Deal: Get $200 off the Samsung Galaxy S9 from Cricket!

For new customers heading over to Cricket, you can now save $200 off the $699 retail price of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and pay just $499 when you sign up for an eligible line of service.

Since Cricket is owned by AT&T, you can count on receiving the stellar quality coverage across AT&T’s nationwide 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.

Not only that, but you can also get 4 lines of Cricket Unlimited plan for $100 with auto pay.

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 a temporary reduction in speeds during times of high network traffic)
• Video streaming at SD quality (480p)

The fine print:

• Offer is online only and does not include sales tax which will be charged on the full price of the device
• Offer is available 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

The invisible home screen: an ultra minimal theme and excellent prank

This theme pulls double duty as a mind-blowing trick and testament to Android’s customizable beauty.

There are few themes that are quite as flexible and adaptable as what I like to call the “invisible” home screen. It’s a theme that could only exist on Android, and it is both high art and farce. It is both a prank and a functional beauty. Setting up this theme is quite easy, it can work with just about any wallpaper, and it’s like turning your home screen into a fun little magic trick.

This is the invisible home screen, and here’s how you can pull it off.

There are two methods to utilize in this theme — completely clear app icons and gesture launcher shortcuts — and while the former is available on almost any launcher that allows custom icons, the latter is a little harder to come by. In the interest of expediency, we’re going to give you instructions for this theme in our two favorite theming launchers: Nova Launcher and Action Launcher.

Whichever launcher you use, you’ll need this blank png to set all of your home screen icons to.

• Picking a wallpaper
• How to set a clear app icon in Nova Launcher
• How to set a clear app icon in Action Launcher
• How to turn off app labels in Nova Launcher
• How to turn off app labels in Action Launcher
• How to activate gesture controls in Nova Launcher
• How to activate gesture controls in Action Launcher

Picking a wallpaper

This theme is wonderful because you can use literally any wallpaper you want. Use an ultra-minimalist wallpaper, use a completely chaotic wallpaper, use a photo of your kids; use whatever you like. The important thing to remember with your wallpaper is that you’re going to be using the wallpaper to gauge where your icons are on the screen. So if you use a wallpaper with a lot of distinct elements in it, you can use those elements to signify your shortcuts. On a minimal wallpaper, you’ll have to rely more on muscle memory and your knowledge of your home screen’s app grid.

Need some help finding a new wallpaper?

How to set a clear app icon in Nova Launcher

Long-press an app shortcut on your home screen.
Tap Edit or the pencil icon in the menu that appears.

Tap the icon square to edit the icon.

Tap Gallery apps.
Tap Files.

Navigate to and select the downloaded blank .png icon.

Tap Done.
Tap Done again.

Repeat with every app and folder on your home screen.

How to set a clear app icon in Action Launcher

Long-press an app shortcut on your home screen.
Tap Edit.

Swipe up to reveal the app icon menu and tap My photos.

Navigate to and select the downloaded blank .png icon.
Tap Done.

Repeat with every app and folder on your home screen.

It’s worth noting on Action Launcher that you cannot change folder icons to custom icons the way you can on Nova Launcher. If you want to make a folder invisible on Action Launcher, you’ll first have to enable its Cover, then set the icon of the first app in your folder to invisible as well.

How to turn off app labels in Nova Launcher

Now, most launchers have app labels turned on by default, and having iconless labels floating on your home screen would ruin the invisible home screen effect. Here’s how to turn them off.

Open Nova Settings.

Tap Desktop.

Tap Icon layout.

Tap Label to turn off app labels.

How to turn off app labels in Action Launcher

Now, Action Launcher has app labels turned on by default, and having iconless labels floating on your home screen would ruin the invisible home screen effect. Here’s how to turn them off.

Open Action Settings.

Tap Desktop.

Tap Text layout.

Tap Home screens to uncheck it.

How to activate gesture controls in Nova Launcher

In order to use gestures in Nova Launcher, you must have Nova Launcher Prime, which is $4.99 and worth every single penny. Nova Prime seldom goes on sale, but if you answer surveys on Google Opinion Rewards, you should be able to pay for it that way after a few months. There are 11 gesture controls you can set for your home screen on Nova Launcher, but the three set most frequently by far are Swipe up, Swipe down, and Double tap.

You can set your gestures to any app you’d like, to a variety of Nova Launcher tasks, or you can even set shortcuts like direct dialing or a Tasker task. Once you decide what you want your gestures to do, here’s how to assign them.

Open Nova Settings.

Tap Gestures & inputs.

Tap the gesture you want to assign.

Select the app, shortcut, or Nova action you wish to assign.

How to activate gesture controls in Action Launcher

Like Nova, gestures are a paid feature on Action Launcher, meaning you’ll need to pay for Action Launcher Plus. Plus is an in-app upgrade, priced at $4.99, and if you’re a long-time Action Launcher user, you probably invested in Plus a long time ago. Action Launcher sets you set 12 gesture controls to an App, a Shortcut, or an Action.

Open Action Settings.
Tap Shortcuts.

Tap the gesture section you wish to assign.

Tap the gesture you wish to assign.

Select the *app, shortcut, or Action you wish to assign.

Your turn

Is your invisible home screen a thing of precision and minimalism? Is it chaos that only you can navigate? Did it freak out your girlfriend when she saw your home screen was empty? Tell us in the comments.

Updated May 2018: This excellent theme has been cleaned up and polished like the precious gem of a theme it is.

How to share Oculus Go screenshots and video recordings without using Facebook

Looking to share Oculus Go experiences but don’t want to use Facebook? Here’s how!

So many of us now know that the Oculus Go is a fantastic little piece of stand-alone virtual reality hardware. You don’t need a computer and you don’t need a phone. It’s a portable and closed environment and that’s great!

But it you have taken a bunch of screenshots and you want to share them with your friends, you don’t have a ton of options. As it stands currently, the default sharing method for the Oculus Go is through Facebook. If you want to show off your Oculus Go adventures and don’t want to do it on Facebook, our guide will give you everything you need.

• Instructions for Windows PCs
• Instructions for Macs

Using a Windows PC to pull Oculus Go files

Connect your Oculus Go to your PC with a micro USB cable.
In your headset, you will have to give your PC permission to gain access. Select Allow Access to Data.
Once you are connected to your PC the Autoplay feature should open. If it does, select Open Device to View Files.

If Autoplay does not start you can manually browse to Oculus Go Storage through File Explorer. It will be named VR-Headset

Once you have your VR-Headset open, select Internal Shared Storage

Open the folder named Oculus

Now you can access either the Screenshots or the VideoShots folder to copy whatever pictures or videos you want to your hard drive.

Using a Mac to pull files from your Oculus Go

Download the File Transfer Tool from Android and install it on your Mac.
Connect your Oculus Go to your Mac with a micro USB cable.
Open the File Transfer Tool you just installed.
In your headset, you will have to give your computer permission to gain access. Select Allow Access to Data.
A folder named VR-Headset should automatically open.

Now choose the folder named Oculus.

Now you can access either the Screenshots or the VideoShots folder to copy whatever pictures or videos you want to your hard drive.

Congratulations! You have thrown off the oppressive shackles of Facebook. You now have the freedom to share your screenshots and videos when and where you choose. Enjoy!

Galaxy S9 and S9+ with 128GB or 256GB of storage now available for pre-order

Both variants are being sold exclusively through Samsung.com.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are great smartphones, and with 64GB of internal storage and microSD support, offer plenty of space for all your local files. If you find yourself needing more room, however, Samsung’s got you covered with newly announced 128GB and 256GB versions of both phones.

These versions of the S9 and S9+ have all the same specs and features we already know, with the exception that the 64GB of storage has been upgraded to 128GB or 256GB. The processor, display, cameras, and everything else remains the same. Even with the increased storage, you can still expand them further with a microSD card.

Pricing for the new and old models is as follows:

• Samsung Galaxy S9 w/ 64 GB — $719.99
• Samsung Galaxy S9 w/ 128GB — $769.99
• Samsung Galaxy S9 w/ 256GB — $819.99
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ w/ 64GB — $839.99
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ w/ 128GB — $889.99
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ w/ 256GB — $939.99

After the pre-order period ends on May 17, prices of the top-end 256GB models will increase by $20 — to $839 for the Galaxy S9, and $959 for the Galaxy S9+.

The 128GB and 256GB S9 and S9+ are available for pre-order now and will officially launch on May 18. As a reminder, these versions are only being sold through Samsung.com and not through carriers.

Additionally, anyone who buys a Galaxy S9 or S9+ of any storage size before May 17 can get a free pair of Gear IconX (2018) wireless earbuds or purchase the Gear S3 Frontier for just $99 (normally $350).

See at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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Win a trip to the OnePlus 6 launch in London!

OnePlus is getting ready to launch the OnePlus 6 in London on May 16. What does your schedule look like that day? You could just watch the livestream from home, but what if you could witness the launch live and in person? Read on for details!

Be among the first to try out the latest OnePlus flagship and get your hands on exclusive swag right then and there. You will also have a chance to rub shoulders top-tier tech influencers and chat with other fans just like you. What’s more, you’ll receive round-trip tickets and 2 nights of accommodation in London, free!

How to enter

Answer the questions in the widget below. To qualify you must be at least 18 years of age and you must be able and available to travel to London May 15, returning May 17.

Win a trip to the OnePlus 6 launch in London!

Univision plans Netflix-style streaming service

Univision’s streaming ambitions are growing beyond live video. The Hispanic-American broadcaster has unveiled an on-demand service that gives you access to both its own shows as well as partners like the BBC and Viacom. Full access to live and on-demand content will cost you $8 per month, but current pay TV customers can spring for the on-demand portion for a $3 monthly fee.

The company didn’t say how soon the on-demand portion would be ready.

Univision isn’t shy about the reason for widening its internet offerings: it sees this as a “Netflix for Spanish-language content.” The network is already partnering with Netflix on Hispanic productions, but this provides a service devoted primarily to that audience. It’s not directly challenging the streaming giant so much as it is creating a supplement.

Source: Deadline

Pandora nears 6 million paid subscribers as it chases profit

In the face of stern competition from the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, Pandora managed to show some growth in its latest earnings report. Paid subscribers for Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium, the on-demand feature that launched last March, hit 5.63 million in the first quarter, up 19 percent from the same period last year.

Revenue for the quarter rose to $319.2 million, up 12 percent over the first quarter of 2017. That excludes income from the Australia and New Zealand markets as well as Ticketfly. Pandora shut down in Australia and New Zealand in July and sold Ticketfly to Eventbrite in September.

But Pandora is still losing money. The company posted a net loss of $131.7 million, a slight improvement on the $132.3 million loss in Q1 2017. Overall engagement is down year-over-year, with active listeners dropping 4 percent to 72.3 million. Listener hours dipped from 5.21 billion to 4.96 billion. However, in March, Pandora showed positive growth in recapturing lapsed listeners for the first time in 18 months, so usage numbers might rise again soon.

In December, Pandora launched Premium Access, letting listeners use its on-demand service for a limited time if they watched a 15-second video ad. That opens the window to queueing their choice of songs and building playlists, among other features. Pandora says 13 million people have used the feature so far, giving it an opportunity to grow paid subscribers after those listeners tried the Premium tier. The company has also added other features, like personalized automated playlists and web browser listening, in an effort to get more listeners hooked on Premium.

Pandora’s subscriber numbers pale next to Spotify, which reached 75 million paid subscribers in the first quarter — though Pandora is only available in the US. Both streaming services are struggling to earn a profit. As record labels, publishers, songwriters and artists seek bigger royalty payouts, streaming services might have to get more creative in their search for profitability.

Source: Pandora

Idaho State University lost a dirty bomb’s worth of plutonium

Well this isn’t good. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal agency tasked with administering the nation’s supply of fissile materials, announced on Friday that Idaho State University may be subject to fine for losing a gram of weapons-grade plutonium. While the quarter-sized chunk of radioactive rock isn’t nearly enough to generate a mushroom-cloud, it is sufficient for use in a so-called “dirty bomb,” according to agency spokesman Victor Dricks. And to show that the NRC isn’t fooling around, that fine will run ISU a tidy $8,500. Wait, that’s it?

A February 7th inspection revealed a pair of violations, “the failure to control and maintain surveillance of licensed radioactive material; and the failure to provide accurate and complete information to the NRC in its inventory records,” per the NRC announcement. The $8,500 levy comes in response to the first infraction only, since the university ” took prompt corrective actions after the violations were identified.” The missing sample, however, has yet to be recovered.

“The NRC has very rigorous controls for the use and storage of radioactive materials as evidenced by this enforcement action,” Dr. Cornelis Van der Schyf, vice president for research at the university, told the Associated Press. He blamed shoddy bookkeeping from a decade and a half ago as the primary culprit.

“Unfortunately, because there was a lack of sufficient historical records to demonstrate the disposal pathway employed in 2003, the source in question had to be listed as missing,” he told the AP. “The radioactive source in question poses no direct health issue or risk to public safety.” Well, that’s a relief.

Source: Associated Press

VUDU Adds UHD Support for Apple TV so You Can Stream Disney Films in 4K

Streaming movie and TV service VUDU today implemented UHD support for the Apple TV, which means there’s finally a way for Apple TV owners to watch Disney content, Marvel movies, and Star Wars films in 4K HDR.

As noted on Reddit, the Apple TV is now listed on the VUDU UHD compatible device list, and the VUDU Apple TV app, which was updated today to version 1.1.0, confirms that 4K and HDR support is available.

Disney content is available through iTunes on the Apple TV, but Disney does not permit Apple to sell its offerings in 4K due to pricing issues, giving Apple TV owners few options for watching high-quality Disney content on their set-top boxes.

The VUDU app on Apple TV does not let users to rent or buy movies or TV shows directly on the device, but content added to a VUDU user’s collection from elsewhere, such as the web, will show up on the Apple TV and will be available for 4K playback.

Most Disney content in UHD quality on VUDU is priced at $24.99, but other 4K titles can vary in price and are around $15 to $20. VUDU has several purchasing options, such as standard definition, high definition, and for some content, disc + digital.

The VUDU website features support for renting and buying more than 100,000 titles, plus it allows for linking an existing UltraViolet or Disney Movies Anywhere account. All of that content, both linked and purchased on VUDU, is available on the Apple TV.

Related Roundup: Apple TVTag: VUDUBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple will shut down Texture’s terrible Windows app

Apple bought Texture, the ‘Netflix for magazines,’ back in March as a clear bid to get in on an uncluttered media provider niche. The service gives subscribers unlimited access to a number of publications — but now, you won’t be able to use it on Windows devices. Without explanation, Apple informed users that the Texture app will be pulled from the Microsoft Store after June 30th. As of now, it will still be available for Android, Amazon Fire, and iOS.

It’s a lot like when Apple acquired navigation app HopStop in July 2013 and, days later, pulled the Windows version. This time isn’t quite the same, though. A note appeared on Texture’s website explaining why the Windows version was removed: “To keep things working smoothly, older versions of the app sometimes need to be retired.” Indeed, the app hasn’t been updated in awhile and is rated poorly on the Microsoft store, so it’s not undue reasoning — but since Texture doesn’t have a browser version, Windows subscribers will have to pick up a different device to keep using it, The Verge pointed out.

Via: The Verge

Source: Texture (Microsoft Store)