Samsung gets simple mesh networking right with the SmartThings Wifi Hub

A good mesh network shouldn’t be hard to set up. Samsung’s SmartThings Wifi meets that challenge, and then some.

A good Wifi network needs to do three things:

It needs to work well. It needs to carry all my bits and bytes to all my devices as quickly as it can, over as large an area as I need it to.

And it needs to be easy to set up, and easy to maintain. Website-based setup screens should be on the way out, replaced by easy-to-use phone apps. And if the router doesn’t update itself automatically, in the background, I’ll probably think twice.

And it needs to mostly be invisible. It’s 2018 — the router shouldn’t be the focal point of a living room.

And the updated Samsung SmartThings Wifi mesh system — which the company sent me to check out — ticks all three of those boxes for me. And it throws in a smart home hub for good measure.

Smart home and smart Wifi

Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router

Samsung combines a mesh wireless system with a ZigBee and Z-Wave-capable smart home hub — with very good results.

You need Wi-Fi for most smart home devices to work, but you also need a smart hub to organize and control them, too. Samsung kills two birds with one stone with the Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router, which gives you an easy-to-install, easy-to-manage mesh network and SmartThings Hub in one discreet, white package.

$280 at Amazon

The Good

• Small, inconspicuous footprint
• Easy setup, upgrading via Android or iOS
• Combines a router and smart hub in one
• Includes Plume intelligence

The Bad

• Advanced Plume features requires a separate app
• If you need Ethernet ports, you’ll need a separate switch

The Samsung SmartThings Wifi and Plume apps on Android.

It’s mostly easy

SmartThings Wifi What I Like

Here’s the thing about most of the off-the-shelf mesh Wifi systems I’ve used — they’re designed for folks who mostly just need great Wifi and don’t want to really have anything to do with their home router. That’s not a knock. That’s a feature. While there are countless TV shows about being a better homeowner, you won’t find any that really get into how to run your home network. (For that, there’s YouTube, I guess.) Network nerds love networks. Nobody else does. Or should, probably.

Open up the Samsung SmartThings Wifi box and you’ll find three (or one, if you bought a single) small boxes, roughly the size of a couple decks of cards. These aren’t routers that look like they were designed by H.R. Geiger. These are decidedly Samsung products. Smooth, matte, small. The sort of thing you could leave on a bookshelf in a living room and not attract attention.

The Samsung SmartThings Wifi Hub.

So that’s the first hurdle covered. They don’t stand out. They don’t have garish antennas. Just a box, a plug, and a cable for running from your modem, and maybe run for running out into a switch, if you know what you’re doing and need more hardwired options.

Setup also was pretty good. You sign in with your Samsung log-in — which isn’t bad unto itself as it’s a perfectly normal internet login, but it still just isn’t as integrated on Android as a native Google login. Of course, not everybody uses Google for everything.

You’ll use an Android or iOS device to set things up. It worked the first time for me, which isn’t always the case when it comes to using a mobile device to set up a smart home device. So kudos to Samsung there.

The Samsung SmartThings Wifi Hub isn’t really made for someone who wants a lot of built-in ports.

The apps do a good job walking you through available features, and they’ll point you toward the advanced options, which are now powered by Plume. You can go as far into the rabbit hole as you’d like, but most folks will probably stop at “Does my internet work? Cool.” You can control which devices get priority, if you’re into that.

Most important? Automatic firmware updates. That’s a big deal for security purposes, and it’s something that any router you buy should have.

I somewhat question the decision to combine a smart home hub into a mesh system like this, but only because I presume that most folks who even know what ZigBee and Z-Wave are won’t mind a router with more discrete controls — to say nothing of additional Ethernet ports. On the other hand, Samsung already had a SmartThings hub, and it makes complete sense to combine things here.

If you’re a ZigBee or Z-Wave user, great. You’ve got support here. If you’re not (and I’m not), it also doesn’t get in the way.

The mesh components are going to very a good bit depending on your home setup. I’ve got a million devices in my house, but my home’s floor plan isn’t all that large, or that complicated. I don’t actually make great use of a mesh network. If you’re in the same situation, I’d recommend just starting with a single puck and see if it’s got enough signal for your home.

And in that respect, Samsung’s offering performed admirably. My Wifi speeds were as fast as with my Netgear Nighthawk R8000. Signal strength wasn’t quite as strong at the edges, but that’s not surprising given that they’re two very different devices for different reasons. Mesh routers overlap the signal and create one network.

The Samsung SmartThings Wifi and Plume apps on iOS.

Not for hard-cord nerds

SmartThings Wifi What I Don’t Like

There’s really not much here to not like. That’s a good thing. I could bemoan the lack of Ethernet ports, but that’s like saying I’m disappointed the car I just bought isn’t a truck. Again, this is really meant for someone who just wants good wireless capability.

The one true annoyance here comes when you dive deeper into the settings. Plume has been fully integrated into the Hub itself, but a lot of the advanced features still require you to use a separate Plume app if you want to do anything with them.

That’s hardly the end of the world — it just seems like a silly annoyance.

Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot else that stands out in a bad way.

One of these routers probably will look better in your living room.

A good buy for simple use

SmartThings Wifi The Bottom Line

Samsung has a fine mesh system on its hands here. Whether you need one SmartThings Wifi hub, or three (or more!) depends on the size and layout of your home. Maybe you only need two. Maybe you need three or more.

4.5
out of 5

And it’s a reasonable system for a reasonable person. That is, someone who doesn’t care what DNS is or worry about port forwarding and just wants a good system that works well and is easy to manage. Samsung’s got that in its SmartThings app, for sure.

Me? I need a little more out of a router, and I don’t mind a little extra manual management.

$280 at Amazon

This Philips Hue sale includes smart bulbs and accessories for every light

Replace every light in your house.

Grab a Philips Hue white and color dimmable A19 LED smart bulb for 20% off at $39.99 on Amazon. These bulbs normally sell for $50, and this price matches a low we’ve seen only a couple times before.

The A19 fits in regular lamps and is probably the one you need the most. However, if you want to put smart bulbs in a overhead or horizontal lighting fixture, you can also get the BR30 color smart bulb for the same price today. This one does not drop to $40 nearly as often, either, so this is a good deal. Philips Hue also has the E12 candle-shaped color smart bulb for $39.99.

That’s a smart bulb for really any possible light fixture you have around the house, but if you need some more smart lighting this sale isn’t done. You can also get the Philips Hue Go color dimmable smart light for $63.99. That’s 20% off its regular $80 street price. This is a wireless, portable, rechargeable light that lasts up to three hours and can be controlled like any other Hue light.

You can also get the color dimmable LightStrip Plus for 30% off its regular price. It’s down to $59.99 from a regular $90 price. This is an 80-inch strip you can bend anywhere you want it and trim it to size.

There are a couple other Philips Hue sales we saw last week that you might want to know about as well, including this huge bundle with Razer and a Hue starter kit for $392 and this 2-bulb starter kit for $100. Remember all Philips Hue bulbs need the hub included with starter kits to work, but you can buy the smart hub by itself for less than $48.

See on Amazon

From the Editor’s Desk: Google’s leaky boat

Relentless leaks have deflated some of the anticipation around one of the year’s biggest Android launches.

Forget the Pixel 3 for a moment. I already know what Google’s working towards in the Pixel 4: a less leaky supply chain.

This year’s Google flagship, the Pixel 3 XL, has leaked to an almost comical extent over the past few months. Just go to our Pixel 3 landing page and tap “view more,” and scroll, and scroll, and scroll. We got our first leaked images of the Pixel 3 XL four months ago today, on June 7. Since then we’ve covered 20 other individual Pixel 3 leaks on our landing page alone.

One of those is the infamous Russian review of an illicitly obtained Pixel 3 XL DVT unit, including an exhaustive camera review and full unboxing video. (AC and other outlets have been offered devices from the same batch of stolen mysteriously sourced 3 XLs, so clearly there are quite a few out there.)

More recently, Engadget’s Richard Lai tracked down one Hong Kong retailer selling a single, fully boxed retail Pixel 3 XL days ahead of the phone’s official announcement.

Every high-profile phone leaks to some degree or other. Designing and manufacturing a modern phone is a complex process involving a lot of moving parts and individuals, not all of whom are trustworthy or infallible. But this didn’t happen last year or the year before, nor do other major flagships have this level of unwanted exposure so far before launch.

It’s easy to point the finger at Foxconn, believed to be the contract manufacturer for this year’s Pixels. When first or second-gen Pixels were coming out of HTC or LG factories, you didn’t see them up for sale on the Ukrainian black market months ahead of launch.

Every phone leaks, but not every phone ends up on the Ukranian black market months ahead of launch.

More likely, the apparent deluge of leaks is the result of a few different factors. By bringing everything in-house with its newly-acquired former-HTC engineers, Google has greater control than ever before. But in doing so, it arguably loses the security provided by a brand-name manufacturer like HTC or LG, both of whom have experience in tracking down and preventing leaks of their own products. The scale of Foxconn is much greater, but at the same time, it’s easier for something to leak out of contract manufacturer in Shenzhen than an HTC-owned factory near Taipei or an LG facility in Pyeongtaek.

Google and parent company Alphabet are huge and a have a lot of money to throw around, but the Pixel phone line is chump change to a company like Foxconn.

Foxconn also manufactures iPhones and other devices for Apple, so far without any security breaches as serious as what we’ve seen of the Pixel 3 XL. However, that partnership dates back further, is greater in scope, and is surely worth more than Google’s Pixel contract. As a result, it’s likely that Apple-level safeguards weren’t in place, at least in the beginning. (Though as evidenced by the recent Hong Kong leak, it’s clear that even now there are logistical gaps through which phones can slip.)

A single big security breach, like whatever enabled an unscrupulous seller in Eastern Europe to get hold of a batch of pre-production Pixel 3 XLs, is sure to trickle down in the form of smaller sightings. As illicit units make their way out, inevitably they’ll crop up online. It’s no surprise that the biggest subsequent leaks came out of Russia, where those with stolen units can show them off without facing any consequences. From there, as the software on leaked devices is dissected, we get things like wallpaper leaks.

As a result of all this, we see a textbook example of why companies hate leaks: In the run-up to the Pixel 3 launch event, there’s social chatter and blog posts about how we’ve “seen everything there is to see” about these phones. There’s less buzz around this year’s Pixel season. Phone enthusiasts are already familiar with what they look like and many of the key hardware specs. They’ve already decided whether they want one or not, and Google hasn’t had the chance to shape any of that message. The leaked phone already feels old.

The good news is that, considering how software-focused Google is, it’s quite likely we haven’t seen everything just yet.

And for Google’s part, they’re surely hard at work tightening security for the Pixel 4 and beyond, should they decide to stick with Foxconn.

Some more quick hits this working weekend:

• The LG V40 ThinQ looks like a fine enough phone. The wide-angle camera continues to be a big differentiator for LG, and pairing that with a telephoto to offer unprecedented freedom is a big deal. Elsewhere, the V40 is not all that interesting. As such, the big danger for LG is that everyone will be moving in the direction of three cameras in 2019. When that happens, why buy an LG phone?

• I’m not sure what LG’s trying to do with the W7 smartwatch — though admittedly I’ve not used it personally just yet. The physical watch hands make it inconvenient to use as a wrist computer, and the design continues to channel the ugly LG watches of yore (like the G Watch R and Urbane LTE) as opposed to more fashion-forward smartwatches like the Skagen Falster 2.

• I’ve used a couple of pretty neat Android One phones over the past week — the Motorola One and Nokia 7.1. Both are pretty good, but neither is all that interesting, and that’s perhaps one of the underlying issues with Android One. With the possible exception of Nokia, nobody’s really gone all-in on Android One. And LG or a Motorola (or even an HTC!) will never want to push an Android One phone above their own-brand offerings.

• The Month of Madness continues next week, starting with Google and Razer. And even after that, we’re still nowhere near done with big Q4 Android launches.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned to Android Central on YouTube for lots of cool stuff dropping in the next week or so!

OnePlus teases 6T again with announcement tweet

OnePlus is going to end 2018 with a bang.

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

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

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

The latest OnePlus 6T news

October 7, 2018 — OnePlus teases Monday announcement on Twitter

Check back in 24 hours for an exciting announcement. #OnePlus6T pic.twitter.com/mIeveZ0n6H

— OnePlus (@oneplus) October 7, 2018

The OnePlus 6T is expected to be announced to the world any time now, but we might not have to wait much longer — at least, for an event date. OnePlus tweeted out a tease for fans, telling them to come back in 24 hours for an “exciting announcement”.

While we expect said announcement to be an event date for the official unveiling of the OnePlus 6T, there is also a chance that the official announcement of the device. OnePlus has had a busy week of teases, leaks, and the official confirmation that the 6T will lack both a headphone jack and wireless charging, and OnePlus might be ready to show the world one of the most anticipated phones of the year.

Tomorrow is also the day before the Google Pixel 3 event — and the beginning of Pixel 3 pre-orders — so whatever OnePlus announces tomorrow may very well end up being an appetizer before the October 9 feast of new Google products.

October 2, 2018 — OnePlus 6T confirmed to not have wireless charging, better water-resistance

CNET recently sat down for an exclusive interview with OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, and during it, a few interesting tidbits were revealed.

Perhaps most importantly, the interview confirms that the OnePlus 6T will not support wireless charging. According to Lau:

We’re working hard on this. When we get to the day that the wireless charging can get up to speed of [Dash Charge] without the implication of heat that we expect, then I believe we can integrate the technology.

Lau also commented on the 6T’s water resistance, saying that it’s the most water-resistant phone the company’s made yet. However, in an attempt to save money, you won’t find an official IP rating.

Last but not least, Lau confirmed that one of the main reasons the 3.5mm headphone jack was removed was to make room for the in-display fingerprint sensor. He also said that it was “one of the most difficult decisions for us [OnePlus] to make.”

Read the full interview here

October 1, 2018 — Here are renders of the OnePlus 6T in Midnight Black and Mirror Black

Midnight Black

Need more OnePlus 6T renders in your life? Lucky for you, WinFuture recently got their hands on just that.

A few new images of the phone show its front and back in both Midnight Black and Mirror Black finishes — two colors that are also available for the OnePlus 6.

Mirror Black

Although the 6T’s design has already been confirmed in other leaks, these renderes once again show off the waterdrop style notch, the absence of the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and dual rear cameras.

September 28, 2018 — OnePlus begins teasing the 6T

We already know that the OnePlus 6T is coming, but now thanks to a teaser clip on its official Twitter page, OnePlus is ready to start hyping up the phone ahead of its announcement.

OnePlus 6T. It’s coming. pic.twitter.com/Wrdt9sCdIs

— OnePlus (@oneplus) September 28, 2018

The short clip is just 5 seconds long and features the tagline “Unlock the Future” along with the OnePlus 6T logo.

There’s not much else to see, but with the hype train starting, an official reveal should be coming soon.

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

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

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

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

Are you liking what you’re seeing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In an email sent to the publication, OnePlus said:

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

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

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

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

Our first big OnePlus 6T leak has finally arrived!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When will the phone be released?

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

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

How much will the 6T cost?

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

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

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

OnePlus 6 review: The matter is settled

OnePlus 6

• OnePlus 6 review
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T: How much changes in six months?
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?
• These are the official OnePlus 6 cases
• The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint
• Join the discussion in the forums

Find the best deals on a DJI drone

If you’re thinking about buying a drone, it’s impossible to go wrong with one that’s made by DJI. This is a market that the company’s absolutely dominated, and for a very good reason. DJI makes some of the best consumer drones you can buy, but before you spend your hard-earned cash on one, check out these deals to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.

Extra goodies for less

DJI Spark Remote Control Combo

The Spark is one of DJI’s most affordable drones to date, and thanks to a new discount, it now offers more bang-for-your-buck than ever before. For just $399, you can get the Spark, its standard accessory kit, and a free controller. All of this is normally valued at $599, so you’re scoring an impressive $200 in total savings.

$399 at Amazon

Grab some air

DJI Mavic Air

Want a drone that’s compact, easy to take just about anywhere, and still captures gorgeous photos/videos while retaining good battery life? That’s the DJI Mavic Air. The base model regularly costs $799, but a sale on Amazon lets you pick it up for just $709. You can also get the Fly More Bundle for $879 and score a total savings of $120.

$709 at Amazon

2016’s flagship

DJI Mavic Pro

The Mavic Pro is still a really trusty drone, and now that it’s had some time to age, it’s a lot more affordable. You can get the Pro for $750, 25% off its MSRP of $999. For that price, you get a top speed of 40 MPH, 27-minute battery, and 4K video.

$750 at Amazon

Refined powerhouse

DJI Mavic Pro Platinum

The Platinum keeps everything that’s great about the Mavic Pro while offering slightly longer flight time (up to 30 minutes) and a 60% noise reduction down to just 4dB. Although the Platinum normally costs $1,099, Amazon’s selling it for $950 for a savings of nearly $150.

$950 at Amazon

The DJI Spark is the best way to get into the drone world for most people, but if you’re a bit more experienced or want something you’ll be able to grow into, the Mavic Air, Pro, and Platinum are all excellent choices that give you a lot of features and power for a respectable price (especially with these discounts).

These are the best vertical docks for your PlayStation 4 console!

While your PlayStation 4 console has a sturdy base to sit on horizontally, there is a way to save some space on the entertainment center. By using a dock, you can easily ensure that, when standing vertically, your console is stable and ready to give you access to your games, music, and movies. While it may be among the more pricey on offer here, I personally prefer The Oivo Stand. It does the simple job of holding my PS4 upright while charging both my controllers with the added bonus of LED indicators that tell me when my controllers are charged.

Bold look, low price

Ortz PS4 Vertical Stand

The Ortz Vertical Stand has a slightly bolder look than some of its competitors, with a wide, hexagonal shape to its vertical stand. Ortz is also powered by a USB that includes two extra ports for charging your controllers, as well as a built-in cooling element to help keep your system a bit cooler during those marathon gaming sessions.

$15 at Amazon

The genuine article

Official PlayStation Vertical Stand

Sometimes you just want the product that’s going to get the job done, without having to consider any additional bells or whistles. This is a single-piece stand, built by Sony for the PlayStation 4 console. There aren’t any additional features here of any kind, just a small stand that won’t be grabbing attention or creating more clutter for you in the long run.

$20 at Amazon

The lowest price

Younik Vertical Stand

If you’re looking to get your Playstation up on its vertical axis but you don’t want to break the bank then you might want to consider the Younik Vertical Stand. It’s just about as basic as a vertical stand can be but it’s also about as cheap as it can be. It may not have a lot of extras but at such a low price point, it’s hard to complain.

$8 at Amazon

Bells and whistles

Oivo Verticle Stand

If you want to turn your PS4 on end but you also want to get some extras in the process, this Oivo stand may be right up your alley. The base includes a built in cooling system which will hopefully keep your PS4 running cool and quiet. It also includes a charging dock for two controllers which actually features LED indicators to let you know when they are fully charged. It may run a few more bucks than other stands but you get a lot for your dollar.

$29 at Amazon

Have you gone vertical?

Vertical stands can help you to save some room if you are rearranging your entertainment center, as well as being a great way to ensure that all of your controllers are charged and ready for when you want to play. Have you been considering a vertical stand? Try my favorite, The Oivo Stand and you will always know when your controllers have a full charge. Is there an excellent stand we didn’t cover that we should know about? Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know about it!

Updated March 2018: Added prices on all stands and included the Oivo stand.

Does the Amazon Cloud Cam work with other Alexa products?

Best answer: Yes! Amazon Cloud Cam works perfectly with Amazon Alexa, as well as some Amazon Echo displays and Amazon Fire devices.

Amazon: Amazon Cloud Cam Security Camera ($120)

Which Amazon products does the Amazon Cloud Cam work with?

You can use any Amazon Echo speaker or other Alexa device to replay alerts, speak to whoever is near your Cloud Cam, and more. If you have an Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV, or Fire tablet, you can stream the Cloud Cam’s video feed right to your display.

What can you do with the Cloud Cam?

The main purpose of the Amazon Cloud Cam is to detect motion and alert you, or let you check in on your video feed at anytime from any device. If you’re all-in on Amazon’s ecosystem, the Cloud Cam gets even better; you can use your Echo’s microphone to talk to whoever is near your camera, and see your feed on your Echo Show and other Amazon devices with a display like a Fire TV. Seeing your feed is easy: just say “Alexa, show (camera name).”

When you’re done, either press the home button on your device or say, “Alexa, stop showing (camera name).”

Our pick

Echo Spot + Amazon Cloud Cam bundle

$210 at Amazon

Grab a camera and a display to watch alerts from.

If you don’t already own an Echo display, this is the bundle for you. The Echo Spot has a smaller screen than the Echo Show, but it will still work well enough to let you see who is at your door without digging out the app on your phone.

FDA approves sale of Bose’s over-the-counter hearing aid

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Bose approval to sell a hearing aid that can be used without the assistance of a medical professional. Hearing aids are nothing new, but this is the first one that will allow users to “fit, program, and control the hearing aid on their own, without assistance from a health care provider,’ Bose says in a news release.

The FDA’s report says that more than 37 million Americans suffer from hearing loss which can range in severity from “a little trouble” to “deaf.” One’s hearing can be impaired due to a number of factors including aging, exposure to extremely loud noises, or certain medical conditions. The Bose device is aimed to help those who suffer from mild to moderate hearing impairment.

One of the benefits of the Bose device is that it can be controlled and programmed through a mobile app, making it easier for users to make adjustments based on their needs. The device itself is an air conduction hearing aid which works by capturing sound waves and amplifying them through the use of microphones in order to produce louder sounds.

Malvina Eydelman, director of the Division of Ophthalmic, and Ear, Nose and Throat Devices at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said that the approval of the Bose device should make it easier for patients with mild to moderate hearing issues to obtain the help they need.

“Today’s marketing authorization provides certain patients with access to a new hearing aid that provides them with direct control over the fit and functionality of the device,” said Eydelman. “The FDA is committed to ensuring that individuals with hearing loss have options for taking an active role in their health care.”

While this device is the first of its kind to be approved for marketing, it won’t be the last. In 2017, Congress passed a law which allowed for the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids which means we’ll likely see many similar products on the market in the coming months and years. However, such devices will still need to comply with local and state laws which might require a visit to a medical professional in order to obtain a hearing aid.

This is Bose’s first over-the-counter hearing aid, but it is not the first time they’ve made a product which can assist people with communication. In 2016, the company announced a set of earphones which could enhance conversations, making it easier to hear people in noisy places such as crowded bars or restaurants.

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Department of Homeland Security Has ‘No Reason to Doubt’ Apple’s Denial of Supply Chain Compromise

In a statement issued Saturday evening, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it has “no reason to doubt” the companies who denied this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek report about China tampering with servers manufactured by Supermicro.

”The Department of Homeland Security is aware of the media reports of a technology supply chain compromise. Like our partners in the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre, at this time we have no reason to doubt the statements from the companies named in the story. Information and communications technology supply chain security is core to DHS’s cybersecurity mission and we are committed to the security and integrity of the technology on which Americans and others around the world increasingly rely. Just this month – National Cybersecurity Awareness Month – we launched several government-industry initiatives to develop near- and long-term solutions to manage risk posed by the complex challenges of increasingly global supply chains. These initiatives will build on existing partnerships with a wide range of technology companies to strengthen our nation’s collective cybersecurity and risk management efforts.”

Apple, Amazon, and Supermicro have all strongly refuted the report, which alleged that Chinese intelligence planted microchips in Supermicro servers, which Apple and Amazon previously used in their data centers.

Apple and Bloomberg Businessweek are in a stalemate, with Apple strongly refuting the report, and Bloomberg standing by its reporting.

Apple’s denial has been backed by the Department of Homeland Security, the UK’s national cyber security agency, retired Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell, and other unnamed senior executives within the company.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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What is the Hyperloop? Here’s everything you need to know

We live in an age of unbelievable technological progress. To a visitor from the distant past, this would surely seem like a utopian age. Yet in many areas of life, things don’t seem to have changed all that much, and transportation is a woeful example of this. The roads are still lined with cars, the skies streaked with airliners. 20th century science fiction foresaw flying cars and teleporters; the 21st century settled for Segways.

Dreams never die, however, and the fantasy of futuristic transportation is very much alive right now as exemplified by a concept called the Hyperloop. While it’s not as mind-shattering as a teleporter or as fun as a personal jetpack, the Hyperloop could revolutionize mass transit, shortening travel times on land and reducing environmental damage in the process.

What is the Hyperloop?

The Hyperloop concept as it is widely known was proposed by billionaire industrialist Elon Musk, CEO of the aerospace firm SpaceX and the guy behind Tesla (as well as, in the last year, a number of public gaffes). It’s a reaction to the California High-Speed Rail System currently under development, a bullet train Musk feels is lackluster (and which, it is alleged, will be one of the most expensive and slow-moving in the world).

A one way trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Hyperloop could take about 35 minutes.

Musk’s Hyperloop consists of two massive tubes extending from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Pods carrying passengers would travel through the tubes at speeds topping out over 700 mph. Imagine the pneumatic tubes people in The Jetsons use to move around buildings, but on a much bigger scale. For propulsion, magnetic accelerators will be planted along the length of the tube, propelling the pods forward.  The tubes would house a low pressure environment, surrounding the pod with a cushion of air that permits the pod to move safely at such high speeds, like a puck gliding over an air hockey table.

Given the tight quarters in the tube, pressure buildup in front of the pod could be a problem. The tube needs a system to keep air from building up in this way. Musk’s design recommends an air compressor on the front of the pod that will move air from the front to the tail, keeping it aloft and preventing pressure building up due to air displacement. A one way trip on the Hyperloop is projected to take about 35 minutes (for comparison, traveling the same distance by car takes roughly six hours).