Apple Pay Coming to Germany, Also Set to Launch at CVS and 711 Later This Year

During today’s earnings call for the third quarter of 2018, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple plans to bring Apple Pay to Germany later this year.

Apple Pay support in Germany has been rumored for some time now as Apple has been working to establish deals over fees and other factors with German banks.

Apple did not provide details on exactly when Apple Pay will launch in Germany, but it could come potentially with the debut of iOS 12 in September.

In addition to announcing Apple Pay’s upcoming German launch, Cook also said that Apple Pay will be rolling out at CVS drug stores and 711 convenience stores in the United States later in the year.

There were upwards of 1 billion Apple Pay transactions in the third quarter of 2018, triple the amount from the year ago with growth accelerating from the March quarter. Cook said that in Q3 2018, there were more Apple Pay transactions than Square transactions, and more mobile transactions than PayPal.

Apple Pay is now available in more than 20 countries, including United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Russia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, UAE, Brazil, Ukraine, Norway, and Poland.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Discuss this article in our forums

Nvidia confirms its preshow Gamescom event, promises ‘spectacular surprises’

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Nvidia now confirms previous rumors that the company will host a special event just before the Gamescom gaming convention in Germany. Called the GeForce Gaming Celebration, the event will be held off-site on August 20 at a location the company is currently keeping secret. Anyone in the Cologne, Germany area can attend the event by registering here.

“There’s limited space, so make sure you arrive early. Can’t make it in person? Don’t worry, it will be livestreamed,” the company says. “The event will be loaded with new, exclusive, hands-on demos of the hottest upcoming games, stage presentations from the world’s biggest game developers, and some spectacular surprises.”

One of the “spectacular surprises” is expected to be the GeForce GTX 1180 add-in graphics card, and possibly even the GTX 1170 and the GTX 1160. They’re the company’s highly-anticipated next-generation graphics cards based on its new “Turing” design, ignoring the company’s “Volta” design currently used in graphics cards for the professional market.

Rumors of the event surfaced in early July as Nvidia quietly distributed invitations to the press. These invitations were presumed to be the typical all-expenses-paid trips to the then-secret event in Germany, meaning Nvidia likely has more to show than just hands-on demos and game developer presentations. Nvidia will supposedly use this event to introduce its new GTX 11 Series followed by a retail release starting in August.

An alleged leaked email from one of Nvidia’s hardware partners surfaced last week that gave a look into the release schedule for Nvidia’s new graphics cards. Sent to a retailer, the email said the GTX 1180 would arrive on August 30 followed by the GTX 1170 and GTX 1180+ on September 30. Rounding out the 2018 schedule would be the GTX 1160 on October 30.

According to the email, Nvidia and its hardware partners delayed the GTX 11 Series launch due to the current flood of GTX 10 Series cards. That’s a different outlook compared to July 2017 when cards were hard to find — or severely inflated in price — due to the cryptocurrency mining craze. Manufacturers cranked out additional cards to compensate, but now the market is flooded due to the dramatic drop in digital coin mining.

“We have an overstock of 10xx GPUs and we’re in the middle of transitioning our manufacturing over from the 10xx to the 11xx series in preparation for releasing the new cards,” the letter states.” However, because we and other partners and manufacturers have an abundance of unfinished or unsold 10xx GPUs, Nvidia decided to have us delay the release of the 11xx cards.”

That said, Gamescom is the perfect time to reveal new cards and liquidate the current stock with crazy Gamescom-themed discounts. According to Nvidia, the event “will be filled with awesome new PC games running on the latest GeForce hardware” along with “some spectacular surprises.” If you’re in the area and want to attend, register now due to the event’s limited space. First-come, first-served, Nvidia warns.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Cryptocurrency may be why you still don’t have Nvidia GTX 11 Series graphics
• Email shows Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series will start being released in late August
• Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series may get people ready for the next generation of VR
• What is G-Sync? If you’re a gaming fan, you’ll want to know
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 11 Series’ arrival is uncertain after Computex remark

Google Clock is getting music streaming support — here’s how to enable it

Waking up can be a real pain in the butt, however, Google is making it a little easier with the Google Clock app. Now, the Clock app supports Spotify, meaning you can wake up to your favorite tunes.

An update to the Clock app is rolling out this week and essentially adds a Spotify tab to the alarm sound options in the Clock app. Unsurprisingly, Spotify won’t be the only music streaming service to support the new feature — while it is strange YouTube Music integration isn’t there by default, Google has promised in some reports that it will be coming soon.

Interested in choosing a song from your music library for use with the Google Clock app? Follow the steps below to enable the feature.

Make sure you have Spotify on your Android phone running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later. Also, check to make sure you have the latest version of the Clock app.
Under your alarm, press the ringer button to choose a sound.
Tap on the Spotify tab.
Choose a song from your Spotify library. The first time, you may need to log in to your Spotify account in the Clock app.

Thankfully, the new feature is available to both Free an Premium Spotify subscribers, so if you don’t want to you won’t have to shell out any cash to choose your wake-up music. The app will also give users the option to keep listening to their music after turning off the alarm.

It’s certainly a welcome new feature. Other alarm apps, and the Clock app on Apple’s iPhone, have allowed users to choose their favorite music to wake up to for some time now. Google is a little late to the game in that respect — though it’s always better late than never.

If you don’t see the new feature yet, don’t worry — it’s rolling out globally this week, so it may take a few days to get to you. Eventually, it will be available to all Android devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later, so as long as you have a relatively recent phone, you should be able to make use of the new feature.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Spotify vs. Pandora: Which music streaming service is better for you?
• Deezer’s lossless audio for Google Home has finally arrived in the U.S.
• Apple Music vs. Spotify: Which service is the streaming king?
• Rise and shine with the best alarm clocks to kick-start your day
• The best alarm clock apps for Android and iOS

SamSam ransomware has generated $5.9 million from victims since 2015

Security firm Sophos reports that the SamSam ransomware has done more financial damage than previously believed, generating $5.9 million from victims since it originally appeared in December 2015. Sophos says hackers use SamSam in attacks about once per day, but the typical web surfer will likely never experience the devastation given SamSam’s target audience.

The sole task of ransomware is to hold a PC hostage by encrypting its data. For a fee, hackers will release that data. Ransomware is typically used in untargeted email spam campaigns where recipients click on an attachment or link that installs the ransomware on their PC. These campaigns typically don’t target specific people but flood the inboxes of hundreds of thousands of individuals.

According to Sophos, SamSam is different. It’s not used in a widespread spam campaign looking to hook potential victims. Instead, a single hacker or a team of individuals breaks into a network, scans the network, and then manually runs the ransomware. They are tailored attacks to maximize the damage and generate high-dollar ransoms.

“Perhaps most eye-catching though is new information about how it spreads,” the security firm reports. “Unlike WannaCry, which exploited a software vulnerability to copy itself to new machines, SamSam is actually deployed to computers on the victim’s network in the same way, and with the same tools, as legitimate software applications.”

Originally SamSam was believed to be used to solely attack healthcare, government, and educational organizations. But a deeper investigation reveals that companies in the private sector have actually taken the brunt of the attacks but are just unwilling to come forward to reveal their forced payments.

That said, businesses in the private sector account for 50 percent of the known attacks followed by healthcare (26 percent), government (13 percent), and education (11 percent) institutions.

A chart provided with the report shows that 74 percent of the victim organizations identified by Sophos reside within the United States. The United Kingdom trails with eight percent followed by Belgium, Canada, and Australia, while other countries such as Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, and India are one percent. There are other victims and countries Sophos has yet to identify.

The entire ransomware problem appears to stem from weak passwords. Hackers gain access to networks through the Remote Access Protocol that typically allows executives and workers to access the network remotely from a PC while at home or during a business trip. Hackers use software to guess these weak passwords and infiltrate the network.

But unlike WannaCry and NotPetya, hackers don’t unleash a worm that crawls through the network and infects every PC. Instead, they continually pound the network’s defenses until they get around the roadblocks and retrieve the access they want — or are booted from the network. From there, they move from PC to PC.

If the attack is successful, hackers wait to see if victims make payment through a website posted on the dark web. The ransoms have increased over time, Sophos claims, to around $50,000. Untargeted ransomware attacks such as spam campaigns typically only generate three-figure ransoms.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Hackers can purchase government login credentials for cheap on the dark web
• U.S. claims North Korea has been silently infiltrating networks since 2009
• Pay-n-pray cybersecurity isn’t working. What if we just paid when it works?
• The demand for hacking tools and malware is greater than the current supply
• Millions of health records may be at stake in ransomware attack

Judgmental A.I. mirror rates how trustworthy you are based on your looks

As the success of the iPhone X’s Face ID confirms, lots of us are thrilled to bits at the idea of a machine that can identify us based on our facial features. But how happy would you be if a computer used your facial features to start making judgments about your age, your gender, your race, your attractiveness, your trustworthiness, or even how kind you are?

Chances are that, somewhere down the line, you’d start to get a bit freaked out. Especially if the A.I. in question was using this information in a way that controlled the opportunities or options that are made available to you.

Exploring this tricky (and somewhat unsettling) side of artificial intelligence is a new project from researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Taking the form of a smart biometric mirror, their device uses facial-recognition technology to analyze users’ faces, and then presents an assessment in the form of 14 different characteristics it has “learned” from what it’s seen.

“Initially, the system is quite secretive about what to expect,” Dr. Niels Wouters, one of the researchers who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “Nothing more than, ‘hey, do you want to see what computers know about you?’ is what lures people in. But as they give consent to proceed and their photo is taken, it gradually shows how personal the feedback can get.”

As Wouters points out, problematic elements are present from the beginning, although not all users may immediately realize it. For example, the system only allows binary genders, and can recognize just five ethnicities — meaning that an Asian student might be recognized as Hispanic, or an Indigenous Australian as African. Later assessment such as a person’s level of responsibility or emotional stability will likely prompt a response from everyone who uses the device.

The idea is to show the dangers of biased data sets, and the way that problematic or discriminatory behavior can become encoded in machine learning systems. This is something that Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble did a great job of discussing in her recent book Algorithms of Oppression.

“[At present, the discussion surrounding these kind of issues in A.I.] is mostly led by ethicists, academics, and technologists,” Wouters continued. “But with an increasing number of A.I. deployments in society, people need to be made more aware of what A.I. is, what it can do, how it can go wrong, and whether it’s even the next logical step in evolution we want to embrace.”

With artificial intelligence increasingly used to make judgements about everything from whether we’ll make a good employee to our levels of aggression, devices such as the Biometric Mirror will only become more relevant

Editors’ Recommendations

• Dontnod’s upcoming mystery ‘Twin Mirrors’ should appeal to ‘Life is Strange’ fans
• Here’s how to mirror your smartphone or tablet onto your TV
• What is MHL, exactly, and how does it work with your TV?
• This odd-looking accessory converts traditional film cameras to instant film
• The 10 best Black Mirror episodes

Judgmental A.I. mirror rates how trustworthy, kind you are based on your looks

As the success of the iPhone X’s Face ID confirms, lots of us are thrilled to bits at the idea of a machine that can identify us based on our facial features. But how happy would you be if a computer used your facial features to start making judgments about your age, your gender, your race, your attractiveness, your trustworthiness, or even how kind you are?

Chances are that, somewhere down the line, you’d start to get a bit freaked out. Especially if the A.I. in question was using this information in a way that controlled the opportunities or options that are made available to you.

Exploring this tricky (and somewhat unsettling) side of artificial intelligence is a new project from researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Taking the form of a smart biometric mirror, their device uses facial-recognition technology to analyze users’ faces, and then presents an assessment in the form of 14 different characteristics it has “learned” from what it’s seen.

“Initially, the system is quite secretive about what to expect,” Dr. Niels Wouters, one of the researchers who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “Nothing more than, ‘hey, do you want to see what computers know about you?’ is what lures people in. But as they give consent to proceed and their photo is taken, it gradually shows how personal the feedback can get.”

As Wouters points out, problematic elements are present from the beginning, although not all users may immediately realize it. For example, the system only allows binary genders, and can recognize just five ethnicities — meaning that an Asian student might be recognized as Hispanic, or an Indigenous Australian as African. Later assessment such as a person’s level of responsibility or emotional stability will likely prompt a response from everyone who uses the device.

The idea is to show the dangers of biased data sets, and the way that problematic or discriminatory behavior can become encoded in machine learning systems. This is something that Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble did a great job of discussing in her recent book Algorithms of Oppression.

“[At present, the discussion surrounding these kind of issues in A.I.] is mostly led by ethicists, academics, and technologists,” Wouters continued. “But with an increasing number of A.I. deployments in society, people need to be made more aware of what A.I. is, what it can do, how it can go wrong, and whether it’s even the next logical step in evolution we want to embrace.”

With artificial intelligence increasingly used to make judgements about everything from whether we’ll make a good employee to our levels of aggression, devices such as the Biometric Mirror will only become more relevant

Editors’ Recommendations

• Dontnod’s upcoming mystery ‘Twin Mirrors’ should appeal to ‘Life is Strange’ fans
• Here’s how to mirror your smartphone or tablet onto your TV
• What is MHL, exactly, and how does it work with your TV?
• This odd-looking accessory converts traditional film cameras to instant film
• The 10 best Black Mirror episodes

How to sync a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Fitbit fitness trackers and the company’s newly released smartwatches are growing in popularity. Each day, men and women are joining the hoards of fitness freaks and donning a Fitbit fitness tracker or smartwatch to track their steps, evaluate calories burned, and to use as a counterpart for their smartphones.

The less technically savvy might be hesitant to take the leap and purchase their first fitness tracker. But as long as you own a smartphone, tablet, or a PC with Bluetooth capability, you can use a Fitbit. It’s easy to set up and get started and although it may seem daunting, we’ll walk you through the startup procedure — otherwise known as syncing. Here’s how to sync a Fitbit fitness tracker or smartwatch — and everything you need to know about the process.

What is syncing?

Fitbit trackers and smartwatches are equipped with sensors which collect information — including your heart rate, sleep patterns, steps taken, and more — depending on the product you choose. In order to utilize this data, you need to sync it with a smart device such as a phone, computer, or tablet. This allows you to load it onto your Fitbit dashboard.

Your Fitbit dashboard is found in the Fitbit application used in conjunction with the physical device. The Fitbit dashboard allows you to track your progress and compare it to previous days or weeks. The dashboard even shows you how well you sleep each night, if you’re meeting your exercise goals, and also allows you to share information with friends and initiate social challenges.

How to sync your Fitbit tracker or watch

To sync data, Fitbit relies on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for its trackers and smartwatches. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless connection which allows you to transfer information between applicable electronic devices. When you sync your Fitbit with a smart device, the collected information is then transferred to your Fitbit dashboard for analysis. Additionally, Fitbit’s scales use Wi-Fi to connect directly to your router.

The Fitbit app is compatible with over Android and iOS, as well as Windows 10 computers. If you have a Mac or a PC running Windows 8.1, you can set up your Fitbit using a program called Fitbit Connect. Fitbit supplies an online resource to help find out if your device is compatible.

Set up your device with the Fitbit app

First, you need to download the Fitbit app from the appropriate application store — Apple (iOS, MacOS), Google (Android, Chrome OS), or Microsoft (Windows), depending on your device’s operating system. Once downloaded, you then need to open it and click Join Fitbit. On-screen instructions walk you through how to properly set up your Fitbit account and pair it with a corresponding smart device. Pairing your device is what allows you to sync data.

Set up your device with Fitbit Connect

Fitbit Connect is a free software application which allows any Fitbit tracker or smartwatch to sync data to your Fitbit dashboard. If your device isn’t Bluetooth-enabled, you need to use a wireless sync dongle in order to set up your Fitbit device. Although most Fitbit devices don’t come with a dongle, you can purchase one through the Fitbit Store.

Once you have a dongle, insert it into the USB port of your computer. Go to the Fitbit setup homepage and select the Download button. Once the file is downloaded, double-click on it to start the installation. Follow the on-screen prompts in order to create a Fitbit account and pair your device.

Syncing

Once your device is paired with the Fitbit app, it syncs data every time you open the app. There is also an All-Day sync feature which syncs your device periodically throughout the day. If you’re using Fitbit Connect as opposed to the application, your device syncs every 15 to 20 minutes when the dongle is plugged in and the device and computer are within a short distance of each other.

How to manually sync your Fitbit tracker or watch

In order to manually sync your device, you first need to open the Fitbit application. Your device also needs to be in close proximity in order for syncing to take place. Search for the picture of your device on the Fitbit app dashboard, then touch it at the top of the screen and pull down

Note: The exception to this is on Windows 10 devices, in which case you would find the picture at the bottom and pull up.

Here’s a step-by-step process for manual syncing different devices:

iPhone or iPad

Go to the Fitbit app dashboard and click the Account icon. From here, find the title of your device and click on it. Tap Sync Now and your device will sync automatically.

Android phone or tablet

Navigate to the Fitbit app dashboard and click the Account icon. Now find the title of your device and select it. There will be arrows located near the Sync Now button — click these to automatically sync your device.

Windows 10 device

Make sure your device is within roughly a 20-foot range of your computer. Plug in your wireless dongle and then head to the Fitbit app dashboard. Next, click the Account icon and choose Advanced Settings. Once you’ve pulled up this screen, switch on the option that reads Fitbit Connect Classic Mode.

It’s recommended you sync your device on a daily basis, if possible. If a device stops syncing, it’s likely due to a connection problem, so be sure to first check your wireless connection. If you’re still experiencing problems syncing your device, visit the Fitbit Help Forum. Alternatively, you can check out the specific ‘Why won’t my Fitbit device sync?‘ forum.

Editors’ Recommendations

• A comprehensive guide to each waterproof Fitbit
• Fitbit has already shipped a million Versa smartwatches
• Start your fitness journey with the best Fitbit deals for July 2018
• Here is everything you need to know about the Fitbit Versa
• Stay fit and save cash with our top 10 affordable Fitbit alternatives

Here’s everything you need to run 4K games and movies

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Whether you’re watching movies, playing games, or merely working at 4K resolution, it all looks fantastic. Everything is crisp, tack-sharp, and impossibly clear. Colors are vivid and lush, blacks are as deep as the night sky. But details are not without their cost. If you’re looking to get into 4K PC gaming or movie watching, you’re in for a bit of a journey.

Getting your system up to spec for 4K isn’t as straightforward as it is for 1080p, or even 1440p, so read on to find out what you need to run 4K.

A powerful graphics card is a must

While your wallet is open for the 4K monitor, go ahead and keep it open for a high-end graphics card – or two. Gaming in 4K requires your graphics card to process huge amounts of information in the blink of an eye, and for that, you need to make sure your graphics card has the headroom it needs.

Video RAM is the key to 4K gaming, and in our tests, anything but the most powerful graphics cards have trouble handling the amount of processing 4K requires. With 12GB of GDDR5X, Nvidia’s GTX Titan XP is the most powerful single card out there and can handle 4K gaming better than just about any other set up in the world. At $1,200 though, it’s out of reach of almost everyone — fortunately, it’s not the only option.

The Nvidia GTX 1080 and its slightly more-powerful brother, the GTX 1080 Ti, are also fantastically capable for 4K. As long as prices are reasonable, you should find them for $550 and $700 respectively. If you dip down into 1070 and below, only older games or those with very low settings will be playable. Even the Alienware Area-51 with its twin GTX 1080Tis couldn’t hit 60 FPS in Deus Ex Mankind Divided at 4K.

AMD does have some options if you’d prefer to stick with the red team. Its Vega 64 graphics card is perfectly capable of single-card 4K gaming for around $580. The Vega 56 isn’t quite as viable, though can deliver passable 4K gaming experiences.

As for laptops, 4K gaming is still rather difficult. Even the best gaming laptops prioritize lower resolutions and higher frame rates because gaming at 4K is incredibly taxing on even desktop hardware and laptop graphics chips don’t tend to measure up. You’re also unlikely to be able to truly appreciate 4K detail on a sub-20-inch laptop screen anyway. But if you do plan on powering you 4K monitor with a gaming laptop, you’ll want to buy the most powerful system you can find, something like an Alienware 17 R5. Anything less than a GTX 1080 isn’t going to do well in AAA games.

It is worth bearing in mind that Nvidia is expected to debut a brand new generation of graphics cards in 2018 and AMD its own new-tech in early 2019, so it might be a good idea to wait a few months to see how those turn out. After all, Nvidia’s GTX 10-series graphics cards are in some cases as much as two years old at this point.

Another option that some consider with 4K gaming is twin graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire configurations. While that is viable and often necessary to hit high frame rates at maximum detail levels in the most taxing of games, know that the gains aren’t linear. You aren’t going to get double performance by paying through the nose for two GTX Titan XPs. There aren’t also that many games that adequately support dual-GPU technologies, so consider wisely before committing to multi-card PC setups as they can be more trouble than they’re worth.

Processors and RAM aren’t as important

Although typically gaming PCs will pack a powerful central processor and high-speed memory, they aren’t quite as important for running a system at 4K as a decent graphics card is. That said, they are the hardware that feeds your monstrous graphics card what it needs to display games and certain applications at 4K resolution, so you’ll want to make sure they aren’t a bottleneck.

When it comes to selecting a CPU to pair up with your graphics card, you’ll want to ensure that it’s fairly recent, though it doesn’t need to be top end. If you’re opting for an Intel CPU, make sure it’s from the last few generations — at least a fourth-gen chip — and from the Core i5 or Core i7 range of processors. If you’re looking at AMD CPUs, the big jump in performance that was made with its Ryzen line up means that your best bet is starting with the Ryzen 5 chips and working your way up depending on your budget.

For a look at some specific CPUs we recommend, here are our guides to the best gaming CPUs, and the best Intel and AMD CPUs available today.

As for RAM, while faster speeds can help boost frame rates in some games by a percent point or two, just make sure you have enough for the kind of system you’re running.

Using the right port

With a 4K monitor ready to roll and a powerful graphics card champing at the bit, all you need to do is connect them up to enjoy your beautiful new 4K set up. How you do that though, can have a drastic effect on your experience.

Most HDMI connections can’t handle 4K. Support for the resolution was only introduced in HDMI 1.4, but even then, only at a maximum of 30 FPS. To drive a 60Hz 4K monitor, you need HDMI 2.0, and that’s far from adequate if you’re running a high-refresh-rate 4K monitor like the Acer Predator x27.

To support that, you’ll need to use a DisplayPort 1.3 or 1.4 port, which support up to 120Hz at 4K resolution.

Picking the right monitor

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Lastly, you’ll need a 4K monitor. But picking one out today isn’t as simple as it used to be. You could spend over one thousand dollars on high refresh rates and syncing technologies, or a couple of hundred on a more entry-level offering. What you opt for is going to be dependent on budget, as much as it is desired features and specifications.

If you’re planning to game on your new 4K display, higher refresh rates are useful, but unless you have very deep pockets, you’re going to struggle to push games over the more common 60 FPS anyhow. All of our favorite 4K monitors are geared more towards image quality than they are faster gameplay.

Size is an important consideration too. If you buy a display that’s too small, you aren’t going to be able to appreciate all of that extra pixel detail. There are also some scaling problems in certain games and professional software. Some allow you to scale the interface up, but that can reduce sharpness, which is half the reason people buy 4K monitors in the first place. 27-inch should be the minimum you opt for when buying a 4K display.

4K isn’t cheap, but it’s getting cheaper

Gaming and working at 4K isn’t the monumental expense it used to be, but you are going to need to spend around $1,000 to get the kind of experience that’s worth upgrading for. That’s a lot of money, and shelling out that kind of cash doesn’t guarantee a perfect experience, as there are still some scaling issues in certain games and software. You may also miss out on higher frame rates, which are much more affordable at lower resolutions and some would argue are more important for a better gaming experience.

That said, images are stunningly beautiful at 4K. Even games that are several years old look great because the high resolution adds details that are simply not visible at lower resolutions. It’s worth considering, just make sure you know what you’re in for before opening up your wallet.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Computer monitor buying guide
• Acer’s new 4K, HDR, 144Hz G-Sync gaming monitor will cost $2,000
• Dell rings the starting bell on its wide-ranging Memorial Day sale
• The best gaming laptops
• Tweak these ‘Fortnite’ game settings for a split-second edge

Best External Battery Packs for Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Keep your phone alive. These are the best battery packs for your Galaxy S8 and S8+!

Trying to find a great battery pack for your Galaxy S8 or S8+? Fortunately, you’re in the right place!

Just like with every other part of its operating system, Samsung gives the user a couple options when it comes to charging the phone. You can use the USB-C port for faster charging, or the phone includes Qi wireless charging for slower — but more convenient — power ups.

The same choice is available when it comes to battery packs. There are a few Qi options — but these will be slower than just plugging in a wire. There’s also the fact that you’ll need to keep the phone in contact with the battery bank, while using a wire means you can move and use the phone while it charges.

On the wired side, it’s good to look for a battery bank that charges with USB-C so you can use the same charger for the battery bank as you do your phone. Quick Charge support and USB Power Delivery support should also be included — the former to charge your phone faster and the latter to charge your laptop. With all that said, let’s look at some of the battery packs for your Galaxy S8 and S8+!

• AUKEY USB-C 26,500 mAh Power Bank
• AUKEY 20,000 mAh External Charger
• RAVPower Wireless Portable Charger
• RAVPower 22,000 mAh Type-C Portable Charger
• Anker PowerCore+ 20,100 USB-C
• Anker PowerCore 13,000 USB-C

AUKEY USB-C 26,500 mAh Power Bank

This is my personal battery pack, and I can say with confidence it’s very versatile. The USB-C port can be used to both charge the pack and your other devices, and is powerful enough to boost most modern laptops — albeit slower than their wall outlets. The pack has enough juice to charge your Galaxy S8 or S8+ at least six times, with quick charge support for fast top-ups. When the power bank is depleted, just use the same USB-C charger that came with your phone.

At $77, this is the most expensive power bank on our list, but the huge capacity and ability to charge laptops mean it’s a worthwhile investment for your Galaxy S8 and any future devices.

See at Amazon

AUKEY 20,000 mAh External Charger

AUKEY has another charger that has a smaller capacity, but also costs much less. At 20,000 mAh, this pack will still be enough to charge your phone to full four times, and the slim profile makes it perfect to pack on your next vacation. You can recharge the pack itself with a USB-C, Micro-USB or Apple Lightning cable, so you should be covered even if you forget your charging cable at home. You can charge your phone from the USB-C port, while your other gadgets charge from any of the three USB-A ports. The USB-C port will only output at 15 watts, so it probably isn’t powerful enough to use for your laptop.

AUKEY’s 20,000 mAh External Charger is available for $40.

See at Amazon

RAVPower Wireless Portable Charger

This RAVPower charger lets you charge your phone either from the single USB ports, or with an integrated Qi charging pad. The Qi charging pad charges your phone at 10 watts — the same as Samsung’s Fast Charge Wireless Stand The pack itself charges via micro-USB, which means you’ll need to use a different charger than the one that ships with your phone. The 10,400 mAh cell is enough to charge your phone two to three times, so it doesn’t have the same endurance as other picks on our list. It should still be enough to get you through a rough weekend though.

This pack goes for $68, which means you’re definitely paying a premium for the Qi compatibility. Still — if that’s a feature you want — RAVPower is a fine brand to go with.

See at Amazon

RAVPower 22,000 mAh Type-C Portable Charger

If you’re not worried about using Qi charging on the go, RAVPower has another great option for you. Its 22,000 mAh portable battery has plenty of juice inside, so you’ll get about five full charges if you’re just using this with your Galaxy S8 or S8+. Of course, there are two USB-A ports for charging other devices like your smartwatch, headphones or other accessories. The USB-C port only outputs at 15 watts, so it won’t be enough juice to charge your USB-C laptop or Chromebook.

RAVPower’s 22,000 mAh Type-C Portable Charger is available for $50.

See at Amazon

Anker PowerCore+ 20,100 USB-C

Anker is another reputable battery brand, and plenty of our staff use this same battery. There is a single USB-C port that can be used to charge your phone or laptop, or used to charge the battery pack itself. That port only charges devices at a max of 15 watts, meaning it probably won’t charge most laptops, but does work with less powerful models like the 12-inch MacBook. The battery pack is good for about six charges to your phone, making it a worthwhile companion for your next vacation.

This battery is available for $66 at the time of writing, which is comparable to other packs of its capacity. Anker does offer a similar model with a 26,800 mAh capacity and 30 watts of output, but that goes for $100. If you need more capacity or a more powerful output, go for the AUKEY battery above.

See at Amazon

Anker PowerCore 13,000 USB-C

If you don’t need a high capacity and want to save some money and weight, Anker’s smaller PowerCore batteries are a great option. The latest model charges with USB-C, so you don’t need to worry about a separate charger. This battery doesn’t output from its USB-C port though, meaning you can’t use it with a laptop or Nintendo Switch. You can get two to three charges from this battery, and the lighter weight will mean it’s less weight in your purse or backpack.

At $40, this is the least expensive option on our list. If you don’t intend to charge anything except your phone or headphones — and want to save some dough — this is a great option.

See at Amazon

What say you?

Which battery pack do you use with your Galaxy S8? Let us know down below!

Updated July 2018: Added the AUKEY 20,000 mAh and RAVPower 20,000 mAh battery packs.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Unlocked

Grab this Amazon Web Services Certification Training bundle for just $69!

When it comes to cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is near the top of the pile. It can be found in countless places around the web, and it’s comprised of multiple services from computing and storage to analytics. As AWS continues to grow, there is understandably an urgent need for trained professionals in the field.

Because AWS is comprised of so many different services, becoming proficient in the entire system can be pricey and time-consuming. Instead of finding the appropriate courses on your own, why not grab a bundle?

Right now, Android Central Digital Offers has a deal on an Amazon Web Services Certification Training mega bundle that included eight certification courses with more than 50 hours of training. Instead of paying $1,299, you’ll instead pay just $69. That’s 94 percent off the regular price!

The eight courses in this bundle include:

• AWS Technical Essentials Certification Training
• Introduction to Amazon S3 Training Course
• Introduction to Amazon Route 53 Training
• Introduction to Amazon EC2 Training Course
• AWS Solution Architect Certification Training Course
• Amazon VPC Training Course
• AWS Lambda Training Course
• AWS Database Migration Service Course

If you’re looking to prepare yourself for the AWS certification exams, this bundle of courses is what you need. With an already great price available at just $69, the price gets even better when you use coupon code DIGITALWEEK50 and save 50% — you’ll pay just $34.50!

See at Android Central Digital Offers