Get prepared for Amazon Prime Day with Thrifter’s newsletter

Stay in the know.

If you want to be the first to know when Amazon’s Prime Day 2018 is taking place, this is the absolute best way to do it. Amazon will likely announce the official date in the coming weeks, and then the leaks begin.

From tips and tricks to help get you ready ahead of time to maximizing your savings during the event, you’ll want this info delivered right to your inbox. The team at Thrifter eats, sleeps, and breathes deals, and will be covering every single piece of Prime Day to the fullest.

If you like to save money and get the best deal out there, you’ll want to join us and make this your most successful Prime Day yet.

Sign up and we’ll get you ready to save big on Prime Day!

Name

Email

Sign up!

Clever new method solves VR’s ‘infinite walking’ problem by tricking your brain

One of the ways that virtual reality could be made even more immersive is if users were able to fully explore enormous virtual worlds by physically walking through them. That’s certainly a neat idea, but it’s also something that’s not exactly easy to accomplish when you’re using a VR headset in a small space. After all, nothing ruins the illusion of endless virtual space more than setting out to walk through a sprawling forest only to immediately stub your toe on the dresser five steps in front of you.

Previously, we’ve written about a solution created by researchers in Japan that misleads the brain into thinking it’s walking in a straight line when it’s actually walking in giant circles. That’s pretty neat, but it still requires a “play space” of 16 by 22 feet. A new system, developed by researchers from Stony Brook University, Nvidia, and Adobe, offers an alternative.

“This [project aims to] redirect users’ walking in VR so that they can explore a large virtual scene within a small physical space,” Qi Sun, lead author of the study, told Digital Trends. “We did this with an eye-tracked HMD (head-mounted display) to detect users’ saccade. With the help of human nature [in the form of] ‘saccadic suppression’ effect, users do not notice our redirection.”

Saccades refer to quick eye movements that occur when we are looking at different points in our field of vision, such as when we’re scanning a room. They take place without our control at a rate of several times every second, although we do not consciously register them. What the researchers on this project did was to exploit these saccade movements to rotate the virtual camera in the VR display during such rapid eye movements. By doing this, they can redirect users’ walking direction in real life to simulate a much larger space. This can be done without causing dizziness or discomfort.

Sun offered some potential applications for the redirected walking, including gaming and design work. For instance, an architect could walk around a 3D model of a large building in the confines of their office. Will this technology be commercialized in the near future? Right now, the team is keeping quiet about their plans. “This is currently a research project and neither I nor anyone else could comment on productization plans at this time,” Sun said.

The research is due to be shown off at the SIGGRAPH 2018 event, which showcases the latest computer graphics and interactive technologies, in August.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 8 Amazing accessories that could make virtual reality even more immersive
• Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream review
• Facebook wants to make your virtual self appear as real as possible in VR
• Low-cost Ghost AR headset promises MacOS multitasking on steroids
• The best VR headsets of 2018

Acer crams a Ryzen 7 CPU, discrete RX Vega 56 graphics into a 17-inch laptop

In addition to all the new hardware revealed at the Acer press event last week, the company is introducing three new devices ahead of the Computex show in Taiwan next week. They target gamers using the latest CPUs and graphics from AMD, a nice change from the flood of Intel/Nvidia devices currently dominating the PC market. 

Unfortunately, due to their ship dates, we don’t have a specific list of hardware specifications for each. Acer’s trio includes the Predator Helios 500 notebook (PH517-61) arriving in August starting at $2,199, and two desktops slated for September: The Predator Orion 5000 (PO5-100) starting at $1,499 and the Nitro 50 (N50-100) starting at $899. If the names sound familiar, Acer introduced the Intel/Nvidia variants last week. 

For starters, the Intel/Nvidia version of Acer’s Predator Helios 500 notebook ships in June starting at $1,999. Shown above, the AMD-based version revealed this week arrives two months later packing up to a second-generation AMD Ryzen 7 2700 eight-core processor, and the mobile version of AMD’s Radeon RX Vega 56 discrete graphics chip with 8GB of dedicated video memory (HBM2). 

You read that correctly — there is no Ryzen-branded all-in-one chip here. But given the laptop-based environment, you’re not going to see these two chips match the performance seen in desktops due to keeping the overall heat low inside the laptop’s narrow space. Still, this should be good news for AMD’s customers who want a laptop with near-desktop-like performance and don’t want to settle with an all-in-one chip. 

Outside the AMD components, the upcoming laptop will sport a 17.3-inch IPS display with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution at 144Hz, or a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution at 60Hz. The cooling aspect will be handled by two AeroBlade 3D metal fans and five heat pipes pulling the heat away from the CPU and GPU. Sound includes two speakers, a subwoofer, Acer TrueHarmony, Waves MaxxAudio, and Waves Nx head-tracking technologies. 

Next, we have the Predator Orion 5000 desktop. It’s not quite as “dedicated” to AMD as the Predator Helios 500 laptop, supporting up to a second-generation AMD Ryzen 7 2700X processor, and up to two Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics cards in SLI mode. Unfortunately, the details regarding this desktop are rather scarce for now, but Acer says it will have two EMI-compliant transparent side panels and rely on Acer’s IceTunnel 2.0 airflow management design. 

“Easy-open side panels allow users to quickly swap out components and cables during upgrades,” Acer says. “The IceTunnel 2.0 airflow management design segments the system into different thermal zones and provides each sector with its own airflow tunnel to expel heat.” 

Finally, we have the Nitro 50 desktop supporting up to a second-generation AMD Ryzen 7 2700X processor. On the graphics front, configurations will include up to an AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card or go with Team Green and select up to a GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card (6GB).

Backing all of this is storage supporting up to 512GB on a solid-state drive, and up to 3TB on a hard drive. Other features include a wireless charging deck for Qi-enabled devices, an “edgy armored-inspired” chassis with front-facing LED lighting, and Realtek Dragon wired networking. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Acer’s new lineup includes white gaming laptop and Pixelbook-esque Chromebook
• Nvidia vs. AMD
• HP’s mainstream Pavilion PCs refreshed with latest AMD Ryzen, Intel Core CPUs
• HP targets gamers on a budget with new Pavilion notebooks, desktops, and more
• AMD’s leaked road map shows plans for Ryzen, Threadripper processors until 2020

We may be ready for autonomous cars, but how about self-driving bikes?

We’re totally onboard for being driven around in a self-driving car. For whatever reason, though, a self-driving motorbike sounds a whole lot more terrifying. Nonetheless, that’s what U.K.-based company AB Dynamics has developed — although it’s not something that you will be riding on any time soon. Unlike regular self-driving cars, the self-driving bike does not have the same complex ability to make sense of its environment. Instead, it is able to balance itself and to follow a path accurately and with a high degree of repeatability. The reason? To simulate real-world driving conditions on test tracks to help train future autonomous or semi-autonomous cars.

“Increasingly, cars are fitted with active safety systems whose job is to detect a possible collision and avoid it,” Jeremy Ash, commercial manager for AB Dynamics, told Digital Trends. “These systems are very complex to develop and, as part of that process, you need to expose your car to the type of scenario it might encounter on the road. Often these tests are done with ‘soft dummies’ which represent moving pedestrians, cyclists, motorbikes, and cars but can be safely struck by the test vehicle. But for some tests 100 percent representative targets are needed, hence real cars — which we can already drive with no one onboard thanks to our robots — and, now, a real motorbike. This could also be used for testing fully self-driving cars, which need to be able to navigate through complex traffic environments without hitting other road users. We are seeing a lot of interest in using our technology to reproduce these traffic environments with moving cars, pedestrians, and other road users.”

AB Dynamics

So far, AB Dynamics has demonstrated the feasibility of its self-driving bike, although only in prototype form. Next up, the company aims to develop this into a production item. This could potentially then be sold to one or more of the 25 largest car manufacturers in the world, which AB Dynamics already supplies test equipment to.

There is the chance of one day developing this into a publicly available self-driving bike, but Ash pointed out that this would require “a lot more R&D” of the sort that companies are now carrying out for autonomous cars. This work is being conducted by AB’s development partner, AutoRD. The question is whether you would be willing to ride one?

Editors’ Recommendations

• Can A.I. make self-driving cars a reality? Waymo weighs in on the future
• How Nvidia is helping autonomous cars simulate their way to safety
• Apple and Volkswagen are reportedly partnering to build self-driving vans
• Audi and Airbus come together to show off the future of transportation
• World’s first highway test facility for autonomous vehicles opens in Michigan

The Dyrt launches mobile app to help you find the best places to go camping

If you’re looking for great places to go camping this summer, your search just got a little easier. The Dyrt, which already features excellent search tools on its website, has launched a new mobile app that will allow outdoor enthusiasts to search, rate, and review campgrounds across the U.S. using only their smartphones, something that could prove very handy when setting out on a camping excursion.

The mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android, taps into The Dyrt’s exciting database of more than 17,000 campgrounds located through the U.S. Users can search based on their current location or look for places to camp at destinations where they intend to travel to in the future.

The list of campsites can be filtered based on whether or not they accept tented camping, trailers, or recreational vehicles. The app features not only campgrounds that are found within national, state, and local parks, but also private campsites and those found on Bureau of Land Management lands. All of the database entries include information on how to contact the campsite and the best way to make reservations to stay there.

Perhaps more importantly, Dyrt users can read reviews of the campsites posted by other campers. This can help them to determine whether or not a specific campsite is a good fit for them or if it should be avoided altogether. Most of the reviews include photos to help get a sense of what the place looks like, and its location on a map gives users a sense of how close it is to local attractions, restaurants, stores, and so on.

The Dyrt has already done a good job of building an online community for its users to share information and post reviews. That community is reportedly so active that a new user signs up once every 60 seconds. Reviewers are rewarded using a point system, with a leaderboard tracking who the top contributors are. Those who post reviews on a regular basis are also eligible to win prizes including gift cards and outdoor gear.

If you’re planning on doing some camping this summer, or at some other point down the road, you might want to check out The Dyrt before you decide where to pitch your tent. You may avoid staying at a campsite that doesn’t fit your needs or find some hidden gems you didn’t even know existed. Download the app now or check out The Dyrt website.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Campnab will help you score a last-minute campsite this summer
• The best camping tents you can buy
• Turn your truck into a comfy mobile home with this pop-up camper
• The best 4-season tents
• Is Airstream’s Basecamp trailer a millennial resort on wheels or a waste of $40K?

World’s first 3D-printed cornea made from algae and human stem cells

The human eye is a remarkably sophisticated organ and like the lens to a camera, it’s the cornea that focuses the flood of photons into a perceptible image. But for an estimated 15 million people around the world, eye disease and trauma make surgery the only path to clear vision.

In the next few years, artificial corneas may become more accessible thanks to new research out of Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. There, researchers mixed stem cells from the cornea of a healthy donor with collagen and algae molecules to create a bio-ink, which they 3D-printed into an artificial cornea. The research is currently just a proof-of-concept but lays the groundwork for future techniques to create low-cost, easy-to-produce bionic eyes.

There were three features required for the bio-ink, according to Che Connon, a professor of tissue engineering at Newcastle.

“One, it needed to be able to keep a stem cell population alive,” he told Digital Trends. “It needed to be extrudable, or thin enough to push through a thin gauge needle to allow for bio-printing. And the material needed to be stiff enough such that it holds it shape, allowing to build up a 3D cornea.”

Connon and his colleagues previously managed to keep stem cells alive for weeks at room temperature in a similar bio-ink. This recent study advanced that research by using a ready-made bio-ink packed with stem cells, without having to wait for the cells to grow separately. The team also demonstrated that they could tailor their 3D-printed cornea to match the unique dimensions of a patient’s eye by taking an image of the cornea and rendering it as a 3D model.

It will take some years still until 3D-printed corneas make it to the market. But, if and when that does happen, the research will prove most beneficial for developing regions where cases of corneal damage is highest and supply of donor corneas are most limited.

“There’s a lack of donor cornea, especially in the less developed world,” Connon said. “They don’t have good eye banks there like they do in the more developed world. That means many people don’t have access to corneal transplantation. And in these less developed nations, there are more instances of burns and infections that can cause corneal blindness.”

A paper detailing the research was published this week in the journal Experimental Eye Research.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Vision-improving nanoparticle eyedrops could end the need for glasses
• A new A.I. can guess your personality type based on your eye movements
• A coat of diamonds could make implants more biocompatible
• Record-breaking solar still purifies water with clever geometry and … paper?
• Drug-infused 3D-printed dentures promise to bite back against infections

Best OnePlus 6 Cases

Keep your new phone safe with a quality case.

The OnePlus 6 is the latest from the company that always delivers top-notch hardware and software at a reasonable price.

Their mantra is “Never Settle”, which also applies to buying accessories because you should never settle for a damaged device — especially with many great case options available right at launch. OnePlus offers some great cases made in-house, but we’ve also outlined a few quality third-party cases.

Let’s dive in!

• OnePlus Cases
• OtterBox Case for OnePlus 6
• Poetic Guardian Rugged Clear Case
• Ringke Fusion Clear Case
• TUDIA Heavy Duty Slim Fit Case

OnePlus Cases

OnePlus is one company that does well to support its own phones with quality accessories. For the OnePlus 6, OnePlus has released four great case options at launch. Whether you’re looking for something slim or a folio case that offers substantial protection, OnePlus has got you (and your phone) covered.

• OnePlus 6 Bumper Case: A thin case that wraps around the edge of the phone to provide drop protection without compromising the sleek design of the phone. Available in Ebony, Karbon, or the new Nylon style for $30 direct from OnePlus.

• OnePlus 6 Protective Case: Even thinner than the bumper case and more lightweight, this case is designed to perfectly match the OnePlus 6 and offer reliable protection without adding any bulk to the phone. Available in both Karbon or Sandstone styles for just $25 direct from OnePlus.

• OnePlus 6 Silicone Protective Case: This vibrant red case is made of rugged silicone with a microfibre lining to keep your phone safe from both drop damage and scratches. Get yours for just $20 direct from OnePlus.

• OnePlus 6 Flip Cover: For those who love the look and design of a folio wallet case, OnePlus has you covered with this flip cover case in black. With smart features that unlock or lock the phone by opening or closing the cover and a card slot on the inside for a credit card or ID, this case is perfect for those looking for an elegant and classy case. Get yours for just $20 direct from OnePlus.

If you’re planning to buy a couple different accessories from OnePlus, be sure to check out the bundles section of their online store, where you’ll be able to find great deals that include a case, screen protector, and charging accessories.

OtterBox Commuter Case for OnePlus 6

Also available direct from OnePlus, OtterBox has stepped up with itss popular Commuter case for the OnePlus 6.

This dual-layer case is designed to be rugged and durable without impeding your ability to comfortably use your phone. Combining a soft inner layer with a hard outer shell, the OtterBox Commuter case for the OnePlus 6 will keep your phone well protected with port covers included to block out dirt and pocket lint.

You can get yours from the OnePlus website for just $30.

See at OnePlus

Poetic Guardian Rugged Clear Case

Poetic has a number of case styles available for the OnePlus 6 that are available to browse through on Amazon but won’t be in stock until June 15.

If you’re able to wait until mid-June for a case, you’ll get a quality product with the Poetic Guardian, a full-body case that offers supreme protection for your phone along with an included tempered glass screen protector as well. A polycarbonate frame is bolstered by a TPU bumper around the perimeter of the case which offers great protection from drops, while the clear back plate allows the phone’s design to shine through.

This case is available in four different color styles and can be yours for just $19.

See at Amazon

Ringke Fusion Clear Case

The Ringke Fusion case is one of those cases that’s available for practically any phone you can buy, and is a go-to style for millions of smartphone users around the world — and for good reason.

This reliably awesome case is sleek and minimalist offers the protection you need for your phone without impeding your ability to use the phone. There’s lifted bezels around the edge of the display as well as around the camera and fingerprint sensor to keep everything scratch-free, and they’ve also included an optional lanyard to add an extra layer of drop prevention.

You can get the crystal clear version of this case for $10, or a smoky black version for just $11, with the cases in stock by June 8.

See at Amazon

TUDIA Heavy Duty Slim Fit Case

For those looking for a heavy duty case with a minimalist look, this case from TUDIA will check your boxes.

This two-layer case will keep your phone protected with a form-fitted TPU sleeve that’s reinforced with a polycarbonate shell to keep your phone protected. Raised edges around the display and the camera keep those safe from scratches, too, and there are precise cutouts around the ports and speakers.

Available for $11, you can get this case in your choice of four color styles.

See at Amazon

Which case do you plan to get?

Let us know how you plan to keep your OnePlus 6 protected in the comments below!

OnePlus 6

• OnePlus 6 review
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T: How much changes in six months?
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?
• These are the official OnePlus 6 cases
• The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint
• Join the discussion in the forums

Blu Pure View review

LISTEN TO: Our latest podcast!

Whereas the spring and early summer is when most phone companies introduce their flagship devices, others tend to deliver products along the rest of the spectrum. For every killer handset launched there are likely a dozen models in the entry level and mid-range.

Such it the case with the Pure View, Blu’s newest phone. With a standard retail price expected to be $199.99, it competes with the likes of the Moto G5 Plus and some of Nokia’s latest.

EDITOR NOTE: At launch the Blu Pure View comes with a steep $70 discount, putting it at just $129.99 for the phone.

Additionally, we’ve had the review unit in our possession for roughly one week prior to publication. This will be updated to reflect any changes in opinion.

Although it’s not exactly a successor to any other products, it definitely fits in Blu’s scheme of things. Similar to its other brethren of 2018, it’s an unlocked handset which works with either AT&T or T-Mobile’s networks as well as any of their respective MVNO brands.

For those of you living outside of the US, the globally unlocked device works with Orange, Vodafone, and other service providers. It is a dual-SIM phone meaning you can pull service from two carriers at once. Those who travel will also appreciate the peace of mind in allowing for a temporary SIM card.

First Impressions

Let’s get to it. What’s missing or wrong with the Pure View? Surely you can’t have a killer experience for just $200, right? Well, at first glance it’s not unlike the other Blu phones from the last few months. Does that mean it cuts corners? Yes. Does that mean it’s a good value for its money? Yep.

Getting into the box we find headphones, a microUSB charger, a silicon protective case, and a sticker. A screen protector is already installed so you don’t have to mess with bubbles or off-centered placement.

The headphones tell us we’ve got a 3.5mm headphone jack, a good sign. The microUSB charger signals Blu’s sticking with the older plug standard. Ehh. We’ve griped about this on other models from Blu and don’t like it in our flagships. It’s passable here if only because of the price point.

The phone feels solid, albeit a little on the heavier side of things. The metal housing and 5.7-inch design lead us to view it “dense”. Speaking of which, the very moment you touch the rear of the phone you are adding fingerprints and smudges. Yikes. The review unit we have is black and it really looks terrible in the wrong (right) lighting.

The silicon protective case is nice in that it keeps you from scratching and scuffing the phone. It likely won’t withstand a drop any better than going without, but we appreciate the gesture.

Hardware

In terms of layout, it’s pretty much like any other model you’ve seen from the last year or so. The volume rocker and power button are on the right side of the display; there’s no knurling present on the power but they are spaced out well enough that you’re not accidentally powering off instead of turning volume down.

The microUSB port, single speaker, and 3.5mm headphone jack are on the bottom of the phone while the SIM card slots/microSD card slot are at the very top. A slight departure from other Blu models, but nothing crazy like moving the charger to the top.

The dual-camera setup is off to the left of the earpiece while an indicator light blinks to the right of it. Around back you’ll locate the camera with the fingerprint sensor just below. It’s in a nice position and stands out, but we recommend feeling for it from the bottom up. In other words, start by swiping your finger lower and moving upwards. At least until you get the feel for it, otherwise you’ll put smears on the camera lens.

The phone feels like a nice blend of “premium” and “affordability”. It’s nothing overly sexy or sleek, but we’ve felt much more generic builds. In an era where a lot of companies are delivering unique colors, the black is a little uninspiring.

Key Specifications

• Android v7.0 Nougat
• Mediatek 6753 | 1.3GHz Quad Core Processor with Mali-T720
• 32GB Internal Storage with microSD (up to 64GB)
• 3GB RAM Memory
• 5.7-inch 720 x 1,440 pixel display
• 13-megapixel rear camera
• Dual 8-megapixel front-facing cameras
• 3,000mAh battery
• Network:
  • 3G: 850/900/1700/1900/2100
  • 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/7/12/17/28

Build & Design

The Pure View comes with a 5.7-inch display which is pretty much what you’ll get in most mid-range phones of the day. With the 18:9 aspect ratio it feels slender and comfortable in hand. The resolution is just 720 x 1,449 pixels which counts as HD, but it’s lower than what most companies are doing at around the same price.

We don’t take much issue the resolution at this price point. Fortunately for us, screen resolution is an area where it’s hard for the average person to discern the differences in casual usage.

Reading text is fine for the most part, and images and video play as well as we’d like. Keeping in mind that a lot of content is streamed at lower resolutions by default, we’re content with it. Remember that many carriers will adjust video streams to “DVD quality” or 480 pixels. In other words that’s lower than what the screen offers.

Lower resolution displays keep the cost down, but also help to extend battery life. Do note that if you plan to use your phone in a VR headset, you will see the difference. At that distance and magnification you would certainly notice all the little dots – or lack thereof.

Camera

The Pure View offers up a 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture. On paper it should allow for a decent amount of light in and take  When it comes to indoor and low lighting conditions we found the phone really struggled. Taking pictures in dark rooms and using the flash produced a shocking amount of white and simply too much light.

To be fair, we didn’t set out thinking the phone was going to handle very well in those conditions. It doesn’t take long to figure out what a camera’s limitations are and what you can (and can’t) get from it. Having spent plenty of time with other Blu phones, we have a pretty good idea where things will end up with the Pure View.

You’ll get the best results when you don’t rely on HDR or can when you can hold the phone very still. Still life, like food or scenery, come across nicely, especially if you tweak them through a filter.

Around front we have two cameras in the form of a pair of 8-megapixel shooters. One of them grabs wide angle images at 120 degrees so it’s perfect for group selfies or when you want to grab the background in your group shots.

There’s not a lot going on with the camera app itself and really leaves us wanting more. We dig minimalism and not being spoon-fed instructions, but this was rough.

You’ll get what you assume is six shooting modes for the rear with four modes for front-facing shots. With only icons to signal what they are, you get QR reader, HDR, panoramic, night, beauty, and automatic for the rear. Or, you can tap the arrow on the left side of the screen and nine filters. Here’s where you get sepia tone, negative, posterize, and other, similar settings. Why “filtered” wasn’t included among the modes is beyond us.

As expected, HDR pictures take longer to snap and process. We like to shoot as much as possible in HDR so it was hard for us to keep that off. Automatic modes delivers lower overall quality, including color accuracy and vibrancy.

For whatever reason, we found the camera struggled with adding white and brightness to images where it didn’t exist. Many of the pic we took ended up with more washed out and weird treatment of white. Using the flash really dials it up; it’s very stark and harsh when used in low light settings.

Given the cost of the Pure View, we were okay with the end results. Nothing we had popped out to where we were excited to share, but it’s decent enough for social media and quick sharing.

Much of what we do with our photos tends to live in the cloud or are viewed from mobile devices; tweak your pictures in an app, upload to social media, and that’s about it. If that sounds like you, the Pure View works respectably.

Software

One of things we’ve come to like from Blu is that its phones are pretty much untouched builds of Android. That’s the same here with the Pure View as it’s almost strictly Google apps with a small mix of apps sprinkled in. Other than that, and throughout the experience, it’s about the same look and feel that you get straight from Google.

In a departure from other Blu models, the first time you start up the Pure View you are greeted with a custom app interface. It’s here where you’ll have the so-called opportunity to install apps and games before going about the final setup.

It’s a small curated selection with decent titles (Snapchat, Netflix, Uber, Waze, Feedly, etc.) and you’re not forced to pick anything. We’re betting that one or two of the apps offered help to keep the cost down on the phone. Nevertheless, expect to see it upon the first few screens.

As for pre-loaded software, our review unit had Amazon, Prime Video, Sound Recorder, and Opera mixed with the full suite of Google apps and services. Google titles include Drive, Duo, Calendar, Gmail, Messages, Maps, Photos, YouTube, Play Music, Play Movies & TV, and the Play Store.

The View Plus runs Android 7.0 Nougat, which is technically two full versions behind what’s available today, if you count P beta. Most models released now run 8.0 Oreo out of the box, be it standard, Android One, or Android Go. It would have been nice to have here.

How much does that matter to the target demographic? Probably not as much as it does to fanboys, enthusiasts, and Android loyalists. Average users likely don’t know Android releases from one iteration to the next.

One feeling we often echo for low-cost devices, or those from Blu, is that you might want to consider the device “as is” when it comes to software. More specifically, you ought not look for Android updates. We’re left wondering why they went with 7.0 especially this late in the game and considering they’ve had 8.0 on other devices.

With that said, Android 7.0 still means much of the latest in protection from Google; the design principles and UI is largely on par with everything else. Sure, the stuff in 8.0 is more finely tuned and a little more customizable, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Moreover, it’s newer than what a lot of current Android users have today.

For what it’s worth, we noticed that this had the Android security patch dated from March 5, 2018. As long as security, malware, and other threats are dealt with in a timely or orderly fashion it shouldn’t prove to be much of an issue.

Performance

We’ve only had the review unit in our possession for about one week. With that said, we have not had the chance to truly put the phone through its paces. Specifically, we didn’t set this up as a daily driver or install the full set of apps and accounts that normally touch our phones.

We did install a handful of games and a couple of must-have apps that we like to keep close at hand. With about 8GB of the 32GB accounted for out of the box, you’ve got around 24GB of internal space to work with. Don’t forget the microSD card for media like photos and music as well as other apps

We’re generally used to having phones with 4GB of memory and higher end processors. How does that equate so far with the Pure View? It certainly gets the job done, particularly if your demands are minimal.

Hopping to and from emails, messaging, and various social media is no problem for this phone. Watching videos, casual gaming, browsing through Chrome, and doing the “everyday” was as expected.

Given the specifications, and our experiences with other Blu devices with similar hardware, we don’t see any issue for the target demographic. If you’re a heavy user, you won’t even look in this direction. If you’re new to smartphones, or are replacing something that’s a few years old, this is a great solution.

Conclusion

As we see with pretty much everything Blu does, the Pure View balances affordability and performance. It comes with an attractive price tag, has the hot new aspect ratio, and a decent set of hardware.

On the other hand, there are a few questionable choices. Why no USB Type C or Android 8.0? What’s with that setup screen that asks us to install apps right out of the gate? Why no other color besides black? Small stuff on their own, yes, but they do add up.

We’ve got no problem recommending the Pure View, especially in its early days where it’s discounted by $70. We don’t know how long that price will last, but it is expected to go up to $199.99. Obviously we like it much better at $129.99; perhaps $169.99 might be a better long-term sticker.

If you’re in the market for an unlocked phone, or have a tighter budget to work with, consider the Blu Pure View. Moreover, if you’re looking to pick up something for a young teen on AT&T, T-Mobile, or their prepaid networks, this is a decent starting place.

Apple fans shouldn’t expect new MacBooks at WWDC this year

Stephen Lam/Stringer/Getty Images

A new report suggests that Apple won’t be announcing any new hardware this coming Monday, June 4 at WWDC.

Apple’s WWDC is a developers conference, but it’s often used as a platform to launch new hardware. Sometimes it’s new iPads, iPhones, MacBooks, iMacs, or even a new Apple Watch or HomePod. But according to this new report from Bloomberg, that won’t be the case this year.

Rather than being product-focused, the emphasis of the event will be on software updates to iOS and MacOS, as well as an overhaul to ARKit. The report details that we’ll get a new mode in ARKit 2.0 that allows two people to play AR games against each other in the same environment on their iPhones. Sounds cool, but again, just don’t expect an announcement about that rumored AR headset we’ve been hearing about for years now.

Bloomberg’s piece doesn’t claim any specific sources, but it’s in line with other recent reporting on the matter, suggesting that the update to the entire MacBook lineup will happen in late 2018 — rather than at WWDC. On the other hand, Apple could give us the CPU bump we’ve been waiting for in MacBook Pros, without needing much of an announcement.

On the laptop side of things in particular, we’ve been waiting for news on refreshed MacBook Pros, as well a redesigned entry-level MacBook Air. The current MacBook Air has been ignored for years, while continuing to sell well for Apple as a budget-friendly entry-point into the Apple ecosystem. In the meantime, looks like we’ll have to keep waiting.

One interesting tidbit from the report is a mention of more interplay between iOS and MacOS. Bloomberg claims that the “focus this year will be on integrating more deeply with iOS.” We doubt that Apple will be ready to introduce iOS apps to the Mac or anything like that, we’d be delighted to hear about some more meaningful integration between the two platforms. With even Twitter pulling its official Mac out of the App Store, it’s really time for Apple to re-convince developers that it’s worth putting resources into.

The keynote to the event starts on Monday, June 4 at 10 a.m. PT, and we’ll be watching it live on our Twitch channel starting Monday morning.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s what to expect at Apple’s WWDC 2018: iOS 12, iPhone SE 2, and more
• Apple Store hints you shouldn’t buy a new MacBook Pro until after WWDC
• Apple could be secretly working on an ARM-based, touchscreen computer
• At WWDC 2018, Apple to show off its latest software innovations
• Apple is launching a pride Apple Watch face on June 4 — but you can get it now

50,000 Las Vegas workers set to strike, demand protection from robots

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but a strike planned by hospitality workers across Sin City could plunge its bright lights and late nights into functional darkness, and inspire similar demonstrations across the nation.

Among the demands of the 50,000 members of the Culinary Workers Union are higher wages, better job security, and protections against automation. The workers, whose contracts are up on June 1, are employed by more than 30 of the city’s renowned resorts.

“We know that many hospitality jobs are slated to be automated in the next coming years, so we want to make sure that we’re innovative and thinking about how we can protect workers and their jobs,” Bethany Khan, director of communications at the Culinary Workers Union, told Digital Trends. “Our automation and technology proposals deal with protecting workers. We know technology is coming and we want to make sure that workers are protected and have a say in how technology is implemented in their workplace.”

The real-world impact of automation is tough to understate. In the decade after 2000, robots and A.I. were responsible for about 87 percent of jobs lost in the United States, according to one study. American jobs as a whole face cutbacks of 38 percent by 2030, according to another. The issue is significant enough for the Executive Office of the President put together a 55-page report outlining how technologies like A.I. And robotics could displace millions of workers.

Automation is also likely to affect workers across the board. Both blue-collar jobs, such as truckers and hospitality workers, and white-collar ones, such as attorneys and financial advisors, are at risk.

Workers in hospitality have already felt the impact of these changes, as fast food restaurants and hotels have increasingly implemented automated systems, from ordering screens to self-check-ins. There are also behind the scenes cases, the ones customers don’t directly interact with, that may increase efficiency but decrease employment opportunities.

“There’s all kinds of ways robots and automation are impacting the workplace,” Khan said. “It’s already doing that for prep-cooks, for example. They used to prepare the food to go into the main dish, but now much of that is prepared off sight in factories.”

For members of the Culinary Workers Union, this strike isn’t so much a show of outright opposition to technology as it is an effort to integrate disruptive tech into a compatible role with humans.

“We think technology can be supportive and we want to make sure that we can grow with technology,” Khan said. “Technology can enhance the customer and guest experience, and employers really face the dilemma — they can either have technology be supportive in the workplace or be responsible for mass layoffs that can impact the entire hospitality economy.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Flippy gets fired: Burger bot shut down after one day on the job
• Construction companies are welcoming their new robot workers
• Does Project Maven’s use of Google’s A.I. tech violate ‘Don’t Be Evil’ credo?
• IBM breaks law by allegedly firing older workers for young ones, report says
• Apple and Volkswagen are reportedly partnering to build self-driving vans