Use Fooducate to make your diet goals (review)

You may be looking to better track your dietary habits. Or even just check out what exactly your diet habits actually are, you have PLENTY of choices in the Play Store to get the job done. Some are old stalwarts of the Android market, and there is a constant arrival of new apps to check out.

One option in the Play Store is Fooducate. It’s a freemium-type of nutritional tracker app. It’s designed to allow you count calories, track diet trends, and steer you to better weight management.

The free part of Fooducate is a comprehensive food library, diary, and calorie tracker. You are probably well-aware of the premise here: Fooducate first establishes your caloric needs by having you input your basic bio metrics: height, age, sex, current weight, and goal weight. Using these, it calculates a target of daily calories for you to aim for.

Welcome screen

Settings slide-out

Your home screen

Daily logging of your food

You aim for this by logging what you eat at each meal. This can be done a couple different ways. You can search the database of app-provided and user-uploaded food options, adjust the amount consumed, and add it to your diary.

Another option is a visual scanner, where you can scan UPC codes to quickly gather nutritional stats and uploading to your diary.

As you move through your day and multiple days, Fooducate tallies your calorie totals and shows your trending numbers both numerically and graphically.

If you want to know more about the nutritional quality of your dietary choices, this unfortunately is the free road ends, my friend. Fooducate does offer several premium subscription options; the main one being the “Pro” version, which will give you insight on your intake of protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins, etc.

You also get more specific training with specific/trending diets such as Paleo, non-GMO, low-sodium, and such. Pro also gives you space to log more specific metrics like body measurements, blood pressure, and others. Along with ad-free, of course.

There’s also a few other subscriptions available, including gluten and food allergy tracking, a 10-day “Diet Kickstart” (coaching), and even a pet food tracker & guide (who knew?).

Pro ain’t cheap.

Gluten & allergy option

Kick-start your diet

Pet premium?

If you choose to go with the premium options, they may be higher than you might be ready for. Example: the Pro version runs from $4.99 for a month-by-month plan, all the way to a lifetime subscription for $74.99 (!).

Of course, the value of these features is arguable and highly dependent on how much you use it over the the length of your subscription time. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

News feed.

Back on the free side of the app, Fooducate also offers an active community of users who post and comment, a-la a mini social network. There is also “Diet Tidbits” section. This provides all kinds of news and tips-and-tricks articles for you to peruse and read to your heart’s content.

You can also log into the companion website version (www.fooducate.com) to log in and find/track food intake, which can be helpful if you’re more comfortable with a bigger screen.

Conclusion

With diet tracker apps, the two main factors that drive user experience are 1.) the size of the library/database, and 2.) the interface.

The database in Fooducate is pretty good, almost great even. In my time with the app, there were a few misses in terms of food. But I could also find a pretty darn close substitute.

The FAQ was refreshingly cute.

The interface is okay –ust okay. This is admittedly hard to put into words. But as I was searching, entering, and reviewing my food choices, it just seemed like was was clicking a time or two more than I wanted to be. It wasn’t bad in any way at all; I just got a little impatient with my experience.

Overall, if you’re looking for a food tracking app, you would do well in checking out Fooducate. It’s easy to use, and is coupled with a good interface and comprehensive database. This makes for a good basic & free experience. If you’re looking for more detailed features you can find them here, but be prepared to pay for the privilege.

Who needs a nurse? This robot can extract and analyze your blood

Watch out: Bloodthirsty robots could be on their way to a place near you. On the bright side, they may be willing to trade a cookie for your precious bodily fluids. At least, that is what we’re hoping is the result of a new robotic blood-taking device that is designed for inserting intravenous needles into people’s arms with the purpose of drawing and then analyzing blood samples.

Developed by researchers from Rutgers University, the robotic device is comprised of three subsystems. First up is a robotic venipuncture device, which uses near-infrared and ultrasound imaging to localize blood vessels, image analysis to reconstruct the vessels in 3D, and then miniaturized robotics to place a needle in the center of the indicated vein. Once a blood sample has been taken, it is then moved — using a sample handling module — to an analysis unit. This part of the system provides blood measurements using a miniaturized centrifuge and microscope. At present, it can perform a three-part white blood cell differential and hemoglobin measurement.

Max Balter

“Diagnostic blood testing is the most common medical routine performed in the world, and forms the cornerstone of modern medicine,” Dr. Max Balter, who led the research, told Digital Trends. “In the U.S., for example, blood tests are performed 2 billion times each year and influence 80 percent of medical decisions made in hospital and primary care settings. However, blood draw success rates depend heavily on practitioner skill and patient physiology, and diagnostic results are generated almost exclusively in centralized labs from large-volume blood samples using labor-intensive analytical techniques. Our team at Rutgers University has developed a device that enables end-to-end testing by performing blood draws and providing diagnostic results in a fully automated fashion. By reducing turnaround times, the device has the capacity to expedite hospital workflow, allowing practitioners to devote more time to treating patients.”

So far, the robot has only been tested on artificial arms to demonstrate that it works effectively. The next step is to evaluate the safety of the venipuncture device in a small human feasibility study. This will allow the team to evaluate the design, form factor, and usability of the device. Ultimately, the hope is that technology such as this could be used to combine blood drawing and laboratory testing in a one-stop-shop of point-of-care testing.

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Technology.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Is this the future of medicine? Synthetic blood could buy patients 48 extra hours
• Tummy ache? Swallow this sensor-studded pill to get a diagnosis on your phone
• ‘Surgery in a pill’ may offer diabetics an alternative to bypass surgery
• With artificial bone marrow, scientists aim to decode blood disease
• When diagnosis time means life or death, NVIDIA’s advanced AI can save lives

Stand up or sit down? Many don’t take advantage of VR’s room-scale experience

Oculus’ Vice President of Content Jason Rubin claims that a “significant percentage” of Oculus Rift headset owners would rather sit down to enjoy virtual reality rather than take advantage of room-scale motion detection. He made this revelation to Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price during an on-stage talk at E3 2018 last week. 

When we first experienced the Oculus Rift behind closed doors at CES 2013, the pre-Facebook studio provided a demo using a version of Epic Citadel with populated non-player characters. You were seated during the demo, moving through 3D space using an Xbox gamepad while the headset itself allowed you to look in all directions. At the time, the experience was an eye-opener and seemed to be the future of VR. 

Since the launch of the Rift and HTC’s competing Vive headset, we have room-scale motion tracking allowing us to move about in physical space and flap around like wild chickens, whacking furniture, walls, and people as we’re immersed in a physically charged virtual space. But there are experiences that don’t require out-of-your-seat action, like Star Trek: Bridge Crew. 

Yet despite the pre-launch sit-down demos, only one bundled sensor to track head movement at launch, and no support for room-scale motion tracking until a year after the Oculus Rift hit the market, Rubin said during the conversation that the Oculus team assumed everyone would be standing in their VR experiences. The comment seems contradictory given the state of the product prior to the Touch controllers. 

But what rings true is that humans don’t necessarily want to flap like wild chickens when exploring VR. “It turns out a lot of people — fully perfectly healthy people — would like at the end of a hard day of work, or whatever they’re doing, to just sit down,” he told Price. “But they appreciate the immersion of VR and everything else. So we didn’t expect that.” 

The comments arrived just over 14 minutes into the conversation with Price, which was mostly conducted to promote the upcoming Oculus Rift game Stormland. He said the Facebook-owned company is fully aware that gamers love VR, but they also love playing seated. That should be obvious: We’ve done nothing but sit on our bottoms to play games since the first Pong knock-offs entered households in the 1970s. VR is a new, evolving platform that’s still trying to find its footing while pulling gamers off their couches. 

“[Sitting in VR] seems contradictory,” Rubin added. “Not the case at all. They love it. That’s a good example of something where nobody at Oculus, when we launched Rift, thought that would be the case. It is the case and it’s a significant percentage of players who play seated a lot of the time.” 

Rubin said he began seeing more and more Reddit requests for seated gameplay modes. Given the evolution of the Oculus Rift, owners may see less of these modes due to the platform’s newfound room-scale motion detection capability. He said due to the feedback, developers are implementing seated modes, such as From Other Suns. 

Google Maps on Android no longer lets you book Uber rides

In early 2017, Google announced that it would be adding a feature to Google Maps allowing customers to book an Uber without having to leave the Google Maps app. Now, however, it looks like that feature is on the way out — Google announced it is removing Uber functionality from Google Maps altogether.

The news was first picked up by Android Police from a Google support page, which gets straight to the point in saying that “you can no longer book Uber rides directly in Google Maps.”

It’s not currently known why Google removed the feature from Maps. It’s possible that Google and Uber have simply decided to end the program. It’s also possible that the relationship between Uber and Google is getting rockier, especially as they begin competing in the self-driving car business. On top of that, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, made a large investment in Lyft late last year, so it’s possible that had something to do with the decision.

Another possibility is that Uber prefers people to use the Uber app instead. Uber has been known for collecting data through its app since it first started, with the practice sometimes landing the company in hot water. While Uber can still collect data through integrating with Google Maps, it’s likely it can’t collect quite as much.

It’s important to note that integration between the two services isn’t completely gone. You can still open Google Maps up and select an Uber to get to your location, but once you do you’ll be taken to the Uber app instead of being able to complete the ride straight from the Google Maps app. That’s how you’ve always had to book rides through other ridesharing services — you’ve never been able to book a Lyft straight from Google Maps, for example.

Of course, it’s not unexpected to see the feature removed. It’s actually now only being removed from Android — the iOS version of Google Maps lost the feature almost a year ago. Regardless of why the feature was removed from Google Maps, you now need the Uber app to complete Uber rides — which you can download for Android here.

Updated on June 16: You can no longer book Uber rides from Google Maps.

Editors’ Recommendations

• After being down for a few hours, Apple’s Maps app is working again
• Google Maps for iPhone now shows you restaurant wait times
• Which way is which? Here’s how to quickly calibrate the Google Maps compass
• Bye to Apple Maps, hello to Waze: CarPlay to support third-party navigation apps
• Where’s Waldo? He’s hiding out in Google Maps for the next few days

Unihertz Atom review

Research Center:

Unihertz Atom

Large screens, small bezels, fashionable glass bodies — these are all the traits smartphones have been moving towards for the past few years. The Unihertz Atom is a smartphone that has none of these things, which is why you may want to buy one.

The Atom by Unihertz is a follow-up to last year’s Jelly Phone, and its existence is solely thanks to a highly-successful Kickstarter campaign. Unihertz promises the Atom to be a speedy, long-lasting, durable and water-resistant Android phone that can serve as a primary device for outdoor activities, and in the week we’ve spent with the phone, it delivers.

A tiny titan

Size is the first thing you’ll notice about the Atom; true to its name, it’s tiny and easy to grip. Even the smallest of hands should have no problem holding this phone.

If size isn’t what’s first on your mind, it’ll be the Atom’s rugged body, which frankly looks a little ugly. It’s wrapped in a TPU-style material that’s reminiscent of rugged cases from the likes of Otterbox. The reinforced corners are stylized with red accents, which make the phone look flashy. Still, this phone feels like it could fall down a mountain without significant injury.

There are chunky bezels around the 2.4-inch display, and the front-facing fingerprint scanner is flanked by two capacitive buttons. The volume rocker is on the phone’s left side, along with the SIM card tray; the right side houses the power key, as well as a programmable push-to-talk (PTT) button, which we’ll get to later. Oddly enough, the USB Type-C charging port is also on the right edge of the phone.

A headphone jack is present too at the top center of the Atom. Thanks to the small size, you shouldn’t have any issues accessing any part of the phone, though you might have problems holding the phone in your right hand while charging, due to the awkwardly-positioned charging port.

The Atom feels like it could fall down a mountain without significant injury

Flip the phone over and it will look even more rugged. The TPU back panel has a diamond-pattern texture for extra grip, and a lanyard attachment at the bottom underneath the large Unihertz logo will ensure extra drop protection (no lanyard included). The rear-facing 16-megapixel camera and flash sit at the top of the rear, and the only speaker on the phone is at the bottom. The speaker is suitable for calls, but we wouldn’t recommend using it for music. You’re better off pairing the Atom with a pair of wireless earbuds or a Bluetooth speaker.

We’re happy to see a fingerprint sensor available on the Atom, but its placement is awkward because the phone is so small. Even worse, the sensor proved unreliable most of the time, as it really requires the perfect-placement of your fingertip. When it does work, however, it’s quick.

Unihertz Atom Compared To

Nokia 6 (2018)

Nokia 1

Sony Xperia XZ2

Nokia 8 Sirocco

Cat S41

Motorola MOTORIZR Z3

Jitterbug Dial

Samsung SCH-u620

LG VX9400

Nokia N93

Blackberry 8700c

Blackberry 8700g

Nokia N90

Palm Treo 650

Motorola RAZR V3c

There is a Face Unlock option available, which actually tended to work more reliably than the fingerprint sensor. A change of hairstyle, sunglasses, or lighting can easily set it back, though.

The Atom is hardly fashionable, but it’s not really trying to be a replacement for your $1,000 iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. It’s a phone you take out on weekend outings when you’re worried about damaging your expensive smartphone. It’s tough and rugged, the build quality is superb, and it’s also lightweight at just 108 grams. The IP68-rated water- and dust-resistance means the Atom can handle some water (up to 1.5 meters depth for about 30 minutes) — just make sure the ports are dry before recharging.

A disappointing display, but solid performance

Considering the Atom has a 2.4-inch LCD display, you’d be right not to expect a super high resolution screen — it has a measly 432 x 240 pixel resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio, delivering 207 pixels per inch. It’s not a big deal because the phone isn’t going to be replacing your media center, but it certainly isn’t sharp. Pixels are easily visible.

We are a little disappointed, however, that the colors are a little washed out, and blacks lack punch. Worse yet, the screen doesn’t get bright enough to view outdoors in broad daylight, which feels like a huge misstep. It’s manageable, but Unihertz should have really made sure a brighter screen was a key feature on the Atom.

Mark Jansen/Digital Trends

The screen is protected by an unspecified version of Gorilla Glass, which can still shatter. The phone does come with a pre-installed film screen protector, to protect against scratches, but it doesn’t fit the whole screen, only covering half of the selfie camera. It looks like the same screen protector Unihertz sold for the Jelly Pro.

Despite the disappointing screen, the Atom comes roaring back with solid performance. It’s powered by an octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor with 4GB of RAM. There’s 64GB of internal storage, which is plenty for most people. Despite dual-SIM support, there’s no MicroSD card slot, which may come as a disappointment to some.

Here are a few benchmark results:

• AnTuTu: 84,856
• Geekbench 4: Single-core 811; multi-core 3,272
• 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 441

The Unihertz Atom beats out the midrange Moto G6 with its AnTuTu score by a considerable margin. Its scores rival the Nokia 6.1 in some areas, and comes close to the Moto G6 Plus — two similarly-priced phones. Benchmark scores don’t necessarily reflect a phone’s performance, though, so how did the phone react in day-to-day use?

The Atom handles most tasks easily, zipping through navigation menus and opening apps in a blink. While the tiny screen isn’t going to be your first choice for mobile gaming, the Atom surprised us with solid performance during games like Hearthstone.

Stock Android

Unihertz has opted for the stock version of Android 8.1 Oreo, which is likely why performance is relatively smooth. The software is simple to use. There are only a few apps installed by default (other than the standard array of Google apps), such as the walkie-talkie emulating app, Zello. The physical, red push-to-talk button will trigger Zello’s broadcasting function by default, and you can chat with other Zello users just like with a walkie-talkie. Thankfully, you can swap it to launch something else.

Some other pre-installed apps have proved useful, like Toolbox. It’s packed with a surprisingly accurate compass, a level, flashlight, and other tools that might be useful in a variety of circumstances.

You can expect the Atom to stay up-to-date with the next version of Android at the very least.

Our biggest frustration is with the keyboard. The Atom comes preloaded with Google’s Gboard app, which works wonderfully on big-screen phones. Typing with it on a 2.4-inch screen, however, is painful. Using Gboard’s swipe-to-type function alleviates the problem a little, but we found ourselves avoiding typing whenever possible, and you likely will too.

Unihertz told Digital Trends that an Android P update is in the works, so you can expect the Atom to stay up-to-date with the next version of Android at the very least.

Average camera

There’s only a single, 16-megapixel camera on the back of the Atom, but there’s also a 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front.

The right lighting conditions will get decent performance out of the main lens on the rear. We took some nice photos with blue skies and well-balanced color palettes. In scenarios with high contrast or low lighting, the camera starts to struggle — a problem that plagues almost all budget phones. Also, photos you take may look better on the small screen than they really are when enlarged on a computer.

The camera’s focusing is also quite unreliable. It struggled to focus properly multiple times when we tried to focus on particular subjects, like a rock.

The app is barebones, but that’s not necessarily a problem. Holding the shutter button takes burst shots, there are options for some filter overlays, and there’s an HDR mode — though you can’t use filters in HDR mode. A panorama mode is also available, but the results are not good at all.

The Atom can take some surprisingly good photos, but we would have really liked to see a better camera here, especially since people likely want to take and share photos of their outdoor experiences. If that’s you, then you still may want to bring your primary smartphone or DSLR, which will undoubtedly take better photos (though doing that defeats the purpose of using the Atom). If you don’t care about taking a lot of photos, then the Atom’s camera will be sufficient.

An excellent battery, and extra features

The tiny Atom packs a 2,000mAh battery, which may sound small, but don’t forget this phone’s size. The battery also doesn’t need to power a large screen or a powerful processor, which means the Atom is capable of offering two-day battery life.

The battery finally expired two days after it had been taken off the charger.

After taking the Atom off the charger at 8 a.m., we took it on a five hour hike. During this time, we used GPS navigation, took pictures, and kept up to date with various messaging systems, and ended up with 54 percent battery still remaining at 5 p.m.. After that, we ran benchmarks, took further test images, and tested gaming performance, and the battery finally expired two days after it had been taken off the charger.

Sitting on the bedside table overnight, the phone only lost 2 percent battery, which is great standby time. Charging it back to full took about two hours, which isn’t too fast.

The Atom will ship with U.S. and E.U. adapters for its USB Type-C charging cable. Unfortunately, a U.K. adapter will not be included with phones making their way across the pond. When we asked Unihertz about this, the company said U.K. adapters would be available from its store. It’s odd they can’t package it in.

Mark Jansen/Digital Trends

The Atom does have NFC, which means you can make contactless payments via Google Pay, and the USB Type-C port is On-The-Go (OTG) compatible, so the Atom can also transfer its battery life to another phone, or pull files from a USB stick when used with the correct adapter. Unihertz also sells accessories to go with the phone, including a bike mount, a belt clip, and armband.

Price and availability

The Unihertz Atom is currently available on Kickstarter. Backers can buy it for the discounted price of $220 until the campaign ends on July 11. After the campaign, the Atom will retail for $300 on Unihertz’s website. The Atom is sold unlocked, and it works with 4G networks on Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T (Sprint support still has to be confirmed).

Unihertz offers a 12-month warranty that only covers manufacturing defects to the phone.

Our Take

The Unihertz Atom delivers zippy performance, simple Android software, and excellent battery life. Its screen and camera are mediocre, but if you can look past them, this is a perfect little companion to take on outdoor trips over the weekend.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, if you’re looking for a small smartphones. The iPhone SE and the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact offer great performance, great screens, and have good cameras. They’re small, but they’re considerably larger than the Atom, and so are their price tags. Check out our best small smartphones guide for more.

If you just need a phone that lasts for a long time in the $300 price range, you can’t go wrong with the new Moto E5 Plus, which has a larger display and a two-day battery life. You can find more options in our list of phones with the best battery life.

If durability is your primary concern, your best bet is the LG X Venture. It has two-day battery life, it’s water resistant, has a solid screen, but it’s sadly only available on AT&T and U.S. Cellular. Check out our best rugged smartphones for more devices.

How long will it last?

The Unihertz Atom is well built, with water resistance and built-in shock resistance. It won’t get damaged easily. In terms of software, Unihertz has already promised the Android P update, and we expect the device will work relatively well for around two years or more. You won’t be using this phone every day (unless you make it your primary phone) so performance and the battery shouldn’t decline as quickly as other budget phones.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you’re in the market for a secondary backup phone — especially one to take on outdoor activities like hikes — the Atom is a great companion that will take up very little space.

Here’s what art looks like in 2018: Spheres that react to your presence

In the 1960s sci-fi spy thriller series The Prisoner, the residents of a small coastal resort are kept from escaping their location by a weird floating white balloon called Rover, which recaptures or eliminates anyone who tries to leave. Here in 2018, a group Random International has created a fleet of similar-looking autonomous flying spheres, which flock together like a slow-motion group of birds, while keeping an eye on nearby humans.

The helium-filled foil spheres are part of a project called Zoological. They are piloted by an onboard drone-style flight system while using Lidar technology — the same pulsed laser technology which helps power autonomous cars — to make sense of what is happening around them. By using Lidar, the spheres are able to work out depth data concerning their environment and determine their formation and groupings. They can also act out different moods by way of programmed “emotions.” These mean that, one day, they might choose to stay away from groups of people by remaining high up in the air. On other days, they might alternatively — and probably a bit more disconcertingly — get bolder and float closer to the ground, while singling out one particular person to follow.

For anyone worrying about these autonomous flying spheres, though, don’t be too alarmed: They are not part of some next-generation surveillance technology (even though police drones really are on the way.) Instead, they are an art installation that make up one part of an exhibition called +/- Human, taking place in the U.K. They are the work of award-winning choreographer and director Wayne McGregor, and are intended to examine the relationship between mechanical autonomy and human beings.

This isn’t the first weird algorithmic art project we’ve covered at Digital Trends. Recently, we wrote about a crazy robot table which uses a grid of ferrofluid liquid rocket fuel “pixels” to respond to passers-by. Then there is also this giant art installation which displays 3D selfies on an enormous 850,000-LED “head.” It seems that, just like the rest of us, the art world is to wrap their minds around exactly what today’s technology will mean for the future!

Editors’ Recommendations

• Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Smart Rubik’s Cubes, diving drones, robot artists
• 9 bizarre drones, from web slingers to lake hoppers
• Halo Drone Pro review
• Why self-driving trucks will take over before self-driving cars
• Amazon delivery drone may use lights and music when it shows up at your home

A.I. can now learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube, researchers claim

“Rubik’s Cube” by theowest

We’ve mastered the Rubik’s Cube. By we, though, I don’t necessarily mean that you and I have figured out how to solve the classic puzzle, but other members of humanity have certainly shown the Cube who’s boss. After all, the record for completing a Rubik’s Cube now stands at a blistering 4.22 seconds.

But now that artificial intelligence can solve the Rubiks’ Cube, too, can our record stand?

Sure — it’s probably not that difficult for a machine to figure out how to solve one of these things, right? After all, if A.I. can beat Ken Jennings at Jeopardy or unseat a Grandmaster in a game of chess, a multi-colored cube hardly seems like a challenge. But while it’s pretty simple to create an algorithm for a machine that allows it to figure out which faces to turn and when, the tougher part is creating a machine that can solve the Rubik’s Cube completely without ever being handed a puzzle-solving algorithm by humans. And that is what some researchers have now managed to do.

As initially reported by CNET, Stephen McAleer and a team of researchers at the University of California believe that they’ve managed to create an algorithm that can solve the Rubik’s Cube without human help. It depends upon a process known as “autodidactic iteration.” McAleer and his colleagues call it a “novel reinforcement learning algorithm that is able to teach itself how to solve the Rubik’s Cube with no human assistance.” Apparently, this algorithm can solve every single scrambled Rubik’s Cube in 30 moves or less, which is about the same (or better than) what we can do.

Basically, autodidactic iteration requires the algorithm to think backwards in order to find a solution. It begins its process by visualizing the finished cube, and then retraces its steps to see if each subsequent move will get it closer to its end goal.

Is it complicated? Yes. But the idea is that once A.I. can solve a Rubik’s Cube on its own, it can also begin to address more complex problems. We will just have to see what the next major puzzle to be solved by artificial intelligence may be.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Machine learning? Neural networks? Here’s your guide to the many flavors of A.I.
• Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Smart Rubik’s Cubes, diving drones, robot artists
• Here’s who’s going to win the World Cup, according to A.I.
• New ‘smart’ Rubik’s Cube tracks your stats, lets you race against other people
• Replaced by robots: 8 jobs that could be hit hard by the A.I. revolution

Best Google Pixel 2 Cases in 2018

Enhance the funky look of your Google Pixel 2 with the right case!

The Google Pixel 2 Whether you love the design and want to enhance it, or simply looking for drop protection for your new phone, there’s a case that’s perfect for you.

Google has partnered with a number of accessory makers for its ‘Made for Google” certification program featured in the Google Store, but you can also find a ton of quality third-party cases to fit your needs. We’ll run through the best options available straight from Google, then look at some cheaper options from Amazon.

• Google Live Cases
• Google Fabric Cases
• Power Support Air Jacket
• OtterBox Defender Series
• Bellroy Leather Case
• Ringke Fusion
• Spigen Rugged Armor
• LK Slim Thin Pixel 2 Case
• Incipio Carnaby Series Case
• Maxboost Folio Style Wallet Case
• Carved wooden cases
• RhinoShield SolidSuit Case

Google Live Cases

First up is the customizable Google Live Cases, which give you the option of customizing the back of your Pixel 2 with a personal photo or a wide range of styles curated by Google.

For instance, you can choose a gorgeous satellite photo from Google Earth, and the case will pair with a matching live wallpaper for a cohesive look around your device that’s absolutely gorgeous. Looking to add a bit more of an artistic flair to your case? Check out the Artworks Live Case and find something that matches your style.

Google has curated a great selection of cases that feature artwork, photos from space, and naturally beautiful images that are really quite stunning. Prices range from $40 to $50 depending on the styling and your choice of a minimalist shell or a more rugged dual-layer case. Create and customize your own case via the Google Store.

See at Google Store

Google Fabric Cases

If you like a little texture on your phone case, you’ll love the Google Fabric Case which brings the look and most importantly the feel of the fabric finish found on other Google products, like the Home Mini and even the Daydream View.

Designed in-house by Google, you can be sure of the build quality and fit. These cases offering a premium microfiber liner to ensure your device stays scuff-free and your choice of four color combinations for $40.

See at Google Store

Power Support Air Jacket

If you’re looking for a certified “Made for Google” clear case, look no further than Power Support Air Jacket. it’s about as minimalist as you can get — a single piece of crystal clear polycarbonate that’ll clip onto your new phone and virtually disappear while keeping your Pixel 2 save from harm. It also features a self-healing coating that’ll ensure your case looks fresh even if you put it through hell.

You can order yours from the Power Support website or buy it straight from Google with free shipping. However, at $35 it’s also four times the price as other clear case options on this list.

See at Google Store

OtterBox Defender Series case

OtterBox is a brand that’s become synonymous with rugged phone cases, so it comes as no surprise that Google would get OtterBox onboard with its “Made for Google” certification program.

The Defender Series is the classic OtterBox case that offers ultimate triple-layer protection for your phone — a shock-absorbing inner shell, rugged outer shell, and a screen protector up front. A cover prevents lint and dust from getting into the charging port, and despite its ruggedness, the case is designed to work with the Pixel 2’s Active Edge technology.

You can get yours from OtterBox directly or from the Google Store for $50.

See at Google Store

Bellroy Leather Case

Looking to add a touch of class to your Pixel 2? How about an elegant leather case from Bellroy?

These cases are as slim as possible with a design that really compliments the Pixel 2 while keeping it protected from harm. Made using premium leather and featuring a soft microfiber lining this is a lightweight case that will keep your phone well protected and age beautifully over time. It’s also backed by a 3-year warranty from Bellroy.

You can learn more about the case and materials used at Bellroy.com, then get yours from the Google Store for $45 with free shipping!

See at Google Store

Ringke Fusion

If you’re debating whether to cover the design of your Pixel 2 in plastic or gamble by using it without a case, might we suggest a quality clear case?

Ringke has their rugged clear case available for the Pixel 2. Made with a rugged panel of polycarbonate on the back panel and an easy-grip TPU bumper, this case will keep your new device protected while also letting the Pixel 2’s design shine through. You’ll also get lifted bezels around the camera and screen to protect those important pieces of glass, along with precise cutouts for the charging port and fingerprint scanner.

Looking to save some money on your case? Yeah, us too. You can get this reliable case from Amazon for just $11.

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Armor

Spigen has its full line of cases available for the Pixel 2 at affordable prices, but we’ll recommend the Rugged Armor because it’s slim and rugged with a signature look and feel.

This is a lightweight case that adds little very little bulk, with carbon fiber detailing along the top and bottom. There’s raised edges around the screen and around the camera on the back to protect against scratches and scuffs.

I’ve been using the Rugged Armor case on my Pixel XL and it’s held up against all of my klutziness. If you want great protection for your new phone without the bulk (or high price) of other case options, get Spigen’s Rugged Armor case for just $13 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

LK Slim Thin Pixel 2 Case

For those who want a cheap clear case to keep your phone protected without obscuring the Pixel 2’s cool design, LK has a minimalist case for just $7.

If you go with the clear case, you’ll barely notice it at all and it won’t add much bulk to the phone. There’s also more colorful options like purple and mint green as well as a classic black look. Because it’s made of flexible TPU and is thin, it should not impede the use of the Active Edge functionality.

This case offers decent protection from anyone prone to dropping a new phone. Like me.

See at Amazon

Incipio Carnaby Series

If you like the look of that Google Fabric case, but can’t wrap your head around paying that much for a phone case, you’ll want to consider the Carnaby Series case from Incipio.

This is, I must say, one of the classier case styles I’ve seen emerge this year and the fact that it’s also from a trusted brand like Incipio means that your phone will look great while also being well-protected from bumps and drops.

The bulk of the case is made from TPU for good protection, while the exterior features a soft cotton finish that will feel great in your hand — you’ll never want to put your phone down! It also includes ample cutouts around the fingerprint sensor and camera, along with a lip around the front to protect that screen. Get yours in elegant blue-grey for just $17.50!

See at Amazon

Maxboost Folio Style Wallet Case

Cases typically offer a single function in that they keep our phones safe. Wallet cases are a different beast and let you keep the two most important things in your life — your phone and your money — all in one place.

Maxboost offers a well-reviewed wallet case for the Google Pixel 2 that’s got a stylish look and all the functionality that you’d expect. We’re talking three card slots on the inside flap, a hidden side pocket for some cash, and a magnetic flap that comes around to keep everything secure. You can also fold over the case to use as a kickstand when you’re watching your YouTube videos. It does all that with clean cutouts around the camera, fingerprint sensor, and charging port, and even includes cutouts around the earpiece so you can talk while keeping your screen covered.

Available for just $13, it’s a great option for your Pixel 2!

See at Amazon

Carved wooden cases

Carved has a bunch of great case options available for phones like the Pixel 2, including 52 stylish pre-made option featuring a mix of cool prints and fancy cut wood designs with prices ranging from $29 to $55, along with a selection of classic wood grain cases for just $24.

Carved also allows you to create your own custom case using an online case designer. They also offer the option to get a section of a map engraved or printed onto the case. With the right eye for design, you could design a case that uses the fingerprint scanner as part of your case’s decoration.

See at Carved

RhinoShield SolidSuit Case

RhinoShield makes some fantastic phone accessories that always seem to go a step beyond. With the SolidSuit case, you get a rugged case that’s designed to both protect your phone and also give you the option of using add-on lens attachments that will enhance the experience of using the superb camera on the Pixel 2. First, you’ll need the $5 lens adapter and then you can start investing in the superb lens kits that Rhinoshield also offers.

The Pixel 2 is a great phone that really shines with the right accessories like this. Don’t miss out on getting this RhinoShield case for just $35 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Is the Pixel 2 too good looking for a case?

What do you think of the Google Pixel 2’s design? Too cool to cover with a case? Which cases are you interested in? Let us know in the comments!

Updated June 2018: Added the RhinoShield SolidSuit to our list along with new pricing information These are still the best case options for the Pixel 2!

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Complete the new Developer Economics Survey: Voice your opinion and win a Galaxy S9!

Developers – Now is the time to share your opinions and enter to win amazing prizes like a Galaxy S9!

Is JavaScript giving you headaches? Do you wish other developers knew how important Swift and Rust will be in the coming years? It’s your chance to turn your opinions into a tool of change! The new Developer Economics survey is open NOW, calling out all software developers to take part. Start right away!

Don’t miss a chance to join over 40,000 developers from 160+ countries who take part in the Developer Economics surveys every year to tell the world where software development is going next.

Who can take the survey?

Pretty much everyone writing code and getting their hands on software development in Mobile, Desktop, IoT, AR/VR, Machine Learning & Data Science, Web, Backend and Games. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hobbyist, a startupper or an enterprise dev — the survey is open for all real developers out there!

What sort of questions are they asking?

The survey is designed to dive into real-life developer issues, from coding skills and favorite tools to satisfaction with learning resources and communities.

Expect questions like:

• Which are your favorite tools and platforms and why?
• Are you getting value from the available dev resources?
• What are your goals for coding?

Ready to take the survey?

Why should you take the survey?

It’s fun, for starters! The survey is designed to reveal your sci-fi profile, so the more you engage, the closer you get to finding out your place in the galaxy far, far away.

Then there are the PRIZES. This time, devs who complete the survey can win stuff like a Samsung S9+, an HTC Vive Pro, an iPhone X, GitHub Developer Plans, Amazon vouchers and other useful things to help you test your work or just play around. You can also take part in the referral program, which allows you to with up to $700 in cash by referring other developer friends to take the survey.

This year we’re introducing a novelty – SlashData will donate funds to a coding charity to support their mission. We want to give back to the community, and we hope this encourages developers to take our survey and be a part of something larger and truly meaningful.

And last but not least, everyone who takes the survey will get insights with key findings from the survey, as well as a free report with the highlights and up-and-coming trends.

If you have a few minutes to spare and want to have a quality time, then this survey is for perfect for you! You can start right here. Extra tip: if you need to take a break, just click to save your responses and then you can come back and continue where you left off.

Good luck!

Take the survey now!

Google’s Datally app gets guest mode, daily limits, and other features

All of this is rolling out to the app now.

In late 2017, Google launched an app to help you cut down on your mobile data usage called “Datally.” Datally’s already pretty great as is, but Google recently announced four new features for the app that aim to help you use even less data.

The feature that users will likely find the most useful is Daily Limit. With this, you can tell Datally how much mobile data you want to use each day. Once you hit that number, you can either keep using your data or block it for the rest of the day.

Another big addition is Guest Mode. If you’ve got a friend, kid, or someone else that wants to play around with your phone, you can use Guest Mode to enable a data limit before handing them your phone so you can make sure they only use the data you allow them to.

On top of Daily Limit and Guest Mode, Datally is also getting a map that shows nearby Wi-Fi networks and an Unused Apps tool that’ll sniff out apps you aren’t using but are still eating up your data in the background. Datally will then present these apps in a list, show you how long ago it was opened, how much data it’s used, and give you a shortcut for quickly uninstalling it.

All four of these features are rolling out to the Datally app today on the Google Play Store.

Download: Datally (free)