How to Use the New Effects Camera in Messages

In iOS 12, Apple added a new Effects camera in Messages that’s similar to the live camera features in Snapchat and Instagram, allowing you to take a photo in the Messages app and then edit it with stickers, filters, text, and more.

On devices with a TrueDepth camera system, the Effects camera even works with Memoji and Animoji, allowing you to overlay cartoon emoji heads over your own head.

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Accessing the Effects Camera

The Effects camera lives in the Messages app, and Apple’s made it easy to locate.

Open the Messages app.
Choose a conversation with someone.
Tap on the Camera icon next to the App Store icon.
Make sure you’re in either standard Photo or Video mode.
To get to the available Effects, tap on the small star-shaped icon to the left of the shutter button.
The Camera in the Messages app is located in the same place that it was in iOS 11, but instead of opening up a smaller camera window that also provides access to your already-captured photos, it is a full-screen camera complete with editing tools.

To get to photos you’ve already taken in the Messages app, you need to open up the app drawer by tapping on the App Store “A” icon and then choosing the Photos icon.

Available Effects Camera Features

There are multiple tools for editing your photos, all of which are displayed in a bar above the camera shutter, organized by icon. Here are the options, in the order that you’ll see them in the app.

Animoji/Memoji (TrueDepth devices and front-facing camera only)
Filters
Text
Shapes
Sticker packs
After the four main sections, every other icon represents a different sticker pack that you have installed on your device.

All of these options work in photo and video mode with both the rear and front-facing cameras, with the exception of Animoji and Memoji, which only work with the front-facing camera.

You cannot use the Effects camera with slo-mo videos, portrait mode photos, square-shaped photos, or panoramas, but you can access these types of images in the Messages camera.

Animoji and Memoji

With the Animoji and Memoji filters, you can choose an Animoji or a previously created Memoji that will be displayed over your own face when using the front-facing camera of a device with a TrueDepth camera system.

The Memoji and Animoji filter looks similar to what you might expect from a Snapchat filter, and because it uses the TrueDepth system, the Animoji and Memoji stay lined up with your head while you move and talk, mimicking your facial expressions just like when you use Animoji in Messages.

Filters

There are more than a dozen filters you can add to your photos or videos, which display in realtime. The filter section of the Effects Camera is accessed by tapping on the icon that looks like three RBG dots.

There are standard filters for making a photo or video warmer or cooler, several black and white filters, and a selection of fun filters like watercolor, ink, and comic book, that give you a sketched or painted look.

Text

Text can be added to a photo or video by tapping on the icon that looks like “Aa,” with plain text, text in bubbles, and text in shapes as available options.

Pick the text design that you want and then type in your message. After you tap “Done,” you can resize the text with pinch gestures.

If you choose the icon that looks like a smiley face, you can add any emoji that you want to the photo or the video, and resize it just like standard text.

Shapes

With the Shapes tool, you can insert a variety of shapes in a sketched style, with options that include arrows, fireworks, circles, checkmarks, and squiggles.

There are no options to draw your own shapes, so you can only use the stock options. Shapes are static when used in photos, but will animate when used in videos.

Shapes can be resized with pinch gestures and relocated by placing a finger on the shape and dragging it to a new location.

Stickers

After the four available built-in options, all of the additional icons in the Effects camera will be the sticker packs that you have installed. These sticker packs will vary based on your own downloads and apps, and it will look different for everyone.

Like Text and Shape Effects, stickers can be placed anywhere on the photo or video and resized using pinch gestures. You can drag the sticker anywhere on the photo and reposition it using the same gestures you would use to put stickers within iMessages.

For stickers that animate, you will see the animations when using them in video mode, but there are no animations in photo mode.

New sticker packs for use with the Effects camera can be downloaded from the Messages App Store using these directions:

Open the Messages app.
Tap on the gray App Store Icon to make sure the app drawer is open.
With the app drawer open, tap on the blue App Store logo to open up the App Store.
From here, you can browse through popular stickers, search for sticker packs, or find games and apps that come with stickers you can use with the camera.Some of the sticker packs are free, while others are available for $0.99 to $1.99 on average.

Stacking Effects

All of the different effects can be stacked up, so you can combine multiple options. You can use filters with Animoji, for example, and also decorate photos and videos with stickers.

To use multiple effects, select your first option, such as Animoji, and choose what you want to apply. From there, tap the “X” in the upper right corner to go back to the Effects camera options and you can choose another category.

Using this method, you can stack up all of the effects if desired, using filters, stickers, shapes, and text with Animoji and Memoji options.

Make sure not to tap the Effects camera again while applying your different filters and effects because when you tap it, it will clear all of your set options.

Removing Effects

To remove an Animoji or Memoji filter, tap on the Animoji icon and then tap on the big “X” all the way at the left of Animoji/Memoji list.

To remove a photo filter, open up the filter menu and then scroll over to the first option, which is “Original” and select it.

To remove text, stickers, or shapes, tap the item you want to remove in the photo or video field and then tap the “X” to delete it.

If you want to remove all of the effects that you’ve put in place at once, tap the Effects icon again to go back to the main camera interface. This clears all of your settings, and if you tap the Effects camera icon again, you’ll have a blank slate to work with.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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Alfre Woodard Joins Cast of Apple’s Upcoming Futuristic Drama Series ‘See’

Apple’s upcoming futuristic drama series “See” gained a new cast member today, with actress Alfre Woodard signing on to play Paris, an advisor and a priestess, reports Variety.

Woodard has starred in movies that include “12 Years a Slave,” “Annabelle,” and “Captain America: Civil War,” and she has had roles in several TV shows, such as “Luke Cage,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “State of Affairs.”

Alfre Woodard in “Luke Cage”
Casting for “See” began earlier this month with Jason Momoa set to play the lead role of Baba Voss, a fearless warrior, leader, and guardian. Momoa is well-known for his role as Khal Drogo in “Game of Thrones,” as well as roles in “Aquaman,” “Stargate Atlantis,” and “Conan the Barbarian.”

“See” has been described as an epic world-building drama that’s set in the future, with little additional information available on the series at this time.

Along with “See,” Apple has more than a dozen other original TV shows in the works, and rumors have suggested the first of those TV shows could debut in March 2019.

We don’t yet know how Apple plans to distribute the television shows, but the Cupertino company may be considering launching a new streaming video service to be bundled with an Apple Music subscription and a digital magazine and news subscription.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: Apple’s Hollywood ambitionsBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Review: iOttie’s 7.5W iON Wireless Chargers Feature a Simple, Attractive Design

There are hundreds of Qi wireless charging options available on the market, many of which feature the same no-frills plain black circle or square design. You can, for example, find dozens of inexpensive wireless chargers on Amazon at prices as low as $10, but if you’re looking for a more thoughtful, unique design you may need to spend a bit more.

I’ve been taking a look at some of the wireless charging options that stand out from the crowd, and over the last few weeks, I’ve been testing iOttie’s 7.5W iON Wireless Fast Charging Pad Plus and 7.5W iON Wireless Fast Charging Pad Mini.

iON Mini in gray on left, iON Plus in beige on right
Both the iON and the iON Mini are rectangle-shaped wireless chargers that are about as wide as the iPhone X. The Mini is about an inch shorter than the standard iON, and it’s also thinner because the iON has an extra cutout in the middle that’s meant to allow for better airflow.

Neither charger takes up too much space on a desk given the rectangular shape that can fit easily against a flat surface or in a corner, but the larger iON does take up more area, both horizontally and vertically.

The two chargers are wrapped in a heathered linen fabric in colors that include gray, beige, red, and black, and this design is attractive and looks nicer sitting on a desk or a bedside table than a standard black charger. At the top of each charger there’s a silicone ring for holding the iPhone in place while it charges.

Underneath the fabric, the body of the iON chargers is made from a lightweight plastic material. It’s not the most high-quality material, but it does make these nice and light in case you want to bring them along on a trip or tuck them into a bag for a commute to the office.

I liked the rectangle shape of the chargers because it matched the iPhone and it was easy to position the iPhone in the right way to charge without needing to fuss with finding the right spot for the coils to match up. That can be a hassle with some of the larger wireless chargers on the market.

There is a middle cutout in the bigger iON charger to reduce heat, and this version also has an extra USB-A port so you can plug another accessory in to charge it at the same time. iOttie says that this cutout on the iON Plus is meant to keep it cooler when charging, but I’m not sure that it added much aside from extra height.

Small LEDs on the front let you know when the iPhone is in the correct position, and these LEDs are little enough that they’re not too noticeable in a dark room.

At the bottom of the iON chargers, there are four silicone feet to keep the charger itself secured on a desk, table, nightstand, or other flat surface. A USB-C to USB-A cable plugs into the back of each charger, and when connected to the included QC 2.0 charger, 7.5W charging speeds are available.

The iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus can all charge at a maximum of 7.5W, but to reach these speeds, a 15W+ power adapter is required. While designed for iPhone, iOttie’s iON chargers will work with Qi-based Android devices.

I did two charging tests with each of the iON chargers, draining my iPhone X to 1 percent battery life and then giving it an hour to charge while in Airplane mode to make sure nothing was draining the battery. The ambient temperature in the room was about 73 degrees, a factor that will impact wireless charging times due to the complexities of temperature regulation when it comes to wireless charging.

With the larger iON Plus charging pad, it went from 1 percent to 39 percent in an hour both times. This is in line with what I’ve seen from other 7.5W wireless chargers during the summertime when indoor temperatures are warmer. I have seen some faster charging speeds by a percent or two, but it does appear the iON Plus is charging at 7.5W as advertised.

Speeds were a little bit slower with the iON Mini charging pad, coming in at 32 percent and 37 percent. It’s likely my iPhone wasn’t seated quite right on the charging pad during the first test, which just speaks to how important it can be to make sure things are lined up.

A 37 percent charge is still not too far off of other 7.5W wireless charging speeds that I’ve seen, though it is getting closer to 5W wireless charging speeds.

Compared to other 7.5W wireless chargers, that middle air vent on the iON Plus doesn’t seem to add much of an edge, but the bigger version did charge faster than the iON Mini, perhaps because of the promised airflow improvements.

Bottom Line

My favorite of the two iON wireless chargers from iOttie was the Mini, because I preferred its more compact size and its pocketability. It fits into a pocket or takes up little room in a purse or bag, so it’s a better travel choice.

The Mini was the slower charger of the two, but when I wirelessly charge my device, I’m generally doing so over the course of the day (or overnight) to keep it topped up, making charging speed less of a factor. I suspect many people who use wireless charging are using it in a similar manner, given that even the fastest wireless chargers can’t compete with faster wired charging methods.

The larger iON Plus version is ideal as a desktop charger if you want to add a little height to your iPhone while it’s charging to keep it up and out of the way, and both chargers look nice and function well.

iOttie’s chargers are not as cheap as some options on Amazon, but if you’re looking for a nicer aesthetic for your accessories, these are worth taking a look at.

How to Buy

The iON Wireless Fast Charging Pad Plus can be purchased from iOttie for $54.95. It’s also available on Amazon.com for $40 to $50.

The iON Wireless Fast Charging Pad Mini can be purchased from iOttie for $44.95. It’s also available on Amazon.com for $30 to $40.

Note: iOttie provided MacRumors with the iON Wireless Fast Charging Pad Mini and Plus for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tag: wireless charging
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Steve Jobs on the App Store in 2008: ‘We Didn’t Expect It to Be This Big’

Following the launch of the App Store in 2008, Apple CEO Steve Jobs sat down for an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

In celebration of the recent 10th anniversary of the App Store, The Wall Street Journal today published both the audio and transcript of that interview, where Jobs shares his view on the future of the App Store and the future of Apple.

The interview took place in August of 2008, a month after the launch of the App Store. Even back then, just after its debut, the App Store’s success surprised Jobs, who said Apple hadn’t expected the App Store to “be this big.” “The mobile industry’s never seen anything like this,” he said.

Within 30 days, users had downloaded 30 percent as many apps as everybody in the world downloaded songs from iTunes during the same period of time. Jobs said he could not even predict how many new apps would be uploaded by a particular date given the App Store’s wildly popular debut.

I would not trust any of our predictions because reality has so far exceeded them by such a great degree that we’ve been reduced to spectators just like you, watching this amazing phenomenon and just doing our best to try to help everybody get their apps done and get them on the store.

In the early days of the App Store, Apple was criticized for high app prices. “It’s a competition,” said Jobs. “Who knew what to price things at?” According to Jobs, Apple didn’t have advice for developers on pricing either. “Our opinions are no better than yours because this is so new.”

Jobs went on to mull how the App Store could grow in the future as people adopted the iPhone and the iPod touch, speculating that it could be a billion dollar marketplace, which Apple has significantly exceeded. As of July 2018, developers have earned more than $100 billion from the App Store.

Who knows? Maybe it’ll be a billion dollar marketplace at some point in time. This doesn’t happen very often. A whole new billion dollar market opens up. 360 million in the first 30 days, I’ve never seen anything like this in my career for software.

Jobs said that he didn’t expect the App Store would be a big profit generator, with Apple instead launching it to add value to the iPhone. Jobs was wrong, though, and Apple’s services category is the size of a Fortune 100 company, largely on the strength of the App Store. In Q2 2018, for example, services brought in $9.19 billion and the App Store set an all time revenue record.

While Jobs was surprised by the success of the App Store, it didn’t stop him from declaring that the “phone of the future will be differentiated by software,” a prediction that has largely come true. Today, many high-end smartphones share similar features and designs, with software – iOS and Android – as one of the main factors that people take into consideration when choosing a device.

The entire interview with Steve Jobs is well worth listening to and can be found over at The Wall Street Journal.

Tag: Steve Jobs
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Home printer buying guide: How to choose a printer that best fits your needs

Sasi Ponchaisang

Essays. Coupons. Last-minute directions to Grandma’s house. Whatever you need to print, there’s a home printer that can do it. And intense competition among competitors such as HP, Epson, Canon and others has forced prices to such absurd lows that you can now walk into a store — even your local supermarket — and walk out with a brand new printer for $60 or less.

But selecting a home printer can be tough given the sheer amount of options on the market, not to mention the convoluted terms that only seem to complicate the process. With that in mind, we’ve put together a quick-and-dirty buying guide for selecting a home printer, with simple explanations of some of most common terms and recommendations that will serve the majority of users.

Inkjet or laser?

The first question all printer buyers must tackle comes down to a simple matter of what and how much you plan on printing.

Color inkjet printers comprise the bulk of the market simply because they can print just about anything: Essays, pie charts, or glossy photos, you name it. And today’s inkjet printers and all-in-ones are fast, often with print speeds that rival or surpass their laser counterparts.

Laser printers are still a good bet for office settings when most of the printing that you need to do is in monochrome. For the most part, monochrome laser printers can be purchased at affordable prices, offer good print speed, and in most cases, provide prints at a lower cost per page than a color inkjet. But you have to decide whether to give up the flexibility that a color inkjet printer offers. Color laser printers are another option, but they generally have a higher cost per page printed than a color inkjet.

In the past, laser printers have offered a higher page yield per cartridge than an inkjet printer. That’s changing, however, with some newer inkjet printers offering as many as 10,000 printed pages from a monochrome ink cartridge and 7,000 pages or more from each color cartridge. That translates into a lower cost per page, and less frequent cartridge changes.

For home use, a multifunction unit makes a lot of sense, not only because it’s cheaper than buying a printer and a standalone scanner, but also for the sake of saving room. Since all-in-ones are extremely common and manufacturers rarely charge much of a premium for them (you can often find one for as little as $50-$60) we highly recommend them for home users.

Note: Soon, you may not have to decide whether to purchase a standalone printer or an all-in-one. While manufacturers continue to bring out new printer-only units for the office, many of the new devices being introduced for home users are all-in-one models, phasing out print-only models.

Photo printers

If you’re more interested in preserving family photos on paper than printing off homework assignments and pie charts, consider a dedicated (single function) photo printer. Though they lack the flexibility of multitaskers, the quality of prints is typically better, and often rivals or exceeds the quality of what you would receive from a kiosk or mail-order service like Shutterfly. The price you’ll pay for this kind of convenience comes out in the print cost, however.

Many of the printers sold only for dedicated photo or graphic use are small-size units capable of printing photos up to 4 x 6 inches in size, or wide format models designed to print media up to 24-inches wide. Supplies for these specialty printers are also generally more expensive than those for the typical multifunction printer. Both Canon and Epson have models which print 8.5 x 11 inches and use five or six colors of ink to produce photos with greater color accuracy. And many all-in-one devices are capable of turning out photos up to 8.5 x 11 inches in size when you use the right paper.

Supply costs

Remember the mantra “give away the razor, sell the blades”? That century-old business model is still alive and well in the printer business, where many companies entice consumers with unimaginably low prices on their budget printers, knowing they can milk them over and over again when it comes time to replace the ink cartridges.

Research the cost of replacement supplies before you buy any printer to know what you’re in for when the initial cartridges finally run dry. Depending on how often you plan to print, it can actually be worth it to purchase a more expensive printer in order to buy into a cheaper line of cartridges. Also, look into the possibility of refilling your own cartridges, which can cost dramatically less than buying new cartridges every time. Keep in mind, however, that printer vendors now add tiny chips to their cartridges that track ink or toner life to make refilling more difficult.

Finally, investigate new models and ink plans. HP offers an Instant Ink program that automatically sends you cartridges when your ink runs low, and promises a fixed number of pages for a fixed monthly fee. Both Canon and Epson now offer “ink tank” models which you can fill from small bottles of ink, providing a very economical cost per page, while Brother has a number of printers with multiple cartridges in the box so you needn’t run out to buy refills for quite some time.

Italian researchers discover what they believe is a lake under ice cap on Mars

Global dust stormsHubble turned 27 on April 20, and to celebrate, this week’s photo is one of our favorite images the space telescope has snapped of Mars to date. In 2001, Hubble took this photo of the red planet during a massive, global dust storm. Mars has a rather thin atmosphere, however, winds can reach more than Olympus Mons, was the only surface feature seen poking through the dense cloud coverage. Just for comparisons sake, here are a pair of images showing the planet before and during this meteorological phenomenon. NASA/Hubble

Drop everything and take a seat. We humans may have a new home. Or at the very least, a prerequisite for a new home.

Scientists have discovered what is believed to be a lake located underneath the south polar ice cap of Mars, measuring about 12.5 miles across. While researchers previously found signs that water once flowed across the planet’s surface, this is the first time that a persistent, existing body of water has been discovered.

The lake, located a mile beneath the planet’s surface, is likely still in a liquid form only because it is extremely salty and under a lot of pressure. But still, water is water, and this finding has the capacity to fundamentally change what we know about the Red Planet and, of course, whether or not we will one day be able to inhabit it.

Roberto Orosei at the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Bologna led the research team who drew the groundbreaking conclusions, and the paper detailing their work was today published in the journal Science. The team leveraged data from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding, or MARSIS, which is located on the European Space Agency’s Mars Express Orbiter. The scientists examined data between 2012 and 2015 in the area near the planet’s south pole. While this region “does not exhibit any peculiar characteristics,” as the paper notes, it has long been thought that the polar ice caps may contain liquid deposits.

And now, this hypothesis has been proven correct.

“It’s probably not a very large lake,” Orosei told the BBC. While it’s unclear how deep the lake is, the team estimates a minimum of three feet. “This really qualifies this as a body of water. A lake, not some kind of meltwater filling some space between rock and ice, as happens in certain glaciers on Earth,” Orosei added.

To be fair, this doesn’t actually imply anything concerning the existence of life on Mars quite yet. As Dr. Manish Patel from the Open University told the BBC, “We have long since known that the surface of Mars is inhospitable to life as we know it, so the search for life on Mars is now in the subsurface. This is where we get sufficient protection from harmful radiation, and the pressure and temperature rise to more favorable levels. Most importantly, this allows liquid water, essential for life.”

Ultimately, while scientists are not any closer to finding actual life on Mars, it does give them a sense of where to look. As Patel explained, “It is like a treasure map – except in this case, there will be lots of ‘X’s marking the spots.”

Scientists are careful to warn, however, that there still is not definitive evidence that this body of water is, in fact, liquid water.

“Getting there and acquiring the final evidence that this is indeed a lake will not be an easy task,” Orosei admitted. “It will require flying a robot there which is capable of drilling through 1.5km of ice. This will certainly require some technological developments that at the moment are not available.”

But here’s hoping that they will be soon.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Get your Sagan on with 60 awe-inspiring photos of the final frontier
• NASA’s Opportunity Rover is stuck in a giant dust storm that won’t end for months
• Mars rover Curiosity finds the building blocks of life on the red planet
• NASA and ESA will team up to bring Martian soil samples back to Earth
• ‘Mars, here I come!’ NASA’s InSight launches on a six-month journey

The demand for hacking tools and malware is greater than the current supply

A 34-page report published by Positive Technologies reveals a high demand for malware creation on the dark web: Three times greater than the current supply. The report is based on 25 Russian and English-based dark web sites with around 3 million registered individuals to reveal the most-popular malware in use today, the cost of attack services, and more.

“Such utilities are becoming increasingly available as a result of partner programs, malware leasing, and as-a-service distribution models,” the firm states. “This trend is not only causing a rise in the number of cyber-incidents, but seriously hindering investigative efforts to properly attribute attacks.”

What is the dark web? Of all the internet pages available on the web, only four percent are indexed in search engines. The remaining “hidden” pages fall into the “deep web” consisting of private forums, databases and other resources both legal and illegal. It’s this illegal portion that falls under the dark web banner: A place you should never, ever visit without full protection.

On the dark web you’ll find the “shadow market,” a place where illegal products and services are sold. Most of what you’ll find on this market can be split into four categories: Malware (ransomware, miners), Exploits (known, zero-day), Data (credit cards, banking), and Access (user credentials).

Currently, the most widely used malware is the cryptominer, which seizes PCs and mines digital coins for hackers. In second place are hacking utilities followed by botnet malware, Remote Access Trojans, and ransomware. The remaining 55 percent deals with creation and distribution.

On the pricing front, the most expensive “service” can cost more than $4,500 for attacking an organization, depending on the difficulty. Malware designed for attacking ATM machines has a starting cost of $1,500 while compromising a website to gain full control can cost a mere $150. But that’s just a sample: Any type of attack is possible if you have the funds, such as a DDoS attack for around $50 per day.

The average cost of malware in dollars.

According to the report, the most requested hack-for-hire request is finding vulnerabilities followed by accessing email accounts. Social network account and email hacks are at the top of the commonly offered services list, as these attacks are supposedly the easiest to perform.

The report also notes the prison time you’ll receive for hacks and attacks. For instance, hacking the accounts of U.S. government officials will land you a five-year prison sentence while conducting a DDoS attack requires a minimum of one year in prison. If you want a long-term stay, managing a shadow service will place you behind bars for 35 years.

Positive Technologies ultimately points out that the fight against cybercriminals is only getting harder. Just in the first quarter of 2018 alone, the number of hacker-related incidents was up 32 percent versus the same quarter in 2017. The fact that the demand for new hacking tools is greater than the current supply is alarming enough.

A good way to protect yourself is to routinely change passwords, use two-factor authentication, biometrics, and/or use physical USB-based security keys.

Editors’ Recommendations

• What is the Dark Web?
• An all-in-one botnet is on the rise, packing a scary buffet of attacks
• Hackers can purchase government login credentials for cheap on the dark web
• Paradox’s new strategy sim ‘Age of Wonders: Planetfall’ sounds epic
• ‘Spider-Man’ hands-on preview

Best Cases for Essential Phone

Keep your Essential Phone safe and functional with a quality case!

The Essential Phone was the first phone released by Andy Rubin’s new company in 2017 and while it didn’t blow away the competition it did offer us phone nerds a sleek new alternative.

With the price of the phone under $500 on Amazon and many people grabbing it on Prime Day for just $250 there’s a ton of new Essential Phone owners out there. If you are among them, you should absolutely get a case.

Do note that the 360-camera accessory won’t be compatible with most cases, although we’ve added a couple cases that are designed to accommodate the accessory. It’s worth keeping in mind if you find that add-on (currently available for just $70) to be a compelling feature.

• Incipio DualPro
• Incipio NGP Pure clear case
• TUDIA Ceramic Feel case
• TUDIA Carbon Fiber case
• Feitenn Flip Wallet case
• Poetic Guardian Full-Body case
• TUDIA Snap On Case
• DUEDUE Heavy Duty Hybrid Case

Incipio DualPro

Incipio offers a couple of case options for the Essential Phone, and what better place to start than with the refined DualPro case.

Offering two layers of rugged protection, this case will keep your Essential phone well protected from scuffs or drop damage. The hardened outer shell features a soft touch finish that’ll feel real nice in your hand and overall the design here is pretty minimalist.

Available for $33, this is a great option for the Essential Phone.

See at Amazon

Incipio NGP Pure clear case

If you bought your Essential Phone because of its fresh design choices, you might be wary to cover that ceramic up with an opaque plastic case. Incipio has you covered with this one-piece clear case that offers a clear view of your Essential Phone while keeping it protected.

Made of a flexible polymer material, this is an easy case to install with full coverage around the edges of your phone, including a lip around the screen and protection for the camera around back.

Get yours for as low as $13 on Amazon!

See at Amazon

TUDIA Ceramic Feel case

The Essential Phone was designed with a ceramic backing — not something you see on many major phone releases. If you love the feel of that Ceramic backing but also want to keep it safe, TUDIA offers this case that mimics the same hand feel of the Essential Phone’s ceramic while keeping the device itself safe.

To accomplish this, TUDIA designed the case with tempered glass on the back of the case for extra protection — the same rugged stuff used in the best screen protectors. By doing this, they’ve managed to maintain the look and feel of the Essential Phone which is pretty great.

It’s a thin and minimalist case that’s available in five different styles (including the super stylish white marble pictured) for just $20.

See at Amazon

TUDIA Carbon Fiber case

One of our favorite cases is the Spigen Rugged armor case, but Spigen didn’t design cases for the Essential Phone. Fortunately, TUDIA stepped up and offers a very similar one with some extra accents that should help with grip along the sides.

This one-piece case is made of TPU and features carbon fiber accents along the top and bottom, along with textured sections along the sides. The design of this case is not compatible with the 360-degree camera attachment, but it does offer great protection for your phone while keeping the camera, fingerprint sensor, and buttons fully accessible.

Available in black, grey, or navy blue, get this case for just $10 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Feitenn Flip Wallet case

Looking to add some extra functionality to your phone carry? A wallet case lets you store your ID, credit card, and some cash right along with your phone so everything you need for a night out is in one place.

This case combines synthetic leather or fabric with a soft and clear TPU shell on the inside to provide top-notch protection for your phone. There’s a magnetic closure to keep the front flap closed when not in use, and it can also be folded over to be used as a kickstand for watching videos.

Get yours for just $12 in your choice of six color styles.

See at Amazon

Poetic Guardian Full-body case

Looking for something that combines flashy design with rugged protection? Check out these Poetic Guardian cases.

This is a full-body case that includes a front plate with a built-in screen protector. Combining soft and shock absorbing TPU with rigid PC bumpers offers great protection for your phone.

The back panel is also clear so you can still show off the design of your phone, and it’s available in four fun color styles.

Order yours today for just $17.

See at Amazon

TUDIA Snap On Case

If you want to get the most out of the Essential Phone and that camera accessory, then you might be interested in this case from TUDIA.

It’s a thin case made of polycarbonate material that offers basic protection against drops and scratches — except it also leaves the top corner of the back exposed so you can attach the 360-degree camera without removing the case.

Does this compromise the effectiveness of the case by leaving an eighth of the back of your phone exposed? Yes. Is it affordable? Priced at just $11, you bet it is!

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DUEDUE Heavy Duty Hybrid Case

This case option is the best solution we’ve found for keeping your Essential Phone protected while also accommodating the 360-degree camera. It offers triple-layer protection for your phone so that your phone is always well protected — but if the moment strikes you and you want to capture some 360-degree videos or photos, simply fold down the top half of the back of the case and voila! You have access to the accessory port for attaching that camera.

Available for $10, this case lets you make use of the camera accessory without compromising any protection.

See at Amazon

Update July 2018: Added the Tudia Carbon Fibr case to our list and updated the pricing information!

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What’s new on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu in August 2018

The Laws of Thermodynamics hits Netflix in August. (Image credit: Netflix)

You read that right. It’s almost August. Here’s what’s new on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.

Let us just put things like this: Between Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and Hulu in August, there are just too many new movies and shows that we can’t list them all here. (We can, however, list them at CordCutters.com, so hit those links below.)

But, really, August means we’re finally going to get to see John Krasinski as Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime Video. OK, at the end of August, but still in August. It can’t come soon enough. (It’s also the first time we’ll see Amazon content with Dolby Atmos audio!)

Netflix has a new gem from Matt Groening (as in The Simpsons) in Disenchantment, and there’s a new season of The Ozarks as well.

As for Hulu? Well. There’s also a ton of great content — movies, shows and more. In a word? Terminator!

Read: What’s new on Netflix in August 2018Also: What’s new on Prime Video for August 2018More: What’s new on Hulu for August 2018

Update July 25: All three big-time listings are in!.

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Netflix: Everything you need to know

Educate yourself on the world’s biggest video streaming service 📺

When it comes to video streaming companies, few are as iconic as Netflix. What started out as a DVD rental service quickly turned into the world’s largest platform for binging old movies, classic TV shows, and a heap of original programming.

No matter if you’re looking to cut your cable cord or simply want some extra content to supplement it, Netflix can be a great addition to any household’s entertainment needs.

To ensure it has exactly what you’re looking for in a video service, here’s everything you need to know!

The latest Netflix news

July 25, 2018 — New profile images are coming

It’s been five years since Netflix introduced multiple profiles on a single account. And today they’re getting a little face-lift. That is, the face of your profile is getting a face-lift. Your profile icon is changing. If you want it to.

You’ll soon have the ability to use characters from some of your favorite (or most hated) shows to represent each of up to five profiles in your account. If your kid wants to be, say, Pablo Escobar from Narcos, your kid can be Pablo Escobar. If your 5-year-old daughter has a thing for Luke Cage, well.

Read more at CordCutters.com

July 5, 2018 — A new “Ultra” tier is being tested

Get ready to (possibly) start paying more for your Netflix subscription. As first spotted by TuttoAndroid, a new “Ultra” plan is being tested in Germany right now and has been seen with both €16.99 and €19.99/month prices (or $16.99 and $19.99 if it was being offered in the U.S.)

With this Ultra tier, Netflix removes HDR from the current Premium plan and makes it an exclusive for Ultra. In some cases, Netflix is also restricting Premium to just 2 simultaneous streams while making Ultra the go-to choice if you need 4.

In a statement to CNET, Netflix said:

In this case, we are testing slightly different price points and features to better understand how consumers value Netflix. Not everyone will see this test and we may not ever offer the specific price points or features included in this test.

It’s possible that Ultra may never get past this testing stage, but it is interesting to see Netflix dabble with plans as expensive as this.

All the important details

Plans start at just $7.99/month

Netflix has three main plans to choose from, including Basic, Standard, and Premium.

Basic is the cheapest plan with a subscription fee of just $7.99/month, but since it’s limited to Standard Definition and only allows you to have one stream going at a time, you’ll likely want to upgrade to the Standard tier for $10.99/month. With Standard, you’ll get access to HD streams and can watch Netflix on up to 2 screens at once.

If you’ve got a 4K television and/or have a big family that wants to use one account, Netflix’s Premium plan will likely be the best fit. For $13.99/month, you’ll get access to Ultra HD video content and can watch any shows you’d like on 4 different screens at once.

New members can sign up for a 1-month free trial of whatever plan you’d like, and you can cancel at any time as there’s no commitment required.

T-Mobile customers get the Standard plan for free!

Netflix’s current pricing is more than reasonable, but if you happen to be a T-Mobile customer, you’ll get it for free!

T-Mobile subscribers get Netflix’s Standard plan bundled with their cell service at no extra charge, and if you want to upgrade to the Premium tier, you’ll pay just $3/month extra.

It’s available on pretty much everything

In addition to its excellent library of content, one of Netflix’s strong suits is its wide availability across pretty much any gadget you can think of.

For watching Netflix on the big screen, you can download its official app on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, cast it from your phone using Chromecast, and access built-in apps across a variety of smart TVs and Blu-Ray players.

You’ll also find the Netflix app on Android, iOS, Windows Phone, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and from your desktop/laptop at netflix.com.

Netflix’s official list of all supported devices

The Android app recently got a big overhaul

Netflix’s Android app is one of the best ways to access the service, and it recently got a big update that makes everything look much more polished.

The old navigation menu on the left-hand side has been replaced for a simple navigation row at the bottom for Home, Search, Downloads, and More. Home is where you’ll be taken upon opening the app and tapping the TV Shows, Movies, and Originals tabs near the top will allow you to quickly filter the content that’s presented to you.

The Search and Downloads sections are pretty self-explanatory, and More is where you’ll be able to switch profiles, customize notifications, and adjust all of your other account/app settings.

Everything works about the same as it did before, but the new layout is still greatly appreciated and considerably easier to understand.

New content’s being added (and removed) all the time

Every month, Netflix changes its content library by adding and removing titles from its lineup. The company’s taken a big bet on original movies and TV shows over the last few years, but you can still find a wide array of third-party content, too.

The Netflix app does a pretty good job at highlighting new/trending content as it’s released, and Joseph Keller at iMore does a regular roundup of the best shows you should be watching at any given time.

Best TV shows and movies on Netflix right now

Some Android phones support HDR playback

The displays on our smartphones are crispier and more colorful than ever before, some of which go as far to support High Dynamic Range (more commonly known as HDR). HDR offers more vivid colors and higher contrast, and Netflix supports this type of content on the following phones:

• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
• Huawei P20 / P20 Pro
• LG V30
• Razer Phone
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
• Samsung Galaxy S9
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
• Sony Xperia XZ1
• Sony Xperia XZ2

You can still rent physical DVDs

Although renting physical DVDs to customers may not be its primary focus anymore, this is something that Netflix does still offer.

The DVD business has since been moved to DVD.com, but it’s just a full-featured as ever before. Plans start at $4.99/month to rent one disc at a time with a cap of two discs per month, or you can step all the way up to $11.99/month to have two discs out at once and rent as many movies as you want each month (prices are increased to $5.99/month and $14.99/month respectively for HD Blu-Ray).

Netflix finally brought its DVD app to Android in October of 2017, and while the service may not be nearly as popular as the on-demand streaming platform, it’s still alive and kicking for anyone that wants to see that iconic red envelope in their mailbox.

What are you waiting for?

If you somehow still haven’t checked out Netflix, you owe it to yourself to at least sign up for a free trial. My fiance and I use Netflix just about every day, and whether you’re using it to re-watch The Office for the eighth time or catch up on the latest Marvel movies, it’s well worth every penny.

See at Netflix