Microsoft Surface Go vs. Asus NovaGo

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

Microsoft’s Surface line just got a little smaller, with the diminutive Surface Go that’s aimed squarely at Apple’s iPad as an option for tablet lovers. At the other of the iPad competition spectrum is the Asus NovaGo, a convertible 2-in-1 that’s one of the first Windows on ARM devices to hit the market.

Both of these machines want to take their place as viable Windows 10 alternatives to the small, light, and long-lasting iPad, but they take very different approaches. We pitted the Microsoft Surface Go against the Asus NovaGo to see which one can better tackle your non-traditional PC tasks.

Design

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

Microsoft Surface Go looks like a shrunken version of its successful Surface Pro, and that’s no coincidence. It is a shrunken version of the Surface Pro, down to the very familiar magnesium chassis and silver-gray design aesthetic. It’s also just as robustly built, with that “hunk of metal and glass” feeling in the hand that evokes confidence in its durability and quality. And it really is tiny for a full-on Windows 10 machine, coming in at 1.15 pounds and 0.33 inches thick. The bezels aren’t the smallest, and so it’s slightly larger in width and depth than it might otherwise be, but that’s nitpicking at this point. As with other Surface models, the optional snap-on Type Cover provides a satisfying typing experience and a responsive Microsoft Precision touchpad.

The NovaGo isn’t nearly as small nor as light, coming in at 0.59 inches thick and 3.06 pounds. And its build quality and aesthetic aren’t quite so exquisite — Asus built it well enough that you won’t worry about it falling apart and it’s not an eyesore. But you won’t come away thinking you under spent on the NovaGo by hundreds of dollars. And while the NovaGo is a 360-degree convertible with a more traditional keyboard, it’s a bit spongy and so doesn’t quite live up to the Surface Go Type Cover’s excellent typing feel. The NovaGo’s touchpad is larger, though, and just as responsive a Microsoft Precision version, and so that’s a plus in its favor.

Ultimately, choosing between these two devices, at least regarding their design, comes down to whether you prefer a detachable tablet or a convertible 2-in-1. You’ll appreciate the Surface Go’s build quality a bit more, especially at this price point (more on that later, but suffice it to say that these aren’t premium products), but you won’t find the NovaGo to be cheaply made, either.

In the end, being thin and light has its advantages, and so the Surface Go wins this round. Plus, the Surface Go supports an active pen while the NovaGo does not, and that’s another notch in Microsoft’s favor.

Performance

With its dated Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU, the NovaGo isn’t going to win many drag races against other Windows 10 machines. We found it sluggish overall, whether in Windows 10 in S Mode — the default — or in Windows 10 Pro mode running legacy Windows apps in emulation.

The Surface Go is an exception to that general rule, however. It, too, is sluggish, with an Intel Pentium 4415Y CPU that’s a far cry from the Core U-series processors that power the rest of Microsoft’s portable Surface line. As we said in our review, the Surface Go is even slower than some low-end Chrome OS devices on some of our tests, and it’s no faster than the NovaGo.

Also, the Surface Go has a slower solid-state drive (SSD) and the NovaGo utilizes even slower universal flash storage (UFS), meaning that neither is going to break any speed records when it comes to booting, opening apps, and reading and writing files. Combined with their CPU performance, we have to call overall quickness a draw.

The Surface Go does win out, though, when it comes to the sheer quality of its 10-inch 1,800 x 1,200 resolution IPS display. We found it sharper, brighter, more colorful, and with better contrast than the 13.3-inch Full HD panel on the NovaGo. The Surface Go carries on the Surface tradition of excellent displays, and that’s a real advantage in this category.

Portability

As we mentioned above, the Surface Go is eminently more portable. It’s thinner, lighter, and smaller, even with its Type Cover attached and ready for use. It’s far easier to put into a backpack and carry around for long distances.

However, the NovaGo is a Windows on ARM device, and that means its battery life is off the charts. It lasts just about twice as long — at least — as the Surface Go on a charge, and so you’re going to be able to work not only a full day on the NovaGo’s battery, but you’ll be powered into the next workday as well. We put these two devices into entirely different classes when it comes to battery life, and that includes how well they maintain battery life when on standby. The NovaGo acts a lot more like an iPad when it comes to closing the lid and picking it up later — there’s almost no delay in waking it up, and the battery life will be close to what it was when you put the NovaGo to sleep.

If you’re looking for the thinnest and lightest portable option, then the Surface Go wins out. But if you want to work as long as possible away from a plug, then the NovaGo has you covered.

The Surface Go is the better value

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

The Microsoft Surface Go starts at $400 or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage, and it jumps up to $550 for 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. That doesn’t include the $130 Signature Type Cover or the $100 Surface Pen, meaning that your investment will be $630 or more if you want to take full advantage of the Surface Go’s capabilities.

The Asus NovaGo has just one configuration, and Asus priced it at $700 for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS storage. There’s no additional outlay for a keyboard, and the NovaGo doesn’t support an active pen at all, and so these two devices are relatively close in pricing.

If you’re choosing between these two devices today, then we recommend the Surface Go. The NovaGo is already behind the curve when it comes to Windows on ARM devices. Perhaps when Qualcomm ships faster Snapdragon CPUs, we’ll be more prepared to give a device like the NovaGo the win. For now, stick with the Surface.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Surface Go vs. Surface Pro
• Tips on how to save battery life on an iPhone
• Shoot smarter in the woods with the best photography gadgets for camping
• Electrolux, SideChef to bring customized recipes app to Asia-Pacific market
• Here’s how to track an Android phone, tablet, or smartwatch

Edifier S880DB speakers review: Taking your music to a whole ‘nother level

Big sound, small package, right price. Edifier gets it all right with its S880DB speakers.

Choosing the right set of speakers for your desk or living room can be fun but tough all at once. There are so many different choices in all price ranges and most of the time you can’t just borrow a set to try them out. Ideally, you want options so you can use them with a small receiver or through your computer, and having Bluetooth as well as an easy way to connect a Chromecast Audio is a must for most of us.

Edifier sent me a pair of S880DB speakers to try and I’m impressed. These little speakers not only look beautiful but deliver where it counts: great sound without spending a ton of cash. $300 brings true Hi-Res audio to any room in a compact and complete package.

Edifier S880DB speaker system

Price: $299.99

Bottom line: Edifier’s S880DB speaker system not only is easy to use almost anywhere, but they sound like components that cost a lot more.

The Good

• Lovely, elegant design
• Choice of input methods
• Hi-Res file support
• Cables included

The Bad

• More expensive than other desktop speakers
• Light wood and white color scheme won’t match every decor
• A few inches of clearance needed because of thick cables

See at Amazon

They’re surprisingly small considering the sound they can put out; each speaker measures 5.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep and is only 9 inches tall. They’re active speakers, which means you don’t need any sort of external amplifier but you will need to supply power from a wall outlet. Y

ou can use them through a standard set of RCA jacks, USB from a computer, and coaxial and optical connections are there if you want to ramp things up a notch. For wired connections even the cables you’ll need are included: you’ll find a 3.5 mm to RCA splitter, an RCA cable, a shielded USB cable, and an optical cable at the top of the box in their own little tray.

Of course, Bluetooth is an option and the S880DB speakers are Bluetooth 4.1 ready for easy pairing with your phone, laptop, or tablet. you’ll be able to connect to these speakers no matter what you’re using to play your music.

The wireless remote not only powers the pair on or off, but has controls for Bluetooth audio (FF, Rewind, Play, and Pause) and four EQ settings. Choose from Monitor, Dynamic, Vocal, or Classic to change settings so the sound matches what you’re playing.

I didn’t expect a lot from these, but I was pleasantly surprised and you really do have a nice mix of sound profiles as well as a flat studio monitor setting if you do your fine-tuning elsewhere.

Since they’re active speakers, Edifier has also included some basic audio controls in the rear panel and you have an analog knob for treble, bass, and volume if you’d rather set things up and not have to touch them again.

A 192kHz DAP means your Hi-Res source files are going to sound the way you expect them to sound: awesome.

Everything above makes for a great set of bookshelf speakers for almost any room, but what really puts these over the top is the onboard processor and amp. When you’re using the USB, coaxial, or optical connection the digital audio processor has a 192kHz sample rate. with the right source files, these tiny little bookshelf speakers are true Hi-Res monitors that will make your inner audiophile tingle just a little bit.

You’re not going to get a wall of sound effect from the 19mm 12 watt treble drivers and 32-watt 3.75-inch bass drivers but you will get more than enough sound to fill any room with enough separation to make you think you’re listening through something that costs a lot more and takes more space.

More: Forget Sonos, Chromecast Audio is the better whole-home audio solution

I’ve been using these through my desktop, paired to my phone, and with a Chromecast Audio for a week and I am going to hate sending them back. The Edifier S880DB set brings a complete audio solution for almost everything in a compact and sexy looking package, and sound as good as my own desktop setup consisting of a Yamaha receiver, Pioneer monitors and a bird’s nest of wires.

If you’re looking for premium audio for your house, no matter how you want to connect them, these are one of the best ways to get there.

See at Amazon

Apple’s AirPods work great with Android phones, and today they are just $145

These don’t go on sale all that often.

Amazon is currently offering the popular wireless headphones from Apple for $144.99, which is about $15 off the normal going rate. We don’t see many discounts (outside of Costco’s recurring one) for these truly wireless headphones from Apple, so if you have been looking for a set, this is a deal you won’t want to miss out on.

Don’t forget, just because Apple makes the headphones doesn’t mean that they don’t work beautifully with Android devices. I’ve been using my AirPods with various Android devices since I got them, including my LG G6, BlackBerry KEYone, Essential Phone, and more. The experience is flawless, and the comfort and convenience greatly outweigh any silliness that you may think that they add to your ears visually.

The AirPods are powered by the W1 Bluetooth chip, which means they connect easily and have improved sound over Bluetooth. They’re ready to use with Apple devices out of the box. They can detect when you put them in your ears and immediately start working. You can double tap to access Siri. No wonder they’ve been in such high demand.

Don’t forget to grab some protection for the case the AirPods sit in, as well as a strap so you don’t lose one when traveling!

See at Amazon

How’s your Pixel 2 battery life holding up?

Here’s how the Pixel 2’s doing almost a year later.

We’re just a couple months away from the expected launch of the Pixel 3, and as you could probably guess, a lot of us are stoked to see how Google will improve with its third generation of in-house smartphones.

However, whether you don’t have the cash to upgrade this year or simply don’t see any need to, last year’s Pixel 2 is still one beast of a handset.

Some of our forum users recently started talking about the battery life of the phone so many months later (specifically its standby performance), and this is what they’ve been experiencing.

cbreze
07-28-2018 03:41 PM

“

With the latest beta update I lose between 4% > 6% over nite. .

Reply

Morty2264
07-28-2018 04:03 PM

“

With the new update I’d say I lose between 5-7% on an average night. But I charge my phone in the morning before work so I don’t worry too much about battery loss overnight.

Reply

Mr Segundus
07-28-2018 05:54 PM

“

I’m almost getting iPhone-quality standby time on my 2 XL. I lose between 3%-4% overnight if I don’t charge the device. My iPhone X loses 1%-2% overnight.

Reply

mustang7757
07-29-2018 01:12 PM

“

I lose about 2 to 4 % overnight but I also face phone down so AOD don’t stay on

Reply

Now, we want to hear from you! How’s your Pixel 2’s standby battery performance?

Join the conversation in the forums!

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

Here’s every Enhanced game for the PS4 Pro

Which PlayStation 4 games have been boosted for the PS4 Pro?

Console manufacturers have long used a “tock” model of updating hardware. Until now.

The releases of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X represent a “tick” in the development of their consoles. These are not releases of new consoles build from the ground up, but improvements on the existing hardware. Without going into vast detail and promotional talking points, these improvements mean more power.

Note: This is a constantly-updated list. Check for often for the latest Enhanced PS4 Pro games!

What does this mean for a PS4 Pro gamer?

There are many shades of grey, but mostly it means higher resolution graphics and more frames per second. Due to the fact that that it is being left to game developers to decide how they utilize the new processing power in the PS4 Pro, there is no uniform level of improvement.

There are myriad other graphical tweaks developers are implementing, such as enhanced textures and deeper draw distances. For the purposes of this list, however, we are just going to take a highest numbers claimed for resolution and framerate.

The List

Note: Some of these resolutions come with various caveats in regard to lowering other settings in order to achieve highest graphics quality. This means that console only players will be getting a chance to dip their toes in the previously PC owned world of setting tweaks. There are also a few games that are listed as adaptive 4K. In short, this means that the system will scale resolution up or down on its own. When there is less action on screen you are likely to have higher resolutions, whereas moments with tons of elements being rendered at once may see the resolution lowered.

• A Way Out – improved framerate
• Abzû – 2400X1350 with an “increased framerate”
• Arizona Sunshine VR – 1920X1080
• Ark: Survival Evolved – 1080p detail mode, 720p normal at uncapped framerate. 1080 with 30 fps target, 720 with 60fps target
• Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection – Native 4K at 30fps
• Assassin’s Creed Origins – 4K dynamic
• Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate – 2880X1620 at 30fps
• Batman Return To Arkham – 1920X1080 at 30fps
• Battleborn – 4K at 30fps
• Battlefield 1 – 2880X1620 at 60fps
• Battlezone VR – 3360X1890
• Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition – 4K
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 – 4K
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – 4K
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered – 4K
• Call of Duty: WWII – 1620p
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy – 2560X1440
• Danger Zone – 4K checkerboard
• Darksiders: Warmastered Edition – 4K at 60fps “in moment to moment gameplay”
• Dark souls 3 – 1920X1080 at up to 60fps
• Death Stranding – 4K (Release in 2018)
• Detroit: Become Human – 4K checkerboard at 30 fps
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – 4K
• Destiny 2 – Adaptive 4K
• Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition – 4K
• Dirt 4 – 60 fps, improved shadows and textures
• Dishonored 2 – 2560×1440
• The Division – 4K
• DOOM – 2560×1440
• Dynasty Warriors 9 – 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps
• The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition – 4K
• The Elder Scrolls Online – 4K
• Elite: Dangerous – 1080p performance mode at 60 fps or quality mode with unlocked framerate between 30 and 60 fps
• The Evil Within 2 – 1260p resolution or improved framerates
• F1 2017 – 4K
• Fallout 4 – 1440p
• Far Cry 5 – improved resolution or graphics modes
• Farming Simulator – 4K
• Fe – 1260p
• FIFA 17 – 4K up 60fps
• FIFA 18 – 4K with HDR support
• Final Fantasy 12 – 2560×1440
• Final Fantasy 14 – 3200×1800 at 30 fps or 1080p with unlocked fps
• Final Fantasy 15 – 3200X1800
• Firewatch – 2560X1440
• For Honor– 2560X1400
• Full Throttle Remastered – 4K
• Ghost Recon: Wildlands – 2560X1440
• God of War – dynamic 4K with HDR support
• Grand Turismo Sport – 4K
• Gravity Rush – 3840X2160
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – 60fps
• Helldivers – 4K at 60fs
• Here They Lie – 4K
• Hitman – 4K at 60fps
• Homefront: The Revolution – 4K
• Horizon: Zero Dawn – 4K
• Hustle Kings – 4K 60fps
• Infamous: First Light – 3200X1800
• Infamous: Second Son – 3200X1800
• Injustice 2 – 2560X1440
• Killing Floor 2 – 4K
• Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX – 4K at 60fps
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue – 4K
• King of Fighters 14 – 4K
• Knack – 3072X1728
• Knack 2 – 1800p
• LA Noire – 4K
• The Last of Us Remastered – 2560X1440 max. 1800p at 60fps or 2160 at 30fps
• The Last Guardian – 3840X2160 at variable frame rate. 1080p locked at 30fps
• Lawbreakers – 2560×1440 at 60fps
• Lego Harry Potter Collection – 2560X1440 at 60fps
• Let It Die – 2560X1440
• Life is Strange: Before the Storm – 4K
• Little Nightmares – 2880X1620 at 60fps
• Madden NFL 18 – 4K or 1080ps at 60fps
• Mafia 3 – 2560X1440
• Mantis Burn Racing – 4K at 60fps
• Mass Effect: Andromeda – 3200X1800
• Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain – 2560×1440 with more stable 60 fps
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – 4K or 1080p at 30fps
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War – 4K cinematics and 1080p
• MLB The Show 17 – 4K, 2560X1440, or 1080p with “enhanced frame rate”
• Monster Hunter: World – 1800p checkerboard at unlocked framerate between 30 and 60 fps
• Mother Russia Bleeds – 3840X2160
• MotoGP 17 – 2560X1440 at 60fps
• NBA 2K17 – 4K at 60fps
• NBA 2K18 – 4K at 60 fps
• Neon Chrome – 4K
• Nex Machina – 3360×1890 at 60fps or 1080 at 60fps locked
• Nier: Automata – 1080p at 60fps
• Nioh – 1080p display: 1920×1080 (Movie Mode)
• No Man’s Sky – 3200×1800
• Outlast 2 – 2560×1440 at 60fps
• Overwatch – 4K at 60fps
• Oxenfree – 60 fps
• Paladins – 4K
• Paragon – 1080p at 60fps.
• PaRappa the Rapper Remastered – 4K (dynamic).
• PES 2017 – 4K at 60fps.
• Prey – 1080p with improved texture, shadow, lighting, and particle effects
• Pyre – 4K at 60 fps.
• Ratchet & Clank – 3200×1800
• Resident Evil 7 Biohazard – 3840×2160
• Resogun – 4K
• Rez Infinite – 3840 x 2160 at 60fps
• Rime – 60 fps with HDR support and improved shadows, textures, reflections
• Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration – 4K at 30fps
• Rocket League – 4K
• Skyforge – 4K with HDR support
• Smite – 4K at 60fps
• Snake Pass – 2688×1512 at 30fps
• Sniper Elite 4 – 1920×1080 resolution at 60fps
• Steep – unlocked frame rate up to 60 fps
• Super Stardust Ultra – 4K at 60fps
• The Surge – 4K at 30fps
• Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization – 60fps
• Tekken 7 – 1080p at locked 60 fps
• Tethered – 4K at 60fps
• Thumper – 4K at 60fps
• Titanfall 2 – 2560×1440
• Trackmania Turbo – 2880×1620 at 60fps
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – 2560×1440 at 30fps
• Uncharted 4: Lost Legacy – 4K at 60fps.
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood – improved rendering
• Verdun – 3200×1800 at 60fps.
• Victor Vran: Overkill Edition – 2880×1620 at 60fps
• Viking Squad – 3840×2160 at 60fps
• Warframe – improved frame rate and performance
• Watch Dogs 2 – 3200×1800
  What Remains of Edith Finch – improved frame rates
• Wheels of Aurelia – 3840×2160 at 60fps.
• Wipeout Omega Collection – 4K (dependent on motion blur settings) at 60fps
• The Witcher 3 – 4K
• The Witness – 4K at 60fps
• World of Tanks – 3200 x 1800
• XCOM 2 – improved anti-aliasing

With all the various upgrades to existing games that will now be available on the PS4 Pro there is a decent argument for a PS4 Pro owner to revisit some of the games that may have sitting on the shelves gathering dust. The only difficulty will be tracking what sort of upgrades will be getting applied to each title.

What games will you be re-playing on your PS4 Pro?

Why are we reviewing PlayStation 4 games 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

Android P should just adopt Motorola’s one-button navigation gestures instead

Moto is once again improving upon the base of Android.

We’re getting closer to the launch of Android P — Google dropped the final developer preview just last week, and we’re expecting to see the finished product released later this month. Whether it’s called Pecan, Popsicle, Pancake, or something else, it’s bringing a lot of new features to Android, including a handy new one-button navigation system that does away with the black bar full of software buttons.

It’s great in theory, but there’s something missing from Google’s new navigational system. You can tap the new “pill” button at the bottom of the screen to go home or long-press it to launch Google Assistant, which makes perfect sense — that’s exactly how the home button has always worked. You can also drag the pill to the right to switch apps, either quickly to jump to the previous app or with a slower drag to open a horizontally scrolling list of apps.

There’s inexplicably no gesture to go back, though, so Google just left the back button in place when you’re in an app. Seriously?

What was Google thinking, not adding a back gesture?

Luckily, Google isn’t the only one working on simpler navigation. OnePlus has a new way to get around the OnePlus 6 without any buttons at all — instead, it’s all based around swiping up from different spots at the bottom of the screen. Swipe up from the center to go home, swipe up from the left or right to go back, or swipe up and pause to launch the multitasking pane. It’s nice to win back the bottom of your screen, but I never cared for this navigation either, since switching apps is considerably slower and clunkier than with a traditional software button.

Motorola debuted its own one-button navigation format with the Moto Z3 Play, and while it isn’t perfect, it’s by far my favorite implementation, and in my opinion the easiest to adjust to. Motorola uses a pill-shaped button just like Android P, but it essentially mirrored the button layout we’ve all gotten used to on Android over the last few years — tap the pill to go home, drag it to the right to access recent apps, and drag it to the left to go back. See, Google? It’s not that hard to add a back button gesture.

Coming from pretty much any Android device (aside from recent Samsung phones, which default to a reversed order with the back button to the right of the home button), this should feel super natural to move to, since you’re just moving the pill towards where the respective buttons would normally be anyway. Unfortunately, with Motorola’s pill you still get a slim black bar at the bottom of the screen, but it’s significantly shorter than the bar when using the Android’s standard three buttons, so I’ll take it for now.

Ultimately, though, I’d love for Android to eliminate that black bar holding the button entirely. I mean, isn’t it basically the equivalent of a notch at the bottom of the screen?

What say you? Have you been using any form of one-button navigation, or are you still perfectly happy with the three-button format we’ve had for years? Let me know in the comments below!

Android P

• Android P: Everything you need to know
• Android P Beta hands-on: The best and worst features
• All the big Android announcements from Google I/O 2018
• Will my phone get Android P?
• How to manually update your Pixel to Android P
• Join the Discussion

Moment Pro Camera app now uses the Pixel 2’s Pixel Visual Core

Yet another win for in-app camera experiences.

Last month, camera-maker Moment announced its Moment Pro Camera app for Android and iOS. The app launched with a bevy of features and settings from the getgo, but starting today, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners are getting an exclusive treat as the app now supports the Pixel Visual Core.

Once you update the Moment Pro Camera app to the latest available version, you’ll have the option of enabling a new HDR+ mode after tapping on the Format button. In the HDR+ mode, you’ll be able to use the same HDR+ processing that’s won us over time and time again in the stock Google Camera app.

Google first started to really push the Pixel Visual Core back in February when it finally enabled the chip for all Pixel 2 and 2 XL owners. With this turned on, apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and others can use the full power of the Pixel 2’s camera rather than simply using its viewfinder — resulting in photos that are brighter, sharper, and more colorful.

In addition to Pixel Visual Core support, the latest Moment Pro Camera app update also allows you to set it as your default camera, has improvements to the Camera Roll, and a host of bug fixes.

Hands-on with Moment’s new best-in-class Pro Camera app

What is Alexa Cast, and how does it compare to Google Cast?

It’s everything you loved about Google Cast… except for Amazon Alexa.

Android users have enjoyed the ability to cast media from their phones using Google Cast and Chromecast products and apps since 2013, and now Amazon is adding a new feature for it’s Echo speakers called Alexa Cast.

Currently exclusive to Amazon Music, the new feature lets you cast music to your Echo speakers and control everything from your smartphone.

How does it stack up against Google Cast? Let’s dive in!

Amazon playing catch up

Alexa Cast is very limited at the moment, but it’s a big step for Amazon as it catches up to its competition. Both Google and Apple have had media casting technology built into it’s own media streaming apps and services for several years now. Amazon seemed to follow a different philosophy, focusing first on building out a vast collection of hardware and focusing on Alexa as a platform for developers — and Amazon has enjoyed such great support from third-party app developers with its Alexa Skills collection to the point that the lack of casting functionality a mostly a moot point.

Still, in its current state Alexa Cast is a good feature confined to one app. It works really well but only if you want to use Amazon Music. In that regard, Alexa Cast is essentially the start of Amazon bridging a crucial gap between its own Echo products and Amazon Prime streaming services.

How does it compare to Google Cast?

At this point, it’s unfair to compare Alexa Cast to Google Cast outside of its core functionality. There are so many ways to use Google’s casting technologies to stream content from your phone or computer to your TV or Google Home speakers, whereas Alexa Cast is currently limited to Amazon Music app and Echo speakers.

In terms actually using Alexa Cast, it’s as easy and quick to use as you’d imagine and if you’ve ever used a Chromecast before you’ll be right at home. As long as you’re logged into your Amazon account and have at least one Echo speaker set up in your house you can cast music from Amazon’s streaming service: just tap on the Casting icon in the app, pick the speaker, and your music starts playing. You’ll also see any nearby Chromecast targets appear, albeit with a different icon, which allows you to cast Amazon Music to Google’s cast-enabled devices, too

What’s more exciting is to imagine what’s to come when Amazon expands the functionality of Alexa cast other media to devices such as the Echo Show and Fire TV. Until those features emerge, Alexa Cast for Amazon Music is a good starting point for Amazon to build upon.

A good excuse to try out the Amazon Music app

If you’re a Prime subscriber with Echo speakers and you’ve never checked out Amazon Music, this might be the excuse you’ve been waiting for. Given how well Alexa Cast works at launch, you just might decide to cancel a redundant subscription and rely on Amazon to supply your tunes.

As a Prime subscriber who primarily uses Spotify for my music, it was my first time using Amazon’s music streaming service and I found the app itself to be well designed and quite functional. But even as a Prime subscriber who has already technically paid for the service, I still won’t be switching over to Amazon Music any time soon.

What’s your take?

Have you tried out Alexa Cast yet? Is this a long overdue feature you’ve been waiting for? Let us know in the comments!

Amazon Echo

• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Echo Spot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

See at Amazon

20 Fortnite tips, tricks, and cheats to help you win a Victory Royale

Take every bit of help you can get. You’re going to need it.

Fortnite is an easy game to get into and appears to be a much simpler affair than something like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds at first glance. What you’ll find with time, though, is that this game is deep in strategy and requires a strong mastery of mechanics to find consistent success.

Constant practice is the best way to get better at something, but these 17 Fortnite pro tips should help get you on the road to your first Victory Royale.

Pick your fights carefully

Anyone watching YouTube footage or a live stream of serious Fortnite players will see them engaging with any enemy they can find and they often go looking for that trouble. We’re here to tell you that this is counterproductive to a winning strategy.

One of the biggest things you’ll need to learn right away is that it’s OK to not engage or to run away after an engagement has gone sour. Remember, your objective is to survive, not rack up a ridiculous kill/death ratio as if you’re playing Call of Duty.

Do NOT get caught in the storm

The other first rule of Fortnite: do not mess with The Storm. It’s a beast of a thing that can’t be controlled. It is your biggest enemy, even scarier than the 99 others standing between you and Victory Royale.

This is especially true as you get closer to the top 10, as the safe zone gets smaller and the storm hits much harder. Run away from it, always.

Shoot first, loot later

As you’re out there looking for the items and tools to help you to victory, don’t forget that those tools won’t do you any good if you’re dead. When you’re coming to a new area, take time to scope it out and see if anyone is lingering around before you start putting your head inside loot crates.

Don’t be one dimensional

You know how you’re never supposed to bring a knife to a gunfight? Well, the same thing is sort of true in Fortnite: you never want to go into battle without a balanced loadout that will help you adapt to changing conditions. Just as you wouldn’t want to use a sniper in close quarters, you wouldn’t want a shotgun up against someone who can land accurate shots from hundreds of meters out.

An example of a well-balanced loadout is a shotgun, an assault rifle, and a sniper rifle, with the other 2 slots of your inventory taking up healing items. You don’t always have to go this route (in fact, as you play more you’ll find that this is harder to achieve than you think), but the idea is to be able to protect yourself the most you can from any distance.

Use your surroundings to track enemy players

If you picked up some tracking skills in the Boy or Girl Scouts, it’s time to put them to use here. Due to the nature of how people build in Fortnite, you will come across structures abandoned in the world for one reason or another. These structures may be one ramp or a mile-high fortress, but either way, you’ll want to take note of where they are and how certain elements are positioned.

For instance, if you see a ramp leading up a mountain, you can probably bet (or you should at least assume) that enemies have taken a position up there. Whether you use that information to find a fight or take a flight, well, that’s up to you.

High ground is key

In any shooter, high ground tends to be the most favorable position against your enemies because you can scout and see more, which also means you can shoot at more areas that they try to hide in.

The first rule of Fortnite: do not mess with The Storm.

That concept holds true for Fortnite, but the wrinkle that the building system brings in makes it even more crucial to your success.
Being able to build a multi-tiered structure over your opponent’s head while they’re struggling to dodge your shots can make them panic, and your ability to dictate the pace of the engagement by making them build up to you almost always tips the scales in your favor.

You can get to hard-to-reach places by jumping on tires

If you see a stack of tires in the game, jump on them. Not only is it extremely fun, but it lets you jump much higher than the game’s already-ridiculous height cap allows. This is especially useful if you want to get on top of a building but don’t have (or want to use) materials to get up there.

Pro tips for winning in Fortnite

Seasoned a little and looking for an edge to take you closer to the top 10 or even toward your first victory? These advanced tips will go a long way toward your improvement.

You can knock bases down in one hit

While some bases in Fortnite can seem insurmountable, they do have a weakness: their base. Like any structure, if you take out its foundation it’ll come toppling to the ground.

You don’t even have to run up and hack away with your pickaxe: pour enough bullets into a ramp or a wall and it’ll fall to pieces. Completely separate the building from the ground and watch the whole thing come crashing down. Oh, and if you’re lucky enough to find grenades or rocket launchers, they make the job ten times easier.

Know when to disengage

One of the skills you’ll need to pick up on right away is gauging the war of attrition. We tend to speak of ammunition in that regard, but it’s impossible to know how much they’re carrying.

Instead, use the health prompts to figure out whether you can win a fight. When you shoot an enemy, you’ll see numbers appear above their head indicating how much damage you’ve dealt. If the numbers are blue and then begin turning white or yellow, it means they had a shield potion and you’ve completely exposed their health bar.

If your shots aren’t showing blue and you still have some of your shield, you’re winning. If not, you’d better look into your options for retreating fast (or be one insanely skilled marksman).

Supply drops are extremely rewarding death traps

As the late game draws near, you’ll have more opportunities to find supply drops. These drops contain the rarest guns in the game — legendary SCAR-L rifles, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, you name it. They’re highly contested.

If you’re in a position to safely snag one of these yourself, build a dome around you and crack it open like a pinata. But know that others may be in the area looking to get it for themselves and they may be leaving it as bait, waiting to shoot you the moment you step toward it. Feel free to take that tactic yourself for some easy kills.

Ain’t no mountain high enough to climb

Whether you need to get away from the storm, hole up atop a mountain, or close the distance between you and your opponents, building is a great way to cut down your travel time. Can’t make it around the mountain? Go above it. That lake too risky to swim across? Run across it — no, not with superpowers, but with your wooden planks!

Wood is your most important material

You may go into this game thinking that the strongest building material is metal, followed by brick, and then wood. And from a pure health and strength standpoint, you’d be right. But what the game doesn’t tell you is that wood may often be your best form of cover.

This is because of the way the game initializes each building piece’s health. They load up with a fixed percentage of their maximum health, scaling top-down from wood to metal.

Wood coincidentally starts with more HP and is the fastest to get its HP fully built up, so it’d take 2 shots from a shotgun to knock down a freshly erected wooden wall compared to one shot for metal or brick. This makes it the go-to choice for those high octane engagements where you just need to lay down constant walls of wood to save your butt.

Have a little time and safety on your hands? Build a sturdier long-term base with the other materials.

Switch controls for easier building

As building is important, you’ll want to know that there’s a build-centric control scheme built into the game. Called Builder Pro, this scheme places your build buttons as shoulder buttons, with the left and right trigger offering access to stairs and walls, respectively. This control scheme allows you to build without having to take your finger off of other buttons, making it not only faster to do, but far safer.

Get health boosts by eating nature’s bounty

Often in Fortnite, you’ll come across consumable items that are scattered throughout an area. Some areas will have a bunch of Apples which restore a small portion of your health, while the material left behind by the big meteor crash seems to have introduced some shield-generating space tofu. Find them — especially the shield food — and never worry about health again.

Tips for Fortnite Duos and Squads

Teaming in Fortnite can be a much different experience compared to playing it solo. If that’s the route you’re going then you’ll want to keep these things in mind.

Focus on the ones with guns

Anyone who has ever made the jump from solo to duos or squads knows how jarring it can be to see players get a second wind when you shoot them. They’ll fall to their knees for a chance to get revived by nearby teammates.

But before you go dumping the rest of your bullets into the downed enemy, take time to clear your surroundings and make sure their friends aren’t right around the corner. Remember, the ones on the ground can’t shoot you. The others can. (Also, you can use the downed enemies as bait to draw their teammates in, so let them live a little!)

Sometimes, you have to let them die

On the flipside, if your teammates are downed then you’ll also want to exercise patience and caution. See if you can eliminate the threat or if your teammate can get to a safe spot where neither you or him will get shot. If you can’t get him, then chalk it up to the will of the game, because it’s always better for one person to survive than none at all.

Don’t be a loot goblin

While greed may get you far in life, it won’t fly in Fortnite. If your teammate is carrying a smoke bomb and you have 2 shotguns, a pistol, and an SMG, drop a couple of them. If someone needs ammo and you have over 300 rounds, you can spare a little. If your teammate has 2HP and you have all the medkits, drop them.

Having 3 able-bodied teammates will make things easier for you, so try and think of it as an investment for your success if you’re having trouble with this.

Communication is your greatest weapon

What’s the first thing you should do when you spot an enemy? On your own, it may be to take a shot and pray for the best, but when you’re in a squad it’s worth relaying everything you learn about your enemies and their position to your teammates before you decide to make a move.

You should also get on the squawk box to talk about items you find, the location of the storm and the safe zone, whether you have ammo, or need to heal or reload. Some of this info may seem small in a vacuum, but together it will dictate your strategy in every single phase of the match.

Don’t get ahead of yourself

While greed may get you far in life, it won’t fly in Fortnite.

One of the worst feelings in Fortnite is getting caught out on your own and being too far from your teammates to be helped. When you drop from the bus, try to drop in the same general vicinity.

You don’t have to follow each other from house to house. Trust us, there’s not enough loot to go around for that, much less space. But try to stay close enough so that you can get to a fight in under 15 seconds.

Rocket Ride for the LULZ

Let’s end off with a fun one, a gameplay mechanic you can only pull off in duos and squads. Take a rocket and have a teammate jump in front of it just before you let off a round under their feet. No, you won’t both be blown to smithereens if you do this right.

What you’ll find is that you just gave your partner a thrilling one-way ride to wherever it is you aimed (and they almost certainly will die once they get there).

Have any other tips?

There are many more little things you could mention about Fortnite that could help you in success, but it’s impossible to list them all. Give a holler in the comments section if you have a pro tip of your own that you want to share!

Should you buy Fortnite for PS4?

Updated August 2018: Updated this guide to reflect Season 5.

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

Android P: Everything you need to know about Android 9

From new gestures to extending battery life, here’s everything you need to know about Android P!

Following last year’s Oreo release, 2018 is the year of Android P. We’re still some time away before Google rolls out the new software to all users, but even in its current form, P is showing a lot of promise.

Things are bound to change leading up to Android P’s official launch, but for the time being, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s big update.

The latest Android P news

August 2, 2018 — Android P tipped for August 20 launch

We’re expecting the final version of Android P to land any time now, and according to Evan Blass on Twitter, the new software is slated for a release on August 20.

pic.twitter.com/ovby4pC3ph

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 2, 2018

That date lines up with the release schedule Google previously published, not to mention the fact that Oreo was released on August 21 last year.

Now, what in the world will it be called? 🤔

July 25, 2018 — Google pushes Android P Beta 4

“Android P is almost here!” That’s how Google starts its blog post introducing Android P Beta 4, also known as Developer Preview 5, which is available on all supported devices starting today.

According to Google, “Today’s Beta 4 update includes a release candidate build with final system behaviors and the official Android P APIs (API level 28), available since Beta 2. It includes everything you need to wrap up your testing in time for the upcoming official Android P release.” In other words, this is basically the same version that will ship to Pixels later in August, when the public version is released.

How to install Android P on your Pixel right now (or roll back to Oreo)

All the big details

Android P is officially Android 9

As spotted in the third developer preview, Android P is Android 9. This signifies that Android P is a big upgrade from 8.0 Oreo, and based on what we’re about to dive into, we’ve got no problem agreeing with that.

It completely changes Android’s navigation system

Back in 2011 with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google introduced Android’s iconic three button navigation system we’ve come to know and love – Back, Home, and Recents. Seven years later with Android P, these are being eliminated in favor of a gesture-based system.

Android P is the first time Google’s heavily relying on gestures for navigating the UI, and in their current form, they work as follows:

• Tap the Home button/pill to go home
• Swipe up to access the recent apps page
• Swipe up twice or do a long swipe for the app drawer
• The Back button only appears in certain apps/menus when it’s needed

This combination of taps and swipes is a bit confusing right now, but we’re expecting Google to roll-out a more refined version of this in later Developer Previews or in the final build. You can still use the traditional three buttons in Developer Preview 2 and 3 if the gestures aren’t your thing, but it’s rather obvious that this is the future Google wants for Android.

Android P’s gestures are a jagged pill you should learn to swallow

The user interface is more rounded and colorful

Android P isn’t as drastic of a visual change like we saw with the jump from KitKat to Lolipop, but compared to Oreo, there are some elements that are noticeably different.

At first glance, things like the colorful icons in Settings, circular Quick Settings icons, and rounded corners for just about every menu jump out like a sore thumb. These elements do take some getting used to, but I ultimately came around to liking them quite a bit.

Something else you’ll notice with Android P is just how alive it feels. Between the new gestures and updated animations, Android moves in a way that I’ve never seen before. Oreo was smooth and buttery, but Android P flies underneath your fingertips in a way that can only be experienced in-person.

There are tools for helping you use your phone less

Google talked a lot about helping people with their “digital wellbeing” at this year’s I/O conference, and a lot of those efforts are baked right into Android P.

Although not live in Developer Preview 2 or 3, later versions of Android P will introduce a new system called Android Dashboard. Android Dashboard will offer a quick glimpse into how you’re using your phone, including stats on which apps you’re using the most, how many times you’ve turned on the screen, how many notifications you’ve received, and how much time you’ve spent on each app.

You’ll also find a feature called App Timers that’ll restrict you from using a certain app after you’ve spent x amount of time on it, as well as tools for easily turning on Do Not Disturb and switching your screen to a monochrome color palette to help you wind down for bed.

Google’s ‘digital wellbeing’ initiative feels incomplete and insincere

Google’s trying to squeeze as much juice as possible out of your battery

It seems like Google’s always trying to find ways to maximize your phone’s battery life as much as possible, and with Android P, those efforts are present in a new Adaptive Battery mode.

Similar to how Adaptive Brightness automatically adjusts your display’s brightness level based on your environment and usage, Adaptive Battery will examine how you use your phone and limit CPU usage to apps you infrequently use.

Google notes that Adaptive Battery can lower CPU usage by as much as 30%, and thanks to the use of Machine Learning, it’ll only get better the more you use your phone.

App shortcuts are everywhere

With Android Nougat, Google introduced us to App Shortcuts for the first time. Holding down on an app icon to quickly access certain elements of it can be genuinely useful at times, and with Android P, Google’s taking these to the next level with App Actions and Slices.

App Actions will try to determine what you’ll do next with your phone and give you recommend shortcuts for doing so within the app drawer, Assistant, and more. For example, if you watch Good Mythical Morning each day with breakfast, you might see an App Shortcut in your app drawer for searching Rhett and Link on YouTube during the morning.

On the other hand, Slices will allow you to perform more complex actions from the Assistant or Google Search. In the example Google gave at I/O, searching “I want to book a ride” will give you a special link to call a ride home via Lyft (assuming you’ve got the app installed).

157 new emoji

In Developer Preview 3, Google added a ton of new emojis to keep your conversations bright and colorful — 157 of them, to be exact.

Although we won’t run through the entire list, some of the highlights include red hair, superhero, face with three hearts, bagel with cream cheese, mooncake, lobster, and llama.

There are also improvements to existing emoji, including two new gender-neutral family and couple designs and updated looks for the bacon, salad, turtle, and cricket emojis.

A new standard for biometric authentication

Fingerprint sensors and face unlock systems make it easier than ever to access private information on our phones, and in Android P Developer Preview 3, Google added a brand-new standard for this called “BiometricPrompt API.”

Thanks to the new API, developers no longer have to create their own dialog for using biometric systems with their apps. This isn’t something you’ll notice in day-to-day use, but it’s an important background change we’re more than happy to see.

All the little things

In addition to the big changes found in Android P, there are a ton of smaller elements also scattered throughout the update. Some of my favorites include:

• Built-in screenshot editor
• Zoom pop-up when highlighting text
• Changing the volume now defaults to your media volume
• Volume controls appear on the right of your screen instead of the top
• Do Not Disturb is more customizable and easier to understand

You can sign up for the beta now

Similar to last year’s Oreo beta, anyone with a Pixel phone can opt-in to the Android P beta right now to get an OTA update to download and play with the new software.

However, Google’s Pixel phones aren’t the only ones that get to have fun with this early access. Google’s opening up its Android Beta Program to third-party OEMs for the first time ever thanks to Project Treble, including Nokia, OnePlus, Sony, Essential, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo.

How to get Android P on your Pixel right now (or roll back to Oreo)

The official build should be released in August

If you’d rather not mess with the beta and just wait for the final version to drop, we’re not too terribly far out from it.

Google notes that the final release for Android P will be published in Q3, and based on the above timeline and Oreo’s release schedule, we should see Android P get a proper launch at some point in August.

Updated July 25, 2018: This article was updated with news of Android P Beta 4.

Android P

• Android P: Everything you need to know
• Android P Beta hands-on: The best and worst features
• All the big Android announcements from Google I/O 2018
• Will my phone get Android P?
• How to manually update your Pixel to Android P
• Join the Discussion