Want to learn to play bass guitar? Fret Zealot teaches rhythm section wannabes

Remember how the Guitar Hero game made us all feel like we were one wrecked hotel room and a pair of uncomfortably tight leather pants away from being rock gods? Fret Zealot uses a similar idea (the Guitar Hero bit, not the hotel room-trashing and tight pants) to help you master the guitar for real.

It’s a paper-thin LED aftermarket accessory for guitars that fits just above the frets and provides you with glowing, color-coded guides to help you master any song that comes your way. Digital Trends tried and liked the original Fret Zealot when it launched in 2017, but now the team is back with a new variation that’s bound to further expand the device’s appeal. And for anyone who has ever tried and failed to learn the guitar — and now the bass — that can only be a good thing.

“We launched the regular guitar version last year, and are excited to be releasing the bass guitar version this year,” Shaun Masavage, CEO of Fret Zealot manufacturer Edge Tech Labs, told Digital Trends. “The biggest challenge for bass guitar was moving every single LED individually and scaling the product such that we were confident it would fit every full size bass scale length and neck width.”

With those problems taken care of, this looks like it will be ideal for anyone looking to to learn bass. Masavage said there are four main potential customers. These include the first-time player looking for an easy way to learn; tab rockers who only want to play their favorite songs; improv players who want to be able to jam and solo; and music theorists who hope to learn more about the fundamentals of playing.

As ever, would-be buyers should be aware of the risks of backing crowdfunding campaigns, although the fact that Fret Zealot has already shipped a product successfully does ease some of those fears. If you would like to get involved, you can pledge money on the team’s Kickstarter page. A Fret Zealot for Bass device will set you back $149, which promises to be a whole $100 off the eventual retail price. Shipping is set to take place in August 2018.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Fender’s new guitar pedals are a smooth and stylish step toward shred city
• Neova MIDI ring lets musicians control their musical creations through gestures
• Raphael Saadiq talks about his new album, Oscar nomination, and ‘Black Panther’
• Taryn Southern’s new album is produced entirely by AI
• Producer Cardo on making Drake’s new No. 1 hit, Kendrick Lamar’s “evil genius”

LG G7 ThinQ vs. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: Clash for the heavyweight title

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The dust has cleared — LG’s new phone is finally here, and it’s called the LG G7 ThinQ. But it’s not the only contender vying for your money in the mobile marketplace. Samsung’s mighty Galaxy S9 Plus got here first, and it’s revving up to take on the G7 ThinQ in a battle for the ages.

Which of these two titans will be left standing after this clash? We took a look to find out.

Specs

LG G7 ThinQ
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Size
153.2 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm (6.03 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches)
158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm (6.22 x 2.91 x 0.33 inches)

Weight
162 grams (5.71 ounces)
189 grams (6.67 ounces)

Screen size
6.1-inch IPS LCD
6.2-inch AMOLED display

Screen resolution
3120 x 1440 pixels (564 pixels per inch)
2960 x 1440 pixels (529 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 8.0 Oreo
Android 8.0 Oreo

Storage space
64GB, 128GB

64GB, 128GB, 256GB

MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 2TB
Yes, up to 256GB

Tap-to-pay services
Google Pay, LG Pay (in South Korea only)
Google Pay, Samsung Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

RAM
4GB, 6GB 
6GB

Camera
Dual 16MP (with OIS) and 16MP wide-angle rear, 8MP front
Dual 12MP (with OIS) and 12MP (with OIS) rear, variable aperture, 8MP front

Video
 Up to 4K at 30 frames per second
2,160p at 60 frames per second, 1,080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Ports
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes

Water resistance
IP68
IP68

Battery
3,000mAh

QuickCharge 3.0 (4.0 with adapter not included)

Qi wireless charging

3,500mAh

QuickCharge 2.0

Qi wireless charging

App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store

Network support
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Colors
Aurora Black, Platinum Gray, Raspberry Rose, and Moroccan Blue
Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple

Price
TBA
$840

Buy from
TBA

Samsung, Amazon

Review score
Hands-on review
4.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It’s a dead heat in performance, at least on paper. Both of these giant phones are equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, and have similar amounts of RAM. While we haven’t had chance to put them head-to-head yet, we anticipate that we’ll see similar performance from both.

The LG G7 ThinQ is equipped with a respectable 3,000mAh battery, but it’s dwarfed by the 3,500mAh battery on the S9 Plus. That said, we saw fairly average battery life during our S9 Plus review, so the jury will definitely be out as to whether LG’s battery optimizations for the display can put in the work needed to trump the S9 Plus’s sheer battery size.

The G7 ThinQ is likely to be the phone that’s on the charger for less time, with QuickCharge 3.0 doing the business over the QC 2.0 on the S9 Plus. The G7 ThinQ also has support for QC 4.0, but you’ll need to buy a special adapter. You’ll also be able to pop both of these on a Qi wireless charging pad too.

This is a tough category to call, at least until we’ve had chance to test out the LG G7 ThinQ’s capabilities properly. We’re going to leave proper judgement on this until we’ve had a chance to play with both side by side.

Winner: Tie

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You’ll find 2018-worthy looks on both of these phones. You’re likely familiar with the design of the S9 Plus, since it’s essentially identical to the S8 range before it. That’s not a slur — it’s still a gorgeous phone, and we really like the curved edges. The LG G7 ThinQ looks similarly good, but some users are likely to hold the inclusion of an iPhone X-style notch against it. We’re warming to the notch, but it’s likely that some will hold it against the G7 ThinQ. In all fairness, there’s an option to add black bars around the notch to mask it.

Durability-wise, you’re looking at Gorilla Glass 5 on both phones — get a protective case to keep these safe just in case. They’re gorgeous, but both phones could be prone to physical breakages. It’s a better story in water-resistance though, as both the G7 ThinQ and the S9 Plus come with IP68 water-resistance.

This category is tough to judge, since beauty is often in the eye of the beholder and both are neck-and-neck in durability. For us, the Galaxy S9 Plus edges it with its stunning good looks, and takes it on the strength of its design.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Display

Galaxy S9 Plus

The LG G7 ThinQ is packing a 6.1-inch display running a huge 3120 x 1440 resolution — higher than the 2960 x 1440 resolution on the 6.2-inch S9 Plus — thanks to LG’s super-long 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The LG phone also has a sharper display than the Samsung phone, rocking a high pixels-per-inch measurement of 564 over the S9 Plus’ 529ppi.

The real difference here comes in screen tech. While the G7 ThinQ’s IPS LCD screen comes with one of the brightest screens ever made (capable of 1,000 nits for three minutes), the display just can’t match the sheer scope of vivid colors and deep blacks available on an AMOLED display, like the one on the S9 Plus. The S9 Plus can also get incredibly bright as well. LG puts up a good fight with a stunningly sharp screen and HDR 10-bit support — but we’ll probably have to wait until the LG V40 until we see an LG display that matches the S9 Plus.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Hardware-wise, the rear camera is a pair of 16MP lenses, comprising an f/1.6 aperture main lens and an f/1.9 aperture secondary wide-angle lens. The former features optical image stabilization, and the wide-angle lens can take photos with a 107-degree angle and no distortion (according to LG). But the G7 ThinQ has some artificial intelligence injected into its camera.

Take a picture in low-light and LG’s Super Bright Camera mode kicks in, which makes darker areas brighter by enlarging the image’s pixels — this drops the picture’s resolution of course, but it really helps with low light. We used this mode in the LG V30S, and LG claims that the G7 ThinQ’s can make it two-times brighter. The G7 ThinQ also comes with A.I. Cam — point the camera at an object, and the A.I. will attempt to identify it  (sunrise, food, plant, etc) and suggest a tweaks to improve it. It’s something we’ve seen on the Huawei P20 Pro, though it usually ends up cranking the resolution.

There’s also a Portrait Mode now available in the G7 ThinQ, and while it works pretty well, we noticed some over-application of background blur to foreground objects. It does seem to work well with the selfie camera, though.

We’ve done many, many tests with the Galaxy S9 Plus’s camera, and its reputation as a solid shooter is well-known. The mechanically variable aperture is impressive, but we’re anxious to see how it holds up against some of LG’s software tricks. We can’t judge this yet — there’s still too much to be determined.

Winner: Tie

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Both the G7 ThinQ and the S9 Plus come with Android 8.0 Oreo, each with its own manufacturer skin laid over the top. Upgrades to the upcoming Android P could be more of an issue, with neither company having stellar records when it comes to getting Android’s latest builds to its customers. While Project Treble could change that, Samsung has a slightly stronger record in getting updates out. Last year’s LG G6 only just received an Oreo update, while the 2-year-old Galaxy S7 range already got the update.

LG did open a new software update center, so we’re crossing our fingers that it can deliver updates faster.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Special features

It’s all abut A.I. at the moment, and these phones are no different. Samsung’s Bixby is something of a swing-and-a-miss, with most users simply opting not to use it, or its dedicated button. The G7 ThinQ will also sport a dedicated A.I. button, but since this is tied to Google Assistant, it may have more success. LG has gone further with the A.I. too, with the A.I. Cam from the LG V30S ThinQ, and A.I. that learns your behavior and aims to deliver you apps at the right time of your day.

In other areas, Samsung’s Dex capabilities are useful, but it requires a bunch of expensive accessories and a dedicated setup. While LG doesn’t have a direct equivalent, the G7 ThinQ does pair up easily with LG’s ThinQ appliances, and you can control these appliances straight from the phone’s notification drawer.

What tips the win to the G7 ThinQ is its Boombox Speaker. LG only has a mono, bottom-firing speaker, but the company removed the module covering the speaker, and turned the whole phone into a resonance chamber. The audio feels like it’s bursting throughout the phone, it gets incredibly loud — louder than the S9’s stereo speakers — and it sounds great.

Winner: LG G7 ThinQ

Price

The Galaxy S9 Plus costs $840, which puts it in a heady cost bracket. We expect the G7 ThinQ to cost a little less, which may sway your decision.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

The Galaxy S9 Plus may have won this battle, but the real result comes down to which wins the war for your heart. The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is simply one of the best large-screen smartphones in the world right now, and it’s hard for the LG G7 ThinQ to compete with it in that space. The G7 ThinQ, however, is cheaper, just as powerful, and has that inimitable LG charm.

While the Galaxy S9 Plus is the better overall phone for us, we’re equally sure you’ll be happy with either of these two phones.

Cambridge Analytica closes as former executives create another data company

After finding itself in the middle of Facebook’s privacy scandal, Cambridge Analytica announced it will shut down. Cambridge Analytica’s affiliate, U.K.-based SCL Elections announced that it, too, will cease operations and that both companies will begin the insolvency process.

“Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company’s efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas,” the company said in a  statement announcing the closure of its offices. As a result of media coverage surrounding its data collection practices, the company said it lost virtually all of its customers and suppliers.

Cambridge Analytica had $15 million in business for its work in the 2016 election, The Wall Street Journal reported. However, it was not able to attract new business from a single federal political client since and has lost several clients in recent months.

The company was responsible for working on the digital strategy for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, and it gained infamy after reports surfaced that it had collected data on more than 87 million Facebook users. News of the data breach resulted in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressing the U.S. Congress on issues of user privacy, and the U.K. parliament is also requesting testimony.

Coincidentally, news of Cambridge Analytica’s closure was announced on the second day of Facebook’s F8 developer conference, which is currently taking place in Silicon Valley. The company had shut down offices in London, New York City, and Washington, D.C., according to The Wall Street Journal report. Another reason for the closure, aside from the loss of clients, is that the company was “facing mounting legal fees in the Facebook investigation,” the Journal said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

As a result of the scandal, Facebook has changed its data sharing policies and limited sharing user data with third-party developers, a move that may have negatively impacted Cambridge Analytica’s business model.

Although Cambridge Analytica became a household name after its connection to Facebook was revealed, the company’s reputation was further damaged after reports that CEO — who has since resigned — Alexander Nix had discussed using bribes and sex as strategies to entrap political opponents.

Although Cambridge Analytica may be going away, its practices and business model may still live on. According to public filings in Britain, Nix and SCL chairman Julian Whitman are listed as directors in new data analytic firm Emerdata. “It isn’t clear what Emerdata does, though the company is listed under “data processing, hosting, and related activities.” It shares an address in Canary Wharf with Cambridge Analytica’s parent, SCL Group,” Business Insider reported.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Localblox data breach is the latest nightmare for Facebook, LinkedIn
• WhatsApp co-founder to depart after apparent clashes with Facebook
• Could Facebook be broken up over privacy concerns?
• Facebook is ditching a major data source and limiting third-party app access
• Here’s how to check if Facebook shared your data with Cambridge Analytica

21-year-old project manager heads Google’s new social gaming startup

Google is looking to expand further into video game development with the launch of a new internal startup company dubbed “Arcade.” Founded and co-owned by 21-year-old Google project manager Michael Sayman, the company’s efforts will be focused on social gaming for mobile devices.

Arcade is part of the startup-focused Area 120 division within Google, and its first game is schedule to arrive this summer with “some elements of a trivia game,” according to Bloomberg.

Bloomberg was told by a Google spokesperson that Arcade is still in its infancy, and with a summer release window for its first title, it points to something relatively small.

Google’s experience with game development is extremely limited, with the company’s chief game designer resigning from his position after growing frustrated with his superiors’ disinterest in actually creating a video game. Pokémon Go studio Niantic Labs originally under Google’s umbrella, as well, releasing the location based game Ingress before becoming independent and using the technology to produce its smash-hit AR game, Pokémon Go. Niantic is currently working on a similar game based on the Harry Potter franchise, as well.

With Sayman leading Arcade, however, Google has a capable game creator in charge. While still in high school, Sayman released the photo-based game 4 Snaps, which tasked players with guessing a word based on pictures their friends sent them. The game ended up landing him an internship at Facebook, where he worked before jumping ship and heading to Google.

Google would be wise to avoid the mistakes made by Amazon in game development. The latter company acquired the studio Double Helix, hired a wealth of creative talent from across the industry, and began developing the multiplayer brawling game Breakaway, but the project was canceled after it received a mixed reception in early testing. Two games are still in development at Amazon Game Studios — the third-person multiplayer shooter Crucible and the open-world MMO New World, but big-name designers like Kim Swift and Clint Hocking have since left Amazon and gone back to more established development teams.

It remains to be seen if Arcade will share this fate, but setting its sights on a small-scale project to begin with is likely a smart decision.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Amazon Game Studios takes a chance, makes a change, cancels ‘Breakaway’
• ‘Paladins’ to ditch its Cards Unbound system amid ‘pay-to-win’ concerns
• Who cares about loot? For ‘Sea of Thieves,’ Rare hid the real fun in the hijinks
• ‘Drawn to Death’ studio was prototyping an Iron Man game for PlayStation VR
• Beloved developer ‘Swery65’ hypes his latest game, ‘The Missing’

Best Sony Phones in 2018

• Best overall
• Best small phone
• Best for less

Best overall

Sony Xperia XZ2

See at Best Buy

The Xperia XZ2 is Sony’s top-of-the-line flagship — that is, until the XZ2 Premium hits stores this summer. It lost some of its “Sony” look in the last generation, but in the process gained a nice rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, smaller bezels thanks to an 18:9 display, and a better overall design in terms of ergonomics.

With just a 5.7-inch display, it’s relatively compact — and the 3180mAh battery inside is pretty large for the size. Inside you get all of the latest specs, led by a Snapdragon 845 processor. The new 19MP camera still isn’t optically stabilized, but it’s Sony’s best yet in terms of final image quality.

Bottom line: Sony lost some of its unique design, but made what’s easily its best overall phone.

One more thing: The XZ2 Premium is on its way, but it doesn’t offer a huge upgrade and will cost a lot more — don’t let it keep you from the standard XZ2.

Best small phone

Xperia XZ2 Compact

See at Best Buy

Sony’s Xperia XZ2 Compact brings all of the features one expects of a flagship down to the palm-able size. The line is one of the few that balances features, performance, and dimensions, and the XZ2 Compact is no exception, with a Snapdragon 845 and all the camera improvements of its Xperia XZ2 counterpart. Even though it has a 5-inch display, it’s still much smaller than the Google Pixel 2.

Bottom-line: You won’t find another 5-inch phone with such high-end specs and small bezels, and it’s made even better with Android 8.0 Oreo on board.

One more thing: There’s now a fingerprint sensor on the back, and it works in the U.S.

Best for less

Sony Xperia XA2

See at Amazon

Sony has seen a considerable amount of traction with its mid-range line, and it’s easy to see why when you pick up the Xperia XA2. You get much of the design and solid build from the XZ2 series, but with lower-end specs to keep the price reasonable — about $350.

A solid 5.2-inch 1080p display on front is complemented by a Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a sizeable 3300mAh battery. You get a decent 23MP camera on the back, along with a functional fingerprint sensor, and it even has a headphone jack.

Bottom line: The XA2 is a solid phone with very few shortcomings or caveats, and a great price.

One more thing: You can step up to a 6-inch display and larger battery for about $120 more with the XA2 Ultra.

Update, May 2018: We’ve overhauled our picks with new recommendations for May 2018, adding the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact as our top picks. The new XA2 also joins the list as a less expensive option.

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

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

Today you can get big discounts on bias light strips, Wemo mini smart plugs, 4K action cameras, and more! Don’t pass these up.

View the rest of the deals

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

A quick-and-easy guide to programming an RCA universal remote control

David Becker/Getty Images

If you’re tired of picking up a different remote for every piece of gear in your A/V arsenal, RCA’s universal remotes are perfect for reducing the number of remotes you need to work the various components, as well as the clutter on your coffee table. For this how-to, we’ll be using the automatic code search method, which allows you to pair devices in a relatively quick and painless manner. We will warn you that it does occasionally take some trial and error, so just be patient.

First, grab your new remote and make sure the components you want to be synced are all hooked up. If not, plug everything in just how you want it. There’s nothing worse than trying to set up a universal remote only to realize your TV and receiver — or another component — simply aren’t connected.

Now that everything is hooked up, get ready to program your remote control. Here’s a step-by-step guide to programming everything into that single RCA device:

1. Turn on the component that you want to set up.

2. Press and release the button that corresponds with the component that you’re programming. For example, if you want the remote to control the TV or Blu-Ray player, hit and release the TV button or Blu-Ray button. The on/off button will light up and should remain lit.

3. Now, simultaneously press and hold the component button and the on/off button. The illuminated on/off button will turn off. Then it should turn back on.

4. Release both buttons after the on/off button relights. It should remain on.

5. Now, press and release the play button on the remote. If the component that you’re programming does not turn off after 5 seconds, continue to hit the play button every five seconds until the component turns off.

6. Next press and release the reverse button. Wait to see if the component turns back on, and press it every three seconds until it does.

7. Press and release the stop button to save the programming for the device in the remote’s memory.

8. Repeat steps one through seven for each additional device you wish to program.

If you don’t press the buttons correctly, you might mess up the syncing process. This is the main reason why it might take some trial and error to get the remote set up.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Giveaway: Maximize March Madness With The Logitech Harmony Elite
• How to use Remote Desktop
• Here’s how to turn off subtitles on Netflix, no matter your chosen device
• How to watch Amazon Instant Video on Chromecast or Android TV
• Having problems with your Xbox One? We have some possible solutions

Top 3 ways to make Bixby more useful on the Galaxy S9

We can’t fix all of Bixby’s problems, but we can at least make it a little more useful.

If you bought a Galaxy S9 or S9+ in the last month, you’ve probably already gotten settled into one of the best Android experiences around. You’ve probably already captured dozens of photos with the incredible cameras Samsung placed on its latest flagships. You’ve probably already trained your phone to recognize your face, iris, and fingerprints so you never have to worry about anyone else accessing your private information.

You’ve also probably already disabled Bixby by now. Samsung’s smart assistant just hasn’t been met with the same fanfare as alternatives like Google Assistant — but to Bixby’s credit, it’s actually capable of handling some fairly complex tasks, and embracing the service could turn the Bixby key from a nuisance to a convenience in your daily routine.

Enable Voice Wake-Up

Voice assistants are especially great when you’re not holding your phone; just shout any question or command to receive an answer. If you aren’t already calling to Bixby from across the room, you should enable this feature immediately.

From the Bixby Home, tap the menu overflow icon in the upper right corner.
Tap Settings.
Tap Voice wake-up.

Tap the switch next to Off.

In the Bixby Voice prompt, tap theBixby logo at the bottom of the screen.
Follow the voice prompts, saying “Hi Bixby” and follow-up commands like “turn on Bluetooth.”
After reading each prompt, tap Done at the bottom of the screen.

With Voice Wake-Up enabled, you can prompt Bixby by saying “Hi Bixby,” even with the screen turned off. From the settings, you can also adjust sensitivity and further train it to recognize your voice.

Set the Bixby key to push-to-talk

The Bixby key is notorious for being too easy to accidentally press, largely thanks to its close proximity to the volume rocker. It’s easy to turn off, but you might not have known that even with the button disabled, you can still activate Bixby in a push-to-talk style.

From the Bixby Home, tap the menu overflow icon.
Under the General tab, tap Bixby key.
Tap Don’t open anything.

You’ll notice a caption under the Bixby key options, stating that even with the key disabled, you can still reach Bixby Voice by holding down the Bixby key. This means that you can prevent accidental triggers and still use the hardware button to quickly give a command.

Configure your Home Cards

Just like the Google Assistant, Bixby Home sorts information that might be relevant to your life into cards on its main feed. By default, you’ll see some social cards like LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as some cards for Samsung services like its theme store.

It’s easy to adjust what cards you’ll see in your feed with a quick trip to the settings.

From the Bixby Home, tap the menu overflow icon.
Under the Home Cards tab, tap Cards.
Under Show Cards, you can tap the switches next to any cards you want to see on your Bixby Home feed.
If there’s text underneath the app name, you can tap the app name to open a new menu and choose which aspects you want to see on your feed.

With a few minutes of combing through the Cards list, you can personalize your Bixby Home to only see relevant information.

How to disable Bixby

If you still just can’t stomach Samsung’s smart assistant, that’s okay — you’re not alone. Luckily, after some initial backlash, Samsung has made it easy to turn Bixby off entirely.

Read more: How to completely disable Bixby

Questions? Comments?

If you’ve got any burning questions about how else to use Bixby or just need to express in writing how passionately for or against the Bixby button you are, sound off in the comments below!

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

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint

What to do when your PlayStation 4 Pro gets loud

Don’t panic – it probably just needs a good cleaning.

Today’s gaming consoles are designed with longevity in mind, and they’re also usually mindful of your ears. There’s always a chance for things to go wrong, though.

In the case of the PlayStation 4 Pro, it can be scary to hear it suddenly getting loud as its fans spin up or the disc drive is working overtime. If this happens infrequently and only when playing certain games then you may have nothing to worry about, but if you notice a sudden unusual cacophony coming from the innards of the PS4 Pro it’s always worth running through some maintenance steps.

Clean it out

One issue that may cause your PS4 Pro to roar is a buildup of dust. The dust can restrict airflow or put more weight on the fans, forcing them to spin harder in order to dissipate enough heat to make sure the console is safe.

In this case, you’ll want to clean it out as much as you can. Take a damp cloth or a painter’s brush and use it to wipe over the outside of the PS4 Pro’s chassis. Pay special attention to the ventilation ducts. Wipe those in a side-to-side motion. Be sure to get the vents on the back and the slightly hidden ones underneath the edge of the console. Get as much of the dust off of them as you can. Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to take a can of compressed air and spray into the ducts while the console is off to try and force some of the deeper-settled dust out.

See at Amazon

While this alone should help airflow, some consoles may end up with a ton of dust deeper within the system. If you feel like a deeper cleaning is needed then be sure to follow a guide for safely opening your PS4 to clean it out. Do note that this will void your warranty, so avoid this measure if at all possible if you want to keep it.

Make sure it’s well-ventilated

Overheating and increased fan activity can occur if the console doesn’t have enough room to breathe. Make sure you’re following these best practices for placing your PS4 Pro in your home:

• Don’t place it in a cubby hole on an entertainment stand and shut the door. And even if your stand doesn’t use a door, make sure the console has a few inches of legroom in the back to ensure the heat blowing out of the console isn’t being blown back onto itself.
• Don’t place it on carpet. If you can help it, try to find a flat surface for your PS4 Pro. Insulating that heat back onto your device will only make it hotter, and that’s precisely what we want to avoid.

Use a cooling pad

If you’re still having problems keeping the PS4 Pro quiet, a cooling pad may help. These stands are designed to help draw heat away from the console and push it into harmless space.

Aside from pulling heat, most cooling pads double as vertical stands and also come with several extra USB ports. Try to find a cooling pad with at least two fans working in tandem.

See at Amazon

If all else fails, contact Sony

If your issues can’t be rectified by any of the above remedies, it may be time to face the music that it just might be defective. If you’re under warranty then you’ll definitely want to give Sony a call. They’ll run you through troubleshooting steps, and if it’s determined that the issue can’t be helped then they’ll likely process a repair.

Even if you don’t have an active warranty, Sony may offer a repair for a nominal fee. Be sure to ask about your options if you’re in this boat.

Take care of your PS4 Pro

Sony has gone to great lengths to ensure the PlayStation 4 Pro’s durability and reliability, but it’s still your responsibility to keep your console as clean as you can. Do regular cleanings to make sure you don’t run into any issues and you’ll have nary a hiccup in your gaming experience!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

OnePlus 6: News, Rumors, Release Date, Specs, and more!

This is everything you need to know about the OnePlus 6!

OnePlus has been on a cycle of releasing two smartphones per year: a major release in the spring, and a minor tweak of that previous phone in the fall. It’s nearly spring 2018, which means it’s nearly time for another OnePlus phone. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming OnePlus 6!

May 2, 2018 — OnePlus will host pop-up events in North America, Europe, and Nordic

Similar to the launch of the OnePlus 5T, there will once again be pop-up events to ring in the OnePlus 6. OnePlus will host the events in various parts of North America, Europe, and Nordic, with some including special guests like MKBHD, iJustine, and others.

During the events, OnePlus will let fans be among the first to try (and buy) the OnePlus 6, grab exclusive swag, and enjoy free snacks with members of the OnePlus team.

See the full list of locations here

April 23, 2018 — Pete Lau confirms glass back for the OnePlus 6

In a forums post detailing the design of the OnePlus 6, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the upcoming flagship will offer a glass back.

April 21, 2018 — OnePlus is testing out ‘new materials’ for the OnePlus 6

A new tweet by OnePlus suggests its upcoming flagship could offer a ceramic back. Early leaks of the device hinted at a glass back, and the new teaser shows off a glimpse of the upcoming flagship, which is likely made out of ceramic or glass.

The design

The OnePlus 5T was the first time the company increased the size of its displays, and it looks like there will be more refinements coming with the OnePlus 6. The 6 will keep the stretched out design, but will add a notch up top, similar to… some other phones you may have seen. In addition to a high-quality display, OnePlus is also expected to move to a glass back, hopefully including Qi wireless charging in the process.

According to the image, the fingerprint reader will still be mounted on the rear of the phone, though earlier rumors suggested there would be an in-display fingerprint sensor. The dual cameras are still present, though this time in the center instead of the upper left. Of course, this is a leaked image and should be taken with a grain of salt until the official announcement is made.

Not too long after that first photo was shared, Evan Blass shared the above one on Twitter – further confirming much of what we were already expecting. The dual cameras are positioned in a vertical fashion, the fingerprint sensor lies below them, and there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack (yay!).

However, unlike the previous photo, Blass’s shows the back of the OnePlus 6 to have a textured, wood-like finish. OnePlus experimented with a lot of different back materials with the OnePlus One in 2014, and finishes like Sandstone White and Lava Red for the 5T show that the company is trying to stand out with its design. I’m guessing this isn’t the only special back material we’ll see for the 6, and it’ll be exciting to see what else OnePlus has up its sleeve.

Official picture of the OnePlus 6’s notch.

And, of course, the OnePlus 6 will have the infamous notch. This is something we were already anticipating, but OnePlus confirmed our suspicions while speaking to The Verge on March 28.

OnePlus’s reasoning for the notch is that it gives users more screen real-estate as opposed to using a more traditional design, and co-founder Carl Pei argues that it’s more thought-out than a lot of the notches we saw during MWC 2018.

The notch will be hidden whenever you’re watching a video, the clock has been moved to the left of the status bar, and we’ll also see the same gesture system that OnePlus added to the 5T with its OxygenOS Open Beta in late January.

More: OnePlus 6 supposedly leaks with iPhone X notch and glass back

Specifications

Of course, a phone isn’t just a pretty external design. The internal hardware needs to be up to snuff to push pixels and take all of our lovely Instagram photos. Fortunately, it seems the OnePlus 6 will be up to the task. Early benchmarks suggest the phone will ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845, the same chip that will likely be found in every other flagship device this year. Benchmarks have been gamed in the past — so take this all with the same grain of salt as before — but it’s a safe bet for OnePlus to include all the latest internal hardware with the OnePlus 6, just like they’ve done in previous generations.

A new image recently popped up revealing numerous specs for the OnePlus 6, and while we can’t confirm any of the information presented, it does allow us to build the following spec sheet:

Operating System	Android 8.1 with Oxygen OS
Display	6.2-inch OLED with notch 2160x 1080 resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Camera	12MP + 20MP rear combo
RAM	8GB
Storage	256 GB
Battery	3300mAhNon-removableDash charging (assumed)
Water resistance	No
Colors	Black

More: Exclusive: OnePlus 6 has 19:9 notched display, Snapdragon 845, top benchmarks

The software

We haven’t seen any leaks for specific software features coming with the OnePlus 6, but it’s safe to expect the same vanilla Android style that OnePlus has used since 2014. OxygenOS is a known quantity at this point, featuring a few key improvements over what ships in Google’s Pixel line. There will surely be an Open Beta for users who like to live on the bleeding edge and try new features at the cost of stability. Expect a true dark theme, expect gesture controls and a few other little niceties that add up to a great software experience.

Price and availability

This is still up in the air at this point, but we can make an educated guess based on OnePlus’ previous devices. The OnePlus 5 retailed for $479, while the OnePlus 5T goes for a cool $499. It’d be nice if the OnePlus 6 kept that same price, but another small price increase isn’t out of the question.

That same leaked image mentioned above suggests that the OnePlus 6 will cost as much as $749, but it’s unclear what currency this is representing. The same post compares the OnePlus 6 against the iPhone X and Galaxy S9+ with $1517 and $1200 price tags, respectively, so either way, we can probably expect OnePlus’s next flagship to cost a good deal less compared to most other OEMs.

As for availability, the OnePlus 3 was released in June of 2016, and the OnePlus 5 in June of 2017. Some early reports suggest we may see an earlier release this year, but June is a safe bet.

Stay tuned for more!

This is what we know — and a bit of what we’re guessing — about the OnePlus 6 for now. We’re expecting an earlier than normal release this year, so stay tuned for more coverage!

OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5

• OnePlus 5T review: Come for the value, not the excitement
• OnePlus 5T specs
• Should you upgrade from the OnePlus 3T?
• OnePlus 5T vs. Galaxy S8: Beast mode
• All of the latest OnePlus 5T news
• Join the discussion in the forums

OnePlus
Amazon

Update, May 2 – Added info about pop-up events.