New patent reveals Apple is continuing to work on waterproof iPhones

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made a new patent available to the public that suggests Apple is continuing to work on waterproofing its iPhone, Apple Insider reports. The patent shows the company might be working on accessories for its smartphones that would prevent water from entering the device.

Specifically listed as “Sealed accessories for electronic devices,” the abstract explains the patent as a connector that creates a “liquid-tight seal” when attached to the electronic device. These accessories have the ability to function normally even when in wet, moist, or dirty environments.

Rather than making the iPhone port waterproof, the patent showcases ways Apple could use elements of the connector to create the seal within the port. The document states this seal will be what protects the electronic device against “the harmful ingress of water” — which will allow for it to have an IP68 rating.

While the document doesn’t state exactly which electronic devices the accessories will apply to, the next-generation of iPhones and iPads could possibly come with the new certification. This means the devices would be capable of being immersed in 1.5 meters of water for about 30 minutes.

Apple first began waterproofing its devices with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Since then, it’s done the same with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X — all of which have an IP67 rating. But with that rating, iPhones can survive in one meter of water for about 30 minutes. An IP68 rating would make Apple’s next lineup of smartphones its most water-resistant yet.

For now, our pick for the best waterproof phone is Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S9, which boasts the same IP68 certification Apple is rumored to include. Its predecessor, the Galaxy S8, also included the same rating.

The patent from Apple isn’t the only one to crop up this month. Earlier in June, the company’s roundup of patents seemed to focus more on the design of the future iPhone. This includes the removal of the notch from the 2019 iPhone in an effort to embed sensors in the display itself. Another patent relates to manufacturing ceramic iPhone bodies in multiple colors, which could alter the way future iPhones look.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here are the best waterproof phones you can buy right now
• Waterproof iPhone 7 cases let you surf, swim, or splash without fear
• Apple could make MagSafe a reality on USB-C MacBooks if it really wanted
• iPhone X: Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s best phone yet
• How does fast charging work? Here’s every single standard compared

Intel’s powerful new 8-core processor could land in desktops this September

Intel may have some powerful processors in the works that are slated to arrive this fall. After revealing plans to debut a high-end, premium processor with 28 cores at Computex, Intel may be working on a more powerful option for mainstream desktop users with eight cores of computing power.

The Intel processor roadmap was pieced together by PC Watch, which is citing intelligence gathered from discussions with Intel’s original equipment manufacturing partners rather directly with Intel’s own executives, so the accuracy of the timeline is uncertain. “First of all, I am not directly listening to the roadmap from Intel,” PC Watch cautioned in its reporting. “Therefore, please be aware of the possibility that this article may be inaccurate.”

The eight-core consumer desktop processor is said to arrive as part of Intel’s planned Coffee Lake refresh in September and not on the Coffee Lake-S family, TechRadar reported. Coffee Lake Refresh will expand on Intel’s 2017 launch of Coffee Lake, which at the time delivered up to a maximum of six cores. Moving to an eight-core product will help Intel stay competitive against rival AMD and its Ryzen 2 processors with a maximum of 32 cores.

But before Intel could introduce its eight-core consumer processor, it still has to work out details on how it will address the prosumer market. The Coffee Lake refresh is expected to arrive first in July in the form of the Xeon E processor, but that desktop processor only has four cores.

Enthusiasts who need the most powerful PCs can look forward to Intel’s Basin Fall refresh, which will come with 22 cores. The Basin Fall refresh is expected to arrive around September and adds four additional cores to Intel’s current 18-core Core i9-7980XE flagship. This new chip could either be part of the Skylake-X or Kaby Lake-X family, but comes with a new socket design. This means you would need a new motherboard to upgrade.

Looking ahead into the second part of 2019, Intel may be launching a new Cascade Lake-X family for the high-end desktop market.

In addition to working on more powerful processors, Intel is also looking at making its own GPU to compete against Nvidia and AMD. In discussions with analysts, Intel revealed that its discrete GPUs could arrive as early as 2020, Marketwatch reported.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Intel’s 10nm CPU finally makes it to retail in a refreshed Lenovo IdeaPad laptop
• Sony’s next PlayStation may have an AMD Ryzen processor
• Intel shows off world’s first six-core mobile CPUs, adds Optane to everything
• Benchmarks show the next wave of Intel desktop processors are on the way
• HP’s mainstream Pavilion PCs refreshed with latest AMD Ryzen, Intel Core CPUs

Google’s Pixelbook could soon natively support booting into Windows 10

If you don’t want Chrome OS on Google’s Pixelbook, Windows 10 may become a native operating system alternative. Evidence of Windows 10’s eventual support appear in Chrome OS commits and code-reviews listing Microsoft’s Windows Hardware Certification and its Windows Hardware Lab Kit. Both are used to certify devices for Microsoft’s platform. 

The news arrives after an AltOS mode appeared in Chrome OS, indicating that Google has plans to support an alternative operating system on Pixelbooks. AltOS appeared in a new branch called Eve-Campfire, with Eve serving as the codename for Google’s Pixelbook. The code indicated that the laptop would eventually allow owners to boot into a different operating system if installed, but there was no indication about a specific platform. 

What’s strange about supporting Windows 10 on a Pixelbook is that the device is somewhat anti-Windows. Google set out to create a Windows alternative that heavily relies on web-based apps, meaning there’s nothing on your end to install and consume storage space. Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system that promises speedy performance, high security, and affordable devices. 

Since the initial launch of Chrome OS, the platform has matured, supporting Google Play and Android apps, and appearing on high-end machines like Google’s own Pixelbook. But in an age where Intel and AMD are teaming up to produce all-in-one chips and Radeon graphics co-exist with Nvidia GPUs in a single laptop, booting into Windows 10 on a Pixelbook shouldn’t be quite so surprising. 

Yet the news is surprising given the rivalry between Google and Microsoft. But the search giant apparently acknowledges Microsoft’s dominance in the PC market even though Google’s Chrome OS commands a large chunk of the educational sector. If you’re likely reading this story on a Windows 10 PC, why not do so via Windows 10 installed on Google’s hardware? 

Google is seemingly attempting to cram four worlds into one flagship laptop. In addition to dual-boot support for Windows 10 and Android apps running natively on the device, Chrome OS will support Linux-based apps too starting with the Pixelbook. Technically, Chrome OS and Android are based on the Linux core (aka kernel), but much like what Google is doing with Android apps, Linux applications will simply run in a virtual container on the platform without any major modifications. 

Google introduced its Pixelbook in October 2017. It’s a “premium” Chromebook packing a 17.3-inch screen with a 2400 x 1600 resolution powered by a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, depending on the configuration. It also includes up to 16GB of system memory, up to 512GB of storage, and a 41WHr battery promising up to 10 hours on a single charge. The starting price is $999, though Google recently knocked $250 off the price, possibly as a Father’s Day promotion.

We didn’t see any hints of a new Pixelbook during Google’s developer conference in May. But we can picture the next-generation model appearing this fall sporting an updated version of Chrome OS capable of booting into Windows 10. The updated platform may become available during that time for the original Pixelbook too. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Would you buy a Pixelbook if it could boot into Windows and Chrome OS?
• Chrome OS notification center redesign borrows from Windows 10 Action Center
• Windows 10 vs. MacOS vs. Chrome OS
• Chromebooks will start to feel more like Windows, but in a good way
• Here’s everything we know about the Microsoft Surface Phone

Best Screen Protectors for the Galaxy Note 8 in 2018

What are the best screen protectors for keeping my Galaxy Note 8 scratch-free?

The Galaxy Note 8 is a pretty marvelous phone. With a slightly larger screen than the Galaxy S9+, it’s Samsung’s biggest phone ever, s you’re going to want to keep that screen in pristine condition.

More often than not, your best choice for a screen protector is a tempered glass option, but phones with curved edges like the Note 8 can cause issues. Several users in the Galaxy Note 8 forum have reported adhesion issues with some of the tempered screen protectors here. Others have complained that both tempered glass and film screen protectors drastically change the feel of using the S-Pen.

It’s all a matter of trying out a few different styles and seeing what works best for you and the other accessories you may have. Let’s dive in!

• Whitestone Dome Glass Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• BodyGuardz Pure Arc Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy Note 8
• Spigen NeoFlex Screen Protector for the Galaxy Note 8 [2-pack]
• LK Flexible TPU Screen Protectors for Galaxy Note 8 [3-pack]
• IQ Shield LiQuidSkin Full Coverage Screen Protector

Whitestone Dome Glass Tempered Glass Screen Protector

This one was recommended by a contingent in the Note 8 forums and was a popular option for the Galaxy S8. The Whitestone Dome Glass uses a special UV machine (included) and a liquid adhesive during installation that manages to achieve full-screen adhesion where other screen protectors might only adhere around the edges.

It’s a premium option all around that’s compatible with more rigid cases or ones that don’t touch the front glass at all. It goes on crystal clear and shouldn’t affect your touch sensitivity at all. Most importantly it’s tough enough to take the abuse of a drop so your phone’s screen doesn’t.

It’s a $45 accessory, but it comes with that little UV machine for installing it and is arguably your best bet if you’re serious about protecting your Note 8 above all else.

See at Amazon

BodyGuardz Pure Arc Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Another quality tempered glass option comes from BodyGuardz. This one was recommended in the forums as the brand has a solid track record for making tempered glass screen protectors for curved screens.

The adhesive is around the edges of the screen protector, so you’ll need to make sure to apply pressure around the edges and not the center. The kit comes with a cleaning cloth for the screen and installation instructions. It’ll work with BodyGuardz cases and OtterBoxes, but you’ll want to be careful testing other makes.

This is a premium product that’s usually sold for $40, but is currently available for just $25. Backed by a lifetime replacement guarantee along with a 30-day money back guarantee, it’s a great option if you’re on the fence about tempered glass screen protectors.

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amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Galaxy Note 8

Tempered glass is typically your best bet for a screen protector, but the curved edges of most new phones make it difficult for accessory makers to deliver full edge-to-edge protection. amFilm has a tempered glass solution which uses slightly curved slabs to achieve the perfect fit for the Note 8.

You receive everything you need for clean and accurate installation, including an installation guide tray along with the prerequisite wet/dry wipes and dust removal stickers. The adhesive portion of the screen protector is around the edges with a dot matrix on the display itself which helps maintain the touch sensitivity so you can use your finger or S-Pen flawlessly.

You can order this kit for just $12.

See at Amazon

Spigen NeoFlex Screen Protector for the Galaxy Note 8 (2-pack)

Spigen typically offers a quality line of tempered glass screen protectors for the latest flagship phones, but for the Note 8 they’ve opted for a flexible screen protector made of TPU.

It’s a wet installation here, which typically guarantees reliable adhesion without any bubbles or that dreaded halo or rainbow effect. Spigen gives you everything you need for a perfect installation — a dust removal sticker, the solution spray, a silicone squeeze card. You also get two screen protectors, and that’s important because non-tempered glass screen protectors are more prone to collecting scratches. Let the NeoFlex take the daily abuse and wear and tear, so your Note 8 screen does not, then replace it with the back up when it’s time for a fresh start.

If you have any issues with the installation process or the quality of the screen, Spigen offers a lifetime warranty on its products, so reach out to them, and they’ll gladly send out a new one. As you’d expect, these $9 screen protectors are case friendly, and Spigen recommends installing them with your case on the phone for the best fit.

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LK Flexible TPU Screen Protectors for Galaxy Note 8 [3-pack]

LK offers the best value with a 3-pack of screen protectors made of TPU and PET materials for just $8. It’s a dry installation here, so there’s no need to mess with messy spray. They are case-compatible and easy to install if you follow the included instructions. LK (which stands for Lightning Knight) backs their products with a lifetime warranty and no-hassle replacements which is super rad.

While other screen protectors have a big cutout around the top for the front-facing camera and ear speaker, LK has opted for precise cutouts around each which should help you when lining things up. If you mess up, simply try again with one of the included spares — that’s the benefit of buying your screen protectors in bulk.

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IQ Shield LiQuidSkin Full Coverage Screen Protector

If your biggest pet peeve with using a screen protector is that they don’t provide full-screen protection and they’re too tricky to install perfectly, you’ll want to check out the IQ Shield LiQuidSkin screen protector for the Note 8.

This is a flexible film screen protector that only leaves a fraction of a millimeter gap around the edge of the screen. It’s a wet-install method which is a little more involved than other film options, but if you spend the time and get it right using the included installation guide, you should be left with outstanding scratch protection for your phone.

IQ Shield backs all their products with a lifetime replacement warranty and guarantees that you’ll be satisfied with their product. Available for just $8, you don’t have much to lose here.

See at Amazon

Do you go naked?

Protecting an expensive new phone makes sense to us, but we always hear from those who swear they don’t need a screen protector. Got any near-miss stories? Ever had a screen protector saved the day on a nasty drop? We want to know in the comments!

Updated June 2018: The BodyGuardz tempered glass screen protector is on sale for just $25! Its a great option for your Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy S8+
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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Portable SSDs, Nokia smartwatches, and more are all discounted today

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

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on the Samsung T5 portable SSD, Nokia’s hybrid smartwatch, the Uncharted Trilogy art book, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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!

RAVPower’s $35 22000mAh portable battery charger can charge three devices at once

Gimme the juice!

The RAVPower USB-C 22000mAh portable battery charger is down to $34.99 on Amazon. It normally sells for $50 and hasn’t dropped this low before.

This charger comes with three ports: two USB-A iSmart outputs that reach 2.4 amps, and one 3A USB-C port. All three can work simultaneously. It uses a microUSB input to charge and has LED lights to let you know how much power is left. The USB-C port works as both input and output so you can recharge twice as fast. Plus, it works with a variety of devices, including Apple MacBooks and Android phones.

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Google’s Digital Wellbeing initiative: Everything you need to know

Here’s how Google is helping you take back control of your digital life.

At Google I/O 2018, Google announced Digital Wellbeing. It’s a brand new approach to OS and app development that’ll equip users with tools to help them find a better balance between their digital and real worlds.

Is it a new app? Is it Android P’s killer feature? Will it make you feel better and solve world peace all at the same time? We answer all those questions and more for you right here.

What’s Digital Wellbeing?

Digital Wellbeing is Google’s initiative to help you understand your tech usage and help take back control of your life if that’s something you feel you need. It’s a combination of many things, including data and insight, tools, apps, content, and more, all of which are designed to help you put the living part of life back into perspective.

It’s not just one app or one feature. It’s an entire idea. It’s a lifestyle change. It’s identifying and accepting the problem that mobile technology can and does command a ton of our attention in ways that can be unhealthy. Digital Wellbeing, then, is just one part of a bigger home remedy to help treat that root issue.

Why is Google doing this?

The harsh effects of too much internet and smartphone usage have long been talked about, with smartphones commanding more and more of our attention as the years roll on. Recent studies show an uptick in smartphone usage correlating with increased mental health issues in teens, such as depression.

This phenomenon is believed to be driven primarily by the prominence of social media, with folks spending less time living their own lives to try and check in with everyone else’s. It’s what’s generally referred to as “FOMO,” or the “fear of missing out.”

It’s about helping you get back to what’s important: your life.

It’s that feeling you get when you see everyone’s at a party having a good time while you’re at home studying, or when your relatives send a “Wish You Were Here!” postcard from their dreamy vacation destination. FOMO typically manifests as anxiety those affected, a common ailment that can open the way to clinical depression and other mental health issues.

The effects of FOMO are a real concern in today’s society, and smartphones and social media seemingly amplify those effects thanks to our ability to stay connected all day and digest the happenings of our favorite people, things, and media with the tap of a button.

And that’s what the Digital Wellbeing initiative aims to address. Google believes that technology should only be used to help improve your life, and not be the absolute center of it. Whether you agree is up to you to decide.

To their credit, Google’s homework suggests over 70% of smartphone users are looking for help in this area. Even if they’re off by half that mark, it’s enough to warrant an entire shift in the way they approach smartphone and app development.

Of course, Android being the world’s dominant mobile OS means much of their work in this area will become tangible through updates to the system software and their various apps. Here’s how Android will change in that regard.

How will Android help me?

While you’re obviously in control of your feelings, emotions, and life, Google wants to spread awareness about the issue at least, and for those who decide they want or need a little help disconnecting, they will build apps, services, and features to make it easier. Here’s how Android is changing to help you.

Dashboard keeps you informed

It begins with the app dashboard, a new feature coming as part of Android P.

The dashboard gives you an overview of your daily digital activity. It includes the overall time you spend using your phone, the time you spent within reach individual app, and how many notifications you get from those apps.

You can view all of this data by various time periods, so you’ll get a good breakdown whether you’re just interested in one particular hour or an entire week.

At its highest level, the dashboard is merely here to inform you of your habits, but if you want to take action, then it makes it easy to find the features that’ll help you curb your usage.

Your digital nanny keeps you in check

So, you’ve taken the data from the dashboard and found that you spend way too much time on Facebook during work. What now?

This is where what we like to call your “app nanny” steps in. This feature allows you to set time limits or restrict usage of apps to specific times of the day on a per-app basis to keep yourself in check. When you hit your limit, the app icon is greyed out and inaccessible.

Do Not Disturb mode evolved

Another useful feature coming in Android P is even more aggressive notification control. You can now completely hide all notifications when you enter Do Not Disturb mode.

There’s also a brand new Wind Down mode. It lets you automatically turn on a blue light or grayscale filter. The former is designed to reduce eyestrain to help you get to sleep at night, while Google’s thinking with the grayscale is that you won’t feel so compelled to use your phone if it doesn’t have those things called “colors” which stimulate our brains.

It will be possible to turn your phone onto its face and have it automatically enter Do Not Disturb mode. It’s not that it’s incredibly difficult to do it already — in fact, you could even have it activated automatically once the clock strikes your preferred hour — but having a simple and intuitive gesture like this will make it easy to enable Do Not Disturb on the fly.

Android Oreo’s notification features are still here

All of the above is in addition to notification channels, the granular notification controls that came as part of the Android 8.0 Oreo update. You can easily disable notifications for an entire app, but this feature allows you to specify which category of notifications you want to receive in any given app, so you can choose to be notified of nothing but direct messages on Twitter if you so wish.

What’s more is that you can also set the priority of those notifications which will let you specify how much of an alert you’ll get when there’s something new. It could be limited to something as simple as a card in your notifications shade for less pertinent things, while more critical notifications can come in with sound and vibration.

What’s changing with YouTube?

YouTube was Google’s first example of apps which can tap into the data and controls offered by the dashboard. As with overall app usage, YouTube can show you exactly how long you’ve been watching a video.

The app also allows you to set a reminder to take a break after you’ve watched a certain amount of video, and you can even get your subscription notifications delivered to you as a scheduled periodic digest, so you’re not constantly being badgered to watch the latest content from your favorite creators.

How to turn on YouTube’s reminders to stop watching videos

What other tools will Google offer for this purpose?

The truth is that Google has been ebbing toward this play for quite some time, with many of their apps already exhibiting traits of Digital Wellbeing. For instance, Gmail and Inbox already have things like bundled notifications, priority inboxes, and smart replies. Google Photos’ AI-driven library management already helps keep your photo albums organized. Android already lets you snooze your notifications to handle them at a later time.

That’s not to mention the benefits of using Android Auto while driving or using the Google Assistant to automate your life using your voice. All of that stuff is still here, and they’re likely to be refined over time as the bigger picture of this thing comes into focus.

It’s all about family, too

Google’s macro vision for Digital Wellbeing is to help you find balance in your life and your family, so family controls will be an even more significant part of what they do. Family Link is the central point of that realm. It gives parents the ability to monitor and manage their kids’ devices, whether that’s seeing which apps they’ve downloaded and how long they use those apps.

Parents will continue to get controls to manage screen time, set bedtime schedules, remotely lock devices, and approve or deny app downloads and purchases. In the future, they’ll also get recommendations on education contents to keep their kids learning.

And then there’s still the child-friendly YouTube Kids, Google WiFi’s higher level network management (just in case they’ve gone and found some way to circumvent that Family Link stuff), and digital edutainment content Google will continue to push.

Will Digital Wellbeing improve my life?

That’s up to you. Google is merely providing the data and tools. Ultimately, you make your own decisions about what is and isn’t important to you, and about how you use the products you own and services to which you’re subscribed.

There’s no pressure to change the way you go about your days. No one is forcing you to give up your morning meal of cereal and Facebook. If you love keeping up with friends and family on social media all day and it makes you happy, that’s OK. All of these features are there if you need them and completely out of the way if you don’t.

Will Apple do the same thing?

They sure will. Apple announced new digital wellness features for iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2018. Like Google, the company is giving the users tools to understand how they use their phone, as well as features to help them take back a little control.

The Do Not Disturb feature on iPhone and iPad devices with iOS 12 will follow Android’s in that it’ll look to hide notifications during times you specify. It’ll go a step further by also hiding those notifications when you first wake up and instead “easing” you into your day by showing you little by little.

An element of AI-driven suggestions for notification controls will arrive, too. Siri can suggest apps whose notifications you may safely turn off based on how often you use them. And if you’d rather not completely shut them off, it can instead opt to deliver them quietly. This is akin to the notification channels feature in Android that lets you rank notification types by priority and set different alert types based on your preferences. iOS 12 will also finally bring in grouped notifications. Before, notifications belonging to the same app still came in as their own individual card, something that can quickly get out of hand and overwhelm you.

And like Android, iOS is giving users an overview of how they use their phones called Screen Time. It’ll include how much time they use each app, with the high-level view being sorted by app category. It’ll even show how much higher or lower you are compared to the average user. Alarmed at what you find? App Limits can force your hand by ensuring you can’t use apps at specific intervals or time periods.

Parents will also get more control over their kids’ devices, with them gaining the ability to monitor their usage and set time constraints. You can even completely block your kids from using the phone at night, so they’ll have no choice but to go to bed (or find some other devious activities to get into when they should be sleeping).

As you can see, Apple took some cues from Google and Android in pushing the importance of digital wellbeing, and they’ve even gone a bit further in some areas that we wished Google had thought of. We’re not going to get into the game of whether it’s copying. No matter whose features came first, we should be glad that they’re feeding off each other to make these devices more sane for all of us. Even if their motivations may not be totally pure and their intentions not clearly realized, this is a good thing for everyone.

When is Digital Wellbeing available?

Would you believe us if we told you that Digital Wellbeing is available right now? Android Oreo has notification channels and snoozing. Gmail and Inbox have snooze and smart reply features, as well as priority inbox and notification bundling. There’s a Do Not Disturb feature on most phones today.

Digital Wellbeing begins with you. Today. Right now.

Even tighter notification control in YouTube can already be accomplished by managing individual alerts for each channel you subscribe to, and the changes announced at Google I/O will are already live in the YouTube app.

Long story short, Digital Wellbeing is already pretty much in full effect if you want it to be. The lone prerequisite here is that you have to want to disconnect. You could do that with actions as simple as clearing out your notifications tray. I can’t tell you how many times I avoided an anxiety-inducing trip down the digital rabbit hole by declaring that the 30 or so notifications living in my status bar at any given time are not that important.

To that end, Digital Wellbeing is less of a feature and more of an ideology, and it truly begins with you. Google will most certainly continue updating and building apps with these core principles in mind, with the company looking to employ unique approaches to the concept appropriate for each respective service.

And they’ll encourage third-party developers to do the same thing. There will be APIs for tapping into all this new data so developers can equip you with the information and means to block out all the extra noise these apps can create. There’s no telling how long it will be before your favorite apps follow suit, or whether they’ll do so at all. But history tells us developers will eventually take their cues from Google, so be sure to submit your feature requests and feedback to them if this is important to you.

That being said, there are some cool features coming specifically as part of Android P as it will serve as the spiritual launching pad for everything, with the forthcoming OS update tying it all together through the dashboard and further development of these wellness features. The ultimate goal here is to make these tools easier to find, use, and understand, and your decisions will be backed by real insight and metrics on how you use your device.

You can try a preview version of Android P on compatible devices right now, and you’ll find much of these Digital Wellbeing features on display there. Look out for Android P to arrive later this year, but don’t delay taking control of your digital life right now!

Android P

• Android P: Everything you need to know
• Android P Beta hands-on: The best and worst features
• All the big Android announcements from Google I/O 2018
• Will my phone get Android P?
• How to manually update your Pixel to Android P
• Join the Discussion

Updated June 2018: Apple’s own digital wellness features were announced for iOS 12 at WWDC 2018. We’ve added a rundown of what they are and how they compare to Android’s.

Netflix will soon add games to its streaming lineup

It’s kicking things off with Minecraft: Story Mode later this year.

Netflix is already one of the world’s most popular services for watching movies and TV shows, and later this year, the company will begin to dip its toes into the waters of streaming games.

According to a report from TechRadar, Netflix is partnering with developer Telltale Games to create a special version of Minecraft: Story Mode that will be playable via Netflix’s streaming service.

Based on what we know so far, the game will play similarly to the Netflix Original interactive movie Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale in which players make various decisions throughout the runtime to alter how the story progresses. That sort of gameplay is far from something along the lines of Fortnite or God of War, but it’s still introducing a level of interaction that’s completely different compared to a regular movie or TV show.

Per TechRadar:

When asked what a final product might look like, sources pointed to the Amazon Fire TV platform – an ecosystem in which you can find a number of Telltale Games series like Minecraft: Story Mode, The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – and which only requires that viewers have a remote in hand.

The Netflix version of Minecraft: Story Mode is expected to be available later in the year, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye out as this progresses.

Are you looking forward to playing games on Netflix?

Download: Netflix (free)

WhatsApp will continue to work on Android Gingerbread until 2020

Support will officially end on February 1 of that year.

In addition to being one of the most widely-used messaging apps around, WhatsApp gets another thing really right that its competitors often drop the ball with — supporting old versions of the operating systems it’s available on.

On June 13, 2018, WhatsApp revealed that it’ll continue to support Android 2.3.7 and older versions of Gingerbread until February 1, 2020. Seeing as how the first version of Gingerbread was announced in 2010, that means WhatsApp will officially support that iteration of Android for ten years.

That sort of commitment is seldom seen with most major applications, so we need to tip our hats to WhatsApp’s promise here.

Even though the company doesn’t have much to gain from this sort of support as just 0.3% of active Android phones were running a form of Gingerbread as of the June 2018 Android Distribution Numbers, WhatsApp is doing so anyway.

As for our iPhone friends, WhatsApp will also continue to work on iOS 7 through that same date.

Download: WhatsApp (free)

Google appears to be working on Windows 10 certification for its Pixelbook

It appears Google is working on adding a little Microsoft flavor to its flagship Chromebook.

Google’s Pixelbook is considered to be its flagship device for Chrome OS, but it could soon have a little Microsoft DNA sprinkled in as well. XDADevelopers has spotted increasing evidence that Google is working on getting the Pixelbook certified to run Windows 10, paving the way for users to work with Microsoft’s OS as an alternative on Google’s own hardware.

Recent code commits and reviews from Google make mention of WHCK and HLK, which are references to the Windows Hardware Certification Kit and Windows Hardware Lab Kit, respectively. As XDADevelopers notes, the fact that Google is working to get its hardware officially certified through Microsoft’s programs signifies that this is a more concerted effort to get the Pixelbook certified for running Windows 10, rather than a hack.

All of this stems from Google’s work on a mysterious AltOS for Pixelbook, which started earlier this year. The recent code commits strongly hint that Windows 10 is that AltOS.

There’s no way to tell when or if the Pixelbook will receive Windows 10 certification. The project could very well remain in the development stages and never see a release. However, it would present an interesting option for those who are looking for new ways to use Google’s flagship Chromebook.

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Chromebooks

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