Wishplay’s virtual Halloween delivers a treat to terminally ill children

If you or someone you love has ever spent any time as a patient in a hospital, you know how isolating the experience can be. Those four walls and your hospital bed become your whole world. For patients receiving palliative care — those with essentially no hope for recovery — that room is often the last thing they ever see. 

For David Parker, a Toronto-based technology developer, this situation was unacceptable, so he set himself the goal of providing these patients an escape — albeit a temporary one — through virtual reality. Two years ago, he began to approach local hospitals with a simple idea: He would bring an inexpensive, consumer-grade VR rig to patients’ bedsides, and curate a virtual mini-holiday that let them experience a slice of their pre-palliative lives. Unlike some of the existing clinical VR gear that had been used in the past, Parker’s version would be absolutely free, and it would be deeply personal: He would let patients make custom requests for the content.

Though that sounds like a simple concept, making it happen wasn’t simple at all. Parker had to overcome several hurdles, from convincing skeptical hospital staff that he wasn’t using patients as guinea pigs for a new for-profit business venture, to figuring out how to make all of the VR gear hospital-safe from an infection control point of view. Eventually, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital became the first to give the green light.

Giving his clients a VR experience that went beyond stock footage meant that Parker would go to a patient’s favorite sidewalk cafe, or a park bench, and set up a 360-degree video camera. The effort was worth it. Being able to don a VR headset, and be immersed in that familiar environment — even if only for five minutes or less — had a profound effect on those who tried it. “Right from the beginning, it was so magical,” Parker told Digital Trends. The patients’ reactions were unabashed joy. “They realized that the world was no longer closed off to them,” he said, “there was a ray of hope that they could actually do something.”

His first clients were older patients, seeking to relive their fondest memories, but Parker decided the next step was to bring VR to very sick children, so that they wouldn’t miss out on things like Halloween. As a father of two, it was a no-brainer. “Being able to create a virtual environment so that they can experience one of the happiest times in a kid’s life,” he said, “I mean, that’s just the best damn thing you could ever think of. It just has to happen.” With the help of friends and family, Parker staged an early trick-or-treating session and shot it all on a high-end 360 camera, from a kid’s perspective. The first clients to get a taste of this virtual candy-collecting crusade will be patients at Toronto’s Emily’s House, a hospice that serves terminally ill children and their families.

In order to get the word out, and reach as many patients as possible, Parker has established a non-profit, called Wishplay, which, if everything goes according to plan, will become the nexus for a much larger, crowdfunded and crowdsourced VR experience platform. It starts with this year’s virtual Halloween: On October 31, there will be a pre-recorded trick or treat experience that anyone can download if you have a Google Cardboard and a compatible phone. Or, you can tune in to a livestream 360-degree feed, shot from the perspective of a family handing out candy to kids as they come by the house.

“We consider this is a precursor,” Parker said about the virtual Halloween, “because the next one is Christmas.” Eventually, he hopes that the public will become engaged with the platform and sign up to be volunteer “experience collectors” — people who take 360-cameras with them when they travel, or take part in exciting activities, and submit the footage to Wishplay to be edited. Ideally, patients will have their VR experience wishes granted by the crowd, and everyone else — healthy or sick — will be able to enjoy it, too. People can also support the program through donations of money or time: “We’re giving these headsets and VR packages to hospitals. We’ll need volunteers to help deliver the experience to patients.”

For more, visit Wishplay.ca.

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It’s finally here. Apple’s new MacBook Air has Touch ID and Retina for $1,199

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After weeks of rumors and leaks, Apple officially revealed a new MacBook Air during an October 30 event in Brooklyn, New York. The latest Apple laptop can be ordered today and is set to become available on November 7 for $1,200.

On the surface, the new MacBook Air looks a lot like the MacBook Pro with thinned-out bezels, up-firing speakers, and a slimmer profile. The sleek, new design has 50 percent narrow bezels, and four-times the screen resolution as before, for 4 million pixels total. It also is 17 percent lighter than its predecessor and weighs just 2.75 pounds, made of 100 percent recycled aluminum.

Key features on board the new MacBook Air include a 13.3-inch Retina display, two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, and Touch ID — all carried over from the MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook.

Under the hood, the MacBook Air is powered by the 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor. We weren’t told exactly which CPU, but Apple did mention that it was a dual-core processor. Alongside the Intel processor is the T2 co-processor, which is used for Touch ID and “Hey Siri” functionality. The base model comes with 8GB RAM, but it also supports up to 16GB of memory clocked at 2,133 GHz. As for storage, it is compatible with up to a 1.5 TB SSD, making it 60 percent faster than the previous generation and increasing capacity.

With the keyboard, Apple promises that the third-gen butterfly keyboard onboard the new MacBook Air can offer up four times as many stability as the previous generation. This is the same keyboard found in the 2018 MacBook Pro, which features low travel and deals with some of its predecessor’s sticky reliability issues. Missing from the new MacBook Air is the Touch Bar, which looks like it will only be reserved for the MacBook Pro. That ties in with a new trackpad, which is a 20 percent larger touch area.

“MacBook air has become the most beloved notebook ever, It’s time for a new MacBook, one that takes the MacBook air experiences in the areas that are more important to our customers,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook of the new device.

Similar to previous generations, Apple is promising for 12 hours of battery life wireless web browsing and 13 hours of iTunes movie playback on the new MacBook Air. It also noted that the speakers on board the MacBook Air are 25 percent louder, with a three-mic array on board for better connectivity with Siri.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple could announce a new MacBook this week. Here’s what we want to see
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• The 2018 MacBook: Everything you need to know
• What to expect from Apple’s October 30 event: New MacBooks, iPads
• Live updates: Apple’s October 30 iPad and Mac event

In Norway, a robot will soon be delivering people’s mail

In a world in which email, Twitter DMs, WhatsApp, and disappearing Snapchat messages all exist, traditional pen-and-paper mail — sometimes called “snail mail” — is just so last century. What better way to bring it up to date, then, than by using a robot to deliver your letters and packages? That’s what citizens in Norway will soon be able to experience, thanks to a deal between Posten-Norge, the Norwegian postal service, and automation company Buddy Mobility.

Posten-Norge has signed a deal with the fledgling startup, which is headquartered in both Oslo, Norway and San Francisco, to bring its deliver bots to the streets. These robots resemble large boxes on wheels, can travel at around 6 kilometers per hour, and are supposedly able to deliver mail and parcels to 100 recipients per day. Rather than delivering mail directly to each house, the Posten robots will send customers a notification through an app. The recipients can then use the app to collect their mail by opening up a drawer on the robot containing only their letters. After dropping off its packages, the robots will return to a nearby distribution center for recharging and restocking with the next batch of mail.

Norway has a population of more than 5.2 million people, making it roughly equivalent in number of residents to Minnesota or South Carolina. The robots will initially be put to the test in a residential area of Kongsberg, Norway, before being rolled out on wider delivery routes.

“Buddy Mobility’s first partnership is with Posten, offering the Norwegian postal service an autonomous delivery robot,” the company notes on its website. “Our robot provides Posten with operational cost savings to offset revenue losses from dramatically decreasing mail volumes. At the same time, the robot offers new revenue streams around package and parcel delivery.”

This isn’t the only example of a delivery robot we’ve come across. In Germany, a similar robot called PostBot is being introduced by Deutsche Post, the German postal service. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Starship Technologies has rolled out (no pun intended) similarly autonomous ground-based delivery robots on college campuses and in a variety of neighborhoods — aided by massive cash injections from investors.

If this ultimately means more robots on our streets,and a more futuristic environment overall, we’re all for it! Even though our personal preference for a robot mailman would be Boston Dynamics’ parkour-performing humanoid bot.

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Live updates: Apple’s October 30 iPad and Mac event

Apple just can’t stop hitting us with new stuff — and we love it. So after the company announced it would hold an event on October 30, we began excitedly compiling rumors on what all we can expect to see. A new Macbook Air is likely in the cards, as is an update for the iPad Pro and iPad Mini range. Lovers of the Mac Mini could also see something new to get excited about, and we haven’t even mentioned the possibility of new AirPods or the AirPower wireless charger.

So despite being a year that’s seen the release of three iPhones, iOS 12, and a new iPad, there’s still a lot to get excited about. We’ve already listed the ways that you can tune in and watch Apple’s event live, but watching a livestream isn’t practical for many people. That’s why we’re running this live blog, so you can get your updates as they unfold, without having to be glued to a screen for the entire time.

So get on with what matters, while we keep an eye on the action for you. Get on with the hoovering, accounting reports, or whatever real life has you doing. We’ve got you covered. The action kicks off at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET/2 p.m. GMT, so keep an eye out for our live updates as they happen.

If you do want to watch the livestream, it’s currently streaming and you can check it out on Apple’s website.

MacBook Air 2018

The long-anticipated MacBook Air 2018 was the first product to be revealed. With 100 million Macs around the world, it was no surprise that Apple chose to revamp the relatively “budget” line of the MacBook laptop.

The updated MacBook Air is finally packing a beautiful 13.3-inch Retina display, alongside a revamped design that takes the beloved and traditional style of the MacBook Air, and updates it for a new era. The chunky aluminum bezels are gone, replaced by slim black lines that drop the size of the laptop by 17 percent. It has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and TouchID is also included with a keyboard-based sapphire fingerprint scanner. The keyboard has Apple’s new Butterfly keys, and a Force Touch trackpad that’s 20 percent larger than the one on its predecessor.

You’ll find an 8th Gen Intel i5 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1.5TB of internal storage. The Air’s incredible battery life is still present, with Apple boasting of 12 hour battery life. As you’d expect on a MacBook Air, it’s thinner than ever, and incredibly light.

The new MacBook Air will start from $1,200, and can be ordered October 30, for release November 7.

Read more

MacBook Air 2018 news

Mac Mini 2018

This was another one that we were expecting — and one that might have been even more deserving of an update than the MacBook Air.

The Mac Mini has seen a serious upgrade in performance, so each Mac Mini is now guaranteed to have a 4 core and 6 core 8th generation processor, which makes it five-times faster than the older Mac Mini. There’s also 6GB of RAM as standard. There’s support for up to 2TB of SSD storage. There’s ports galore, with ethernet ports, Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI, and USB-A ports all available.

It starts at $799 with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. Ordering starts October 30, and it releases on November 7.

iPad Pro 2018

What’s a year without a new iPad? Thankfully we won’t have to find out this year — we expect some sort of Mad Max-style dystopia would ensue — as we’ve now had two new iPads this year, including the new iPad Pro 2018.

As suspected by many, the new iPad Pro 2018 has seen a radical change in style from older iPads. The iconic Home button is gone, and the once-chunky bezels are no more. While there’s still a decently sized lip for grip, 2018’s iPad Pro looks extremely different from older iPads. It uses the same Liquid Retina display as the iPhone XR, with two options for screen size — 11-inches and 12.9-inches. Both models are also just 5.9mm thick.

With the loss of the Home button’s fingerprint scanner comes Face ID. The Face ID’s sensors are found in the slim bezel, and can detect your face in any orientation. It also means that the gesture navigation from iOS 12 has been incorporated in the new iPad Pro. iOS 12’s gestures are perhaps our favorite gesture navigation so far, so it’s good to see them on the new iPad Pro.

Apple’s new A12X Bionic processor powers the tablet, and Apple promises it’ll be multiple times faster than its predecessors. Apple’s Neural Engine from the iPhone XS is also included, making it super-capable with machine learning. There’s support for up to 1TB of storage, and you’ll also find a USB-C port that allows reverse charging — so you can charge your phone from your iPad Pro.

There’s also a new Apple Pencil that attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro, and it automatically pairs and charges wirelessly. The new Pencil can change modes with a simple tap. The Smart Keyboard folio has also seen a few small upgrades, to make sure you’re always productive.

The 11-inch iPad Pro will start at $799 for the 64GB model. The 12.9-inch model will start from $999 for 64GB. Ordering begins October 30, and releases November 7.

Read more

iPad Pro 2018 news

iOS 12.1

As the final piece for the event, Tim Cook updated us on the status of iOS 12. iOS 12 .1 is coming, and it includes Group FaceTime, dualSIM support for the new iPhones, and some new emojis. Keep an eye out for it appearing on your compatible iPhone or iPad.

This is a developing story, please refresh the page to see updates.

Editors’ Recommendations

• What to expect from Apple’s October 30 event: New MacBooks, iPads
• Apple HomePod review
• The 2018 MacBook: Everything you need to know
• Is Apple planning an all-Mac keynote later this fall?
• Apple could announce a new MacBook this week. Here’s what we want to see

Live updates: Apple’s October 30 iPad and Mac event

Apple just can’t stop hitting us with new stuff — and we love it. So after the company announced it would hold an event on October 30, we began excitedly compiling rumors on what all we can expect to see. A new Macbook Air is likely in the cards, as is an update for the iPad Pro and iPad Mini range. Lovers of the Mac Mini could also see something new to get excited about, and we haven’t even mentioned the possibility of new AirPods or the AirPower wireless charger.

So despite being a year that’s seen the release of three iPhones, iOS 12, and a new iPad, there’s still a lot to get excited about. We’ve already listed the ways that you can tune in and watch Apple’s event live, but watching a livestream isn’t practical for many people. That’s why we’re running this live blog, so you can get your updates as they unfold, without having to be glued to a screen for the entire time.

So get on with what matters, while we keep an eye on the action for you. Get on with the hoovering, accounting reports, or whatever real life has you doing. We’ve got you covered. The action kicks off at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET/2 p.m. GMT, so keep an eye out for our live updates as they happen.

If you do want to watch the livestream, it’s currently streaming and you can check it out on Apple’s website.

MacBook Air 2018

The long-anticipated MacBook Air 2018 was the first product to be revealed. With 100 million Macs around the world, it was no surprise that Apple chose to revamp the relatively “budget” line of the MacBook laptop.

The updated MacBook Air is finally packing a beautiful 13.3-inch Retina display, alongside a revamped design that takes the beloved and traditional style of the MacBook Air, and updates it for a new era. The chunky aluminum bezels are gone, replaced by slim black lines that drop the size of the laptop by 17 percent. It has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and TouchID is also included with a keyboard-based sapphire fingerprint scanner. The keyboard has Apple’s new Butterfly keys, and a Force Touch trackpad that’s 20 percent larger than the one on its predecessor.

You’ll find an 8th Gen Intel i5 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1.5TB of internal storage. The Air’s incredible battery life is still present, with Apple boasting of 12 hour battery life. As you’d expect on a MacBook Air, it’s thinner than ever, and incredibly light.

The new MacBook Air will start from $1,200, and can be ordered October 30, for release November 7.

Read more

MacBook Air 2018 news

Mac Mini 2018

This was another one that we were expecting — and one that might have been even more deserving of an update than the MacBook Air.

The Mac Mini has seen a serious upgrade in performance, so each Mac Mini is now guaranteed to have a 4 core and 6 core 8th generation processor, which makes it five-times faster than the older Mac Mini. There’s also 6GB of RAM as standard. There’s support for up to 2TB of SSD storage. There’s ports galore, with ethernet ports, Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI, and USB-A ports all available.

It starts at $799 with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. Ordering starts October 30, and it releases on November 7.

iPad Pro 2018

What’s a year without a new iPad? Thankfully we won’t have to find out this year — we expect some sort of Mad Max-style dystopia would ensue — as we’ve now had two new iPads this year, including the new iPad Pro 2018.

As suspected by many, the new iPad Pro 2018 has seen a radical change in style from older iPads. The iconic Home button is gone, and the once-chunky bezels are no more. While there’s still a decently sized lip for grip, 2018’s iPad Pro looks extremely different from older iPads. It uses the same Liquid Retina display as the iPhone XR, with two options for screen size — 11-inches and 12.9-inches. Both models are also just 5.9mm thick.

With the loss of the Home button’s fingerprint scanner comes Face ID. The Face ID’s sensors are found in the slim bezel, and can detect your face in any orientation. It also means that the gesture navigation from iOS 12 has been incorporated in the new iPad Pro. iOS 12’s gestures are perhaps our favorite gesture navigation so far, so it’s good to see them on the new iPad Pro.

Apple’s new A12X Bionic processor powers the tablet, and Apple promises it’ll be multiple times faster than its predecessors. Apple’s Neural Engine from the iPhone XS is also included, making it super-capable with machine learning. There’s support for up to 1TB of storage, and you’ll also find a USB-C port that allows reverse charging — so you can charge your phone from your iPad Pro.

There’s also a new Apple Pencil that attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro, and it automatically pairs and charges wirelessly. The new Pencil can change modes with a simple tap. The Smart Keyboard folio has also seen a few small upgrades, to make sure you’re always productive.

The 11-inch iPad Pro will start at $799 for the 64GB model. The 12.9-inch model will start from $999 for 64GB. Ordering begins October 30, and releases November 7.

Read more

iPad Pro 2018 news

iOS 12.1

As the final piece for the event, Tim Cook updated us on the status of iOS 12. iOS 12 .1 is coming, and it includes Group FaceTime, dualSIM support for the new iPhones, and some new emojis. Keep an eye out for it appearing on your compatible iPhone or iPad.

This is a developing story, please refresh the page to see updates.

Editors’ Recommendations

• What to expect from Apple’s October 30 event: New MacBooks, iPads
• Apple HomePod review
• The 2018 MacBook: Everything you need to know
• Is Apple planning an all-Mac keynote later this fall?
• Apple could announce a new MacBook this week. Here’s what we want to see

New Apple Mac Mini packs four- and six-core CPUs with up to 64GB memory for $800

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Apple’s big event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on October 30 showed off a lot of new hardware offerings, most of them thin, light, and packing new components. The new Mac Mini was unveiled alongside a new MacBook Air and iPad Pro, and it boasts an improved and upgraded processor, increased RAM and storage, and the introduction of faster networking connections than any miniature PC apple has ever produced.

Mac Minis have been an important niche product in Apple’s desktop system lineup since the mid-2000s, with new versions normally appearing every couple of years. It’s been four years since Apple last refreshed its miniature computing solution though, which makes this latest update the most impactful in quite some time.

The 2018 Mac Mini has been upgraded to support Intel’s eighth-generation CPUs, with options for both Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs. They come in quad-core configurations at a bare minimum, with up to six cores for the top-end solutions. Potential buyers have a choice of anywhere between 8GB and 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of solid-state storage — a huge upgrade from its previous hard-drive offerings. Every configuration comes with Apple’s T2 security chip, for better protection against data theft.

To help keep all of that new hardware cool, Apple has introduced a new chilling solution that doubles the amount of airflow moving through the small-form-factor chassis. Despite that increase in cooling potential though, Apple also claims that the system remains “super-quiet.”

To help connect peripherals, displays, and external accessories, the Mac Mini sports a number of ports, including four USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, a pair of USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also an Ethernet port with support for up to 10Gb networking.

A major feature of the entire Apple conference was how it had switched much of its production of various hardware devices to a more environmentally friendly model. The Mac Mini was no different, sporting up to 60 percent recycled plastic on its internal components. More crucially, 100 percent of its aluminum shell is made from recycled aluminum. We’re told that this cuts the production footprint of each Mac Mini by almost 50 percent.

The entry-level new Apple Mac Mini starts at $800 ($300 more than the last-generation base model) and will sport a Core i5 CPU clocked at 3.6GHz, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. Pre-orders are available right now and it will hit retail on November 7.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Key settings you need to change on your brand-new Razer Phone 2

Got the gorgeous new Razer Phone 2 in your hands? We’ve compiled a list of settings you’ll want to change or update to get the absolute best experience from your new smartphone.

Before we get started, you may want to check out our Razer Phone 2 review for our impressions or see how it compares to the gaming-focused Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Change Chroma settings

When you look at the Razer Phone 2, the first thing you’re likely to notice is the beautiful backlight logo. The feature is called Chroma, and it allows you to customize the logo color, like you would on a Razer keyboard. While Chroma is definitely a conversation starter, it can quickly drain your battery.

We suggest changing the Chroma settings to turn the logo on only when you’re using the phone or have a new notification.  To change your Chroma settings go to Settings > Chroma. Toggle the Notifications slider and tap the Medium battery consumption icon.

Turn on 120Hz refresh rate

One of the most exciting features you’ll find on the Razer Phone 2 is its 120Hz display. When the feature is turned on you’ll immediately notice an improvement in the display when gaming, as well as when you’re scrolling through your social media feeds. By default, Razer has the display refresh rate set to 60Hz to preserve battery life.

We feel like the slightly reduced battery life is a small trade-off for the buttery smooth performance you’ll see when the 120Hz refresh rate is enabled. To switch to the 120Hz refresh rate, just go to Settings > display and tap on Refresh rate. Select the radio box next to 120Hz. 

Turn on Tap to wake

The Razer Phone 2 has its fingerprint sensor on the side of the phone, so it can be a challenge to wake your screen when your phone is sitting on a table. Since you probably don’t want to pick up your phone each time you need to wake the screen, you should update a setting that allows you to enable the screen by tapping on it.

To turn on the tap to wake gesture just press Settings > Display. Tap the Advanced drop-down menu and toggle on the Tap to Wake slider.

Add battery percentage to the status bar

The Razer Phone 2 has a massive 4,000mAh battery that should easily get you through a day, and then some. But it’s still nice to be able to easily glance at your remaining battery life.

By default, battery percentage information is not listed in the status bar, but it takes just seconds to tweak the settings to show this information. To add battery percentage information to the status bar go to Settings > Battery and toggle on the slider next to Battery percentage. 

Set up Game Booster

Since the Razer Phone 2 is a gaming phone, you have to expect it’s going to have awesome software to improve your gaming experience. Game Booster allows you to maximize your Razer Phone 2’s performance while minimizing distractions.

Setting up Game Booster is quick and painless. Simply go to Settings > Game Booster. You’ll see three different modes available: We recommend you select the Custom mode. Tap the + icon under the Games section and tap on the apps or games for which you’d like to maximize the Razer Phone 2’s performance. You can also toggle on the Do Not Disturb slider in Game Booster to turn off notifications when using one of the selected apps.

Schedule Do Not Disturb mode

While many people use Do Not Disturb mode to temporarily block notifications and other interruptions during meetings and important events, the Razer Phone 2 also allows you to create a schedule to enable the feature automatically. Scheduling Do Not Disturb gives you an opportunity to have time away from your phone in the evenings and at other times when you want to unplug.

Setting up Do Not Disturb mode on the Razer Phone 2 is fairly easy since there are predefined rules you can enable. Simply go to Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb preferences. You can customize the automatic rules simply by tapping on them and selecting days and times you’d like to associate with the rule. Once you’ve made your changes, make sure you toggle the slider next to Off at the top of the screen to enable the rule. If you wish to make your own custom rule, just select Add more and select Event rule or Time rule. 

Turn on double-tap to sleep

The fingerprint sensor on the Razer Phone 2 can be difficult to reach unless you’re holding the phone. This can make it difficult to quickly put the lock screen to sleep when a notification appears.

Luckily, there’s a gesture that can be enabled in the settings that allows you to put the lock screen to sleep by double-tapping it. Turn the feature on by going to Settings > Display and tapping on the Advanced drop-down menu. Toggle on the Double-tap to sleep slider.

Customize the app drawer

Instead of creating a heavily customized skin for its smartphones, Razer did something a little different. The company added Nova Launcher to its phones, which is a very popular Android launcher that offers loads of customization options. While you can customize just about any feature imaginable with Nova Launcher, we think it’s a good idea to start with changing the app drawer on the phone.

To customize the app drawer tap on the Nova Settings icon, select Apps & widget drawers, and press App drawer style. You’ll see three different options. Select Horizontal if you like swiping left or right to see the various app windows. Choose Vertical if you prefer scrolling through all your apps on one window. There’s also a List option if you prefer to see a list with minimized app icons and names.

Remove Google Now from the home screen

Google Now uses your search history, location, and personal preferences to provide information that may be of interest. You can easily access Google Now simply by swiping right while on the home screen.

Google Now can quickly be removed, providing a more minimalist home screen. If you want to remove the Google Now page, tap the Nova Settings icon and press Integrations. Toggle off the slider next to Google Now Page. 

Enable Night Light

The 5.7-inch display on the Razer Phone 2 provides plenty of real estate for gaming or streaming your favorite program. If you’re using your phone at night or in bed, however, you may find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night. If you want to get a better night’s sleep, you may want to minimize the amount of blue light your smartphone screen emits. The Razer Phone 2 has a feature called Night Light that can help.

Night Light is a blue light filter that can be scheduled at specific times. To set up night light, go to Settings > Display > Night Light. Select Schedule and pick the appropriate option. Turns on at custom time allows you to create a custom Night Light schedule, while Turns on from sunset to sunrise uses time zone information on your phone to turn on the feature.

Change back camera resolution to 4K

Want to get awesome 4K video on your new Razer Phone 2? Well unless you change a setting in your camera, you may have an unpleasant surprise the first time you watch a video recorded on your phone. By default the Razer Phone 2 records video in 1080p, but you can make a quick change to switch to 4K.

To change your rear-facing camera to 4K, tap on the Camera icon. Select the gear icon and tap on Back camera video resolution. Select the 4K radio box.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Razer Phone 2 review
• The Razer Phone 2: Everything you need to know
• Razer Phone 2 vs. Galaxy Note 9: They’re closer than you think
• Razer Phone 2 vs. Razer Phone: Is it time to level up?
• Razer Phone 2 vs. Red Magic Phone vs. Honor Play: Which gaming phone is best?

OnePlus 6T vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?

Not everyone wants to spend $1000 on a phone, nor do they upgrade with every single phone release. That’s why we take a look at phones in all price brackets, and evaluate whether it’s really worth upgrading after 18 months.

OnePlus 6T

Simple upgrade

$549 at OnePlus

Pros

• Large high-quality screen
• 128GB storage base
• Longer battery life
• Improved rear cameras

Cons

• No headphone jack
• In-screen fingerprint can be slow

The OnePlus 6T takes everything the 5 has (except a headphone jack) and updates it for late 2018. The screen, camera and battery are the notable improvements, but you still get the same great OnePlus software experience and features you’re used to today.

OnePlus 5

Still good

$429 at Amazon

Pros

• Smaller and lighter than the 6T
• Headphone jack
• Fast fingerprint sensor
• Great performance still

Cons

• Pie update hasn’t arrived yet
• Smaller screen
• Secondary camera hardly useful

The OnePlus 5 isn’t that old, and it performs almost identically to the OnePlus 6T. The screen and camera are starting to feel dated, but the phone as a whole is still solid even 18 months on. Plus, it still has a headphone jack.

The OnePlus 6T is three generations removed from the OnePlus 5, but that’s occurred in just 18 months. Now’s about the time when OnePlus 5 owners are starting to think about an upgrade, so the best place to start is the latest phone from the company.

Who should upgrade from the OnePlus 5 to the OnePlus 6T?

OnePlus does a wonderful job of over-equipping its phones for the day they’re released, which means they stay fast and smooth even 18 months (or more) on with multiple software updates in the process. The OnePlus 5 still performs really well, with a Snapdragon 835 and 6 or 8GB of RAM being plenty capable of doing anything you throw at it. The OnePlus 6T’s Snapdragon 845 is faster and more efficient, of course, but it has the same RAM options and only one higher storage option.

OnePlus over-builds its phones, meaning they have specs capable of running quickly even 18 months on.

At the same time, OnePlus doesn’t really change its overall formula much from phone-to-phone, meaning the OnePlus 6T is still built on the same basic idea as the 5. Its hardware isn’t much nicer or more flashy today than with the OnePlus 5, and you’ll find the same regular button placement and Alert Slider. The speaker sounds about the same, and Dash Charge over USB-C hasn’t improved (but that’s not a problem). Unfortunately, the newer phone is missing a headphone jack, which may be the only reason holding some people back from upgrading.

The only place the OnePlus 5 feels “old” is in the front. The 5.5-inch 1080p screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and large bezels doesn’t look as sleek and modern as the OnePlus 6T’s extra-tall screen, and of course you have less screen to see and use overall. The 6T’s screen is effectively the same resolution, but is brighter and more colorful. And yes, it has an in-display fingerprint, which is a neat feature but doesn’t offer anything altogether new compared to the OnePlus 5 — it’s just hidden from view now.

Operating system	Android 9 Pie	Android 8.1 Oreo
Display	6.41-inch AMOLED, 2340×1080 (19.5:9)Gorilla Glass 6	5.5-inch AMOLED, 1920×1080 (16:9)Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Snapdragon 845Adreno 630	Snapdragon 835Adreno 540
RAM	6/8GB	6/8GB
Storage	128/256GB	64/128GB
Expandable	No	No
Rear camera 1	16MP (IMX 519), 1.22-micron, f/1.7, OIS4K/60, 720p/480 video	16MP (IMX 398), 1.12-micron, f/1.7, OIS4K/30, 720p/120 video
Rear camera 2	20MP (IMX 376K), 1-micron, f/1.7	20MP (IMX 350), 1-micron, f/2.6
Front camera	16MP (IMX 371), 1-micron, f/2.0	16MP (IMX 371), 1-micron, f/2.0
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS
Audio	USB-CSingle speaker	3.5mm headphone jackSingle speaker
Battery	3700mAhNon-removable	3300mAhNon-removable
Charging	USB-CDash Charge	USB-CDash Charge
Water resistance	No rating	No rating
Security	In-display fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor
Dimensions	157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm185 g	154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25 mm153 g
Colors	Mirror Black, Midnight Black	Slate Grey, Midnight Black

In addition to slightly faster internals and larger screen, the OnePlus 6T has photography capabilities a step above the OnePlus 5. The front-facing camera interestingly hasn’t changed since the OnePlus 5, but the main rear camera is a larger sensor with better video capabilities (4K at 60 fps) and the secondary camera has a dramatically faster lens. Together, the new cameras take better low-light photos, capture more color in daytime, and take zoom shots more often with the actual telephoto lens rather than a digital zoom. The OnePlus 5 isn’t too far behind, but the 6T clearly takes better photos across the board, with the biggest improvements coming in lower light scenes.

A better camera, newer software and a future upgrade path are all enticing.

The only other way the 6T stands out, at least at the moment, is that it has Android 9 Pie on board while the OnePlus 5 is still stuck at Android 8.1 Oreo. The update is slated to arrive by January 2019, but it’s been a slow process — and OnePlus fans aren’t the type to wait around patiently for an update. It’s also something to think about for the future: could Android 9 Pie be the last major update for the OnePlus 5? By the time Android Q comes out, the OnePlus 5 will be roughly 30 months old — you couldn’t blame OnePlus for cutting it off.

On the whole, the OnePlus 5 is still a great phone 18 months on. It still has great specs, solid hardware, a good feature set, and if you’re wiling to wait it’ll have Android 9 Pie soon enough. Unless you’re upset by the size of its screen or really need a camera upgrade, the OnePlus 5 can keep you happy until the next OnePlus flagship is released. But if you want a bigger (and better) screen, a bit longer battery life, the latest software and a better camera, the OnePlus 6T is an easy upgrade decision. Chances are if you’re still using the OnePlus 5 today you enjoy it — and that means you’ll love getting the same great experience and fundamentals with the OnePlus 6T.

OnePlus 6T

Simple upgrade

$549 at OnePlus

An easy upgrade if you’re in the market and already love the OnePlus experience.

If you enjoy your OnePlus 5 but feel it’s time for an upgrade, the OnePlus 6T is an easy pick. It carries on the same formula, but provides you with a bigger (and better) screen, improved cameras, new software and a long future of software support.

OnePlus 5

Still good

$429 at Amazon

It’s okay to keep using the OnePlus 5 — but it’s on the backside of its usefulness curve.

With super-simple software and high-end specs inside, the OnePlus 5 doesn’t feel old in daily experience. Its screen and cameras, though, may leave a bit to be desired in late 2018. You shouldn’t feel bad about holding onto it for now, but it’s not going to feel modern for much longer.

Here’s a roundup of all the Pixel 3 + 3 XL bugs

From specs, pricing, features, and more, here’s the latest on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL.

Following months of leak after leak, Google’s officially taken the wraps off its Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones. The two handsets look exactly like what we saw in all the early photos and renders, and while the element of surprise may be gone, we’ve still got two impressive Android handsets to talk about.

Without further ado, this is everything you need to know about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL!

The latest Pixel 3 news

October 29, 2018 — A fix is coming for the second notch bug on Pixel 3 XL

Earlier this month, reports started popping up on Twitter about a bug with the Pixel 3 XL that caused a second notch to appear on the right side of the display — creating for one of the most horrifying things we’ve ever seen a smartphone. Seriously, just look at that thing. 🤮

Thankfully, Google’s aware of the issue and working on a fix!

According to a spokesperson that contacted Android Police, a patch for this odd bug is “coming soon.”

Have you noticed this behavior on your Pixel 3 XL?

October 23, 2018 — Google explains Pixel 3 wireless charging confusion

After it was discovered that the Pixel 3 requires a Pixel Stand to charge at its allotted 10W fast charging speeds, and that other chargers — even those that technically support the Qi standard at 10W — only charge the phone at 5W, Google released a statement:

We don’t limit third-party devices, in fact, we’re working with our partners in the Made for Google program to get fast 10W chargers certified for use with Pixel 3 (Belkin announced its 10W Pixel 3 charger already which will launch in the coming weeks). Pixel Stand and Pixel 3 work together through the protocol we’ve developed for fast charging. Everything else charges at the industry standard Qi 5W.”

In other words, Google made a proprietary wireless charging standard that isn’t Qi, and uses it with the Pixel Stand and other wireless chargers that are part of the “Made for Google” program. The Pixel 3 does support Qi wireless charging, but only at 5W. Disappointing? Yup. Confusing? Yup, yup. Totally Google? Yup, yup, yup.

October 23, 2018 — Early Pixel 3 Night Sight photos are beyond impressive

The Google Pixel 3’s camera is one of the best you’ll find on a smartphone, but one of its most impressive features — Night Sight — won’t actually arrive until sometime in November.

However, a user on the XDA Developer forums modified the latest version of the Google Camera app and has enabled the feature ahead of its official release. XDA then put Night Sight to the test on the Pixel 3, 3 XL, and 2 XL, and the end results are simply amazing.

As you can see in the example above, the first photo without Night Sight turned on is barely visible at all. The second shot with Night Sight enabled looks like a completely different photograph. The amount of detail and light Google’s able to pull in with this new mode is literally jaw-dropping, and it’ll be even more exciting to see how it evolves and improves over time.

If you want to try out Night Sight early for yourself, download this APK to your Pixel phone. After you open it, tap More -> Night, and you should be good to go.

October 18, 2018 — The regular Pixel 3 uses an LG OLED display

Earlier this week, a teardown of the Pixel 3 XL revealed that it’s using an OLED display made by Samsung. The folks at iFixIt recently put the smaller Pixel 3 through that same treatment, and while doing so, discovered that its OLED panel is sourced from not Samsung, but LG.

If you remember the Pixel 2 series, this is a total flip-flop of what was going on last year in which the Pixel 2 had a Samsung panel and the Pixel 2 XL had an LG one.

In that situation, the Pixel 2 XL’s screen was noticeably worse with greater burn-in potential, color shifting, and more. That’s not the case for the LG panel on this year’s Pixel 3, and in fact, both displays have been tuned to look nearly identical to one another. Even so, it is interesting to see that Google’s still not relying on just one supplier when it comes to its smartphone displays.

October 17, 2018 — Google explains how the Pixel 3’s Titan M security chip works

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have a lot of tech packed inside them, and while it’s easy to get excited about their new OLED displays and improved cameras, one of the most important features is the new Titan M security chip.

Titan M is an all-new chip that’s designed with the single goal of keep the Pixel 3 secure, and in a post on the Android Developers Blog, Google recently dived into further detail about just how Titan M works.

The chip is a security module that was made by Google itself, and it works to protect the Pixel 3 + 3 XL against all sorts of potential threats. Since Titan M is a physical piece of tech, it’ll help protect against hardware-specific exploits such as Spectre, Meltdown, and Rowhammer much more efficiently than phones without it. On the technical side of things, Google explains the following:

Titan M’s CPU is an ARM Cortex-M3 microprocessor specially hardened against side-channel attacks and augmented with defensive features to detect and respond to abnormal conditions. The Titan M CPU core also exposes several control registers, which can be used to taper access to chip configuration settings and peripherals. Once powered on, Titan M verifies the signature of its flash-based firmware using a public key built into the chip’s silicon. If the signature is valid, the flash is locked so it can’t be modified, and then the firmware begins executing.

With the chip, Google notes that it hopes to achieve “transparency and building a platform for future innovation.”

Custom hardware allows us to provide new features, capabilities, and performance not readily available in off-the-shelf components. These changes allow higher assurance use cases like two-factor authentication, medical device control, P2P payments, and others that we will help develop down the road.

October 16, 2018 — The Pixel 3 XL uses a Samsung OLED display

While last year’s Pixel 2 XL had one of the worst displays for a phone in its price range, that’s an issue that’s been completely squashed with the Pixel 3 XL.

The screen on this year’s larger Pixel is brighter, colorful, and has less blue shift + burn-in potential compared to the 2 XL. The reason for this? A Samsung OLED panel.

Google opted for an LG-made OLED display with the Pixel 2 XL, but thanks to a recent iFixIt teardown, we now have confirmation that the Pixel 3 XL is using a Samsung one.

October 16, 2018 — Google explains how the Pixel 3’s Super Res Zoom feature works

The Pixel 3 comes chock-full of neat camera tricks, but perhaps one of the coolest is Super Res Zoom. This is the name of Google’s process for improving the clarity of digital zoom by collecting data from your hands shaking as you hold the phone in preparation to snap a photo.

Recently, the Google AI team took to their official blog to detail how exactly this works.

The Super Res Zoom technology in Pixel 3 is different and better than any previous digital zoom technique based on upscaling a crop of a single image, because we merge many frames directly onto a higher resolution picture. This results in greatly improved detail that is roughly competitive with the 2x optical zoom lenses on many other smartphones. Super Res Zoom means that if you pinch-zoom before pressing the shutter, you’ll get a lot more details in your picture than if you crop afterwards.

If Super Res Zoom detects that the camera isn’t shaking (e.g. the Pixel 3 is on a tripod or propped up on a table), it’ll actually start moving around on its own to simulate natural hand movement.

The post goes on to dive into of color filter arrays, multi-frame super-resolution, and a bunch of other nitty-gritty details. If that sounds like something you want to dig into, you can check it out here.

All the big details

Check out our full review

Here it is, folks — the full Android Central review of the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL!

These are easily two of the best Android phones you can buy right now, and no matter if you opt for the regular or XL model, you’ll be getting a fantastic display, an excellent software experience, and some of the best cameras on a smartphone in 2018.

They may not look like much on the outside, but these are two really special phones.

Google Pixel 3 review: Fewer features make incredible phones

Here are the specs

If you’ve got a Pixel 2, a lot of the specs for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will look very similar. There’s still 4GB of RAM and a starting storage amount of 64GB, but the Snapdragon 835 processor from last year has been replaced by the newer 845.

For a full rundown on both phones, check out the link below. 👇

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL specifications

The displays are a lot better

Shortly after its release, one of the biggest controversies that popped up for the larger Pixel 2 XL was its poor display. We have an LG-made OLED panel once again, but the year-over-year difference is huge.

Google’s touting 400+ nits of brightness for both phones, 2X less burn-in potential, and less color shifting.

There are still three different color profiles to choose from so you can fine-tune your experience, and out of the box, both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been optimized so that their displays look identical next to one another.

For an extremely detailed analysis of the Pixel 3 XL’s display, check out DisplayMate’s full in-depth review in which it received a top A+ rating.

The Google Pixel 3 addresses our biggest complaint with the Pixel 2: its display

There are three colors

Google’s probably the best when it comes to naming its device colors, and this year we have Just Black and Very White. New this year is a pink hue that’s been aptly named “Not Pink.”

All three colors are available for both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL no matter where you decide to buy them.

An all-glass back brings wireless charging support

For the past two years, Google’s used a mixture of aluminum and glass on the back of its phones. This year, the Pixel 3 shakes things up by adopting an all-glass construction.

There’s still an etched section near the top that adds a nice matte finish that allows for more grip and fewer fingerprints. Google’s also integrated Qi wireless charging support and selling a new Pixel Stand wireless charging accessory that’ll charge the Pixel 3 + 3 XL and put them into a new “dashboard” UI that shows a slideshow of pictures on Google Photos and various Assistant info.

The Pixel Stand is a $79 wireless charger for Pixel 3 that unlocks special display modes

Google’s made a ton of camera improvements

The Pixel 2 and 2 XL have some of the best cameras we’ve ever seen on a smartphone, and with the Pixel 3, Google’s making the camera experience even better.

Perhaps the biggest change includes the addition of a second front-facing camera. You now have access to a regular and wide-angle lens for all of your selfies and portrait mode works no matter which one you use. Google’s also integrated an algorithm to remove any distortion caused by the wider lens.

Other changes include:

• 40% faster HDR+ processing
• Improved detail retention while zooming
• Night Sight mode improves low-light shots
• Top Shot mode captures multiple frames before and after your picture and then recommends an alternative shot compared to what you actually captured

Along with all this, Google Lens is also built right into the Pixel 3’s camera app and works automatically when it detects something.

Android 9 Pie is available out of the box

As you’d expect, Android 9 Pie is running on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL from day one. This is the same Android Pie we’ve been using on the Pixel 2 phones, including the new navigation gestures, quick settings panel, etc.

The Pixel 3 does bring a handful of new software goodies, including the full release of Digital Wellbeing outside of its beta state and a slightly updated UI for the camera app.

There’s also a new call screening feature that’ll allow you to send your caller to a system that asks them to provide information about who they are and why they’re calling. What they say comes through in real-time and you can choose to hang up or pick up at any point.

Bugs happen — these are the latest ones

No matter what smartphone you buy, chances are you’re going to be faced with a bug or two (be it big or small) at some point down the road. Google’s Pixel line isn’t an exception to this rule, and right now, these are the latest bugs/issues you’ll want to keep an eye out for:

• Double notch bug on the Pixel 3 XL — Some Pixel 3 XL owners discovered that a second notch was appearing on the right side of their display after messing with developer settings or restarting the phone. On October 29, Google said that the company’s working on a fix and that it’s “coming soon.”
• Pictures aren’t always saved to Google Photos — After many users reported that some pictures they captured weren’t being saved at all to Google Photos, Google responded on October 22 saying that a software update will be available “in the coming weeks” to address this.
• Speakers sound distorted/make a buzzing sound — Similar to the Pixel 2 XL last year, we’ve seen quite a few complaints about how the speakers on the Pixel 3 XL make a buzzing noise/sound distorted sound when listening to audio (even at lower volumes). Google’s yet to officially address this one, but if it’s really bothering you, you can always try to send your device in for a replacement and see if that fixes things.
• The Pixel 3 series has terrible RAM management — As noted by Android Central’s own Daniel Bader, the folks at Android Police, and so many others, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL seriously struggle with RAM management. In other words, both phones fail to keep multiple apps open at once and often force shut them down if you have more than a few open and running at once. In some cases, this even means Spotify music that’s playing in the background will completely stop if you try taking pictures while it’s running. Google’s yet to officially address this, but we’ll let you know as soon as that changes.

There are already a ton of accessories

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are great phones, but you can make them even better with a good collection of accessories.

Whether you’re in the market for a heavy duty case, screen protectors, or something else entirely, here are a few helpful links to get you started with outfitting your new phone.

• Best Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Accessories
• Best Cases for Google Pixel 3
• Best Cases for Google Pixel 3 XL
• These Are The Official Cases for the Google Pixel 3 lineup
• Best Screen Protectors for Google Pixel 3 XL

Here’s when and where you can buy it

If you want to pick up the Pixel 3 for yourself, it’s available for purchase right now. The regular Pixel 3 costs $799 for the 64GB model and goes up to $899 if you get the 128GB variant. For those same storage configurations on the Pixel 3 XL, you’ll pay $899 and $999, respectively.

The Pixel 3 series is being sold at Verizon, Best Buy, the Google Store, and Project Fi.

See at Google Store

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL

• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL review
• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 3 vs. Pixel 3 XL: Which should you buy?
• Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL specifications
• Join our Pixel 3 forums

Best Buy
Verizon
Google Store
Project Fi

Here’s where you can watch Apple’s iPad + Mac event today

Things kick off at 10:00 AM ET.

At 10:00 AM ET this morning, Apple’s hosting its third hardware event of the year in New York City. It’s widely expected that this is where we’ll learn all about new iPads, MacBooks, and possibly a Mac Mini refresh.

If you’re interested in taking a peek at the dark side to see what Apple’s been cooking up, you can tune in to the livestream on Apple’s website to watch everything that’s announced right as it happens.

From there, you’ll want to check out the coverage from our friends at iMore throughout the rest of the day. There, you’ll find hands-on impressions, hot takes, and a whole lot more.

Even as an Android fan, are you excited for Apple’s event?

Follow all the event coverage at iMore!