How to hide PlayStation 4 games in your library

Make your PlayStation 4 library as organized as ever.

Our game libraries can be a bit of a mess, especially if we frequently purchase a lot of titles. Whether you just want to hide some of them because you dislike their cover art or you have a more utilitarian reason—like hiding those you’ll never complete—here’s how to make them disappear from your library without actually getting rid of them.

• How to hide games in your PS4 library
• How to hide games from activity feed, profile, and trophy list

How to hide games in your PS4 library

From the dashboard, scroll to your Library.
Navigate to Purchased.
Highlight whichever item you want hidden.
Hit Options on your controller.

Select Do Not Show Content Item in (Purchased).

To reveal any games you have hidden, hit Options on your controller once again and select Check Hidden Content Items.

This only works for games tied to your PSN account under Purchased. If you scroll through your Games listed under This PS4, you will not see the option to hide them.

How to hide games from activity feed, profile, and trophy list

And if you want to hide certain games from your activity feed, profile, and trophy list there’s another method to do so. Note that this won’t hide them from your own profile should you check for them on your account, but it will stop other people from viewing them if they visit your profile.

Go to your profile.
Select Games.
Highlight any game.
Hit Options on your controller.

Select Hidden Games Settings.

Check the games you’d like to hide.

There are other ways to enter your Hidden Game Settings from various menus, but I found the above to be the most straight-forward.

PlayStation 4

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Amazon

Keep your phone safe from floods and water fun with a waterproof pouch

Whether you’re off to a wet and wonderful vacation in some tropical locale or you’re just trying to weather the flash floods and storm surges hurricane season brings, a waterproof pouch is an easy way to protect your phone from electronics’ biggest enemy: water. IPX8 cases are widely prevalent, come in many styles, colors, and sizes to accommodate phones both big and small, and since they’re usually big enough for a driver’s license and some cash, they easily go from unitasker to waterproof mini-purse. Whatever you’re looking for in a waterproof pouch, you can probably find it in one of these.

Family pack pouches

Mpow Universal IPX8 Waterproof Phone Pouch (3-pack)

Mpow’s cases are by far the most prevalent and popular waterproof pouches on the market. The set comes in different colors so the whole family can tell their phones apart, and they should last several days so long as you’re careful not to rip the plastic when getting your phone in or out of it. This pouch can fit phones with up to a 6-inch diagonal screen, though for phones on the larger end of that scale, you may need to remove their case before you put them in.

$11 at Amazon

Most popular

JOTO Universal Waterproof Case

JOTO’s cases have over 20,000 reviews on Amazon and still have a 4.5-star rating. These pouches have colored borders, both sides of your phone are fully visible inside the case. The color options here aren’t quite as sexy as the Mpow or CaliCase, but they get the job done. The JOTO pouch can fit phones with up to a 6-inch diagonal screen, though for phones on the larger end of that scale, you may need to remove their case before you put them in.

$8 at Amazon

Affordable floaters

Mpow Floating IPX8 Waterproof Phone Pouch (2-pack)

This multipack of Mpow pouches is 2 instead of 3, but these pouches are floaters! While not ideal for divers or snorkelers, floating dry bags like these are great for a weekend of fishing or boating, making sure your phone doesn’t sink to the bottom of the river/lake/ocean but stays afloat and easily retrievable should it go overboard.

$11 at Amazon

Upgrade pick

CaliCase Waterproof Floating Case

CaliCase is double-layered, floats (except the clear version), comes with a lockable carabiner to keep it strapped to your lanyard/belt/backpack/kayak, and some versions even glow in the dark! The American-made CaliCase comes in a bevy of cool colors and has a Lifetime Warranty. While you can get the normal-sized one from Amazon easily, you’ll need to buy the extra-large version directly from Calicase unless you want hot pink.

$15 at Amazon

A few notes about using a waterproof phone pouch with your Android phone:

• You can’t use a fingerprint scanner through a waterproof pouch. Be prepared to unlock your phone via password or PIN, or use Smart Lock to keep the device unlocked.
• While most newer pouches allow you to use your touchscreen to an extent, it doesn’t work well (or at all) while you and your pouch are completely submerged. If you’re going to be taking photos underwater, set your camera to use the volume buttons to take pictures.
• Most waterproof pouches are secured to a lanyard using a “Quick Release” mechanism that will detach the pouch if someone yanks it or it gets caught on something. If you don’t want that, get yourself a durable paracord carabiner you can snap onto your belt instead.

Got a favorite waterproof pouch for your Android phone? Do you want a floater or a sinker? Do you prefer a bright color or is black fine so long as it keeps your phone dry? Let us know which one you use in the comments.

Updated September 2018: We’ve replaced the Fitfort with a floating Mpow multi-pack and updated the pricing and links for our other choices so that you can keep your phone dry through flash floods and hurricanes.

Best Bose QC35 replacement carrying cases

So, you’ve lost the carrying case that came with your Bose QC35s. Fear not, because there are plenty of third-party cases to choose from! We’ve picked through all of them to find the very best ones available. Without further ado, here’s what we found!

Super stylish and easy on the wallet

LinkIdea Headphones Carrying Case

LinkIdea’s case is incredibly stylish while still protecting your QC35s from the outside world. It’s ready for all your wear and tear thanks to a super durable EVA crush and shock-resistant material and comes in four eye-catching colors.

$12 at Amazon

Most expensive but comes with a warranty

Geekria Headphones Case

The fabric design of the Geekria case looks and feels fantastic. It’s rated to protect against dust, shock, scuffs, and more, and if the case breaks, Geekria covers you with a 1-year warranty.

$17.50 at Amazon

Looks just like the original

Gigabit Case for Bose QuietComfort 35

This is a great copy of the official QC35 carrying case that costs a lot less than the official Bose one. There’s a slip on the back for extra storage, durable PU material on the outside, and a trusty zipper to keep everything locked in place.

$13 at Amazon

Great design and has a free lanyard

Geekria UltraShell Headphones Case

The hard outer portion of the UltraShell case offers more than enough protection for your QC35s. There’s also a great-looking fabric design and carrying lanyard to make travel as easy as can be.

$15 at Amazon

Lots of colors and super affordable

CaseSack Headphone Carrying Case

CaseSack’s case checks all the boxes. It’s available in a wide variety of colors, has a big storage area inside for extra cables, and has a durable outer shell to protect your headphones from just about anything.

$11 at Amazon

Protect your QC35s in style

The carrying case that comes with the Bose QC35s is fantastic, but if it happens to get damaged or you lose it, there are a lot of great replacements to choose from. Heck, even if you still have the original case, you might want to pick up a new one anyway just for a new look! Whether you buy the affordable CaseSack case or the more expensive Geekria one, we think you’ll be pleased no matter what you decide to get.

Plantronics’ latest headphones are for everyone from athletes to gamers

These wireless headphones are affordably priced and now available.

The holiday shopping season is closing in on us all, and Plantronics has new products lined up to help you take advantage of your gift-giving opportunities leading with the true wireless BackBeat Fit 3100 earbuds. With a battery life of five hours and a charging case adding an additional ten, these headphones are capable of all-day playback. They’re also sweatproof and waterproof so you can listen and work out without worry. Amazon and other retailers have them priced at $149.99 and available now.

Meanwhile, the BackBeat Fit 2100 earphones take those same earbuds and add a flexible band between them to keep them connected. Not only can they last for a bit longer on a single charge (up to seven hours), but you also save $50 as they’re sold for just $99.99 in Black, Grey, or Lava Black.

The wireless BackBeat Go 410 headphones were also just released, featuring a battery life of up to 12 hours. They offer active noise-cancellation so you can listen without all the sounds around you bleeding through, and the feature can be turned off as well to conserve your battery power. These earphones aren’t fully wireless like the BackBeat Fit 3100 earphones above, but they’re a bit less expensive at $129.99.

Plantronics didn’t stop there though. Things get even more affordable with the BackBeat Fit 350 headphones which are priced at just $79. These headphones, just as the ones above, utilize Bluetooth to connect to devices and are capable of lasting for six hours of playtime before needing to be recharged. There’s also a pair of over-ear headphones, called the BackBeat Go 810 headphones, for $149.99 which offer active noise-cancellation, 40mm drivers, and up to 28 hours of wireless listening.

For the gamers out there, Plantronics also recently released new versions of its Rig gaming headsets: the Rig 300, Rig 400 Pro, and Rig 500 Pro. Which one is right for you will generally depend on which console you use and your budget, though the 500 Pro HC would get you the most bang for your buck. There are a variety of headphones in these lines to choose from depending on your needs and the style you like.

See at Amazon

Canada Daily Deals: Philips Hue, LaCie Rugged hard drives and more

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 Philips Hue Starter kits, rugged hard drives from LaCie, Bluetooth speakers and headphones from Anker, and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA and follow the team on Twitter.

How to Watch Apple’s ‘Gather Round’ iPhone Event Live in Your Time Zone

There’s just a day to go until Apple holds its annual iPhone-centric event to introduce new iPhone models, with this year’s event expected to see the debut of the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone Xs, the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone Xs Max, and the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which could be called the iPhone Xr.

We’re also expecting to see new Apple Watch Series 4 models with larger displays thanks to reduced bezels and more accurate ECG-based heart monitoring technology. Other surprises could be in the works too, such as the launch of new second-generation AirPods and the debut of the long-awaited AirPower.

Apple’s event will kick off on September 12 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple Park campus, with Apple set to live stream the event on the Apple TV and on the events website. Check out the list below to see when the event takes place in your time zone, and read on to see just how to watch.

• Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HAST
• Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
• Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
• Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
• Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
• New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Raleigh, North Carolina — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
• London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
• Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
• Moscow, Russia — 8:00 p.m. MSK
• Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
• Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
• Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
• Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB (9/13)
• Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST (9/13)
• Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT (9/13)
• Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST (9/13)
• Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT (9/13)
• Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST (9/13)
• Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST (9/13)
• Adelaide, Australia — 2:30 a.m. (9/13)
• Sydney, Australia — 3:00 a.m. (9/13)
• Auckland, New Zealand — 5:00 a.m. NZST (9/13)

How to Watch Live on Apple TV

On the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, Apple has an Events app that can be downloaded from the tvOS App Store.

Open the App Store.
Use Siri or the Search field to search for “Apple Events.”
Select the “Get” button to download the app.
Choose the Events app from the Apple TV home screen.
Prior to 10:00 a.m. on September 12, the Events app will display instructions letting you know to come back at the proper time to watch the live stream. Once the event begins, the app will open right up into a live broadcast straight from Apple Park.

On the older Apple TV models, there’s no need to install an Events app because it’s a pre-existing channel. Simply select the “Events” option at the proper time to watch Apple’s live stream on a second or third-generation Apple TV.

How to Watch Live on Mac, iPad, and iPhone

For those who do not have an Apple TV and would prefer to watch the event on a Mac or iOS device, all you need is the Safari web browser.

Apple has a dedicated Apple Special Event website where the live stream will be hosted. All you need to do is open the link using the Safari browser on a Mac, iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone to watch live when the event begins.

iOS 10 or later is required, as is macOS Sierra or later.

How to Watch on Windows

If you don’t have an iOS device or a Mac handy to watch the event, you can do so on a Windows machine by visiting the Apple Special Event website using the Microsoft Edge browser.

Live Twitter Coverage

Apple is planning to provide a live stream of the event on Twitter as well as on the Apple TV and website, so those interested in viewing the stream via the social network can do so.

Join us September 12 at 10 a.m. PDT to watch the #AppleEvent live on Twitter. Tap ❤️ below and we’ll send you updates on event day. pic.twitter.com/i9mGHTKhvu

— Apple (@Apple) September 10, 2018

MacRumors Coverage

For MacRumors readers who are not able to watch the event live, we will be offering live coverage of everything Apple announces both here on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account, so make sure to follow us on Twitter and tune in to the website in the morning if you don’t want to miss anything.

We’ll have extensive coverage of all of the new announcements throughout the week as well, so make sure to keep an eye on the site.

If you want to get a sneak peek at everything Apple plans to announce on Wednesday, make sure to check out our What to Expect article, and for full details on all of the new iPhone features we’re expecting to see, visit our dedicated iPhone Xs roundup.

Related Roundup: iPhone Xs
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Plex to Shut Down Plex Cloud Service on November 30

Plex today announced on its forums that it is planning to shut down the Plex Cloud service as of November 30, 2018.

Plex introduced the Plex Cloud option back in the fall of 2016, providing Plex users with a way to store their media in the cloud to make it accessible from anywhere without the need for a local server.

Since its launch, Plex Cloud has suffered from issues, which led Plex to stop allowing new Plex Cloud servers in February to address performance, quality, and user experience problems.

According to Plex, it has not been able to solve its Plex Cloud problems in a cost effective manner.

We hold ourselves to a high standard, and unfortunately, after a lot of investigation and thought, we haven’t found a solution capable of delivering a truly first class Plex experience to Plex Cloud users at a reasonable cost.

Starting on November 30, 2018, Plex Cloud users will no longer be able to access their Plex Cloud servers. Plex Cloud worked through a connection to services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, so all content will remain available to users through those services. Plex also plans to unlink all third-party cloud storage services from Plex Cloud on November 30.

With the discontinuation of Plex Cloud, Plex media content will be accessible only through local libraries, with the company recommending that people store former cloud content on a NAS. Plex says that the end of Plex Cloud will allow it to focus on improving core functionality and adding new features and content.
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Brikk and Caviar Debut Ultra Expensive iPhone Xs and Xs Max Models in Luxury Materials

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone Xs and the iPhone Xs Max, luxury iPhone companies Brikk and Caviar have announced custom versions of the two new iPhones made from materials like carbon, ceramic, alligator, and other materials.

Russian site Caviar, for example, is offering ornate iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs designs with carbon bodies, snake skin, alligator skin, gold accents, and diamond accents.

One of the most expensive Caviar iPhones, a version that features gold plating, mother of pearl, and 20 diamonds, is priced starting at $5,420.

Brikk, meanwhile, is offering iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max models in carbon, ceramic, and gold. Pricing on the carbon models, which feature “an extremely rare form of carbon” that’s also used by Lamborghini, are priced starting at $9,995. For that price, you also get solid gold logos and 24k yellow gold buttons.

Brikk’s ceramic iPhones start at $12,995 and come in either black or white, also with a 24k gold main body and buttons. Brikk says its ceramic iPhones offer exceptional heat resistance and light weight.

For those with even more cash to spend, Brikk also plans to offer solid gold versions of the iPhone Xs and Xs Plus, which will cost upwards of $50,000. These devices are just announcements at this point, as Brikk and Caviar will need to wait for the official iPhone Xs and Xs Max launch to purchase iPhones for customization purposes.

Both Caviar and Brikk are known for selling ornately-designed luxury iPhone models for exorbitant prices, which are fun to look at but are out of the price range of most iPhone buyers.

Nevertheless, should someone be interested in one of these iPhones, Caviar is taking pre-orders now and Brikk is expected to begin accepting pre-orders soon.

Related Roundup: iPhone Xs
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FCC to Take More Time to Review Merger Between Sprint and T-Mobile

The United States Federal Communications Commission today informed T-Mobile and Sprint [PDF] that it needs more time to review the proposed merger between the two companies before making a final decision on approval.

According to the FCC, it is pausing the informal 180-day transaction clock to allow for “thorough staff and third-party review” of newly submitted and anticipated business documents.

Sprint and T-Mobile on September 5 submitted a revised network engineering model that’s “significantly larger and more complex,” which the FCC needs to look over. The two companies also did not provide the FCC with documentation on a “Build 9” business model until September 5, so that’s also something the FCC needs to review, and T-Mobile is also planning to offer up additional economic modeling documents.

The FCC says that the 180-day clock will remain stopped until T-Mobile and Sprint have completed the record “on which they intend to rely” and a reasonable amount of time has passed to allow the FCC and third-parties to look over the documentation.

Sprint and T-Mobile officially reached a merger agreement back in late April, so the original 180-day review period was set to end in October. The FCC aims to complete applications for license transfers relating to complex mergers within an informal 180 day period, but warns that some application review periods can exceed 180 days.

If the T-Mobile and Sprint merger is ultimately approved by regulators, two of the four major carriers in the United States will combine into one single entity. T-Mobile and Sprint combined will have nearly 100 million customers, putting it second only to Verizon.

The combined company will be named T-Mobile and current T-Mobile CEO John Legere will serve as the Chief Executive Officer. Sprint and T-Mobile have previously said they’re hoping to close the deal in the first half of 2019.

Tags: Sprint, T-Mobile, FCC
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Nvidia thinks 5G could give you a high-end PC gaming experience on the go

Nvidia’s GeForce Now subscription service allows you to play purchased PC games on low-end machines, with the majority of the work offloaded to cloud-based processors. It requires a fairly fast internet download speed to run effectively, but with the advances of 5G on the way, Nvidia is confident it can open up the door for even more players to get the performance of an expensive PC without the cost.

Nvidia demonstrated GeForce Now’s capability with 5G during AT&T’s Spark Conference in San Francisco. According to The Register, a fairly run-of-the-mill laptop was hooked up to a 5G base station and was able to achieve 60 frames-per-second framerate with only 16ms of lag. This could feasibly be reduced down to as little as 3ms in the future, which Nvidia said could allow users to play virtual reality games without needing expensive extra hardware.

It probably isn’t safe to play virtual reality games while you’re standing on the bus or in the park, but Nvidia’s vision seems to be in line with what we’ve heard from other companies recently. Microsoft is making a push for cloud gaming, as well, in order for players to experience its games regardless of device. Cross-play games like Fortnite have made this even more appealing, as they allow users from nearly any platform to compete against each other.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Mobile carriers aren’t yet ready to roll out 5G and it will be even longer before they’re able to do so on a large scale. AT&T, for instance, will initially introduce the technology to Atlanta, Dallas, and Waco, Texas, and Verizon is planning to launch a wider version of the technology beginning in 2019.

GeForce Now is just one of several game streaming services that could benefit from 5G. PlayStation Now lets subscribers play full PS4 games without having to purchase them, and we’d love to be able to access these games on more devices. GameFly Streaming was previously another option, but was shuttered after its technology was sold to Electronic Arts this year.

According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, all games could take the streaming-only approach in the future, as he speculated that the upcoming console generation would be the last. Only time will tell if this is true, but Microsoft’s is reportedly developing a second streaming box to sell alongside its next traditional Xbox console.

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