Chamberlain MyQ is an easy way to smarten up a garage door

Just because you can make something smarter doesn’t necessarily mean you need to.

Not everything needs to be “smart.” Not everything needs to be “connected.” Sometimes, simple, dumb products still do what needs to be done better than something more expensive, more complicated, and ultimately not necessary.

So has been my foray — twice now — into smartening up my garage door.

I’ve got a smart security system on my windows. I can unlock my front door from anywhere in the world. But when it comes to my garage door, I’d always relied on the old RF receiver. Hit a button in the car, and it does its thing. Neither of our cars her has HomeLink, so things won’t be opening on their own.

It’s simple, and it works. Time to change that.

See at Amazon

The MyQ Smart Garage Hub system from Chamberlain takes your dumb garage door and makes it smart. It’s a quick and easy retrofit. A sensor goes on the door, and another module plugs in near your garage door opener to actually control things.

The one big caveat here — you’ll need to make sure you have a Wifi signal in your garage.

Setup was relatively painless. The instructions walk you through where to place the hardware. (And it’s pretty self-explanatory, too. One goes on the door, the other near the garage door opener.) Fire up the MyQ app on Android or iOS, and you’re on your way. You’ll hook it up to your Wifi (and doing that is always a little bit of a crapshoot, but I got the job done after a couple tries) and then you’ve got the ability to open and close your garage door from your phone. Cool.

Or, actually, not really that cool. Because this is one of those instances when opening up an app just to open and close a garage door isn’t all that quick or helpful. It’s a nice backup, I suppose, if your remote control dies, or if you need to give someone else access and don’t have a keypad. But the simple fact is that a cheap, plastic remote control that’s always at the ready works the first time, every time. If you have HomeLink built into your car, even better.

So, fine. It’s not great for that. It works, but using your phone in this instance maybe isn’t the best idea. But MyQ does have a few other tricks up its sleeve.

First is that it connects with a few other services. The list is short, but distinguished. It’ll work directly with:

• Nest
• Wink
• Xfinity Home
• Google Assistant
• IFTTT
• Alpine
• Clare ControlsEVE Connect for Tesla

When you go to connect one of those services (and note that there’s no Amazon Alexa, but you can hit it up with unofficial skills, or through IFTTT), you’ll be met by something that actually surprised me at first — a payment plan. That is, it costs a dollar per month (or $10 a year) to connect to any one of those services.

I’ll admit, I balked at that, at first. Maybe it was because you have to pay by credit card and there’s not other method by which to do so. No Google Pay. No Apple Pay. No PayPal. No easy in-app billing. (And there’s also no payment information on Chamberlain’s site. With whom have they paired for processing? Is it a reputable service?)

That aside, $10 a year actually isn’t bad. I think it was a mental roadblock more than anything, and you get a month’s free trial to see if it’s actually worth it.

And that’s the real question here. Is MyQ worth it? All in all it’s not a bad product. It does what it advertises — it allows you to open and close your garage door with your smartphone.

But here’s my thing — while I have Nest stuff all over my home, I don’t need to pay to control it from the Chamberlain app. It works just fine in the Nest app — better, really, because the Nest app is a much better app. I don’t need to pay to control my garage door via Google Assistant, because I’ve never once needed to control my garage door via Google Assistant.

No, this is one of those times in which the simple timer on the garage door itself (it closes automatically after a set amount of time) and the basic keypad outside my home (please don’t break in) and the cheap remote control in my car (which very much still works) means the door always closes at some point, and it’s easy for anyone who needs to to open.

Sometimes that’s plenty good for an everyday product. If you need more, MyQ Hub can do more.

I just don’t need it to.

See at Amazon

The best car chargers for the Google Pixel and Pixel 2

We’ve all been there (some of us more than others): you hop in your car ready to hit the road, and then you check your phone — it’s dying at a rapid pace! You’ve barely enough battery to get to your destination, let alone for the rest of the day once you get there. Well, that’s what car chargers are for, and if you have a Google Pixel or Pixel 2, here are some of the best car chargers you can buy for it.

Top pick

Aukey Car Charger with 27W USB-C PD and 5V/2.4A USB-A

Aukey’s charger features both a USB-C port and a USB-A port, which is the best of both worlds. You can charge your Pixel or Pixel 2 — or even a laptop — over USB-C at a full 27W, which is the “rapid charge” rate you’d get from the in-box wall charger. At the same time, you can charge another device over USB-A at a respectable 5V/2.4A — enough to get any other phone charged up pretty quickly.

$20 at Amazon

Mid-range choice

Aukey Car Charger with 5V/3A USB-C and Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A

This version of Aukey’s charger has a USB-C port with 15W (5V/3A) of output, which will still charge up your Pixel or Pixel 2 quickly, but doesn’t match wall charging speeds. In return, the USB-A port below it has Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, which will charge most other recent Android phones extremely fast, just as they would from a wall charger.

$15 at Amazon

Most Reliable

Anker USB-C Car Charger with USB-PD

Trust and great warranty — that’s Anker’s promise. With its car charger, you get two ports, a USB-C port that supports your Pixel’s fastest charging speeds, and a second USB-A port to top up another device like a tablet. The distinctive blue color is easy on the eyes, and the 18-month warranty lets you rest easy that your charger will work — or it will get replaced.

$30 at Amazon

Double USB-A excellence

Spigen 30W Quick Charge 3.0 Dual USB-A car charger

Spigen’s dual USB car charger is a high-quality part that won’t overheat your Pixel or Pixel 2. While not USB-C PD compliant since it uses USB-A, it supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 standard, which offers up pretty quick charging for most Android phones. It supports a total of 30W between the two ports, so even with two phones plugged in, they’ll both charge up at the maximum rate.

$14 at Amazon

Your picks?

Are you using an awesome USB-C charger that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated September 2018: We’ve updated this list to reflect new prices.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

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OnePlus 6T appears in a bunch of new renders

OnePlus is going to end 2018 with a bang.

Ever since it was released this past May, the OnePlus 6 has been one of the absolute best values in smartphones we’ve seen in 2018. The phone’s only gotten better thanks to striking new colors and fast software updates, and right around the corner is its incremental successor — the OnePlus 6T.

The 6T likely won’t shake up the OnePlus 6’s formula too much, but even so, it’s already shaping up to be one of the year’s most interesting smartphones.

Without further ado, here’s everything we know about the OnePlus 6T!

The latest OnePlus 6T news

September 26, 2018 — OnePlus 6T appears in a bunch of new renders

Earlier this month, we got our first render of the OnePlus 6T showing off the top rear portion of the phone. Now, thanks to @OnLeaks and MySmartPrice, we have full device renders of the 6T that shows what it’ll look like from every angle imaginable.

As expected, the 6T’s body shares a lot of similarities with the Oppo R17. There’s a large 6.4-inch display around front with a tiny waterdrop style notch at the very top. Around back is a dual camera system, glass construction, and no fingerprint sensor. This time around, OnePlus is hiding it underneath the display.

The 6T is said to be a bit thicker and wider than the 6, coming in at 157.5 x 75.7 x 8.2mm compared to 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8mm.

Are you liking what you’re seeing?

September 19, 2018 — OnePlus 6T teaser video airs in India, shows off dual rear cameras

OnePlus has started airing a OnePlus 6T teaser video in India that shows off the back of the upcoming phone. A render from earlier today revealed that the device will have dual rear cameras — and not three like previously rumored — and the video further reinforces that. The commercial features OnePlus’ India ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, and also references the in-display fingerprint sensor.

Amazon India is also building up interest for the device by opening up a “Notify Me” page for the OnePlus 6T ahead of the rumored October 17 launch.

September 19, 2018 — OnePlus 6T render confirms dual rear cameras, logo also teased

Thanks to the folks over at WinFuture, we now have our very first render of the upcoming OnePlus 6T. The render admittedly doesn’t reveal a lot of the phone, but even so, it does manage to confirm a couple of key details.

First of all, it would appear that OnePlus will be sticking with two rear cameras on the back. On that same note, the cameras are also in the exact same position as they are on the OnePlus 6.

Along with this, we can also see that there’s no longer a fingerprint sensor below the camera lens. OnePlus already confirmed that the 6T will be its first phone to use an in-display sensor, so we’re now seeing how all of that will come together.

Last but not least, WinFuture also shared the 6T’s official logo. There’s nothing particularly exciting about it, but here it is for your vieiwng pleasure.

September 13, 2018 — The OnePlus 6T will not have a headphone jack

Yep, you read that correctly. As confirmed by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei in an interview with TechRadar, the 6T will not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Having a headphone jack on its phones is something OnePlus has adamantly bragged about for the last few years, so why is the company now deciding to remove it? First of all, Pei notes that by removing the headphone jack, more features can be crammed into the 6T.

Some of that space is likely going to the in-display fingerprint sensor that was already confirmed by the company, and along with that, Pei says battery life is being improved, too. We don’t have raw numbers, but it’s said that the improvement will be “substantial enough for users to realize.”

Another reason for the jack’s removal is timing. Per a survey that OnePlus conducted earlier this year, 59% of its users already have some sort of wireless earbuds. Furthermore, Pei expects that number to now be higher following the release of the Bullets Wireless.

OnePlus expects some backlash from its community, and like we’ve seen from Apple, Google, and others, a 3.5mm-to-USB-C dongle will be included in the box so you can continue to use your old wired headphones.

What do you think about the 6T not having a headphone jack?

September 10, 2018 — OnePlus confirms in-display fingerprint sensor for OnePlus 6T

Less than a week since the OnePlus 6T retail box leaked, OnePlus has confirmed to CNET that one of the main features shown there — specifically the in-display fingerprint sensor — will be present on the phone at launch.

In an email sent to the publication, OnePlus said:

We unlock our phones multiple times a day, and Screen Unlock reduces the number of steps to complete the action. By adding this feature as an addition to other display unlocking options such as Face Unlock, users will have options to unlock the display in a way that is most efficient for them.

OnePlus also shared a screenshot of the 6T’s lock screen, and as you can see, an icon near the bottom of the display will show users where to put their finger to unlock the phone. Similar to devices like the Vivo X20 Plus UD and Vivo Nex, the 6T uses an optical scanner under its screen that views your print, matches it with one that’s been set up, and unlocks your phone.

In-display sensors have typically been slower than traditional ones on the front or back of a device, and if that’s the case with the 6T, at least we’ll also have Face Unlock as an unlocking option, too.

September 4, 2018 — Retail box reveals an in-display fingerprint sensor and “waterdrop” notch

Our first big OnePlus 6T leak has finally arrived!

A retail box for the phone recently appeared in a few photos online, and while the phone itself isn’t anywhere to be seen, the packaging actually confirms a couple key details about it.

Thanks to an outline of the 6T inside the box, we can see that it adopts a very similar design compared to the Oppo R17 that was announced in mid-August. As such, we’ve got a phone with very slim bezels, a tiny chin at the bottom, and a waterdrop style notch at the top.

This outline also shows a fingerprint near the bottom center of the display — suggesting that the 6T will be the first OnePlus phone to adopt an in-display fingerprint sensor.

August 17, 2018 — OnePlus 6T to launch on T-Mobile in the U.S. in October

A new report from CNET surfaced today, and if you’ve been waiting for more juicy details on the OnePlus 6T, there’s plenty for you here.

OnePlus phones in the U.S. have always been sold exclusively as unlocked handsets through OnePlus’s website, but with the 6T, OnePlus will be launching the phone on its first carrier partner in the States — T-Mobile. The T-Mobile version of the OnePlus 6T is said to be “optimized for T-Mobile’s network” and will work beautifully with the Un-Carrier’s 600Mhz band.

Pricing for the OnePlus 6T is said to be about $550 (a slight increase from the $529 OnePlus 6) and it’ll launch at some point in October.

August 14, 2018 — The new Oppo R17 is likely the phone the OnePlus 6T will be modeled after

If you’ve been following OnePlus for a while, chances are you know that its parent company is Oppo. OnePlus typically uses Oppo phones as references for its own hardware, and this year, the reference device for the OnePlus 6T will likely be the all-new Oppo R17.

While the 6T won’t be identical to the R17, the phone’s biggest features will likely carry over — including the waterdrop notch at the top of the display and all-glass back.

The R17’s notch is one of the smallest we’ve ever seen, and should this make its way to the 6T, it’ll be a big win for the phone’s design. The display below that measures in at 6.4-inches, and to not much surprise, retains a resolution of 1080 x 2280 Full HD.

Where will I be able to buy the OnePlus 6T?

Like previous OnePlus phones, we’re certain that the OnePlus 6T will be sold unlocked on OnePlus’s website.

However, new this year in the U.S., OnePlus has apparently secured its first carrier partner.

In addition to selling the phone unlocked, OnePlus will also sell the 6T via T-Mobile. The unlocked variant will work just fine on TMO, but by having the phone sold directly through the carrier and available to purchase via monthly financing, this should hopefully get the 6T in more people’s hands than previous OnePlus devices.

When will the phone be released?

According to a report from CNET, the OnePlus 6T will launch this fall — sometime in October, to be exact.

Seeing as how the OnePlus 5T went on sale November 21 and sales for the 3T opened up November 28, we have no reason not to believe OnePlus will shoot for an October launch. It’s not uncommon for OEMs to move up launch dates by a month or so compared to previous releases, and seeing as how the next-gen iPhones will be announced on September 12 and the Pixel 3 will be unveiled on October 9, OnePlus appears to be slotting itself in nicely with those big-name launches.

How much will the 6T cost?

Per that same report, the OnePlus 6T will cost $550.

In typical OnePlus fashion, that’s a minor price hike compared to its past releases. Here’s how the $550 OnePlus 6T will compare to previous OnePlus phones:

• OnePlus 6 — $529
• OnePlus 5T — $499
• OnePlus 5 — $479
• OnePlus 3T — $439
• OnePlus 3 — $399

OnePlus 6 review: The matter is settled

OnePlus 6

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Game controllers, mechanical keyboards, and more are discounted today

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

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, a microscope, a Logitech mechanical keyboard, and more!

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

The best external hard drives for the PlayStation 4

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

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

Best in size and reliability

Seagate Portable 2TB

If you are looking for a boost in storage space from a that has a small footprint, This Seagate drive is a great option. It’s super thin and can fit just about anywhere. Not only that, but it has a perfect design that will fit right in with the black and blue styling of the PlayStation. You can pick one up at Amazon for a mere $80. It also comes in a 4TB flavor for $110.

$80 at Amazon

Best size for the buck

Western Digital WD Elements

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

$79 at Amazon

Best in massive storage

Seagate Expansion

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

$82 at Amazon.

For the color conscious

Toshiba Canvio Advance

If you are looking for a decent amount of storage but you also like to keep aesthetics in mind, this Toshiba Canvio 2TB drive may be just what the doctor ordered. For a 2 TB drive, $63 is a totally reasonable price. But aside from the great price point, it also comes in four different colors. If you need more storage but you also need to keep your color coordination game on point, this is the drive I would recommend.

$63 at Amazon

BYOD (Bring Your Own Drive)

Inateck Drive Housing

Not everyone needs to buy a whole new external drive to expand a PlayStation 4; you just need a solid enclosure to put an existing drive in. If that’s you, the Inateck enclosure is everything you need. It’s USB 3.0 enabled, offers an aluminum body to better handle heat dissipation when under stress, and doesn’t require any additional software to set up. Drop your drive in, connect to your PlayStation 4, and you’re done. Not bad for $27.

$27 at Amazon

If you’ve got a PlayStation 4, it really is worth picking up one of these hard drives to ensure you never run out of space. All of the options on this list offer a trusty way to boost your storage without breaking the bank, and honestly, you can’t ask for much more.

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

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

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Oculus Go updates announced at Oculus Connect 5

This year at the Oculus Connect 5 Keynote we received a lot of amazing information regarding the future of VR. Some of the updates were Oculus Go-specific, revolving around what is going to be coming to Oculus Go very soon. So if you’ve got an Oculus Go headset (or are looking into getting one) here are some of the new features you’ll be seeing very soon.

Casting abilities

An officially supported casting ability will be coming to your Oculus Go headset. First, it will come to your Android phone, which means friends and family will be able to watch what you are seeing in the headset right from their own phones. At a later date, the casting feature will also include the ability to cast directly to a TV. This will change the way we share our headsets in VR forever. Now, instead of you having a friend play a game and only guessing what they’re seeing, you’ll be able to see what they’re seeing too.

YouTube VR

YouTube VR was originally a free app you could find on Steam, but Facebook announced that an official YouTube app will be coming to your Oculus Go. This means it will be taking YouTube out of your browser and giving it its own space within your headset. While the reviews are mostly negative for the app on Steam I have hopes that when Oculus puts the app out there it won’t disappoint us. Then again, if it does, we could always just continue to use YouTube within our browsers anyway.

The new Oculus Venues line-up

The Oculus Venues line-up is going to be posted soon and it’s bringing you more live music and stand-up comedy. On top of this, there’s going to be a horror movie marathon in the month of October that I am more than excited about.

Finally, and perhaps some of the most exciting news for Venues, is that it will now be hosting NBA games for you to watch. Now you and fellow sports fans will be able to cheer for your favorite teams together, just like you have already been doing for the soccer games!

NBA jerseys will be unlockable for your avatar

The final announcement for Oculus Go includes an unlockable jersey for your Avatars to wear. This feature will be one-of-a-kind because the only way to get it is by watching all of the NBA games coming to Venues for this season. Even if you’re not an NBA fan, now might be a good time to try out watching some basketball in VR so you can say you have the jersey when no one else will!

What is your favorite update?

Of all the announcements coming to the Oculus Go, announced at Connect 5, which one are you most excited for? Let me know in the comment section below, or shoot me a Tweet @OriginalSluggo!

Fujifilm’s new projector can move the image without distorting it

Move the lens. Not the body.

One of the worst things about a projector is finding the perfect spot for it in relation to where you’re projecting, right? Because the image gets distorted and weird if you move the projector even a little bit. Or if the screen moves. Or if the room moves. Or if an insect somewhere on the other side of the world flaps its wings. Well, Fujifilm, a company with a lot of experience dealing with lenses and cameras, believes it has found the answer to that problem with a projector using the rotating Fujinon lens. This is a “two-axial rotatable lens” that will allow you face the lens in any direction to project images, and you won’t have to move the whole unit with it. You’ll be able to watch images on the ceiling, the floor, or switch between a horizontal or vertical display, very easily.

The projector also uses an ultra-short throw lens and laser light source. This means you can cover a 100-inch screen like this one from as close as 75 centimeters. Fujifilm believes all these features, along with the projector’s ability to be placed horizontally or vertically, will make it a great gadget for stores with digital signage or artists using projections at galleries or museums where available space is limited.

This will be Fujifilm’s first foray into the projector business, but you’ll have to wait until 2019 to get your hands on this projector. You can look into projectors by BenQ or Epson in the meantime, as they make very good ones.

Best live events in VR this month

It’s almost like you’re there.

Between the International Champions Cup or your favorite sporting team having a match, watching live events in VR can be quite rewarding. We all wish we could make it out to the stadiums and fields our favorite performers are in, but sometimes that’s just not in the cards. But, don’t you worry, the other option you have is to watch your favorite shows and sports in VR. Here you can feel like you’re actually in the crowd without having to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets.

Check out the live events coming to your PlayStation VR and Oculus Go in August!

Next VR

You can find the Next VR app on your PlayStation VR or Oculus Go. It offers countless wonders when it comes to watching live events in VR. One of the spectacular events they’ll be covering for the rest of July, and into August, is the International Champions Cup. If you’ve been watching it on your TV instead of inside of your VR headset you’re missing out! Outside of the ICC, you can also find a few comedy skits on the 26th and the 30th of July. Find it on Oculus.

Outside of the live events listed below, you can also check out their line up for live sports. NextVR offers VR viewing for WWE, NFL, NBA, Boxing and even live concerts! You can see all of the channels they offer by clicking here.

NextVR August schedule

September 30 @ 9am PDT
– Hope Amongst The Haze

October 4 @ 7pm PDT
– Live From Gotham Comedy

October 18 @ 7pm PDT
– Live from Gotham Comedy

November 1 @ 7pm PDT
– Live From Gotham Comedy

November 15 @ 7pm PDT
– Live From Gotham Comedy

See the NextVR full schedule here!

See on PlayStation store.

YouTube live events

Another option you have for live events on both the PlayStation VR and your Oculus Go is on YouTube. For PlayStation VR you’ll want to download the app to watch your videos, and for Oculus Go all you need to do is go to the browser. All you have to do to find amazing live content, at any time, is search “Live Stream” in the search bar. Make sure you subscribe to your favorite live streamers so you can be notified next time they’re live!

See on PlayStation Store.

PlayStation VR

Besides NextVR or Youtube, which is available to both PSVR and Oculus Go, there are a few exclusives to PlayStation that are worth checking out. Here’s all the information you’ll need to find the best live events that are exclusive to your PlayStation VR.

PlayStation Vue

Did you know that your PlayStation Vue is compatible with your PSVR? Not only that, but the quality of the video actually surprised me quite a bit. Not only did the resolution seem really well, but the 3D sound really made me feel like I was in the middle of the audience. Aside from the normal TV channels, you’ll find that Vue also offers a variety of live sports. It’s got everything you could need, including ESPN, ESPN2, Showtime (sports), FOX Soccer Plus, CBS Sports Network, ESPN channels, NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, Big Ten Network (BTN), and Eleven Sports.

While PlayStation Vue doesn’t have custom content like NextVR you can still find quite a bit of great things to watch. If you’re already subscribed to Vue for your PlayStation make sure you take advantage of its full potential by plugging in your VR headset.

See on PlayStation Store.

Oculus Go

Here’s all the information on the exclusive apps for Oculus Go when it comes to watching live events. Over at Oculus, they seem to be taking a priority in bringing the community together. One of the fears when it comes to VR is that you’ll wrap yourself in this new world and forget the people outside. Now, you don’t need to worry about that. Oculus Venues is an absolute game changer when it comes to livestreaming events in VR, and here’s why.

Oculus Venues

Oculus Venues is the most fun you’ll have watching live events in VR. Not only does it put you in the crowd like you’re really there, it puts you in a crowd of other viewers as well. Yes, this means you’ll have seats in a stadium that you can give commentary, cheer or chat with during the events. People across the world are watching the same shows as you, so why not watch together? This takes bringing a community together to a whole new level.

If you prefer watching alone, no worries! The schedules for Oculus Venues almost mirror the schedules for NextVR entirely.

Late July and entire August Oculus Venues schedule

September 27 @ 3 pm PT
– VR League Echo Arena Finals

September 27@ 11 pm PT
– Live music now, New Orleans

September 29 @ 9 pm PT
– The National: Live at Forest Hills Stadium

September 29 @ 11 pm PT
– The Trillest presents Brew Ha-Ha live

September 30 @ 7 pm PT
– Texas Chainsaw [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

September 30 @ 10 pm PT
– Texas Chainsaw [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 3 @ 1130 pm PT
– UCB Inprov Night Live

October 4 @ 10 pm PT
– Gotham Comedy Live

October 6 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 7 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw 2 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 7 @ 10 pm PT
– Saw 2 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 8 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw 3 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 8 @ 10 pm PT
– Saw 3 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 9 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw 4 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 9 @ 10 pm PT
– Saw 4 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 9 @ 10 pm PT
– Batsu! Live Japanese Game Show

October 10 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw 5 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 10 @ 10 pm PT
– Saw 5 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 11 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw 6 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 11 @ 10 pm PT
– Saw 6 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 11 @ 11:30 pm PT
– Sofar Sounds Live

October 12 @ 7 pm PT
– Saw 7 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 12 @ 10 pm PT
– Saw 7 [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 14 @ 7 pm PT
– Evil Dead [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 14 @ 10 pm PT
– Evil Dead [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 18 @ 10 pm PT
– Gotham Comedy Live

October 19 @ 730 pm PT
– Joywave Sir Sly Live @ Royale

October 19 @ 11 pm PT
– Kamasi Washington Live @ The War Field

October 19 @ 1130 pm PT
– Sofar Sounds Live

October 20 @ 1130 pm PT
– Thrillist Presents Brew Ha-Ha Live

October 21 @ 7 pm PT
– Mortdecai [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 21 @ 10 pm PT
– Mortdecai [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

October 21 @ 8 pm PT
– NBA : Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets produced in VR by NextVR

October 21 @ 8 pm PT
– NBA : Phoenix Suns @ Golden State WArriors produced in VR by NextVR

October 23 @ 8 pm PT
– Gallant: Live From Terminal 5

October 27 @ 11 pm PT
– Live Music Now – New Orleans

October 28 @ 11 pm PT
– Live Music Now – New Orleans

October 31 @ 1130 pm PT
– UCB Improv Night Live

November 1 @ 10 pm PT
– Gotham Comedy Live

November 4 @ 7 pm PT
– American Psycho [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 4 @ 10 pm PT
– American Psycho [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 8 @ 130 pm PT
– Sofar Sounds Live

November 11 @ 7 pm PT
– Bangcok Dangerous [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 11 @ 10 pm PT
– Bangcok Dangerous [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 12 @ 8:30 pm PT
– St. Lucia: Live at the Royale

November 13 @ 10 pm PT
– Batsu! Live Japanese Game Show

November 15 @ 10 pm PT
– Gotham Comedy Life

November 16 @ 1130 pm PT
– Sofar Sounds Live

November 17 @ 1130 pm PT
– Thrillest Presents Brew Ha-Ha

November 18 @ 7 pm PT
– Night of the Living Dead [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 18 @ 10 pm PT
– Night of the Living Dead [VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 25 @ 7 pm PT
– Madea’s Family Reunion[VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 25 @ 10 pm PT
– Madea’s Family Reunion[VR Movie Nights presented by Lionsgate]

November 27 @ 1130 pm PT
– UCB Improv Night

November 29 @ 11 pm PT
– Live Music Now New Orleans

November 30 @ pm PT
– Live Music Now New Orleans

See on Oculus Store.

What will you be watching?

Tell us in the comment section below, or shoot me a tweet telling me which live events you’ll be checking out. Already watched a few? Let us know what your favorites are!

Update September 26, 2018: We’ve updated this article with the new fall schedules for all the live VR events you can watch!

Why you should embrace Bixby and buy the Galaxy Note 9

Best answer: Bixby may not be everyone’s favorite AI assistant, but Bixby is worth getting to know on the Note 9. It can help you control your phone hands-free in ways Google Assistant cannot.

Amazon: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 ($1000)

Bixby has a bad rap, but it’s not a bad assistant

Samsung’s Bixby assistant and dedicated Bixby button have been mainstays on Samsung’s flagship phones for the last two years, and while many bemoan the inability to remap the button to another app, most people who have written off Bixby are people who haven’t touched it since the first weeks of its release, but Bixby has improved a lot since then.

Let’s start with the physical feature: the Bixby button. This dedicated button allows you to summon Bixby quickly when you need it and its latest update keeps it from activating when you really meant to turn down the volume. Using a dedicated button, Bixby can be summoned and used quicker, especially when it’s too loud to be heard or too quiet for you to speak.

It’s also easier to use a keyboard for inputting silent commands on Bixby, as using the keyboard for commands on Bixby full-screen acts like an autocompleting search bar, summoning possible commands between the input bar and the keyboard for you to scroll through or select.

The devil in the details: how deep Bixby can go with its commands

Google Assistant can control some basic settings on your Note 9, but Bixby can go far, far more in-depth in controlling your phone and your apps, especially Samsung apps like the Samsung camera app, Gallery, and Settings. Here is a small sampling of more helpful commands available with Bixby:

• Read me the notification from Gmail
• Set the most recent picture as my Home screen wallpaper
• Open Gmail and open last email from Ian
• Don’t notify me when apps are draining my battery in Device maintenance
• Turn on Block unknown callers
• Clean my phone’s memory
• Turn on Medium power saving mode in Device maintenance
• Show the battery percentage in the status bar
• Select 10 seconds for Timer and take a picture
• Open YouTube and show me my subscriptions
• Open Whatsapp and send my location to Dad
• Open Google Play Music and turn on Downloaded only
• Delete all of my meetings for today

Bixby’s compound actions and Quick commands abilities allow it to control your Note 9 in far more granular ways than other assistants, and while it takes a little while to figure out just what all Bixby can and can’t do, you’ll be amazed at what it can do once you learn how to command it.

The Note 9 has a lot to like beyond Bixby: spectacular cameras and camera software, a new wirelessly charged S Pen that can be used as a remote trigger for the camera, slideshow clicker, and of course as a pressure-sensitive stylus for the creation of amazing art and dainty doodles. Samsung displays are known for their rich colors and brilliant viewing — even in harsh sunlight — and the 6.4-inch display on the Note 9 is no exception.

Our pick

Galaxy Note 9

$1,000 at Amazon

This beast of a phone is the best you can buy

This is the Note of Notes, the phablet of phablets, the king of productivity and play in one luxurious package. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 phone has the latest and greatest of Bixby, of camera technology, of S-Pen super-smarts, and so, so, so much more.

Grab a Fire TV Cube for just $80 right now

“Alexa, it’s movie night.”

Right now, you can score a Fire TV Cube for just $79.99. Though we did see a coupon recently dropping its price to $70, that offer was only available to select Amazon accounts, and afterward there was a discount exclusively for Prime members. Fortunately, this deal is open to anyone. This is its second-lowest price ever too. During its pre-order phase, it was available for $90, but since then it has mainly sold for $120.

CordCutters did a full review of the Fire TV Cube. Essentially, imagine the way you use an Echo Dot now to control all the wirelessly connected appliances around your home. Then imagine that control plugged into your TV so you can control everything plugged in there with your voice as well. That’s what you get with this new device. It’s a way to turn on the TV, play your favorite DVD, adjust the volume on your home audio system, dim the lights, and get your microwave to cook some popcorn all without moving from the best spot on the couch.

See at Amazon