UK Deal: Get Alexa for less with a £30 refurb Echo Dot or £60 Echo 2nd-gen

Looks and works like it is brand new and comes with a 12-month warranty.

Right now, Amazon is offering refurbished versions of its Echo Dot for just £29.99. Amazon backs these with a full 12-month warranty and they are all tested to look and perform like new, so why now save a few extra quid on the hardware purchase by going with a refurbished unit?

The hands-free, voice-controlled Dot is Amazon’s entry-level Echo, offering the ability to play music, control smart home devices, make calls, send and receive messages, answer queries, read the news, set alarms or timers, among other things.

It features 7 in-built mics to help it pick up your commands, even when playing music, and has a built-in speaker for output (and can even be paired to other speakers via Bluetooth or 3.5mm stereo cable for added oomph).

There’s also a discount on the refurb second-gen Amazon Echo. It’s down to £59.99 from it’s usual £79.99 asking price.

These discounted prices make it a perfect time to finally give in and see what Amazon’s Alexa is all about or a good excuse to add more Echo hardware throughout your home.

For more UK deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter UK, sign up for the UK newsletter and follow the team on Twitter.

See at Amazon UK

Madden NFL 19 is available now!

See you on the gridiron.

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

August 7th, 2018 — It’s Madden season!

Madden 19 is now available for those who pre-ordered the Hall of Fame edition. For $79.99, you’ll not only get early access to the game, but additional packs to use in the game’s Ultimate Team mode. You can buy the game on Amazon right now and still get access ahead of Friday’s general release.

See at Amazon

Stay tuned to Android Central as we provide additional coverage on Madden NFL 19, including guides on how to get started on Madden’s Ultimate Team mode, as well as some gameplay tips to help you win more games.

July 19th, 2018 — Madden NFL 19 cover star revealed

“The battle of getting better is never ending” -@AB84 Pre-Order 👉🏽: https://t.co/BkLnz185gQ #Madden19 pic.twitter.com/6dsoW5Zfgv

— EA SPORTS Madden NFL (@EAMaddenNFL) July 18, 2018

EA has announced the cover star for the standard version of Madden NFL 19. It’s Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who is making believers out of everyone with his consistency and rare skillset week in and week out. Here’s what he had ot say about the pick:

To be on the cover is a real honor I’ve wanted to always have because I have so much connection with the game. Growing up as a kid I played Madden all the time, was being inspired by the players in the game. And now to be on the cover, it’s a special feeling.

Terrell Owens remains the cover star for those who pre-order the $80 Hall of Fame Edition.

What’s Madden NFL 19?

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

Longshot story mode returns

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

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

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

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

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

New gameplay features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Franchise mode revamped

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upgraded presentation

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

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

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

Madden Ultimate Team changes

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

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

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

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

Pre-order bonuses

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

See at Amazon

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

See at Amazon

When can you play it?

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

Updated August 2018: Madden is now available! Find out how you can play early.

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Former Tesla Lead Engineer Doug Field Returns to Apple to Work on Project Titan

Apple’s former VP of Mac hardware engineering Doug Field has returned to the tech giant’s ranks after five years working at Tesla, where he oversaw production of the Model 3.

Daring Fireball writer John Gruber broke the news on Thursday after speaking to an Apple spokesperson who confirmed only that Field had returned to the company that he left in 2013.

However Gruber’s contacts within Apple informed him that Field will link up with former colleague Bob Mansfield to work on Apple’s self-driving car program, Project Titan.

Field began his career at Ford as a development engineer, before moving on to Segway and then to Apple, and his return is already fueling speculation that Apple’s self-driving ambitions have been rejuvenated under the leadership of Mansfield.

Rather than solely developing autonomous systems for existing car manufacturers, Apple’s rehiring of Field could indicate that the company still retains an interest in building its own vehicles.

When Apple began working on Project Titan in 2014, upwards of 1,000 employees were said to have been working on developing an electric vehicle at a secret location near its Cupertino headquarters.

However, internal strife and leadership issues reportedly caused Apple to transition its focus to an autonomous driving system and pursue partnerships with existing carmakers instead of building a full car. Hundreds of employees were said to have been laid off as a result.

Little is known about the inner workings of Apple’s Project Titan group, but court documents filed in July indicate that as many as 5,000 people are authorized at Apple to access information about the project.

Apple has also been significantly ramping up its fleet of vehicles running self-driving sensor equipment. As of May 2018, the company has 62 vehicles out on the road using its autonomous driving software.

Apple is also working on a self-driving shuttle service called “PAIL” (an acronym for “Palo Alto to Infinite Loop”). The shuttle program will transport employees between Apple’s office in Silicon Valley.

Related Roundup: Apple Car
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Watch this giant ‘Lego’ helicopter drone take to the skies

It’s the kind of toy that most kids would no doubt pester their parents endlessly for — a Lego helicopter that actually flies.

Inspired by the flying machine in Lego’s 6396 International Jetport set, Adam Woodworth recently set about building a version 10 times larger than the original, which you can see perched on the tail of his creation in the video above.

Take a closer look, though, and you’ll notice that it’s not the helicopter’s rotors that get it airborne. Rather, it’s the small quadcopter on which it rests.

“This one took a little longer than anticipated, but came out flying great,” the creator wrote in a message accompanying his YouTube video.

To tell the truth, it’s not really made out of Lego, either. Instead, the contraption was constructed using polystyrene foam to keep the weight to a minimum so it could get airborne.

Clearly a man with an eye for detail, Woodworth also created the Lego pilot for his helicopter. “Really enjoyed carving this little guy, now I really can’t crash this thing,” he wrote in one of several Instagram posts detailing his progress with the build.

The final result is a wonderful testament to Woodworth’s effort and skill, with the demonstration video showing the helicopter enjoying a stable and controlled flight lasting several minutes.

Describing himself on Instagram as an “airplane stuff doer and aspiring foam whisperer,” Woodworth has said in the past how much he enjoys “having some strange project on the workbench.” Take a quick look at his YouTube channel and you’ll see a myriad of flying-machine designs, with Star Wars clearly one of his big inspirations. Check out his awesome Speeder Bike for starters.

A couple of years back Woodworth also came up with this brilliant model of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Just like the real thing, this miniature version can also land itself, though admittedly it requires a little remote control to achieve the feat. And just like many of his other designs, the “rocket” also has a small quadcopter attached to help it stay airborne.

The creator says he builds his aircraft purely for fun, and invites suggestions via his YouTube channel for ideas on “anything you’d love to see fly.” He’s also happy to offer help to anyone interesting in making their own flying machine.

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Smelly shoes? Panasonic’s deodorizer kit promises to waste the whiff

Panasonic

If your sneakers reek after a run in the park, how do you get rid of the whiff?

Throwing them in the freezer for 24 hours apparently kills off the odor-causing bacteria, but maybe you’re worried about trying to cook them as a midnight snack at the end of a boozy night out. So bang goes that option.

Other solutions involve stuffing them with lemon peel or wood chips, or throwing them in water fizzing with denture cleanser. Hardly ideal, eh.

Spotting an apparent gap in the market for an effective shoe deodorizer, Panasonic has come up with a high-tech solution to get your shoes smelling as fresh as the day you bought them.

Launching with a name that’s drier than an acute case of athlete’s foot, the “MS-DS100” uses nano-sized electrostatic atomized water particles, or “nanoe X” as Panasonic calls its system, to dissolve and eliminate unpleasant smells inside your shoes.

To begin the process, you place the mains-powered MS-DS100 device on your shoes and hit the “on” button, whereupon your funky footwear is blasted with ion particles from six outlets “to every corner of the shoes … from the heel to the toe.”

Panasonic

Downsides? Well, you’d better not be in any hurry to get the shoes back on your feet because the two available deodorizing modes take longer than you might think.

“Normal” mode needs no less than five hours to get your shoes smelling of roses, while the “long” mode — presumably for shoes with an odor so pungent it’s close to breaking some kind of international environmental law — takes a whopping seven hours to get the job done. Best leave it on overnight, then.

If you think the MS-DS100 sounds like the device your smelly shoes have been waiting for, then you’ll have to come to Japan to get it, or find it online, as it’ll only be sold on Panasonic’s home turf when it launches next month. The price of the device is yet to be announced.

This isn’t Panasonic’s first foray into the world of odor-busting kit. Last year the company launched a high-tech hanger that deodorizes clothes using the same technology as the MS-DS100.

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This Saturday, a NASA probe will brave the heat to try and ‘touch’ the sun

On Saturday, August 11, when most of you are enjoying what will hopefully be a relaxing and enjoyable day off work, NASA engineers will be facing one of their most stressful days in a long while. That’s because it is the day on which the Parker Solar Probe will enter the very edge of the corona, the atmosphere of the sun, and make the first in-situ measurements to be taken there. The goal? To uncover crucial details about the origins of the solar winds, which go on to bombard Earth and pose a major challenge to our spacecraft and communications systems. Oh, and to unravel a giant mystery about the sun’s temperature, too.

“The corona is very hot, millions of degrees Centigrade, and we don’t know why,” Stuart Bale, a University of California, Berkeley professor of physics, who was one of the four principal investigators responsible for developing the FIELDS suite of instruments on board the probe, told Digital Trends. “The sun itself is a relatively cool — 6,000-degrees Celsius — star. Somehow this cool star makes the corona very hot. This hot corona then escapes the sun’s gravity and becomes the ‘solar wind.’”

As you might imagine, a mission that essentially involves flying into the Sun (or, at least, to its periphery) involves dealing with a fair amount of heat. While the Parker Solar Probe is equipped with a heat shield for protecting its various onboard sensors, it will nonetheless have to contend with temperatures almost hot enough to melt steel.

Bale has been working on the project since 2009 (“a long time,” he said), and everything since then has been building up to this point. Should all go according to plan, the instruments he helped develop will be used for measuring electric and magnetic fields in the corona and solar wind, before relaying this information back to Earth.

So spare a thought for the folks at NASA HQ when you’re out having your BBQ Saturday night, or sitting down to watch a movie. And if, through some miracle, you do happen to spot a tiny solar probe traveling at 340,000 mph (note: unless you have Superman-level vision, this is extremely unlikely) make sure to wish it good luck on its journey!

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To infinity and beyond? Space Force may be a real thing by 2020

On Thursday, August 9, Americans found out that President Donald Trump is serious about the creation of a Space Force, and it will be here sooner rather than later. In a morning speech at the Pentagon, Vice President Mike Pence laid out the administration’s plans, which state the Space Force may be established as soon as 2020.

“As President Trump has said, in his words, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space — we must have American dominance in space. And so we will,” Pence said to attendees. “Space is, in his words, a war-fighting domain just like land and air and sea.”

According to a Department of Defense report released Thursday, the Space Force would be the sixth branch of the military, tasked with protecting United States security interests in space. Its aim would be “to deter and if necessary degrade, deny, disrupt, destroy, and manipulate adversary capabilities to protect U.S. interests, assets, and way of life.”

Some of these strategies would involve the development and use of anti-satellite weapons, communications jamming technologies, and enhancements to the U.S. radar and GPS systems. The Space Force itself would be created from the reorganization of pre-existing space programs and personnel, Pence says, and is designed to respond to efforts by countries like Russia and China, who have already stepped up efforts to develop space weapons.

“As their actions make clear, our adversaries have transformed space into a war-fighting domain already, and the United States will not shrink from this challenge,” Pence argued.

The report specifies three different agencies coming under the Space Force umbrella: The Space Development Agency, the Space Operations Force, Services and Support, and the Space Command, to be led by a four-star general. Given that the creation of a new military branch requires Congressional authorization, plans are to formally request the establishment within the 2020 budget.

Given the timing, it seems fairly likely that Trump plans to make his Space Force plans a significant part of his 2020 re-election campaign.

When Trump alluded to his idea for a new American branch of the military in space, the idea was met with a combination of excitement, dread, and derision. Pro-military analysts lauded it as a way to protect our increasing dependence on technology, much of which is served from satellites in space. But others have criticized the plan as wasteful.

That’s what former NASA astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly did on Thursday, telling MSNBC that “it doesn’t make sense to build a whole other level of bureaucracy in an incredibly bureaucratic DoD,” pointing out that the Air Force Space Command already is doing much of the Space Force’s work already.

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Samsung Gear owners may want to wait before upgrading to Android 9.0 Pie

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Those who own a Samsung Gear and also looking to update their device to Android 9.0 Pie, Google’s latest operating system, may want to wait. Users are running into an issue when pairing a Gear device to an Android smartphone.

According to a thread on Reddit, one user wasn’t running into any issues until they tried to pair and use their Samsung Gear S3 with a Pixel after upgrading to Android Pie. Apparently, the Samsung Gear app will not connect to the wearable once the phone is running the new OS.

While the app opens and begins to load, it then crashes a little while later. Even if your device was already connected prior to the update, Android P reportedly breaks the connection. Meanwhile, some users in the thread appear to have no issues at all — so, you may want to give it a try just in case it does end up working for you.

Google launched Android 9.0 Pie earlier this week. For now, the new operating system is only available on the Pixel, Pixel 2, and the Essential Phone, but will be released on additional devices in the near future. The OS comes with a slew of new features from improvements to Do Not Disturb to new gesture features, and more.

News of an issue with pairing the smartwatch comes the same day as Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to products like the Galaxy Note 9, Wireless Charger Duo, and more, Samsung also announced its Galaxy Watch. The new smartwatch also happens to be the successor to the Gear S3 and Gear Sport.

As for the connectivity issue, Samsung is aware of the problem Gear S3 users are having — a spokesperson has responded to related comments in Play Store reviews. The company made it clear it is aware of the issue and that an update to the Samsung Gear app will be released for Android Pie as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a quick fix other than downgrading back to Android Oreo. Otherwise, you will have to just wait to use your device until the Samsung Gear app update is available.

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Denon and Marantz AV Receivers Updated With AirPlay 2 Support

Audio accessories from Denon and Marantz are gaining support for AirPlay 2 through firmware updates that are being distributed starting today.

With the AirPlay 2 update, compatible Denon and Marantz devices offer support for multi-room audio and are able to work with other AirPlay 2 devices such as the HomePod, the Apple TV, and Sonos speakers.

Both companies offer multiple AirPlay 2-compatible receiver options that are being updated with AirPlay 2 support.

Apple maintains a list of AirPlay 2-compatible speakers, both released and upcoming, on its HomeKit website, but its listings for Denon and Marantz are not complete. A full list of the AirPlay 2-compatible devices the two companies are said to be offering was shared in May by Poor Audiophile.

Both the Marantz and Denon brands are owned by Sound United, which also owns the Polk brand. Polk is not listed on Apple’s HomeKit site, but it is a partner on the main AirPlay website. It’s not clear when Polk devices will receive AirPlay 2 updates, but it does not appear that new firmware is rolling out as of yet. The same goes for Definitive Technology, another Sound United brand that is expected to get AirPlay 2 support at some point.

Denon and Marantz join Sonos in offering AirPlay 2-compatible devices, but many other brands are working on AirPlay 2 support as well, including Beoplay, Devialet, Libratone, Naim, Bowers & Wilkins, McIntosh, Bose, and others.

Tag: AirPlay 2
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Here’s how to buy the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Samsung has finally taken the wraps off of its latest and greatest smartphone, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9. The device is jam-packed with new features, a beautiful design, and, in typical Galaxy Note fashion, a massive display.

Now that the new device has been announced, you might be wondering how you can get your hands on it for yourself. Samsung announced that pre-orders for the device start on Friday, August 10, with availability for the phone starting on August 24.

Whether you’re looking to buy it through a carrier or unlocked, here’s everything you need to know about buying the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Unlocked

As you might expect, the Galaxy Note 9 is available unlocked — though you have to pay for it up front. According to Samsung, the device will be available through its website, but you will also be able to get your hands on it through Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Target, and Walmart. The phone will be available unlocked starting on August 24 and will cost $1,000 for the 128GB version. It does not seem as though the 512GB version will be available unlocked, so you may need to go through carriers to get your hands on it.

Carriers

Thankfully, you don’t have to shell out all that cash for the device at once if you don’t want to. Instead, you can buy the device through your carrier, which may break up buying the phone in installments. Here’s the low-down on how to get your phone through a carrier.

AT&T

AT&T is offering the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 for pre-order starting on August 10 at 12:01 a.m., with sales beginning on August 24. The company is also offering a free Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9, or Galaxy S9 Plus to those that purchase a Galaxy Note 9. Pricing for the device can be found below.

• 128GB: $1,000 outright, or $33.34 per month for 30 months on the AT&T Next installment plan.
• 512GB: $1,250 outright, or $41.67 per month for 30 months on the AT&T Next installment plan.

Sprint

Sprint will offer the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 for pre-order starting on August 10 at 12:01 a.m., with sales beginning on August 24. Sprint has also announced that customers who buy the Galaxy Note 9 will be able to choose between a $300 pair of AKG noise-canceling headphones, or the Galaxy Fortnite skin. Customers can also go for both by paying an extra $99. Next up is the fact that Sprint is offering the phone for 50 percent off through the Sprint Flex lease, which equates to $20.83 per month. Notably, Sprint will not be carrying the 512GB version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 9 start on August 10 at 12:01 a.m., with sales beginning on August 24. Here’s the pricing T-Mobile has in store for the new device.

• 128GB: $1,000 outright, or $30 per month for 24 months with a $280 down payment through the Equipment Installment Plan, or $29 per month for 24 months with an $280 down payment through Jump! On Demand.
• 512GB: $1,250 outright, or $30 per month for 24 months with a $530 down payment through the Equipment Installment Plan, or $26 per month for 18 months with a $530 down payment through Jump! On Demand.

Verizon

Verizon, like other carriers, will offer the Galaxy Note 9 for pre-order starting on August 10 at 12:01 a.m., with sales beginning on August 24. The company is also offering a few promos for the phone. For starters, for a limited time, if you buy a 128GB Galaxy Note 9, you’ll get a second 128GB Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9, or Galaxy S9 Plus for free. To take advantage of that offer, both devices will need to be purchased on the Verizon payment plan, and will require one line of service.

On top of that, Verizon Up members that buy the new phone will get $10 off Samsung accessories, and, if you order the phone before August 23, you get a choice of either a pair of $300 AKG noise-canceling headphones, or the Fortnite Galaxy skin with 1,500 V-bucks. You can also go for both by paying an extra $99.

Here’s the pricing Verizon has for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

• 128GB: $1,000 outright, or $41.66 per month for 24 months on Verizon device payment plan.
• 512GB: $1,250 outright, or $52.08 per month for 24 months on Verizon device payment plan.

U.S. Cellular

Apart from the big four carriers, you can also get the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 from a few other companies like U.S. Cellular. The company is offering the device for pre-order starting on August 10 at 12:01 a.m., with sales beginning on August 24. U.S. Cellular also announced that anyone who purchases the phone on a new line of service will get $150 back in bill credits. On top of that, anyone who pre-orders the device before August 24 can choose between a pair of AKG noise-canceling headphones worth $300, or the Galaxy Fortnite skin and 1,500 V-bucks. Customers can also choose to get both for $99. U.S. Cellular did not share specific pricing information for the Galaxy Note 9, but we expect it to be in line with everyone else’s pricing.

Xfinity Mobile

Comcast Xfinity announced that the Galaxy Note 9 will be up for pre-order starting on August 10 at 12:01 a.m., with sales beginning on August 24. Xfinity has also announced that new customers who buy the phone, activate a new line, and port over their phone number to Xfinity Mobile will get a $300 prepaid card.

Here’s the pricing Xfinity Mobile has to offer for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

• 128GB: $1,000 outright, or $41.70 per month for 24 months.
• 512GB: $1,250 outright, or $52.08 per month for 24 months.

Updated on August 9: Added U.S. Cellular’s offers, and additional information about Sprint.

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