HDHomerun Premium offers 45 streaming channels for $34 a month

HDHomerun Quatro — with four over-the-air tuners — is $119 at Amazon.

The new streaming service will work on existing HDHomerun boxes.

A little bit of breaking news in the ol’ CordCutters world tonight. SiliconDust — the company behind the excellent HDHomerun over-the-air streaming boxes — has just launched a new streaming service. It’ll work with most existing HDHomerun boxes (save for HDHomerun Prime, which already requires a cable subscription), and it’s available in the United States (with Canada on deck) for $34.99 a month.

HDHomerun works with Android and Android TV, iOS and Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.

You’ll get 45 channels with the service.

For more details, hit up the link below.

Read the full story at CordCutters.com

Introducing CordCutters.com

• The hardware you need
• All about streaming services
• What channels are on which service
• FREE over-the-air TV
• How to watch sports
• Join the discussion

Get the latest deals

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium review

Research Center:

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium

When you think of a $1,000 smartphone, Apple’s iPhone X is the first that comes to mind. It’s forward-thinking, with a nearly bezel-less design, and it packs a class-leading and secure facial-recognition system. Sony’s new Xperia XZ2 Premium also costs $1,000, but it hardly feels like it’s worth as much. It’s one of the most cumbersome phones we’ve held this year, thanks to its ridiculously thick body and dated 16:9 aspect ratio, and it also has thick bezels that make it look like it came straight out of 2015.

That being said, the spotlight feature on the XZ2 Premium is something we haven’t seen in any other phone to date: the ability to capture good-looking videos in “extreme low-light conditions.” This dual-camera system is a first for Sony, and it is capable of capturing video up to ISO 12800, which is the highest we’ve seen to date in a smartphone. It’s impressive — especially when compared to phones like the Galaxy Note 9 and the iPhone X — but it wasn’t enough to make us want to use the phone after our review period. Let’s take a closer look.

Thick and heavy design, fantastic display

Sony finally introduced a new design motif earlier this year called Ambient Flow, which is meant to accentuate the curves on its phones, making them more ergonomic to hold. It’s an improved look, but we have some problems, some of which we’ve already highlighted in our Xperia XZ2 review, as it looks similar. Ironically, the XZ2 Premium feels less “premium” than the XZ2.

The first features you’ll notice about the XZ2 Premium are its size and weight. This is a thick phone that’s also incredibly wide and tall. It will fill every hand — large or small — and it will be difficult to reach certain parts of the 5.8-inch screen without using both hands (or using the one-hand software mode). Its exact dimensions are 157.48 x 78.74 x 12.7mm, and it weighs 232 grams. The Galaxy Note 9 has a 6.4-inch screen, its dimensions are 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, and it weighs 201 grams. The Sony phone is wider, thicker, and heavier, despite offering a smaller screen and a smaller battery.

The edges around the phone are curvy, it has rounded corners, and the edges on the back slope into the front. That makes it feel natural to hold, but it still remains a cumbersome phone to carry and use. We don’t like how thick it is, and how unnecessarily large it feels in the hand. That being said, we recommend stopping by a store to experience how the XZ2 Premium feels for yourself, as you may prefer a bigger phone. Alternatively, check out the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact if you want a phone on the opposite end of the spectrum.

The spotlight feature on the XZ2 Premium is something we haven’t seen in any other phone.

It’s protected by Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back with an aluminum frame around. The glass body and curvy design is a recipe for disaster. When placed on a flat, smooth surface, the Xperia XZ2 Premium has a mind of its own and starts moving around. It’s constantly trying to fall, and much to our dismay, it experienced two drops during our review period. The first is when it slid off a table onto the pavement (at an outdoor restaurant), and the second time it slid out of our pocket at a press conference. Thankfully, it only suffered a few scratches to the glass on the back.

The XZ2 Premium sliding out of pockets is more common than you think. It slid out of our pocket on the subway, on a plane, at the theater, and when sitting at the office, though, fortunately, we stopped it right on time, preventing any serious injury. The point is, this phone will try to hit the floor any chance it gets, so you definitely need a case — which will only add more bulk and weight to the phone — and you need to constantly think about where you place it and how.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

There’s a power button on the right edge, which is a tad lower than we’d like, a volume rocker above, and a camera shutter button at the bottom. There’s no headphone jack (a USB-C adapter is in the box), but there are two front-facing stereo speakers, and a USB Type-C charging port sits at the bottom. The speakers sound good, and you can easily hear audio in noisy environments, such as outdoors.

The front of the phone also packs chunky edges around the display, particularly at the top and bottom. Put the XZ2 Premium against almost every other flagship smartphone of 2018, and it will look the oldest thanks to its lack of an edge-to-edge screen. This dated, ugly look — paired with the unusual weight and thickness — does not make this phone feel like $1,000.

Front design aside, we love the look of the XZ2 Premium from the back. Both the Chrome Black and Chrome Silver colors make the phone look flashy and futuristic, and the centered camera, sensor, and fingerprint scanner give off a sci-fi vibe. We do have to point out the same gripe we had with the cheaper XZ2: The fingerprint sensor is too low. We’ve put our grubby fingers on the dual-camera sensor countless times thinking it was the fingerprint sensor. You get used to it after some time, but we’d still prefer if Sony raised it next year.

It is an absolute joy to watch media on this phone.

The IPS LCD  5.8-inch screen supports HDR, has a 3,840 x 2,160 4K resolution, as well as a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s fantastically sharp and colorful, and the screen truly comes to life when you play 4K HDR content like Stranger Things on Netflix. The black levels aren’t as deep as we’ve seen on many OLED screens, but it is an absolute joy to watch media on this phone. The screen also gets plenty bright for most situations, and reading the screen in broad daylight is manageable when brightness is maxed out.

We did have one small issue with our unit — some colors on the screen would appear slightly muted as we swiped the notification drawer up and down. It was distracting and happened often enough for us to notice. We’ve reached out to Sony about the problem.

While we love the screen and the rear design on the XZ2 Premium, the weight, thickness, and overall large body made us want to swap phones as quickly as possible.

Strong performance, Android 8.0 Oreo

The XZ2 Premium is powered by the same processor inside its two smaller siblings — the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip — but it comes with 6GB of RAM. We had absolutely no trouble with performance on this device. Apps open instantly, moving around the operating system is fast, and games like Alto’s Odyssey and PUBG Mobile run without any issues. You’ll be able to run almost any intensive app or service on this phone.

Here are a few benchmark results:

• AnTuTu 3DBench: 257,384
• Geekbench 4 CPU: 2,415 single-core; 8,272 multi-core
• 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 3,394 (Vulkan)

The XZ2 Premium’s AnTuTu score is one of our highest, coming in right below Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. It reaffirms that you really don’t need to worry about performance here. One thing to note, the phone did get surprisingly warm after running these benchmark apps, but we never found it reaching a similar level of heat when playing games for a decent amount of time.

The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo, and we’ve yet to run into any of the same software bugs we saw on the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. Our biggest issue here is just how dated the software looks compared to other Android skins, but it’s still perfectly usable.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Compared To

Vivo Nex S

Moto Z3 Play

LG G7 ThinQ

Alcatel 1X

LG Fortune 2

Cat S61

HTC U12 Plus

Moto E5 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S9

Nokia 7 Plus

LG V35 ThinQ

Motorola Moto G6

Nuu G3

Samsung Galaxy S8

Xiaomi Mi Mix

There is a good deal of bloatware, most of which you can’t uninstall but only disable, which is annoying. There are a handful of Sony apps such as 3D Creator, where you can create 3D images of objects or even your face. You can send it off to a 3D printer to build or simply share these images to Facebook. It’s neat, but it’s a feature we’d forget about after trying it once. There’s also Xperia Assist, which you can use to trigger several phone features based on time of day or events. For example, the Good Night action automatically turns on the blue light filter and Do Not Disturb at a time range you set. You can choose exactly what you want on or off, making it quite handy.

Sony has also included the Dynamic Vibration System it debuted on the XZ2, which tries to make you “feel” videos, music, and games by making the phone vibrate during punchy parts of the audio. To us, the vibrating phone doesn’t make us feel more immersed in what we’re doing, which is why we recommend simply ignoring this feature.

You likely won’t run out of space thanks to the base 64GB available, but in case you do, there’s a MicroSD card slot if you want to add more.

Ultra-low-light camera

The highlight of the Xperia XZ2 Premium is its camera, particularly with video, but let’s start with stills. The rear dual-camera system — a first for Sony — houses a 19-megapixel f/1.8 lens and a 12-megapixel monochrome lens with a f/1.6 aperture. It can capture up to 51200 ISO for photos and 12800 ISO for videos, which means it should be able to perform well in low-light conditions.

Previous

Next

1 of 10

In good lighting, the camera can take well-detailed photos with good color accuracy, and the camera shutter is fast to react. The only delay we’ve seen is the few seconds it takes to process the photo. While it can handle high-contrast scenarios well with HDR, it’s slow to kick in and it doesn’t always work, requiring a few attempts before you get a nice, balanced shot.

In low-light environments, the camera app will say “ultra-high sensitivity” when it’s using both cameras. You can manually turn on the dual-camera system in the manual camera mode. The results are solid; photos have a respectable amount of detail and color accuracy, and while there’s quite a bit of noise, it’s not overpowering. There’s a fair chance some photos will come out blurry, which means you may have to make another attempt.

But when compared with the Galaxy Note 9 — which should also deliver excellent low-light photos — the results don’t look as strong. Photos from the Note 9 tend to be more detailed, more colorful, and less grainy – an example is the photo of the Nintendo Switch, which was actually much darker than it appears in the Note 9’s photo. In the XZ2 Premium’s photo, there’s a lot of noise (ISO 8000), and details start to become fuzzy.

Top row: Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium, Bottom row: Samsung Galaxy Note 9

So, while you can expect to take some solid low-light photos with the XZ2 Premium, we don’t think it can take the crown for the best low-light camera.

Videos look really shaky with Sony’s phone. To truly make use of this low-light camera, a smartphone gimbal or tripod is essential.

That all changes with video. Considering this is a $1,000 phone, we decided to compare the XZ2 Premium’s low-light video capabilities against two other $1,000 phones — the iPhone X and the Note 9. The results are astounding. At the park, the latter two phones produce videos that are much darker and filled with noise, but the XZ2 Premium’s video shows a ton more detail with less noise. In the videos of the dog sleeping, the XZ2 Premium’s video offers the best colors with far less noise than the other two videos, though the dog in the iPhone X’s video does appear a tad sharper.

That being said, the XZ2 Premium suffers greatly from poor stabilization compared to the other two cameras. Camera shake is hardly noticeable with all the videos from the iPhone X and the Note 9, but videos look really shaky with Sony’s phone. To truly make use of this low-light camera, a smartphone gimbal or tripod is essential.

Like the XZ2 Compact and the XZ2, the XZ2 Premium can also capture 4K HDR footage, but because its screen is 4K HDR, it’s one of the few phones where you can capture 4K HDR content and watch it in full glory on the same screen. Videos have beautiful and true-to-life color profiles, but we encounter the same problems with video stabilization.

The camera can also capture super slow motion video at 960 frames per second in 1080p. It’s a fun feature that can produce some incredibly cool video, but it requires precise timing and lots of light for it to look good. There’s also going to be a Portrait Mode and a monochrome mode for photos coming soon in a software update, but we’ve yet to see it on our device.

The 13-megapixel front camera takes selfies that are more than satisfactory, and it even uses the display as a flash so selfies look good in low light as well.

For all the technology Sony packs into this dual-camera system, we can only say this phone takes the best low light videos. It’s not the best smartphone camera, and it’s not the best low-light camera — though that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take good photos. The 4K HDR option is a plus, but you can’t record with it for long, and it really does need either a tripod or a gimbal for best results.

Battery life

We never felt battery anxiety with the 3,540mAh battery inside the XZ2 Premium. After taking the phone off the charger at 7:30 a.m., with medium to heavy use including music streaming, gaming, web browsing, and taking pictures, we’d end up with a little under 40 percent by 8 p.m. This phone should easily get you through a day, and perhaps a little more with light use.

There’s wireless charging onboard, as well as support for Quick Charge 3.0 in case you want to top up fast.

Price, availability, and warranty information

The Xperia XZ2 Premium costs $1,000, and it’s available for purchase now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Focus. The phone only supports GSM networks, which means it will work on T-Mobile and AT&T, but you won’t be able to use it on Verizon or Sprint.

Sony offers a standard one-year limited warranty that covers the phone from manufacturer defects, and nothing more.

Our Take

Sony’s Xperia XZ2 Premium impresses with its low-light capabilities, but its spotlight features cater to a niche audience, and they’re not good enough to make this phone exciting to use.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, in this price range, every smartphone in our best smartphones guide is up for grabs. We strongly recommend you consider the Galaxy Note 9 or Galaxy S9 Plus, as they seriously impress with low-light photography (also check out the Huawei P20 Pro if you don’t mind importing a phone).

Otherwise, the Google Pixel 2 XL is our top pick. It’s more affordable, it has an excellent camera, and the best software experience you can get on an Android phone.

How long will it last?

The XZ2 Premium is wrapped in Gorilla Glass 5, and we’ve already managed to scratch it up thanks to its slippery nature. We recommend a case if you don’t want it to end up shattered. The phone is IP65/68 water- and dust-resistant, so it should be able to withstand rain and maybe a dunk in the pool.

Sony has already promised an update to Android 9.0 Pie, which we expect will arrive later this year. You should expect an update to Android Q next year too. Overall, we expect this phone to last you three to four years, if not more.

Should you buy it?

No, at $1,000 it’s tough to justify buying the XZ2 Premium. Unless you desperately want to film in 4K HDR or often find yourself filming in low light, this phone doesn’t do enough for its high price tag, and it’s not pleasurable to use.

The OnePlus 6T could launch on T-Mobile in October, report says

The OnePlus 6 may have just launched a few months ago, but already it seems as though the OnePlus 6T is in the works. While we may not have too many details about what the phone will look like or feature under the hood, we are starting to get a better idea of how it will launch in the U.S. — for the first time in OnePlus’ history, its next flagship may have the backing of a major U.S. carrier.

According to CNET, T-Mobile will be the exclusive carrier partner for the OnePlus 6T when it’s released in October. To be clear, that doesn’t mean that the phone won’t also be available unlocked — it just means that it won’t be available from other U.S. carriers. Citing people familiar with the matter, CNET says that the partnership will include the release of a version of the phone optimized for T-Mobile’s network.

The report also notes that the phone is set to come in at $550 — though the price has not been finalized and it could end up costing a little more or less.

OnePlus has certainly come a long way in the past few years. The company started as a small startup aimed at developing phones with flagship specs that come at a much lower price than other flagship phones. OnePlus still isn’t really a well-known brand among those that aren’t into smartphones, but with carrier backing, it will likely attract much more mainstream awareness. It makes sense that OnePlus would go for T-Mobile too — OnePlus’ unlocked phones only work with T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S., and T-Mobile’s brand of being free from the major carriers seems in line with OnePlus’ brand of being free from expensive flagship phones.

OnePlus could be one of the few Chinese smartphone brands to get carrier backing in the U.S. this year. Companies like Huawei and ZTE have faced a number of issues with the U.S. government of late, all related to security issues.

Other details about the phone have yet to be released, but it will likely feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor again, along with at least 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Everything you need to know about the 6-inch OnePlus 5T
• The OnePlus 6 is now available: Here’s where to buy it
• Everything you need to know about the OnePlus 5
• OnePlus 6: Everything you need to know
• OnePlus 2019 smartphone will be 5G ready, promises timely updates

Welcome to the uncanny valley: This robot head shows lifelike expressions

You only have to look at the number of research labs and companies developing artificial skin, machine muscles, and, err, sex robots to realize that robots are becoming increasingly lifelike in their appearance. Even with that background, however, we weren’t quite prepared for SEER (short for “Simulative Emotional Expression Robot”), the lifelike robotic head shown off recently at SIGGRAPH 2018. Created by Japanese artist Takayuki Todo, SEER is a machine that is capable of recognizing the facial expressions of people it interacts with and then mirroring that same expression back at them.

Of course, facial recognition technology is nothing new. It is something a lot of us take for granted, considering that it’s now baked into many smartphones like the iPhone X as a substitute for the four-figure passcodes we previously used to unlock our phones. However, Todo uses the technology to stunning effect in a way that makes it feel as though SEER is almost a living being. It’s a great example of the uncanny valley: The phenomenon first identified in 1970 by Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori. Mori noted how more humanoid robots could inspire emotions like empathy in onlookers, although this risks tipping over into revulsion when it’s not executed correctly. That makes SEER even more impressive, since the human brain is particularly good at identifying when an artificial face isn’t quite right. (Think about all the people who were freaked out by the CGI characters in Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 movie The Polar Express.)

At present, SEER is limited to being an art project or a fancy tech demo. But it’s easy to imagine this technology being used in future robots — whether it’s to give them more lifelike features to make the experience of our working alongside them more comfortable or to create embodied virtual assistants, capable of mirroring back our emotions to enhance trust and affection.

In an email, SEER creator Takayuki Todo told Digital Trends that he is continuing to develop the project, and plans to show SEER at various festivals and exhibitions around the world. We are excited to see what he has in store going forward.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Shot to the heart: Device carries drugs directly to injured internal organ
• Every parent’s nightmare: A 3-year-old gets trapped in a washing machine
• Elon Musk tweets about privatizing Tesla Motors, causes an investor frenzy
• Mark your calendars — more than 150 new emojis are coming on June 5
• How to make emoji

Apple’s rumored entry-level MacBook may appear in September starting at $1,200

Lilly Rum/Unsplash

Apple is expected to reveal new products in September including an entry-level 13-inch MacBook based on Intel’s seventh-generation processors. Industry sources claim that Apple originally intended this MacBook to rely on Intel’s upcoming 10nm “Cannon Lake” processors for a late 2017 release, but Intel delayed mass production of these chips until the end of 2019. Apple thus reconfigured this “affordable” MacBook to work with Intel’s current processors.

Originally, we presumed Apple would introduce new MacBooks during its developer conference in June, but that never happened. Instead, Apple merely refreshed its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar units without any fanfare. The changes weren’t significant enough for a full-blown on-stage presentation, but sources now point to an entry-level MacBook with a $1,200 starting price hitting the stage next month.

The current status of the next MacBook Air is … up in the air. The thin-and-light laptop was supposedly set to enter production in the second quarter of 2018, but the company reportedly had to make changes due to a problem with a “key component.” That very component was likely a 10nm “Cannon Lake” chip that’s currently not scheduled to appear until the end of 2019.

That said, the MacBook Air may still arrive in late 2018 despite naysayers citing its death. It would be part of Apple’s assault on the entry-level market, arriving with a starting price of $800 while the 13-inch MacBook would be a step up with a $1,200 starting price. It will likely replace the current 13-inch MacBook without the Touch Bar with a starting price of $1,300.

If tablets are your cup of tea, Apple will supposedly introduce two new models next month. First, the third-generation iPad Pro will take notes from Apple’s iPhone X to sport an edge-to-edge design and a narrow, thinner body. The other iPad Pro will replace the 10.5-inch model currently on the market with a larger 11-inch screen. Both will reportedly ship with a new 18-watt USB-C power adapter so you’re not waiting forever for the Pro’s battery to recharge.

Apple’s plans for the 9.7-inch iPad and the 7.9-inch iPad Mini are unknown for now. Both will still be made available when the newer iPad Pros hit the market later this year, but sources tell DigiTimes that Apple has no plans to further continue the iPad Mini family (currently at Gen 4). Apple refreshed its 9.7-inch iPad in March packing the company’s A10 Fusion chip and support for the Apple Pencil, so don’t expect anything new on that front in September either.

Of course, we can’t spin the Apple rumor mill without talking about phones. The company is expected to reveal three new iPhones, one of which will be the iPhone X Plus with an edge-to-edge 6.5-inch display. The other two phones will consist of a 5.8-inch OLED screen (iPhone 9?) and a 6.1-inch LCD display (iPhone XS?), the latter of which will be sold at an affordable price.

Finally, Apple may introduce its AirPower wireless charger for a 2018 availability. Sources tell DigiTimes that the price will be somewhere between $161 and $193.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple’s new MacBook Air with Intel’s 8th-gen processors expected this year
• Intel’s 10nm ‘Cannon Lake’ processors won’t arrive until the 2019 holiday season
• Here’s everything new with the 2018 MacBook Pro
• Mac Mini could make a comeback this year with a rumored refresh
• Apple registers 10 unannounced MacBook and iPad devices overseas

Apple’s rumored entry-level MacBook may appear in September starting at $1,200

Lilly Rum/Unsplash

Apple is expected to reveal new products in September including an entry-level 13-inch MacBook based on Intel’s seventh-generation processors. Industry sources claim that Apple originally intended this MacBook to rely on Intel’s upcoming 10nm “Cannon Lake” processors for a late 2017 release, but Intel delayed mass production of these chips until the end of 2019. Apple thus reconfigured this “affordable” MacBook to work with Intel’s current processors.

Originally, we presumed Apple would introduce new MacBooks during its developer conference in June, but that never happened. Instead, Apple merely refreshed its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar units without any fanfare. The changes weren’t significant enough for a full-blown on-stage presentation, but sources now point to an entry-level MacBook with a $1,200 starting price hitting the stage next month.

The current status of the next MacBook Air is … up in the air. The thin-and-light laptop was supposedly set to enter production in the second quarter of 2018, but the company reportedly had to make changes due to a problem with a “key component.” That very component was likely a 10nm “Cannon Lake” chip that’s currently not scheduled to appear until the end of 2019.

That said, the MacBook Air may still arrive in late 2018 despite naysayers citing its death. It would be part of Apple’s assault on the entry-level market, arriving with a starting price of $800 while the 13-inch MacBook would be a step up with a $1,200 starting price. It will likely replace the current 13-inch MacBook without the Touch Bar with a starting price of $1,300.

If tablets are your cup of tea, Apple will supposedly introduce two new models next month. First, the third-generation iPad Pro will take notes from Apple’s iPhone X to sport an edge-to-edge design and a narrow, thinner body. The other iPad Pro will replace the 10.5-inch model currently on the market with a larger 11-inch screen. Both will reportedly ship with a new 18-watt USB-C power adapter so you’re not waiting forever for the Pro’s battery to recharge.

Apple’s plans for the 9.7-inch iPad and the 7.9-inch iPad Mini are unknown for now. Both will still be made available when the newer iPad Pros hit the market later this year, but sources tell DigiTimes that Apple has no plans to further continue the iPad Mini family (currently at Gen 4). Apple refreshed its 9.7-inch iPad in March packing the company’s A10 Fusion chip and support for the Apple Pencil, so don’t expect anything new on that front in September either.

Of course, we can’t spin the Apple rumor mill without talking about phones. The company is expected to reveal three new iPhones, one of which will be the iPhone X Plus with an edge-to-edge 6.5-inch display. The other two phones will consist of a 5.8-inch OLED screen (iPhone 9?) and a 6.1-inch LCD display (iPhone XS?), the latter of which will be sold at an affordable price.

Finally, Apple may introduce its AirPower wireless charger for a 2018 availability. Sources tell DigiTimes that the price will be somewhere between $161 and $193.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple’s new MacBook Air with Intel’s 8th-gen processors expected this year
• Intel’s 10nm ‘Cannon Lake’ processors won’t arrive until the 2019 holiday season
• Here’s everything new with the 2018 MacBook Pro
• Mac Mini could make a comeback this year with a rumored refresh
• Apple registers 10 unannounced MacBook and iPad devices overseas

Stay safe on the web and save up to $70 with McAfee Total Protection

Have you been following the news lately? It seems like there’s a new cyberattack or credit card breach every week. Protecting yourself from cyber criminals, viruses, and identity theft is no easy task, but there are ways to do so. Think of it this way, if you don’t currently have some sort of protection on your phone, tablet, or computer, you’re basically leaving the door open for anyone looking to do some cyber burgling. Important information about yourself is stored on your devices and constantly at risk, which is why so many people choose to protect themselves. And with this awesome sale on McAfee Total Protection, now is a great time to do so.

McAfee Total Protection is more than just antivirus software, it’s an all-encompassing cybersecurity package. If you want to keep your passwords and private files safe, this program can help. With a powerful firewall, Network Manager, as well as a Web Safety tool, you can browse freely without fear of getting infected by malicious entities on the web. The addition of Wi-Fi protection for android tablets and smartphones will be able to safeguard you if you’re browsing anywhere within your home network. You also receive free 24/7 support for the life of your subscription if you need any questions answered about how you’re being protected.

This sale offers three different options to choose from and each is based on the total number of devices being protected. Each offer is valid for the first year only, so the savings won’t roll over to the next year should you choose to renew your subscription. If you’re looking to get the most protection possible for your money this year, these McAfee deals are definitely an excellent option. From now until Wednesday, August 22, you can save up to $70 on your first year of security. That’s an entire year of Total Protection, including the 24-hour support, all for just $30. A chance to get quality protection at a price like this only rarely comes around, so make sure to take advantage while you still can.

$30 | McAfee

Looking for more great stuff? Find tech deals and more on our curated deals page, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for regular updates.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best iPad Pro 9.7 cases and covers
• 30 of the best iPhone 7 cases
• The best waterproof iPhone 7 cases
• The best iPhone 8 cases and covers
• The best camera bags for every budget

Netflix is testing video promos in between episodes for some users

Educate yourself on the world’s biggest video streaming service 📺

When it comes to video streaming companies, few are as iconic as Netflix. What started out as a DVD rental service quickly turned into the world’s largest platform for binging old movies, classic TV shows, and a heap of original programming.

No matter if you’re looking to cut your cable cord or simply want some extra content to supplement it, Netflix can be a great addition to any household’s entertainment needs.

To ensure it has exactly what you’re looking for in a video service, here’s everything you need to know!

The latest Netflix news

August 17, 2018 — Small video promos (aka commercials) are playing between episodes for some users

Unlike Hulu, Netflix’s cheapest plan includes ad-free content. That means no annoying commercials or advertisements while watching your favorite shows. However, as part of a test Netflix is currently running, that’s not the case for some users.

On August 17, Netflix confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s playing video promos of its original shows and other content in between episodes while folks are streaming. If you don’t want to watch the promo, you can click the Continue button to get on with your show.

This is currently being tested with a small percentage of Netflix users around the globe with no definite plans to roll it out to everyone. It’s possible Netflix decides to keep this around, but it’s just as likely the feature gets thrown to the curb and never sees the light of day.

August 13, 2018 — Netflix CFO David Wells is stepping down

On Monday, August 13, Netflix issued a press release announcing that its CFO David Wells is planning to depart the company.

Wells will leave Netflix after helping the company pick someone to replace him, and during the search for the perfect candidate, Netflix will be looking both internally and externally for the right match.

Commenting on his departure, Wells said:

It’s been 14 wonderful years at Netflix, and I’m very proud of everything we’ve accomplished. After discussing my desire to make a change with Reed, we agreed that with Netflix’s strong financial position and exciting growth plans, this is the right time for us to help identify the next financial leader for the company. Personally, I intend my next chapter to focus more on philanthropy and I like big challenges but I’m not sure yet what that looks like.

David Wells first joined Netflix back in 2004 and has been serving as CFO since 2010.

August 10, 2018 — Galaxy Note 9, LG G7, Honor 10, and more officially support HDR Netflix playback

Netflix regularly updates its list of devices that support HDR playback to ensure everyone has the best streaming experience possible, and today, the company brought HDR video to the following gadgets:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
• LG G7
• LG V35
• Honor 10

All of the above phones are also supported for HD playback, in addition to the Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Lite, MediaPad T5 10, and Nova 3.

July 25, 2018 — New profile images are coming

It’s been five years since Netflix introduced multiple profiles on a single account. And today they’re getting a little face-lift. That is, the face of your profile is getting a face-lift. Your profile icon is changing. If you want it to.

You’ll soon have the ability to use characters from some of your favorite (or most hated) shows to represent each of up to five profiles in your account. If your kid wants to be, say, Pablo Escobar from Narcos, your kid can be Pablo Escobar. If your 5-year-old daughter has a thing for Luke Cage, well.

Read more at CordCutters.com

July 5, 2018 — A new “Ultra” tier is being tested

Get ready to (possibly) start paying more for your Netflix subscription. As first spotted by TuttoAndroid, a new “Ultra” plan is being tested in Germany right now and has been seen with both €16.99 and €19.99/month prices (or $16.99 and $19.99 if it was being offered in the U.S.)

With this Ultra tier, Netflix removes HDR from the current Premium plan and makes it an exclusive for Ultra. In some cases, Netflix is also restricting Premium to just 2 simultaneous streams while making Ultra the go-to choice if you need 4.

In a statement to CNET, Netflix said:

In this case, we are testing slightly different price points and features to better understand how consumers value Netflix. Not everyone will see this test and we may not ever offer the specific price points or features included in this test.

It’s possible that Ultra may never get past this testing stage, but it is interesting to see Netflix dabble with plans as expensive as this.

June 13, 2018 — Netflix will begin streaming games this year

Netflix’s next big thing might be the world of game streaming. On June 13, a report came out claiming that the company is partnering with developer Telltale Games to launch Minecraft: Story Mode on the service by the end of the year.

The game is said to function similar to the interactive movie Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale in the sense that players make various choices that determine where the narrative goes.

According to TechRadar, Netflix is hoping to build a setup similar to the gaming environment found on Amazon’s Fire TV platform.

May 17, 2018 — HDR playback comes to four new Android phones

Netflix is constantly supporting more and more phones for HDR playback, and most recently, the company rolled out this functionality to four new handsets.

This time around, HDR playback is coming to the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and the Sony Xperia XZ2.

April 19, 2018: Mobile Previews are Netflix’s take on Snapchat Stories

Ever since Snapchat popularized the Stories format, we’ve seen it expand to Instagram, Facebook, and even Google search. On April 19, Netflix announced it was launching its own take on stories with its Mobile Previews feature.

Launching first on iOS and coming soon to Android, Mobile Previews will show up as circles at the top of the Netflix app and showcase a 30-second vertical preview of recommended shows. According to Netflix –

The previews are shown like a slideshow, so if you see something you like, you can tap to play or add to your list. If not, you can swipe or tap the screen to advance to the next preview.

All the important details

Plans start at just $7.99/month

Netflix has three main plans to choose from, including Basic, Standard, and Premium.

Basic is the cheapest plan with a subscription fee of just $7.99/month, but since it’s limited to Standard Definition and only allows you to have one stream going at a time, you’ll likely want to upgrade to the Standard tier for $10.99/month. With Standard, you’ll get access to HD streams and can watch Netflix on up to 2 screens at once.

If you’ve got a 4K television and/or have a big family that wants to use one account, Netflix’s Premium plan will likely be the best fit. For $13.99/month, you’ll get access to Ultra HD video content and can watch any shows you’d like on 4 different screens at once.

New members can sign up for a 1-month free trial of whatever plan you’d like, and you can cancel at any time as there’s no commitment required.

T-Mobile customers get the Standard plan for free!

Netflix’s current pricing is more than reasonable, but if you happen to be a T-Mobile customer, you’ll get it for free!

T-Mobile subscribers get Netflix’s Standard plan bundled with their cell service at no extra charge, and if you want to upgrade to the Premium tier, you’ll pay just $3/month extra.

It’s available on pretty much everything

In addition to its excellent library of content, one of Netflix’s strong suits is its wide availability across pretty much any gadget you can think of.

For watching Netflix on the big screen, you can download its official app on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, cast it from your phone using Chromecast, and access built-in apps across a variety of smart TVs and Blu-Ray players.

You’ll also find the Netflix app on Android, iOS, Windows Phone, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and from your desktop/laptop at netflix.com.

Netflix’s official list of all supported devices

The Android app recently got a big overhaul

Netflix’s Android app is one of the best ways to access the service, and it recently got a big update that makes everything look much more polished.

The old navigation menu on the left-hand side has been replaced for a simple navigation row at the bottom for Home, Search, Downloads, and More. Home is where you’ll be taken upon opening the app and tapping the TV Shows, Movies, and Originals tabs near the top will allow you to quickly filter the content that’s presented to you.

The Search and Downloads sections are pretty self-explanatory, and More is where you’ll be able to switch profiles, customize notifications, and adjust all of your other account/app settings.

Everything works about the same as it did before, but the new layout is still greatly appreciated and considerably easier to understand.

New content’s being added (and removed) all the time

Every month, Netflix changes its content library by adding and removing titles from its lineup. The company’s taken a big bet on original movies and TV shows over the last few years, but you can still find a wide array of third-party content, too.

The Netflix app does a pretty good job at highlighting new/trending content as it’s released, and Joseph Keller at iMore does a regular roundup of the best shows you should be watching at any given time.

Best TV shows and movies on Netflix right now

Some Android phones support HDR playback

The displays on our smartphones are crispier and more colorful than ever before, some of which go as far to support High Dynamic Range (more commonly known as HDR). HDR offers more vivid colors and higher contrast, and Netflix supports this type of content on the following phones:

• Huawei Mate 10 Pro
• Huawei P20 / P20 Pro
• LG V30
• Razer Phone
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
• Samsung Galaxy S9
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium
• Sony Xperia XZ1
• Sony Xperia XZ2

You can still rent physical DVDs

Although renting physical DVDs to customers may not be its primary focus anymore, this is something that Netflix does still offer.

The DVD business has since been moved to DVD.com, but it’s just a full-featured as ever before. Plans start at $4.99/month to rent one disc at a time with a cap of two discs per month, or you can step all the way up to $11.99/month to have two discs out at once and rent as many movies as you want each month (prices are increased to $5.99/month and $14.99/month respectively for HD Blu-Ray).

Netflix finally brought its DVD app to Android in October of 2017, and while the service may not be nearly as popular as the on-demand streaming platform, it’s still alive and kicking for anyone that wants to see that iconic red envelope in their mailbox.

What are you waiting for?

If you somehow still haven’t checked out Netflix, you owe it to yourself to at least sign up for a free trial. My fiance and I use Netflix just about every day, and whether you’re using it to re-watch The Office for the eighth time or catch up on the latest Marvel movies, it’s well worth every penny.

See at Netflix

How to unlock free Rainbow Six Siege charms with Twitch Drops

You can claim free Rainbow Six Siege charms this weekend with Six Major Twitch Drops.

While Ubisoft is gearing up for the next major update to Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, a major tournament is on the horizon. Mid-August marks the “Six Major Paris 2018,” bringing together the world’s top players for a week of tense tactical shooter gameplay.

Dedicated live streams show the unmissable action as it happens, but Ubisoft is offering further incentives to tune in. Watching the final days on the Six Major Paris grants access to exclusive cosmetic rewards – all completely free.

Here’s how to enable Twitch Drops and claim your free charms this weekend.

See at Amazon

What are Rainbow Six Siege Six Major Twitch Drops?

Exclusive charms were previously distributed for the USA Pro League 2018 finals.

“Twitch Drops” is a reward system integrated into livestreaming website Twitch, dealing rewards to viewers of select channels. For Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft is distributing exclusive in-game items on the platform, serving as a memento for major esports events. These can be earned on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Rewards are available across Pro League Finals, Six Majors, and Six Invitationals streams, with the next opportunity being the Six Major Paris 2018. While the entire week-long event is streamed online, Twitch Drops rewards will be enabled from August 17 to August 19 during the quarter, semi, and grand finals.

Rainbow Six Siege Six Major weapon charms

Each of these Six Major charms will be available from August 17 to August 19.

As with previous Rainbow Six Siege Twitch Drops streams, six universal weapon charms have been made for the Six Major. All charms will be available exclusively over the three-day period, making for a coveted item in coming years. Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond variants of the charm are available, matching with the game’s multiplayer ranking system. The longer you watch, the more charms you’ll earn, making higher-tier charms harder to obtain.

Ubisoft hasn’t been transparent with required watch time for each charm, though Diamond charms have unlocked after a single day of streaming in previous events. We recommend leaving the stream constantly open to be safe, ensuring the Twitch tab remains active and unmuted throughout the show.

How to earn Rainbow Six Siege Twitch Drops charms

To earn Twitch Drop rewards for Rainbow Six Siege, you’ll need to prepare beforehand with your Ubisoft account. This means the account used with Uplay on PC, or your linked Ubisoft account on Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Follow the steps below the enable Twitch Drops for your account:

Visit Ubisoft’s Twitch Drops portal.
Click Login to begin the setup process.
Enter your Twitch account credentials when prompted.
Click Log In.
Enter your Ubisoft account credentials when prompted.
Click Log In. (A confirmation message will be displayed on-screen.)

Ubisoft promises to deposit awards August 20, 2018, after the Six Major weekend concludes. Upon their debut, earned charms will appear in your Twitch Inventory, alongside notifications pushed to your Twitch account.

To access the Six Major charms in Rainbow Six Siege, there are no further steps to complete. All unlocked charms will be available when customizing weapon charms in-game. If your charms don’t appear, we recommend contacting Ubisoft’s support team.

How to watch the Six Major Paris stream

Ubisoft is streaming the Six Major Paris across 16 different regions in their respective languages, via dedicated Twitch channels. Twitch Drops can be earned from any of these 16 outlets, provided the above steps are completed.

Related: How to watch Rainbow Six Siege Operation Grim Sky reveal

To watch the stream in your region, check out the full list of channel links below.

• English
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Italian
• Brazil
• Netherlands
• Russian
• Polish
• Korean
• Australia
• Japan
• Taiwan
• Hong Kong
• Thailand
• SEA

For those uninterested in cosmetics, streams are also hosted on YouTube and Mixer.

Over to you …

Will you be watching the Six Major in Paris? Drop into the comments section below with your thoughts. In the meantime, for more details on Operation Grim Sky, including its upcoming Operators, reworked map, and fixes, check out our cohesive breakdown below.

Rainbow Six Siege Operation Grim Sky: Everything we know

See at Amazon

This article was originally published on Windows Central. Check out Windows Central’s Rainbow Six Siege hub for in-depth coverage of upcoming content, latest updates, and tips to improve your gameplay.

Experiment suggests that the best robot bosses could be jerks

Provided they don’t put humans out of business altogether, there is a good chance that, at some point in your lifetime, you will find yourself working for a robot boss. But if you think you will have an easier time working for a machine than you do working for your current flesh-and-blood boss, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

At least, that is the takeaway from a new piece of research coming out of France’s University of Clermont Auvergne, where investigators have been examining the best way that robots can coax the most productivity out of us as employees. The sad answer? Quite possibly by behaving like jerks.

Their experiment involved the so-called Stroop test, in which different color words appear on a screen, and subjects must identify the color without getting fooled by the word itself. (For example, identifying the word “brown” written in pink as pink, rather than brown.)

For this robot boss variation on the test, participants were first made to have a chat with a robot, which either gave positive (“I think we could become friends”) answers or negative ones (“I do not value friendship”) to questions. The test subjects then took the test. Those who made fewer mistakes, and answered more rapidly, were the folks paired with the meaner of the machines. These subjects performed better than either people paired with friendlier robots or with no robot at all.

As Nicolas Spatola, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends, this effect is not limited to robots; more callous human bosses also prompt similar test results from subjects. However, it can vary according to the difficulty of the tasks, meaning that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. “There is a theory of challenge and threat from [psychologist Jim] Blascovich that explain this very well,” Spatola said. “The idea is that the presence of others increase our arousal, and according to the difficulty of the task it can be positive or negative.”

Unfortunately, it does mean that whatever more jerk-like traits we see in some human bosses are likely to continue into the age of automation. Heck, it might even be in roboticists’ interest to program them in. Jerkiness could be a feature, rather than a bug. Not that Spatola is necessarily endorsing that idea.

“Even if we show that a bad robot can have a positive effect, we do not know what could happen to individuals if they were monitored by a bad robot during a long period,” Spatola continued. “I’m not sure that it would be good for their well-being.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Science Robotics.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Can I book a table for Thursday?’ Google Duplex duped me, but I didn’t mind
• Forget Roomba, your most important house robot could be the one that hugs you
• Replaced by robots: 10 jobs that could be hit hard by the A.I. revolution
• What is Google Duplex?
• From picking to pollinating, agribots are pushing farming into the future