HTC U12 Plus tips and tricks

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The HTC U12 Plus is an ambitious phone. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the HTC U11, the phone offers top of the line specs, a capable camera, and controversial digital buttons. Like all recent HTC phones, the U12 Plus runs Android with HTC’s custom UI Sense skin on top. Whether you’re new to HTC or just upgrading, here are a few HTC U12 Plus tips and tricks to help you get to grips with your new phone.

How to set up Edge Sense

More on the HTC U12 Plus

HTC U12 Plus Review

HTC U12 Plus vs. HTC U11: Is it time to upgrade?

HTC U12 Plus vs. OnePlus 6: The new kids battle for supremacy

The Best HTC U12 Plus cases to keep your phone safe and beautiful

While it may seem a bit gimmicky at first, Edge Sense is actually one of our favorite HTC features. Edge Sense allows to squeeze your phone to initiate an action. When you first set up your phone you’ll see a prompt to set up Edge Sense, however it doesn’t really show you just how versatile the feature can be. Here’s a quick rundown of all the ways you can use Edge Sense.

To set up Edge Sense you’ll need to go to Settings > Edge Sense. If the feature is not toggled on you’ll need to do so first, otherwise just tap on Edge Sense. Once you’re in the Edge Sense menu you’ll see three different sections.

Squeeze allows you to open apps and other features via a short squeeze or by squeezing and holding the phone. In-app squeeze  is used to automatically adjust your phone’s orientation depending on how you hold the phone. Double Tap allows you to quickly access the one-handed mode.

To customize each of the squeeze gestures you’ll need to make sure the slider is toggled to on before tapping on the actual gesture name. Once you tap on the gesture name you’ll see an option to map each action to your preference.

How to take a screenshot

If you’re used to the typical Android screenshot method of pressing the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously, you’re going to be in for a surprise with the HTC U12 Plus. Since the phone uses digital as opposed to analog buttons, HTC had to come up with a different method to get a screenshot.

So how do you take a screenshot on the HTC U12 Plus? Simply swipe the navigation button to the left and tap the screen capture (phone) icon.

How to maximize your audio experience

One thing HTC handsets are known for is good sound. The HTC U12 Plus is no exception. The phone offers custom audio options for its external speakers as well as headphones.

BoomSound, for the most part works automatically by adjusting your phone’s audio to either a theater or music mode, depending on the app you’re using. Each time the mode changes you’ll see a persistent notification. While the feature works pretty flawlessly in our experience, you can manually change the mode by going to Settings and tapping HTC BoomSound for built-in speakers.

In addition to BoomSound, the HTC U12 Plus also features USonic noise-cancelling earbuds in the box. In addition to the earbuds, the USonic app allows you to create a custom sound profile based on sonar measurements of the ear canal. To get started with USonic, go to Settings > HTC USonic with Active Noise Cancellation. Tap Start Scanning Now and wait for USonic to complete its measurement. When complete you’ll see a screen displaying your audio profile information. Just name your profile and tap Done. 

How to turn off BlinkFeed

BlinkFeed, a mainstay of HTC’s Sense UI, brings news, social media updates, appointments and other information to your home screen. While the idea is good in theory, execution seems to be the problem: In our experience it tends to provide news and other information we’re just not interested in. Luckily, HTC allows you to turn off BlinkFeed pretty easily.

To disable BlinkFeed slide two fingers together on the home screen. Tap the Pencil icon to see a carousel of minimized home screens. Swipe until the BlinkFeed screen is selected and tap the Remove icon.

How to hide unwanted apps

In addition to its really wonky digital buttons, one of the most annoying features of the HTC U12 Plus is the amount of bloatware that ships on the phone. And while you can’t uninstall all of these extra apps, you can disable the apps, which removes them from your app drawer.

To disable apps, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App info.  Select the offending app and tap Disable > Ok.

How to turn off Sense Home notification

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Sense Home recommends apps based on your location, preferences, and phone use. It’s a useful app for some, but others find its constant notifications to be excessive. Luckily you can easily turn off notifications for the app by long pressing on the home screen and tapping the Sense Home settings icon. Next, select Sense Home notifications and toggle the On slider to the left.

How to disable News Republic

News Republic, an app that uses machine learning to find the breaking and viral news, comes preinstalled on the HTC U12 Plus. Like other bloatware apps, it cannot be uninstalled, but only disabled. However even when the app is disabled we noticed it continues to send notifications throughout the day.  If you don’t want to be bothered by News Republic, you’ll want to disable the app and turn off notifications.

First you’ll want to disable News Republic by going to Settings > Apps & notifications > App info.  Select News Republic and tap Disable > Ok. To turn off notifications, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications. Select News Republic and toggle off the On slider.

How to use HTC Sense Companion

HTC Sense Companion is an AI virtual assistant that combines voice control features alongside contextual suggestions. It’s similar to Google Assistant however it tends to be a little more invasive as suggestions pop up as a persistent icon on the home screen.

To get the most out of Sense Companion you’ll want to make sure it has access to your location data, device data, and activity data; these are usually approved when setting up your phone, however they can be added later. Simply tap the Sense Companion icon followed by the overflow (three dot) icon. Select Privacy Settings and tap on all of the radio boxes. While you’re in the settings menu you’ll also want to tap Personal info and add your personal details so Sense Companion can make more appropriate suggestions.

Once you have Sense Companion set up, you’ll see an icon appear on the screen when there are new suggestions for you to review.  You’ll want to make sure you offer feedback on each suggestion so the assistant can learn your preferences.

Finally, if Sense Companion is just not your cup of tea, you can turn off notifications. Just go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications. Select HTC Sense Companion and toggle off the slider.

How to set up Face Unlock

Sure, the HTC U12 Plus may not have the same depth sensing camera you’ll find on the iPhone X, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an option to unlock the phone using your face. If you want to give Face Unlock a try, go to Settings > Face Unlock. Next, authenticate with your fingerprint, PIN, passcode, or pattern. Tap Register face data > Continue > Next > Start > Allow.  Position your face within the circular frame and allow the phone to collect the necessary data. When complete just press Turn On to activate the feature.

If you encounter problems when authenticating with Face Unlock, you may want to try capturing your image again in a bright location or selecting the Low light recognition option in the settings menu.

Editors’ Recommendations

• HTC U12 Plus review
• HTC U12 Plus vs. HTC U11: Is it time to upgrade?
• DT Daily: Subaru Ascent attempts to climb a mountain of competition
• HTC U12 Plus vs. Galaxy S9 Plus: Clash of the plus-sized phones
• HTC U12 vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Can HTC take out the stock Android king?

What is Google Duplex?

During Google I/O 2018, Google revealed “Google Duplex” to the world. The technology, which is both impressive and a bit on the creepy side, featured a human-sounding robot having a conversation with a person who couldn’t even tell that they were talking to a robot. The demonstration freaked some out but impressed others, including our Mobile Editor Julian Chokkattu, who got a chance to demo Duplex recently.

Google Duplex is a pretty big leap the evolution of artificial intelligence. Now, this is not to say that we’ll have human-like robots that can do the laundry or go shopping like in that movie I, Robot (at least not anytime soon). But, Google Duplex is a huge step in terms of A.I.’s ability to more naturally converse with humans. But what is it?

What exactly is Google Duplex?

For years, businesses have been trying to create a way for people to have conversations with computers. Almost every time we call a business, we encounter an automated phone system. We have virtual assistants on our phones and virtual assistant-powered speakers in our homes. But although these computer systems can be helpful, they have their shortcomings.

In a blog post, Google notes that one of the biggest problems with these systems is that the user has to adjust to the system, instead of the system adjusting to the user. Think about all of the times you have to repeat yourself when you’re on the phone with an automated system, or all of the times that a virtual assistant hears something different than what you actually said.

Google Duplex helps with these problems by allowing the computer to have a natural conversation with a human. The A.I. system adjusts to the person, instead of the person adjusting to the system. Therefore, the person can speak normally, just as they would if they were speaking to another person. Google Duplex also makes it so the computer system sounds like a human. It uses a natural tone and uses words and phrases like “um” and “uh” just like a human person would. During a conversation, the A.I. system can also handle interruptions and elaborate.

At the center of Google Duplex is a recurrent neural network that was built using a machine learning platform called TensorFlow Extend (TFX). When the system makes a phone call, it is pretty much indistinguishable from a live human being. You can hear Google Duplex scheduling an appointment and holding a phone conversation below.

Google Duplex Scheduling a Hair Appointment

What Can Google Duplex Do For You?

The main thing Google Duplex will be able to do for you is handle some of your busy work. It can make calls on your behalf, schedule appointments, or call to check the hours of operation at a business, for instance. Now, it can’t make that uncomfortable break-up call for you, but it can reserve you a table at a participating restaurant or call and make you an appointment at a hair salon. For instance, if you tell Google Assistant you want to go to a specific restaurant next Friday at 7 p.m., the system will call and make a reservation for you and then notify you when it’s confirmed.

When is Google Duplex Coming Out?

Duplex will be available in the next couple weeks at certain test restaurants and hair salons in certain test markets, and you can use Google Assistant on your phone or via your Google Home. You probably won’t be using the feature for quite a while though, because there’s no definite word yet on when it’s being released to the broader public.

A few Potential Applications for Google Duplex

Imagine calling the cable company and dealing with an automated system that sounds and operates exactly like a human; one that can actually help you. There would be no more annoying IVR systems that tell you to “press 1 for billing questions or press 2 for technical issues.” Imagine if the IRS had this A.I. technology. During tax season, you wouldn’t have to wait an hour on hold for a representative, and you could ask the A.I. system your tax-related questions.

Businesses who regularly schedule clients like doctors and lawyers could have the A.I. do that on their behalf. Small businesses can also benefit, as research shows that 60 percent of small businesses who rely on customer bookings don’t have an online booking system, according to Google’s blog.

Concerns About Google Duplex

Many people have expressed concerns about Google Duplex. Aside from the fact that it’s a bit creepy, some people are worried about privacy and security. Is it secure to have a computer calling businesses and speaking to live people on your behalf? Is it secure for the person on the other end of the line? Other people have also concerns about the potential impacts on advertising, and some people even worry about how quickly the A.I. is evolving. Google Assistant just came out a couple of years ago, and now it already sounds like an actual human on the phone.

Google has addressed a couple of these issues during our recent demo with the service. At the beginning of the call, Google Assistant identifies itself and also notes that it’s recording the call. That might make a restaurant owner take pause on having the conversation until the service become more widely used.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Can I book a table for Thursday?’ Google Duplex duped me, but I didn’t mind
• Google Duplex sounds human when it calls to book appointments
• Fribo is a cat-like robot that tells your friends what’s going on in your home
• From J.A.R.V.I.S to John Legend, here are our favorite A.I. assistants
• Here’s how to change Google Assistant’s voice on your Google Home device

Why I love the BlackBerry KEY2: A second opinion review

BlackBerry functionality meets Android power to create the best BlackBerry ever built.

The BlackBerry KEY2 is now available to order for anyone who wants to part with $650. That’s more than just pocket change and it’s wise that many of us are being cautious and reading reviews before we whip out the plastic. That’s something we should do whenever anything costs more than a day’s wages.

Daniel did a great job writing the review for this one-of-a-kind phone. The KEY2 needed someone who was familiar with a BlackBerry and the keyboard to write it, but not someone who loved it before it arrived. Which would be me. I can’t deny my love for any phone that has a set of BlackBerry keys on the face and I would not have been able to forget that while I was writing. But I can (and am!) here to talk about the things I really like about the KEY2 and if it lived up to my expectations.

More: Read the full BlackBerry KEY2 review

I’ve been using the BlackBerry KEY2 for over a week and it’s time to compare what I actually got versus what I had hoped for. I’m a big fan of phones with a keyboard, which means I’m a fan of what BlackBerry is doing in 2018 because no other company is doing it. I know why and can sympathize — the market is not there. A company can’t make any money on a product unless they have the market or a proven following, and that’s what BlackBerry Mobile and TCL are banking on here.

A premium BlackBerry

The KEY2 is a very well-built phone and in a world where phones are too expensive overall. $650 isn’t a lot to spend on one made with materials of this quality then put together as well as they are on the KEY2. If this was a “normal” phone with an all-glass front the discussion over the price wouldn’t be nearly as intense. Outliers aside (I’m looking at you, BlackBerry Storm) the BlackBerry name has always been associated with “premium” products. The KEY2 continues that trend and it’s a great modern take on a classic design.

The KEY2 looks and feels great!

We can’t look at the KEY2 without comparing it to two phones that are deep in its DNA — the original KEYone (of course) and the BlackBerry Bold series. The comparison to the Bold — the Bold 9000, the Bold 9700 and 9900 and the BlackBerry Tour — comes from the keyboard. The keyboard here doesn’t look like the keyboard on a Bold. When I first heard people making that comparison, I was a bit confused, but after using it I agree. It may not look the same, but it feels the same.

The keys have the size and spacing of a Bold device, and more importantly, they give the same satisfaction while typing I got when I first used my Bold 9000. It’s hard to describe, and if you’re not a BlackBerry fan, you will probably think I’m a loon, but you just have to have some trust here. If you like the keyboard on the Bold series you’ll like the one on the KEY2.

It’s a 2018 take on the classic BlackBerry design, and it works.

Comparing it to the KEYone, all you really have to say is that BB Mobile and TCL gave attention to the small details and made everything better. They also did it without making anything worse, which is a neat trick. The keyboard has been improved, the internal specs have been improved, the camera is better, and the overall look is modern instead of retro. In 2014, when BlackBerry was still BlackBerry, the company did something similar with the Passport. It’s a good look.

BlackBerry software

I’m not using the BlackBerry suite of apps. I can’t go into this without that disclaimer. I am very familiar with the way BlackBerry approaches software and can appreciate how well the company has adapted to using Android for things like notification and inbox management or a universal way to reach a contact. I have used it and there’s nothing there that makes me say it’s not great. I just weaned myself off the BlackBerry way when I got my first Android phone in late 2008 and I’m used to doing things differently now.

What I can say is that BlackBerry Mobile has done two very important things with its software: it’s added and improved the features and gave them a hardware platform that can let it run at its full potential.

BlackBerry’s software can finally shine with the KEY2’s improved specs.

Apps like BlackBerry Notes or Tasks are as good or better than any other offering from any other company (and that includes Samsung and its great Notes app) and would be a fine replacement for whatever you’re currently using should you be looking for a change. The Hub does a great job keeping everything you use to communicate in one organized place and the feature list has grown to the point where it rivals the universal inbox of BlackBerry past. Apps like the calendar, contacts, clock, and others that duplicate Google offerings while still using the Google backend are good enough that I haven’t gone to the Play Store and loaded up the originals from Google. I am even in the process of switching to the BlackBerry Password Keeper because I like its features better than what I’m currently using.

Features aside, the apps all run like a champ on the KEY2’s much-improved hardware. A common complaint about the KEYone I have heard from my coworkers (there are plenty of BlackBerry fans here at Mobile Nations) was that the experience wasn’t stellar if you used all the BlackBerry apps and the Hub. I have to agree — there were times when everything was going smooth and then, out of the blue, things would chug along or just stop for a second or two. It wasn’t a matter of the software bloating because it was old and needed refreshing — this happened from day one. I can’t make it happen on the KEY2, and I’ve tried by using dirty tricks like turning a contacts database with about 200 people into one with 2,000 people.

More: BlackBerry KEY2 and 6GB of RAM: Why it’s a big deal

I’m positive that this comes from having 6GB of RAM. Android may not need that much memory to run (we know it doesn’t) but that doesn’t mean apps on top of it don’t. A 2018 BlackBerry using the apps and services every BlackBerry fan knows and loves runs like a champ. You’ll never need to “pull the battery” on this BlackBerry.

Security

BlackBerry also takes pride in the security of their products. Maybe a bit too much pride, but I’ll not complain if that means the company actually cares.

The company claims that its phones are the most secure Android phones available. Technically that’s the truth — the company leverages work that Google has done to harden Android and adds its own proprietary kernel-level hardening on top. Truth be told, most security-conscious folks have to say that Android on its own is more than secure enough as long as you don’t turn off any of the security features. On paper, the KEY2 may be the most secure Android phone of 2018, but a more practical approach is to say the company really cares and adds its own layer above Google’s — and improves that layer as needed. Which is fine with me.

One great thing BlackBerry adds is the DTEK app. I was among the people who scoffed at it when it first arrived but now I think it’s a great way for someone to check the security health of their phone if they don’t have a clue about how to do it manually.

There’s an attractive animated meter that shows your security level, as there was on the KEYone, but now you can dive deeper and see why any portion of the tests don’t pass BlackBerry’s muster. More importantly, it will guide you through fixing them. I know that Oreo 8.1 with BlackBerry’s kernel only needs the May 2018 security patch to be secured. But that’s because I like to spend my free time reading about that sort of thing. Chances are you don’t, so DTEK will tell you and you don’t have to know. BlackBerry Mobile has done an excellent job evolving DTEK from a marketing tool into a useful app.

The KEYboard

This is the whole reason I’m using the KEY2 and probably will throughout 2018 until a sequel arrives. There are three very valid reactions to a phone with a keyboard — you love it, you hate it, or you have never used it and want to try for yourself. I’m in the “love it” camp and feel at home using a phone with a QWERTY keyboard on the front. I understand the “hate it” crowd, too, because a physical keyboard is a binary thing — it’s always there so you either have to embrace and use it or it’s just in the way.

There was (and still is) an adjustment period with the KEY2’s keyboard if you’re coming from the KEYone. The spacing is different, the shape of the keys is different, and the texture is different. These are the things that matter when you’re trying to use a giant knobby thumb on a set of tiny keys. I can say I’m almost used to it in just 10 days or so and am in agreement that this keyboard is one of BlackBerry’s best ever.

I’m feeling right at home with the KEY2’s keyboard after just a week.

You use the keyboard just like you would if it were on-screen. Pressing the “a” key prints the same letter on the screen, pressing the symbol then the “p” key types “%” on the screen, and so on. You know how to use a keyboard and I’m certain you have at least once or twice. You also have access to things like emojis and secondary symbols like “greater than” and “less than” through the screen itself and you simply tap them to print one in your message or document. Other extras like the useful keyboard shortcuts are unique to a device that has physical buttons, and I love them.

A physical keyboard isn’t about function; it’s about familiarity and comfort. I’m familiar and comfortable using one because I have been using one for almost 25 years. I have used great ones and “bad” ones — don’t ask me what I think of the Pearl Flip — and I love this one. The marriage of a good BlackBerry keyboard and Android’s powerful software are exactly what I want and I can’t wait to see what BlackBerry Mobile and TCL do next.

The last word

This is the replacement for your BlackBerry Classic.

This is for the BlackBerry diehards. You may never want to give up your Q10 or your Classic and I understand because I was there; I loved the Curve series and BBOS 7 and knew nothing. not BB10 or iOS or even this new thing called “Android” would ever be able to replace it. What started as a hobby — I bought the T-Mobile G1 because I wanted to play with Linux on a smartphone — slowly turned to acceptance. Now I don’t want to think of being anywhere without my Android-powered phone in my pocket. It keeps me connected and ready for anything business or personal that may arise just like my BlackBerry did, except it does a better job.

The BlackBerry KEY2 is the phone that’s a worthy upgrade from your BB10 device. You’ll need to re-learn how to use the BlackBerry apps and services you love, and you’ll find they are different but still great. Best of all, the hardware here is simply the best phone BlackBerry has ever built. All that’s missing is a model built in tandem with Porsche Design.

BlackBerry KEY2

• BlackBerry KEY2 review
• BlackBerry KEY2: Everything you need to know!
• BlackBerry KEY2 specs
• BlackBerry KEYone review: Coming home
• Join our BlackBerry KEY2 forums!

Buy the BlackBerry KEY2

What weather apps do you use?

Let’s talk about the weather ☔️☀️

Of all the apps on your phone, some of the most important are weather-tracking ones. Whether you need to know the temperature for today, want to see if it’s going to rain during the week, or are curious about the current air quality, weather apps are chock-full of important information to help you get through your day.

However, with hundreds and hundreds of weather apps to choose from on the Play Store, knowing which one to pick up can be a chore.

To help ease your quest in finding the perfect weather app, we decided to check in with the AC forum community to see which ones they’re using.

Here’s what they have to say!

cbreze
06-30-2018 12:27 PM

“

I’ve tried a bunch of them and prefer one that gives me a good, clean look on my homescreen. Accuweather is OK but IMO it fails at sticking its name/logo on the widget. Don’t care for that. Accuweather should get with it and offer better widget customization options.
I have found weather timeline to be the most customizable. Alot of folks like to have everything including the kitchen sink in…

Reply

scorpiori
06-30-2018 12:32 PM

“

‘Today weather’ is dope.

Reply

Luke18
06-30-2018 02:08 PM

“

Im a huge weather geek….these are the most accurate as far as information being updated and passed on:

DarkSky-Notificatuon temp icon and notifications for precipitation times.

Storm Radar-. Good overall app for everything.

Weather Radio- Best/Most accurate storm alerts

Radarscope- The best most accurate radar in the mobile world.

Reply

Mooncatt
06-30-2018 12:35 PM

“

I use Weather Bug, which has a rather unobtrusive but functional widget. I really like the lightning tracker and the recently added future radar map.

Reply

What about you? What weather app(s) do you use?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know

THIS. IS. CREEEEEED.

It’s been less than a year since the launch of Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Ubisoft is already delivering an epic follow-up. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey takes the new foundation for the series and builds on it with even deeper gameplay, an even richer story, and the most compelling open-world universe yet. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?

Last year, Ubisoft released their most deep Assassin’s Creed game yet. Assassin’s Creed Origins started the series on a path down RPG land, with upgradeable skills and weapons, deeper crafting, and more being added to the experience. All of that joined the deep open worlds we’ve already become accustomed to, as well as the game’s rich lore and memorable characters.

Fast forward a year later and Ubisoft has wasted no time building on that. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is set to introduce mechanics and ideas that may not be new to the art of gaming, but they’ll definitely make for an awesome Creed game.

Will you fight for Sparta or Athens?

Before we even jump into the new gameplay bits, let’s talk about where it’s taking place. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is continuing the series tradition of revisiting ancient times. The last game took us to Egypt, but this time we’ll be heading to Greece during the year 431 BCE, which places us right at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War.

The Peloponnesian War was a significant conflict with many different players, but the bulk of it was ultimately carried out between Sparta and Athens. It was instigated by rebels who were unhappy with the latter, and they ended up helping Sparta in their quest to dominate the Aegean Sea.

Whereas previous Assassin’s Creed games decided your path for you, it appears you’ll be making some important decisions of your own in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. One of the biggest decisions is who you’ll choose to fight for over the course of the game. That’s because you’re not strictly part of the Spartans nor the Athenians. You’re a mercenary, and you’ll be able to choose who you fight for. Mercenaries typically fight for money, but there may be other forces at play swaying you in one direction or the other.

It being a game set in ancient Greece, Ubisoft isn’t shying away from the concept of paranormal meddling from the Gods of old. That’s not to say you’ll be shooting thunderbolts from your palms through the power of Zeus, but the Gods can and will play a role in some form or another. Ubisoft is being quiet on the specifics of this element for now, so it’s something we’ll just have to explore for ourselves once the game is made available for purchase.

The backdrop of the Peloponnesian War is interesting enough, but other story details remain a mystery. What we know right now is that you can play as either Alexios or Kassandra, marking both the first time you can choose multiple characters in an Assassin’s Creed game as well as the first time you can play as a female. (Yay for gender representation!)

No matter which hero you choose, you’re known as a descendant of the Spartan king Leonidas I. Your family doesn’t recognize your royal heritage, though, and you quickly learn that you’re all alone. You do embark on your quest with a family heirloom, however: Leonidas I’s broken spear, which is eventually reforged into a steel polearm sword-looking thingy.

The deepest Assassin’s Creed game yet

Assassin’s Creed has largely been responsible for some of the mainstay mechanics still prevalent in games today, namely its climbing, combat, and stealth systems. Despite the initial burst of innovation Ubisoft brought with this series, it hasn’t evolved much until recent times.

The biggest turn came with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag with its pirate ship gameplay, and you’ll get a chance to return to the high seas in Odyssey with a ship and crew of your own. You’ll use it to travel the Aegean to carry out your duties in Athens, Sparta, and everywhere in between. There are at least 27 significant regions to explore and do missions in.

This will also be the first Assassin’s Creed game that offers the ability to make dialog choices. There will be branching dialog, too, so there will be multiple outcomes in any given situation. It figures to be a big part of the game with Ubisoft professing that there will be multiple endings – again, a series first.

The player will be able to develop and manage relationships with people, too. You’ll even go as far as romancing some of them. Protagonists of old have historically had love interests, but you’ll be in control of them this time around, and it sounds awesome.

Of course, the bread and butter of Assassin’s Creed games – combat and stealth – will get a bit of a facelift. The player can now unlock and level up skills from three different categories: hunter, warrior, and assassin.

Those classes will improve your proficiency and grant you new abilities in areas of archery, hand-to-hand combat, and stealth, respectively. If it’s anything like Assassin’s Creed Origins, you’ll be able to mix and match skills from different trees in order to craft the perfect character tailored to your play style.

Weapons and armor are once again a big part of character development, so much of your progression in the game will come from finding new gear and upgrading it. Each piece of gear will come with random stats, with some of the best gear said to grant you unique abilities and bonuses. You’ll be able to use materials – either found, bought or gathered from hunting animals – to make upgrades and craft unique items.

When you’re done fighting your individual battles, you can check in on the war at large. The aptly-named War System will allow you to see who has the upper hand at any given time. This information is useful not just for the purposes of following the ongoing narrative, but also because you can influence the war through your own decisions and actions. For instance, you can pick up mercenary contracts to help weaken or defend certain regions.

There will be chances to help influence the war in more direct ways, with Odyssey featuring massive battles that can have as many as 300 participants. Large-scale warfare is something we haven’t really seen in an Assassin’s Creed game before so it’ll be interesting to see what kinds of abilities the player can get to excel in them.

Oh, and your trusty bird that you can somehow control and see the world through its eyes is back, so scouting out the area to plan your next move should be light work.

As you can tell by now, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is taking the series to entirely new heights that may just help define the standard for open world video games going forward.

You may not be an actual assassin anymore

We feel it necessary to point out that Assassin’s Creed is no longer strictly an assassin’s game. That is, you’re no longer bound by a strict creed that has you staying your blade from the innocents and other such edicts. This is important because it makes way for nearly everyone in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to be attacked.

You’ll still have targets and you’ll still assassinate them, yes, but you can also just as well go on a murderous killing spree. There are consequences to this, however, such as bounties being placed on your head that will make other mercenaries come to hunt you down.

We’ve also noticed that a hidden assassin’s blade has yet to be shown in any of the trailers and screenshots to date. Ubisoft isn’t making a big deal about these details, likely because the concept of an assassination clique with morals wasn’t really a thing back in the times the game takes place.

Don’t fret, though. You’ll still have plenty of opportunities to stalk and kill specific enemies with the swift thrust of a blade or however it is you prefer to do your killing.

There will be regular content updates

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft executive director Alain Corre confirmed that Ubisoft plans to support Assassin’s Creed Odyssey with regular content well after its release. In fact, we’re told to expect content on a weekly basis. Corre didn’t get into specifics about what to expect, but we know some of that content will likely be cosmetics that you can buy for your character.

This would imply that microtransactions are coming back. Microtransactions were mostly optional in Assassin’s Creed Origins. Players could unlock most cosmetic outfits and effects through regular play, but the option to pay for it was there for anyone who didn’t have the time to commit to it. This has been a long-standing Ubisoft practice and remains one of the fairest balances we’ve seen for microtransaction policies. There will also likely be limited time missions and your regular rollout of extended story content that will come in at a premium.

Which one will you pre-order?

If you’re sold on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and looking to pre-order, your options are quite plentiful. Pre-sales for the game are already live, and there’s a lot to choose from. Those pre-ordering the standard edition can look to Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and Ubisoft for the best bonuses.

GameStop will exclusively offer a helmet keychain and access to the Blind King mission.

See at GameStop

Ubisoft is also offering the Blind King mission for ordering through them.

See at Ubisoft

Best Buy doesn’t net you the mission, but you do get a $10 rewards certificate to use on almost anything at a Best Buy Store.

See at Best Buy

Amazon also has no extra bonuses, but will offer the steepest discount to those with Amazon Prime, bringing your total down to $47.99.

See at Amazon

Don’t have Amazon Prime? Newegg has a nice $10 discount upfront, too.

See at Newegg

And if you’re into avatars, the PlayStation Store’s digital pre-order option isn’t bad as it comes with the Blind King mission, 7 avatars to use on your PlayStation Network profile, and figures to be your only option for preloading the game to play it the moment the clock strikes midnight.

See at PlayStation

If you want to step up to the $80 Deluxe Edition, you’re in line for a sizable list of digital goods, including two different gear packs, a naval pack, an experience points boost, and a currency boost.

See at Amazon

The Gold Edition goes for $100, and with it you’ll get the season pass, exclusive access to the Secrets of Greece mission, a steel book case for those who go for the physical copy, and the ability to play the game three days early, on October 2nd.

See at Amazon

The Ultimate Edition is available for $120 and simply combines all the bonuses from the Deluxe and Gold Editions.

See at Amazon

These next two are for serious fans. For $150, GameStop is offering a statue of Kassandra outfitted in classic Assassin’s Creed garb with a bird perched on her forearm. This is the Ultimate Edition of the game otherwise.

See at GameStop

Last but not least, there are the Spartan and Pantheon Collector’s Editions, both of which are available exclusively through Ubisoft. They cost $160 and $220 respectively and mostly come with the same things. No matter which one you get, you’ll have the Ultimate Edition content, a 64-page artbook, a lithograph created by Hugo Puzzuoli, a soundtrack, and a real map. The difference is in the statues you get.

The $160 Spartan Edition comes with just a single Spartan statue.

See at Ubisoft

And the $220 Pantheon Edition comes with both the Spartan and Athenian statues. These are available exclusively from Ubisoft.

See at Ubisoft

Collect the Statues

Ubisoft is doing something especially fun for this release: there are statues you can collect on an individual basis! There are statues of both main characters.

Kassandra’s comes in at 29cm tall and costs $60.

See at Ubisoft

Alexios is a bit taller at 32cm, but has the same $60 price tag.

See at Ubisoft

Then there’s the $750 behemoth. It’s a 68cm statue of Alexios standing atop Medusa’s head. He’s donning the Hero of Sparta armor and is wielding the same spear featured in the game. The statue is highly detailed, but for its cost this figures to be for the most die-hard (and, perhaps, rich) collectors. There will only be 1,900 of these ever made.

See at Ubisoft

When can you play it?

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey launches October 5th, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. As we mentioned above, those willing to pay $100 can get the Gold Edition and play it three days early on October 2nd, 2018. Let us know if you’ll be buying the game, and if so, which version of it you’ll be getting.

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• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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HTC is laying off 1,500 employees from its manufacturing department

In other words, around 22% of HTC’s entire workforce.

When it rains, it pours for HTC. Early in the morning on July 2, 2018, the company revealed that it was laying off 1,500 employees.

All of those 1,500 people (around 22% of HTC’s entire workforce) come from HTC’s manufacturing division in Taiwan, and HTC says that it made the decision as part of its ongoing quest to become profitable once again.

An event like this would be bad enough on its own, but if you’ve been following HTC for the past few months, you’ll know that all of 2018 has been a rough one for the once-great Android giant.

Where does HTC go from here?

In mid-February, HTC’s mobile president announced he was leaving to pursue a “personal career plan.” Just a few days after that, it was reported that HTC had laid off up to 100 of its U.S.-based employees as part of the decision to merge the smartphone and VR divisions together under one umbrella.

As for the products HTC’s been kicking out, it’s been a mixed bag. The U12+ has the makings of a great Android phone, but the pressure-sensitive “buttons” that the phone uses results in an irritating user experience more times than not. The Vive Pro is undoubtedly one of the most powerful VR headsets you can buy right now, but at $799 for just the headset and none of the other required accessories, it’s an incredibly tough purchase. Also, what the heck’s going on with the blockchain phone?

HTC’s not totally out for the count quite yet, but this most recent move sure doesn’t leave a lot of hope for the company’s future.

What do you think is going to happen to HTC?

HTC U12+ review: Buttonless blunder

After using Chrome OS for four months, I never want to go back

If you still haven’t tried Chrome OS, now’s the time to do so.

Even though I’ve been enthralled by Android since the original Galaxy S Fascinate on Verizon Wireless, it took me until this year to finally give Google’s desktop operating system — Chrome OS — a proper try.

I dabbled with Chrome OS a bit back at my high school on education-focused machines, but I’ve never actually owned a proper “adult” Chromebook to get an idea for how the platform works and feels on a day-to-day basis.

So, this past February, I decided to sell my late-2016 MacBook Pro and replace it with the Google Pixelbook. If you want to know more about the Pixelbook itself, we’ve already covered that a number of times here on AC.

Instead, what I’d like to do today is highlight my experiences using Chrome OS as my primary laptop operating system for the past four months. Let’s get started!

The things I absolutely love

When I first got the Pixelbook, one of the things I was worried about the most was the lack of desktop apps. This is something that most everyone still complains about when it comes to Chrome OS, but to be perfectly honest, that complaint just isn’t valid anymore in mid-2018.

First off, before we even talk about the app selection that there is, I was amazed at how much of my work is done in the Chrome browser. Between writing articles, searching for the latest news, doing research for editorials, and even some light photo editing, all of the things I need to do can be done (and enjoyable at that) in Chrome.

In mid-2018, the argument that Chrome OS doesn’t have enough app support simply isn’t true anymore.

Slack’s web client is great, 1Password’s Chrome plug-in works like a dream, and web apps like PicMonkey make it easy to do quick edits for all sorts of photos.

While all of my work can be done in Chrome tabs, I really appreciate how Google lets you save these as “app” shortcuts in your app drawer/bottom bar and open them up as their own windows to make them appear like traditional desktop applications.

For those times that I can’t do something in Chrome or just want a more touch-friendly way to interact with a service, Android apps are excellent for filling that gap. The Play Store looks and feels exactly as it does on Android, and since I spend so much time on my phone as is, I appreciate having the same app interface when going from phone to laptop.

Something else that’s really stuck out to me is how updates are handled. I absolutely dread seeing that I’ve got updates waiting when I boot up my iMac, and even though I know I probably shouldn’t, I’ve become that person that keeps pressing “Try later tonight” whenever I see one pop up.

In Chrome OS, this has been a non-issue.

Any big system updates are downloaded in the background, and when they’re ready to install, all I have to do is click a button and my system is completely rebooted and back up and running in a matter of seconds. This is something that’s been around in Chrome OS for a while, but it’s a feature I constantly appreciate whenever a new bit of software rolls around.

The stuff that still needs some work

For all the praise I could give to Chrome OS, however, that’s not to say it’s without its faults.

Although it’s functional enough for my needs, the built-in file manager isn’t quite as comprehensive as what’s found on macOS and Windows. Even though Chrome OS can run Android apps, it doesn’t support Nougat’s App Shortcuts. As silly as it may sound, the fact that there’s no native way to insert emoji (at least right now) drives me up a tree every single day.

Every operating system has its quirks, and Chrome OS is no exception to that rule.

The upside

With that said, the majority of these complaints will disappear soon enough.

Chrome OS is only going to get more exciting as time goes on.

Google regularly pushes updates to Chrome OS with an assortment of bug fixes and new features, and in the very near future, we should get an assortment of tools that finally give Android phones proper integration with Chrome OS — bringing features such as SMS syncing, instant tethering, and more.

Once all that happens, Chrome OS will not only stand on its own as a proper competitor to Windows and macOS, but it’ll be the clear choice for anyone that also happens to own an Android phone.

This is something Apple’s succeeded at for years with Continuity between iPhones and Macs, and once that same integration comes to Android and Chrome OS, it’s going to be an incredibly exciting time.

What do you like/dislike the most about Chrome OS?

I’ve been overwhelmingly happy with my decision to go the Chrome OS route this year, and I cannot wait to see where the platform is heading in the next few months. It’s certainly not for everyone, but then again, neither is Windows, macOS, or Linux.

If you’ve got a Chrome OS machine, what do you like or dislike about it the most? Sound off in the comments below and let me know!

Pixelbook 2: What Google can do to make the best Chromebook even better

Chromebooks

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• Chromebooks in education: Everything you need to know
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How to Get Samsung Software Updates Faster Using Smart Switch

There is another way.

We all have plenty to complain about when it comes to software updates landing on our Samsung phones. Right now it’s the slow rollout of Oreo, but we’ll soon feel the same way about the next one. But sometimes it isn’t Samsung’s fault that you don’t yet have the latest update — issues with carriers and even the current software on your phone can prevent your phone from downloading an update even when it’s actually “available” to your model.

That’s where Samsung’s own desktop software, Smart Switch, comes in. Despite its core feature being backing up and restoring data when switching phones, it has the added benefit of being able to download and update the software on your Samsung phone. Here’s how it works.

How to manually update your Samsung phone using Smart Switch

Go to Samsung’s Smart Switch website and download for PC or Mac.
Install and open Smart Switch on your computer and connect your phone via its USB cable.

If you haven’t plugged in to your computer before, tap Allow on the pop-up on your phone to give it access.

• If Smart Switch doesn’t recognize the phone, click the menu in Smart Switch and click Reinstall device driver then restart.

After a few moments, your phone will be recognized by Smart Switch and you’ll see several options on the main screen for backing up and restoring. You do not need to back up or restore your phone to initiate an update.
A software check is performed when you plug in, and Smart Switch will list your current software details. If there is a software update available for your phone, you’ll be notified on the main screen.
If available, Click Update to install the latest software. It will download first to your computer, then sideload to your phone.

• The phone will reboot, and the process will take roughly 10 minutes.

If this will be your preferred update method going forward, click the menu (Preferences on Mac) in Smart Switch, click Software Updates and check the box for Update Pre-Download.

• When a new software version is available for your phone, Smart Switch will download it and then apply the next time you plug in.

To be clear, this isn’t going to force an update onto your phone that Samsung has yet to release. Unless Samsung and your carrier (where applicable) have signed off on and released an update for your exact phone, there’s no way to get it.

Hooking up to Smart Switch can get you an update quicker, though, in cases where your carrier is slowly rolling out an update over the air (OTA) or the update checker on your phone for whatever reason won’t download an update. If you’re impatient, it’s absolutely worth having this tool at the ready.

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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Update May 2018: Added fresh information reflecting Smart Switch’s usefulness for a variety of Samsung models, including the new Galaxy S9.

Madden NFL 19 for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know

See you on the gridiron.

Madden is back, and EA has made a lot of changes this year to make the annual purchase worth considering. We’re here to tell you everything that’s new in Madden NFL 19, with big changes to gameplay, franchise mode, broadcast graphics, and an all-new Longshot story mode to spend your time with. This is everything you need to know.

What’s Madden NFL 19?

Madden is the annual NFL football franchise and the only game of its kind on the market. It features all 32 NFL teams, their players, and even some Hall of Famers and legends in some modes. The game aims to deliver a deep, satisfying gameplay experience for casual and serious football fans alike.

Longshot story mode returns

Let’s begin with Longshot, the story mode of Madden that was introduced in last year’s version of the game. Longshot followed Devin Wade (Quarterback) and Colt Cruise (Wide Receiver), two college players who find themselves on the road to the NFL draft.

You help guide the two to the promised land by helping them land on a show called The Longshot. While football ability was a big part of getting them to the big leagues, it was also your decisions off the field which determined your success. The two eventually get drafted to their respective teams, and it’s happily ever after.

Except, that story mode is back for Madden 19, and it matures with the continuance of their stories. They’re no longer prospects, but actual NFL players, and that comes with a whole new set of challenges.

While we don’t know the specifics of the story just yet (except for the fact that Devin Wade starts his career with the Dallas Cowboys and Colt Cruise is in the wind), EA has mentioned that this year’s Longshot will have a bigger emphasis on actual football gameplay. This means that player skill will be even more important. And both on-field and off-field happenings have been heavily influenced by actual NFL goings-on.

Once the story mode wraps up, you’ll be able to use Wade and Cruise in modes like Franchise and Madden Ultimate Team. The previous game also had other celebrity characters such as Dan Marino, Chad Johnson (Chad Ochocinco), and Mahershala Ali, all of whom could also be played. We don’t know if this year’s game will have more guest appearances.

New gameplay features

Madden 19 is getting a wealth of new gameplay changes this year. The bulk of the changes deal with player motion. EA has added all new animations and a more realistic physics engine to make player movement feel as real as possible.

One of the biggest things working toward that goal is managing your player’s Acceleration Burst, as it will determine the kind of running you can do. The faster you move, the less drastic your directional changes can be. You’ll need to slow down if you want to make wide, sweeping turns and cuts. That doesn’t mean you can’t fake out a defender while going full speed – you’ll still have your special ball carrier moves to help with that – but it’s going to be harder. It adds a nice risk vs. reward element to the core gameplay experience.

This system lends itself to several subsystems, too. A new one-cut move for running backs allows you to take a sharp cut into a new direction as long as you time the new Acceleration Burst mechanic right. Defenders can gain access to the same ability to help shut that move down.

There are other many cool gameplay changes, too. You can now branch special moves together in fluid motion, so the ability to juke into a spin back into a juke is a thing. It’ll likely be difficult to pull off, and it’s probably mostly dependent on the attributes your player has.

A new hit-the-hole mechanic allows you to find your way through the clogged up line of scrimmage with the flick of an analog stick. Hit the wrong hole and you’re just as likely to be tackled where you stand.

You can even push the pile as the running back, giving you the ability to let your big linemen up front do the dirty work to pick up a tough extra few yards when you can’t find your way through the line.

In the passing game, defenders and receivers will enjoy a more realistic suite of animations, reactions, and moves for reacting to the ball. The goal here is to give players more control over the outcome of a catch. EA admitted in the past that the jump ball situation can be a bit pre-determined, so this is something fans should be happy to hear.

On the defensive side of the ball, you’ll see fine tuning to AI and logic for several formations, including Cover 2, Cover 3, Cover 4, Tampa 2, and more. An entirely new formation that features three safeties out of its five defensive backs is also being added, and it comes with a whole new suite of plays of its own.

And on the fun side of things, touchdown celebrations are coming back! It’s not that we haven’t had celebrations before, but they weren’t emphasized due to Madden’s need to adhere to the NFL’s strict public image. But the NFL famously loosened restrictions on player and team touchdown celebrations last year, so Madden 19 will allow you to take part in interactive celebrations using your right analog stick.

There will be generic moves such as a spike or a dance, but you can also pull off a Player Signature move, if available. If you’re feeling especially competitive, you can even steal the signature move from a player of the opposing team to rub it in real good. EA is planning on updating the game with new celebrations as the year goes on, too, so you’ll have a chance to see some of the new moves that are sure to pop up each and every Sunday.

With all these great additions comes the need for updated controls. Thankfully, EA has already given us the layout of what to expect so you can start adjusting your muscle memory.

Franchise mode revamped

Many Madden fans have been complaining lately that the game’s franchise mode has largely gone untouched for quite some time. The minor adjustments year-to-year end with Madden 19, apparently. Franchise mode was a big focus for EA this time around, with a nice mix of both cosmetic and functional improvements to make it feel fresh.

For starters, team and coaching scheme actually mean something now. While players had specific archetypes they could fit into before – such as being a strong-arm quarterback vs. a mobile one – the designation never translated into anything meaningful. In Madden 19, that trend is bucked thanks to an archetype-based progression system.

Instead of using experience on individual player attributes and stats, you now gain skill points that can be used to improve your character’s rating for any given archetype. Each skill point jumps the player up an entire level in their overall rating, and their underlying ratings – such as short throw accuracy or play-action pass for a quarterback – improves as well. You can choose to upgrade a player at any one of his possible archetypes.

You’ll want to focus in on a specific archetype, though, because coaching schemes now play a part in just how successful your players can be. Players who fit into your coach’s scheme will earn even more experience, so it’ll be easier to get them playing to their fullest potential.

You can change your scheme whenever you want, so if you notice you’ve been acquiring a lot of players that can play well into a particular scheme then you can make a change to maximize your team’s effectiveness. Players who fit into your scheme will have a purple puzzle icon on their player card, so it’ll be easy to spot the perfect fits for your team at a glance.

Keeping with improvements to roster management, the addition of new specialist positions is sure to delight. You can now place players into roster spots for positions like 3rd-down running back, slot receiver, or nickel corner. These positions are used in several formations and require players with specific skill sets, typically increased speed or strength.

In previous Madden games, these adjustments required in-game substitutions, but you can now call plays and rest easy knowing the game will automatically substitute the right player in for the play you called. To support all of this deeper player scheme stuff, there are as many as 11 new attributes that’ll help differentiate players on the field even more.

Player development is also getting a facelift. There are now four different levels of progression speeds: normal, quick, star, and superstar. These ratings change more frequently than in the past, but the superstar rating is now reserved for the most elite players at each position. Expect just a few players in the league per position to be able to hold that classification.

Those players also regress in skill more slowly than lesser ones, so getting a superstar at a core position on your team figures to be a solid ongoing goal. There’s a chance to draft a player with any of these development traits from the beginning of their career, but finding a superstar is going to be extremely rare. It’ll reward players who do their homework to find the best player available in the annual draft.

Speaking of that draft, you can always get by just fine with the draft classes generated by the game. That said, Madden 19 now gives you the ability to edit or import custom draft classes when scouting begins in week 3. This is a huge boon for players who want realistic NFL draft classes, or for those who just want to have a little fun editing the player names and attributes.

You can reward your best players with Team Captain patches, a nice way to recognize your team’s most influential talent. It won’t do anything from a gameplay standpoint, but it’s cool that this recognition system is finally represented in Madden.

As you do your daily bidding, you’ll see several new 3D environments based on your current task. If you’re talking to players, you’ll see them getting ready for gameday in the locker room. If you’re going over the game plan, you’ll see your coach typing away at his desk. And if you’ve won a Super Bowl, you’ll also see that trophy sitting somewhere in his office.

The love extends all the way to draft day, with the banquet hall showing each team’s picks up on the big viewing board. Drafted players will be shown in the uniform of the teams which drafted them as their stats are revealed. It should help franchise mode feel a lot more alive than the static 2D menus of old.

Upgraded presentation

Gameday presentation is getting some nice touches this year. EA is continuing the rollout of their highly detailed stadium exteriors. They scan these exteriors with a technology that lets them easily recreate the stadium and surrounding areas in high detail. This year, there are scans of the stadiums for the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Tennessee Titans.

Pre-game, halftime, and post-game broadcast graphics are being given the 3D treatment, too. The halftime show, in particular, is interesting, as it will feature more “around the league” talk to help you keep up with the rest of the league.

For commentary, a new story development feature will allow Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis to talk about stories about things happening in your game and season. They’ll do things like refer back to a time when your running back had a 1,000-yard season, and when they note that 100 yards should be doable for him in a game they’ll make comments about whether he can reach that goal according to what’s going on in the game. This should make commentary feel less canned, a common complaint from Madden fans over the years.

Madden Ultimate Team changes

Madden’s bread-winning mode, affectionately known as MUT, is getting some changes to make the game mode more accessible for everyone. This card-collecting mode lets you acquire and upgrade players for use in real competitive games. A big part of the mode is upgrading your cards and finding better players either through packs, solo challenges, or the auction house.

This year, player upgrades are getting easier. Instead of moving cards in and out of collections, you upgrade a player by applying “Training,” a new currency type that exists for the sole purpose of upgrading. You can apply those upgrades by looking at the cards themselves, making it a far less painful experience compared to the menu hopping that we used to have.

Another issue MUT fans have dealt with over the years is having to build their teams according to player chemistry, a mechanic that gives you boosts for having players with the same chemistry rating. The problem is that players had to forego using their favorite players in order to get these bonuses. Power is being given back to us in this regard, as one of the features of player upgrades is a chemistry slot that you can use to slot in any applicable chemistry rating you want.

Other MUT changes include weekly solo battles and daily challenges that will give you nice coin, experience, and training bonuses for defeating CPU-controlled teams, the ability to play three-versus-three mode against the CPU, and streamlined player lineups to ensure everyone on your team contributes to your overall chemistry.

Pre-order bonuses

Ready to pre-order Madden 19? You can get the standard edition for $60, but there are no bonuses to be had.

See at Amazon

The $80 Hall of Fame Edition features Terrell Owens on the cover and grants you access to one of five Hall of Fame players for your MUT squad, including Terrell Owens, Brian Urlacher, Rod Woodson, Dan Marino, or Terrell Davis. You’ll also get 12 Gold Team Fantasy Packs, an elite version of the standard Madden 19 cover athlete (not yet announced) and two All-Madden uniforms. There’s also the added benefit of getting the game three days early, on August 7th.

See at Amazon

When can you play it?

Madden 19 launches August 10th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Buying the Hall of Fame Edition will let you play three days earlier, on August 7th.

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Android P features you’ll love: Improved notifications, 2018 edition

Small but significant changes are coming to your notification shade with Android P.

One of the best features of Android is its notification system. It uses the best ideas from companies that originally got it right, like Palm and Nokia, then blends them into a display of information and rich content that we have all come to rely on. Because the notification system is very important for a handheld device that’s supposed to keep you in touch with the world around you, it’s also constantly being improved. Android P will be no exception.

Android notifications improve every year. Here’s what happened with Android Oreo

A new look

Your notifications can (and often do) look very different depending on which company made your phone. That’s also part of Android’s notifications — they are customizable by the developers that built Android itself, as well as app developers that know best what notifications their apps should generate. Phones from manufacturers that tend to follow Google’s lead, like Motorola and Sony, things will be softer, rounder, and more colorful with Android P.

Gone are things like grey lines to act as separators, and instead your status bar — which also has a new look to accommodate display notches — won’t become part of the shade when it’s drawn. Instead, the shade transforms into a card interface with round corners and bright icons for quick settings, and a second card for the actual notification content. The bright colors and round corners will be subject to individual tastes (and debate) but it’s evident that someone at Google spent a lot of time and attention to detail here.

The change looks more drastic than it is, and that’s likely by design, too. Android’s notification shade doesn’t need to be rebuilt or changed too much at once. That’s how you ruin a good thing. Instead, time should be spent to find the perfect interface to show us what we expect to see. Android has matured.

Smarter everywhere

Smart replies using Google’s machine learning algorithms come standard with Android P. Your phone parses the content of a message when it shows a preview in the notification, and as a result, you are given three smart replies you can send with a single tap. These have been supported since Android 8.0 but now Google is building them into the notification system for all app developers to use. You can, of course, choose to ignore the suggestions and type you own reply directly from the notification if you like.

And you may very well be able to use the notification shade without opening your messaging app. Android P brings changes that identify the sender and display the last few lines of the conversation at the top of your phone. The new Person class can fetch user details from your contacts and show avatars, nicknames and other information about who is talking. It even works for group messages.

When you want to reply, there is no need to open the app. Everything you need is available at the bottom of the shade including things like saving as a draft, mark as read, delete, and reply just like the reply field in the app itself. For those of us who tend to send short and sweet messages, it’s like having a second miniature version of the app in your notifications.

Goodbye, Mr. Annoying

With Android P, the “APP_NAME is using battery” message that has bugged so many users is now a thing of the past. You’ll be able to look into the battery usage through the settings should you need to do so, but seeing that YouTube is using the battery because it has not yet been closed by the system isn’t going to haunt you any longer.

More to come

There are more subtle changes that will make their mark as Android P becomes final and applications are built to leverage its features. We can’t forget the notch support which could play a big part in your notification area or things like changes to make Android easier to use and more powerful. Broadcasts, where apps receive messages from the Android system itself, have also been tweaked to support the Notification Channels changes and Do Not Disturb settings.

Overall, Google has built a great base and set of tools to make the notifications from the apps you love on the phone you have a lot better. We can get behind changes that make things better!

Android P

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