Relay by Republic is a better smartphone for kids: What you need to know

This is a new effort to make phones for kids suck less, and it’s pretty cool.

If you want to be connected to your child when they leave the house but don’t want them to have a regular phone with unlimited access to the untempered schism that is the internet, your options are somewhat limited. Locking down a normal phone takes know-how and isn’t 100% effective. The giant kid smartwatches sold by several carriers aren’t great at making phone calls, which makes them less like a phone and more like a security bracelet for parents to track their kids.

The folks at Republic Wireless have a new solution for parents with younger kids in need of a connected device of some sort. It’s called Relay, and instead of taking up the standard smartphone shape and size it looks and acts more like a cellular speaker for quick communication.

Here’s everything we know about this new entry into the kid phone world!

See at Republic

What is Relay?

On a high level, Relay is a phone designed for what kids under age 12 and parents need to stay connected. Instead of a display, a secure version of Android, or a camera with safety features built in, Relay is a pocketable speaker with a single button on the top. From the kid’s perspective, it doesn’t get much easier than Relay. Keep it in your pocket or in your bag until you need it, and press the big button to ring Mom and Dad.

If you have multiple kids, you can give out multiple Relays and have them all work together. This means one kid with a Relay can call another kid with a Relay, as long as it was set up to do so by the parent. Kids can chat with one another walkie-talkie style just as easily as they can talk with parents, which is cool.

Republic Wireless claims Relay is “durable, water-resistant, and boasts all-day battery” on the website. With no screen to break, the all-plastic body can certainly take a drop or two without issue. Water resistant means it can be rained on a little or handle the occasional splash, but you can’t drop it in a puddle or a pool. The battery life will surely change with usage, though because recharging requires a special magnetic connector made by Republic Wireless you’ll have to be careful not to misplace it.

The default way to talk through Relay is the speaker which occupies the top of the device, but it is not the only way. A headphone jack on the side of the device lets you connect headphones, so if you need to scold your kid you don’t have to worry about embarrassing them in front of their friends.

Relay is available in five bright colors, so your kid can choose the best one for them and if you need more than one you can easily tell them apart. Those colors are:

• Blueberry
• Charcoal
• Mint
• Slate
• Brick

This “phone” uses Republic Wireless for 4G LTE service, but none of the phones connected to it need to be for this to work. And because this is Republic Wireless we’re talking about, when Relay is near a decent WiFi connection it will automatically connect to use that for calls instead of the cellular connection.

How is Relay better for parents?

The Relay app, which is available for Android and iPhone, is the central hub for communicating with Relay. Parents can use it for calling the Relays on your account when needed, but it also gives parents feedback about the status of each Relay. If your kid has walked into an area will low cellular service, parents will know about it. If the battery on a Relay is running low, parents will know about it.

Perhaps most important, Relay offers location services inside the app as well. You get access to a map in the app with the last known location of the Relay, and can use that to easily locate your kids when necessary.

What else can Relay do?

Since this system was designed entirely in-house by Republic, the company has started taking a lot of feedback from customers to build in new features as these new phones are used. While not available right now, in the not-too-distant future Relay will be able to:

• Access Google Assistant
• Play music on Relay
• Send and receive voice messages
• Communicate with friendly Relays not attached to your account
• Play audio-only games

All of these things are expected to be enabled with parental permission and set up, so Relay grows to feel more like a personal device for its owner.

How much does this cost?

A single Relay from Republic Wireless is currently $100 for the hardware and $7 per month for the cellular service. If you want more than one Relay, Republic Wireless offers a two-pack for $150 and a three-pack for $200.

Compared to the price of a single phone, even a used phone you currently have sitting in a drawer somewhere, Relay isn’t asking much here. You’re never going to find a cell plan that cheap for a regular phone, and a used phone is unlikely to hold up anywhere near as long as a phone with no display and a fresh battery like Relay.

See at Republic Wireless

YouTube TV adds The Young Turks and Tastemade channels

Tastemade on YouTube TV.

Politics and food. What else do you need?

YouTube TV has added a couple new channels to its lineup. Both are available in all regions (that’s not always the case when it comes to YouTube TV), and both are available now.

TYT — that’s short for The Young Turks — is the video arm of “the largest online talk, news and entertainment networks for the connected generation.” The progressive network boasts more than 200 million viewers a month and ranks highly among millennials.

The full TYT Network includes 12 owned and operated and partner shows such as The Young Turks, What the Flick?!, ThinkTank, TYT Sports, TYT Interviews, TYT Politics, TYT Investigates, Pop Trigger and Nerd Alert.

That takes care of the politics. Now it’s time for food.

Tastemade was born in 2012 and also sports some 200 million monthly viewers. It’s produced in 8 languages. It is, in their own words:

A community of creators, dreamers and explorers united by their love for great taste. We inspire people through engaging entertainment, exciting experiences and authentic products.

All right, then.

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If you want YouTube Premium, now is the time to sign up for YouTube Red

YouTube’s best features are getting a price hike next week, so lock them in while you can.

YouTube Music is coming and while there looks like there’s going to be a lot of love here, one thorn in the announcement was that YouTube Red is being replaced by YouTube Premium and becoming a $2/month add-on to the new YouTube Music. Currently, YouTube Red, the current YouTube Music, and Google Play Music are all rolled into the same $10/month subscription bundle. If you’ve been debating YouTube Red at its current price for a while, now looks to be the time to buy.

YouTube Red includes a bevy of small but irreplaceable features in YouTube:

• Eliminates YouTube ads on YouTube for desktop, mobile, and set-top devices like Android TVs, Roku, and Chromecast as well as on the YouTube Kids YouTube Gaming apps
• Access to YouTube Red Original shows like Cobra Kai and Escape the Night
• Save videos to watch offline, allowing you to stockpile YouTube videos for a Wi-Fi-less plane ride or a road trip
• Background playback, so you can listen to YouTube videos in the background while you do other things with your phone and even listen to YouTube videos with the screen off, except purchased videos. Background playback doesn’t apply to purchased videos for some reason.
• Access to YouTube Music and Google Play Music.

The new prices take effect next week, so if you’ve ever wanted YouTube Red, you’ll want to go subscribe right now and lock in your price. If you sign up right now, you’ll get a 30-day trial and should be charged $9.99/month after that, as that was the price you agreed to when you signed up. You can also sign up for YouTube Red’s family plan today at $14.99/month for up to 6 members ages 13 and up.

If you’re already a YouTube Red (soon to be YouTube Premium) member, don’t worry you’ll still enjoy your current price.

YouTube has already said that current YouTube Red and Google Play Music subscribers will keep their current pricing when the new YouTube Music goes live next week, and while there isn’t a cut-off listed for what counts as current, this weekend is no doubt your last chance to lock in the current price.

So are you going to subscribe while you can, wait to see what the new changes actually bring, or are you going to take your video subscription money to another service? Let us know in the comments.

See YouTube Red ($9.99/month individual, $14.99/family)

Sprint adds a new unlimited plan for seniors 55 and older to match T-Mobile

You can get two lines of unlimited everything for $35/line.

Sprint’s adding a new wireless plan to its lineup targeted specifically at senior citizens. It’s called “Unlimited 55+”, and for all intents and purposes, is a direct copy of T-Mobile’s same plan by the same name.

One line with Sprint Unlimited 55+ costs $50/month, but you can add a second one for just $20/month — resulting in an overall per-line cost of $35 each with Autopay turned on.

For that price, you’re getting everything that comes with Sprint’s regular unlimited plans, including unlimited talk, text, and data. Videos are streamed “in DVD quality up to 480p+”, music can be streamed at a max of 500Kbps, cloud games are capped at 2Mbps, and your unlimited mobile hotspot speeds are limited to 3G.

Unlimited 55+ also comes with Sprint Global Roaming, meaning you can get “text and basic data” in over 185 countries at no additional cost.

Sprint Unlimited 55+ will be available for customers 55-years-old and above and launches May 18.

T-Mobile and Sprint Merger FAQ: The good, the bad, and the ugly

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Aukey’s $11 HDMI switch lets you add two sources to one port

Connect multiple HDMI sources simultaneously with ease.

This Aukey bi-directional 2-in-1 4K HDMI switch is down to $11.24 with code AUKEYH04 on Amazon. That’s 25% off its regular street price of $15 and one of the best deals we’ve ever seen.

This switch performs a pretty simple, but possibly crucial, function. If you have one HDMI display but multiple HDMI sources, you can use Aukey’s switch to connect both of them and switch between them at will. It’s especially important if your display only has one or two HDMI ports. For example, if you own an Xbox One and PlayStation 4 but only one TV, you can use this whenever you’ve decided you’ve had enough Sea of Thieves and want to play some God of War. The switch supports 4K UHD video and 3D content. It works with a wide range of devices from TVs to PC monitors to Blu-ray players. All Aukey devices have a two-year warranty.

The switch does not include HDMI cables, so you should grab one or two if you don’t already have them.

See at Amazon

Apple Sold an Estimated 600,000 HomePod Speakers During the First Quarter of 2018

Apple sold an estimated 600,000 HomePod speakers during the first quarter of 2018, according to new estimates shared this morning by Strategy Analytics. Apple’s sales allowed it to capture just 6 percent of the global smart speaker market, coming in well behind Amazon and Google.

Amazon shipped an estimated 4 million Echo smart speakers during the quarter, for a 43.6 percent share of the market, while Google shipped an estimated 2.4 million Google Home speakers for 26.5 percent market share. Alibaba also came in ahead of Apple with 700,000 shipments, while Xiaomi trailed behind with 200,000.

Apple has a long way to go to catch up to Google and Amazon, both of whom have seen an enormous growth in shipments over the course of the past year. Amazon’s shipments increased by two million compared to Q1 2017, while Google’s increased by 2.1 million.

Amazon’s market share has fallen year over year due to strong sales of Google speakers and new entrants to the market like Apple, Alibaba, and Xiaomi, but Amazon continues to be the number one smart speaker vendor in the world by far.

David Watkins, Director at Strategy Analytics commented that “Amazon and Google accounted for a dominant 70% share of global smart speaker shipments in Q1 2018 although their combined share has fallen from 84% in Q4 2017 and 94% in the year ago quarter. This is partly as a result of strong growth in the Chinese market for smart speakers where both Amazon and Google are currently absent. Alibaba and Xiaomi are leading the way in China and their strength in the domestic market alone is proving enough to propel them into the global top five.”

In total, across all vendors, there were an estimated 9.2 million smart speaker units shipped during the first quarter of 2018. Apple is, at the current time, the fourth largest smart speaker brand worldwide with the HomePod, but its meager sales are not yet impacting major players Google and Amazon.

Both Google and Amazon have been in the smart speaker business for a longer period of time and the two companies also offer speakers at a range of price points. A Google Home speaker, for example, can be purchased for as little as $129 (or $49 for the mini version), while an Amazon Echo costs just $99.99. The Echo Dot is even more affordable at $49.

Apple’s sole speaker, the HomePod, is priced at $349. Apple focused heavily on audio quality with the hopes that consumers would be willing to pay more for a device that had superior sound, but the higher price tag, a delayed feature set, and the lack of native support for music services like Spotify have likely stymied Apple’s sales.

The HomePod is still new and Apple has just entered the smart speaker market, so improvements and changes to future products could drastically change its position and present some real competition for Amazon and Google. Apple is rumored to be considering a lower-priced HomePod that would perhaps sell for $150 to $200.

Related Roundup: HomePodTag: Strategy AnalyticsBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)
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Nvidia may release the GTX 1180 Founders Edition in July

Amidst speculation over what Nvidia’s next-generation graphics cards will actually be called and what their performance will be like, the latest rumor is that they could see a general release as soon as July. The first cards to debut will be the Founders Editions, we’re told, with third-party alternatives showing up in August or September.

It’s been more than two years since the original release of Nvidia’s Pascal generation of graphics cards, which first debuted with the GTX 1080 and 1070. Since then we’ve seen prices and availability issues due to various factors, but just as things appear to be getting back under control, we may be set to be blessed with a new-generation of GPUs.

Potentially based on the same core-architecture as Nvidia’s previously released, enterprise Titan V graphics card, the allegedly titled GTX 1180 is said to be ready for a July release, according to Tom’s Hardware sources. If previous generations of new graphics card releases are anything to go by, those Founders Edition cards will be limited in number — especially if cryptocurrency miners are interested, too — and slightly more expensive than the eventual third-party releases, which are expected to show up a month or two later.

Tom’s Hardware sources claimed that Nvidia would send off reference designs of its cards to its graphics cards partners around June 15, which with typical sampling and testing procedures, would see factory overclocked options with advanced cooling available as we head into the last few months of the year. Laptop versions of those same graphics chips are said to be slated for a release before the start of 2019.

The details of the graphics chips at the heart of the new-generation remain frustratingly vague at this time. Part of that confusion comes from Nvidia having previously discussed two future generations of graphics cards: Turing and Volta. While the Titan V was built upon the Volta architecture, it’s not clear if cards aimed at gamers will be part of that lineup, or be built upon a Turing process instead. One is expected to cater to enterprises and potentially cryptocurrency miners, while the other is expected to be built with gamers in mind.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s how you can watch Nvidia’s GTC 2018 keynote kicking off at 9 a.m. today
• New report says Nvidia unlikely to reveal new GeForce cards in March
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 1180 graphics card shows up in online GPU database
• Nvidia’s next gaming cards could be the GTX 11 Series, pack GDDR6 memory
• Nvidia graphics cards may be back in stock, but they’re disappearing quick

There’s a Wear OS alternative called AsteroidOS that you can install now

Not really feeling your current smartwatch OS? Well there’s no longer any need to feel shackled to Google’s Wear OS or older Android Wear, as a new option has just launched. After four years of development, AsteroidOS has launched with support for Android smartphones.

If you want to try it out, you’ll need one of a fairly limited list of smartwatches, with the LG G Watch, LG G Watch Urbane, LG G Watch R, Asus Zenwatch 1, Asus Zenwatch 2, Asus Zenwatch 3, and Sony Smartwatch 3 being currently supported on this version of the OS. Don’t worry if your watch isn’t currently supported — support for more devices is planned, and a guide on how to port new watches to the OS has been written.

If you’re lucky enough to have an already supported device, there’s an installation guide to walk you through the process that also includes details on exactly how supported each smartwatch is — for instance, there’s no support for sensors on the LG G Watch Urbane, while the Asus Zenwatch 1 has full support.

There’s the option to dual-boot or completely replace whichever OS your watch is currently running, and although the selection of functions is unsurprisingly limited, the first release of AsteroidOS comes with notifications, an agenda, an alarm clock, a calculator, a music controller, a weather forecast app, as well as other various bits and pieces. It’s an impressive roster, and all you need if you just use your watch for notifications, music control, and as — well — a watch. There’s also support for 20 languages, including Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, and others. Future updates plan to add various features like always-on display, calendar syncing, and more.

If you’re a tad handier with code than the usual user, then you might be interested in the also released development SDK. Being open source and based on Linux, it shouldn’t be too hard for would-be developers to get going on AsteroidOS, and some examples and a tutorial have been put together for anyone who’s willing to look into developing new apps for the OS. Because AsteroidOS has been built on Linux and some other handy-dandy Linux tech, the devs boast that AsteroidOS will be able to run pretty much anything — including Quake.

AsteroidOS seems to have been something of a labor of love for its developers, with lead developer Florent Revest thanking the 100 contributors who helped AsteroidOS grow and mature.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The only guide you need to get started with Google’s Wear OS
• Wear OS vs. Apple Watch: Which one will ‘wow’ your wrist?
• Everything you need to know about Google’s Wear OS for smartwatches
• Kronaby Apex Review
• Qualcomm smartwatch chip may include eye-tracking support for AR glasses

Best Moto G6 Accessories

Get the most out of your Moto G6 with the right accessories!

Motorola leads the pack when it comes to mid-range smartphones, and the Moto G6 is the latest and greatest. Covered with curved Gorilla Glass 3 and sporting a dual-camera setup and a bright, gorgeous screen (along with the snappy software Motorola is known for) this is a phone that absolutely looks premium without costing an arm and a leg.

Starting as low as $249, you get a lot of phone for a reasonable price — which leaves you with more money to spend on accessories!

• Spigen Rugged Armor Case
• Poetic Karbon Shield Case
• Mr Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector (3-pack)
• Motorola TurboPower Wall Charger
• Samsung EVO 128GB MicroSD Card
• Belkin USB-C Car Charger
• Anker Powercore II Slim

Spigen Rugged Armor Case

Motorola kindly includes a thin and clear case with the G6, but if you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, we have to recommend the Spigen Rugged Armor case.

It’s got that carbon fiber look at the top and bottom with a matte finish elsewhere, along with Spigen’s air cushion technology in the corners to help absorb impacts.

You can check this one-piece case out direct from Spigen for $13.

See at Amazon

Poetic Karbon Shield Case

Another great rugged option for the Moto G6 comes from Poetic. The Karbon Shield case is lightweight and slim with a carbon fiber-style finish on the back that’s both stylish and functional.

Poetic is currently accepting pre-orders for this case. You can order yours for just $10, and it ships May 31.

See at Poetic

Mr Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector (3-pack)

If you’re worried about scratches or cracks for the screen, you should definitely invest in some tempered glass screen protectors. Tempered glass offers the best protection from drops and the daily shuffle and rub of your pocket.

Mr Shield is a trusted brand that offers a three-pack of tempered glass screen protectors for just $7. That way, if you mess up the installation (Pro-tip: Take your time, be sure to clean your work area, and be sure to wipe down the screen before installation) or if your first one takes the brunt of a nasty drop, you’ve got a couple backups waiting at home.

See at Amazon

Motorola TurboPower 15W Wall Charger

Motorola includes its TurboPower wall charger with the Moto G6 that it claims delivers hours of battery life in just minutes of charging. Suffice to say, not all wall bricks work the same with different phones.

If you want that same fast-charging tech in the office but would rather not transport your wall charger back and forth, pick up a second one for just $14 and keep the peace of mind that you’re using charging accessories that were actually designed to work with your phone.

See at Amazon

Samsung EVO 128GB MicroSD Card

The Moto G6 comes with internal storage options of 32GB or 64GB, but also allows for expandable storage of up to 128GB with the microSD slot.

That’s great news because you can get some great microSD cards, such as the Samsung EVO, that will max out your Moto G6’s storage for just $40. That way you can load it up with your favorite movies, music, or whatever media you want to have on you at all times. It’s a great deal and a fantastic way to increase the utility of your phone over time.

See at Amazon

Belkin USB-C Car Charger

The Moto G6 boasts impressive all-day battery life — but if you drive a lot for work or love to road trip you may want a car charger for your phone so you never arrive with a near-dead phone battery.

This car charger from Belkin is a great option. It features a hardwired USB-C that’s capable of the same output as the Motorola TurboPower wall charger, and also features a second USB-A port for charging additional devices. Get it for just $35.

See at Amazon

Anker Powercore II Slim

It’s always a sensible idea to travel with a battery pack, and the Anker Powercore II Slim is as compact and fast as they get. With 10,000mAh of charge, you’ll be able to top up your multiple times as needed and with support for up to 18W output Anker is able to charge your phone quickly and safely. The pack comes with a charging cable and a travel pouch and is backed by Anker’s worry-free 18-month warranty.

Get this ultra-portable battery pack for just $30.

See at Amazon

What are your go-to accessories for a new phone?

These are our recommendations, but we want to know what you’ll be buying for the Moto G6! Let us know in the comments!

Rid your car of its winter grime with Meguiar’s discounted cleaning kits

Restore its original shine!

Amazon is currently offering $5 off a variety of Meguiar’s car cleaning supplies when you use coupon code 5DEALS4DAD. This drops the ultimate liquid wax down to just $10.29 from an average selling price of around $18. You can also grab this headlight restoration kit for $19.47 which is a new all-time low for it.

The classic wash and wax kit is $32.99, the complete car care kit drops to $48.88, and you can go all out with the ultimate car care kit for $99.64. If you need something to keep a motorcycle clean, this sale has you covered as well.

Whether you’re looking to get a head start on your Father’s Day shopping or just want some new cleaning supplies for your own vehicle, you won’t want to miss out on these deals.

See at Amazon