 million and $466 million, respectively. That’s something the company attributes to the cost of licensing content and having to pay royalties to music labels, publishers and other copyright owners (like songwriters). That said, Spotify did report growing revenues of $2.37 billion in 2015, $3.6 billion in 2016 and $4.99 billion in 2017, which shows there’s potential — even if it could take some time to turn a profit.

Listed under the ticker SPOT, Spotify opened at $165.90, with 5.6 million shares exchanged in its first trade. That brought its total valuation to just shy of $30 billion, about $7 billion more than financial analysts and experts originally expected. And although Spotify’s opening day on the NYSE ended with sells of $149.01 per share, that was still 13 percent above its initial reference price of $132.

Spotify stock trades under “SPOT” on the New York Stock Exchange.

The bright side for Spotify is that it’s the largest music-streaming service, with 157 million monthly active users, of which 71 million are paid subscribers. Most important, Spotify said that Premium users are growing at a rate of 46 percent year-over-year, in addition to 29 percent year-over-year for monthly active users. Apple Music, by comparison, has 36 million paid listeners, while Amazon Music vaguely claims to have “tens of millions.” The challenge for Spotify will be to keep building a lead over its competitors by bringing in new users and turning existing ones into paid subscribers.

To do this, Spotify’s strategy is pretty much the same as every other tech company’s: keep investing artificial intelligence and machine learning to make its service smarter and more personalized. The company has shown some of the fruits of that research, with features like Discover Weekly, which was introduced in 2015 and recommends new music based on your listening habits. People love the feature so much that Pandora, a streaming service that’s also publicly traded, decided to launch its own version.

Naturally, Spotify’s ability to lure in (and keep) users will depend heavily on the content it offers. Right now, it says there are 3 million artists and creators on its platform, with more than 35 million tracks available to users. While one of Spotify’s main focuses will be to continue bringing new artists to its app, it also needs to ensure that it doesn’t get shunned by established ones. Taylor Swift, for example, pulled her entire catalog from Spotify back in 2014, though she returned to the platform last week with an exclusive video of her new single, “Delicate.”

Down the road, the company will need to ensure that it can avoid celebrity feuds, and foster relationships to gain access to more exclusive content. That can give it a major advantage over rival streaming services. The company says it has a great relationship with people in the industry, noting that it has paid more than $9.86 billion in royalties to artists, music labels and publishers since it launched in 2008.

Spotify has been looking to get into podcasts and video as well, two areas that are key to its strategy. In its IPO filing, the company said that even though it’s an audio-first platform, it will look to include more non-music content in the future, such as “spoken word and short-form interstitial video.” We’ve seen Spotify experiment with things like, most recently, using video loops as artwork for songs, and earlier this year it revamped its podcasts to include more photos and video from BuzzFeed and other media outlets. You can expect to see more of this type of content in the future.

In addition to new features, Spotify says it’s equally important to launch in new markets. At the moment, the service is available in 65 countries, but it hopes to increase that number in the coming years — though it doesn’t specify by how much. The company said that before launching in a new market, however, it first needs to optimize the Spotify experience for local music preferences, obtain the necessary rights and hire curators who are familiar with the scene.

Spotify’s co-founder and CEO, Daniel Ek.

“Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we stumble,” Daniel Ek, Spotify’s co-founder and CEO, said in a blog post. “The constant is that we believe we are still early in our journey and we have room to learn and grow.” Ek added that going public shouldn’t change Spotify’s mission: “To unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.” But that’s easier said than done, as there may come a time when Spotify has to make decisions that appease its shareholders, not its users. That’s the risk every company takes when going public.

Ek knows this, though. And he said he has no doubt there will be ups and downs as Spotify takes on this new phase and that it looks to “continue to innovate and establish new capabilities” going forward. “Nothing ever happens in a straight line, the past ten years have certainly taught me that,” he said. “My job is to ensure that we keep our foot on the pedal during the ups, so that we don’t become complacent, and that we continue to stay the course with a firm grip on the wheel during the downs.”

Spotify’s road to prove that it can run a sustainable business won’t be easy, especially as tech giants like Apple, Amazon and Google take more serious steps to compete with it. But the company has proven since it launched a decade ago that it can keep users happy, continue to grow at a rapid pace and spread its presence worldwide. So, while it can’t assure investors that it will make them money anytime soon, its future is far from bleak.

Images: Getty Images (all)

‘Spyro Reignited Trilogy’ reaches PS4 and Xbox One on September 21st

After years of speculation and more than a little teasing, it’s official: the Spyro series is getting a remake. Activision and Toys for Bob have unveiled the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which reworks the first three Insomniac-made games (Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon) for PS4 and Xbox One. Not surprisingly, the graphics get the biggest upgrade. Toys for Bob has “faithfully” mapped the original levels, but with loads of added detail and flourishes that weren’t possible on a PlayStation 20 years ago. And then there’s the characters — much like the Crash Bandicoot overhaul, Spyro and company look better than the original box art (not to mention Spyro’s fiercer appearance in Skylanders).

Thankfully, the trilogy also catches up with modernized controls (analog stick support in every game!), better cameras, updated cinematics, a ‘re-imagined’ soundtrack and improved reward sequences. Like other remakes, it’s more about viewing the games through rose-tinted lenses than maintaining the rough edges in the name of accuracy.

The Reignited Trilogy arrives on September 21st for $40. Yes, it’s yet another bid to cash in on nostalgia for gamers whose childhood consoles have long since been sold at garage sales, but it’s hard to complain too loudly. Spyro was one of the original PlayStation’s definitive series, so it’s good to see it rejuvenated after years of both a string of lackluster sequels and a reduced role as a Skylanders character.

Source: Spyro the Dragon, YouTube

HP’s convertible ZBook x360 features a six-core Xeon CPU

HP’s ZBook computers have always been targeted at power-hungry professionals, but with last year’s X2 detachable hybrid, the company started exploring new form factors. Now HP is adding a convertible PC to its pro family, the ZBook Studio x360 G5. Just like its other x360 machines, it has a hinge that can be flipped all the way around, letting you use it as a large tablet, or in a tent orientation. HP also claims it’s the most powerful convertible around, since it can be configured with 8th generation, six-core Intel Xeon CPUs and NVIDIA’s Quadro P1000 graphics.

The company is sticking with its standard ZBook aesthetic for the x360: a metal case, sharp lines and a lack of ostentatious design. Its 15.6-inch display can be configured in 1080p, as well as 4K with HP’s “DreamColor” technology, which supports 100 percent of the Adobe RGB spectrum and offers a bright 600 nits of performance. And if a six-core Xeon is too much, you can also opt for an 8th-gen Core i5 and six-core i7 CPU. The ZBook x360 should also last you a while with up to 16 hours of battery life, according to HP, and it can charge up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

If you’re not in the mood for a convertible, there’s the new ZBook Studio Mobile Workstation, which includes all of the above specs in a traditional workstation. It’s also significantly lighter than the x360, clocking in a 4.5-pounds compared to the convertible’s five pounds. The ZBook 15v, meanwhile, is a bit chunkier at 4.7 pounds, and gives you the option of NVIDIA P600. And if you don’t care about size at all, there’s always HP’s mainstay ZBook 15 and 17, which weigh in at 5.8 pounds and 7 pounds, respectively. With more room, though, the 17-inch model can fit in more powerful NVIDIA P5200 graphics.

With Intel’s 8th generation Core CPUs making headlines this week, it’s not a huge surprise to see HP refresh its professional lineup. Even the X2 detachable, which we saw in the fall, will benefit from 8th generation Core chips. Additionally, HP is also launching a new 1,440p 27-inch monitor, the DreamColor Z27x G2, which can be calibrated with a pop-up sensor and features 99 percent DCI P3 coverage.

All of HP’s new ZBooks will be available in May. The x360 starts at $1,499, while the Studio will go for $1,299. The ZBook 15v, meanwhile, starts at $949, which is likely a premium over the standard 15 model, which doesn’t have pricing yet. The DreamColor Z27x G2 monitor will be available this month starting at $1,999.

Apple Pay Launches Springtime Savings Event With Exclusive Offers for Adidas, GOAT, Hotwire, and More

Shoppers who use Apple Pay to checkout in Adidas, GOAT, Hotwire, and more over the next few weeks will be rewarded with numerous exclusive offers, thanks to Apple’s new “Springtime savings” event. Unlike previous Apple Pay promos that usually focus on one or two services, the new deal is for 10 total apps and websites that support Apple Pay.

You can check out all of the offers in the list below, most of which will run from April 5 through April 18 in the United States.

• Adidas – 15 percent off all Apple Pay purchases
• Boxed – 20 percent off your first purchase of $60 or more
• GOAT – Up to 30 percent off the exclusive Springtime Sneakers collection
• Hayneedle – 10 percent off all Apple Pay purchases
• Headout – 15 percent off all Apple Pay bookings
• Hotwire – $15 off $100 Hot Rate Hotels bookings
• Jet – 10 percent off Patio and Garden purchases (max discount $15)
• Saks – Free 2-day rush shipping on all Apple Pay purchases
• Spring – $25 off your first purchase of $75 or more
• Turo – $25 off all Apple Pay bookings

One week ago Apple launched a promo focused on sporting gear in partnership with Fanatics, and prior to that there were offers for GrubHub, Seamless, and Eat24, free song credits in TouchTunes, movie ticket savings with Fandango, free Instacart deliveries, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple PayTag: Apple Pay promo
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Reportedly in Talks With PlayNitride Over Thinner and Brighter MicroLED Displays

Apple is in preliminary talks with Taiwan-based company PlayNitride over cooperation in the MicroLED market, according to DigiTimes via Micro-LED-Info.

While the report doesn’t provide any further details about the potential partnership, PlayNitride has developed its own MicroLED displays called PixeLED that may be of interest to Apple for its future products. Samsung was also reportedly interested in the company back in early 2017, but no deal transpired.

PlayNitride is said to have received approval from the Taiwanese government to establish a multimillion-dollar facility at Hsinchu Science Park in northern Taiwan, where it will produce its MicroLED technologies.

Apple’s interest in MicroLED displays was first reported in 2015, when it was discovered that the company opened a secretive laboratory in Taoyuan, Taiwan to research the display technology. Since then, Apple has reportedly downsized its team in Taiwan and shifted the efforts closer to its headquarters.

Last month, Bloomberg News reported that Apple has a secret facility in Santa Clara, California, near Cupertino, where it is allegedly designing and producing test samples of its own MicroLED displays. The displays are reportedly being manufactured by TSMC, which already produces A-series chips for iPhones.

MicroLED is widely considered to be Apple’s next step after OLED, which it currently uses for the Apple Watch and iPhone X.

Image Credit: TrendForce
MicroLED displays have many of the same advantages as OLED displays have over LCDs, including improved color accuracy, improved contrast ratio, faster response times, and true blacks given both have self-lit pixels, but they are even thinner, much brighter, and more energy efficient than OLED panels.

Apple’s use of MicroLED would likely start small, with the Apple Watch, followed by iPhones and then iPads. A recent report said Apple may even use MicroLED for its widely rumored augmented reality glasses. However, the transition away from LCDs and OLEDs is widely believed to be at least a few years away.

Tags: Micro-LED, PlayNitride
Discuss this article in our forums

Deluxe projector maker JVC launches a ‘budget’ $2,500 DLP model

In the past, you’d have to be prepared to pay at least $4,000 to get a JVC 4K projector, which could cost you as much as $35,000. While they’re some of the best you can get and are probably worth the price for aficionados, they might still be a bit too expensive if you’re on the fence about getting one. That might be why JVC has launched LX-UH1, a $2,500 4K projector that’ll still cost you a pretty penny but is at least more affordable than the brand’s other offerings.

The new budget projector has HDR support, vertical and horizontal lens shift, 2,000 lumens and two HDMI ports. Unlike JVC’s other offerings that use its D-ILA technology, this model uses DLP — how that affects its performance and how it compares to its pricier siblings, however, remains to be seen. At $2,500, it’s a bit more expensive than other 4K DLP projectors like one of Optoma’s that’s priced at under $2,000. We can all just hope that JVC cares about its reputation and has created a product that’s superior to its peers.