How to install Android Pie Beta 4 on the Nokia 7 Plus

The Nokia 7 Plus is receiving the last Android Pie beta right now.

One of the more interesting announcements to come out of Google I/O 2018 was the fact that the Android Pie Beta would be making its way to third-party phones. Aside from the Pixels, seven phones from the likes of Nokia, Xiaomi, and Sony got onboard the beta, making it the largest expansion to the Android beta program following its inception a few years ago.

The Nokia 7 Plus is one of the devices on the list, and its inclusion is interesting as it is the only mid-ranger in the beta program. HMD has done a great job rolling out new beta builds to the device, and is currently offering Beta 4 to devices enrolled in the beta. This is the last beta build, and HMD is looking to iron out a few kinks before rolling out the stable Android Pie build.

If you’ve already installed the Android Pie beta on your Nokia 7 Plus, then just head into the settings and go to system update to manually initiate the download. If you’re running Oreo, then you’ll have to flash the image onto the device. Here’s how you can install Android Pie Beta 4 on the Nokia 7 Plus.

Before we begin: Installing the Android Pie Beta will get rid of all the data on your phone, so make sure you have your files and photos backed up.

Register your Nokia 7 Plus for the beta

You’ll have to validate your device on Nokia’s website before you can install the Android Pie Beta. To do so, head to this site, register for a Nokia account (if you don’t already have one), and add your device.

You should enter the IMEI number of your Nokia 7 Plus (open the dialer and enter *#06#) on the page, as well as the carrier your SIM card is registered to, and the country. Then hit Register and your device will be validated and ready to install the Android Pie Beta.

Getting started

The easiest way to get the Android Pie beta on your Nokia 7 Plus after registering the device on Nokia’s website is via an OTA update. Go to the Install over the air section, select the check box and hit Request OTA, and your device should receive the Beta 4 OTA build shortly. This works even if you’re on the stable Oreo build.

If you’ve already requested an OTA and haven’t received one, then you’ll have to manually flash the beta build onto your device. To do so, you’ll need to install the Android SDK, or just use a utility like Minimal ADB and Fastboot if you’re using Windows.

Here’s what you need to download before proceeding with the installation:

• Download the Android P Beta build from Nokia (1.40GB)
• Install Minimal ADB and Fastboot or the Android SDK

Factory reset your device before installing Android Pie

Before you can install the Android Pie Beta, you’ll have to factory reset your Nokia 7 Plus. But there’s one step that comes before this, and that’s enabling USB debugging from the developer options. Head to Settings -> System -> About phone and tap on the build number seven times. Enter your PIN or passcode to enable developer options.

Go to the previous menu (System) and you’ll see the developer options listed. Tap the menu, scroll down, and toggle USB debugging to enabled. This will allow you to sideload the beta build.

Nokia’s beta labs page specifically states that you’ll have to clear the data via recovery mode and not from the phone’s settings, so you’ll have to boot into recovery first. Here’s how you can do so:

Power off your device and connect it to your computer.
Press the Power and Volume Up keys simultaneously for 10 seconds.
Release the keys once you see the Android One boot screen.
You’ll now see a screen with the Android robot and a red exclamation mark with “no command” written underneath.
Hold the Power button and then press the Volume Up key once to see the recovery mode menu.
Select factory reset to reset your device (scroll through the menu with the volume buttons, and use the power button to make a selection).
At the next screen, hit Yes to confirm the factory reset.

Install Android Pie Beta on the Nokia 7 Plus

Once your device has been reset, you will be able to install the Android Pie build via ADB:

In recovery mode, scroll to the “Apply update from ADB” option.
Open up a command prompt on your computer and navigate to the folder where you downloaded the beta build.
Enter adb devices. You should be able to see sideload on the device screen.
Enter the following command: adb sideload B2N-3050-0-00WW-B01-update.zip (switch out B2N-3050-0-00WW-B01-update with the filename on your build).
You should see a progress bar indicating the status of the installation.
Once the installation is complete, select “Reboot system now”.

Once your device reboots, you’ll be able to set it up from scratch and start using Android Pie.

Android Pie stable OTA is coming soon

HMD is gearing up to launch the Android Pie stable build on the Nokia 7 Plus, and the OTA should be arriving in the coming weeks. There’s no mention of when it will make its way to HMD’s other phones, but as the manufacturer has committed to the Android One initiative for all of its devices, it should be arriving before the end of the year.

Android 9 Pie

• Android 9 Pie review: Greater than the sum of its slices
• Everything you need to know about Android 9 Pie!
• Will my phone get Android Pie?
• How to get Android 9 Pie on your Pixel right now
• Join the Discussion

Detroit: Become Human has surpassed a million in sales!

Look into your soul and decide whether you’re OK with letting history repeat itself.

Quantic Dream is one of those rare studios which dares to be different, and the company’s 2018 title – Detroit: Become Human – continues that reputation of peculiarness. You could describe the company’s works to date as interactive movies more than they are games, with the experience primarily driven by narrative and decision making.

Expect more of the same out of Detroit. That’s not to say that the game doesn’t deserve its status as such. You won’t need pristine mechanical gaming skills or muscle memory to get through it. It’s all about influencing the game through your choices and watching it all unfold. Here’s everything you need to know about Detroit: Become Human.

August 10, 2018 — Over a million and counting

It wasn’t long ago that we learned Detroit: Become Human surpassed over 1 million sales since launch. Since then, over 1.5 million people are said to have experienced the thrill of fighting for humanoid rights.

While it doesn’t sound like a runaway success on paper, Detroit: Become Human is a rather niche game available on one platform. By Quantic Dream’s standards, it’s by far and away their most successful game in the same time period. To compare, the game is performing well above Heavy Rain, according to NPD. It’s up 20% compared to Heavy Rain, the flagship interactive story Quantic Dream produced for the PlayStation 3.

Does this mean Quantic will continue to support Detroit with more content post-launch? That’s tough to say for now. The company historically preferred to move directly onto new projects instead of releasing episodic DLC or significant updates.

David Cage hasn’t ruled the possibility out, however, noting that there is still a ton of backstory available for many of the characters in the game, as well as room to maneuver for post-story happenings. He also mentioned that stuff could just as soon be introduced as a sequel. Either way, nothing is promised, so enjoy what we have now and hope for the best.

History repeats itself

Detroit: Become Human is a classic thought-provoking story by Quantic. It’s designed from the ground up to make you question your every move, as well as your resolve, emotions, and morals. In this game, you’ll take control of at least three characters, all of whom are sentient robots called androids living in futuristic Detroit.

These androids were first employed as helpers. Naturally, the humans thought this was the perfect role for them as they were to be emotionless beings whose actions are entirely programmed by their makers. But as these types of stories always go, they become aware, and they eventually figure out just how oppressed they really are.

You’ll see the events unfold through the eyes of three such characters:

• Kara: This is the main character designed to get you emotionally attached. Kara is the “nanny-bot” of the story, the typical service android that shows how life with these things should be. She helps a single father whose baby girl needs taking care of. Kara eventually shows signs of becoming sentient, teetering on the lines of obedience and rebelliousness.
• Connor: He’s an android detective, and his entire mission is to track down what they consider to be rogue bots. If a robot is overstepping its boundaries, Connor makes sure they’re corrected one way or another.
• Markus: Say hello to your classic rebel. Markus is probably the most “woke” of all the androids, with a strong play for civil rights, freedom, and equality being his driving force. His role in inspiring other androids to take a stand and fight for their rights is the polarizing issue driving the plot at large.

Detroit’s script is classically long, with its writer – David Cage – known for going over 2,000 pages with all his work. You likely won’t experience all 2,000 of those pages in one sitting, and maybe not even in five.

You can expect an overwhelming amount of branched dialog choices and multiple possible story outcomes. In fact, Quantic Dream suggests there are over 1,000 possible combinations. That’s likely an exaggeration as minor, inconsequential changes in detail will inflate that number, but you don’t have to worry about a shortage of conclusions.

And there’s a lot to it, to boot. The game touches on many of the issues prevalent in today’s society: racial inequality and prejudices; domestic abuse and violence; love. These games have always challenged the player’s soul.

You may be thinking to yourself by now: this is iRobot, The Game. That’s one way to put it, and we won’t argue. While it’s not the iRobot game we imagined we’d get – there were some really cool battle scenes in that movie that you won’t be able to replicate with pure gaming skill – it’s close enough in its underlying theme to make us happy.

Your choices matter

There isn’t much to Detroit’s gameplay. You control the three main characters of the game as you guide them throughout the city’s various environments to look for information, clues, details, and more.

That’s not to say that Detroit won’t have your adrenaline pumping or have your critical thinking skills put to the test. The constant threat to your favorite characters’ safety and your ultimate desire to see the happy outcome you’re hoping to see will have you mulling over each decision as carefully as you can. Your choices of dialog in any given situation are polarizing enough to tear away at the very fabric of your sanity. Your connection to these characters will grow.

Quantic Dreams is trying something a bit different with Detroit: Become Human in that regard, though. In years past, the formula for deciding the outcome of a situation was hidden to the player. You were left to use your deductive reasoning skills to try and figure out where the story would turn. It was obvious in some cases, but really vague in others. To be fair, it added to the feeling of uncertainty that kept you on edge and has become a staple trait of Quantic’s games.

This time, however, we get what’s called a ‘Probability of Success’ meter that shows in real time the consequences of your choices and actions. It seems to be a reliable way to gauge how certain situations will play out and could ultimately help you figure out how you want to react to each situation. But it is only a probability of success, after all, and your outcomes are never guaranteed.

Get ready for Detroit: Become Human

Ready to play Detroit: Become Human? You won’t have long to wait, as its release date is pegged for May 25th, 2018. That date is set in stone, too, with recent news that the game has gone gold, which means they’ve finalized the game and will start producing copies based on the master Blu-Ray disc on which it was preserved.

If early gameplay footage and previews don’t do it for you, there’s a free demo available to download on the PlayStation Store. It features you playing as Connor in a heated attempt to save a woman’s daughter. You’ll get a good serving of that gut-punching dialog and a scenario that does well to preview everything the game has to offer. There are even multiple endings, so there’s a reason to replay it after you’ve run through it for the first time.

If you’ve decided to pre-order it then you’ll want to know the best places to spend your money. For starters, every single pre-order of the standard edition of Detroit: Become Human will net you a dynamic PS4 theme and the game’s digital soundtrack, the latter of which should be able to contend with your library’s most memorable scores.

Amazon Prime members will get 20% off the game’s usual cost of $60, which brings the total to $47.

See at Amazon

Best Buy also offers the same discount for its Gamers Club Unlocked members.

See at Best Buy

For folks who don’t want to pay the cost to be part of either service, Newegg figures to be your best bet with a flat $10 off for anyone who buys it at their online storefront.

See at Newegg

There’s also a $70 digital deluxe copy available, and you’ll definitely want to consider spending the extra $10 here. The biggest benefit is that it comes with a digital copy of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream’s PS3-bound classic. Heavy Rain was a huge improvement on the company’s signature formula and still holds up as one of the finest interactive storytelling experiences gaming has to offer. Other goodies include a digital artbook, the digital deluxe soundtrack, 2 PS4 dynamic themes, and 10 PS4 avatars. The digital deluxe edition costs the same no matter where you buy it.

See at Amazon

Updated August 2018: Detroit: Become Human is off to a nice start as it’s been played by over a million people since launch!

PlayStation 4

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

Amazon

Cavalier Maverick review: Nails everything but the bass

If you’re looking for a great-looking alternative to the Amazon Echo, there’s none better.

I’m a huge fan of portable Bluetooth speakers. As I’ve been reviewing them over the last two years, I’ve amassed a solid collection, and I’ve tried everything from the absolutely abysmal to the jaw-droppingly marvelous. The Cavalier Maverick, however, is my first Wi-Fi enabled portable speaker, and when I was offered the chance to review it, with its elegant good looks and Alexa integration, I pounced.

I’ll say this right now: this thing rocked my socks, but didn’t quite knock ’em off. This is the Cavalier Audio Maverick.

Cavalier Audio Maverick

Price: $299.99

Bottom line: It’s a sleeker, sexier Amazon Echo that’s missing a couple features, but not enough to make it a non-buy.

See at Cavalier

**Pros*

• It’s the best-looking Bluetooth speaker I’ve seen
• Alexa integration is simple and works well
• Setup is simple and it easily switches between modes
• Responsive touch control

Cons

• The bass is lacking
• Missing some key Alexa features, like texting
• $299.99 is pretty expensive, even for what you get

Echo’s sexy cousin

Cavalier Audio Maverick Wi-Fi/Bluetooth speaker What I like

I don’t want to come across as shallow, but daaaaaaamn this thing is fine. I received the “Indigo” version, which features blue mesh with a real brown leather accent and matching charging base. The colors complement one another beautifully, and nothing about this speaker feels cheap.

It’s somewhat weighty — not heavy, but it feels substantial. The volume knob on top keeps things simple with a very responsive touch control (tap once for play/pause, twice for skipping tracks, three times to go back a track), and the five LEDs are there to indicate connections, battery level, and Alexa, with multicolor LEDs that are effective, good-looking, but not ostentatious.

This is as much a statement of style as it is of functionality.

That genuine leather strip on the front isn’t necessary, but this is as much a statement of style as it is of functionality. Speaking of function, the fact that both the charging base and speaker have a USB-C port is refreshing and a show of foresight. Every other Bluetooth speaker I have around the house still has Micro-USB, despite having only come out in the last year or so.

The Alexa integration in the Maverick is a delight. It works just like an Amazon Echo, with a few caveats that aren’t deal-breakers for me: you can’t change the wake word and you can’t send text messages. Other than that, it works like a dream — I was just about instantly able to connect to some smart plugs I have and use them flawlessly, and the Maverick’s microphone is responsive and quick. It’s basically just a sexier, better sounding first-gen Echo.

Where this has the leg up on the regular Echo is that you can remove the Maverick from the charging base and take it anywhere. The ability to start playing Spotify in the kitchen while I’m making dinner and then just grab the speaker and head into the living room, while maintaining full control through Alexa, is dynamite.

All about that treble

Cavalier Audio Maverick Wi-Fi Bluetooth speaker What I don’t like

The list of things I dislike about this speaker is short, but important in relation to whether or not I would buy this for myself. The Maverick lacks a present low end. That’s not to say the tone of the speaker is tinny, because it isn’t; it’s actually white warm and lovely. But there is absolutely no punch to the bass.

The Maverick’s tones aren’t tinny, but there is no punch to the bass.

You can adjust the EQ in the Cavalier app, but cranking the bass up as high as it goes has very little effect. I tried it with audio from multiple sources (Spotify, music physically on my phone, my Mac), and I actually found that things sound better over Bluetooth than over Wi-Fi. I have a cheap VTIN Royaler speaker with incredible sound, so I tend to hold very expensive speakers at least to that standard, and I find the Maverick’s low end quite subpar. That being said, when I compared the two speakers side by side, I found the Maverick’s sound to be far more well-rounded — mids are more present, and the high end is very clean.

All that being said, after listening for more than my test songs, I came to find that I really like the Cavalier’s tone, if I do find it a little off-putting when normally bass-heavy tunes don’t quite pack the kickapow that I like.

The only other thing I’m kind of “meh” on for the Maverick is the Cavalier app; it’s clunky and not exactly intuitive. Getting to certain settings that should just be in a settings menu is awkward, and you have to first tap the speaker you’re using and then there’s your Alexa, audio, and other settings. I suppose it does make sense, since you can connect multiple Mavericks together to get a whole-home audio system going over Wi-Fi, but it’s rather inelegant.

It would also be really awesome if the Maverick supported Google Home as well as (or instead of) Alexa, since that’s my personal preference, but there are so few third-party Google Assistant speakers right now that I really can’t fault Cavalier.

Cavalier Audio Maverick

If I were looking for a third-party alternative to Amazon Echo devices, this would probably be the one I’d buy… If I had the money for it. $300 is a big ask for what you get (in my frugal opinion), but the fact that you get a stunning speaker that sits on its leather-clad charging base and can go anywhere with you is gold.

The Maverick is easy to set up and control, and I can even get past its fairly absent low end, since you don’t really notice after a while.

4.5
out of 5

If you have $300 to spend and basically just want a sexier Echo, then have at the Maverick. Execution alone makes this a buy.

See at Cavalier

The best external hard drives for the PlayStation 4

The days of cracking open a PS4 for expansion are over!

PlayStation 4 owners have no shortage of choice when it comes to storage expansion. Popping out the internal drive is fairly easy, but if you don’t want to go through that trouble there’s an alternative. Just plug a USB hard drive into your console, and instantly you have all the storage you could ever need.

All you need now is to pick the right drive for your needs. Here are some solid options available to you today.

Seagate Portable 2TB

If you are looking for a boost in storage space from a that has a small footprint, This Seagate drive is a great option. It’s super thin and can fit just about anywhere. Not only that, but it has a perfect design that will fit right in with the black and blue styling of the PlayStation.

You can one up at Amazon for a mere $86. It also comes in a 4TB flavor for $115.

See at Amazon

Western Digital WD Elements

People who want to massively upgrade the storage on their PS4 but don’t want the hard drive to take up a lot of space aren’t left with a ton of options, but one of the better choices comes from Western Digital. The WD Elements series isn’t small enough to be pocketable but can be concealed on most entertainment centers. Most important of all, it’s a 2TB drive, so you’re unlikely to fill it with your PlayStation 4 games anytime soon.

See at Amazon

WD Elements do also come in 1TB and 3TB variants, but for $80 the 2TB model is the most competitively priced and will be more than enough for most PS4 owners.

Seagate Expansion

If all you really care about is storage, and you want to make sure you never have to worry about running out of storage on your PlayStation 4 ever again, the Seagate Expansion series has you covered. These external hard drives will go up to 5TB in capacity but is one of the few 3TB options for under $100 if you’re also concerned with your budget.

See at Amazon

These drives are big, so don’t grab one thinking you’re going to be able to easily hide it next to your PlayStation 4. As long as that isn’t a problem for you, these $82 drives will get the job done.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Drive)

Not everyone needs to buy a whole new external drive to expand a PlayStation 4; you just need a solid enclosure to put an existing drive in. If that’s you, the Inateck enclosure is everything you need. It’s USB 3.0 enabled, offers an aluminum body to better handle heat dissipation when under stress, and doesn’t require any additional software to set up.

See on Amazon

Drop your drive in, connect to your PlayStation 4, and you’re done. Not bad for $27, assuming you already have a drive you aren’t using.

Update August 2018: Updated with current prices and new drive options!

Why are we talking about PlayStation 4 stuff on Android Central? Let us explain.

PlayStation 4

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

Amazon

The Pixel 3 XL may be the first phone from Google I don’t want

“Stock” Android is what I want, but not like this.

People who know me also know that I’m a fan of Android the way Google builds it on its own phones. Anyone can build Android and is free to add or take away whatever parts they like, but the small additions that Google adds make Android something unique and awesome.

But later this year, I may not want to use a phone from Google.

It’s not the software’s fault — I think Android Pie is the best mobile operating system you can use today even if it has the worst name of anything, anywhere. No, I’m feeling this because of what I know in my heart and what I’ve seen in regard to the Pixel 3 XL. So far, none of which has me feeling very good about it.

I hated gestures on my Palm Pre and they were far better than Android Pie’s offerings.

The idea that the Pixel 3 and beyond will rely on navigation through gestures isn’t crazy. Google might not have come out and said it plainly, but it’s obvious that the company wants to use gesture-based navigation in lieu of any sort of buttons in Android Pie. If that means there will be no way to bring buttons onto the display, it’s a horrible and thoughtless decision. I’m currently going through physical therapy and each week I see folks who would definitely not want to rely on small delicate motions of their appendages to use a smartphone. I’m thankful that I could use one but still have zero desire. I hated gestures on my Pre. I hated the gestures on every one of the Symbian phones I had. I’m not a gesture kind of guy.

And then there is the notch.

Notches on a display are stupid and lazy. They are a stop-gap because a company hasn’t figured out a way to do what it wants to do while providing an unspoiled display area. The notch on some phones may be functional — they often house sensors and cameras — but I don’t care. I think they are disruptive and make using my phone a worse experience by being there. I’m sorry, but the notch is not fine and I don’t want to get used to it. (It’s OK, Hayato, you’re still a helluva guy.)

The only thing worse than a notch is someone who tells me to stop complaining about them.

When Vivo is able to build a smartphone without a notch and still have a wall-to-wall display (which is equally stupid in my opinion) and companies like Apple and LG do not, something is wrong. I would rather have a place to place my hands that’s not part of the screen when I’m holding a phone, but if you insist on selling me something that’s all display up front, don’t cut part of it out because you couldn’t figure things out. I wouldn’t tolerate a notch at the top of my television or computer monitor and I’m not going to settle for one on my phone.

My only hope is that this fad of selling phones with full-frontal displays that aren’t really all display quickly dies before every company starts doing it. I’ll happily use my BlackBerry KEY2 throughout much of 2019 while I await the KEY3, but when it comes to “stock” Android I’ll use my Pixel 2 if the Pixel 3 ships with no software buttons and big ugly places where the display is missing.

Is it wrong to hope that Samsung makes another Google Play Edition phone?

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

Best Buy
Verizon
Google Store
Project Fi

The Lenovo Chromebook 500e is the best Chromebook a student can buy

We are a team of experienced and knowledgeable Chromebook experts that test every model that comes out. We are also parents, so we know what students need in a laptop.

The Lenovo Chromebook 500e is a great educational device. It’s cheap and offers robust software experiences and access to school services. It’s easy to manage and use, versatile and attractive and comes with a stylus for taking notes. It’s the best of all worlds for a student.

Our pick

Lenovo Chromebook 500e

Top Pick

$309 at Lenovo

The Lenovo Chromebook 500e is built like a tank with a reinforced shell and rubber bumpers that make it MIL-STD 810G compliant so it’s going to survive banging around in a backpack. The Chromebook 500e is designed for educational use but still has the options we want to see in our best pick. It’s exactly what a busy student needs.

Why you should buy this Chromebook

The Chromebook 500e was built for students to carry back and forth to class without worry because of its rugged build. Features like a 360-degree hinge and excellent pen support make it the best Chromebook for any student. Lenovo’s long history of making excellent laptops shines through with the keyboard and trackpad and the display is specially bonded to work excellent with the built-in Wacom EMR pen.

Inside, you have plenty of power to get things done with an Intel processor and ample 64GB or storage. And Android app support is an added bonus that means a student will be able to find the app they need to be productive in class.

Reasons to buy

• Fantastic build quality
• 360-degree hinge
• Included pen
• Great battery life
• Powerful processor
• Lots of storage

Reasons not to buy

• Trackpad isn’t great
• A bit heavy

There are plenty of great alternatives for students

The Lenovo Chromebook 500e is an amazing Chromebook, but there are plenty of other options, especially if you’re looking for something a bit smaller or thinner.

For younger students

Acer Chromebook Tab

For Younger Students

$345 at Amazon

The Chromebook Tab is light and easy to hold, is great for more interaction with learning materials, and helps young students learn spelling and grammar by being more hands-on. While many Chromebooks can fold into a tablet, the Chromebook Tab 10 is a tablet.

Not quite a Chromebook, not quite an Android tablet, the Chromebook Tab is great for youngsters who need to learn by touching and doing.

Our budget pick

2018 Acer Chromebook 11

Best on a budget

$270 from Amazon

Acer’s new Chromebook 11 is an affordable and dependable Chromebook that has no aspirations to be anything else. The beautiful blue body doesn’t flip over into a tablet, there is no touch display or pen input — it’s a Chromebook.

The Acer Chromebook 11 is a throwback to the days when a Chromebook was just a great, inexpensive laptop. That makes it simple to use and easy on your wallet.

Bottom line

Students have some incredible options these days when shopping for a Chromebook. They can go the traditional route by getting something like the Acer Chromebook 11, or go in the complete opposite direction and buy a Chrome tablet that is super portable.

But we think the Lenovo Chromebook 500e is a student’s best bet right now.

Update, August 2018: The Lenovo Chromebook 500e is the best choice for a student because it’s tough and offers excellent performance

Chromebooks

• The best Chromebooks
• Chromebooks in education: Everything you need to know
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Chromebook Buyers Guide
• Google Pixelbook review
• Join our Chromebook forums

LIFX smart bulbs, TP-Link smart plugs, and more are discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on TP-Link’s smart plug mini, LIFX’s smart bulb, SanDisk microSD cards, kitchen knives, and more! Most of these prices will be gone when the day ends, so don’t miss your chance to save big!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

The best portable photo printers of 2018

Canon USA

Choosing the perfect photo printer doesn’t have to be difficult — after all, we’ve already put together a home printer buying guide. But what if you want to take your printer with you on the go? Since most of us now take pictures with our smartphones, wouldn’t it be more convenient to print photo right after taking them?

Sometimes, the best photo printer is a portable printer; they’re compact, easy to use, and transform your digital selfie into a physical keepsake. All you need to start printing is your smartphone, a solid Bluetooth connection, and one of the printer models below.

HP Sprocket Photo Printer ($130)

The HP Sprocket Photo Printer will print photos directly from your smartphone or tablet. Simply download the HP Sprocket app, and instantly share 2 × 3-inch photos or stickers. The printer works with both Android and iOS, and all you need is a Bluetooth connection for printing. The Sprocket is also roughly the size of a smartphone and weights a mere 6 ounces, allowing it to fit just about anywhere. The accompanying mobile app even allows you to customize your photos before you print, letting you make the most of HP’s 10-sheet packs.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Polaroid Zip Instant Photoprinter ($100)

With the Polaroid Zip, there’s simply no need to shake your printouts like a Polaroid picture. The apt-titled printer offers up 2 x 3-inch, color, smudge-proof photos with little more than a Bluetooth connection. The resulting photos are waterproof, tear-proof, and have a sticky peel-back, allowing you to place your photos anywhere you’d like. Downloading the Polaroid app for either iOS and Android opens up more possibilities, giving you a means for enhancing your photos on the go. The travel-friendly printer is pocket-sized, too, and weighs just 6.6 ounces.

Buy it now at: 

Amazon 

Kodak Photo Printer Mini ($97)

It just takes one button to print from the Kodak Photo Mini Printer. The all-in-one ink and paper cartridge prints detailed color 2.1 x 3.4-inch photos. The fade-proof dye transfer technology ensures each photo will last for at least 10 years. If you have an Android you can simply tap the device on the surface of the printer, and the innovative NFC one touch has you editing and printing in seconds. The Kodak Mini is also fully compatible with iOS phones and tablets over Wi-Fi network. With the Kodak app, you can edit, crop, and even turn your photos into a collage.

Buy it now at: 

Amazon

Canon Ivy Mini ($120)

The Canon Ivy Mini prints your favorite Instagram and Facebook photos directly from your smartphone. Download the app to customize and print your pictures, then easily sync the Ivy to your phone via Bluetooth. The printer uses Zink, or paper with embedded ink crystals, to create a small, portable design that doesn’t require ink cartridges. While mini Zink printers have been around for years, Ivy is Canon’s first foray into 2 x 3 photo printers, making it the company’s smallest and lightest printer yet.

Buy it now at:

Canon Amazon

Lifeprint Photo and Video Printer ($99)

Watch your photos come to life with Lifeprint’s Augmented Reality Hyperphotos. Thanks to the unique Hyperphoto technology, you can print live photos from Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Easily add filters, texts, memes, and stickers through the Lifeprint App. Connects to your iPhone or Android’s Bluetooth for wireless printing from up to 30-feet away. The Lifeprint weighs just 10 ounces and is compact enough to travel with. No ink to print just put the paper in and it’s ready to go.

Buy it now at: 

Apple Amazon

Fujifilm INSTAX Share SP-3 ($151)

The Fujifilm INSTAX Share SP-3 Printer is perfect for printing large INSTAX photos from your smartphone. Select your best pictures from your smartphone and simply transfer the photos from the app via a Wi-Fi connection. You can also print images from your Instagram, Facebook, Google Photos, Flickr, and Dropbox accounts. Print your favorite 2.4 x 2.4-inch photos in just 13 sounds. When you download the INSTAX share app you can add text, split the photo, make a collage, and add a filter to your images.

Buy it now at:

Amazon

SereneLife Portable Instant Photo Printer ($100)

The portable SereneLife is the size of a cell phone and fits easily in your back pocket. Connects with all iPhones, Androids, and tablets. Wirelessly transfer pictures by connecting to Wi-Fi and print in an instant. Print up to 25 images on a single charge and the inkless self-contained cartridges contain both paper and ink enough for 10 prints. Connecting to the Pickit app helps you share the photos you take. You can also use the app to make quick edits and adjustments, adjust color, add filters, and set the image borders.

Buy it now at:

Amazon

Canon Selphy ($101)

A little bit bigger then the rest, the Canon Selphy prints 4 x 6-inch photos and weighs a little less than two pounds. You can print from Airprint, compatible with both iOS and Android, through your camera’s memory card, or from Facebook and Instagram. The photos are water resistant and easily transforms into stickers. Downloading the Canon Print app, you can edit your favorite pictures to look perfect. Take the printing on the go with the optional battery pack, so the photos can be printed from anywhere.

Buy it now at: 

Canon Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best budget-friendly GoPro alternatives that won’t leave you broke
• The 10 Best Selfie Sticks
• From solar stoves to skewers, 12 grill gadgets that’ll crown you king of summer
• The 18 best iPhone docks
• The best iRobot Roomba deals to make cleaning your home a breeze

Motorola Moto Z3 vs. Moto Z3 Play

Motorola’s latest phone is finally here — but it’s perhaps not what many were expecting. Featuring some nice specs and an even nicer price tag, however, the new Moto Z3 may well be the phone for you.

Of course, there’s another Motorola phone that might be even better, depending on your needs. The Moto Z3 Play comes in at a similar price, and is very similar in many other ways. But does the new standard Moto Z3 feature enough power to beat out the Moto Z3 Play? We put the two phones head to head to find out.

Specs

Motorola Moto Z3
Motorola Moto Z3 Play

Size
6.16 x 3.01 x 0.27 inches (156.5 x 76.5 x 6.8 mm)
6.16 x 3.01 x 0.27 inches (156.5 x 76.5 x 6.8 mm)

Weight
5.5oz (156g)
5.5oz (156g)

Screen size
6-inch Super AMOLED
6-inch Super AMOLED

Screen resolution
2,160 × 1,080 pixels (402 pixels per inch)
2160 x 1080 pixels (402 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android  8.1 Oreo
Android 8.1 Oreo

Storage space
64GB
64GB

MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 2TB
Yes, up to 2TB

Tap-to-pay services
Google Pay
Google Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636

RAM
4GB
4GB

Camera
Dual 12MP + 12 MP rear, 8MP front
Dual 12MP + 5MP rear, 8MP front

Video
4K at 30 fps, 1,080p at 120 fps
4K at 30 fps, 1,080p at 60 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Ports
USB-C
USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes

Water resistance
No
No

Battery
3,000mAh
3,000mAh

App marketplace
Google Pay
Google Pay

Network support
Verizon
All major carriers

Colors
Ceramic black
Deep indigo

Price
$480
$500

Buy from
Verizon

Motorola, Amazon

Review score
Hands-on
3.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Let’s get one thing straight right away — the new standard Moto Z3 is clearly better in the performance department than the Moto Z3 Play, and it all comes down to the fact that the Moto Z3 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. Now, the Snapdragon 835 isn’t the most powerful Qualcomm chip around — that title falls to the newer Snapdragon 845. But it is Qualcomm’s 2017 flagship, and as such it’s a very powerful chip. The Snapdragon 636, which is found in the Moto Z3 Play, is a decent chip but decidedly more midrange. Both phones feature 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The two devices are identical when it comes to battery life and charging. Both have a 3,000mAh battery with a USB-C port for charging, and both come with a 15W TurboPower charger for fast charging.

Winner: Moto Z3

Design and durability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Battery life and charging aren’t the only ways in which these phones are identical. They also feature an identical design, only coming in slightly different color options. Both the Moto Z3 and Moto Z3 Play feature a 6-inch display with beautifully rounded corners, and while it’s hard to judge the display as truly edge-to-edge, it is pretty close. The devices have a fingerprint sensor, but it’s not on the front or the back — instead being found on the left side. On the back, there’s a typical Motorola camera bump, with both phones boasting a dual-lens sensor.

When it comes to durability, neither of the two phones are great. Neither have any real water-resistance beyond basic splash-proofing, and both feature heavy use of glass in their design, so you will want to consider buying a good case.

Winner: Tie

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The display used is also the same on both devices. It’s a 6-inch Super AMOLED display, with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It’s a pretty decent display, to be sure, though a higher resolution is always nice. This resolution translates to 402 pixels per inch. The aspect ratio on the phones is 18:9, which helps give the phone a nice, modern look — and means that the fingerprint sensor had to be moved to the side of the phone.

Winner: Tie

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

While the camera may look the same from the outside, it’s actually pretty different. Both devices feature a dual-sensor camera, but the Moto Z3 features two 12 megapixel sensors, while the Moto Z3 Play boasts one 12-megapixel sensor and one 5-megapixel “depth-sensing” lens. In other words, while both devices feature dual-sensor cameras, the camera on the newer Moto Z3 should be a little better in some situations than the Moto Z3 Play.

The Z3 sports an aperture of f/2.0, while the Z3 Play comes in at f/1.7, which theoretically means that the Z3 Play should be a little better in low-light shots — though we’ll have to wait and see if that turns out to be true. However, only the Moto Z3 offers a black and white mode that employs that second 12-megapixel lens.

On the front, both phones feature an 8-megapixel camera with an aperture of f/2.0.

While we’ll have to wait and see how the cameras perform in the real world, for now, this one goes to the Moto Z3.

Winner: Moto Z3

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Both the Moto Z3 Play and the Moto Z3 ship with Android 8.1 Oreo, and they should both get updates to Android Pie at some point in the near future. Generally speaking, Motorola ships relatively stripped-down versions of Android with its phones, and the Moto Z3 Play is no exception to that rule. The phone features little bloatware.

Unfortunately, things are a little different on the Moto Z3, likely because of its Verizon exclusivity. That’s something to keep in mind if you’re in the market for the Moto Z3.

Of course, Motorola has also made a few tweaks for its phones, and they’re pretty nice. For starters, the phones allow you to turn on Moto Actions, giving you extra gestures that you can use for things like turning on the flashlight. Moto Display, another tweak, allows you to see discreet notifications on the lock screen.

Motorola isn’t the best these days when it comes to updates. While the phones should get Android Pie and eventually Android Q, it may take a while. That’s also true for security updates — so keep that in mind.

Winner: Tie

Special features

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

While many of the special features fall into the software category, there is one special feature that only the new Moto Z3 boasts — it’s the first phone to be upgradeable to 5G. With the new 5G Moto Mod, which will be available in 2019, you’ll be able to connect to 5G networks — providing there’s 5G service in your area.

The Moto Z3 also adds Amazon Alexa support — so you can set Alexa to be your default digital assistant if you so choose.

Winner: Moto Z3

Price

The price of the two phones is perhaps surprisingly similar. While the Moto Z3 Play comes with a Moto Power Pack mod and comes in at $500, the standard Moto Z3 has a price tag of $480. Keep in mind, however, that the standard Moto Z3 is only available through Verizon — so if you’re not on Verizon or not willing to switch, you won’t be able to get your hands on the device.

Overall winner: Moto Z3

The Motorola Moto Z3 is the clear winner here. It features a better processor, slightly better rear-facing camera, and comes in at a slightly cheaper price. There’s only one problem — it’s really only the better choice if you’re a Verizon customer or you’re willing to switch. Otherwise, unfortunately, you’re out of luck.

That said, the Moto Z3 Play is still an excellent device. It supports a range of Moto Mods and features pretty decent specs for the price.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Moto Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Which flagship is more worthy?
• Moto Z3 hands-on review
• Moto Z3 Play review
• Moto Z3 Play vs. Honor View 10: Which midrange phone should be in your pocket?
• Moto Z3 Play vs. Moto Z2 Play vs. Moto Z Play: Should you upgrade?

‘There’s Waldo’ robot will find Waldo long before you can

Matt Reed / Redpepper

Add another name to the list of games machines have dominated: Where’s Waldo.

Few things fill us with angst growing up quite as much as trying to find that candy cane man amid a scene of chaos. Most games get easier with practice, but lanky ol’ Wally just got harder to find with each turned page.

So you may watch a new robot called There’s Waldo with a mixture of respect and resentment as it locates our beanie-at-the-beach main character in under 4.5 seconds. It’s impressive, yes. But also a bit of a spoiler.

There’s Waldo is the brain child of Matt Reed, a creative technologist at the creative agency Redpepper. Reed and his colleagues built the bot out of a uArm Swift Pro that’s controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer. On the front of the arm sits a Vision Camera Kit, which snaps a photo of the puzzle and runs it through the computer vision program OpenCV to recognize faces in the crowd.

The secret sauce is in Google’s AutoML Vision, a user-friendly system that lets users train A.I. without prior knowledge about coding. Reed trained his algorithm on 62 distinct photos of Waldo he found online. That might not seem like a lot of data, given that A.I. are often trained on many times that, but it seems to work.

In a video posted online, There’s Waldo is shown solving Where’s Waldo scenes in just a few seconds. When tasked with finding Waldo, the robot snaps a photo, picks out the faces, and decides which ones are mostly like Waldo based on anything higher than 95 percent confidence. It then reaches out with a tiny silicone hand and selects the character for good measure.

There’s Waldo records times between 4 seconds and 30 seconds depending on the number of characters on the page.

Reed was apparently inspired to develop the system after seeing the Amazon Rekognition for celebrities.

“That got me wondering if detecting illustrated celebrities was even possible,” he told Digital Trends. “For some reason that thought combined with my childhood memories of looking for Waldo hours on end popped together and spawned this project.”

The whole thing took Reed about a week to program, which is about how long many of us usually spend trying to find Waldo in the first place.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Hitman 2’ hands-on preview
• ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ review
• HBO offers behind-the-scenes look at ‘Westworld’ season 2 finale
• ‘Bill and Ted Face the Music’: Every excellent (and bogus) thing we know so far
• Playable beta for ‘Beyond Good & Evil 2’ won’t be ready for quite some time