Your stone-skipping skills pale in comparison to this robotic rock launcher

What are the two things that all kids love? Rock skipping and robots, obviously. Using the kind of inventiveness that has made him a YouTube star, former NASA engineer-turned-quirky-inventor Mark Rober has combined both to put together a robot that’s able to skip rocks across the surface of water with impressive consistency. Best of all? It might even improve your own own rock-skipping technique so that this won’t join the growing number of fields in which robots put us on the unemployment scrap heap.

“I made a robot — or I suppose more of a machine, but ‘robot’ sounds way cooler — that could skip rocks really well,” Rober told Digital Trends. “Or, at least, it did eventually. We really just made it to have built-in adjustable parameters like wrist angle and arm angle so we could do experiments to find the best settings for a perfect rock skip.”

The robot was created by modifying a clay pigeon thrower, including the addition of customized wooden throwing arms, and a box base to give a bit more stability. The standardized rock replacement discs were air-dried clay, shaped with cookie cutters. Of course, the most important step was when Rober’s team of seasoned mechanics and engineers (read: his young nieces and nephews) stepped into the breach to give “Skippa” a spray paint and googly eye makeover, ensuring that it conformed to the necessary robot design stereotypes.

So what can we learn from the trial and error involved with getting Skippa to work? Mainly that the perfect rock skip involves rocks hitting the water at a 20-degree angle, with a 20-degree path, and a higher angle for cases when more energy is required. Flicking the wrist as much as is humanly (or robotically) possible is also a must. Oh, and the rock should be sufficiently heavy, with a flat bottom.

As much of a success as Rober’s rock-skipping robot is, however, he said he has no plans to elaborate on it in the near future. “I sort of pride myself on doing something totally different every month on my channel,” he continued. “Once I’ve visited a topic, I don’t ever really revisit it. My list of cool things I want to try is too long to allow for that.”

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Walmart’s new grocery robots aim to speed up your shopping experience

In the very near future, the person who picks out your online Walmart grocery pickup order may not be, well, a person at all. That’s due to the fact that the retail giant recently announced that it has teamed up with Massachusetts-based Alert Innovation to adopt a special custom version of Alert’s Alphabot product-picking robots. The automated assistants, which take the form of miniature food-picking shuttle robots, will be used at the massive 20,000-square foot warehouse attached to Walmart’s Salem, New Hampshire, superstore.

The hope is that using this technology can increase the speed at which customer’s orders can be picked out — and therefore picked up by customers with limited time to spend shopping.

In a statement, Walmart described how Alphabot will retrieve ordered items, before delivering them to store associates at one of its pick stations. “Our personal shoppers will then pick, assemble and deliver orders to customers,” it noted. “The vast majority of grocery products we offer in-store will be fulfilled through this system, though our personal shoppers will still handpick produce and other fresh items.”

Alphabot is set to go live by the end of this year. Starting October 1, shoppers at the Salem store will be able to go and pick up their robot-chosen order, with the possibility of home deliveries being rolled out at a later date. For now, this is considered a “pilot program,” meaning that there is no guarantee that Alphabot will find a long-term home in the Walmart family. However, if it’s as successful as the company hopes, this surely isn’t out of the question. Currently, upward of 1,200 Walmart stores offer the grocery pickup service. That is twice the number of stores where it was available just two years ago.

Walmart isn’t the only retail company to turn to robots to solve some of these product-picking problems. Amazon has long embraced robots, working alongside humans, at its fulfillment centers. Meanwhile, in the U.K., online supermarket Ocado is battling to show itself as the most tech-savvy food retailer of them all — courtesy of a humanoid bot the company hopes will one day be able to work alongside humans in its warehouses.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Walmart’s grocery pickup is free, but how is the service?
• Kroger’s Ship leaves the dock with curated products and special deals
• Autonomous cars: Waymo and Walmart partner on a grocery pickup service
• Amazon takes on the grocery store with Prime Pantry
• You have to get an invite for Walmart’s personal shopping service, Jetblack

The best OnePlus 6 screen protectors

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The OnePlus 6 is perhaps the best midrange phone of 2018. With power that rivals the most expensive phones available, a gorgeous design, and some stunning cameras, there’s never been a better phone to be deemed “the flagship killer.”

But with all a flagship’s power and style come certain weaknesses. A large, bezel-less screen is impressive, but it also presents a larger target that may shatter or crack. Keep it safe and damage-free with the best OnePlus 6 screen protectors.

Official OnePlus 3D Screen Protector ($20)

If you’re looking to protect your OnePlus 6, then who better to advise you on protection than the phone’s own manufacturer? This screen protector is made from tempered glass, and has been CNC engraved and fused to provide perfect edge-to-edge protection for your phone’s display. The surface has a hardness rating of 9H, and comes with anti-scratch properties and an oleophobic coating that helps to keep fingerprints from spoiling your view. It’s not hard to attach either, with OnePlus supplying a case to ensure perfect alignment, cleaning tools, and even a squeegee to squeeze all air out from beneath the protector. There is even a video to guide you.

Buy it now from:

OnePlus

GadgetShieldz Full Body Screen Protector ($10)

We’ve written a list of the best OnePlus 6 cases to complete your protection, but what if you’re really not a fan of cases? Check out this screen protector from GadgetShieldz which protects not only your screen but the back and sides of your phone, too. It’s made from flexible but durable film bolstered with nano polymers for self-healing properties. This flexibility means that the protector can bend to adapt to the curves of your device and leave no surface uncovered. The film adds grip to the slippery glass of your OnePlus 6 without feeling tacky, and since it’s only 0.2mm thick it doesn’t add any extra bulk to your slim phone either. It won’t protect as much as a glass protector, but it’s better than nothing.

Buy it now from:

GadgetShieldz

Poetic Screen Protector ($8)

Poetic make great, tough, rugged cases that can take a blow well and come back for more — so you can be sure that Poetic’s screen protector can do the same. It’s made from 9H hardness tempered glass with anti-chip tech that curves the screen protector into your phone’s body for full protection. It’s resistant to impacts, dust, and fingerprints, while still being extremely thin at just 0.3-mm thick. It’s easy to apply, super-transparent, and doesn’t impact your display’s touchscreen sensitivity. Best of all, it’s extremely cheap when compared to other tempered glass screen protectors.

Buy it now from:

Poetic Amazon

IQShield Liquid Shield Screen Protector ($8)

Another tough and flexible film screen protector, this option from IQShield conforms to the curves of your device, helping to protect it from scratches and other damage. It doesn’t protect all of your device and it’s not going to be as protective against drops as tempered glass, but it should still hold up well thanks to its layered construction. The Liquid Shield is formed from four layers, including an anti-yellowing UV layer, a tough protective layer, and a fully adhesive bottom layer. It’s almost completely invisible to the eye, doesn’t leave any residue on your screen after its done its job, and best of all, it’s cheap.

Buy it now from:

IQShield Amazon

ArmorSuit MilitaryShield Screen Protector ($14)

As soon as anyone starts throwing military terms around, you know you’ve probably got a winner on your hands. This screen protector is made from a flexible and tough film that was apparently created to coat military helicopter blades. According to ArmorSuit, it protects against sand, impact damage, and comes with self-healing properties. It’s treated with an anti-yellowing coating, which helps to stop your protector aging badly. It should be a perfect fit too, as it uses a wet installation method that puts a layer between the screen protector and the display, ensuring a close fit and great touchscreen sensitivity. It’s not as tough as glass, but it’s good enough to see your phone through a good few bashes.

Buy it now from:

ArmorSuit Amazon

Olixar Glass Screen Protector ($15)

Olixar is an up-and-coming name in mobile accessories, and you might have come across its cases in some form or another. But it also brings some great screen protectors to the table. This screen protector is made from hardened tempered glass that should protect your display from blows that would otherwise shatter your screen. If the worst should happen and the protector breaks, then the anti-shatter film beneath will stop it from coming apart and lancing into your fingers. It’s hard and clear, and has an easy installation method with little risk of bubbling underneath the glass. It’s also super-thin at just 0.26mm thick. This is good protection at an attractive price.

Buy it now from:

Mobile Fun Amazon

RhinoShield Impact Protection Screen Protector ($25)

Most film screen protectors aren’t great against impacts, since flexible film just isn’t as tough as tempered glass. RhinoShield claims that its screen protector is different, and says it can guard against hammer blows and take five-times more impact energy than the Gorilla Glass 5 on the OnePlus 6’s display. We can’t back that claim up, and don’t recommend you try it either — but even if it isn’t true, it’s unlikely to be any worse than other film protectors in the same class. It’s strong, resistant to smudges, dirt, and fingerprints, and it’s also compatible with a bunch of cases, as well as being as thin as three sheets of printer paper.

Buy it now from:

RhinoShield Amazon

Ringke Invisible Defender Full Coverage Protector – Triple Pack ($12)

There aren’t too many screen protectors that protect more than just the screen, but Ringke’s Invisible Defender is one of the few that does. This film screen protector features two wings that wrap around the sides of your phone and to the back, keeping all those exposed areas under wraps. It’s a great protector to combine with a good protective case for all-around protection, and the self-healing film should mean that your phone’s display stays clear and unscratched. Ringke warns that some bubbling may occur in the first three days of installation, but says that those bubbles will go if pushed to the side and left to settle. Best of all though, if you muck it up there are two more in the pack.

Buy it now from:

Ringke Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best OnePlus 6 cases and covers
• OnePlus 6 vs OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3: Is the new phone worth the upgrade?
• Common OnePlus 6 problems, and how to fix them
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T vs. OnePlus 5: Is it worth it to upgrade?
• OnePlus 6 review

BenQ’s curvy new QHD display for gamers supports AMD’s FreeSync 2 tech

Gamers looking for a monitor supporting AMD’s FreeSync 2 technology now have a new option from BenQ: The EX3203R. Available now for $700, it’s a 32-inch curved display with a QHD resolution, an 1800R curvature, and a 144Hz refresh rate.

If you’re not familiar with AMD’s FreeSync 2 technology, it arrived at the beginning of 2017 as an alternative to the original FreeSync platform. Both synchronize the frames-per-second output of an AMD-based graphics card with the display’s refresh rate. This eliminates the visual screen tearing and stuttering that typically arises when the game’s framerate fluctuates.

But the FreeSync 2 name is somewhat misleading as it’s not the successor or a replacement to the original FreeSync. Instead, it simply adds features on top of the synchronization aspect such as support for HDR, low input latency and low framerate compensation.

Regardless, here are the specifications for BenQ’s new display:

• Screen size: 31.5 inches
• Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 (QHD)
• Refresh rate: 144Hz
• Panel type: VA
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Curvature: 1800R
• Brightness: 400 nits
• Contrast ratio (native): 3,000:1
• Contrast ratio (dynamic): 20,000,000:1
• Response time: 4ms gray-to-gray
• Viewing angles: 178 degrees (both)
• Pixels per inch: 93
• Color gamut: 90 percent DCI-P3
• Color amount: 16.7 million
• Color depth: 8-bit
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort, 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x Headphone jack

BenQ’s new curved monitor is a DisplayHDR 400 certified device, meaning it falls at the bottom of VESA’s new three-tier certification system. DisplayHDR was designed to better inform customers about the level of HDR quality provided in desktop displays. DisplayHDR 400 is the entry-level tier while DisplayHDR 600 is the next level up followed by DisplayHDR 1000 at the top. The numbers actually stem from the display’s maximum brightness level, which in this case would be 400 nits.

Meanwhile, you will see BenQ advertise support for HDR 10 on the product page. This is currently the industry standard for monitors supporting high-dynamic range, providing brilliant colors and deep blacks. Adding to HDR support is BenQ’s Brightness Intelligence Plus feature that can soften bright areas while keeping dark details “crystal clear.” In other words, in dimly lit scenes, the brighter areas won’t wash out and details in the shadows won’t disappear.

Other features packed into BenQ’s new display include a component to reduce screen flickering and one that filters out blue light. The Brightness Intelligence Plus component will detect the ambient brightness and color temperature in your surrounding area to adjust the display accordingly.

Finally, the EX3203R has an ultra-slim bezel, giving the appearance of an edge-to-edge panel. The idea is for customers to purchase three units to create one long, curved screen with very little visual separations between each display. Yet buying three of these screens would set you back $2,100.

You can purchase BenQ’s new FreeSync 2-based EX3203R display straight from the company for $700 right here, or though B&H Photo and Video here for the same price.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Acer’s new 4K, HDR, 144Hz G-Sync gaming monitor will cost $2,000
• BenQ EX3501R ultrawide monitor review
• Philips claims ‘world’s first’ with a new 4K HDR desktop display
• The best HDR monitors
• Samsung’s 49-inch display pushes horizontal resolution beyond 5,000 pixels

Widespread internet access is causing mass sleep deprivation, study suggests

We’re familiar with a lot of the arguments about why high-speed internet is among the greatest inventions in human history. But the internet can be bad for you, too — and, no, we’re not just talking about the howling post-apocalyptic wasteland that is the YouTube comments section.

In a new study, funded by the European Research Council, researchers establish what they claim is a causal link between broadband internet access and sleep deprivation. Specifically, they claim that our use of various internet-connected devices is costing those of us with high-speed internet up to 25 minutes of sleep per night, compared to those without it. That’s not good news.

“Internet addiction and technology use near bedtime are often blamed as a major cause of the sleep deprivation epidemic,” Luca Stella, a researcher at the Carlo F. Dondena Center for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy at Italy’s Bocconi University, told Digital Trends. “Yet the empirical evidence on this relationship is still limited. In our study, we first show descriptive evidence that the use of digital devices at night is correlated with shorter sleep duration. Then, exploiting differences in the access to high-speed internet caused by the pre-existing telephone infrastructure in Germany, we analyze the relationship between high-speed internet and sleep. We find that access to broadband internet reduces sleep duration and sleep satisfaction.”

These researchers aren’t the first people to raise the alarm about our dependence on internet-connected devices, or the possible links between areas like smartphone addiction and various negative health impacts. However, arguments surround many of these studies has gotten bogged down in the correlation versus causation debate. While this study is certainly not going to be the final word on the matter, the unique post-Berlin Wall digital divide in Germany — which has split broadband adoption along geographical lines — certainly makes for a compelling case study.

“Overall, the results were consistent with our prior [assumption] that high-speed internet may increase the use of digital devices, and more technology use near bedtime may delay bedtime and result in shorter and worse sleep,” Stella said. “A more surprising result is that the correlation between smartphone use and short sleep duration was highest among the 30- to 59-year-olds, rather than the under 30. The larger effect among over-30s may be explained by the fact that these individuals are more likely to face work and family constraints in the morning, and may not be able to compensate for a later bedtime.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.

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Best Indie Games for PlayStation 4

If you are on the lookout for some great independent games for your PS4 then check these out.

There’s no denying that the PlayStation 4 has made a comfortable home for blockbuster games and their developers. Every year there is a seemingly endless stream of huge titles. But what about the little guys? Independent developers are just as capable of creating amazing and engaging games as the big guys. Here are just a few of the very best independent titles that PS4 has to offer.

• What Remains of Edith Finch
• Undertale
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• The Witness
• SOMA
• INSIDE
• Firewatch
• Rime
• Stardew Valley
• Celeste

What Remains of Edith Finch

If you’re looking for a fantastic storytelling experience bolstered by gorgeous visuals then developer Giant Sparrow has you covered. What Remains of Edith Finch may not be for every gamer but if you are enticed at the idea of having your heartstrings tugged and you enjoy a meditative gaming experience then it’s certainly worth your time and money.

See at PlayStation

Undertale

If you spent any amount of time on social media in 2015, you’ve likely heard of Undertale. The surprise smash hit found a lot success for seemingly being such a simple game on the surface. The charm of its characters and unique world captured the hearts of players as you’re thrown into an underground world of monsters. This RPG has branching narratives depending on what level of blood lust you have simmering below the surface. Want to complete it without hurting anyone? There’s a pacifist run for that. Want to slaughter everything in your wake? The Genocide run is the one for you. But just remember, your actions have consequences.

See at PlayStation

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

You know that argument that you always get into? The one where you try to explain to someone that video games are just as valid and valuable an art form as film is. There’s always that one person who hasn’t played a video game since Frogger and they continue to insist that games are just kid stuff. Well, show them Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Ninja Theory developed one heck of a game and there is a reason that it garnered a veritable boatload of nominations at the 2017 Game Awards.

See at Amazon

The Witness

After the success of Braid, Jonathon Blow went on to develop The Witness, an outstanding puzzle game that will make you feel smart for completing the simplest of tasks. Set on an island, you’ll explore several distinct regions and solve over 500 puzzles. If you really want a game to test your intellect rather than your reflexes, you can’t do much better than The Witness.

See at PlayStation

SOMA

The developers behind Amnesia may specialize in survival horror, but the studio showed its versatility with SOMA. Yes, it’s still a survival horror, but it focuses heavily on a narrative that explores themes like artificial intelligence and consciousness. What it means to be alive. In the underwater facility of Pathos-II, you’ll uncover dark secrets about yourself and its inhabitants. Aren’t into survival horrors? Well you can take the “survivor” out of the equation by playing it in its Safe Mode. Be warned, it’s still plenty scary.

See at PlayStation

INSIDE

If you thought Playdead created an immaculate puzzle-platformer in Limbo, you’ll be amazed at what they pulled off in INSIDE. One of the most polished games to ever release, INSIDE’s puzzles are as diabolical as they are clever. And for a game without any dialogue, you’ll be treated to such a thought-provoking story that people still discuss it to this day.

See at PlayStation

Firewatch

Don’t overlook Firewatch just because some people refer to it as a “walking simulator.” Set in Shoshone National Forest after the Yellowstone fires of 1988, your character begins to witness strange events happening during his time as a fire lookout. While exploring the beautiful environment (which was designed with the help of artist Olly Moss), you’ll form a strong bond with a woman named Delilah as you attempt to solve the mysteries around you.

See at PlayStation

Rime

Stunning and gorgeous are completely apt adjectives to use when discussing Rime. Developed by Tequilla works, it’s a third person puzzle adventure game wherein you control a boy who has been stranded on a deserted island. Imagine the spirit of games like Ico and Myst and you will have a decent idea of what’s in store for you. If you like just a tinge of sadness with your visually masterful games, then you should certainly give Rime a second look. You can experience it yourself for $30.

See at PlayStation

Stardew Valley

If you were a fan of the Harvest Moon games and you haven’t played Stardew Valley, then drop everything and buy this game right away. Developed with palpable care by a single person, Stardew Valley is certainly a perfect spiritual successor to the Harvest Moon games. One would think that a farming sim shouldn’t be this much fun but it most decidedly is. If you’re looking for an insanely fun and charming time sink, then Stardew Valley is a no-brainer. You can pick it up on Amazon for $15.

See at Amazon

Celeste

Celeste came to the PlayStation 4 in the very beginning of 2018 and boy is it ever good. It will take a place amongst similarly difficult titles as Meatboy and Hotline Miami. However, it also just so happens to be beautiful and thoughtful as well. If you’re looking to make a list of the best platforming experiences of the past decade, then you should certainly put Celeste in the running. It’s hard to believe that a game this good is only $20 dollars, but it is. And it’s well worth your money and time.

See at PlayStation

One of the truly great things about the PlayStation 4 is the sheer volume of top-tier independent titles. What are some of your favorites?

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

Update, August 2018: We’ve updated this article to include more great indie titles for your PS4 like Undertale, The Witness, SOMA, INSIDE, and Firewatch!

PlayStation 4

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Amazon

Best microSD Card for Android in 2018

Expand your phone’s storage and get the card that suits your needs.

With so many top-tier phones offering SD card slots for expandable storage, you’d be remiss not to take full advantage. These microSD cards are the best of the best around to fit your specific needs.

• Best overall: Samsung EVO+ 256GB
• Best value for capacity: Samsung EVO Select 128GB
• Best value for speed: Lexar Professional 1000x 32GB UHS-II/U3
• Best balanced: Lexar High-Performance microSDXC 300x

Best overall

Samsung EVO+ 256GB

See at Amazon

Samsung’s very-highest-of-the-high-end microSD card isn’t all that cheap at roughly $100, but you’re also getting a winning combination of performance and storage capacity, with 90MB/sec write speeds and 95MB/sec reads, and an enormous 256GB of space.

That’s more than you’ll ever need in a smartphone, and the high read/write speeds will help if you’re shooting lots of 4K video on a high-end phone like the Galaxy S9 (as too will that enormous capacity.) Better still, it’s water, temperature, X-ray and magnetic proof, so you needn’t worry about it getting damaged while you’re out and about.

Best value: Capacity

Samsung EVO Select 128GB

See at Amazon

If you want a nice high storage capacity without breaking the bank, Samsung’s 128GB card is a good option — it provides a staggering amount of storage, and with pretty fast read and write speeds to boot — though remember your phone probably won’t be able to achieve the maximum read and write speeds quoted here. It’s about the lowest price we’ve seen for a 128GB card, and a great way to free up a ton of space on your phone or tablet. That and it’s only about $35.

What’s more, you can pay an extra few bucks at checkout and get an OTG reader thrown in too.

Best value: Speed

Lexar Professional 1000x 32GB UHS-II/U3

See at Amazon

If speed is more important, you might want to give this Lexar card a shot. It uses UHS-II flash memory and boasts read speeds of up to 150MB/sec — but only to supporting PCs and cameras, no phone we’re aware of currently supports UHS-II speeds for reads and writes. The capacity isn’t the greatest, but there are also 64 and 128GB variants available, if you’re willing to pay more.

The Lexar card also comes with a USB reader for plugging into your PC and transferring data at higher speeds. $33 on Amazon.

Best balanced

Lexar High-Performance microSDXC 300x

See at Amazon

This Lexar card won’t break the bank — it’s just under $25 at the time of writing — but offers a great balance of speed and capacity. 64GB should be enough for most people’s photo, video and offline music needs, while the card’s UHS-I speed rating provides ample performance.

There’s no full-sized SD adapter bundled with this card, but you can’t argue with the price for this kind of microSD.

Updated August 2018: Updated pricing. These remain the best microSD cards you can buy for your Android phone or tablet, no matter your needs.

At $10 each, these smart home accessories are no-brainer buys for Alexa device owners

Buy now, think later.

Right now, you can grab TP-Link’s Wi-Fi smart plug mini or LIFX’s mini white smart bulb for just $10 at Amazon when you use coupon code SMART10 during checkout. This pricing is impulse buy territory, seriously. At $10 each, you can afford to give both a try and finally see what all the smart home stuff is about, or expand your current one at a small cost.

This promotion is only available to those who have an Alexa-enabled device, like the Echo Dot linked to their Amazon account, but at this point that’s likely most of you. Both of these accessories can be controlled using your Alexa device with a simple voice command, so if you’ve been looking to expand your current smart home system, or finally try one out, this is the best way to do it. Amazon also has a bunch of other smart home accessories on sale at 20% off, so be sure to check them out as well.

See at Amazon

Android Pie’s new Overview is giving first-party launchers a big advantage

Would you rather have a good Overview or a good launcher?

Android Pie is here and it’s got goodies for everyone — except for third-party launchers, it seems. Android Pie overhauled the recent apps screen when it switched over to the new gesture navigation system and renamed this new recent apps and app shortcuts screen Overview, and Overview also has the app drawer built right into it, meaning that you can pull open your app drawer with two quick swipes up from the new pill-shaped home button.

There’s just one problem: it’s a launcher feature that almost no launchers can actually use.

The new Overview interface is lovely: the app previews are bigger, the horizontal carousel means that it’s harder to accidentally tap the wrong app by mistake, and the quick access to any app through the included app drawer means that I need return to the home screen far less while I’m trying to get things done. Then I switched from the Pixel Launcher back to Nova Launcher for my patriotic summer themes, and suddenly the Overview menu got a whole lot less useful.

Because of the app suggestions and app drawer being built into this new recent apps UI, Overview is a launcher feature that still required system permissions. Google won’t give third-party launchers the permissions they need to use it, but manufacturers can build it right into the launcher they ship on their phones, just like the Google feed pane that originated in the Google Now Launcher, may it rest in peace.

“Okay, so third-party launchers will just build a companion to build into Overview the way they did for Google Now, right?” Well, not so fast.

The key difference here lies in the permission levels needed for each feature. The Google Now pane required either a launcher with system permissions or that the client app using the Google Now feed be debuggable. That loophole allowed third-party launchers to create debuggable add-ons to enable Google Now without system permissions that they can’t get, and there’s no such loophole for the Overview suggestions and app drawer features in Android Pie. It’s not looking good, but it isn’t going to stop launcher developers from trying; the Smart Launcher team tells Android Central it is looking for ways to try and bring this feature to its users, and it is not alone in that search.

Since third-party launchers can’t offer up suggestions or app drawers in Overview, users are left with a bit of a choice. Would you rather have a launcher with robust features like customizable gestures and smart app drawer sorting, or would you rather have the app drawer in Overview and just try to ignore the shortcomings of Android’s lackluster first-party launchers?

For those who only use the home screen for a couple of app shortcuts and a cute wallpaper, the the Overview screen will essentially replace their home screen. After all, why go back to the home screen when you can open your app drawer anywhere? Power users that swear by Smart Launcher 5’s app drawer or Nova Launcher’s subgrid positioning would rather return to a home screen that’s set up just they way they want than deal with the dull and often cringeworthingly mismatched app drawers most manufacturer launchers come with.

As for me, I’m stuck here in the middle. Sure, the app drawer in the Pixel Launcher is a downgrade from my Nova Launcher tabs and my Smart Launcher categories, but being able to open any app on my phone in three seconds via the Overview menu is such a time saver, especially when my most used apps are always sitting in that five-app dock below my most recent app.

In a perfect world, I could have both, but we all know the world we live in today is anything but perfect. I can hope and dream that Overview can work together with the best launchers on Android to give users the experience they deserve no matter where they open their app drawer from. But I remember how long it took for Google Now panes to come from the Google Now Launcher to third-party launchers, and so I’ll settle in.

I’m going to be hoping and dreaming for a long, long time before that day comes.

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

Qualcomm sets date for event unveiling new Wear OS chipsets

The future for Wear OS will be unveiled on September 10.

Anyone who’s curious about the future of smartwatches running on Wear OS will want to circle September 10th on the calendar. That’s the day that Qualcomm will formally announce its new processing platform for smartwatches.

Hmmm. Just got a save-the-date from Qualcomm. Wonder what’s happening September 10? pic.twitter.com/HVeJrVSo2k

— Michael Fisher (@theMrMobile) August 7, 2018

As we’ve previously reported, this announcement is expected to reinvigorate the Android smartwatch segment and provide a significant upgrade from the Snapdragon Wear 2100, which is currently the best Qualcomm chipset available for wearables.

According to what’s been leaked so far, the new chip will come standard with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, with options available for GPS and LTE. The new chipset should allow for smaller smartwatches and improved battery life, and the event will also be used to unveil a new smartwatch running the chipset, along with announcements for other smartwatches that will be available for the holiday shopping season.

So far, we only have scant details on what to actually expect from the event. Still, it’s good to finally have a firm date set to see the future of Wear OS.

Are you excited to see what Qualcomm has in store for the next generation of Android Wearables?

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