The Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof, so now you can read it in the tub

We live in a world of iPads and Galaxy tablets, but that doesn’t mean that the good old ebook reader doesn’t have a place. In fact, Amazon, known for its Kindle lineup of ebook readers, announced a new addition — a reimagined version of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. The new device offers many of the best features of the more expensive Kindle Oasis.

The new device boasts a number of advantages over the original Kindle Paperwhite. For starters, the device is now finally waterproof with a rating of IPX8, meaning you can read by the pool or at the beach without having to worry about getting the Paperwhite wet. The device also has an improved 6-inch display, with a 300 pixel-per-inch resolution that delivers what Amazon calls “crisp, laser-quality text.”

Hardware isn’t the only thing that’s different about the Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon has also updated its software a little, giving the homepage a refresh to make it easier to find books you may be interested in reading based on your previous reading habits. You’ll also get some interesting stats about how much you read and the types of things you read, and you’ll be able to customize things like fonts, boldness, and more.

Of course, while this is a device for those that enjoy reading you don’t technically have to read on the Kindle Paperwhite. There’s also support for Audible audiobooks, and the device has Bluetooth support so you can connect your Bluetooth headphones or speakers.

There are some downsides to this device versus others. For example, some like the idea of physical buttons for turning pages, and you won’t get that as a feature on the Kindle Paperwhite. It also doesn’t have USB-C — which is a little disappointing in 2018.

Still, that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Kindle Paperwhite looks to be one of the better options for ebook readers in 2018. The device comes at $130 for the 8GB Wi-Fi model, but you can also shell out $160 for the 32GB model, or $250 for the 32GB model with 3G connectivity — though then you will need to add the device to your data plan. You can get the device for yourself straight from Amazon.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Amazon slashes prices on Fire TVs, Kindles, and Fire Tablets
• End of the Voyage: Amazon stops selling its $200 Kindle
• Kobo’s upcoming ebook reader is bigger, lighter, and not afraid of water
• Amazon’s Prime Book Box is now available to all Prime members in the U.S.
• Here’s all the best gear and gadgetry you can snag for $100 or less

Verizon’s buy one, get one offer is the best deal on the new Google Pixel 3

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Mobile hardware is getting better and better, but when it comes to flagship smartphones, it doesn’t seem to be getting any cheaper. The latest flagships from Apple and Samsung are in fact among the most expensive devices we’ve ever seen, with prices for the Galaxy Note 9 and iPhone X starting at $1,000 (the newer iPhone XS is even more expensive at $1,100).

But if it’s time for a new phone, then these flagships really are the best that money can buy. If you’re in the market for a new smartphone and you want one of the latest and greatest – without shelling out a grand or more – then the new Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are fantastic options.

Our review team sang high praise for the Google Pixel 3 and its larger sibling, the Pixel 3 XL.  The highlights of both designs were their great build quality, beautiful OLED displays, great performance, and intuitive software, with the phones’ new Google A.I. being a particularly impressive feature.

Deals are typically scarce when it comes to new devices, as you’d expect from something that’s just been released and hasn’t even shipped yet. You can still score a deal, however, if you take advantage of pre-order bonuses like Verizon’s “buy one, get one” offer, which is by far the best deal going for the Google Pixel 3 right now.

Google’s partnership with Verizon means that this is the only one of the main carriers you can use with the Pixel 3, but if you’re a Verizon customer or are looking to switch, then this BOGO offer lets you score a free 64GB Pixel 3 when you pre-order either the Google Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL – effectively an $800 discount. This offer requires you to add a new line of service to your plan for at least one of the phones, and you’ll have to buy both up-front with the $800 rebate coming in the form of bill credits over 24 months.

If you really want the Google Pixel 3, but simply can’t justify buying two phones to get a discount, then you also have a second option. Best Buy is offering a free $100 gift card with the pre-order of a new Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL – not a mind-blowing deal, but not bad considering the Pixel is already the cheapest of the new flagships to hit the market this fall even without any discounts. Note that you’ll still need to activate it through Verizon, though.

Verizon

Best Buy

Looking for more great stuff? Find smartphone deals, iPhone 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 Pixel 3 XL cases to keep your notch in one piece
• Here’s how to buy the new Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL
• The Google Daydream View, one of the best VR headsets, is now on sale for $30
• The best Pixel 3 cases and covers
• Pixel 3 XL vs. Pixel 2 XL vs. Pixel XL: Which XL is best for you?

Why doesn’t PlayStation Classic come with an AC adapter?

Best answer: The PlayStation classic doesn’t have an AC adapter to keep the cost of the console down. It’s really the only thing to cut.

Best Buy Pre-order: PlayStation Classic ($99)

They need to keep the price below $99

The PlayStation Console is a beautiful thing. With 20 built-in games, two controllers, and a console that’s 45 percent smaller than the original, it’s a retro money-making machine. But to actually compete with Nintendo’s SNES and NES Classics, Sony needs to keep the cost as low as possible and that means sacrifices.

They have managed to create what looks to be a really well-designed replica of the original PlayStation with quality materials, so there aren’t savings to be made there. The only place to save is on the cables or the AC adapter and, rightly in my eyes, they chose the AC adapter.

Everybody has an AC adapter

In these days of disposable consumerism and in a country where cellphone is king, AC adapters are not hard to find. With over 95 percent of all Americans and 68 million Japanese people owning smartphones, and those people updating their smartphones every 25 months, it’s easy to work out that the average person, if they bought a smartphone in the past few years, would have at least some USB-A AC adapters floating around their house. Not all of these will work with the PlayStation Classic, but there’s a good chance they will. Plus, if they don’t yoiu can find a working one just about anywhere for really cheap.

All you need is for one you own to be capable of outputting five volts and one amp. To put that into perspective, my Pixel 2 XL charger can output a maximum of five volts and two amps. Even the cheap ones you get at the service stations can output the required power.

You can grab an AC adapter from Amazon

For as little as $7 you can grab a standard five volts, one amp wall charger that will connect to your PlayStation Classic. You don’t even need to buy the cable separately, since that comes supplied in the box.

I would recommend this wall charger from Anker if you are looking to purchase a new one.

Our pick

Anker wall charger

$15 at Amazon

Dual sockets for your Classic and phone

This Anker wall charger is more than powerful enough to run your Playstation Classic and has room to charge your cell phone too.

The Console

PlayStation Classic

$99 at Best Buy

Retro fun for all the family

The PlayStation Classic is set to be one of the best selling consoles of this holiday season. Pre-order yours while you can.

Google’s changes to EU licensing could mean more expensive Androids

Appeal or not, Google’s making changes.

Google just announced it has filed an appeal with the European Commission (EC) following a $5 billion fine from July related to its licensing terms for Android and Google apps. The crux of the EC’s decision earlier this year was its opinion that Google was taking advantage of its position as a dominant operating system to be unfriendly to companies making Android devices. The EC took particular umbrage with Google’s requirements to include several Google apps as a bundle, and that licensees making Google-sanctioned Android devices were forbidden from making non-Google-licensed (aka “forked”) Android devices.

Though Google has just filed an appeal in hopes of overturning the decision, it has also just outlined its plans for addressing the EC’s concerns regardless. The changes fall into two groups: how Google will handle Android licensing terms in the European Economic Area (EEA), and how it will handle licensing of its Google apps on top of Android.

Companies can now make licensed Android builds while also shipping forked builds in Europe.

The most significant change from the manufacturer side is that Google will now allow companies that make Android devices with Google apps to also make other Android devices with their own “forked” versions of the operating system and no Google apps. For example a company could make a regular Android phone with full Google certification, and also an Android tablet with its own version of the OS and no Google apps or services. The one catch here is that Google is only opening this up to companies distributing to the EEA, meaning any devices would have a significantly limited market to sell in.

Next are the changes to the way Google apps are licensed. Android device makers will now be able to license Google’s suite of mobile apps (Gmail, Maps, Photos, etc.) separately from Google Search and Google Chrome, which were both previously required. So now, you could theoretically see a phone that had Gmail and Google Maps, but with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Mozilla Firefox with no sign of Google Search or Chrome at all. Google will continue to offer Search and Chrome to anyone, and is going to keep signing commercial agreements for preferential placement of the apps on phones — those are just separate deals from the rest of the apps now.

Google is complying with the EC’s complaints, but it’s hard to see what the consumer benefit is.

It all sounds good, and more choices for manufacturers is a bonus. But here’s the rub: now that Google is removing Search and Chrome from the app bundle, the two apps that actually make Google money, it will have to make the rest of its apps available through a paid license. If a company in the EEA wants to make Android devices with Google apps, sans Search and Chrome, it will now have to pay for the privilege. And you can bet that those apps won’t be cheap, nor will the cost simply be eaten by the company — it’s likely to be passed on to the retail price.

Who wins in this situation? The EC, sure, but this may also mean more expensive Androids in Europe.

Google’s making changes to comply with the EC’s exact complaints over exclusivity of Android licenses and app bundling, and it’s doing so as a show of good faith even as it appeals the decision. But Google’s also putting its foot down to show just how much value it gives away for free as of today, with a suite of extremely popular and well-made apps that would typically cost companies millions of dollars to develop for themselves. By forcing Google’s hand to un-bundle its money-making Search and Chrome, manufacturers shipping Android in the EEA that decide to forego those apps, as the EC claims they want to do, will pay for the privilege. In the incredibly competitive and price-sensitive consumer electronics world, that’s a tough cost to manage.

So who wins in this situation? It’s tough to argue European consumers do. The EC’s stipulation that companies were being hindered by their inability to ship devices with forked versions of Android is of dubious merit, and now there’s a very real possibility that Google-sanctioned devices — a vast majority of Androids sold in the EEA — will cost more when they hit store shelves.

The coming weeks will reveal whether Google’s appeal is accepted or the original decision is enacted, but Google plans on placing the above licensing changes into effect on October 29 regardless.

Gaming monitors, speedy SSDs, and more are discounted today

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

There’s never a shortage of deals available, but sorting through all of them can be difficult at times. We’ve handpicked all the best tech, and everyday essentials discounts that you can take advantage of right now and brought them to one central location. From solid state drives to AeroGardens, these are today’s best deals.

Tech Deals

View the rest of the deals

Everyday Essentials

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!

Google Pixel 3 XL vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Which should you buy?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Android phones, and use nearly every one to find the best phones for everyone.

Google Pixel 3 XL

Pure Google

$899 at Best Buy

Pros

• Large, high-quality screen
• Great camera
• Dual selfie cameras
• Wireless charging
• Guaranteed software updates

Cons

• No headphone jack
• Display notch

Google refreshed its hardware and jumped to a 6.3-inch 18.5:9 display. It’s not just about size though since the display is dramatically better as well. The rest of the phone builds on all of Google’s strengths: simple hardware, capable specs, smooth software, and an amazing camera experience front and back. It also added wireless charging and kept stereo speakers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Mighty S Pen

$935 at Amazon

Pros

• Huge screen
• Great camera
• Headphone jack
• Wireless charging
• S Pen stylus

Cons

• Cumbersome software
• Slow ongoing software support

This is Samsung’s absolute top-of-the-line phone, and it shows. It has a best-in-class display, top-end specs across the board and loads of hardware features. The cameras are great, too, and the S Pen is truly unique. You just have to take the time to configure and tame Samsung’s software.

Though they’re both high-end phones that command an equally high price, Google and Samsung have entirely different philosophies about what makes a great phone, so a lot of it comes down to personal preference. We compare the two in detail below.

What’s the difference between the Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9?

With a handful of improvements this year, Google’s Pixel 3 XL is more of a competitor to the Galaxy Note 9 than the 2 XL was to the Note 8. The Pixel 3 XL’s screen is almost as big as the Note 9 and almost as good — it’s indistinguishable in all respects except total brightness. Google has added wireless charging, a staple Samsung feature, and is IP68 water- and dust-resistant, just like the Note 9. They run on the same Snapdragon 845 processor, and have all of the same supporting radios and chips elsewhere inside.

These are flagship phones through and through — but in terms of raw specs, Samsung has a slight advantage.

But still, Samsung wins in the spec battle in a few ways. The Note 9 has 6 or 8GB of RAM to the Pixel’s 4GB, giving it more runway for performance with taxing apps in the future. Its 128 or 512GB of storage also beats the Pixel’s 64 or 128GB, and Samsung still offers a microSD card slot. The Note has a regular 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is still preferable to using Google’s in-box USB-C headphones — and the Pixel’s better stereo speakers doesn’t make up the difference. The Note 9’s 4000mAh battery is a clear winner over the Pixel 3 XL’s 3430mAh, both in capacity and overall battery longevity.

Design-wise, these phones are very similar — they’re panes of glass sandwiching metal frames. There are just two main differences here: the Pixel 3 XL is smaller and lighter, while the Note 9 has a curved screen on the sides that some people find is tough to handle. Being smaller and lighter is certainly a win every time, but whether the Note 9’s curved sides bother you will be something you have to experience for yourself.

The bigger differences between the phones are more nuanced ones: camera performance and software experience.

Right off the top, I’ll recognize that both phones have fantastic cameras and take really good photos. Any differences noted between the two are either small, minimally consequential, or simply a matter of preference. That being said, if I have to put my foot down on one I’ll say the Pixel 3 XL takes better photos overall, the reason being that the Pixel consistently takes more eye-pleasing photos with more accuracy and more lifelike representation of scenes. The Note 9 is certainly capable of these kinds of shots, but tends more toward upping the colors unnaturally and overly smoothing details to an unrealistic level of sharpness. The photos look amazing, and you may even prefer them that way, which is why it’s really tough to pick between these two.

These phones are matched in so many ways, but there’s a clear divide in software and experience.

When it comes to portrait mode and zooming, things are about a wash even though the Note 9 has a second camera to work with. Google does amazing things with just one camera, making digital zoom and portrait mode look just as good as what Samsung does with a single lens. Where Google has an upper hand is in selfies, where its secondary camera provides an actual portrait mode for front-facing shots, as well as a wide-angle view, whereas Samsung sticks with a single camera — but in either case, you get great selfies with a high resolution and auto focus.

Now, software. It’s no secret that Google goes with a simpler, cleaner approach than Samsung. You don’t get as many features, but you definitely get an easier-to-understand software experience that’s faster to pick up and figure out whether you’re a novice or a pro. The features Google chooses to include are easy to “set and forget” so they’re not getting in your way, and you don’t feel like you’re spending time in menus and settings to get the phone to just work. On the other hand, those are all things you have to tread through with the Note 9 — the upside, of course, is the customization angle so you can get the exact experience you want. If you work at it, you can leverage the dozens of features to accomplish even more without installing apps. And that dovetails right into the discussion of the S Pen, which is something without equal on the Pixel side.

With either one of these phones, you get a high-end hardware experience with the latest specs and hardware features. You get a great camera, plenty of power, really nice design and so much more. The question is whether you want the extra bump in specs and features on the hardware side, and are willing to give up Google’s preferable software experience to get it.

Google Pixel 3 XL

Pure Google

$899 at Best Buy

Google’s best-ever phone

Phones are large nowadays, and Google’s Pixel 3 XL is no exception. A 6.3-inch OLED screen is dramatically improved from the Pixel 2 XL, and the rest of the experience builds on Google’s strengths: awesome software, great performance, innovative camera features, and guaranteed updates.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Mighty S Pen

$935 at Amazon

The do-everything flagship

Samsung’s “more is better” approach is in full effect with the Note 9. It has a packed spec sheet, all of the hardware features you want, and tons of extra software to support it. Plus, it has an S Pen stylus and a huge battery. It just lacks some of the polish you get from Google’s Pixel line.

The new Analogue Mega Sg can play your old Sega cartridges on your new TV

Take me back.

Today Analogue announced its new Mega Sg console, which takes your old games and transforms them to high-resolution, high-fidelity, high-quality experiences on your modern TV. It connects simply via HDMI and can support more than 2,100 Sega Genesis, Mega Drive, and Master System cartridges.

The Mega Sg is a fantastic way to get some use out of the games you’ve saved from your childhood or picked up while thrifting. The console features original controller ports and comes with an adapter for the Sega CD. You’ll also be able to snag cartridge adapters for things like Game Gear titles once the console is out.

This is a huge win for old-school Sega fans, since they’ve been left in the dust when it comes to retro gaming. Nintendo fans have the NES Classic and SNES Classic, PlayStation fans can look forward to the PlayStation Classic, and up until now, Sega fans have received the short end of the stick. While this isn’t an official release like the aforementioned consoles, the officially-released Sega Genesis Classic received ultimately poor reviews. Analogue is a well-known and trusted third party, and the Mega Sg is an addition to its highly-praised console lineup.

The new console is available in four color schemes, and it will sell for $189 when it launches in March of 2019. You can pre-order yours now and it will ship in April of 2019.

See at Analogue

Shuffle through your Spotify playlists offline with the new $86 Mighty Vibe

Listen up.

Mighty has introduced a new-and-improved way to listen to your Spotify playlists offline. Dubbed the Mighty Vibe, this $85.99 gadget is actually a new iteration of last year’s plain-old Mighty. Unfortunately, that model was littered with issues such as spotty connections, an unimpressive battery life, and inadequate playback. The new version improves on all of those issues, and brings those improvements to a nice little black, blue, or red package. As you’ll see on the product page, the company was super transparent in the issues they faced with the first model. The new version doesn’t come with a steeper price tag, either.

Basically, this little gadget streams your Spotify music offline. It does require a Spotify Premium account, which you’ll want to keep in mind before purchasing. It updates each night so you always have fresh music, and you can easily select the playlist you want using its Voiceover Playlist Navigation. It pairs to your phone and headphones via Bluetooth, but you can also use a pair of wired headphones seamlessly with it.

The Mighty Vibe can store more than 1,000 tracks. It has a five-hour playback battery life and clips onto clothing, making it perfect for athletes or traveling. Your purchase is also backed by a one-year warranty. You can pick yours up here.

See at Mighty

If you believe your phone is distracting you too much, check out Forest (Review)

We’ve all been in this situation: we need to get things done today. That easy for history class. That last piece of code to finish a ticket. That budget planning for the next vacation. But our phone is constantly nagging us about a post you commented on Facebook, or the likes you received on your Instagram post. Our high school friends keep writing on Telegram about the latest meme. Amazon is asking us to check the latest deals.

It is very hard to do actual work with the amount of services, messaging, and social networking going on inside our phones. If you need a little push to stop your mind from using the phone and get back to business, then Forest might be a good addition to your list of apps.

Developer: Forestapp.cc
Price: Free

Forest Overview

If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, then you can read more about it here. Although this app is not exactly a Pomodoro timer, you can see some elements of it crawling into the app.

The premise of Forest is the following: you define a period in which you want to get work done, and a virtual tree will blossom during that time. However, this will only happen if you don’t use any other app in your phone during that time. Failing to do so means that your tree dies. Immediately. No questions asked.

Setup

Forest will present you a small onboarding with some information about what it is and how does it work. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it. Upon completion of it, Forest will show you the main screen with a small tutorial about how to start the timer and change the type of tree you want to grow. You are probably smart enough to figure everything out by yourself, especially if you are familiar with these kind of applications. However, it is never a bad idea to have a small tutorial for newcomers, so kudos to the developer for that.

Planting Trees

Forest works best by giving it access permission. This means that Forest will be able to check if you have changed to another app while the timer is on. In case you do so, your phone will start vibrating and will send you a notification about coming back to the app immediately if you don’t want your tree to die. I can understand that this might be giving too much information to an app, but not granting this permission will mean that you will be able to cheat.

If your tree dies because you left the app, you will be left with a lifeless log in your forest. You can remove this if you don’t like the look of it, but you will need to either pay coins to do it, or watch a video ad.

However, if everything goes well and you manage to control the impulse of using your phone, you will be rewarded with a glorious tree. Its gloriousness depends on how much time you decided to stop using your phone, from 10 to 120 minutes.

This will start filling your forest, giving a meaning to the app’s name. Every period you complete will not only grant you a tree, but also coins. These can be used at the store to buy new kinds of trees to plant. Every purchase you make will make next purchases more expensive, and, combined with the fact that you get coins in a really slow way, getting everything that is available at the store will take a very, very long time.

If you want to keep things more organized, then you can also add tags to each of your periods. Stuff like “work,” “social,” or “study” are available by default, but you can also add your own custom tags (with the pro version). This will help you keezp a record of the time that you have concentrated doing different activities. All of the activities that you make will then be available in the timeline navigation item.

Pro Version

As many apps and games these days, Forest is provided for free, but offers a pro version for those interested. At $1.99, the pro version is really affordable and it brings benefits such as ad removal, sync between devices, custom tags, and whitelist.

This last option is particularly clever, since there’s people that actually use their phones for valuable stuff, such as working or studying with it. So, for some people, using Slack or Outlook would actually constitute a working activity. Forest lets you whitelist these kind of apps so that you can stay away from social networks and other useless activities while actually getting work done with your phone.

However, the most interesting option that you get with the pro version is the ability to plant actual trees. Through an alliance with Trees for the Future, you can plant trees in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Not only are you improving your concentration in activities that matter to you, but also improving the conditions in which other less fortunate people perform activities that matter to them. It’s a perfect example of a win-win situation, and the cause is a really commendable one.

Settings

There are several options at your disposal, primarily aimed at improving the core experience of the app. Some of the options available to you are notification mode, keeping the screen on while the app is on the foreground, turning on sound effects, configuration of planting reminders, and advanced detection. This last option provides some workarounds for common problems with the app, such as notifications being wrongly interpreted as leaving the app.

If you have the pro version, this is where you will be able to configure things like custom phrases and app whitelist.

Conclusion

Forest combines a gameified experience with cute graphics and solid performance in order to help you use your phone less and do more work. Its functionality is just as advertised (provided you give it the appropriate permissions) and its pro version actually helps you to do good deeds for other people. If you find yourself struggling to keep your phone down and work, then it doesn’t hurt to check this out.

Download and install Forest from the Google Play Store.

This $10 electronics travel organizer keeps all your cables close by

Get organized.

The Jelly Comb electronics and cables water-resistant travel organizer is down to $10.49 with code FLLDDV9Y on Amazon. The organizer normally sells around $14 or so. This code is only valid on the Black & Green version of this product.

The storage bag has two Nylon layers with enough space for all your cables, USB drives, chargers, mice, and more. It uses six elastic mesh segments, two mesh pockets, 12 elastic loops, one storage segment for SD cards, one big adhesive pocket for a mini tablet, and one detachable hand strap. The outer surface is water-resistant, and the inside is padded for protection. This could also be used to store items like pens or pills, and it’s designed to be easy to travel with since it can quickly open and close to make sure everything’s in there. Users give it 4.4 stars based on 169 reviews.

See on Amazon