UK Daily Deals: Anova sous vide cookers, Anker power banks, 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 on Anova sous vide precision cookers, Anker power banks, Nest Outdoor security cameras, SIMBA upholstered bed frames, Philips 4K UHD TVs, and much more!

View the rest of the deals

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

For more UK deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter UK and follow the team on Twitter for the most up-to-the-minute coverage.

Is the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro waterproof?

Best answer: Yes, the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is waterproof. Its 5 ATM rating means it can survive up to 50 meters of water submersion and can be used while swimming.

Amazon: Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro ($149)

The GearFit2 Pro has a 5 ATM waterproof rating

Every waterproof/water-resistant gadget comes with a rating that defines what exactly it can withstand, and with the Gear Fit2 Pro, Samsung outfitted it with a 5 ATM one.

5ATM means that the Fit2 Pro is guaranteed to survive up to 50 meters of non-moving water. This rating is plenty high for taking the Fit2 Pro on a swim, but exposing it to high amounts of water pressure could result in some issues.

In other words, the Fit2 Pro can easily sustain water splashes, being in the shower, light snorkeling, and a few laps at the pool.

This makes it great for swim-tracking

To make sure you get the most out of that 5 ATM rating, the Gear Fit2 Pro comes with the Speedo On swim-tracking app that was designed just for it. With the Speedo On app, you can track all of your swimming stats and then view them in simple, easy-to-read layouts.

A case gives you even more protection

While the Gear Fit2 Pro can handle water just fine on its own, it can still get banged up pretty easily in a fall or drop. To keep it safe against other elements, we recommend picking up a Moretek rugged case.

This case outfits the Gear Fit2 Pro with shock-resistance, keeps it away from dust, and has a high-quality silicone that’s incredibly resilient against UV rays.

Take the plunge!

Whether you’re a hardcore swimmer or don’t want to worry about babying your smart wearable if you get caught out in a rainstorm, the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is an excellent fitness band that offers great waterproofing.

Our pick

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

$149 at Amazon

A waterproof fitness band that does it all.

The Gear Fit2 Pro is one of the best fitness bands you can buy. Along with being waterproof, it also has a heart-rate sensor, a gorgeous OLED display, and built-in GPS.

Extra protection

Moretek GearFit2 Pro Case

$10 at Amazon

Take your Gear Fit2 Pro to the next level.

If you want an extra layer of protection for your Gear Fit2 Pro, it’s a good idea to pick up this rugged case from Moretek. It protects the Fit2 Pro from unwanted drops, dust, and more.

Samsung’s $34 fast wireless charging stand works with Qi compatible devices

Set it and forget it.

The Samsung Qi-certified fast charge wireless charger is down to $34.50 on Amazon. While we have seen it drop to $40 in the past, this is the first time we’ve seen it go this low. The charger normally sells for around $45. The price is only good on the black version of the charger, since blue and white are $42 or more.

This is Samsung’s 2018 version of the charging pad, which only just hit the market back in February. It is compatible with all Qi devices, including Samsung’s Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, and other devices like the iPhone 8, iPhone X and more. The multi-colored LED halo shows off the charging status. It comes with a fast charge wall charger as well, which many other options don’t.

See on Amazon

Your Google Wifi can be hidden or shown off with the right wall mount

The Google Wifi isn’t a bad looking router (or three) on its own, and it’s pretty easy to stick it anywhere in your house without offending anyone. However, every home is different and you might want something a little more elegant and organized than just plonking a node down on a window sill.

Thanks to its popularity and the fact it’s a pretty simple shape, there are plenty of options out there for mounting the Google Wifi to a wall or even a ceiling. None are very expensive and there’s something out there to suit all tastes.

These are the best mounts for the Google Wifi!

Easy peasy

Wall Mount Holder for Google Wifi by Koroao

This mount makes it super easy to hang your router on a wall or ceiling, and you can still route in an Ethernet cable to hard-wire devices. The mount comes in a single-, two- or three-pack, and it includes screws for installation.

$9 at Amazon

Power up

Dot Genie Google Wifi Outlet Holder

If you want your router flush with your power plug, this mount is for you. You can wrap and hide the power cable around the inside of the mount so it isn’t seen, and the weight of the router is easily supported by the power plug and your wall. Finally, there’s an opening at the bottom for plugging in an Ethernet cable.

$10 at Amazon

Save space

ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf

This product is great for your Google Wifi, but also for other small gadgets weighing less than ten pounds. There’s a small channel at the back of the shelf where you can route your power and Ethernet cables, and installing the shelf is as easy as unscrewing your existing wall plate and screwing on the new one.

$20 at Amazon

Super minimal

Mrount Google Wifi Wall Mount

This may be the most minimal option of this list: you just screw the mount on the wall, and sort of drop the Google Wifi in. You also get a channel for routing the power cable, and enough clearance for Ethernet cables. The screws and drywall sockets you need are included, and the kit comes in single-, two- and three-packs.

$10 at Amazon

In between

LykusSource Wall Mount Bracket

This is a middle step between the more minimal options and the full brackets. The mount attaches to your wall with four screws, and you can organize the power and Ethernet cables easily. Your router just rests on the shelf, so there’s nothing obstructing it. The kit comes in single-, two- and three-packs.

$9 at Amazon

Super precise

Anco Precision Wall Mount

Another minimal option is this mount from Anco. Again, you screw the mount itself on the wall, then the router drops on top. There aren’t any cable management options on the mount itself, so this would be a better fit for some who can route power and Ethernet through their wall. This mount is available in a single-, two- and three-pack.

$10 at Amazon

Totally secure

HumanCentric Google Wifi Mount

If you want your router to be as secure as it possibly can be, this mount is for you. Again, there aren’t any cable management options on the mount itself, so you’ll want to measure your cables to keep them from looking sloppy on your wall.

$10 at Amazon

All of these mounts would be great, but my personal favorite is the ECHOGEAR Outlet Shelf, since I could use that for another gadget if need be and it’s really easy to install.

Apple Pencil 2 With AirPods-Like Pairing Expected to Launch Alongside iPad Pro With Face ID

A new version of the Apple Pencil with an AirPods-like pairing process will be released for the rumored iPad Pro with Face ID, expected to be announced later this month, according to 9to5Mac’s Guilherme Rambo:

The new Apple Pencil will be paired with iPad Pro by proximity, much like AirPods or HomePod. Switching between devices will be possible without connecting the Apple Pencil to the charging port. It’s unclear whether the current model of Apple Pencil will work with the new iPad.

It’s unclear if the new Apple Pencil will be compatible with previous iPad Pro models or the sixth-generation iPad.

iPad Pro with edge-to-edge display mockup via iDropNews
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple was working on a new Apple Pencil and new software tools for using the stylus back in November 2017, but few details have surfaced until now, beyond a patent filing for a more precise version of the drawing tool that would incorporate ultrasonic technology.

The current Apple Pencil launched alongside the original iPad Pro in November 2015, and hasn’t been refreshed since. The $99 drawing tool gained support for the sixth-generation 9.7-inch iPad earlier this year.

Rambo said the new iPad Pro will have an edge-to-edge display without a home button, as rumored several times. Unlike the iPhone X, he said the new iPad Pro will not have a notch, as the bezels are said to be wide enough to accommodate the TrueDepth camera and sensor array necessary for Face ID.

Face ID on the new iPad Pro will work in both portrait and landscape orientations, according to the report.

Rambo also corroborates rumors about the iPad Pro with Face ID having a new rear-facing Magnetic Connector for connecting accessories, such as a new Smart Keyboard. Earlier this year, rumors and a CAD drawing suggested the Smart Connector will be relocated to the lower back side of the device.

Possible CAD of 2018 iPad Pro via Steve Hemmerstoffer/OnLeaks
The report also corroborates Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s claim that the new iPad Pro will have a USB-C port. The new connector will enable 4K HDR video output to external displays, with new settings to control resolution, HDR, and brightness on connected external displays, according to Rambo.

Apple will likely unveil the iPad Pro with Face ID and the new Apple Pencil at a media event later this month, although no date has been announced as of yet. Apple is also expected to announce updates to several Mac models at the event, including the MacBook and/or MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini.

Apple’s event could take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of next week, in which case invitations should go out within the next few days. The next option would likely be Tuesday, October 30, as Apple CEO Tim Cook will be in Brussels on Wednesday, October 24, likely ruling out an event that week.

Related Roundup: iPad ProTag: Apple PencilBuyer’s Guide: 10.5″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Don’t Buy)
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AmpliFi Instant Mesh Router Launches With Quick 2 Minute Setup, Starting at $100

AmpliFi is one of the many brands in the mesh Wi-Fi router market, first launching its cubed router with a circular display in 2016. As the consumer brand for Ubiquiti Networks, AmpliFi today announced an expansion of its product line with the AmpliFi Instant whole-home Wi-Fi system, which is smaller than its previous router and more streamlined, since it can be set up in under two minutes.

AmpliFi designed the new router to be compact and instantly accessible to customers who want to upgrade and improve the Wi-Fi in their homes. AmpliFi Instant uses 802.11ac Wi-Fi with both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios, and comes with a WAN port and a Gigabit Ethernet port on the router, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port on the MeshPoint extension.

Like other mesh systems, AmpliFi Instant comes with a base router that you can extend the range of using a MeshPoint extension device. This allows Wi-Fi coverage to be evenly and reliably spread across your home, without potential disruption from Wi-Fi extenders.

During the quick setup process, AmpliFi Instant connects to an iOS or Android app, where users can also configure the router, check out their network’s stability, adjust parental controls and remote access features, and provide access to guests. The installation process is sped up thanks to the MeshPoint, which comes pre-paired with the router so customers simply have to plug it in where Wi-Fi is needed most.

AmpliFi Instant launches today for $99.99 for just the router, while the AmpliFi Instant Kit is available for $179.99 for a router and MeshPoint. The device is being sold both on AmpliFi’s website and on Amazon.

Tag: AmpliFi
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How to Approach Website Development

User Experience opens doors to the success of any website. It accumulates the talent of web programmer in developing of website interface and digital analytic precise work in calculating of average website conversion rate. Of course, design is very important but the website has to work properly and fast as well. One of the most affordable technologies for back-end web development is PHP. Thus,  it’s a popular solution to hire a PHP developer for your web development needs. While small businesses tend to save money on the web development process, they usually don’t mind hiring additional specialists for UI/UX (user interface/user experience) improvement.

Website UX takes into consideration a versatile range of important factors. What it the most important, is a human experience, as it is a base for proper website work. It occurs that developers can forget about the target auditory, and focus on technological specific without paying attention to the usability of a website.

With no doubt, if you do the same, it is high time to fix this issue. Hence, if you have done it, we are going to open some tips for you to evaluate the UX of a website. There is a number of mistakes that a developer can make in user experience development.

The Importance of Web Development and Design

It is shocking that sometimes bare form, which we call a website, looks like someone created it within an hour. Poor and not interesting. That is how everything began. It is an unforgivable mistake to let your website look plain when the Age of web development started its movement.

I really like to use as an example the main page of Apple’s official website. What a talented and creative is the development team of this website. Minimal and sophisticated, no excess, just total catching of attention.

How to design a website like this one? Remember the rule – minimal doesn’t mean poor. When a customer enters the website he unconsciously perceives for himself such factors on which is built the completely successful user experience:

1. Branding
2. Usability
3. Functionality
4. Content

Going through each of these elements separately and objectively as a web developer let a customer be stick to a website in a whole.

User Experience and User Interface

Internet users are so much spoiled, as they visit different websites hour by hour, day by day. They are able to compare quality and client orienting of a webpage, according to their user experience. Why do you think that your job is done better than anyone`s website they have seen?

User experience is about usability, a user interface is about pleasant looking. You don’t need to pass psychological training for selection a necessary color for the main page. Though spend several hours on the worldwide net for finding some useful tips, like the page for making responsive website design. It can help you to understand the “magic” of putting a proper color pallet on your website for increased sales, for instance.

How to Write a Call-To-Action?

Call-to-action button not just should, but must exist within your interface. Google reports that 70% of mobile users understand a click-to-call as an important part of your website. The button encourages users to complete the response. What does it give you? It demonstrates the average quantity of showings, increases customer interest and what is more important it helps you to see your target audience.

Catch tips! See, it is our call-to-action (with no button, sure). Have a look at the most useful ones:

1. Address to your customer. After identifying his problem put clear call-to-action
2. Leave more space around your call-to-action
3. Size matters, try to choose the most appropriate for your design
4. Have this button on every page

How to Evaluate a Website User Experience

User experience testing is usually launched to undercover the best way for a website to interact with its audience. It is another layer of the whole pyramid for improving design and development working.

You can embody website user experience testing of your users with the help of resources for measuring their trust, running A/B tests and recording visitors activity,

Some resources can help you make better your website conversion optimization. It can edit colors and schedule your test with an immediate proposal of winning solution for more advanced marketers. Technics reached such a height that some tools with a video recording of your product can perform eye tracking of those who tested and what they look at firstly.

With all the bells and whistles, remember about time loading of your website. According to Neilpatel, 47%  of users expect not more than 2 seconds of loading a webpage. Also, it is mentioned that people abandon the page after 3 seconds of waiting.

Bottom line

Regardless of your experience in web development and stable opinion on user experience have in your mind that a good user experience is a crucial point of the website success. So apply all the proposed tools for measuring it, and take into account where your opinion is and where the customers’ needs are. They can be different, but a good developer never forgets about proper analytics and testing before launching its product.

Minecraft for Apple TV Discontinued Due to Lack of Players

Minecraft has reached its end of life on Apple TV. The game has been removed from the tvOS App Store through lack of sales, while existing owners of the near two-year-old title for Apple’s set-top box are met with the following announcement upon launch:

Effective from Monday, 24 September, the Apple TV version of Minecraft will no longer be updated or supported. We’re grateful to the Apple TV community for their support but we need to reallocate resources to the platforms that our players use the most. Don’t worry though, you can continue to play Minecraft on Apple TV, keep building in your world and your Marketplace purchases (including Minecoins) will continue to be available.

The Apple TV Edition of the wildly popular multi-platform construction game was announced at Apple’s October 2016 keynote, where its potential for cross-platform play was enthusiastically promoted. “You can build new worlds on your Apple TV, and play with your friends using iPhones and iPads,” said CEO Tim Cook.

The game was officially launched two months later for $19.99, but despite the Minecraft franchise continuing to thrive on other platforms, it looks like the Apple TV version just didn’t take off as Apple and developer Mojang had hoped.

The removal of the title appears to be the latest example of the video game industry’s continuing lack of interest in the Apple TV, which ships with a touch-based remote rather than a dedicated game controller like typical game consoles do.

RIP Minecraft on Apple TV. That didn’t last long https://t.co/E67YOcYr8G

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) October 9, 2018

Initially, this meant developers were forced to build in support for Apple’s remote as the primary controller, despite the fact that the Apple TV also works with third-party Bluetooth controllers. Apple eventually lifted the restriction following strong criticism, but other lingering issues like poor title discoverability on the App Store and a lack of game-oriented marketing or promotion for the Apple TV have hit the platform’s gaming prospects hard.

Mojave’s Minecraft: Story Mode, an adventure game based in the Minecraft universe, will continue to be available on Apple TV, while the Microsoft subsidiary said that it would issue full refunds on all purchases of Minecraft: Apple TV Edition made in the last 90 days of the game’s availability. Players seeking more information or wanting to check on the status of a refund are advised to contact Apple Customer Service online or call 1-800-692-7753.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: MinecraftBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Caution)
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Apogee Launches $160 Jam+ for Studio-Grade Audio Recording on macOS and iOS

Apogee today announced the Jam+, an updated version of its portable USB instrument input and output device that connects an electric guitar, bass, keyboard, or any acoustic instrument with pick-up directly to an iOS device, Mac, or PC for recording audio. The launch of the Jam+ comes eight years after the original Jam debuted in Apple stores worldwide.

The new Jam+ has a rugged metal chassis and soft touch base with enhanced PureDIGITAL circuitry for better true-tone audio resolution, stereo output to connect headphones or powered speakers, low latency monitoring with a Blend feature, and an “Overdrive” mode that makes virtual amplifiers and effects pedals sound more realistic.

Those who buy the Jam+ will also get the BIAS FX Jam software bundle from Positive Grid, including a premium selection of three amplifiers and six essential pedal effects. Otherwise, Apogee promises pristine sound quality, easy plug in and play set-up with no configuration required, 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio, and included Lightning, USB, and USB-C cables.

Apogee’s Jam+ launches today for $159.00 online and at Apogee dealers worldwide, including Apple stores.

Tag: Apogee
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How to Hide Pictures From the Photos App in iOS 12

Sometimes you might not want certain pictures shot on your iPhone or iPad to take pride of place in your Photo Library, but for whatever reason, you don’t want to just outright delete them. Fortunately, Apple’s Photos app includes an option to hide certain photos from the main library. This article shows you how.

Bear in mind that hiding pictures via the following method ensures they won’t appear in the Photos or For You sections of the Photos app, but they will still be accessible in the Albums section. If you’re looking for a more secure way to squirrel away pictures, consider using a third-party app like Safe Lock instead.

How to Hide Pictures in the Photos App

Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Select in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the pictures you want to hide.

Tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner of the screen. (It looks like a square with an arrow pointing out.)
In the Share Sheet’s bottom row of available actions, tap Hide.
Tap the prompt that appears at the bottom of the screen to confirm.Note that pictures you choose to hide from your photo library are stored in an album called Hidden, which lives in the Albums tab.

How to Unhide Pictures in the Photos App

Launch the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen.
Scroll to the bottom and under Other Albums, tap Hidden.

Tap Select in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the pictures you want to unhide.
Tap the Share button at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
In the Share Sheet’s bottom row of available actions, tap Unhide.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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