Microsoft uses fish cams to monitor undersea Project Natick data center

Microsoft added two new fish cams to its underwater Project Natick data center, allowing researchers and the general public a view of marine life around its technology project. The undersea cameras not only provide for relaxing imagery of fish swimming by the data center, but it will help Microsoft researchers observe the environmental impact created by sinking a data center onto the ocean floor and the exterior conditions of the data center in sea water.

“We installed two video cameras on the outside of the pressure vessel to observe environmental conditions near our data center,” Microsoft announced on Project Natick’s webpage.

Microsoft

Microsoft officially unveiled the second phase of Project Natick in June by sinking the 40-foot pod just off of Scotland’s coast. The undersea data center contains 12 racks and 864 servers that host 27.6 petabytes of data as an experiment. By positioning a data center in the ocean, Microsoft believes that it could deliver data faster, given that most a large percentage of people live near or along the coast. The data center connects to the internet via a large undersea cable, as well as the Orkney power grid in Scotland.

Additionally, the colder ocean water provides a natural source of cooling, and Microsoft is powering Project Natick entirely on renewable on-shore wind and solar and off-shore tide and wave energy sources. “A Natick data center co-located with offshore renewable energy sources could be truly zero emission: no waste products, whether due to the power generation, computers, or human maintainers are emitted into the environment,” Microsoft said.

Pending results from its experiments with Project Natick, Microsoft may locate more data centers in the ocean in the future. Given its underwater placement, Microsoft envisions Natick as a self-sustainable data center that could operate for up to five years with no maintenance required, which is the expected lifespan of the computers on board.

“After each five-year deployment cycle, the data center vessel would be retrieved, reloaded with new computers, and redeployed,” Microsoft said. “The target lifespan of a Natick data center is at least 20 years. After that, the data center is designed to be retrieved and recycled.”

The data that Microsoft collects from phase 2 will help it refine its designs and plans as it moves towards productization. Right now, however, Microsoft states that Natick is still in research phase, and it’s still too early to determine if it will be commercialized.

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Wish your AirPods were as tricked out as your car? Hadoro can make that happen

Do you love Apple’s AirPods but wish they were lighter and tougher? The next iteration of the earbuds may be both smarter and stronger with water resistance, but when they might actually come out is currently anyone’s guess. Fortunately, French designer brand Hadoro Paris has you covered with its own redesigned take on the iconic earbuds that makes them both lighter and tougher.

In its quest to make the AirPods tough while keeping them lightweight, Hadoro turned to a material that car enthusiasts are well acquainted with: Carbon fiber. With an unusually high weight-to-strength ratio, it’s a no-brainer to use for an accessory that is meant to go everywhere with you.

Carbon fiber is five times stronger than steel and twice as stiff, but much lighter at the same time. Hadoro also points out that carbon fiber is Batman’s material of choice for his suit. You don’t necessarily need Bruce Wayne’s level of fortune to afford Hadoro’s redesigned AirPods, but due to both the cost of carbon fiber and the laborious process of producing these headphones, you can expect to pay quite a bit more than you would for the standard model.

Putting the redesigned AirPods together isn’t a quick or easy process. Hadoro’s engineers start by carefully disassembling the original AirPods case while keeping the components intact. At the same time, the new parts for the new case are carved from solid blocks of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber AirPods themselves are coated with a black soft-touch finish, while the case is engraved with Hadoro’s signature logo.

Hadoro Paris’s resigned AirPods are available via the company’s website and sell for 650 euros or roughly $750. If you would like to have yours further customized, personal engraving with up to four characters is available for 50 euros, bringing the price of the full price up to just over $800. The original AirPods component kit is packaged alongside the customized version and the carbon fiber case, just in case you need to … well, we’re not really sure why, but it’s better to have it than not.

If these would be your first set of AirPods and you want to know about any potential issues, take a look at our guide to common AirPods problems and how to fix them.

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Hacker plays ‘Doom’ on John McAfee’s ‘unhackable’ BitFi Bitcoin wallet

A 15-year-old bedroom hacker has managed to get classic first-person shooter Doom running on the allegedly “unhackable” BitFi crypto-wallet touted by tech-evangelist and paid promoter John McAfee. Although the Bitcoins that the wallet gives access too still appear unaffected by the hack, it doesn’t bode well for the device, which some have described as little more than a modified Android phone.

BitFi is a cryptocurrency device that is designed to provide a hardware portal to a cloud-connected wallet. Bitcoins and other altcoins aren’t stored on the device itself, but it does facilitate transactions. Although it has drawn some interest from security professionals and crypto-enthusiasts, it garnered most of its attention through affiliation with tech personality, John McAfee, who claimed it was unhackable. He also placed a bounty on it, offering $250,000 to anyone who could hack the device and steal Bitcoin from the cloud-connected wallet.

Within weeks, several hacks of the device had been completed, leading to people modifying its boot screen. Now, a self-described “adversarial thinker” has rooted it completely. Saleem Rashid was able to get Doom running on the Bitfi wallet without much difficulty. He has previously shown how it’s possible to extract sensitive information from other hardware wallets, like Trezor.

In recognition of @Bitfi6 and @officialmcafee and their prestigious @PwnieAwards accolades, we'd like to show you @spudowiar playing DooM on his #BitFi secure wallet! Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/50qZZu1MnF

— Abe Snowman (@AbeSnowman) August 9, 2018

Although John McAfee has been keen to point out that such hacks do not qualify for the quarter-million-dollar reward, as they have not extracted the coins from the attached cloud wallet, this rooted hack is just the beginning. As “Abe Snowman” alludes to in the replies to the above tweet, there are reasons that security researchers are heading down this path of cracking the device.

The press claiming the BitFi wallet has been hacked. Utter nonsense. The wallet is hacked when someone gets the coins. No-one got any coins. Gaining root access in an attempt to get the coins is not a hack. It's a failed attempt. All these alleged "hacks" did not get the coins.

— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) August 3, 2018

BitFi itself continues to defend the unhackable nature of its device, though it has made some statements to distance itself from McAfee, as PenTestPartners highlights. It also recently fired its social media coordinator after a series of defamatory tweets, which hasn’t left the company in good standing. Indeed, such actions have landed BitFi with a nomination for the “Lamest Vendor” of the year in the Pwnie Awards, which is quite an achievement in itself.

Although the BitFi hasn’t been demonstrably hacked to the point of releasing its bounty Bitcoins, the speed with which the supposedly unhackable and “storage-free” (it actually does have storage) wallet was hacked doesn’t bode well for its future.

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The best cases for the Galaxy Note 8

Keep your Note 8 protected from day one on with a quality case.

With the Galaxy Note 9 just around the corner, we’re starting to see some deep discounts on some of our favorite cases for the Note 8. This is great for anyone who has just upgraded to the Note 8, which is still one of the best phones available right now.

We’ve broken things down by the manufacturer and offered direct links to some of our favorite styles. But ultimately the choice is yours, and there are a ton of cases to choose from. Here are some of the best!

• Samsung LED Cover case
• OtterBox Commuter Series case
• Speck Presido Grip case
• Ringke Wave case
• Spigen Rugged Armor case
• Incipio Dual Pro case
• RhinoShield CrashGuard Bumper case
• UAG Monarch
• Seidio Surface Case w/ Holster
• Caseology Parallax Series

Samsung LED Wallet Cover case

OEM Option

Samsung is always good for creating cases that feature some awesomely unique features for its phones, and few are as cool as the LED Wallet Cover.

This brilliantly-designed case blends screen protection with functionality, allowing you to see the current time and view notifications via LEDs without exposing the screen — all you do is press the power button and presto! This case also features an interior pocket for storing your cash or cards, which can help you cut down on your pocket carry.

You can get yours for $35, or check out Samsung’s website to learn about the other cases they offer, too.

See at Amazon

OtterBox cases

Best Protection

The Note 8 was among the most expensive flagship phones released in 2017, so you’re going to want to keep it protected. When it comes to the best cases, many people instantly think of OtterBox. It has built a solid reputation of making great cases backed by outstanding customer service.

We’ll recommend the Commuter Series case since it’s a great combination of the rugged protection that OtterBox is known for and a slimmer design so it’s easier to slip into a pocket or purse. The Note 8 is already a massive phone so anything that can offer outstanding protection without adding unnecessary bulk.

However, you really get what you pay for from OtterBox, which includes the aforementioned customer service that’s there to help if any issues pop up.

See at Amazon

Speck Presido Grip

Best for Grip

Speck cases offer cases that stylish-yet-functional design options for those who want to add a bit of glitz and glamor to their phone.

Consider the Speck Presido Grip, a case that’s designed to prevent phone drops by giving you a case with a stylish and grippy exterior. On the inside, Speck says this case is made with Impactium polycarbonate material, which was specifically designed to absorb impacts from drops. But the main reason you’ll love this case is for those stylish angled ridges on the back. Combined with the matte finish of this case, your fingers are sure to love the feel of this case. It can be yours for as low as $14.40.

See at Amazon

Ringke cases

Fan Favorite

Ringke is known for making more flashy cases with interesting designs and patterns to help make your phone stand out from the rest of the pack.

Just check out the Wave case in Coastal Blue, pictured on the right. It’s a stylish two-piece case that combines a soft TPU layer with a hard PC shell that’s designed brilliantly. The exposed TPU on the back features waves that will feel great in your hands. You can get this case in a number of color combinations for just $11 on Amazon.

If you love the design of Ringke’s cases, you can check out their full line for the Note 8 on their website.

See at Amazon

Spigen Rugged Armor case

Most Rugged

For those who don’t want to sacrifice pocket space for protection, Spigen’s Rugged Armor case is a great option.

This sleek, one-piece case is rugged and sleek with carbon fiber accents that looks really nice on taller devices like the Note 8. It’s made of rugged TPU material so it’s easy to install and features a matte finish for a great look and feel. It’s a really slim case, too, so you won’t be adding a ton of bulk in exchange for a case that will provide rugged protection. Best of all is the price — you can get this reliable case for just $11 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

Incipio Carnaby Esquire Series case

Most Stylish

Incipio has a number of cases available for the Note 8, but we’re inclined to recommend the exceptionally stylish Incipio Carnaby Esquire Series case.

The Carnaby Esquire Series case is available in gray or blue for around $30. Each case features a TPU frame that helps disperse the shock from drops and the button covers and port cutouts are precise. It’s an elegant solution to keeping your Note 8 protected and available in three subtle shades of grey on Amazon.

See at Amazon

RhinoShield CrashGuard Bumper case

Keep it Simple

Alright, I know what a lot of you are thinking: I need a case that’s going to provide maximum protection for my Note 8; a bumper case just won’t cut it!

But as I learned from reviewing the RhinoShield CrashGuard for the Galaxy S8, this isn’t your average bumper. RhinoShield has developed a bumper case that offers truly rugged protection where your phone needs it most — in the corners, around the edges, and lips that come up around the front and back panels of glass.

It might be one of those instances where you need to actually try it before you’re fully convinced, but if you love being able to show off your brilliant new phone but also want to keep it protected from drop damage, you really can’t beat the RhinoShield CrashGuard. You can get yours for just $25.

See at Amazon

UAG Monarch

Strong and Light

Urban Armor Gear is one of those ubiquitous brands for smartphone cases that delivers rugged protection while remaining relatively slim and lightweight. The UAG Monarch for the Note 8 is a great option, featuring a really grippy back panel that feels great in you hand.

There are some really smart design decisions here, including a soft rubber screen lip around the display and skid pads on the back, so your phone won’t be prone to slip and slide off any surfaces. These are also slim enough to not impede Samsung or Android Pay functionality and also allow you to wirelessly charge your phone without removing the case.

These cases start as low as $23 and as high as $60 depending on the style that you desire.

See at Amazon

Seidio Surface Case w/ Holster

Best Holster

Thin cases don’t need to be so bland and featureless. The Seidio Surface case is about as thin and slim a case as you’ll find, providing great scratch resistance around the back, a nice protective lip around the screen, and a pop-out kickstand on the back. It’s a dual layer case, too, so you should get ample coverage for drops, too. Cutouts around the ports and buttons mean your phone will be as accessible as it is with no case on.

It’s also thin enough to be compatible with wireless charging and is available in four stylish color options.

Get yours for as low as $13 and $29 if you’re also interested in the optional hip holster.

See at Amazon

Caseology Parallax Series

Dual-later Protection

If you want the best protection for your phone you want a case with two layers of protection. The Caseology Parallax series case offers just that, along with a very stylish geometric design along the back plate.

This case is designed around a TPU sleeve and a rigid polycarbonate frame which work together to offer superb protection. And that pattern on the back isn’t just for looks, the little grooves and ridges also help with grip for your finger tips.

Available in five unique colors, you can get yours for as low as $12 or $16 for some styles.

See at Amazon

Which cases are you going to buy?

There’s going to be a ton of accessories released for the Galaxy Note 8, but we want to know which are your favorites. Let us know in the comments!

Updated August 2018: These are still the best cases available for the Note 8 — and they’re cheaper than ever!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy S8+
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is official with 6.4-inch display, 4000mAh battery

The time has come. Feast your eyes on Samsung’s finest.

We all knew it was coming. The speculation and leaks were just about all spot on. But everything was finalized today when Samsung took the wraps off of the Galaxy Note 9.

The Note 9 has a slightly larger 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display at the typical 2960×1440 resolution, which is wrapped in a familiar glass-and-metal body that comes in an all new slate of colors including Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple for the U.S. market. It’s marginally wider and thicker than the Note 8, but that makes room for a new 4000mAh battery — a 14% jump over the Galaxy S9+ and 21% over the Note 8. Samsung also managed to move the fingerprint sensor down to a more ergonomic position, which is welcomed.

At its core, the Galaxy Note 9 is identical to the Galaxy S9+. It has the same Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM and supporting radios for LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It has the same stereo speakers, headphone jack, microSD card slot, USB-C port, buttons and fingerprint sensor. The cameras are entirely identical in terms of hardware. It charges at the same speed, both wired and wireless. It’s water and dust resistant to the same IP68 specification.

Having 512GB of internal storage is absolutely amazing.

Samsung has doubled the base storage on the Note 9, up to 128GB now, in a nod to its power user customer base. But the real stunner here is the option for 512GB of internal storage for the most extreme users. The SD card slot supports cards of that size (and larger) as well, so you’ll be able to put a 512GB microSD card in and have over 1TB of local storage. When you option up for the higher storage you also get a jump to 8GB of RAM — good for bragging rights, if nothing else, for now.

The Note 9 has an all-new S Pen, which in addition to its standard features carried over from the Note 8 also has wireless capabilities using Bluetooth. The S Pen can be used to launch apps and perform further actions inside each app with single- and double-clicks of its button. The actions are configurable for Samsung’s apps, and third-party developers will have access to customize their own actions later this year. Thanks to a supercapacitor inside, the S Pen works for 30 minutes and 250 clicks before recharging inside the phone in 40 seconds flat.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview

The camera hardware remains unchanged from the Galaxy S9+, but Samsung has improved what’s there with new “intelligent” software. “Scene customizer” detects objects in the frame — within 20 different scene types — and automatically applies camera setting changes to take the best possible shot. “Flaw detection” analyzes photos automatically to see when there’s blur, blinking eyes or other visual aberrations and suggests a re-shoot before you walk away.

Everything you could ask for is here — and the price is eye-watering to match.

DeX on the Note 9 has also been enhanced so that it can work without a full dock or hub — just plug in an HDMI cable using a USB-C dongle, and you can use the DeX interface on any monitor or TV using your phone as a trackpad and keyboard. The phone remains fully operational with its own apps and interface, while the secondary screen operates a desktop environment. If you want to go all the way, you can add in a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse without issue.

Here’s the big eye-watering detail: the price. The Note 9 starts at $999.99 in the U.S. for the base model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The upgraded 8GB RAM and 512GB storage model will set you back a ridiculous $1249.99. Both are available from all major U.S. carriers, except for Sprint, which will only carry the base model. You’ll also be able to buy the phone unlocked from a variety of retailers, including Samsung and Amazon, in addition to all of the typical retail outlets like Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club, Straight Talk Wireless, Target and Walmart.

Pre-orders for the Note 9 open on August 10, and full retail availability kicks off August 24. During the pre-order period Samsung is offering free AKG noise-cancelling headphones ($299 MSRP) or an exclusive Fortnite Galaxy skin with 15,000 V-bucks ($149 “value”). You can also pick up both for just $99 combined.

Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9: Best deals for your new phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Grab the Certified Ethical Hacker Bootcamp for just $39!

Not all hacking is bad hacking. The word itself is associated with negativity usually, but it can be used for just as much good as it can bad. Have you ever thought how cool it would be to research vulnerabilities and try to discover them on your favorite websites while working for them? It would be pretty sweet, right? But, how do you even get started?

Become an ethical hacker for only $39! Learn More

Meet the Certified Ethical Hacker Bootcamp, a perfect way to get going. The boot camp offers access to more than 40 hours of content that you can access at any time of the day, along with nearly 150 lectures on different topics. From learning perimeter defenses to gaining practical experience with DDoS attacks and more, there is a wide variety of great information here that will help you advance your current career, or help you make a move to a new one.

The bootcamp includes:

• Access 526 lessons & 877 hours of content 24/7
• Learn from industry experts in an interactive, lab-filled environment
• Foster skills in incident management, penetration testing & more
• Explore common threats, such as viruses, social engineering & DDoS attacks
• Understand the necessary steps to secure a system
• Prepare to ace the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker v9 exam upon completion

This sure sounds like it would cost a lot, right? Well, normally this boot camp is priced at over $3,000, but right now you can pay just a fraction of that. You won’t set yourself into a financial debt to try and learn something new here.

Become an ethical hacker for only $39! Learn More

Priced at just $39 for a limited time you’ll get everything mentioned above and even more. Don’t miss out on this deal or you may regret it later.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview: $1000 well spent

Samsung is building for the state of the market, not the state of the art.

Sitting down to write my impressions of the Galaxy Note 9, I’m struggling to figure out where to start. Picking up the glass monolith, it’s instantly recognizable as yet another Samsung flagship — so I’m having a tough time deciding how to find anything interesting to say about it that hasn’t already been said about Samsung’s last four flagships.

In that respect, the Note 9 isn’t all that exciting. Whether you follow the industry as closely as I do or you’re just an average smartphone buyer that does a little research every couple of years, you aren’t going to be blown away by the Note 9’s core principles. It generally looks the same, has the same software, and leans on the same basic features as each Galaxy since the S7.

But don’t let that take away from the fact that the Note 9 is shaping up to be a downright powerhouse of a phone. Samsung has, once again, crafted incredibly beautiful hardware. The phone is huge, packed with the latest specs, and sports all of the features anyone could want. For the first time in a few years, Samsung is actually doing something entirely new with the S Pen. And a few of the critical issues with the Note 8 have been addressed. This isn’t a simple refresh — it deserves attention.

See at Samsung

The look and feel

Galaxy Note 9 Hardware and specs

At its core, the Galaxy Note 9 is mostly a Galaxy S9+. In terms of basic specs, features, connectivity, capabilities, buttons and ports, the phones are indistinguishable. The Note 9 has the same Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM and supporting radios for LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It has the same stereo speakers, headphone jack, microSD card slot, USB-C port, buttons and fingerprint sensor. The cameras are entirely identical in terms of hardware. It charges at the same speed, both wired and wireless. It’s water and dust resistant to the same IP68 specification.

Operating system	Android 8.1 OreoSamsung Experience 9.5
Display	6.4-inch Super AMOLED, 2960×1440 (18.5:9)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Storage	128/512GB
Expandable	MicroSD up to 2TB
RAM	6/8GB
Primary rear camera	12MP Super Speed Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.5 or f/2.4
Secondary rear camera	12MP, OIS, f/2.4, telephoto lens
Front camera	8MP, f/1.7, auto focus
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO, 1.2Gbps (Cat-18) LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 LEANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass
Audio	Stereo speakersDolby Atmos3.5mm headphone
Battery	4000mAhNon-removable
Charging	Quick Charge 2.0Fast Wireless Charging (15W)
Water resistance	IP68
Security	One-touch fingerprint sensorIris scannerSamsung KNOX
Dimensions	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm201g
Colors	Ocean Blue, Lavender Purple (U.S.)Midnight Black, Metallic Copper (intl)

This isn’t particularly surprising or even upsetting; the Galaxy S9+ is a wonderful phone with all of the features and power you’d need, so building the Note 9 from that foundation is great. But it can’t be entirely identical, right? Correct, there are some improvements — and they’re in areas that will make Note fans swoon.

Samsung has finally decided to give the Note a much-needed battery bump — all the way up to 4000mAh, which is 14% larger than the Galaxy S9+ and 21% larger than the Galaxy Note 8. It always felt a bit odd that the power user-focused Notes have had relatively small batteries, and Samsung has addressed it. Given how the Galaxy S9+’s battery life has been pretty good, adding another 14% for the Note 9 running the same specs should translate directly to more people having worry-free all-day use.

Love local storage? The Note 9 has you covered. The base storage for the phone has been doubled to 128GB, which is impressive in itself. But what’s really cool is the upgraded model that offers a whopping 512GB of storage. And this isn’t just some special edition model for certain markets — it’s available globally, including from U.S. carriers. The upgraded 512GB model also makes a bump up to 8GB of RAM, which is of dubious value right now (just as it is in the OnePlus 6) but gives you some future-proofing potential, on top of bragging rights. The microSD card slot supports cards of that size (and larger), so with currently available tech you can throw an extra 512GB in the phone for over 1TB of total storage. Even if you want to keep things reasonable (and under $100) and get a 256GB microSD card, that’s 768GB of storage … in your phone. I find it hard to believe anyone needs more than that right now.

The hardware isn’t unique, but it’s near-perfect in materials and execution.

Samsung doesn’t have much of a story to tell in terms of materials or design this time around. It’s no secret that things haven’t changed demonstrably since the Galaxy S7, and the Note 9 only makes incredibly subtle changes from the Note 8 and Galaxy S9+. The metal frame has gone back to being a bit more … metal feeling, with a lightly textured finish and a nicely chamfered edge that makes it stand out a bit. But it’s still sculpted to flow gently into the curved glass on both sides of the phone. It’s big and feels amazing, but it doesn’t provide anything new or exciting on the hardware front.

The colors, at least, are unique to the new phone. In the U.S., we’ll be choosing between “Ocean Blue” or “Lavender Purple,” both of which being notably different from previous hues. I like the blue a lot, especially with its exclusive contrast-colored yellow S Pen, but the purple is appealing to anyone doesn’t want something so harsh. Samsung will also be releasing a standard “Midnight Black” color alongside a new “Metallic Copper” for international markets — unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see these in person.

It isn’t possible to get better specs than this right now.

When you set a Note 9 next to a Note 8 face-up, you can’t tell them apart. The Note 9 is imperceptibly wider and thicker, which is a necessity due to the also imperceptibly larger display — now up to 6.4-inches from 6.3. The display is gorgeous, but in the same way its predecessors are; it’s an 18.5:9 2960×1440 Super AMOLED panel with the same wonderful characteristics we’ve come to expect from Samsung. That means it’s poised to once again be the best smartphone display available today.

Flip the phones over and you notice the one notable change: fingerprint sensor placement. It’s now positioned below the camera arrangement, and from everything I can tell it’s the same as the Galaxy S9’s. It has the added advantage of being physically separated from the cameras, which makes it easier to find and use without accidentally reaching too far and smudging the camera lenses — but I’ll argue it still isn’t as ergonomically optimal as some others, like the Pixel 2 XL’s. But let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth here, because this is a dramatic improvement from the Note 8’s situation, and I applaud it.

How it works

Galaxy Note 9 Software and experience

When you go into the Note 9’s settings you’ll see a bump up to Android 8.1 Oreo and Samsung Experience 9.5, though you wouldn’t actually know any changes had been made unless you really got into the nitty gritty details with a Samsung Experience 9.0 phone beside it. Interface-wise, this is typical Samsung. I’m sure there are subtle feature changes, but none of them were big enough for me to notice or for Samsung’s representatives to point out.

The only notable software changes come in two areas: the S Pen and the camera — the former being quite important, and the latter less so.

This is the extra-capable S Pen the Note line deserves, offering far more than just writing and drawing.

So it’s true: the S Pen is now Bluetooth-enabled and able to work wirelessly for extra features. We all had different expectations and speculations about how it’d work … and, they mostly came to be. At the core of it, the S Pen is the same basic size and shape before, but it now has a small supercapacitor (effectively a high capacity, low voltage battery) to provide power for a short period so it can connect to the phone over Bluetooth.

That supercapacitor provides 30 minutes of connectivity, and up to 250 clicks before it needs to be recharged. But that’s nothing to worry about, as it goes from 0 to 100% in just 40 seconds while in the phone — and it remains at 100% so long as it’s inside. Even if the S Pen’s battery dies, it still works as a writing implement on the screen exactly as it does on previous Notes.

The depth of the interaction is that you can use the S Pen’s button to perform actions on the phone. A long-press on the button can launch any app, and then depending on the app you can perform additional actions using single- and double-clicks of the button. For example in the camera, a single click captures a photo while a double-click switches between the front and rear cameras. Samsung has configured several of its built-in apps to work with the S Pen — including Powerpoint, Gallery, Camera, Voice Recorder, media playback and more — and each one offers configurability of 1-4 different actions for both single- and double-click actions.

At its base level, the S Pen’s button functions just like a play/pause button does on a pair of Bluetooth headphones, meaning you can easily use it in an app like Spotify to control your music from a distance. But more advanced features in third-party apps will have to wait a couple months, as Samsung will release an SDK for developers to integrate this feature into their own apps if they desire. Even if you don’t get the extra functions in third-party apps, Samsung has built a compelling experience here. You can easily see these features being used on a regular basis, even though they’re extremely simple. And importantly for Samsung, it starts to expand the S Pen’s appeal beyond just writing and drawing to further functions that anyone could find useful.

Let’s cut through the marketing message: the cameras are identical to the Galaxy S9+.

Samsung is talking a big game about the Note 9’s cameras, but let’s cut through the marketing message from the start: they’re identical to the Galaxy S9+. The sensors, lenses and hardware support are all the same as the flagship from earlier this year. Just like the specs discussion above, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s worth noting that Samsung hasn’t made any hardware upgrades. The only thing that’s changed is the software, and not even the interface itself — there are merely two new “AI” camera features called “scene optimizer” and “flaw detection.”

Scene optimizer is a great way for Samsung to put a brand on something it’s already doing, cramming in some mentions of “artificial intelligence” and “neural networks” for good measure. It effectively runs algorithms that detect features and objects in scenes, and then automatically changes camera settings to get you the best possible photo of that scene. It can detect 20 scenes in total, including all of the usual suspects like snow, street scenes, night time, animals, indoors, beach, text, landscape, people, mixed lighting, food, plants, flowers, cats and dogs. Scene optimizer is turned on by default and works in the standard auto mode of the camera, and the only indication it’s working is a small icon in the interface showing when it recognizes something.

It’s difficult to discern the differences between photos taken with and without scene optimizer.

It’s difficult to discern the differences between a photo taken with and without scene optimizer, as Samsung’s auto camera mode is already fantastic at detecting scenes and choosing the right settings to get the best possible photo. This feature purports to go even further in that customization based on the actual elements of the scene … but until we can do side-by-side testing I’m extremely skeptical. This is the type of “smart” camera tech we expect to see in every smartphone, and is so often happening behind the scenes anyway — and giving it a brand feels just as forced here as it does on the LG G7 and Huawei P20 Pro.

Flaw detection is legitimately useful with no strings attached. The camera software is trained to detect when it thinks there are major flaws in a photo you just took, including someone blinking, a blurry shot, a smudge on the lens, or poor backlighting. Immediately after taking the photo, you’ll get a pop-up telling you that the photo is likely flawed and you should fix the problem and shoot again. This is useful for those quick point-and-shoot shots where things aren’t thought through perfectly … and could save you from frustration later when you go to review the photo.

Reducing the barriers to using DeX just makes sense — now all you need is a dongle.

Right on the heels of a new DeX interface for the Galaxy Tab S4 tablet, Samsung is making it even easier to use the feature on the Note 9. The DeX desktop-like interface no longer requires a full DeX dock or USB hub — it can now be used with a simple USB-C to HDMI dongle. When connected to a monitor or TV, your phone can act as a trackpad and keyboard for input, or you can simply use the monitor to display information while you use your phone with its regular apps and interface.

Lowering the friction to using DeX is super cool, and once again shows Samsung’s dedication to making the Note 9 a super-powerful phone for doing more than the average phone. But the expectation is that this software will make its way back to the Galaxy S9 and S8 series, probably with their next platform update.

Hands-on preview

Galaxy Note 9 Hands-on preview

There’s been a common theme across my coverage of the last few Galaxy flagships: Samsung is in many ways a victim of its own success. It’s been making fantastic phones that have so many great specs and features, with so few flaws, for years now. When paired with the general homogeneity that has overtaken the modern high-end smartphone space, there isn’t a whole lot Samsung can do to make each individual model stand out — particularly when you look at the company’s rather rapid six-month release cadence between Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones.

Samsung is a victim of its own success — this is an amazing phone, yet I’m not surprised by anything it does.

You can’t actually have any complaint about the Note 9 as a product. It’s as close to a perfect power user phone as Samsung’s ever made. The only mark against the phone is purely abstract and theoretical: you can argue that the Note 9 doesn’t push the boundaries in any way or try something truly innovative.

Samsung made the changes it needed to make coming from the Note 8. It rises to the Galaxy S9+’s platform in terms of cutting-edge specs and baseline features including the cameras, stereo speakers and fresh camera hardware. The battery got bigger, the storage was doubled, the fingerprint sensor now has a sane placement, and the S Pen has new functionality. But … it didn’t do anything more than what was necessary to make the Note 9 just a little bit better than the Galaxy S9+. There are so many areas Samsung could’ve made generational leaps to really make the Note 9 stand out from the crowd and help make its $1000 price tag a no-brainer. We could’ve seen an even larger display, proper large stereo speakers, new charging capabilities, different design materials or processes, or altogether new hardware features.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a masterfully executed miraculous technological achievement.

But we don’t, because Samsung didn’t have to — it’s been so far ahead for so long, there’s no reason to push any further than necessary. And despite the fact that it didn’t try anything crazy and new, the result is a phone that’s wonderful, and will crush the competition. The Note 9 has a list of specs, features and capabilities that people ask for every other phone to offer. Every part of the phone matches or exceeds the phones it’s compared to, and leans heavily on Samsung’s industry-leading expertise in displays, cameras, stylus input and hardware design.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a masterfully executed miraculous technological achievement in every way. It’s unsurprising that Samsung is charging $1000 for it — because it’s clearly worth the price.

See at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
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• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 specifications

The company’s biggest and best.

The Galaxy Note line of phones has always been known for going all-out. They have big screens, top-notch specs and all sorts of hardware features. The Galaxy Note 9 is no exception, with all of the latest and greatest specs you could ask for — and finally, Samsung has upped the battery capacity to match the rest of the spec sheet.

Here’s everything you’ll find inside the Galaxy Note 9.

Operating system	Android 8.1 OreoSamsung Experience 9.5
Display	6.4-inch Super AMOLED, 2960×1440 (18.5:9)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Storage	128/512GB
Expandable	MicroSD up to 2TB
RAM	6/8GB
Primary rear camera	12MP Super Speed Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.5 or f/2.4
Secondary rear camera	12MP, OIS, f/2.4, telephoto lens
Front camera	8MP, f/1.7, auto focus
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO, 1.2Gbps (Cat-18) LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 LEANT+, NFC, GPS, Glonass
Audio	Stereo speakersDolby Atmos3.5mm headphone
Battery	4000mAhNon-removable
Charging	Quick Charge 2.0Fast Wireless Charging (15W)
Water resistance	IP68
Security	One-touch fingerprint sensorIris scannerSamsung KNOX
Dimensions	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm201g
Colors	Ocean Blue, Lavender Purple (U.S.)Midnight Black, Metallic Copper (intl)

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Fortnite is now available as a Samsung Galaxy exclusive for three days

The Fortnite Beta is now available for anyone rocking a recent Samsung Galaxy device.

After months of patient waiting, Android users can finally dive into Fortnite… but there’s a catch.

Epic Games and Samsung have agreed to make the game exclusively available to Galaxy phone and tablet owners for the opening weekend. That means from August 9 to 12, only those who own a Galaxy S7 phone or later running Oreo will be able to download the Android version of the game. Anyone with a non-Samsung Android phone will have to wait until August 12 to download the game.

Users will have to go to the Samsung Game Launcher app to download the game since Epic has decided to circumvent Google and release their app outside the usual confines of the Google Play Store. After the exclusivity period ends, the game will also be available through Epic Games’ website.

Which Samsung devices are compatible?

On top of being exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices to start, the Fortnite Beta is also limited to Galaxy devices released in the past two years. That means you’ll need one of the following phones or tablets to play the game:

• Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy S9 and S9+
• Galaxy Note8
• Galaxy S8 and S8+
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S7 edge
• Galaxy Tab S4
• Galaxy Tab S3.

Exclusive V-Bucks offer for Note 9 pre-orders

But that’s not the only Samsung Fortnite news announced at today’s Samsung Unpacked event.

Pre-order the Note 9 and you can get 15,000 V-Bucks for Fortnite as a free gift!

Anyone who places a preorder for a Galaxy Note 9 between August 10, 2018 and August 23, 2018 can choose between a bonus gift of a pair of AKG noise-cancelling headphones ($299 retail value) or the Fortnite Galaxy skin along with 15,000 V-bucks ($150 retail value), for free—or get both for just $99 ($449 retail value). Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4 owners also get a free Fornite character skin.

For a bit of context, V-Bucks can be spent on cosmetic upgrades to your character that include new character models, skins, and emotes, which range from 500 to 2,000 V-Bucks. You can also spend your V-Bucks on a Fortnite Battle Pass, which lets you participate in Season play and unlock up over 100 unique rewards each season. Fortnite seasons typically last about 10 weeks, and we’re midway through Season 5, so using your pre-order bonus on a Battle Pass should probably be your first investment if you want to get the most value.

Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9

Are you planning to get a Note 9?

Fortnite is sure to become popular on Android as it is on every other platform, but this Note 9 deal from Samsung is sure to be a compelling offer for anyone looking to stand out from the herd.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
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• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

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Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9: Best deals for your new phone

Live in the U.S. or Canada? Here’s what you need to know about buying the Galaxy Note 9!

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 is here, and as you probably know by now, there’s a lot to get excited about. The all-new S Pen is more powerful than ever before, the cameras are shaping up to be the best we’ve seen from Samsung to-date, and the massive 4,000 mAh battery should be perfect for road-warriors.

Galaxy Note phones are usually available just about everywhere, and with the Note 9, that’s no different.

Whether you live in the United States or Canada, here’s everything you need to know about where to buy Sammy’s latest and greatest.

• AT&T
• Sprint
• Straight Talk
• T-Mobile
• Verizon
• U.S. Cellular
• Xfinity Mobile
• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Samsung

United States

AT&T

Starting first with AT&T, the carrier is getting both the 128GB and 512GB models that are priced at $999.99 and $1249.99, respectively.

While you can pay that full price upfront if you’d like, you’ll also be able to finance both storage configurations over 24 months for $41/month and $52/month.

See at AT&T

Sprint

If Sprint’s your carrier of choice in the U.S., your choices are a bit more limited. Specifically, Sprint is not selling the 512GB Note 9.

Instead, you’ll only be able to pick up the 128GB model. Pricing is the same $999.99, but you’ll also have the option of leasing it for 18 months with the Sprint Flex plan for $41.66/month.

For a limited time, however, Sprint’s letting customers get the Note 9 through Sprint Flex for 50% off —resulting in a final price of just $20.83/month.

Lastly, if you pre-order through August 23, you can get your choice of free AKG headphones, 15,000 Fortnite V-Bucks + an exclusive Galaxy skin, or the headphones, skin, and V-Bucks for just $99.

See at Sprint

Straight Talk

Post-paid carriers are fine and dandy, but if you prefer buying pre-paid, Straight Talk Wireless has your back as it’s also carrying the Note 9.

Similar to Sprint, Straight Talk is selling just the $999.99 128GB model with no 512GB variant anywhere to be found.

Also, even though this is a pre-paid MVNO, Straight Talk still lets you finance the Note 9 over 24 months to help make its nearly $1000 price tag a bit more affordable.

See at Straight Talk

T-Mobile

Moving over to T-Mobile, everyone’s favorite Un-Carrier is selling the Note 9 in 128GB and 512GB flavors. Full retail pricing is the same, meaning that the 128GB version will set you back $999.99 while the 512GB one is going to cost $1249.99.

Alternatively, you can get the 128GB model for $30/month and $279.99 down on an equipment installment plan or for $40/month and $81.99/down with Jump! On Demand. The 512GB version is not available with Jump! On Demand but can be purchase on an installment plan for $30/month and $529.99 down.

Looking to sweeten the deal even more? T-Mobile’s offering 50% off the Note 9 via 24 monthly bill credits when you trade-in an eligible Samsung phone. On top of that, you’ve got your choice between free AKG headphones or 15,000 V-Bucks and a Galaxy skin in Fortnite. If you want both, you can pick up the headphones and Fortnite goodies for just an extra $99.

See at T-Mobile

Verizon

Similar to AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon is also selling the 128GB and 512GB Note 9.

By default, you’ll pay $999.99 and $1249.99 for each model, respectively. For Verizon’s installment plans, you’ll pay $41.66 for the 128GB unit and $52.08 for 512GB over the course of 24 months.

To make that deal a bit sweeter, Verizon’s also running a buy one, get one free promo when you purchase the 128GB Note 9.

This deal is available for a limited time, and if you don’t want a second Note 9, you can also get the Galaxy S9 or S9+ for free in its place. As if that wasn’t a good enough deal on its own, placing your pre-order by August 23 will secure you with either a free pair of AKG noise-canceling headphones ($299 value), 15,000 V-Bucks and a special Galaxy Skin in Fortnite ($150 value), or you can purchase both of them for $99.

See at Verizon

U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular isn’t nearly as popular as the above carriers on our list, but even so, it’ll still carry the Galaxy Note 9. Better yet, you can choose to pick up either the 128GB or 512GB configuration!

Pricing is still the same at $999.99 and $1249.99, but even so, it’s great to see both models make their way over here.

See at U.S. Cellular

Xfinity Mobile

For the last U.S. carrier on our list, we’ve got Xfinity Mobile.

Like most other carriers, Xfinity Mobile is selling the Note 9 in 128GB and 512GB options for $999.99 and $1249.99. You can buy the phone outright if you’ve got the cash, or finance it over the course of 24 months to lessen the stress a bit on your wallet.

If you purchase a Note 9 on Xfinity Mobile, activate a new line, and port over an existing number, you can get a $300 prepaid card that you can use wherever you’d like.

See at Xfinity Mobile

Amazon

Stepping away from carriers, Amazon is one of the many retailers in the U.S. that’s got the Note 9 up for grabs.

Amazon’s offering the 128GB and 512GB models for $999.99 and $1249.99, respectively.

There’s no way to finance it with 0% APR like you can with the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile, etc., but you can always use an exisitng credit card or apply for Amazon’s own credit card that comes with up to 5% cash back on Amazon purchases if you’re a Prime member.

See at Amazon

Best Buy

Best Buy is the go-to store for all things tech, and as expected, you’ll be able to purchase the Note 9 here, too.

Just like the Note 8, Best Buy allows you to purchase the Note 9 through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or completely unlocked. Best Buy typically matches any promotions being offered by carriers, in addition to running its own from time to time. As such, if you’re looking for the vest best deal, you’ll want to hit up Best Buy’s site to see what’s being offered.

When there aren’t any promotions to take advantage of, you’ll spend $999.99 for the 128GB model and $1249.99 for the 512GB one.

See at Best Buy

Samsung

Rounding out our U.S. picks, the Galaxy Note 9 will be sold on Samsung’s official website and through the ShopSamsung app. Shocking, right?

Along with selling the unlocked version of the phone, Samsung also lets you buy the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile Verizon, and U.S. Cellular variants.

Samsung often runs various discounts and goodies on all of the models it sells, so this is another good source to check in with frequently to see what kind of deal is being offered.

And, although it should go without saying at this point, the 128GB option costs $999.99 and the 512GB model is $1249.99.

See at Samsung

Canada

No details on Canadian availability quite yet. We’ll update this article as we get them!

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview: $1000 well spent

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums