Netflix Announces ‘Smart Downloads’ Feature Coming to iOS Later This Year

Netflix has announced a new feature launching for Android smartphones and tablets today, and coming to iOS devices later this year, called “Smart Downloads.” With this turned on, the Netflix app will automatically delete the downloaded episode of a show that you’ve finished watching offline, and replace it by automatically downloading the next episode in line (via BuzzFeed News).

The company says this will help to save space on smartphones and tablets while ensuring that users can keep binges going without having to search through the app’s menus for the next episode they want to watch offline. Netflix explains that Smart Downloads are only activated when users are connected to Wi-Fi and are done with an episode.

“Downloading is a very manual process today,” Netflix director of product innovation Cameron Johnson told BuzzFeed News. “And you have to manually go back and delete episodes.”

How is this useful? Imagine you download an episode or two of Stranger Things at home and watch it on the subway ride to work. Once you connect to your office WiFi, Netflix will delete the episodes you’ve already watched and seamlessly download the next one in the background.

If users want to keep an episode downloaded to their device without having to worry about Smart Downloads deleting it, the feature can be turned off as well. Smart Downloads only work for episodic TV shows and will not automatically replace a movie with another similar program.

Netflix first introduced offline downloads in November 2016, allowing viewers to download select shows and films to their devices to watch them during moments when they aren’t connected to the internet. Most of Netflix’s originals are supported for offline viewing, and all content available for download can be found in the “Search” tab of the Netflix mobile app.

Smart Downloads will launch for iOS devices sometime “later this year.”

Tag: Netflix
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Firefox Test Pilot Program Expands to Mobile With ‘Firefox Lockbox’ Password Storage iOS App

Mozilla’s Firefox Text Pilot program allows users to test out experimental features and provide feedback that goes toward improving the service, and today the company is expanding the program to include two mobile apps. The first is an iOS app called Firefox Lockbox and it enables you to access your saved passwords within the app so that you can easily sign into various other apps on your iPhone.

The password management app syncs with existing Firefox accounts and imports the passwords you’ve already saved in the Firefox browser. You can then browse a list of all your passwords, copy the one you need, navigate to another app, and paste it into the log-in field. The company says the app is secured by 256-bit encryption and supports unlocking via Touch ID and Face ID.

Since Firefox Lockbox requires you to sync existing passwords from the browser, it’ll only be useful for those users who regularly use Firefox to browse online and store their log-in information.

With Firefox Lockbox, iOS users will be able to seamlessly access Firefox saved passwords. This means you can use any password you’ve saved in the browser to log into any online account like your Twitter or Instagram app. No need to open a web page. It’s that seamless and simple. Plus, you can also use Face ID and Fingerprint touch to unlock the app, so you can safely access your accounts.

Notes by Firefox is the second Test Pilot app, and is built for Android users so that they can take and store notes across desktop and mobile devices. Any note written in the Firefox browser can then be synced to the new mobile app, and vice versa.

For those interested in testing out the apps, you will need a Firefox account and Firefox Sync to gain full functionality of each of the app’s features. Otherwise, the company explains that the Test Pilot program is open to all Firefox users to try out, and the Firefox Lockbox app is available on the iOS App Store for free starting today [Direct Link].

Tag: Firefox
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WhatsApp, Messenger, and Minecraft Among Most Popular Apps in App Store’s 10 Year History

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Apple’s iOS App Store, Sensor Tower has shared a list of the apps and games that have spent the most time in the #1 spot of the store’s various charts. Looking at the period of time from July 1, 2010 to July 5, 2018, Sensor Tower’s researchers found that a total of 30,000 unique apps have achieved #1 status on the free, paid, or top grossing charts in at least one country.

Image and charts via Sensor Tower
Honing in the data a bit more, Sensor Tower found 422 apps that hit #1 on the top free iPhone apps chart in the United States during this period, and of those apps, Facebook Messenger spent the most days at #1 with a combined 317 days. Worldwide, WhatsApp earned the top spot with a combined 1,783 days at #1 for free iPhone apps. Popular apps in both the U.S. and worldwide for these charts included Snapchat and YouTube.

Looking at the amount of days at #1 for paid iPhone apps, Minecraft had the most days both in the U.S. (847 days) and worldwide (1,645 days) App Stores. Games were popular in the U.S. on the paid iPhone apps chart, also including Angry Birds (311 days), Heads Up (225 days), and Where’s My Water (47 days), but globally there was more of a mix with apps like Facetune (1,501 days), Afterlight (1,312 days), and 7 Min Workout (1,134 days) rounding out the top four spots under Minecraft.

Clash of Clans spent 805 days at #1 on Apple’s top grossing iPhone apps chart in the U.S., coming in far ahead of the second place app Candy Crush at 278 days. The only non-gaming apps on this chart were Pandora (202 days), Netflix (172 days), and Spotify (61 days). Worldwide, Clash of Clans held onto the top spot with 1,900 days, while Spotify also remained in the top ten with 1,047 days spent at #1.

The App Store officially launched on July 10, 2008 with 500 apps for iPhone 3G owners to download, 75 percent of which were paid downloads. Over time the App Store grew and expanded, introducing in-app purchases, apps for the iPad, subscriptions, revamped interfaces, and more. Most recently in iOS 11, Apple introduced editorialized content on the App Store’s home page with articles and features that highlight new and interesting apps and games every day.

For more on the ten-year anniversary of the iOS App Store, be sure to check out our retrospective that dives into the big events that hit the App Store over the past decade.

Tag: Sensor Tower
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Airbus to build Mars rover to get first soil samples back to Earth

With Mars the focus of so much exciting space research these days, scientists must be chomping at the bit to get their hands on some of those dusty red rocks that until now we’ve only been able to view via images beamed back to Earth.

In April, we learned that NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) had teamed up on a project to do just that — retrieve samples from the red planet and return them to Earth for the first time.

This week the bold plan took a major step forward when the ESA granted Airbus a $5.3 million contract to design a concept vehicle capable of retrieving Martian samples that will have already been collected by the Mars 2020 rover. The vehicle would then load them aboard an ascent vehicle that will put the samples into orbit before being brought to Earth in a separate spacecraft.

If it sounds like a fiendishly challenging project, then you’re right. It is.

The so-called “fetch” rover will be built by Airbus at its site in Stevenage, England, just north of London.

“One rover bound for Mars in 2020 is already under construction by Airbus in Stevenage and the knowledge and expertise honed there will now be applied to designing this new mission, which aims to safely deliver – for the first time – material to Earth from another planet,” said British science minister Sam Gyimah.

Assuming the complex project proceeds smoothly, the team behind the fetch rover aims to send it on its way in 2026.

“It will be a relatively small rover, about 130kg, but the requirements are very demanding,” Ben Boyes, leader of the feasibility team at Airbus, told the BBC. “The vehicle will have to cover large distances using a high degree of autonomy, planning its own path ahead day after day.”

Preliminary work by Airbus suggests the fetch rover will look something like this. Airbus

How will it all happen?

The Mars 2020 rover will drill for and scoop up soil samples of interest, transfer them in small containers, and place them at pick-up points.

Six years later, an ascent vehicle will land on Mars, together with the fetch rover. The rover will collect the canisters and bring them back to the ascent vehicle. The ascent vehicle will then depart Mars and rendezvous with an orbiter that will return to Earth with the samples.

At least, that’s the plan.

The technology is complex and still being developed, and for that reason the timing could change. Boyes said that one of the “cool new technologies we want for the rover is to be able to detect the canisters visually from a distance and then drive over and automatically pick them up.”

Scientists say the samples could provide answers to questions about whether there was ever life on Mars and hopefully take our understanding of the planet to a whole new level.

Commenting on the project, British astronaut Tim Peake, who spent time aboard the International Space Station in 2015/2016, said we’re now in “an exciting new era where businesses and space agencies are working closer than ever before on ambitious missions to expand our knowledge of the solar system and deliver benefits to people’s lives.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• NASA and ESA will team up to bring Martian soil samples back to Earth
• A miniature chemistry lab is headed to Mars to search for signs of life
• Who needs a nurse? This robot can extract and analyze your blood
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Surface Go vs. Surface Pro

In fleshing out its tablet range with the Surface Go, Microsoft is looking to offer a decidedly cheaper option for prospective Surface buyers.

But how does the Surface Go measure up to its bigger brother, the Surface Pro? Is it worth spending that bit extra, or can you get what you need with the lower-cost option? In this head to head, we pitted the Surface Go versus the Surface Pro to find out where the best value for money lies.

Design

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

We call the Surface Pro the best Windows 2-in-1 you can buy for good reason. It sports a fantastic chassis that’s sleek and sturdy with a solid, premium feel to it. It’s a little heavier than the Surface Go and measures up at nearly a couple of inches longer, but that doesn’t detract from it being a versatile, compact device. It has a great hinge that lets it fold out to almost flat (165-degrees) with the kickstand and you can always flip the keyboard around for full tablet mode when needed.

The Surface Go is comparable in almost every way and looks near identical. You’d be hard-pressed to tell them apart by look or feel, and it’s hard to tell at first glance where the Surface Pro’s enhanced price tag comes from. You do have a smaller screen — 10-inches versus 12.3-inches on the Pro — but both sport great little keyboards and touchpads (not bundled in, unfortunately). The keyboard on the Go really impressed us enough that we’d happily say it’s the best 10-inch keyboard we’ve ever used, but at that form-factor, it’s just not as comfortable over long periods as the larger, but arguably inferior quality, Pro keyboard. In both cases, you have to pay extra for that input option.

In terms of connectivity, the Pro shows its age a little by offering a traditional USB-A 3.0 port, alongside a microSDXC card reader, miniDisplayPort output, Surface port for power, and a headphone jack. The Surface Go changes that up for a single USB-C port, a microSDXC card reader, and a headphone jack.

Performance

Internal hardware is where you stop wondering why the Surface Pro is a more costly device. It’s significantly more powerful. Where the Surface Go starts at $400 and sports an Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y dual-core processor with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space, the Surface Pro has much more impressive choices to pick from. Where the $800 base model comes with an Intel Core m3 processor — which the Pentium Gold chip should pull slightly ahead of — from there things get far more interesting. For an extra couple of hundred dollars, you get a quad-core Core i5 CPU, and if your budget allows it, there are options for a Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and a TB of storage space.

The Surface Pro is also available today with LTE Advanced connectivity, while we’re told that the Surface Go will be available with that as an option further down the line.

The Surface Pro’s display is more impressive too. Coming in at 12.3-inches, it has a resolution of 2,736 × 1,824 resolution, with a pixel density of 267 pixels-per-inch (PPI). In comparison, the Surface Go offers an 1,800 x 1,200 display with a PPI of 217. While both displays look great, it’s hard to argue that the significantly greater density of pixels on the Pro doesn’t look better.

While the Surface Pro is the more expensive device in almost all configurations, that gets you a more powerful system and one that can do far more than the basic, general-computing tasks of most Surface Go configurations.

Portability

What the Surface Go lacks in power, it makes up for in portability. It’s a smaller device at 10-inches at its broadest point, where the Surface Pro measures 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33-inches. It’s also lighter, weighing just 1.15 pounds, while the Pro tips the scales at up to 1.73 pounds with the weightiest hardware configuration. Both tablets are very portable, but if you plan to lug one around all day, the Go is the noticeably lighter device.

The Go may struggle to last as long as the Pro on a single charge though. While the Surface Go is said to manage around nine hours of general computing, the Surface Pro is rated for up to 13.5-hours. In our testing it managed more than 10-hours of constant video looping, so it will easily make it through a full workday and then some. We have some misgivings about whether the Go can do the same.

Pay for the Pro

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

If you’re considering both devices in this head to head, you should almost certainly opt for the Pro. While its price tag is higher, its hardware configuration far outstrips the Surface Go. They might look roughly the same, but the higher-resolution display, more powerful processor, and lengthier battery life make the Surface Pro an all-around better convertible table than its cheaper, newer counterpart.

The Surface Go is a decent little device, but it’s more suited to competing with the likes of Apple’s iPad than it is with the Surface Pro. If you can afford it, buy the Pro. You won’t be disappointed.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Microsoft Surface Go hands-on review
• The Surface Go tablet unofficially leaks online
• Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-inch review
• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review
• Acer Switch 7 Black Edition vs. Microsoft Surface Pro

Surface Go vs. iPad

Of all the low-cost tablets out there, the one Microsoft is most keen for its new Surface Go to come out on top against is Apple’s iPad.

Both touchscreen mobile devices have decent internal hardware, great screens, and are lightweight and portable. But which is best? To answer that question, we pitted the new $400 Surface Go versus the $330 iPad in a classic head-to-head comparison.

Design

The 2018 Apple iPad sports what is, at this point, the classic iPad design. It looks near indiscernible from its predecessors and while that isn’t a bad thing, this does mean it sports relatively chunky bezels compared to most of its contemporaries. The Surface Go isn’t much trimmer around the edges though. The overall look and feel of both devices is premium, but not the most cutting edge in terms of design. They feel sturdy and solid in the hand, though the iPad is ever so slightly lighter.

When it comes to external connections, the Surface Go offers a USB-C connector, as well as a MicroSDXC card reader, and a headphone jack. The iPad has even less connectivity options, with just a headphone jack and Lightning port — the latter of which you’ll need an adaptor for to connect USB devices.

The software on both systems is decidedly different. Where the iPad runs Apple’s iOS platform and is limited to App Store applications, the Surface Go runs a full Windows 10 installation. Although it defaults to Windows 10 S — thereby restricting users to Microsoft Store apps only — you can run a full Windows 10 install on there with a few clicks. That expansive support for applications outside of the Microsoft’s closed garden gives the Surface Go an advantage over the iPad in that respect. It is clear from our time with the Microsoft tablet though, that Windows 10 is still better suited to keyboard and mouse, over touch, control. It’s a more functional software suite than the iPad offers, but it’s not as intuitive.

If you do spend a bit extra for the Surface keyboard, you’ll get an input option that is leaps and bounds ahead of the iPad’s offering, but at just 10-inches, it can still feel cramped compared to those found on larger devices.

Performance

One of the most important aspects of any tablet is the display, and both the iPad and Surface Go have great looking touchscreen panels. The Apple tablet sports a 2,048 x 1,536 Retina screen that looks sharp and has good coloring. It’s not quite as black as we’d like, but for less than $350 for the base model, it’s a great looking display. The Surface Go’s has a lower resolution screen at 1,800 x 1,200 with a noticeably reduced pixel density (256 vs. 217), but it still looks good in the 10-inch form factor.

Underneath their glossy surfaces, the two tablets offer quite different hardware suites. The iPad sports Apple’s own A10 Fusion core, with an embedded M10 coprocessor. It pairs that with 2GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 128GB of on board flash storage space. The Surface Go packs one of Intel’s dual-core (with hyperthreading) Pentium Gold 4415Y processors with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There are options however, for up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That should give it significant memory bandwidth advantages over the iPad, though in our testing we didn’t notice much of a difference between the two in general computing ability.

The biggest differentiator between the two is in graphics performance. While the Pentium chip does have Intel’s HD 615 graphics chip, that doesn’t give it the ability to do much beyond handle very light 3D-rendering apps like Powerpoint. While the iPad is hardly built for serious gaming, it’s much more capable of handling anything you can throw it from the App Store.

The iPad is also available with full LTE connectivity. While that isn’t quite yet a possibility with the Surface Go, we’re told it will be in the future.

Portability

At 1.03 pounds, the iPad comes in a shade lighter than the Surface Go, which weighs 1.15 pounds without the keyboard. It’s also a little more compact, though 9.7-inches is about as close as you’re going to get to the Surface Go’s 10-inches, without calling them the same size.

Battery life is likely to be better on the Apple hardware too. Apple claims up to 10-hours of general usage for full charges and we found that played out in our testing. After five hours of YouTube videos, the battery life had only drained more than a third. While we don’t yet have hard battery-life results for the Surface Go, its battery is four watt-hours smaller than the iPad’s and Microsoft only claims nine-hours of life. The concern there, is that the Surface Go may not be able to handle a full eight-hour workday on a single charge, especially if you’re using it for slightly heavier lifting.

For small, lightweight, portable tablet devices like these, that’s a must and suggests that the iPad would be a much more stable pick for day to day use.

Conclusion

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Microsoft’s Surface range has grown from strength to strength over the years, giving us some fantastic hardware like the Surface Book 2 and the Surface Pro. While the Surface Go makes a valiant attempt to resurrect the low-cost, convertible tablet part of that range, it doesn’t do it well enough to supplant its main rival. Apple’s iPad has a lower base cost, a higher-resolution display, a larger battery, and more impressive graphical chops. While the Surface Go might have greater productivity features with its option for a full Windows 10 operating system, that’s not what the average person usually wants to sacrifice for better accessibility.

The Surface Go is a worthy contender to the iPad’s entry-level crown, but it falls noticeably short of its classic rival.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Surface Go vs. Surface Pro
• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review
• Office Depot just slashed the price of a Surface Pro Core i5 model in half
• Google Pixelbook review
• Acer Switch 7 Black Edition vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2 13

Best Cases for Nokia 7 Plus

Safeguard your Nokia 7 Plus with a case.

The Nokia 7 Plus is one of the sturdiest phones you can buy today thanks to Gorilla Glass 3 layer on the screen backed by a series 6000 aluminum chassis. That said, there’s a decent possibility that the screen will shatter should the phone take a particularly nasty tumble onto the pavement or a tiled surface.

While the phone isn’t officially available in the U.S., you can pick it up on Amazon for $348, and the listing is backed by Prime. These are some of the best cases available if you’re thinking of picking up a Nokia 7 Plus.

• Yiakeng Crystal TPU Case
• MAIKEZI Dual Layer Armor Case
• Olixar Leather Wallet Case
• Kwmobile Canvas Wallet Case
• Solimo TPU Mobile Cover
• WOW Imagine Armour Series

Yiakeng Crystal TPU Case

The Nokia 7 Plus has a striking design, and the best way to show it off while still adding a layer of protection is with a clear case. Yiakeng’s TPU case costs just $6.98, and it’s slim enough that it doesn’t add a lot of bulk to the device.

It has the requisite cutouts for the ports and buttons, a raised edge to protect the screen, and rounded corners to absorb impact from tumbles.

See at Amazon

MAIKEZI Dual Layer Armor Case

If you’re looking for an Otterbox-style case, MAIKEZI’s Dual Layer Armor Case should do nicely. As the name suggests, the case has two layers: a hard polycarbonate outer shell and a soft TPU inner layer.

The case surrounds the camera sensor at the back, and has a raised edge all around the front to protect the screen. You get the usual cutouts for the charging and headphone ports, there’s a built-in kickstand, and you get a range of color options with two-tone finishes.

At $7.98, the Dual Layer case costs as much as a basic TPU case, but you get much more value for your money. If you don’t want to take any chances with your Nokia 7 Plus, this should be the case to get.

See at Amazon

Olixar Leather Wallet Case

Need a wallet case to go with the Nokia 7 Plus? Olixar’s offering comes with a provision to store three cards and an inner pocket to store some cash, and the case also doubles up as a kickstand.

The case itself is made out of faux leather, and there’s a magnetic fastener that secures your cards. It is backed by a two-year warranty, and for $12 you really can’t ask for much more from a wallet case.

See at Amazon

Kwmobile Canvas Wallet Case

If you’re looking for a wallet case but don’t want one with faux leather, Kwmobile’s canvas case is a great alternative.

The case has a cardholder as well as an inner pocket, and the two-tone design gives it an upmarket look. It also has a magnetic fastener at the front, and you’ll be able to use the case as a kickstand. For $9.90, it’s a fabulous choice.

See at Amazon

Solimo TPU Mobile Cover

If you’re looking for a clear TPU case that provides an added layer of protection to your Nokia 7 Plus, look no further than Solimo’s offering. Solimo is Amazon’s in-house label, so you can be assured of the case’s quality.

The case has cutouts for all the ports and sensors, and has a raised edge at the front that protects the screen in the event of a fall. It’s extremely slim at 1.2mm, so it doesn’t add a lot of bulk to the device, and it’s slip-resistant as well.

The best part is that the case costs just ₹199 ($2.80), making it an absolute steal.

See at Amazon India

WOW Imagine Armour Series

I’m a fan of Spigen’s Rugged Armor cases, and while the brand doesn’t make cases for HMD devices just yet, you can easily find alternatives on Amazon. The one that looks closest to Spigen’s offering is the WOW Imagine Armour Series. The case has similar carbon fiber accents at the back, and the brand is even advertising a similar Air Cushion technology that absorbs impacts.

The case has raised edges at the front and back to protect the screen as well as the camera sensors, and it has the requisite cutouts for the charging and 3.5mm ports.

You’ll only have to shell out ₹329 ($4.75) to get your hands on the case. If you’re in the market for a rugged case to safeguard your Nokia 7 Plus, this one should fit the bill nicely.

See at Amazon India

Sonos Beam vs. Sonos Playbar: Which should you buy?

Alexa vs. Goliath.

In the world of soundbars, to say there’s variety in what’s offered, and how much you can pay, is an understatement. Searching “soundbar” on Amazon sees companies like Vizio offering a basic $75 option that’s no-frills and pretty well-received, while big names like Yamaha offer hardware twice the size with an included subwoofer — and a $300 price point.

But neither options do, or even claim to do, what Sonos soundbars offer. Sonos is in a league of its own, both for sound quality and extensibility. Adding a Sonos soundbar to your TV experience doesn’t just amp the sound; it opens up convenient music streaming options through Sonos’s excellent app, and when connected to the company’s other speakers, facilitates seamless whole-home audio playback from nearly any source.

Sonos offers two soundbars, the compact and modern $399 Beam and the older, larger, ultra-powerful $699 Playbar. Most people should buy the Beam, and I’ll explain why shortly, but there’s still a market for the Playbar.

Beam vs. Playbar The similarities and differences

At their cores, both the Playbar and Beam are meant to connect directly to a TV set to replace its usually-terrible onboard speakers. Once installed, they take over the main output from the TV and, once configured, respond to the volume controls on your TV’s remote control.

Note: If you’re already using a receiver, both soundbars assume that all your inputs — Apple TV, Switch, etc. — will be connected directly into your TV’s HDMI ports, since neither speaker is designed to be used as passthrough when connected to a receiver. Most TVs have between two and four HDMI ports, and most modern receivers have more than that — if you require more HDMI inputs than your TV currently allows, neither the Beam nor the Playbar will be appropriate for your setup.

The Playbar, which was released in 2013, is a very large piece of equipment, meant for large living rooms to small theaters. It’s built to rest just in front of a flat-screen TV, on a console or ledge (Sonos logo facing up) or mounted on a wall below the TV (Sonos logo facing forward). Because of its large enclosure, Sonos placed six woofers for bass, three tweeters for mids and highs, and nine Class D amplifiers for power, to fill a room with sound.

At 35 inches in width and just under 12 pounds in weight, the Playbar, which is only available in black, is an imposing piece of equipment that looks more comfortable below a television 55 inches in size or higher.

On the flip side, the Beam is available in either black or white, and is not just narrower but stouter and skinnier than the Playbar — it was able to fit on the ledge below my LG B7 OLED TV where the Playbar could not. It also benefits from Sonos’s more modern design ethos that it debuted with the Play:1 and new Play:5 — it’s rounder and more inviting but manages to disappear into the environment thanks to its color uniformity.

The Beam’s smaller stature translates into a sound more appropriate for a small-to-medium-sized living area. It has just four woofers, a single tweeter, and three passive radiators in which sound bounces around before being shot out of the speaker. Five Class D amplifiers ensure the top volume is loud enough for most people, but the Beam is not designed for capacious living areas or home theaters.

Sound

The difference between the Playbar and Beam in terms of sound output is significant. The Playbar just has more space to work with, and more individual components from which to send sound directionally. Directionality and soundstage are only important for the mid-range and high-end of a movie or song (bass, or low end, spreads outward from its source but does not care about direction), but it makes a big difference in making a soundbar feel like two, or even five, separate speakers.

In this case, the Playbar is the clear winner: an explosion on the right of the screen sounds like it’s coming from that side, thanks to dedicated drivers, and dialog emerges from a dedicated tweeter in the middle clearer and more distinct than that of the Beam. Bass rumbles more deeply and more accurately than that of the Beam, too, and couches far from the Playbar can feel the effects more easily.

Playbar’s numerous drivers have the same dramatic effect on music as they do on movies and TV shows: not only can the speaker go louder, filling more of space with beautiful harmonies, accurate bass, and pleasing, warm mids, but the separation of instruments and vocals feel more natural.

The Beam sounds very good, too, and produces sound larger and more versatile than one would assume from its size — watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi was about as visceral a movie-watching experience as I can remember — but the components of dialog, sound effects, and music all emerges from the same place. Whereas the Playbar truly makes you believe you’re listening to a set of surround sound speakers, the Beam reminds you that you’re listening to a very good speaker. Singular.

If you listen to a lot of music in your living room, the Playbar is going to sound a lot better than the Beam. For movies, the difference isn’t as significant.

Keep in mind that for movies, the difference between the Playbar and Beam on their own isn’t going to be significant except for those with large, cavernous rooms. The major difference in quality emerges when listening to music, where the Playbar pulls ahead by a wide (pun intended) margin.

Both the Playbar and Beam support true 5.1 surround sound playback by wirelessly syncing surround pairs and a subwoofer. You can make wireless pairs using two Play:1, Sonos One, or Play:5 speakers as rear surrounds, along with Sonos’s $699 dedicated subwoofer. Doing so isn’t cheap, and it’s less necessary with the Playbar up front, but the irony is that many homes that have already invested the money in a Playbar may want to augment it with Sonos’s other components.

Connectivity

Both the Playbar and Beam connect directly to a TV, but the former has only one input method: optical. That fiber-optic cable facilitates great sound, but it’s limited in what else it can do.

On the other hand, the Beam is the first Sonos speaker to support HDMI-ARC, which connects directly to a compatible TV to perform a whole bunch of useful things, like working with the built-in Alexa speaker to turn the set on and off and, when used in conjunction with an Amazon Fire TV box or dongle, perform specific tasks. Those actions can include phrases like “Watch Handmaids Tale on Hulu” or “Play Rihanna on Spotify,” which is super useful.

Note: HDMI-ARM is a standard that’s been around for 10 years, and most TVs support it. But if you’re using an older set or one that doesn’t have an HDMI-ARC input (it’s usually input #2 on most modern sets), Sonos includes an HDMI-to-optical adapter in the Beam’s box.

HDMI-ARC also allows for the Beam’s most useful feature: seamless switching between sound on the TV and sound from other places, be it a knowledge request from Alexa or playing a song on the Beam through the Sonos app. Here’s the way it works: say you’re watching a Netflix show on your Apple TV and decide to ask a question about the actor on screen. You can just say, “Alexa, who is X,” and the database should spit out an answer. Once Alexa is finished, the sound should resume on the show automatically. If you paused it using the Siri remote, you can just press play again and sound will resume over the Beam. If you want to play a song on Beam through Spotify, you can ask Alexa to play whatever you want and the speaker will do its thing, resuming the TV audio once the song is finished.

The whole system is seamless and very useful, and it leads us to our next point of comparison…

Alexa and AirPlay 2

With Alexa built-in, the Beam boasts five directional microphones and a ton of smarts to be able to listen for the hot word at all times. While the Playbar technically supports Alexa, too, you’ll need to link it with an Echo or Echo Dot speaker, which does the listening and routing on the Playbar’s behalf. That extra step is a bit clunky and doesn’t work nearly as well as it does on the Beam.

The Beam will also support AirPlay 2 through an update later this summer, and from early indications, it will be as seamless as it is on Apple’s own HomePod speakers. That means using a nearby HomePod to build a whole-home audio setup, or just using Siri to route Apple Music throughout the house using various commands. Playbar will never support AirPlay 2, and for many Apple Music listeners that may be all they need to know.

Finally, Sonos does promise Google Assistant support for the Beam, but it’s not clear when it will be added.

Who should buy the Playbar?

The Sonos Playbar is, surprisingly, still a very attractive product five years after its announcement. At its $699 price and its limited connectivity options, its appeal is quite limited, but it’s also the best-sounding soundbar I’ve ever heard — by a mile. Crisp highs, beautiful, accurate mids, and deep, accurate, rumbling bass emerge from the six woofers and three tweeters, and if I had a bigger living room I’d probably still use it over the Beam.

Why? Because I have other smart speakers in my living room, including an Amazon Echo for Alexa and a HomePod for dedicated music. If I just wanted the best, most immersive sound possible from a soundbar, the Playbar would be my top pick.

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But.

Who should buy the Beam?

At $399, the Sonos Beam is probably the most versatile soundbar on the market today. Not only does it play music, podcasts, and audiobooks from over 80 sources, including Apple Music, Spotify, Audible, and more, but it has built-in Alexa support for powerful smart home control, and among the best sound quality you’ll find in a compact speaker.

The addition of HDMI-ARC is a big deal for Sonos because it opens the platform up to the future of TV control — voice. It also expands the viability of Beam in general, since its more attractive price and design will see people choosing it over cheaper, less capable soundbars. Sonos has also ensured that the Beam can be wall-mounted, though it requires a separate $59 accessory.

The Sonos Beam is the best soundbar available for most people today, and is a better product than the Playbar in almost every way. If size and convenience are more important than sound quality, the Beam is a no-brainer.

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Which will you buy?

Are you interested in either the Sonos Beam or the Playbar?

How to sideload Android apps to Oculus TV on your Oculus Go

A cooler way to use your standard Android apps

Previously we talked about how to sideload apps onto your Oculus Go. As it turns out, we were given a pleasant surprise today when Reddit user Colonel_Izzi discovered you can sideload standard Android Apps to your device and launch them from within Oculus TV.

Most people were experiencing a problem with a lack of compatibility with the Oculus Go controller and the Android Apps, but we’ve found a solution for you to that as well. This all runs through adb and will require a few downloads and a decent amount of patience. Read on below to see how!

How to get Android apps onto your Oculus Go

In order to get the apps you want to try out on the Oculus Go, you’ll need to sideload them through a series of steps. After the apps are installed you won’t need any more steps to have them show up in the actual Oculus Go TV app. When the app is installed a new section in the TV app itself will appear labeled “Unknown Sources”. From there you can click on the app you want to load and get the party started.

Most of the apps you open through Oculus TV won’t be compatible with your Oculus Go controller. Sometimes it won’t allow you to scroll through menus and other times it won’t allow you to use any controls at all. The answer to this is using Vysor, an app that will mirror your Oculus Go onto your computer. See how to use Vysor below!

Click here for the instructions on how to sideload apps to your Oculus Go

How to get your Oculus Go ready for Android apps

Vysor will mirror the screen of your Oculus Go onto your computer and allow you to work the controls when your Go controller isn’t working – for whatever reason. Alternatively, it can allow the option of screen captures and more by controls on your computer when it’s locked on your actual device.

How to enable Developer Mode on your Oculus Go

In order to get your Oculus Go into developer mode, you will first need to create a developer account on the Oculus website.

Go to this website and sign into your Oculus account.
Create a name for your “Organization”.
Read over the “Developer Non-Disclosure Agreement”.
If you agree to the terms, check the box and press “I Agree.”

This will allow debugging on your Oculus Go after you turn the Developer Mode options on by following the instructions below.

Open the Oculus app on your phone.
Select settings from the bottom right.
Select your Oculus Go headset.
Select “More Settings”.
Toggle Developer Mode on.

How to download your Oculus Go ADB files

Download your ADB Oculus Go drivers here.
Go into your device manager on your computer.
When you connect your Oculus Go it will show up on the list.
Right click on your Oculus Go click the option that says “Update driver.”‘
Click, “Browse my computer for driver software.”
Click the option to send it to a folder yourself and select the folder where your downloaded ADB driver is.
Select the downloaded file and it will automatically update the driver.
Check to make sure you have you ADB connected by typing this command prompt into your computer, “adb devices”.
If the device code pops up into your command prompt this shows that the adb can see the device and you can move onto using Vysor.

How to use Vysor with Oculus Go

You’ll want to download the following files to your computer. After the downloads are complete the next section will go over how to use them with your device.

Download the Vysor app here.
Make sure your Oculus Go is plugged into your computer via USB port and your debugging option is still enabled.
Press the gears icon above settings.
Check to make sure it’s showing the details of your Oculus Go and press “Connect”.

A second screen will now appear on your computer, showing you what your Oculus Go is currently seeing. From here you can use your computer mouse to control everything in the Oculus Go. This will help with the compatibility issues in your standard Android apps you’re looking to use inside of Oculus TV.

Now go have fun

Now you should be all set up to get yourself up and running. You can use your normal Oculus Go controller to launch our Oculus TV app and select which app from the “Unknown Sources” section you want to use. From there, if you experience any controller issues, you can move on to using your mouse on the computer to control what is going on in your Oculus Go.

If you have any questions let us know in the comment section below! Other than that, tell us what apps you’re using and why they are or aren’t your favorites!

Select Dash Buttons are down to $1 for Prime members today with a $5 credit

Press the button to order.

Amazon has a few great deals today for its Prime members, including a bunch of different Dash Buttons for just $0.99 each. These normally sell for $4.99 each and come with a $5 credit after using it for the first time. The discounted buttons still score you the same $5 credit, which means that you essentially make $4 in Amazon credit for buying these today.

• Peets Coffee Dash Button
• ZipLoc Dash Button
• Cascde Dash Button
• AmazonBasics Batteries Dash Button
• Keurig K-Cup Pods Dash Button
• Gatorade Dash Button
• Dunkin Donuts Dash Button

This is just a small sample of all the buttons that are available. Each of these can be set up to reorder a variety of products in the brand’s category. Not sure if Dash Buttons will work for you? Be sure to check out this review from our pal Modern Dad.

These prices are exclusive to Amazon Prime members, so if you aren’t already a member, you’ll want to sign up for a free 30-day trial right now.

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