Spotify’s Fewer U.S. Premium Members and Higher Churn Rate Attributable to Competition From Apple Music and Others

Consumer Intelligence Research Partners this afternoon shared analysis comparing data collected from Spotify subscribers in the United States and Spotify subscribers globally, finding some notable differences in habits between the two.

Spotify has a lower percentage of Spotify Premium subscribers in the United States compared to the global share, according to CIRP, which CIRP attributes to the competitive U.S. market that offers many different services from Apple, Google, Amazon, and others.

In the United States, 35 percent of Spotify users have signed up for a premium subscription, while the other 65 percent listen to the company’s free tier or were previously Spotify Premium subscribers.

Of premium subscribers in the U.S., 55 percent have individual accounts, 24 percent use a family plan, 12 percent have student subscriptions, and 9 percent have a subscription that combines access to Spotify Premium and Hulu.

“In our first survey of Spotify users, we can see differences between the US and the rest of the world,” said Josh Lowitz, Partner and Co-Founder of CIRP. “In the US, a somewhat lower percentage of listeners have Spotify Premium compared to the global share.

The US is a competitive market, with a number of options for both free and paid streaming music. And, among these Premium subscribers, over half have the standard Individual membership, while one-quarter have the broader Family Plan, which offers multiple individual accounts for a single higher monthly fee. A significant percentage of Spotify customers have chosen these alternative subscription options.”

During the second quarter of 2018, which is when the data was collected, 11 percent of ad-supported Spotify listeners started a trial Premium subscription, while 74 percent of subscribers continued with a paid Premium subscription when a trial ended.

16 percent of Premium subscribers ended a subscription and reverted to the free listening tier or stopped using Spotify all together, a churn rate that CIRP says is higher than Spotify’s global churn rate.

“Spotify’s financial success depends on creating a robust funnel of users, converting casual listeners that download the app to long-term paid Premium subscribers,” said Mike Levin, Partner and Co-Founder of CIRP. “Spotify encourages free Ad-Supported listeners to begin a free or nearly-free trial of a Premium subscription, typically of seven or thirty days. It then seeks to convert that trial to some form of paid Premium, with users paying for the service monthly. The monthly payment plan does allow Premium subscribers to cancel at any time, a situation that Spotify calls ‘churn’.

We estimate a US churn rate of 16% for the quarter, higher than what Spotify suggests is the global rate. Again, we attribute this to a competitive US market, with many choices for paid and free streaming music services.”

While Spotify and Apple Music both operate in multiple countries around the world, Apple Music has been gaining popularity rapidly in the United States since its 2015 launch.

In early July, an anonymous source from a major U.S.-based distributor told Digital Music News that Apple Music has surpassed Spotify’s subscriber count in the United States, something The Wall Street Journal accurately predicted would happen this summer given the subscriber growth rates of the two companies.

Both Apple Music and Spotify are said to have more than 20 million subscribers in the United States, with Apple “a hair ahead” of Spotify. Spotify and Apple Music do not break down their subscriber counts by country, so there’s no official confirmation.

Spotify in May announced that it has a total of 75 million paid subscribers worldwide, and Apple during the same month said that it has 50 million paid subscribers and free trial users around the globe. Spotify’s total user base continues to be much larger — 170 million active users – due to the free ad-supported tier that Spotify offers.

Customers in the United States have a lot of choice when it comes to streaming music services. Along with Apple Music and Spotify, Pandora Radio, SoundCloud, Google Play Music, Amazon Music and others offer subscription options.

CIRP’s Spotify data for its report was gathered from surveys of 500 U.S. participants who used Spotify from April to June 2018.

Tags: Spotify, Apple Music
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Feedly review: Does it still hold up in the crowded news reader category?

You may not be old enough to have experienced Google Reader, but the beloved RSS feed reader was the perfect solution for ingesting news without all the noise. Just a bare-bones list of headlines curated by you, the reader.

What could be more useful material than subjects and items that you specify? It made the morning ritual a truly blissful habit.

But, seemingly just when you had the perfect amount of sources carefully categorized, Google announced it was discontinuing the service due to a declining user base. Business is business, and although Google cited dwindling interest, the audience actively using the service displayed utmost devotion.

I distinctly remember the feeling of despair in the waning moments of Google Reader. A sense of abandonment. You think I’m sensationalizing this? All hope was lost.

Enter Feedly

A product developed out of sheer necessity. A service that would put its arms around the hundreds of thousands of fallen souls to resurrect this once proud faction of netizens.

Ok, clearly sensationalizing. But still … Feedly was in existence prior to the Google Reader shut-down, however the once small platform instantly gained 500,000 new users in 2013 as a result. Having long since established itself as a premiere news aggregator since those early days, how does Feedly stack up nowadays with so many alternatives?

Get Reading

As an early adopter I had the ability to import all of my existing Google Reader feeds to Feedly, so I was instantly up an running. If you are just starting out from scratch, it is just a matter of either registering for an account or signing in with your existing Google profile.

From there you can choose from a collection of topics, search for sources or enter an exact RSS feed if you’re not finding what you’re looking for. Once you start adding sources, you can assign them to categories and begin to organize your news feed.

The News Feed

The viewing experience has always been buttery smooth and the content quick to load. These are rather important factors when choosing among similar apps, and Feedly absolutely perfects this immediacy. Along with function comes fashion, and there are several different layouts to choose from including Detect (based on the content being rendered), Title Only, List, Magazine and Cards.

Other cosmetic components include “Open Animation” (when tapping on articles), “Transition” (the style with which you navigate through your news feed) and “Theme” which is simply light or dark mode.

Extras! Extras!

Feedly has a lot going for it. The overall minimal experience should not be confused with having a lack of bigness. Under the hood, users can connect to saving tools like Pocket, Evernote, etc. and assign favorite sharing methods. But one feature that Feedly has that many will appreciate is a desktop presence.

This alternative destination includes options to upgrade to paid tiers for unlocking some more business-focused features such as team collaboration and deeper third party integrations.

Love/Hate

From a purely functional standpoint, it’s hard to find many other news readers to get me completely off of Feedly. But I sure as hell have tried. And there are a few main reasons for me test driving other apps.

The first being my indifference toward the aesthetics. One can’t really say Feedly is ugly, but it needs to be more modern or “materialized.” Which could be a result of my next item of agony and that is very infrequent updates. In their defense though, the team is currently undergoing a beta project in collaboration with users to gain feedback for upcoming app enhancements.

The main stickler, however, is the inability to search my entire news feed (sources) for a keyword or phrase.

The usefulness of that type of function cannot be understated. I have a slew of news in my face, but want to see if there is an article on, say, “Black Ops 4?” Well damn I should be able to pinpoint that.

A now-defunct app (taptu) had this feature and spoiled me. Although I typically have Feedly installed, I have definitely flirted with the likes of Palabre (Material Design and keyword search).

Always a Contender

Feedly does way more things right than wrong. It’s a solid performer and is not too bloated or distracting (ahem, Flipboard).

My dislikes are not deal-breakers and what some other readers might do better, just simply cannot compete with the speed at which I get my news within Feedly. Qualms aside, Feedly will most assuredly have a spot in my app rotation.

Honor 7S review: Your grandma deserves better

With the Honor 10, Honor created a smartphone that challenged a lot of flagships at a very affordable mid-range price tag. The OEM has proven itself to be a master of efficiency in engineering and highly competitive in lower price categories.

This is Honor’s cheapest phone yet. So, what happens when that same company takes on the budget market? What can we expect for a measly 99 pounds (~$129)? Let’s find out in this Honor 7S review. Let’s just say it’s best not to get your hopes up.

Don’t get your hopes up

Design and features: Plain Jane

Let’s start with the design. You should expect a number of concessions in a phone costing 99 pounds, and this one’s got plenty.

This is a very plastic phone with a generic design. It’s also quite thick, which may not be an issue depending on your preferences – but it further betrays the phone’s budget nature.

It’s not necessarily ugly, though. In fact it actually looks fairly solid — I really like the rounded edges. It’s not even close to premium, but it’s certainly acceptable.

The screen is 5.45 inches, with a 1,440 x 720 resolution. A sub-1080p screen is pretty rare these days, even at this price. That said, the 18:9 aspect ratio and 73 percent screen-to-body ratio make it feel at least somewhat modern.

From purely a design standpoint, this is a well-made budget device with sensible cost cutting compromises.

Unfortunately, the average design is one of the device’s best aspects.

Features: None to speak of

Another moderately good aspect of the 7s is its 3,020mAh battery. It isn’t absurdly big, but does very well with the chipset and the low-res screen. I’ve gotten 8 hours of screen-on time with basic usage, which is pretty darn good. Taxing the CPU and connectivity will drain it a lot faster. You’re really looking at just over a day when it comes to more intensive use.

There’s no fingerprint scanner here, which is a bit of a blow. There’s no face detection either, so you really are left with only the basic PIN or password for your security.

Hello, old friend

The 7s uses Micro-USB. Nicer features like water resistance, NFC, and wireless charging are missing — all perfectly fair and to be expected (even if the AWOL fingerprint scanner stings a bit).

What strikes me as a really cheap move on the other hand is the complete lack of a speaker grill. The 7S instead uses the phone speaker for media and notifications, which creates a lot of distortion at higher volumes. It’s useful if you want to kick a YouTube habit, but otherwise actually quite unpleasant.

Coupled with the 720p screen, this really isn’t a good option for media consumption. I’ve used plenty of cheap devices but none completely lacking a speaker grill!

It’s only got 16GB of storage, which meant I actually had to pick and choose which apps I wanted to transfer from my previous device.

This really isn’t a good option for media consumption

However, there is expandable storage up to 256GB, so you’ll at least be able to store a lot of data there. Still, 16GB is very limiting, especially considering the apps that need to be installed on internal storage.

There’s dual SIM, which I know will please a lot of people.

Performance: Low specs meets bloated OS

I’m just going to come out with it: the Honor 7S is not an impressive phone — even taking into account the low price.

The Honor 7S packs a low-end Mediatek MT6739 processor, and a minimal 2GB of RAM. That’s certainly not an impressive showing on paper, but the actual real-world performance somehow manages to fall short of even the most modest expectations.

Response time, load times, browsing, and smoothness all take a serious hit. Often, you’ll hit a key and wait a fraction of a second for it to respond. You’ll spend a fair amount of time looking at splash screens while apps load, or wondering if the phone’s crashed. It’s not uncommon to find basic animations freezing mid-way through. Pretty much any time the Swiftkey keyboard pops up (the pre-installed default), you’ll get a brief blank space underneath your current app.

I’ve actually become bored waiting for my photos to open up. Even trying to use the wallpaper app for photos was a chore. Technically it supports split screen multitasking, but I wouldn’t bother.

While most other lower end devices can handle most games just fine, the Honor 7S is not the device for you if you plan on playing 3D titles with decent performance. Even a favorite 2D title of mine — Run Gun, Jump Gun — runs in slow-mo as though everything is taking place under water. PUBG doesn’t work due to a glitch. There’s no gyroscope sensor either, so 360-degree content is off limits and VR is definitely a no go. It probably wouldn’t have the horsepower to run it anyway.

It really isn’t any fun to use

The performance should be better than this, even given the hardware. I suspect the issue may have something to do with the Color OS UI layer, the amount of bloat (especially egregious given the small amount of space), and a lack of optimization. The Honor 10 made up for software bloat with its Kirin 970, and some potential AI RAM management. The Honor 7S is an experiment in combining poor software optimization with sub-par hardware, and it really isn’t any fun to use.

The default Huawei launcher is not pretty, but at least you can change it

Phones aren’t just luxuries anymore — they’re essential tools for most of us. When you can’t rely on your device to open up the camera, maps, or even contacts quickly, you have a problem.

It at least works well as a phone. Call quality was good and the phone allows turning the volume on the earpiece up extra loud to drown out background noise. It’s a nice touch, though clearly only included to sidestep the need for a speaker.

Camera: Meh

Believe it or not, I take no pleasure in writing a negative reviews (well, maybe just a little bit). I was really hoping the camera might be this phone’s saving grace. Honor has a habit of sticking feature-packed cameras into even its cheaper models.

That’s not the case here. All the Honor 7x’s fun options have been stripped out of the app, including the pro mode and light painting. You get a few fun filters, but it’s otherwise a basic, stripped-down affair. As a result, the camera gets very little support.

The good news is that the rear shooter here is 13MP, which is respectable. The selfie camera is also not bad at 5MP — it even comes with an LED light.

Unfortunately, photos are dark, lack detail, and often come out blurry due to the lack of stabilization. White balance is all over the place, and a lot of shots just don’t work because of that. Low light performance is also poor, and the aperture is fairly narrow at f/2.2, limiting the depth of field effects that you can achieve.

It’s not atrocious — I have seen worse. If you take a lot of photos, you’ll probably want to bring your camera along too. You won’t be hanging these on your wall.

Video is available at 1080p, but seeing as there’s no gyroscope, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that there’s no stabilization here either resulting in some pretty shaky footage.

Bottom line: There’s better out there

I usually aim to use a phone for at least a week before writing a review , so I can give it a fair chance and catch any kinks not immediately apparent. To be completely honest, I gave up after a few days with the Honor 7S — it was simply too frustrating to use. There were already enough “kinks” for me to make up my mind.

This might all seem a little unfair. Maybe it comes across as a rant (my apologies). I am perfectly aware that you shouldn’t expect the world for 99 pounds.

However, other devices out offer far more impressive specs, features, and performance that cost a similar amount.

Take the OPPO Realme 1 that I reviewed recently. The base model costs $110 and it comes with a better screen, more RAM, face detection, a glass back, faster processor, bigger battery, and (gasp!) speaker grill.

For 50 pounds (~$65) more, you could get something like the Moto G6 Play or a host of other much more compelling devices.

I could live with the design and the lack of high-end features. Even the low resolution would be fine; the sluggishness is just too much. The sound quality is also actively unpleasant. To conclude this Honor 7S review, I just can’t recommend this device.

So that’s it for our Honor 7S review. If it weren’t for the poor performance, I could suggest this as a gift for your Grandma or someone else who doesn’t need any high-end features. As it is, I wouldn’t wish this on your Grandma.

New study suggests CRISPR gene editing might have unforeseen side effects

From the promise of malaria-free mosquitos to a potentially limitless supply of transplant organs or cures for some of humanity’s worst diseases, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing sounds almost too to be true. Unfortunately, at least according to researchers in the United Kingdom, that could turn out to be true. In a recently published Nature paper, researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute — a nonprofit British genomics and genetics research institute — warn that gene editing has the potential to end badly. Specifically, they are worried that DNA alterations could result in cells turning cancerous.

Their conclusions are based on studying two genes in different cell types in the form of mouse embryonic stem cells and human immortalized cells. By studying these genes, they observed that genomic damage was a “common outcome.”

“Many researchers assumed that the repair of Cas9-induced DNA breaks results only in local changes of a few to few hundred DNA bases,” Michael Kosicki, a researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, told Digital Trends. “This is often the intended result and even as a side effect, it is not expected to be especially harmful. We have found that large deletions of thousands of bases and complex rearrangements are another frequent outcome. Both are difficult to detect using standard methods and may have consequences beyond the intended ones.”

The idea of CRISPR technology causing something akin to genetic typos is unsettling, but Kosicki notes that this isn’t just the stuff of alarmist Michael Crichton-style sci-fi warnings about the future. In fact, gene editing has led to damaging results before, when early gene therapy trials a decade and a half ago led to the accidental activation of a gene that caused cancer.

“Gene therapy often involves editing of hundreds of millions of cells and even one cell can potentially initiate a neoplasm,” he continued. “This is why ‘off-target effects’, the potential for Cas9 to mistakenly target another gene, were taken so seriously by the gene editing community. We believe ‘on-target effects’ should as well. [It may also] depend on the targeted gene. Some places in the genome may be more likely to be at risk, especially if they are close to oncogenes.”

Kosicki said that the research institute’s paper is a “call for more scrutiny and caution” when deploying CRISPR-Cas9 technologies in the future. “The changes we described can be easily detected, if you know what you are looking for,” he said. “In some cases, this additional risk may be worth the potential benefit; in some, it will not. More knowledge will make regulators’ choices more informed.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Scientists will use use stem cells to grow ‘mini brains’ using Neanderthal DNA
• 8 Amazing CRISPR projects that could change life as we know it
• Yale scientists edit genetic diseases out of mice before birth; humans are next
• Scientists have mapped the genome of the most common cancer among younger men
• Scientists may soon be able to treat autism with CRISPR gene editing

Here’s how to get the best from the BlackBerry Key2’s camera

You buy a BlackBerry phone for the keyboard, the security, or the battery life, right? Absolutely, but since the release of the KeyOne and the adoption of the Android operating system, the camera can be added to the list, too. The new BlackBerry Key2 takes it to the next level, and while it’s not going to challenge the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus or the Huawei P20 Pro, it’s definitely a capable performer ready to take some very shareable shots.

If the phone is in your hand, and you’re ready to go and take some photos, then it’s time to read our guide on how to find and use all the BlackBerry Key2’s best camera features.

The camera

The BlackBerry Key2 has a dual-lens rear camera to keep up with the current trend. Both sensors have 12-megapixels, but the primary lens has an f/1.8 aperture and a large 1.28nm pixel size, while the secondary lens has an f/2.6 aperture and a 1.0nm pixel size. Other camera features include a dual-tone LED flash, phase detection autofocus, and 4K video recording. Around the front is an 8-megapixel selfie camera. It’s all used with the standard BlackBerry camera app.

5 features you have to try

The BlackBerry Key2’s camera isn’t complicated, so don’t expect it to take hours to learn, or weeks to try out the different features. However, there are a few you need to try, and we’re sure several will become ones you use regularly. Ready?

Portrait Mode

Andy Boxall/Digitaltrends.com

The dual-lens camera makes bokeh-style photos possible, where the background blurs around the main subject. BlackBerry hides the option to use the feature away, and it’s not immediately obvious where it is.

• To the right of the camera shutter button in portrait orientation is a button that looks like a camera. Tap it and a menu appears, and the Portrait option is in the top right. Tap it to activate the feature.
• Once it’s active, point the camera at a subject and when it’s in focus you’ll see a yellow notification saying Depth Effect appear. You can hit the shutter release now to take the photo. The camera will suggest moving further away from your subject if it can’t bring it into focus.

Zoom mode

Andy Boxall/Digitaltrends.com

Portrait mode isn’t the only advantage a dual-lens camera brings to the Key2. It also adds a 2x zoom mode that doesn’t sacrifice quality like one would expect from a single-lens digital zoom. It’s easy to find and use.

• Open the camera app and directly above the shutter release is a little circular button with a 1x inside it. Tap it and the camera jumps to 2x zoom, with that number appearing in the circle to confirm the change. Tap it again to return to 1x.
• Don’t forget that you can also use the zoom feature from 1x to 2x by pinching the screen. This allows further tuning of the zoom to get the photo you want, such as a 1.5x zoom being preferred over the full 2x zoom. Careful though, as you can zoom in further than 2x, but the quality of your photo will steadily decrease.

Live filters

Andy Boxall/Digitaltrends.com

BlackBerry’s camera app has live photo filters to enhance your photos while you take them. Finding and using them is simple.

• With the phone in portrait orientation, look for the magic wand logo to the far right of the shutter release. Tap it and a series of filters appears. Each one changes the photo live on the screen, so you know exactly how the end result will look. Swipe from left to right to see different options.
• When a filter is active, the magic wand icon will change from white to color. If you would prefer to return to a non-filtered view, swipe completely to the left and select the filter called None. Tap the magic wand icon again to turn off the filters.

Take a private photo

Andy Boxall/DigitalTrends.com

If you would rather take a photo that is private, and won’t sit in your gallery for everyone to see, then the BlackBerry’s private photo feature is for you. Before using it, you need to learn how to use BlackBerry Locker.

• With Locker all set up, instead of taking a photo using the shutter release, use the fingerprint sensor in the spacebar. However, it’s important to just touch the fingerprint sensor, and not actually press the spacebar.
• Provided you get this step right, the photo will not be saved to your gallery or be uploaded to the cloud. Instead, it’s saved to your private gallery found inside the Locker app. This is opened only after fingerprint authentication, ensuring the photo stays private.

Activate manual mode

Proving the BlackBerry Key2 has a camera to be taken seriously, there is a manual mode, but like several other features, you have to know where to find it.

• Once the camera app is open, tap the Settings cog in the top right of the screen, then in the menu that appears, tap Control Mode. It’s the first option in the list. In the next menu, tap Manual.
• If it is the first time you’re activating manual mode, then when you return to the viewfinder, the camera will provide instructions on how to use the new mode. All the options run down the lefthand side of the screen (in portrait orientation) including focal length, aperture, ISO, and white balance settings.
• Each setting can be adjusted manually, or some can be left in auto mode. To do this, we’ll use White Balance as an example. Look for the yellow marker next to it. This indicates it’s in auto mode. At the bottom of the settings list is a button marked Auto. Tap this to adjust the setting manually instead, or again to lock the mode in auto.
• To return to Auto mode for the camera, you need to reverse the process and go back to the Settings menu, Control Mode, and then switch to Auto.

That’s it for our BlackBerry Key2 camera guide. Now all that’s left is for you to go out and take some great pictures with the phone.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• How to use BlackBerry Locker
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The best tripods for your DSLR or mirrorless camera

Miss Zhang/Unsplash

Whether you’re setting up a video shoot, need your camera to hold still for that 30-second exposure, or simply want something else to support your heavy gear so you don’t have to, a tripod is an essential tool for photographers from beginner to pro. And while tripods all rely on a basic structure (three feet, hence the name), they vary greatly in size,  materials, and features from one style to the next. Below, we’ve rounded up seven of our favorites that make up the best tripods for all kinds of photo and video adventures.

Manfrotto Pixi Evo ($40)

Manfrotto might be most known for its larger tripods, but the company has struck all the right chords with its Pixi Evo series. Designed for smartphones, point-and-shoots, action cameras, and even mirrorless cameras, this little tripod is built like a tank, but packs down small for the sake of convenience. Best of all, it can also be used as a grip for holding your camera when taking video.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom ($40)

If you’re looking for flexibility, Joby’s iconic lineup of GorillaPods is literally what you need. Its legs are basically a series of interconnected ball joints, allowing them to articulate in any direction so the tripod can grip almost anything. GorillaPods come in a variety of sizes, too. This particular model, for instance, is capable of holding up a DSLR with a decent-sized lens. For smartphone stability, Joby’s GripTight Action Kit might be more up your alley, while mirrorless users might find the GorillaPod 1K Kit more appropriate for lightweight applications.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Slik Sprint Pro II ($70)

The Slik Sprint Pro II is a lightweight tripod that gets the job done without any extra frills and offers good value for the money. Each of the three legs have four extendable sections and the center bracket can be taken down so that lower-angle shooting is possible. With the bullhead mount, the Silk Sprint Pro II is also capable of holding an upwards of 4.5 pounds, which should be more than enough for even a heavier DSLR with a standard zoom lens attached.

Buy it now from:

B&H

MeFoto Classic BackPacker Travel Tripod ($110)

Compact, colorful, and capable, the MeFoto BackPacker Travel Tripod is one of the more interesting offerings on our roundup. Like most of MeFoto’s tripods, this particular version is available in a rainbow of colors, from silver to purple. As the name suggests, it also packs down so that you can easily stow it in a small backpack. It even manages to hold an upwards of 8.8 pounds on its ball head mount. Want an even lighter tripod? Check out the Air version of the BackPacker.

Buy it now from:

B&H

Vanguard Alta Pro 263AGH ($200)

Tripod heads come in all shapes and sizes. Vanguard’s Alta Pro 263AGH offers one of the more unique styles, however, amounting to a pistol-style grip that rotates on a ball head. Combined with a 13.2-pound weight limit, this tripod has a lot to offer, especially when you consider the affordable price tag.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Manfrotto MK190X3-2W ($260)

If video production is more up your alley, you should opt for a fluid head, and Manfrotto has some of the best options out there in terms of bang-for-your-buck. The Manfrotto MK190X3-2W is one of the company’s mid-tier options, yet it still offers impressive performance despite its compact design. The fluid head means pans and tilts will be nice and smooth while recording video. This tripod is unique in that it’s actually a still photo tripod with a video head attached, and it uses the same quick release plate as Manfrotto’s other still photo heads. It’s therefore easy to swap out a ball head when you need it, making this a good choice for hybrid still/video shooters.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

3 Legged Thing Eclipse Albert with AirHed 360 Ball Head ($500)

If you don’t mind spending the dough, one of the best tripods you can get your hands on is the 3 Legged Thing Eclipse Albert. The device is made of carbon fiber, which helps reduce weight and increase durability. The tripod also offers a multitude of adjustment points to keep it compact. And despite weighing just 4.9 pounds, it can support camera systems up to 66 pounds!

Buy it now from:

B&H

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A new discovery could make next-gen deodorants way more effective

We’re all for amazing smartphones, cutting-edge robots, and flying cars. But when we’re stuck on a subway or bus next to a particularly pungent passenger on the commute to work, the one technology we’re hoping for more than anything is a next-generation deodorant, capable of wiping out body odor wherever it rears its malodorous head. Fortunately, such a thing may soon be a reality thanks to researchers from the United Kingdom.

Scientists at the U.K.’s University of York and University of Oxford have taken the first, important step to eradicating body odor for good by isolating the species of Staphylococcus bacteria which causes the most foul-smelling compounds in sweat. Their work concludes that, just like a few bad apples spoils the bunch, a fairly small number of bacteria species are responsible for the majority of a person’s bad odor.

That may sound relatively dry (well, as dry as research into sweat ever gets), but understanding the structure of body odor’s transport protein opens up the possibility of developing new, supercharged deodorants. Rather than indiscriminately targeting all bacteria, these next-gen antiperspirants — whether spray on or roll-on deodorants — could be created especially to target these specific bacteria, while leaving the rest alone to continue with their inoffensive existence. Instead of simply masking the scent, the idea is that these futuristic foul smell battling deodorants could block the pungent enzymes and disable the transport proteins which otherwise result in a person giving off an unpleasant whiff as they walk by.

At present, the research is still at an early stage, but having a more comprehensive understanding of the biochemical, enzymatic and genetic background of body odor causation can only be a good thing. If you’re one of the unlucky folks who is affected by body odor, regardless of whether or not you wash, this could turn out to be a game-changer.

The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, in addition to an industry grant from Unilever, the consumer goods company which produces a number of deodorants and other hygiene products.

A paper describing the work, titled “Structural basis of malodor precursor transport in the human axilla,” was recently published in the journal eLife.

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The Apple T2 chip in the latest MacBook Pros offer a deeper level of security

Apple surprised customers with a sudden (but expected) hardware refresh of its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros without an on-stage introduction. The updated models include the T2 security chip first introduced in 2017’s iMac Pro providing a secure boot, encrypted storage, live “Hey Siri” commands, and more.

“The Apple T2 chip includes a Secure Enclave coprocessor that provides the foundation for secure boot and encrypted storage capabilities,” the company states. “It also consolidates many discrete controllers, including the system management controller, audio controller, and SSD controller, into one.”

A deep-dive into the chip shows that it includes a built-in hardware encryption engine that encrypts all data stored on the MacBook Pro’s SSD. This process uses 256-bit AES encryption and security keys unique to that specific MacBook Pro model. Owners gain access to the data through Apple’s FileVault platform that provides your own personal key.

This method is great in that data cannot be accessed without your personal key. Moreover, if the SSD were to be removed, a hacker still won’t gain access to the stored data. But that also means you can’t move the SSD to another MacBook Pro should your current model suffer catastrophic failure. This is why you should frequently make backups using Time Machine.

Apple’s T2 chip also provides what Apple calls a “hardware root of trust,” meaning that the chip handles the startup process. It monitors each step and cryptographically signs an approval so that the startup can progress to the next stage. This process includes scanning the firmware, the system kernel, kernel extensions, and more. It will even scan the integrity of Boot Camp Windows-based volumes.

What this means for MacBook Pro owners is that their device isn’t susceptible to low-level attacks, as only verified, trusted software will launch during the startup process. But you can control the secure boot process by pressing “Command-R” to access the Startup Security Utility. With this tool, you can password-protect the firmware and enable/disable booting from external devices.

This tool also provides three settings — full, medium, and no — to control how strict the T2 chip will be during boot. For instance, the Full Security mode, set by default, requires a network connection to verify the operating system’s integrity, the latest version of MacOS, and “verifiable” software at boot. Meanwhile, the Medium Security setting doesn’t require the latest MacOS or an internet connection but still has the “verifiable software” requirement.

Other features provided by Apple’s T2 chip include an always-listening “Hey Siri,” a first for MacBooks. The chip also controls both Touch ID and the Touch Bar and includes an image signal coprocessor that works with FaceTime HD. According to Apple, this coprocessor provides “enhanced tone mapping, improved exposure control, and face-detection-based auto-exposure and auto white balance.”

Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar starts at $1,800 packing an eighth-generation Core i5 processor and four Thunderbolt 3 ports while the non-Touch Bar 13-inch MacBook Pros still ride on older seventh-generation processors. The new 15-inch MacBook Pros start at $2,400 packing eighth-generation six-core chips.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s everything new with the 2018 MacBook Pro
• MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar review
• If you own a 2018 MacBook Pro, you will want to maintain data backups
• The MacBook Pro may finally get updated with faster processors
• Apple iPad Pro (2018): News and rumors

Best Samsung Galaxy S9 Cases

Find a sleek and stylish case to keep your S9 protected.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is another outstanding device and a popular option for those upgrading in 2018. With its sleek all-glass design, you’re probably going to want to keep it protected with a quality case. There’s a ton of options out there to fit your protection needs and personal tastes.

Here are the best cases we’ve found for the Galaxy S9. We’ll be updating this article as more awesome options become available.

• Samsung S-View Cover
• Samsung Hyperknit Cover
• Samsung Alcantara Cover
• Spigen Rugged Armor case
• Otterbox Commuter Series
• RhinoShield CrashGuard bumper
• Lifeproof SLAM case
• Maxboost mSnap Perfect Fit case
• Speck Presidio case
• BodyGuardz Ace Fly clear case
• Spigen Rugged Armor case
• VRS Design Clear Slim case
• Caseology Legion Series case
• Ringke Fusion Clear Case
• SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle Series case
• dbrand skins

Samsung S-View Cover

OEM Option

We’ll start out with some of Samsung’s cases.

The first one is the perennially awesome S-View case. This folio-style flip case features a clear cover for the screen that keeps it protected from scratches while also letting you see notifications and accept calls with a swipe. It can also be folded up as a hands-free stand.

You’ll drop big money on this one — Samsung lists the S-View case at $60.

See at Samsung

Samsung Hyperknit Cover

Custom Finish

Google seemed to start the fabric case trend, but we’re happy to see Samsung also embracing it.

Made of woven nylon, this case looks brilliant in red with a nice, soft finish. Everyone’s going to want to see your brand new phone, so why not add a bit of extra flash while keeping it safe? With extra protection in the corner and clean cutouts around the camera and fingerprint sensor on the back you’ll love the functional and stylish design on display here. You can get yours for just $35.

The Galaxy S9 and its Hyperknit case are a match made in heaven

See at Samsung

Samsung Alcantara Cover

Most Stylish

First-party accessories are always on the more expensive side, so they really need to offer customers something unique. Samsung’s Alcantara covers have been recent standouts, offering a combination of sound protection and a cozy finish for your Galaxy devices.

The Alcantara case won us over with the Note 8, so we’re pretty happy to see it offered by Samsung for the S9. Made of Alcantara, a lightweight material that’s rugged and durable while keeping a slim form factor, you’ll get a stylish and grippy case that won’t add much bulk to the phone. It’s not yet available to buy but would be worth keeping an eye out for.

You can get this stylish case for $50 direct from Samsung or for $42 on Amazon.

Samsung’s Alcantara case is the most luxurious way to protect your Galaxy S9 or S9+

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Armor case

Sleek and rugged

Spigen makes some outstanding smartphone accessories, and the Rugged Armor style is always a popular offering.

This case features a slim one-piece case made of flexible TPU that helps to absorb impacts with little pockets of air in the corners to help protect your phone when dropped. With a matte black finish and carbon fibre accents in the top and back it’s got a stylish look that isn’t bulky or distracting. All the ports and buttons are accessible and the case is also screen protector compatible.

Get yours for just $12. Also available for the Galaxy S9+.

See at Amazon

RhinoShield CrashGuard bumper

Minimal Option

If you would really prefer not to put a bulky case on your phone but still want some added peace of mind for those rare times where your phone slips out of your hand, consider the CrashGuard bumper from RhinoShield.

This is a really well-designed bumper that’s rugged and shock absorbing in the corners and along phone’s edges — exactly where you need it most. It’s quick and easy to install and lets you still fully show off the design of your phone.

You can get this minimalist case solution for just $25.

See at Amazon

OtterBox Commuter Series

Mid-Range Protection

Few names are as synonymous with phone cases as OtterBox. They’re built a reputation as a trusted brand by designing really rugged cases and backing their products with superior customer service.

We’d recommend the Commuter series case which is a pocket-friendly case that still delivers the rugged protection you’ve come to expect from an OtterBox case. It’s got one big cutout on the back for the camera and fingerprint sensor and includes port covers to keep dirt out. You can get yours for just $30 from Amazon.

We’ve highlighted the Commuter Series here, but OtterBox has over 10 different case styles available for the Galaxy S9 which you can check out on their site.

See at Amazon

Lifeproof SLAM case

Drop-Proof

When you’re dropping over $700 on a brand new phone, you want to protect it from everything life might throw at it, especially if you plan on spending a ton of time outside this summer.

Lifeproof cases typically offer protection from dirt and snow, but the SLAM case focuses exclusively on drop protection. Lifeproof says this case can survive drops from up to two meters (6.5 ft) thanks to the reinforced bumpers. It’s also got a rugged backplate that’s clear to show off the phone’s design and also compatible with wireless charging. While it’s not quite as Lifeproof as you’d expect, it’s also not as expensive as other Lifeproof cases at only $50. Plus, it looks pretty cool with the black and neon green, don’t you think?

Looking for the classic FRE Lifeproof case? You can get the supreme Lifeproof case for a whopping $89. It’s real pricy, and probably more than we could justifiably recommend to the average user, but if you want one you can buy it straight from the source.

See at Lifeproof

Maxboost mSnap Perfect Fit

Best Fit

The Galaxy S9 deserves protection, but we don’t always want to give up the thin and sleek Galaxy S9 design to get it. That’s why the Maxboost mSnap case is so great. It has an extremely hard and tough plastic exterior that doesn’t flex or bend, and that means it can take all of the bumps and scrapes of daily life. But at the same time, those properties also let it be incredibly thin.

The mSnap case has cutouts on the corners just to be able to slide over the phone — and even that takes some force to get it on and off. It just shows you how strong this case is. Once you do get it on, your phone’s protected — there’s even a good little lip around the front so you can put the GS9 face-down on a table without scratching it. The case has a soft-touch coating that gives it just enough grip to hold comfortably but not so much that it snags on pockets.

The mSnap comes in four colors, and starts at just $8.

See at Amazon

Speck Presidio

Simplest Design

Speck has a full line of cases available for the Galaxy S9, but we’ll focus on the Presidio case here because it’s a great place to start. It’s got a simple design with smart features where it counts like double protection in the corners and a slim profile that’s compatible with wireless charging. It’s been drop tested up to 10 feet and the matte finish is scratch resistant so it shouldn’t show wear. Get this classic looking case for just $40.

This is just one of the many case styles Speck offers, so check them all out if you want something with a bit more flair.

See at Amazon

BodyGuardz Ace Fly clear case

Keep it Clear

Looking to show off your Galaxy S9 without leaving it prone to drop damage? BodyGuardz offers a clear case they say is built using the same impact gel used in padding and helmet technology for athletes.

Whether or not that marketing talk sways you, the Ace Fly clear case looks like a reliable clear case. BodyGuardz backs their products with a lifetime warranty and you have a 30-day money back guarantee so if you don’t love it you can simply return it.

Available for $35, these cases are also compatible with the Pure Arc Tempered Glass screen protector, so if you’ve used BodyGuardz screen protectors before and trust the brand this would be a good combo to keep your Galaxy S9 fully protected right out of the box.

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Armor case

Best Value

The Spigen Rugged Armor case is my go-to phone case. It’s a sleek, one-piece case that adds good protection to your phone without much bulk. Thin enough to not impede wireless charging, this is a great minimalist case that still offers rugged protection.

More importantly, it always comes in at a great price. At just $12, it’s one of the cheapest options currently available from a brand we trust.

See at Amazon

Spigen Liquid Crystal clear case

Make it Shine

Looking for a clear case option under $20? Spigen’s got you covered there, too. Just like the Rugged Armor case, the Liquid Crystal is slim and pocket-friendly. Made of flexible TPU, it’s easy to slip on and will provide quality protection while still letting you show off your phone’s design.

You can get the Liquid Crystal for $11.99 or add a funky print or some sparkles for just $12.99.

See at Amazon

VRS Design Clear Slim case

Slim Option

These clear cases from VRS Design basically offer it all. It’s a clear case that shows off the body of the Galaxy S9 with a shockproof bumper available in the exact color to match your device.

Better still, these cases are thin enough to be fully compatible with wireless charging. Make sure you get the right color for your phone to complete the look.

You can get this case for just $14 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Caseology Legion Series case

Dual-layer protection

Check out the rugged Legion series case from Caseology. It features a layer of flexible a shock-absorbing TPU with an outer layer of polycarbonate. You’re protected from hard bumps and scratches, as well as shocks and drops.

All the buttons are covered, but the coverings provide great tactile feedback, and your ports are completely accessible. You have your choice of black, violet, burgundy or midnight blue which all look stylish and fun.

You can grab one from Amazon for around $15.

See at Amazon

Ringke Fusion Clear Case

Fan Favorite

The best way to protect your phone from drop damage is to not drop your phone. The latest Fusion clear case from Ringke includes a handy wrist strap built into the case.

Whether or not you want to use the wrist strap is up to you, but it’s a thoughtful addition to a consistently stellar case style. Available as a clear case or with a Orchid Purple or Smoky Black bumper accent, you can get this case for just $11 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle Series case

Old Standby

The Unicorn Beetle case is one of those phone cases that people buy with every new device. It’s got that classic rugged design with ridges to help with grip and it includes a built-in screen protector to keep your S9 in pristine condition.

Port plugs keep dust and pocket lint out of your charging port and headphone jack, and it also comes with an optional belt-clip holster. Rugged enough to keep your phone protected and yet thin enough to work with wireless charging, get your Unicorn Beetle Series case starting at just $15.

See at Amazon

dbrand Skins

Skin It to Win It

Dbrand Skins are a consistently popular option for phone enthusiasts who want to customize the look of their phone without adding any bulk. They of course offer an awesome level of customization for creating a skin for your Galaxy S9.

You can pick between nine different texture styles for the back, the minimal bezels on the top and bottom of the display, and even around the camera sensor! You can mix and match and create your dream skin. Didn’t get the phone color you wanted? Make it your own with dbrand!

See at dbrand

Updated July 2018: We’ve added the Spigen Rugged Armor case and Caseology Legion Series. Enjoy your Galaxy S9!

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Galaxy S9 review: A great phone for the masses
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S8: Should you upgrade?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

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YouTube’s Dark Mode is frustratingly everywhere except Android

This vision of loveliness brought to you by Substratum and Andromeda, which I should not need to enjoy YouTube in the dark.

I just want to binge YouTube in bed without burning my retinas with a sea with white. Is that so much to ask?!

YouTube announced a dark theme for its website way back in May 2017, and it released its dark theme to iOS users back at the beginning of the year. When you go to YouTube’s support page for Dark theme, you can see how easy it is to turn it on on Apple devices and on computers, but when you click on the Android tab, you get a slap in the face with “Dark theme is currently only available on IOS. Dark theme on Android is coming soon.”

YouTube Music sports a dark theme on both its swanky new website and revamped Android app. YouTube Gaming’s Android app has a dark theme, too. YouTube on Android TV even sports a dark theme — and a high-contrast black theme too. So what in the name of Material Design is holding up dark theme for the main YouTube app on Android?

If the style and behavior of YouTube’s dark theme were still being worked out, I could understand the delay, but they’re already out and stable on iOS and YouTube.com. If YouTube looked different on every different skin of Android the way the core Android system did, it might take more time to nail the Dark theme down.

But it doesn’t. In fact, the dark theme is sitting deep in the code for the YouTube app installed on your Android phone right now, and we know it works because root users have been able to turn it on for over four months.

So, really, why hasn’t it been officially pushed out to Android users yet?

Google has toyed with us creatures of the night for years when it comes to dark themes on Android. System dark themes have been teased in Android Developer Previews for years, only to be snatched away before the final release. Many thought Android P would finally break the spell, but it only themes the Quick Settings and some system popups.

Read more: the case for Material Dark

The benefits of a dark theme on YouTube are easy to find and easy to notice: vivid video thumbnails pop against a darker background, which is also less distracting to the user while they watch a video. Dark theme makes the whole app easier on the eyes when we’re watching Google Assistant whup Siri six ways to Sunday instead of getting our much-needed sleep.

That’s why dark themes are available for YouTube on iOS and web. So what’s the holdup on finishing it out on Android? Who at YouTube do we need to beg, barter, or bribe? I’m not above begging for a dark theme on any Google app right now, especially one I tend to use at late hours in dark bedrooms. Anyone else care to join me in begging for Android users to get what everyone else has already had for months?