Gechic On-Lap Monitor review: A second screen for everything

The monitor for people who never have enough monitors.

Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you I’m a bit of a monitor hog. My desktop sports a 43-inch ultrawide because I was tired of the bezels in multiple monitors. My laptop never has enough screen real estate for my workflow. I was raised on multiple monitors, and never really grew out of it.

The one place I don’t have this problem is when I’m gaming, but my console tethers me unnecessarily to the living room. When I went looking for a fairly inexpensive way to be portable with my console, I found a monitor that not only lets me game on the go but also acts as a fantastic secondary monitor when I’m working remotely. It’s called the Gechic On-Lap monitor, and while I’m probably never going to use it “On-Lap” there are a ton of other places it’s going to get used.

Gechic On-Lap Monitor

Price: $299

Bottom line: This monitor is great for just about everything, especially when you’re not particularly close to the ideal power set up.

The Good

• Lightweight, easy to travel monitor
• Great battery life
• Ports for just about everything

The Bad

• Speakers are loud, but not great
• No USB-C port

See at Amazon

Perfectly portable

Gechic On-Lap Monitor What I like

I don’t often take my PlayStation 4 Pro out of the house, because why would I? Most of the televisions in the hotel rooms I stay in when I travel are locked down so I can’t really connect anything, and I’m not usually in the room for particularly long. The monitors built in to my minivan (#DadLife) when I’m taking my kids on long trips are way too small for the experience to be enjoyable for anything but a movie, and I already have a DVD player in the house. I would take my console with me way more places if it made sense to do so, but even on the train, the chances of my having access to two power outlets are slim.

This monitor removes a lot of these arguments by design. The 7800mAh battery powers this 11.6-inch 1080p display for at least four hours (Gechic claims 4.5 but I landed closer to the 4 mark most days) with no problem. The panel itself has an anti-glare matte coating on it so I can use it just about everywhere, and the 178-degree viewing angle lets the person sitting next to me play as well. I took this on a four-hour train ride from Baltimore to New York City and it kept my family entertained the entire trip.

The best part about this display is I can use it with basically anything. The ports on the side support DisplayPort and Mini HDMI, with cables in the box to connect to both with ease. I was able to use this to extend the display on my laptop when I wasn’t gaming, and it all just worked. With the headphone jack on the side of the display, I was able to immerse myself in what I was doing, with no need to involve wireless headphones.

I’m also barely scratching the surface of what this display offers. There’s a port on the back for more permanent mounting solutions where hanging cables off the back is inconvenient. You can also connect to cameras for a huge display when shooting video, and the carrying case gives you multiple leaning angles depending on where you are sitting or standing when using it.

Gechic On-Lap Monitor What I don’t like

Having a battery-powered portable monitor that doesn’t suck makes me feel like I’m in the future, right until I try to charge it. Right next to the other ports is a Micro-USB port for charging, which in 2018 kind of sucks. It means the monitor doesn’t charge very quickly (almost three hours to full) and really highlights what a missed opportunity USB-C included would’ve been. Not only would it charge much faster, but USB-C could have been another display out option for those of us living the dongle life.

This monitor fits nicely into its travel case and carries well, but the speakers on the top of the monitor suffer from the same thing most lightweight displays suffer from: tinny audio and occasionally a rattle alongside the bass. It’s not the worst set of speakers out there, but you’re probably going to want to use your headphones if you have them. If the audio quality doesn’t bother you, the good news is these speakers do get very loud if you need them to. Not a bad option for doing something outside if you don’t have speakers or headphones, but not necessarily the choice I would make.

4.5
out of 5

If you need a portable monitor for anything, a laptop or a console or just so your kids have something to watch movies while you’re doing something with the actual television in the room, this is a solid option. At $299, you’re absolutely paying for the privilege of portability, but it’s worth it for those of us who aren’t in the living room as often as we’d probably like.

See at Amazon

Huawei devices get banned from downloading VLC on the Play Store

You’ve got Huawei’s custom software to thank for this.

Huawei’s been in hot water for most all of 2018 thanks to various legal disputes with the U.S. government, and now the company’s facing repercussions for its heavy-handed custom Android skin.

On July 25, VLC creator VideoLAN announced on Twitter that the popular media player app can no longer be downloaded by Huawei devices on the Google Play Store.

PSA: @HuaweiMobile phones are now blacklisted and cannot get VLC on the Play Store.Their ridiculous policy of killing all background apps (except their own) breaks VLC audio background playback (of course).See https://t.co/QzDW7KbV4I and many other reports…@HuaweiFr

— VideoLAN (@videolan) July 25, 2018

As mentioned above, the reason for this decision has to do with Huawei’s EMUI Android skin that aggressively kills non-Huawei background apps — thus resulting in a less-than-ideal experience when trying to use VLC for background playback.

VideoLAN goes on to note that this change affects all Huawei devices (not just newer ones), and if you still want to use VLC, you can always download the APK file directly from its website.

It’s possible VLC will be made available for Huawei phones later on down the road if Huawei decides to change the way third-party background apps are handled, and seeing as how this is one of the largest apps in its class, maybe this will be a big enough statement for some real change to take place.

Download: VLC (free)

Top 6 reasons to buy a flagship over a mid-range phone in 2018

And if the phone doesn’t have these, you should question why.

There are many parts of the smartphone experience that are a matter of personal preference — like screen size, specific internal components, expandable storage, certain exterior materials, software features and the like. All of those areas provide smartphone companies with room to differentiate and make unique devices with interesting selling points. Just one of those choices could make or break your decision to buy the phone.

But no matter your preference in each of those areas, you should expect a certain level of base features and capabilities — particularly when the price tag goes above $600.

Dust and water resistance

This is the simplest thing to expect nowadays. Just about every phone and tablet that’s more than a couple hundred dollars inherently has some level of water ingress protection, but higher-end phones go so far as to actually be tested and certified up to a certain point.

You may think you’re careful and your phone doesn’t need to have dust and water resistance, but sometimes this is out of your hands — and the phone should be protected from it. There are varying levels of protection, and it’s a little annoying to try and decode, but look for your phone to have an “IP” rating of 57, 58, 67 or 68. The first number, 5 or 6, relates to dust protection, while the second number, 7 or 8, refers to water protection.

You don’t really need to know the details of the exact circumstances phones are tested to reach each level, but just know that “splash proof” definitely isn’t the same as having a proper full IP rating noted above.

How ‘waterproof’ is my phone? What those IP numbers really mean

Samsung led the way for mainstream adoption of IP resistance ratings as a “must-have” feature, and the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are still advertised heavily as having the feature. Nowadays, all of the best phones have water resistance ratings — though the Galaxy S9 and S9+ do it while keeping a headphone jack.

See Galaxy S9 at Amazon

A screen completely usable in daylight

We often focus on screen size and resolution, which are also important in their own right, but neither really matters if you can’t see the phone out in the sun. Likewise, a good camera doesn’t do you a ton of good if you can’t actually see the viewfinder and operate the buttons with sun beating down on the screen.

You shouldn’t be afraid of the sun — and knowing is about more than just nits.

A rising tide of mobile display quality has lifted just about every phone up to an acceptable level of daylight visibility, but it isn’t universal just yet. Look at the synthetic brightness level — quoted in nits — of the phone you’re considering, but know that that doesn’t tell the whole story. There are many other parts of the display components, tuning and software that make a difference in daylight visibility. Every phone looks great and seems really bright indoors, but if at all possible go get it out in the sunlight to see what it’s really like. Read reviews and look for remarks specifically about daylight visibility — you should expect to be able to use your phone unencumbered outdoors.

Samsung’s Galaxy S9 once again leads in this respect, and it’s for two reasons. Is SuperAMOLED display has high contrast and generally great brightness — but it also has an automatically-triggered sunlight mode that boosts the contrast and brigthness when it detects harsh sun, meaning you’ll always be able to see the screen. The LG G7 deserves a mention here as well, because it has a brightness boost mode that pushes its screen up to an insane 1000 nits of brightness — unfortunately, it doesn’t trigger automatically like Samsung’s screen does.

See Galaxy S9 at Amazon

A camera that is usable in all lighting

There’s a never-ending battle over smartphone camera quality, and it’s one that we as consumers ultimately win from as smartphone cameras are really great nowadays. If you’re looking to buy a $600+ phone, it shouldn’t have any major compromises in camera quality — no matter the lighting.

We can compare high-end phones and quibble over their intricate differences because photos are ultimately subjective works of art. But no matter the phone you’re looking at, it should be able to capture a scene in any lighting without noticeable blur, graininess, discoloration or visual aberrations. It doesn’t have to be the most beautiful photo you’ve ever seen, but at this price point you should absolutely have the confidence to know that every photo you take is at least above average. After that point, you can start to nitpick about specifics — and probably pay $2-300 more to get the best.

Best Android phone cameras

The Google Pixel 2 is coming around on a year old, yet it still amazes us with its ability to turn low-light scenes into something beautiful every time — and you don’t have to think, just point and shoot. The Huawei P20 Pro deserves a mention, too, as all of its advanced shooting modes and multiple sensors can take amazing photos in all conditions.

See Pixel 2 at Best Buy

A speaker that’s loud and doesn’t distort

You can forgive a company making a cheaper phone for skimping on the speaker system because it’s one of those areas where it won’t make or break a buying decision. But if you’re paying extra for a phone, you can expect that the company spent the few extra cents for a better speaker or even the extra engineering time to work in dual speakers.

You shouldn’t expect room-filling sound, but it should get plenty loud and not distort.

The speaker doesn’t need to offer room-filling sound. And in this age of thinner and thinner phones, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to do so. But you should be able to quickly tell if the speaker is good enough — just play whatever local music is on the phone, or open up a YouTube video, and crank the speaker to max. Is it louder than you’d need when the phone’s in your hand? Does it max out volume without distorting and crackling? That’s the bare minimum to expect in this level of phone.

The LG G7 has the best speaker offering right now, thanks to its innovative use of the entire phone as a cavity for the loudspeaker. Whether it’s just sitting on a table or propped up on a larger opening to amplify, it’s about as good as a small Bluetooth speaker. The Pixel 2 XL has a more traditional dual speaker system, and it gets pretty loud with a full sound profile.

See LG G7 at Amazon

64GB of storage (or more)

I think it’s totally reasonable in 2018 to use a phone with 32GB of internal storage, even if you don’t have an SDcard slot available to expand it. So long as you’re not saving multiple movies or several massive games on your phone, you won’t run out of space. But when you spend extra money on a phone to get the best specs, you should expect at least 64GB of storage.

Storage is inexpensive for manufacturers. It’s totally understandable if the company doesn’t offer multiple storage options, because managing those SKUs is expensive, but that one model it does sell better have 64GB or more. It’s not so much for today, but really for the next year or two you use this phone — as files pile up and apps get larger, you don’t want to feel the squeeze of running out of storage on your big-money smartphone.

Every one of our favorite high-end phones has 64GB of storage, but some offer you an option for even more. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ can be had with 256GB of storage, if you buy from Samsung directly. The OnePlus 6 is also available with 256GB.

See Galaxy S9 at Samsung

Two years of platform updates

This is a tough one, because it requires both an analysis of historical information and also confidence in promises from companies. If you’re buying a phone that’s this expensive, you should have the expectation that the phone will get the next two major Android platform updates.

This requires some research and trust in the company you’re buying from.

There are of course updates in between these platform jumps that matter as well: monthly security updates. Very few manufacturers are releasing these updates on a consistent monthly basis, but quite a few are getting to them roughly on a quarterly basis. Look back at the news for the previous major phones from a manufacturer — are they getting updates out? What frequency have they landed on? These things are important for the longterm health of your phone, and something you should expect when you spend extra on a phone.

The only way to know for certain that you’ll be getting software updates for at least two years is to buy a Google Pixel 2 or 2 XL. The OnePlus 6 is also a pretty good bet in this regard, as the company has really upped its software support in recent generations.

See Pixel 2 at Best Buy

How do you rank these features?

It’s clear that you should expect this level of base features on an expensive phone in 2018 — the only question is how you rank them personally. Which of these is an absolutely no-budge option for you? Are you willing to give any of them up to get something else?

These are the best Android phones

Update July 2018: We’ve added our top picks for phones with each of the must-have features for a flagship phone.

This $52 RAVPower 26800mAh portable charger can power up everything you own

So much power!

The RAVPower 26800mAh PD portable charger is down to $51.99 with code THRIFTER58. We’ve seen it drop pretty close to this price before, but this code actually brings it down to a dollar or two better than previous deals.

That 26800mAh battery carries a lot of juice for one charger, and it shows. Because of the Power Delivery functionality, the RAVPower can charge a Nintendo Switch while you play it. The port can reach 30W, which means it can charge an Apple MacBook, too. It only takes 4 to 5 hours to completely recharge. The large capacity and multiple outputs means you can charge multiple devices to full at the same time, and it will probably last through several charges for most gear. Users give it 4.4 stars based on 518 reviews.

See on Amazon

Qualcomm says Apple is switching to Intel LTE modems this year

In other words, your Android phone will probably have faster LTE speeds than the next iPhone.

Qualcomm and Apple have been throwing punches at each other since January 2017 due to disputes over patents, royalties, and more. According to a statement from Qualcomm, it looks like that fighting might have resulted in some real-world consequences.

Per Qualcomm’s Financial Chief George Davis:

We believe Apple intends to solely use our competitor’s modems rather than our modems in its next iPhone release.

The “competitor” mentioned there is referring to Intel, and while Intel is still one of the largest players in the processor space, Qualcomm’s LTE speeds have been proven to be considerably faster than what Intel’s’ achieved so far with its mobile modems.

Earlier this week, Qualcomm partnered with SpeedTest creator Ookla to show the difference in network performance between the Snapdragon 845 and Intel’s XMM7480 and XMM7360 chips. During this testing with “typical speeds”, Qualcomm came out on top in every scenario with up to 68% faster download speeds on T-Mobile, 41% faster upload speeds, and 35% slower latency on AT&T.

Even though Qualcomm’s modems may not be in this year’s upcoming iPhones, that’s not to say Apple will rely on Intel for good. According to Financial Chief George Davis:

This is a very dynamic industry. If the opportunity presents itself, I think we will be a supplier of Apple.

Whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, what do you think about Apple’s decision to go with Intel this year?

Qualcomm wants to own the ‘kid watch’ market with its new Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform

The Last of Us Part II: Everything you need to know

Joel and Ellie made it out alive, but did they really escape danger?

The original launch of The Last of Us was a refreshing departure for Naughty Dog. As much as we love Nathan Drake, seeing Uncharted’s level of polish, deep storytelling, and rich character development in an entirely different world is richly satisfying.

So naturally, we’re expecting big things out of the Last of Us sequel. The Last of Us II is on its way for the PlayStation 4, and if you haven’t kept up until now, then we’re here to get you up to speed.

• E3 reveals
• What’s the story so far?
• What’s happening in Part II?
• Gameplay details
• When can you play it?

Whats new with The Last of Us Part II?

Interested in knowing the latest about Ellie and Joel’s newest adventures? We’re adding all the new details we learn about The Last of Us Part II.

Revealed at E3 2018

Sony released a new gameplay trailer for The Last of Us Part II at E3 2018. Ellie is shown kicking some serious butt as three foes corner her inside an abandoned storefront. We saw a great deal of stealth gameplay, as well as a glimpse at the crafting system and one of Ellie’s weapons of choice, the bow and arrow. Perhaps most impressive is she did all this without Joel, who we know will be making an appearance in the game but is no longer the main protagonist.

Oh, and Ellie is also lesbian, the trailer revealed. She can be seen kissing her girlfriend in a scene where the two are trying to get through a drab looking party. This detail was reportedly confirmed in a previous interview with the game’s writer, Neil Druckmann:

“Now when I was writing it I was writing it I was writing it with the idea that Ellie is gay, and when the actresses were working they were definitely working with the idea that they’re both attracted to each other. That was the subtext and intention that they were playing with from the opening cinematic when they’re holding each other’s hands for too long, or when Riley bites her on the neck; there’s that chemistry there from the get go that was important for us so that we earned that moment when they kissed each other. So that it wasn’t just out of the blue but also wasn’t so overt that you’re like “Oh of course. Just get on with it.”

While this detail isn’t likely to be consequential to the story at large, it’s always nice to see displays of inclusion in a big blockbuster title. The Last of Us Part II has no release date as of this writing.

What’s the story so far? Spoilers for part I ahead

As the name implies, this is a sequel to Naughty Dog’s 2013 PlayStation 3 exclusive. That game was eventually remastered for the PlayStation 4. The Last of Us is an adventure game that features stealth and shooting mechanics at the core of its gameplay.

There’s also a survival horror element to it, with much of the player’s path being blocked by ghastly looking things called Clickers. These beings are actually humans who have been infected with a deadly strain of the cordyceps viral strain, a virus which makes them cannibalistic and mutates their bodies.

Players control Joel (voiced by Troy Baker), whose life was turned upside down when military soldiers came and shot his daughter at the onset of the outbreak. Joel had to live decades with the pain until a girl named Ellie (Ashley Johnson) was thrust into his life by a survival group known as the Fireflies. They tasked Joel with helping to smuggle Ellie from within a quarantined zone to their hideout.

Reason being? Ellie is actually infected, but instead of turning in three days like most of the other folks, she has been symptom-free for three weeks. They believe the cure to the virus lies within her, and they want to perform lethal surgery on her to find it. Joel is unwilling to let Ellie die, however, as he has grown attached to her – perhaps because she helps fill the void left in his heart by his daughter’s death.

Long story short, they eventually escape, and that’s where The Last Of Us II will pick up. In actuality, about five years have passed between the events of the original game and the sequel.

What’s happening in Part II?

Not much is known about the events that will unfold in The Last of Us Part II at this time, though we do know that Ellie and Joel are returning, with players controlling the former this time around. It’s also said to have an overarching theme of hate in stark contrast to the first game’s emphasis on love. Hint: Ellie is pretty grown up (19 years old), and she’s the one who’s pissed off now.

We also know it’ll be a much darker game in tone, and that it’ll double down on the whole cannibalism angle. The two trailers we’ve gotten about the game so far have been unrevealing in regards to the story, but considering there are still hordes of infected threatening the unnamed characters we can at least assume that a cure was never found.

Joining Joel and Ellie are a bundle of new characters, too. Victoria Grace is playing Yara, Ian Alexander will play Lev, and there will be a guest appearance from Emily Swallow as Emily. Laura Bailey is also confirmed to have a significant role in the story with a yet-to-be-named character. And at least part of the game is taking place in Seattle, Naughty Dog confirmed.

Gameplay details

Naughty Dog hasn’t yet revealed much about The Last of Us Part II’s gameplay. We can at least expect similarities to the first title, which featured a third-person shooter base with stealth and survival elements. Players can shoot, of course, but there’s also a crafting system for making tools, weapons, and consumables that you’ll need throughout the game.

You can also expect cooperative mechanics that’ll require the teamwork of both Ellie and the unnamed NPC companion that’ll tag along with you in some missions, puzzles that’ll need to be solved before you can move through an area, and more. It’s also confirmed that a multiplayer component will be returning for the sequel.

When can you play it?

Unfortunately, a release date for The Last of Us Part II has yet to be set. Sony will likely reveal more information at E3 2018. It’s possible the game could launch later this year or in early 2019, with recent murmurings suggesting Naughty Dog was as far as 60% into its development in December 2017. Don’t get your hopes up, however, because mum is still the word.

We’ll be updating this page with new details about The Last of Us Part II as they come in. Be sure to check back often for the latest!

Updated July 2018: We’ve updated this post to ensure the earliest days of Ellie’s musings are accurately represented

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Google Assistant: Everything you need to know

There’s a lot going on with the Google Assistant — let’s break down the important stuff.

In May 2016, we got our very first taste of the Google Assistant with the debut of Allo. The Assistant was a big draw to Allo at the time, with Google marketing it as a helpful bot that could make restaurant reservations, search the web, and more within your conversations.

Since then, the Assistant has gained heaps of new features and expanded to smartphones, tablets, speakers, and more. Google’s shown no interest in slowing down development for the Assistant, meaning that it’s likely here for the long-haul.

Whether this is your first encounter with it or you just need a quick refresher, here’s everything you need to know about the Google Assistant.

The latest Google Assistant news

July 26, 2018 — Dutch is now an officially supported language

Good news, Dutch speakers! As of July 26, 2018, Google’s confirmed that the Google Assistant now speaks Dutch as one of its official languages.

Assuming you’ve got an Android phone running Marshmallow or later, you can now access the Assistant to ask it questions about the weather, create calendar appointments, control smart home devices, and more.

In addition to your phone, you’ll also be able to use Dutch on the Google Home later in the year once the smart speaker goes on sale in the Netherlands.

July 17, 2018 — New Google Assistant page shows commute times, packages, upcoming flights, and more

Starting today, the Assistant on your phone is getting a big visual overhaul. After prompting the Assistant, tap the icon near the top right that previously opened up the Explore page for finding new Assistant actions and it’ll now show a visual overview of your day.

Similar to old Google Now cards, this page shows things like your commute to work, the current weather, upcoming flights, packages that are on their way from recent online orders, calendar appointments, and much more.

In the near future, Google says it’ll let you see a quick overview of notes/lists from Google Keep, Todoist, Bring!, and more, a discovery page that’ll help you find nearby events/activities, reminders of where you last parked your car, and recommendations for songs and podcasts the Assistant thinks you’ll like.

This new interface is rolling out today and is available on Android and iOS for all languages the Assistant supports.

All the important details

Google Now paved the way for Google Assistant

The Google Now page compared to the new Google Feed.

Before there was the Google Assistant, we had Google Now. Google Now was introduced to the world all the way back in 2012, offering contextual info through the Google Now page and helpful answers to random questions with an “OK Google” voice command.

A lot of what made Google Now so great can still be found in the Google Assistant today, with the exception of the Google Now page. The Google Now page used to be home to cards showcasing the weather, information on packages that had shipped from online orders, boarding passes, and more. It’s since been replaced by the Google Feed – a collection of news stories Google thinks you’ll be interested in – and it’s definitely the biggest departure between the two services.

The Google Assistant as a whole is still more powerful than Google Now ever was, but long-time Android users like myself are still mourning the loss of that Now page. RIP, old friend.

Read more: Google Now is being left to wither and die as Google Assistant takes the focus

It’s available on just about everything

In just a few short years, the Google Assistant’s gone from being exclusive to a now-failed chat app to being integrated into just about anything you can think of.

You’ll find Google Assistant built right into most Android phones, it’s the star of the show for the Google Home lineup, and it’s even making its way into sound bars.

Here’s the full list of devices with Google Assistant

Setting up the Google Assistant is as easy or complex as you want

When you set up a device for the first time that has the Assistant, getting started is pretty simple. Accessing it is just a voice command or tap away depending on what gadget you’re using, but if you want to really fine-tune your experience, Google’s got you covered.

Take a quick dive into your Assistant settings and you’ll find options for just about everything – including your weather preferences, changing the Assistant’s voice, retraining your voice model, picking out preferred news sources, and much more.

How to set up and customize Google Assistant

Google Assistant is available in multiple regions and languages

Of course, a smart voice assistant isn’t any good if you can’t actually use it. Fortunately, Google Assistant will be available in 52 countries —adding 38 countries this year — and 17 languages by the end of 2018.

More: Google Assistant will expand to 38 countries and 17 languages in 2018

Google Home’s the premier way to get the Assistant in your house (at least for now)

It’s great to have the Google Assistant on your phone, but if you want to truly experience just how helpful it can be, you’ll want to consider picking up a Google Home.

Google Home is Google’s line of smart speakers that put the Assistant on full-display, allowing you to control smart devices, ask random questions, set timers, play music, and more by just using your voice.

You can spend as little as $49 for the Google Home Mini, $129 for the original Google Home, or a whopping $399 for the Google Home Max.

However, as great as the Home series is, don’t forget that Smart Displays are just on the horizon.

Announced at CES 2018, Smart Displays are essentially smart speakers with the Google Assistant and a touch screen display that can show you helpful visuals when talking to them. It’s basically Google’s answer to the Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot, and we can’t wait to see more from them.

Everything you need to know about Google’s Home speakers

Then again, is an always-listening speaker the right fit for your home?

However, the convenience of a Google Home (or any smart speaker for that matter) does come at the cost of privacy. Speakers like the Google Home are “always listening”, meaning they’re constantly on the lookout for a hot word to know when you’re talking to it (such as “Ok, Google” and “Hey, Google”).

This means the microphone on a Google Home is always active, but it’s not necessarily storing all the audio it hears when it doesn’t detect its hot word.

Most all speakers allow you to restore some privacy by being able to mute the microphone, but if you want to start asking the Assistant questions, you’ll need to unmute it first.

To learn more about these “always listening” speakers, I’ll pass the mic over to Jerry

Big upgrades are coming to the Assistant on Wear OS

Switching gears for a second, the Google Assistant on Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) is about to get a big upgrade.

In the near future, the Assistant on Wear OS will support Assistant Actions (basically apps for the Assistant) and give you the option to hear its responses through your watch’s speaker or a pair of connected Bluetooth headphones.

Along with this, Google will be adding something called “smart suggestions.” After asking the Assistant for the weather, for example, you’ll see little bubbles for “weather tonight”, “use celsius”, and more so you can continue the conversation with just the tap of your finger. Google Assistant on Android offers something similar, and it’s a great tool to have.

IFTTT supercharges the Assistant’s usefulness

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a powerful online tool that allows you trigger something (that) if a certain event (this) happens. You can connect IFTTT to the Google Assistant to create your own recipes using this formula, and it can allow for some incredibly helpful combinations.

Some of our favorite uses for IFTTT and the Assistant include adding contacts to your Google account, setting your Google Calendar status to Busy for a certain period of time, and much, much more.

Getting started with IFTTT can take some time and patience if you’re new to it, but once you’re all set up and ready to go, it can prove to be a lifesaver.

How to connect Google Home and IFTTT to do amazing things with your connected tech

You’ll get the same experience no matter what devices you use

With so many devices capable of running the Assistant, it’d be easy to think that the experience you get on one gadget would be different from another. This is something that Google struggled with for a while at first, but we’re finally in a position where the Assistant experience you get on a smart speaker, for example, is the same you’ll get on your phone.

There are a handful of features here and there that still create for some discrepency, but for the most part, the Assistant you use on your Pixel 2 is the same one found on Google Home.

Google Home and Google Assistant finally offer the same experience

Google Duplex is actually going to be a thing

Google showed off Duplex — Google Assistant making natural-sounding phone calls on your behalf — at I/O 2018, but quickly noted that it was just an experiment. Flash forward a couple months, and Google announced that certain users have started testing Duplex, and a public release will be here in the next few months. Before you know it, Google Assistant will be able to book hotels, dinner reservations, hair appointments and more without you lifting a finger.

More: What is Google Duplex?

Updated July 2018: Added the Google Duplex and language support sections, as well as links to recent Assistant news.

Google Pay: Everything you need to know

Here’s what you should know about Google’s big bet to take on Apple Pay.

Gone are the days of messing with Android Pay and Google Wallet. Instead, the home of all things mobile payments on Android now rests on the shoulders of Google Pay.

Google Pay first started rolling out to handsets in early 2018, and while there’s still some work to be done, it’s clear that Google is finally ready to take on Apple Pay with everything it’s got.

From the latest news to all the important details, here’s everything you should know about Google Pay!

• The latest Google Play news
• Everything you need to know

The latest Google Pay news

July 20, 2018 — Revolut in the UK is now supported

Good news, UK readers that bank with Revolut! The bank’s been sending out emails to its customers confirming that it’s now starting to support Google Pay.

In am email Revolut’s been sending out to its 2 million+ users:

Test drive the convenience of paying with your phone by adding your Revolut card to Google Pay, to make quick and secure payments – instantly.

July 10, 2018 — The main Google Pay app finally supports peer-to-peer payments

It’s finally happening! After a few months of having to deal with the awkward Google Pay Send app, peer-to-peer payments are finally coming to the regular Google Pay. In other words, you can now make in-store payments and send/request money from friends under one single app.

Along with this, Google’s also announced that it’s officially supporting boarding passes/event tickets and has revamped the Google Pay website to be more in-line with the current Google Pay app.

All the big details

Google Pay has replaced Android Pay and Google Wallet

Rather than maintaining two separate services for in-store payments and sending money to friends, Google decided to replace Android Pay and Google Wallet with one new app called Google Pay.

There was an awkward transition period at first in which you had to use a separate Google Pay Send app to send/receive money, but Google’s since brought that feature over to the main Google Pay app.

As such, Google Pay is now your one-stop-shop for all things mobile payments if you’ve got an Android phone.

How to get started with Google Pay

That’s all fine and dandy, but how does one actually start using Google Pay?

Thankfully, Google’s made this fairly simple. After downloading the app, you’ll be able to quickly add credit/debit cards, gift cards, loyalty programs, and more.

Need a helping hand? Check out Marc’s how-to guide right here!

What countries are supported?

Google’s regularly adding support for more and more countries that can use Google Pay, and as it currently stands, the list of supported areas is as follows:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Czech Republic
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Russia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• United States

Make sure your bank/card is compatible, too

Live in a country that supports Google Pay? Awesome! However, that’s just half the battle in ensuring you can use the service.

Even if you live in one of the above countries, you still need to have a bank and card that supports Google Pay before you can start making payments in stores with your phone. Thankfully, Google’s been building up this list for quite a few years meaning there’s a good chance you’re covered.

Major brands like AMEX, Capital One, Chase, Discover, and Wells Fargo are all on-board with Google Pay in the U.S. Along with this, you’ll also find a huge list of smaller banks/credit unions that are supported as well.

See the full list here

You can use the app to store boarding passes, event tickets, and more

In addition to your credit/debit cards, you can also use Google Pay to store gift cards, loyalty programs, and most recently, boarding passes and event tickets.

You’ll find all of these items in the Passes section of the app, and if you’ve got a lot stored in there, you can hold down on an item and move it around to make sure everything’s as organized as can be.

Support for passes/tickets is still relatively new, with brands like Southwest Airlines, Ticketmaster, and the Las Vegas Monorail being among the only ones available at the moment. Similar to what iPhone users have been treated to for years with Apple Pay, you’ll now see an “Add to G Pay” button when ordering a ticket from these brands so you can easily store everything under one single app.

Track your payment activity on the web

While you’ll likely interact with Google Pay on your phone the majority of the time, you can access it from your computer, too, by going to pay.google.com.

Here, you can see all of your Google Pay activity, send or request money, edit/add/remove payment methods, manage any active subscription services you have, edit your addresses, and more.

Google Pay is present in Android Messages and the Google Assistant

Google occasionally fails to make its various services play nicely with one another, but thankfully, Google Pay has been an exception to that rule.

While sending money to people is pretty simple through the Google Pay app, you can also do this through Android Messages and by talking to the Google Assistant on your phone.

In Android Messages, just tap the + icon at the bottom left and you’ll see two G Pay buttons for sending or requesting money from the person in your conversation. Just enter the amount you want, tap attach money, and your payment/request will be sent off just like that.

Alternatively, you can simply open the Google Assistant and say something along the lines of “Send Tom $15 for Pizza.” After confirming your identity (e.g. fingerprint or PIN), the Google Assistant will send the money for you — all without having to ever open up the Google Pay app.

Lenovo Smart Display review: Google Assistant’s best face

I’ve always wanted one of those digital photo frames, the kind you see in parents’ living rooms, cycling between photos of grandkids a couple years out of date. Like Bluetooth speakers, digital photo frames are largely dumb and passive — they wait until you give them something to show, or play, and once that sequence is over, they either just shut off or repeat what’s already there.

When the Amazon Echo arrived up in 2014, we began to see the natural evolution of the Bluetooth speaker, giving it direct access to the growing power of the cloud. Alexa then wasn’t what it is today, but it was a good start. Three years later, Amazon introduced the Echo Show, giving Alexa a screen, and the “smart display” was born.

Meanwhile, Google introduced the Assistant and its companion Home speaker in 2016, then a year later the Home Mini and Max, and back in January of this year, gave us its own take on Assistant-plus-screen, aptly called smart displays. But here’s the thing: instead of building the hardware itself, Google went the Chromebook route, working with existing partners (for now) to build these pieces of hardware.

First up to bat is the Lenovo Smart Display, available in either an 8-inch model for $200, or a nicer 10-inch version for $250. But are these new and newfangled smart displays worth the extra money over the cheaper combination of a Google Home and a Chromecast? And where in the home are these new Google Assistant screens best suited?

Lenovo Smart Display 10″

Price: $249.99

Bottom line: Lenovo’s Smart Display elegantly transitions the Google Assistant onto screens, but it’s the elegant design and great sound that make it a clear recommendation.

The Good

• Lovely, elegant design
• High-quality 10-inch display
• Great sound overall
• Assistant + screen can be very useful
• Camera privacy slider should be everywhere

The Bad

• Android Things isn’t fully baked just yet
• Lacks Netflix and other big-name Cast target support
• Better optimized for voice than touch
• Speaker lacks bass impact

See at Lenovo

Lenovo Smart Display What it is and isn’t

Think of the Lenovo Smart Display, and Google’s lowercase “smart displays” in general, as Google Homes with screens. More broadly, they’re conduits for both Google Assistant to convey its Knowledge Graph (basically a more concise, curated form of Google Search) and its vast network of news, music, video, smart home, communication, and productivity features with visuals tacked on to the traditionally audio-focused interface.

So everything you can do on the Google Home, from asking it about the weather or traffic to catching up on podcasts or turning on the lights, can be done here. But the smart display provides visual context to everything, allowing you to see the recipes you’re asking for or watch the news briefs you listen to every morning. It’s also a way to watch video in general, starting with YouTube and Google Play Movies but eventually acting as a Cast target — essentially a small TV or tablet with a built-in Chromecast.

Eventually, that could mean every video app you use, from Netflix to Hulu to HBO Now, will support these machines but right now, as with many aspects of the smart display ecosystem, you’re limited to Google’s apps and services.

For more on the Lenovo Smart Display for cordcutters, check out the review at CordCutters.com

This particular smart display also is a couple other very useful things: it’s a speaker, and a pretty good one at that; and it’s a video-conferencing machine, with built-in Duo support that, in my testing, works perfectly.

This isn’t a tablet, nor is it a Chromecast. It’s something entirely new.

What the smart display isn’t can be summed up pretty succinctly, too: it’s not a tablet, despite looking like one. Despite running a variant of Android called Android Things, you’re not going to be running traditional Android apps on here, nor can you expect it to function like any Android product you currently own.

This is an entirely new beast, with its own set of advantages and drawbacks that come with any first-generation product. Google’s pretty good about improving its Assistant-powered products — the family of Home speakers is way more functional now than they were at launch — and thankfully, Lenovo is just making and selling the hardware here. Like Chromebooks, Wear OS watches, and Android TV, Google runs the software show here, and that bodes well for the Lenovo Smart Display’s longevity.

Why? Because this product kicks ass.

Lenovo Smart Display What’s great

Let’s talk about the harwdare a little bit. The Lenovo Smart Display was my biggest surprise of CES, not just because we rarely see anything interesting at CES these days.

A high-quality, 10-inch screen positioned to the right of a couple nice-sounding speakers etched in attractive, high-quality plastic. A built-in stand covered in bamboo, swooping around like a post-modern roof. A built-in camera with optional physical privacy switch. There’s an attention to detail here that feels very much out of Google’s playbook.

Screen size	8″ / 10″
Price	$199 / $249
Display resolution	1280×800 / 1920×1200
Operating system	Android Things 1.0
Processor	Snapdragon 624
Storage	4GB
RAM	2GB
Speakers	1.75-inch 10W / 2-inch 10W
Camera	5MP wide-angle
Wifi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	BT 4.2 LE
Color	White & gray / White & bamboo

The setup process is simple, especially if you already own a Google Home speaker. It’s all done through the Home app on Android or iOS. And once configured it’s treated the same as every other Google Assistant-powered product associated with your account. It even borrows Chromecast’s Ambient Mode, which lets you cycle through albums on Google Photos, or even various pieces of well-known art.

Like any good screen these days, the Smart Display yearns to be touched (don’t be gross). If you configure Ambient Mode, it takes a single tap to bring up the home screen, which on Android Things is a horizontal list of low-density information, like the weather, upcoming calendar entries or reminders, and a list of relevant Spotify or YouTube playlists.

Thing is, this screen, like Google’s Feed on Android phones, is likely to evolve over time the more you use the machine, and when additional features get pushed to the platform. For example, right now there’s no way to read the news, only to listen to audio streams or view video clips from supported outlets like Reuters and CNN.

The list of what the Smart Display does well is quite long, but here’s what I’ve primarily been using it for over the last few days:

• Listening to Spotify
• Catching up on podcasts
• Turning on and off my lights, adjusting my thermostat, etc.
• Checking my Nest cameras
• Looking up and following recipes step-by-step
• Watching YouTube videos
• Making the occasional Duo call
• Looking at my favorite photos
• Searching for fascinating tidbits of information

To provide some context, while I started my review with the Smart Display on my desk next to my laptop, once I got acquainted with it I moved it to the kitchen, where my Google Home has been for over a year. That’s where I think it will offer the greatest value in my home, but your mileage may vary.

As you can see from my list above, there are quite a few things that the Smart Display can do that a Google Home can’t, and it’s from that short list I feel the product derives much of its value.

Let’s take a typical morning, for example. The first thing I do when I come downstairs is to say “Good morning” to my Google Home, which triggers a series of actions through Google Assistant’s routines, from reciting the weather and my calendar to cycling through my list of news sources. Right now, there’s very little advantage to using a smart display over a Google Home but for the playful illustrations that come with the weather and the few news sources that support video. But that will change as the platform matures.

Even better, I’ve started catching up on YouTube videos after the news briefs are over. Come dinner, it’s nice to be able to reference a recipe on a screen for which it was formatted rather than my grubby phone. Echo Show users will understand this advantage.

The Smart Display’s speaker is pretty good, too, at least on the 10-inch model. There’s a 10-watt speaker and two passive tweeters with ample amplification — you wouldn’t expect such room-filling sound from this unit, but it delivers. It lacks the pleasing bass of a more dedicated spekaer — see below for some audio downsides — but it’s mostly good. The two microphones are impressively sensitive, too, though not quite as sensitive as those found on the Google Home itself.

You’re not going to be replacing a Sonos with this thing, but the Smart Display can hold its own in terms of sound quality.

Most of the time, adding visual context to what you already get on the Google Home is enough. At other times, the Smart Display is a more compact Chromecast, which is incredibly handy when the TV is in another room. And rarely, but most enchantingly, the Smart Display is wholly unique, a new thing unto itself that justifies the creation of this platform, and the proliferation of this nascent form factor, and it’s delightful.

Lenovo Smart Display What’s not great

Being first out of the gate is usually good enough for some early adopter plaudits and some breathless reviews (hello!), but it also sets up a product for those typical first-gen foibles, too. The Smart Display’s software isn’t quite finished, and that shows up in a number of places, from incomplete service integration to flat-out buggy operation.

Let’s talk about the Netflix-sized elephant in the room: despite being a Cast target for audio, most video services don’t yet support the Smart Display. That means no Netflix, DirecTV Now, Sling TV, and many other video services. There’s no technical reason for the omission, and it’s possible the companies just need to whitelist the smart display ecosystem, but until then, the video casting experience is going to be hit or miss. Here’s what does support the Smart Display right now:

• YouTube (also available directly via voice search)
• YouTube TV
• Facebook video
• Google Play Movies & TV
• HBO Go/Now
• Hulu
• PlayStation Vue
• Spotify Connect
• Tablo
• Vimeo

That’s a fine list indeed, but given Google Cast’s ubiquity, it’s strange to see so many omissions.

Lenovo doesn’t have any control over the software the Smart Display runs on, and that’s a good thing because Google is invested in its future.

Similarly, there are other aspects of the experience that just don’t seem particularly well thought-out. My Nest Hello triggers Assistant’s announcement API, but doesn’t offer to show me the video feed from the actual doorbell.

You can ask Google Maps for directions, but there are no actual steps, just a crudely-rendered map with a line through it. You can’t listen to music while browsing YouTube — once you open the YouTube “app”, which is just a horizontal list of recommended videos based on your watching history, all the background processes stop. There’s no support for Continued Conversations, a tentpole of Google Assistant’s increasing sophistication, and a feature that lends itself incredibly well to the dynamism of a screen.

Basically, the depth and ambition of Google Assistant are hampered, not helped, by Android Things’ adolescence.

As for hardware, I need to bring up the speaker one more time. While my favorite tunes sound good through the Smart Display, it soon becomes apparent that the speaker is tuned more for voice — radio, YouTube, TV — than music. For all its punchy vibrance, there’s barely any low-end to speak of.

That’s certainly not a death knell — Lenovo isn’t comparing the Smart Display to a Sonos, after all — but it’s something to keep in mind. In my listening, I actually prefer the $130 Google Home to the Smart Display when it comes to music, but I prefer podcasts on the Lenovo unit, so overall it’s a wash.

Lenovo Smart Display Should you buy it?

In my brief time with the Lenovo Smart Display, it’s spent most of its life cycling through thousands of my vacation and dog photos. And honestly, I’d pay $150 just for a high-quality cloud-connected photo frame.

But this unit does so much more, and does so much of it so well, that its few flaws are easily overlooked. Especially when you consider that the Android Things-based software is being updated directly from Google, likely dooming it to years of fruitful iteration. If Google Assistant on smart displays improves as quickly as it did on speakers, we’re in for an entertaining next couple of years.

There’s also a smaller, cheaper 8-inch Smart Display you may want to consider if your room is tight on space.

At $250, the Lenovo Smart Display will be rightfully compared to the $230 Amazon Echo Show, which was first out of the gate but hasn’t progressed much as a visual accompaniment to Alexa, mainly because Amazon hasn’t invested the resources in making Alexa a truly visual experience. Google has a bit of a headstart there because Assistant is already quite visual, and will grow more so with the release of Android P this fall. The two are evenly matched for sound quality and smart home features, but the Smart Display has two distinct advantages right now: Google’s Knowledge Graph, and YouTube.

The former means it will likely answer your esoterica more accurately than an Echo would; and the latter provides access to billions of video hours that Amazon, in its continued war of attrition with Google, can’t reach.

Even at this early juncture, the Smart Display has proven an invaluable kitchen tool, and a significant improvement to the standard Google Home experience in almost every way. And it should: it’s a Google Home with a screen. But it’s also a Chromecast (except where it’s not) and a simplified version of an Android tablet. It’s all those things but it’s own thing, and that’s why it’s so compelling.

4
out of 5

But let’s not complicate things. The Lenovo Smart Display is an outstanding, thoughtful bit of hardware powered by what is quickly becoming the gold standard in audio assistants. While I wouldn’t call the visual aspects of the smart display ecosystem essential just yet, what’s present — cloud-connected picture frame, Google Duo video calling, YouTube, and Nest camera support — is enough to convince me to be thoroughly excited about what’s next.

The Lenovo Smart Display goes on sale July 27 in the U.S. at Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, and Lenovo.com.

See at Lenovo

Spotify Now Has 83M Paid Subscribers and 180M Total Monthly Users

In its Q2 2018 earnings report shared today — the second since filing for an IPO — Spotify revealed that it has grown to 83 million paid subscribers globally and 180 million total monthly active users (including the free tier) as of the end of June 2018 (via TechCrunch). This is an increase from 75 million paid subscribers and 170 million total users that Spotify had in Q1 2018.

Spotify is in a heated battle for new subscribers with Apple Music, which has been growing fast over the last few quarters. While Spotify still has more than double Apple Music’s global paid subscriber count (Apple Music was last counted to have about 40 million), recent reports have suggested Apple’s streaming service could be beating Spotify in terms of paid subscribers in the United States.

Spotify didn’t specify U.S. paid subscriber numbers, but it says that 31 percent of its total 180 million monthly active users are located in North America. This places around 56 million paid and free tier Spotify users across regions including the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Spotify attributes its subscriber growth to strong performance and lower churn rate of its Family Plan, as well as partnerships like the Spotify + Hulu bundle.

While the company grew its revenue 26 percent year-over-year to €1.27 billion, it still isn’t making a profit and saw an operating loss of €91 million and net loss of €394 million this quarter. It’s believed that the company’s spending on marketing campaigns to stay ahead of Apple Music and the high royalty payments to record labels and artists continue to be a barrier to profitability for Spotify.

The company also pointed towards the new GDPR rules set in Europe this past May as a “disruptor” across its European markets during Q2. The rules were said to have slowed down subscriber growth where 37 percent of its total user base resides (its biggest region), but Spotify says it “seems to be largely past that now.”

Looking into Q3 2018, Spotify expects paid subscribers to rise to 85-88 million and total users to rise to 188-193 million.

Tag: Spotify
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