Popular PC accessories from Samsung, Netgear, and more are on sale today

These prices are good for today only!

Amazon currently has a variety of PC accessories, components, and laptops on sale with prices starting at just $8.99. There’s a little bit of everything here, so whether you’re in the market for a new keyboard, router, mouse, monitor, or even a fully-built machine, this deal has you covered.

These discounts come from well-known brands like Samsung, Linksys, Corsair, and more. Some of our favorite accessories and components include:

• Samsung 32GB EVO Select microSD Card – $8.99 (Was $12)
• Trendnet 5-port Ethernet Switch – $9.99 (Was $18)
• Netgear AC1200 Smart Wi-Fi Router – $49.99 (Was $70)
• Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi Router – $134.99 (Was $200)
• HyperX Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – $49.99 (Was $70)
• Acer 23.8-inch IPS Monitor – $99.99 (Was $150)
• Samsung 960 PRO 512GB SSD – $199.99 (Was $300)

Prefer to just buy something you can take out of the box and use? This Dell Inspiron 13 is down to $599 and comes with a 13.3-inch display, 8th-gen Core i7 processor, and more. Acer’s Aspire desktop is down to $359.99 from a regular price of around $480, and it comes with 12GB of RAM, a 2TB internal HD, as well as a keyboard and mouse. You can also grab Acer’s Chromebook R13 for $314.99, which is just under $100 off.

These discounts all end when the day does, so be sure to check out the entire sale now, before it’s too late.

See at Amazon

Can you replace the Bose QC 35 earcups?

Best answer: You can replace the Bose QC35’s earcups, and to get the best deal, we recommend an excellent pair from Accessory House that costs just $20.

Amazon: Bose QC35 replacement ear cushions ($20)

Carefully follow the instructions

Replacing the earcups on the Bose QC35 isn’t rocket science, but it’s a process that should be handled with care.

Bose has an excellent step-by-step guide on its website, that walks you through exactly what to do, but it essentially breaks down into three main steps:

Pull on the outer lip of the earcup — do not remove the lining material.
Fit the replacement cup on the outer rim of the exposed speakers.
Make sure the earcup is attached smoothly and snap it into place.

Don’t rush yourself

While the process for replacing earcups on the Bose QC35 isn’t all that difficult, make sure you don’t rush yourself!

It can be easy to look at the instructions and try to blow through them as fast as you can, but this will only result in headaches and frustration.

Before you do anything, set aside enough time for yourself, take things nice and easy, and you’ll be back to your tunes in no time at all.

Bose has an official pair, but it’s a lot more expensive

Our top recommendation for QC35 replacement earcups comes from a third-party company by the name of Accessory House, but we also wanted to mention that Bose directly sells a pair of replacements, too.

While it’s great to see Bose offering this directly, it didn’t make our list as Bose’s option costs more money and actually has worse reviews than the one from Accessory House. You can still check it out here if you’re interested, but that wouldn’t be our first pick.

Get back to your music

Damaged or worn out earcups can sorely ruin anyone’s listening experience. Pick up a replacement pair before things get too bad and keep your music sounding as good as can be!

Our pick

Accessory House QC35 replacement earcups

$20 from Amazon

Well-made and a great value

Although not made by Bose, these earcups are the best third-party solution we could find. They’re cheaper than what Bose sells and have even better reviews.

Save big on Anker charging accessories + Bluetooth headphones at Amazon UK

Don’t let poor battery life get in the way of your music listening!

As part of its Deals of the Day, Amazon UK has dropped the price of a number of Anker charging accessories as well as Bluetooth headphones and speakers. Several of the products included in the promotion have fallen to all-time low prices, so you definitely want to make the most of these savings while you can.

Highlights include:

• Anker PowerCore Lite 10000mAh Portable Charger £17.24 (was £25)
• Anker PowerPort II USB-C 2-Port Wall Charger £20.17 (was £25.99)
• Soundcore Spirit Pro Wireless Headphones £28.49 (was £37.99)
• Soundcore Liberty Lite True-Wireless Earphones £39.99 (was £55)

Be sure to check out the whole promotion and grab what you want now before the sale ends tonight.

There’s also a variety of other Anker accessories on sale thanks to Thrifter’s exclusive coupon codes, so be sure to check those out. They include wall chargers, battery packs, cables, and more.

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

Tez is rebranded to Google Pay as Google unifies its payment services

Tez is getting features from Google Pay, and vice-versa.

At the latest edition of its Google for India event, Google announced key changes to its payment app built specifically for the Indian market, Tez. Google unveiled Tez in India last year, with the app built on the government’s new digital payments framework, Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Tez — along with a slew of similar UPI-based services by India’s financial institutions — resulted in a massive uptick in UPI transactions, with Google noting that monthly transactions have shot up to over 230 million in the last 12 months. Tez alone handed $30 billion in transaction value, facilitating over 750 million transactions.

Google added bill payments to the service a few months after launch, making it easier for Indian customers to recharge their phones, pay broadband and utility bills, and even pay for Uber or Ola via Tez.

Starting today, Tez is being rebranded to Google Pay as Google unifies its strategy for payment services. As such, customers using Google Pay will be able to pay for online purchases — tickets on BookMyShow, flight bookings on GoIbibo, or buying phones on Mi.com — and over 15,000 retail stores across the country will accept the payments platform.

What made Tez endearing to its customers isn’t going away either — in fact, Google’s VP of product management Caesar Sengupta has mentioned that features from Tez will be making their way into Google Pay in other markets. It’ll be interesting to see what features make their way over, but bill payments are a cornerstone of Tez and it’s likely Google will be looking to bring the feature to other countries.

You’ll soon be able to talk to your Google Home in Hindi

You’ll be able to seamlessly switch between English and Hindi when conversing with your Google Home.

Google introduced the Google Home and Google Home Mini in India a few months ago, and while the smart speaker didn’t have a lot in the way of features when it launched in the country, that’s set to change soon. At the latest Google for India event, Google has announced that the smart speaker will pick up Hindi support shortly.

Google Assistant already works in Hindi, but that feature doesn’t extend to the Google Home. Google is set to enable the feature in the coming months, and you’ll be able to seamlessly switch between English and Hindi when conversing with your Google Home. Amazon has a lead when it comes to the smart speaker market in India as Alexa has better integrations with local services, but the ability to talk to Assistant in Hindi will give Google an edge.

Google has also mentioned that Assistant usage has grown threefold over the course of the last 12 months, with customers asking over 100,000 cricket-related queries. Assistant now supports Marathi as well in addition to Hindi, and Google said it will pick up support for seven Indic languages in the coming months.

YouTube has over 245 million monthly active users in India

Over 95% of YouTube’s video consumption in India is in regional languages.

At the 2018 Google for India event, Google announced key usage metrics for YouTube. The video streaming service has seen a monumental uptick in usage in India over the last two years on the back of affordable 4G plans, which in turn led to a wave of new creators joining the platform. YouTube started prioritising local language content in recent years, and the result is that over 95% of all video consumption on the platform in India is from vernacular languages.

YouTube currently has 245 million active monthly users from India, making it one of the platform’s largest markets. Google rolled out the ability to download videos in the country back in 2014, a feature that has made its way to other markets.

With 4G easily accessible across all parts of the country, more and more users are starting to make their way to the platform. Online video drove over 75% of all data traffic in India, and Google is projecting that YouTube in India will go up to 500 million active users in just two years’ time.

Google is also investing heavily in localising search in India, along with voice search. The Google Assistant now works in Hindi and Marathi, and will support seven other Indic languages later this year.

Android vs. IOS: Best mobile OS for writers

Smartphone revolution is here and it continues to change the way we communicate with one another. If you are not an Android user, then iOS is your darling any day. And with top tier tech companies like Google, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon being at the centre of today’s mobile phones manufacturing, everyone is always glued to interwebs in the hope that they will for the next big thing in gadgets releases. For a student in high school, college or University, using writing Apps requesting a paper from writing services is the best news ever.

This post explores mobile OS for writers, and the aim is to make a distinction between Android and iOS, thereof, with finality, decide on the best. But, before further ado, here are a few things to job your mind.

Portability is the key to today’s writing gadgets

There are as many gadgets for writers as you can think of, but why is everyone shifting to smartphones from laptops? Well, the work of bloggers is to keep updating followers with breaking news, reviews and post educational content on a variety of subjects. Smartphones are the new kid in the block for these tasks because with writing Apps installed on your iPhone, Nokia or Samsung, you can always keep your readers abreast with everything they want to know.

However, the big question is; which is the best OS for this profession, especially between Android and iOS?

Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks

It is easier to fall in love with a fancy-looking e-gadget than falling in love these days, thanks to an information age where everyone is roped into a small world of high-speed internet connectivity.  Everywhere you look, a product reviewer is trying to present an opinion that may be far from truth yet makes you click ‘add to cart’ button. This is unhealthy, especially for a dummy writer looking for a device that runs on an Operating System suitable for professionals in the writing enterprise.  This post will keep you safe from making a wrong decision regarding the best OS for writers, so read on for details in the next section.

Android vs. iOS: The bare knuckle for writers

If you’ve always been stuck between Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android; which are arguably world’s top competing Operating Systems for writers, then it is time to get smarter than you have been thus far.  Take a look below for details.

·        Productivity

Mobile operating systems differ from each other on productivity, and with iOS and Android being the subject of this blog, it is important to make comparison on this basis before giving an honest opinion. Android carries the day on multitasking, quick switching between Apps, split screen use, interactive widgets for desktop and running multiple apps in background.  IOS, on the other hand, ranks well in bookmarking sites, quick toggles, hyper-linking addresses, opening maps and calendar linking.

·        Privacy and security

When using a smartphone to write or publish a blog, it is imperative to weigh into issues of security and data privacy. Will someone hack into your login and steal your post?  Well, iOS is safe for those using proxy servers, on-device encryption, and cloud backup, anti Wi-Fi tracking, end-to-end push encryptions and VPN. In fact, it is ranks better than Android on this front.

·        Input and Language

While iOS supports non-manufacturer languages, enables underlining of texts, and presents writers with multiple emoji support, Android remains a fair competitor because to iOS in all these areas.

·        Support for Peripheries

From Bluetooth, external keyboard, USB drive, to use of memory cards, Android supports all peripheries linked to an external device like a computer. IOS fails fairly on interchangeable external memory cards because it only allows importing videos and photos.

·        Connectivity and communication

A writer who uses a smartphone to publish blogs must also weigh into the issue of communication and connectivity.  While iOS fails on direct transfer of files and only allowing one to connect cameras and transfers pictures, it ranks fairly against Android which tops the chase here.

Final Thoughts

Using a mobile device like a tablet running on either iOS or Android should also be about one return on investment when making a living writing as a writer. In this regard, gadgets that run on android take the lead, not only because they are affordable even for a student looking for thesis help, but also because they support many of the best writing Apps in Google Playstore and compatible with APK downloads.

The best Xiaomi phones you can buy

Start here if you’re looking for a phone that offers excellent value for money.

Xiaomi is a smartphone manufacturer that is growing in stature day-by-day, despite having limited presence outside of Asia. The company is now the fifth-largest smartphone vendor globally, a considerable achievement seeing as how the brand started selling phones outside China just three years ago.

Impressive, certainly, and it seems Xiaomi is set to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the higher reaches of the smartphone market. The company overtook Samsung to become the largest smartphone brand in India late last year, and is slowly making its way to European markets.

While so many may have heard the name, the phones are still relatively alien to many in the West. Xiaomi has a reputation for building devices that are an extremely good value without cutting corners. If you’re interested in picking up a Xiaomi phone or just interested in the brand, these are the phones you’ll need to know about.

Xiaomi Mi A2

Released July 2018: The Mi A2 is a follow-up to last year’s Mi A1, which was the first Xiaomi phone to offer Android One. Xiaomi’s 2018 Android One device comes with a slew of improvements on the hardware front, including a beefier Snapdragon 660 chipset and 6GB of RAM along with 128GB of internal storage.

But the main draw here is the camera — featuring a 12MP + 20MP camera setup at the back, the Mi A2 sports one of the best cameras in the $300 category. The camera takes fantastic photos in both daylight and low-light scenarios, and there’s also a 20MP front camera with AI-assisted portrait mode that works particularly well for selfies.

Xiaomi Mi A2 review: A great sequel with a fantastic camera

As for battery life, the 3000mAh battery delivers a day’s worth of usage without any issues, and you get Quick Charge 3.0 as standard — and Quick Charge 4.0 if you’re picking up the device in India. The Mi A2 is slated to pick up the Android 9.0 Pie update sometime before the end of the year.

The Mi A2 is available in a host of European markets as well as India, and the phone will be available in most global markets where Xiaomi currently sells phones.

See at Mi.com

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

Released March 2018: The Mi Mix 2S is Xiaomi’s first flagship of 2018. The phone shares the same design aesthetic as last year’s Mi Mix 2, but has key upgrades both on the hardware and software fronts. The Mi Mix 2S is powered by Qualcomm’s latest 10nm Snapdragon 845 chipset, and comes with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and global LTE bands.

There’s also a variant with 6GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB and 128GB, but these models don’t offer global LTE connectivity. The highlight of the Mi Mix 2S is the dual camera arrangement at the back, with the phone featuring two 12MP imaging sensors. The primary 12MP camera is a Sony IMX 363 sensor and offers 1.4-micron pixels, whereas the secondary sensor is made by Samsung and is used as a telephoto lens.

The primary camera may just be the best Xiaomi has offered in a phone to date, and DxOMark give it a score of 97, just a few points shy of the Pixel 2 XL. The phone holds its own in daylight conditions, but it’s in low-light shooting modes where the camera truly shines. A lot of that has to do with the new AI-assisted features baked into the camera, giving it the ability to pick out the best shooting mode based on the lighting conditions.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S review: Great hardware and vastly improved software

The AI features also extend to portrait mode, giving you the ability to set the intensity of the background blur and even animate the background bokeh. On the software side of things, the Mi Mix 2S is the first Xiaomi phone to come with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. It offers the latest iteration of MIUI — MIUI 9.5 — and the interface as a whole feels much more polished.

With MIUI 9.5, you can also finally restore settings and apps from a previous Android phone or using your Google account. Previously, you were limited to choosing restore options from Xiaomi’s own Mi Cloud account — and the latest move makes MIUI a more enticing option to customers in Western markets.

The phone is on sale in China for the equivalent of $540. The variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $640, and right now there’s no indication that the phone will be sold in global markets. But you can always pick it up from the likes of GearBest.

See at GearBest

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Released February 2018: Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India back in February, and it’s safe to say that the device is the best budget phone in the country by some margin. after just four months of sales, Xiaomi netted over 5 million sales for the Redmi Note 5 series, making it the fastest-selling lineup in the country. A lot of what makes the Redmi Note 5 Pro so great comes down to the hardware: it is the first phone in the world to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636, and the performance is staggering.

The Snapdragon 636 itself is an underclocked version of the Snapdragon 660, which is seen on devices that cost three times as much as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Other specs include up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, along with a dual camera setup at the back. That camera is also interesting, as it is one of the best available in the budget segment right now.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro review: King of the hill

For the equivalent of $220, there really isn’t a device that offers quite as much as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The phone is available via weekly flash sales in India, with the base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage available for ₹13,999 ($214). The variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage retails for ₹16,999 ($260).

Considering what’s on offer with the device, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is an absolute steal. Xiaomi is the king of the budget segment, and strong sales of the Redmi Note 4 last year allowed the brand to overtake Samsung. With the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the Chinese manufacturer is set to solidify its position in India.

See at Flipkart

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Released October 2017: Xiaomi made the smartphone segment stand up and take notice with the Mi Mix in 2016. The device’s ultra-thin bezels combined with the ceramic construction made it an enticing option for enthusiasts, but with availability limited primarily to Asian markets, it wasn’t the easiest phone to get a hold of. All that’s changed with the Mi Mix 2: the phone has the same basic design as the Mi Mix, but with a smaller 5.99-inch screen and a more rounded design that makes it much more accessible.

And with Xiaomi offering the device in over 30 markets, it is widely available for purchase. One of the highlights of the Mi Mix 2 is global LTE connectivity, with the phone featuring 42 bands in total — the most of any phone sold today, according to Xiaomi. Then there’s that evocative bezel-less design, which sees three edges of the screen sporting razor-thin margins.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 review: Astounding, audacious, accessible

Like the first-gen Mi Mix, the front camera has been moved to the bottom bar, which has also shrunk. The camera module itself is smaller, and has been blacked out to make it blend into the frame, creating a seamless look at the front. Xiaomi has retained the ceramic back, but switched to an aluminum mid-frame. There is a version with an all-ceramic chassis, but that particular model is exclusive to China and sold in limited numbers.

The Mi Mix 2 is no slouch either, sporting a Snapdragon 835, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage, 12MP camera, 5MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3400mAh battery. One of the main drawbacks of last year’s Mi Mix was the primary camera, but this time around Xiaomi addressed the issue by using the same 12MP imaging sensor as the one on the Mi 6. As a result, images taken with the Mi Mix 2 look incredible.

With the Mi Mix 2, Xiaomi has made its bezel-less design accessible to a more mainstream audience. The device is now on sale in a handful of Asian markets, including India, where the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage is available for ₹32,999 ($500). Xiaomi also kicked off sales in Europe, starting with the Spanish market.

If you’re looking to pick up the phone from a country where it isn’t officially available, then you’ll have to go through a reseller like GearBest.

See at GearBest

Xiaomi Mi 6

Released April 2017: The Mi 6 became the first sub-$500 phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 835. It also has the distinction of being the first Xiaomi device to ditch the 3.5mm jack. The highlight of the phone is the dual-camera setup at the back, which includes a standard 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, along with a 12MP telephoto lens that delivers 2x lossless zoom.

The design has picked up a considerable upgrade from last year’s Mi 5, with Xiaomi offering a chassis with rounded corners and two panes of glass sandwiched by a stainless steel frame. As you’d imagine from a Xiaomi flagship, the Mi 6 has beefy specs in the form of a 2.45GHz Snapdragon 835, 5.15-inch Full HD display, 6GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB internal memory, 8MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB-C.

Xiaomi Mi 6 review: A new beginning

The removal of the 3.5mm jack allowed Xiaomi to fit in a larger 3,350mAh battery — 15% larger than the battery in the Mi 5 — while also making the device splash-resistant. The Mi 6 is also offered in a variety of color options, as well as a limited edition ceramic version and a silver variant with a mirror finish.

The phone retails for the equivalent of $420 in China, and with availability limited to a few Asian markets, you’ll have to go through a Chinese site to get your hands on a device if you’re looking to use it in other markets. Just be aware that it doesn’t have global LTE bands, unlike the Mi Mix 2. You get bands 1/3/5/7/838/39/40/41, but if you’re in a market where there’s LTE connectivity on those bands, the Mi 6 is a great option for under $500.

See at GearBest

Xiaomi Mi A1

Released October 2017: If the Mi Mix 2 is innovative for its hardware, the Mi A1 is groundbreaking for its software. The phone is the first from Xiaomi to not run MIUI, with the Chinese manufacturer collaborating with Google on the Android One platform. As a result, you get a device with Xiaomi’s design language and Google’s software vision. The fact that the device costs under $250 is the icing on the cake.

The Mi A1 has a premium design with antenna bands running along the top and bottom of the phone at the back, and the aluminum body gives it an upmarket look. The phone also has dual 12MP rear cameras, with the same configuration as the Mi 6: a wide-angle lens augmented by a telephoto lens for 2x optical zoom.

The rest of the specs include a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 5MP front shooter, 3.5mm jack, and a 3080mAh battery that charges over USB-C.

Xiaomi Mi A1 review: Best of both worlds

In the two months the Mi A1 has been on sale, Xiaomi has rolled out two updates, delivering the latest security patch. The phone is set to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update before the end of the year, and is slated to be in the first wave of devices to pick up the Android P update once it becomes available next year.

The Mi A1 is widely available, with Xiaomi kicking off sales in all markets it currently has a presence. In India, the device is sold on Flipkart for ₹14,999 ($235).

See at Flipkart

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Released November 2017: The Redmi 5A has the distinction of being the most affordable Xiaomi handset to date, with the phone making its debut in India for under $100. Xiaomi saw a lot of success with the Redmi 4A, and it didn’t alter the formula too much with the Redmi 5A: you get the same basic hardware, but the lower price means the phone will be accessible to a wider audience.

The Redmi 5A is aimed at the Indian market, where the base variant with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage is on sale for just ₹4,999 ($77). That’s ₹1,000 ($15) less than the Redmi 4A, and while that price is limited to the first five million units, Xiaomi’s decision to sell the device for under ₹5,000 should give the brand an added boost when it comes to sales figures.

Specs of the Redmi 5A include a 5.0-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 425, 2GB/3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of internal storage, dedicated microSD slot along with two SIM card slots, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front shooter, and a 3000mAh battery. On the software front, the phone runs MIUI 9 out of the box.

The Redmi 5A is all about delivering incredible value in the entry-level segment, and it manages to do that with aplomb.

See at Flipkart

Xiaomi Mi Max 2

Released May 2017: The Mi Max turned out to be a surprise hit for Xiaomi last year, so the company rolled out an updated variant with a better design and upgraded internals. The large 6.44-inch screen combined with a massive battery makes the Mi Max 2 a multimedia powerhouse.

With the latest iteration, Xiaomi switched to a unibody design with antenna lines at the back, and made the edges rounded to make it easier to hold the device. The phone isn’t made for one-handed usage, but it is a far sight better to look at and use when seen next to the Mi Max.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review: Bigger is better

The Mi Max 2 features a 6.44-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 12MP camera, 5MP front camera, and a huge 5300mAh battery that is designed to provide at least two days’ worth of usage from a full charge.

The sheer size of the Mi Max 2 makes it a niche device, but if you’re in the market for a phone with a large screen and class-leading battery life, there isn’t a better device available today.

See at Flipkart

Updated August 2018: This article was updated with the Mi A2.

Google Duo is finally coming to iOS and Android tablets

A little over two years after its launch, Google Duo, Google’s FaceTime competitor, is getting an upgrade — it’s finally coming to Android and iOS tablets, meaning that you’re not limited to just your smartphone if you want to use the service. The update is rolling out to users starting today, so if you don’t yet have the new version of Google Duo with support for tablets, you may need to hold tight for a few days.

According to Google, the entire Duo app has been optimized for tablets. What that means is that there is support for both portrait and landscape modes, and Google says the service should be easy to set up on tablets, and easy to understand given the customized user interface.

Duo comes to Android and iOS tablets! With Duo v39, starting to roll out today, you can enjoy the same great Duo quality on a large screen. We’ve optimized the whole app for tablets – easy setup, custom UI, and support for both portrait and landscape.pic.twitter.com/ABCwVdqn7A

— Justin Uberti (@juberti) August 27, 2018

Google Duo, in general, has had a bit of a tough launch. The service was launched alongside Allo, the text messaging service, a few years ago — but since then Allo has been depreciated and Google will instead be focusing on developing the default Android Messages app, and integrating Chat, the next-gen messaging standard based on RCS. Since launch, Duo has gained a number of features — including integration with Google Assistant, screen sharing, and more.

It is nice to see Google continuing to update Duo, and it makes sense that Duo would live on past Allo. Around a year ago, Google announced that Duo had hit 100 million downloads — so it’s likely even more used now, a year later. Still, it’s unlikely that the app is anywhere near as popular as the likes of Apple’s FaceTime, which comes pre-installed on all Apple devices. Still, the clear advantage that Google has over Apple is that Duo works on both iOS and Android devices — so Duo users can talk with their friends who are using iPhones and iPads.

It will be interesting to see how Google continues to update and refine Duo, and if the app continues to grow in popularity.

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8K TV, A.I. everything, and more trends we expect to see at IFA 2018

IFA is right around the corner, and if history is any indication, we’re about to see some seriously awesome tech. We’ve kept our ears to the ground and snooped around to learn what’s coming this year, and one thing is certain: You do not want to miss the news coming from IFA 2018, and Digital Trends has boots on the ground to bring it to you. Here’s a teaser of what to expect over the coming days from Europe’s biggest technology show.

TV

Televisions will probably steal the lion’s share of media spotlights this year, and that’s because this will be the year of 8K TVs. Yes, we’ve seen 8K TVs before, but the news we expect to hear this year is that 8K TVs will finally go on sale in the coming months. Many of you will balk, but we’ve got some pretty compelling reasons why 8K TV is worth getting excited about.

Aside from 8K, we do expect microLED to remain a buzzword, and of course, there should be some OLED surprises in store. We’ll be positioned in the right place at the right time to get you up close and personal with all the new TV hotness, so stay tuned!

Phones

IFA has never been a big show for phones – most brands save their best for Mobile World Congress, held in February – and this year will probably be no different. A few new toss-ins from Chinese phone makers like Huawei and ZTE are likely, but don’t get too excited since many of these phones never make it to the US.

Samsung’s already released its Galaxy S9, and LG isn’t expected to bring anything new, but Sony could surprise us. We’ll know for sure by Thursday morning!

Smart home and appliances

If its one thing you can count on at IFA, it’s a glut of smart home devices and smart appliances. This year, we expect to see not just internet connectivity, but A.I. built into just about everything. We also expect Samsung to push its Bixby voice assistant and Smart Things ecosystem, while LG will hopefully show off more of what its ThinkQ A.I. system can do. The trend this show should be interoperability – your fridge talking to your washer, which is talking to your phone, which is talking to your TV, and so on.

Our big question: Will all this “smart” stuff finally become easy to use?

Voice assistant

Alexa! Hello Google! Alexa! Hello Google! ALEXA!  Imagine several buildings chock full of people trying to use voice assistants. It’s going to happen – we’ll see voice control in refrigerators, washers, dryers, TVs, speakers, smart displays, mirrors, doorbells, security cameras, projectors … the list goes on.

Of course, recognizing accents has never been either the Google Assistant’s or Alexa’s forte, so rather than see voice assistants integrated into more devices, let’s see some improvement on the voice recognition end.

Robots overlords

Sony already unveiled the latest edition of its Aibo Robot dog, and we’re sure to see it at the show. But Sony will have competition in Berlin this year, as we expect teems of robots armed with cloud-based artificial intelligence to be found vacuuming floors, playing games, and clinging to people. Yes, LG’s got a wearable robot designed to aid mobility and it looks like its straight out of a movie. We’re going to give it a try and let you know what it’s like.

Computing

Franky, it will be a quiet year for PCs. Digital Trends’ Senior Editor Matt Smith told us most laptop announcements will involve incremental improvements, but no bold upgrades. Nvidia just unleashed a slew of graphics cards, so it’s unlikely we’ll see any movement there, and though the promise of a Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered PC still lingers, we’re starting to wonder if that’s just going to take a few more years.

IFA’s press day starts Wednesday morning in Berlin, Germany at 10:00 AM. You can follow our coverage by simply following @digitaltrends on Twitter and Instagram. You can also catch all our video coverage at our YouTube channel.

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