This new smart speaker lets you take Alexa into the shower

The world’s first splash-proof Alexa speaker for the shower has just come to KickStarter. AquaDew helps bring all the advantages of having a smart home right to your shower.

For those of us who like to be connected at all times, you’re in luck. Wasserstein Home has just launched a new KickStarter Campaign for its waterproof shower speaker that harnesses the power of Alexa.

AquaDew works just like an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. You just have to give the “Alexa” command to get it started.

They say some of your greatest ideas or thoughts come to you in the shower. Now, you can stay connected easily while you’re there. Tell Alexa to set reminders, save an idea, play music, and more; all while staying in your normal morning routine. Need to brew your coffee while you’re washing your hair? “Alexa, brew my coffee.” Run out of shampoo? The KickStarter video features a girl ordering more in the middle of her soak. Sign me up.

Not only can the speaker live comfortably in your shower, it can also be placed in any room in the house and work as any other smart speaker. Not a bad kitchen solution if your tomato sauce often splatters in every direction.

AquaDew delivers eight hours of powerful sound and connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The speaker also comes with a MicroUSB charging port with splash-proof cover so you don’t have to worry about the battery dying on you during your favorite podcast. It’s sleek design (measuring 110 mm in diameter and 50 mm in thickness) and bright color LED lights ensure it will fit seamlessly into your routine. There are four different color options to fit your vibe.

Wasserstein has been developing countless smart home accessories for Nest, Echo, Google Home, and more. AquaDew is the brainchild of the need for a more sophisticated Bluetooth shower device that’s also incredibly convenient. No more choosing a song or playlist before you get in. Change the song, pause, rewind, or skip with the five clean buttons on the speaker surface.

For those who find this one interesting, the KickStarter campaign is live now. Early Bird pledges are going for $79.

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Everything you need to know about laptop displays

The display is arguably the most important piece of hardware a laptop. After all, it’s the means by which you actually use the device.

Yet displays are also difficult to explain and understand. They can be measured, but most people are not familiar with what those measurements mean or how they relate to their own viewing experience. Contrast. Screen Resolution. Black level. Gamut. Uniformity. These words can seem like arcane scrawl to the initiated, but they’re actually not difficult to grasp. Here’s our guide to the terms you need to understand when considering a notebook display, along with what to look for in each one.

Screen resolution

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

You’ve probably heard it before, but screen resolution refers to the number of pixels packed into the vertical and horizontal areas of any given display. Some of the most frequently used screen resolutions include 1,920 x 1080, and even 1,024 x 768. These numbers can get confusing thanks to the different display aspect ratios available. Sometimes these resolutions are listed at FHD, 1440p, 1080p, 4K, or QHD. Each of these terms still refers to the total amount of pixels packed into the screen resolution.

For instance, 1080p packs a standard 1,920 x 1080 resolution, whereas QHD and 4K pack in 2,560 x 1,440 or 3,840 × 2,160, respectfully. Our guide to buying displays and monitor resolutions is available, but in most cases, the higher the resolution, the sharper the picture. That is often what you can get in new displays, and what newer terms like 4K or QHD refer to.

Displays — and laptops — with 1080p or FHD resolution displays happen to be the most common and cheapest in the market. In most recent times, 4K options have also become available, but are often quite expensive. The Dell XPS 13 happens to be one of the best laptops we would recommend its superb screen resolution, ranging from 1080p to 4K.

Contrast ratio – Not really 1,000,000,000:1

This phrase is one that you’ve almost certainly heard before. Display manufacturers love to use contrast ratios because of all the impressive zeros they get to slide in. Numbers are easy to understand, and the higher they are, the better their display seems on paper.

Contrast ratio is simply the ratio of luminance between the brightest color (white) and darkest (black) on a display. Higher ratios are considered better because it means images will appear more defined and realistic.There’s just one small problem. No one uses a standardized test for contrast ratios. There are many ways to fudge the results, which is why there are inexpensive displays that claim insane ratios like 10,000:1.

You should trust contrast ratios as they’re reported in reviews. In-depth analysis using identical testing methods and equipment is the only way to discover a display’s true contrast. The laptop with highest contrast ratio we’ve ever tested is the 4K version of the Dell XPS 13, though laptops in the Surface and MacBook line often include high contrast as well.

Nit picking

Brightness is important for mobile devices like laptops, smartphones and tablets. Most devices have a glossy display to enhance contrast, but the gloss makes reflections an issue in bright rooms or outdoors. These reflections can only be defeated by a bright display.

The Nit is the standard unit of luminance used to describe various sources of light. A higher rating means a brighter display. Displays for laptops and mobile devices are usually between 200 and 300 nits on average. A rating over 300 nits is solid and a rating above 500 nits is extremely good. Only a few devices can put out that much light. Apple’s MacBooks are known for having the brightest screens on a laptop. It’s 13-inch MacBook Pro we reviewed had a screen that maxed out at 548 nits.

Televisions are a different story, and the brightest go north of 1,000 nits.

Seeing in black and white

Reviews of displays, including ours, will often make reference to black levels. You might be able to infer that this has something to do with how the display renders black, but it doesn’t explain much else.

Black level itself is expressed in a number, with lower being better. A black level of 0 represents a dark, pure black. The number is relevant because it has influence on how a display handles dark images. If you ever watch a movie on a bad display you will notice that details are missing from dark scenes. That’s because the display isn’t capable of reproducing the darkest portions of the image.

White levels are the opposite. The higher the value, the better. A white level of 255 is the maximum on the RGB scale, so an ideal display will come close to that figure and display a bright, unblemished white. Modern displays have a better handle on white levels than they do black levels, so it usually is not a defining quality. But an exceptionally good or bad result can make a difference.

A journey through space

Microsoft and HP collaborated in 1996 to create a standard color space known as sRGB. As you might imagine, it’s most relevant to computers. A color space is a standard gamut of colors that displays should be capable of reproducing.

These days, most laptops you purchase can handle most of the sRGB color space. Even most midrange IPS display can handle around 90 percent or better. That’s why by today’s standards, we often test color gamut using the AdobeRGB color space. Though it is less important than sRGB, only the highest-quality laptop panels handle over three quarters of this color space.

Only professional, high-end laptops like the MacBook Pro, ThinkPad X1 Extreme, and Dell XPS 15 reach the high 90s of both sRGB and AdobeRGB.

Respect the uniform

Almost all displays on the market today use LCD technology. This technology has been refined so that it’s inexpensive and of high quality, but does have a few drawbacks. Among these is the fact the panel itself emits no light.

For a picture to be visible a light must be shown through the LCD. In an ideal world the light behind the LCD would be equally bright in all areas, but that’s easier said than done. Most displays are at least a bit brighter in some areas than in others. This is a uniformity issue.

We have tested displays with uniformity issues that were severe enough to be immediately noticeable by an untrained eye. The problem is most obvious during dark scenes and is most prevalent in mobile devices. Plasma and OLED don’t have this problem because they create their own luminance.

Getting the band together

We commonly use a banding test image when looking at a display. This image displays a gradient of shades between absolute black and absolute white. A perfect product will display the image as butter smooth, but most don’t. Bands often appear in the image and are most common in its darkest quarter.

Banding is a noticeable problem. It’s common in any content that depicts a grade of color that gradually shifts. A photograph of a sunset is a great example. Banding will cause the photograph to have unnatural layers of color that shift abruptly.

HDR

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

HDR is a relatively new term in the laptop and display market. Better known as high dynamic range, it is slowly becoming a term to find when shopping for new displays or laptops. It is not at all complicated and is just a technology which allows for a high level of contrast between light and dark images on a screen, and for a better color depth in images.

Some Windows 10 laptops now come with HDR displays, but it doesn’t make for much difference for the interface and visuals across the operating system. Instead, HDR is what can make movies and games bright, vibrant, and fun to watch or play. Keep in mind that only a few programs currently support HDR, and you might need to manually enable it in Windows Settings to get started. A laptop like the 3rd generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga is one of the best for enjoying HDR content.

Refresh rate

Jayce Wagner/Digital Trends

Measured in hertz, a refresh rate is a term which explains how often a display can change the picture in a second. Common refresh rates include 60Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz, but these have nothing to do with color accuracy or resolution. Still, for gaming, refresh rates are especially important.

Playing games at a native refresh rate on a monitor or laptop is best since it can avoid screen tearing, where the video card is pushing out frames that a display cannot support. More and more video cards like the Nvidia GTX 1080 or RTX 2080 can power frame rates over 60Hz, so it is an investment in a monitor or laptop with a high refresh rate ensures the best possible experience. As most gamers can attest, the difference between playing a fast-paced shooter on a 144Hz screen versus a 60Hz screen is, quite literally, game-changing.

While high-refresh rate displays are only now beginning to appear in gaming laptops, we would recommend the Alienware 17 R5, which supports refresh rates up to 120Hz — or even the Razer Blade 15, which goes up to 144Hz.

The screen door effect

“Screen door effect” is a phrase used to describe a monitor that has a visible gap between individual pixels. The technical term for this phenomenon is “dot pitch,” which describes the size of individual pixels and the distance between them. A low dot pitch means gaps should not be easily visible, while a high dot pitch means the opposite.

The impact of dot pitch is relative to the device. The gap between pixels becomes easier to notice as the distance between the display and its user decreases. That is why dot pitch is most often a problem on a mobile device. Monitors and HDTVs usually don’t struggle with this problem because the user is much further away.

Hopefully, this explanation has helped you understand how displays are measured. We do not refer to these terms in every review because we want to make our reviews as approachable as possible, but sometimes it’s impossible to avoid the technical talk. Now you will know what we’re on about.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Acer Chromebook Spin 15 review

There’s a new wave of thin, light, and premium Chromebooks on the way that are elevating the platform beyond the budget space it’s mostly occupied since Google first whipped up Chrome OS. But that doesn’t mean that notebook manufacturers are giving up on offering larger and less-costly versions, and Acer’s Chromebook Spin 15 is a powerful case in point.

We looked at the full-size 2-in-1 with an Intel Pentium N4200 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. This version of the Chromebook Spin 15 retails for $450, putting just beyond bargain-basement pricing but still lower than the $600 point at which Chromebooks start to inch into premium territory. It’s essentially a flip-around version of the $400 Acer Chromebook 15 clamshell.

The Chromebook Spin 15 is a very large 360-degree convertible 2-in-1 that doesn’t put as much of a dent in your wallet. Can it carve out a place in the increasingly upscale and diminutive Chromebook market?

Large and in charge, not necessarily in a good way

Okay, let’s be blunt: The Chromebook Spin 15 is huge. Yes, all 15-inch notebooks are relatively large, but Acer made this 2-in-1’s bezels massive by modern standards. That stretches the chassis out in its width and depth, making it comically large compared to a diminutive 15-inch notebook like Dell’s (admittedly premium) XPS 15.

In these dimensions, the Chromebook Spin 15 is even larger than Acer’s budget-oriented Aspire E 15, and we considered that a hefty notebook. Maybe unsurprisingly, the Spin 15 is similarly sized to the Acer Chromebook 15, being just slightly wider and deeper.

Interestingly, the one dimension where the Chromebook Spin 15 isn’t as massive is in its thickness, which is a very reasonable 0.79 inches. It’s not too heavy either, at 4.63, although that’s thanks primarily to a chassis that’s made mostly of plastic. The (overly-expansive) aluminum keyboard deck is reasonably flex-free, as is the soft-touch chassis bottom. However, the lid is quite bendy and it gives in too easily to pressure from above. The Aspire E 15 is heavier at 5.27 pounds and thick at 1.19 inches, but it also struck us as more robust.

The first thing you might notice on is just how small the keyboard looks amidst a sea of aluminum.

If you have a lot of desktop space (or a large lap) then you might not mind the Chromebook Spin 15’s overall size. That is, until you spin the display around into tablet mode — which takes a surprising amount of force thanks to the overly tight hinge. You’ll find yourself chuckling out loud at how much effort it requires. You won’t be using this one as a slate in the crook of your arm.

The 360 degree hinge does have a purpose though: Prop it on your lap with the display flipped around in media mode and you can enjoy some Netflix without the keyboard getting in the way.

Aesthetically, the Chromebook Spin 15 looks like the plastic notebook it mostly is. Acer adorned the lid with a crosshatch pattern that doesn’t fool us into thinking it’s an etched metal, and the dark silver color carries over to the keyboard deck and bottom of the chassis. Some chrome accents add a little panache, but overall this is a conservatively styled notebook that won’t be winning any beauty contests.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Acer put all of those long sides to good use with plenty of connectivity, and unsurprisingly it’s a close match with the Chromebook 15. You’ll find two USB-C ports that support data, display, and charging, along with two USB-A 3.0 ports for legacy support. There’s also a microSD card to expand the notebook’s storage and a 3.5mm audio jack. Wireless connectivity is the usual 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth 4.2 radio.

The keyboard’s just okay, but why is it so small?

Open up the Chromebook Spin 15’s lid, and the first thing you might notice is just how small the keyboard looks amidst a sea of aluminum. Yes, the standard backlit chiclet keyboard isn’t tiny, but there’s room on that huge keyboard deck for a more spacious version, perhaps with a numeric keypad. Acer did the same thing with the Chromebook 15, and it’s a shame to have wasted all that space.

Alternatives

Acer Chromebook 15

HP Chromebook x2

Acer Aspire E 15

Acer Aspire 5

In any event, the keyboard mechanism has a nice click that adds some precision, but it’s not very deep. Keystrokes are a bit short and abrupt with a harsh bottoming action. We do wish there was a little more bounce. The keyboard is uniformly backlit without a lot of bleeding around the keys, and we liked the ability to choose from five levels of backlighting. You’ll get a better keyboard on premium machines like the $600 HP Chromebook x2, but this one is good enough.

The touchpad was precise and large enough to comfortably support the usual Chrome OS multitouch gestures. Of course, this is a 2-in-1, and so the display supports touch, and it worked as well as the usual touch display. There’s no active pen, however, which is disappointing on one hand but then again, this is a massive notebook to use in tablet mode unless it’s simply sitting flat on a desk.

A display that can’t quite move beyond mediocre

To begin with, the Chromebook Spin 15 has a 15.6-inch display at Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 141 PPI). That’s become more common for budget notebooks, and it’s an improvement over the 720p displays of a few years ago. It’s not quite as sharp as we like, though it is an IPS panel, meaning it’s viewable at some extreme angles.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

We couldn’t subject the display to our usual colorimeter tests, and so our impressions are all subjective. Overall, we found the display to be bright enough to use in our typical office environments, although we wouldn’t recommend taking it outside into direct sunlight. And contrast was decent but not up to the standards of some slightly more expensive notebooks like the HP Chromebook x2.

Colors appeared a bit muted, and the gamma seemed a touch too dark. That made viewing images and video less than the best experience. And it’s a shame because flipping around that display for enjoying Netflix would have been a lot more pleasant had things been a little more natural. Once again, the HP Chromebook x2 and another premium machine, Google’s Pixelbook, provide much better displays.

Acer Chromebook Spin 15 Compared To

Samsung Galaxy Book 2

Lenovo Yoga Book C930

Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UA

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-inch

HP Spectre x360 15 (2018)

LG Gram 15Z980

Asus VivoBook Pro 15 N580VD

LG Gram 15Z970-A.AAS7U1 Laptop

Lenovo Yoga 720 15-inch

Razer Blade Stealth (2017)

Lenovo Yoga 720 13-inch

Dell Precision M3800

Asus Zenbook NX500JK-XH72T

Sony Vaio S Series

The dual speakers that flank the keyboard are loud enough to fill a small room, and they don’t distort until you crank them all the way up. Mids and highs are sufficient for the occasional video, although the bass is missing as usual and so music in particular suffers. Because the speakers fire up from the keyboard deck, they fire down when the tablet is in media mode and are thus slightly muffled. Overall, keep a pair of headphones handy for music and movies.

Such a large notebook should feel faster

The Chromebook Spin 15 uses an Intel Pentium N4200, a dual-core CPU that runs at 1.1GHz and bursts to 2.5GHz. In other words, it’s not the fastest processor around. However, Chrome OS is generally undemanding enough that a slower processor can suffice for the usual web browsing, productivity, and media consumption.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

That’s the case with this 2-in-1: Performance that’s good enough. But it’s not going to win any races against notebooks that are just a little faster and use Intel Core CPUs, like the Chromebook x2 and the Samsung Chromebook Pro. When measured against other relatively budget machines like our favorite 15-inch model, the Acer Chromebook 15, the Spin 15 performs right in line with our expectations.

Our usual suite of benchmarks won’t run on Chrome OS devices, and so it’s difficult to compare their performance to Windows 10 PCs. We did run the Android version of Geekbench 4 and saw a single-core 1,449 and a multi-core speed of 4,114, which fell slightly behind the 1,559 and 4,884 managed by the Pentium N4200 in the Acer Chromebook 15.

You won’t be picking this 2-in-1 up and using it as you would a gaming tablet.

In the Speedometer 2.0 web benchmark, the Chromebook Spin 15 scored 24.5, which is low even for a Chrome OS notebook. The Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 with its Celeron 3965Y managed a much faster 43.2, and the Chromebook x2 scored an impressive 75.1 You have to look at low-powered Windows 10 notebooks like the Asus NovaGo (10.3) and the Microsoft Surface Go (26.0) to see scores this low.

Despite some low benchmark scores, the Chromebook Spin 15 was fine for the usual Chrome OS-style web browsing and productivity apps. There’s only 4GB of RAM, though, so you’ll eventually hit a point where too many tabs and apps will slow things down. If you keep your expectations reasonable, though, you won’t be disappointed with the Chromebook Spin 15’s overall performance.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Although you can play Android games on it, you won’t be happy with the gaming performance. Action titles like Asphalt 8 were choppy at times. And that’s forgivable, really, because you won’t be picking this 2-in-1 up and using it as you would a gaming tablet. Other Android apps, like Outlook and OneNote, were perfectly usable.

Outstanding battery life will last you a long workday indeed

We weren’t told how many watt-hours of battery life Acer packed into the Chromebook Spin 15, but we weren’t expecting too much given the large 15.6-inch display. It runs Chrome OS, though, meaning it’s not stressed like Windows 10 notebooks and should demonstrate some enhanced efficiency.

In our battery testing, as it turns out, the Chromebook Spin 15 is a strong performer indeed. It managed a very strong performance in our Basemark web benchmark, churning through this aggressive test for about five and a half hours. That’s an hour longer than the Chromebook x2 and the Acer Chromebook 15.

Acer’s 2-in-1 also lasted for 11 hours of web browsing, which is also a great performance and within a half hour of the Chromebook 15. And the Chromebook Spin 15 played our test Avengers trailer for 13 and a half hours, almost four hours more than the Chromebook x2 and almost two hours longer than the Chromebook 15.

You’ll get a full workday out of the Chromebook Spin 15. You’ll even be able to settle down for some Netflix after a hard day’s work without worrying about plugging in.

Our Take

Yes, the Chromebook Spin 15 is a massive 2-in-1 — at least in width and depth — that makes a mockery of the tablet concept. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good Chrome OS machine if you ignore the fact that the display swings all the way around. Just use it as a clamshell or in media mode for watching videos, and you’ll enjoy this economical and very long-lasting machine.

Is there a better alternative?

There aren’t that many 15-inch Chromebooks around, and so the first alternative that comes to mind is Acer’s Chromebook 15. That one performs similarly, has just about the same battery life, and is just about the same size. It’s also only $50 less than the Chromebook Spin 15, and it’s not nearly as good for Netflix binges.

Step down to smaller devices, and you’ll find more options. For example, there’s the HP Chromebook x2 that costs $150 more but offers a much better (albeit smaller) display, significantly better performance, and it’s far easier to carry around. But it can’t match the Chromebook Spin 15’s battery life.

Then, you could look at a Windows 10 machine in the same basic price range. One good option is the Acer Aspire E 15, which will give you better performance, especially in gaming, to go with a better 15.6-inch display. You won’t get the same battery life, though, and you’ll be carrying around a bit more heft.

How long will it last?

Although it’s mostly constructed of plastic, you won’t question the Chromebook Spin 15’s longevity thanks to a mostly solid build quality (just don’t press down too hard on the lid). The biggest question is this: Will the Pentium processor keep up as Chrome OS advances? Only time will tell. The one-year warranty is the industry standard.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you’re looking for a 15-inch Chromebook, then this one is as good as any you’ll find for $450. The 2-in-1 flexibility adds just the slightest bit of value, but it’s enough to make the Chromebook Spin 15 a worthy purchase.

The best OnePlus 6T cases to keep the flagship killer slaying

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

OnePlus is the king of the bargain Android flagship, and its latest triumph — the OnePlus 6T — is a masterclass in the techniques OnePlus has long taught. This beautifully designed phone is also super powerful and packed with the latest trends and tricks. Best of all, you can get a hold of one for under $600.

But you’re not going to be cavalier with it, just because it’s one of the cheapest ways to own a fully featured flagship. Good looks are marred by scratches and bumps, and that bezel-less display could be ruined by an unlucky bump or a slip from the table. Keeping your shiny new phone looking good should be a priority, but life is hazardous and you can’t keep your phone wrapped in cotton wool.

Why not wrap it something else instead? A good phone case can provide a barrier against external threats, and make sure your phone keeps kicking until you’re ready to replace it. Here are the best OnePlus 6T cases to keep the “flagship killer” slaying.

VRS Designs Crystal Chrome Series ($24)

The OnePlus 6T is a beautiful phone and it’s a shame to hide that amazing design with a bulky case. But you don’t have to. This case from VRS Design is a great example of a protective case that’s also as clear as a window, giving you the perfect view of your phone. It’s made from a TPU bumper and polycarbonate (PC) backplate with a raised edge that elevates your phone from surfaces, and it comes equipped with air-cushion technology to protect against bumps. The PC backplate provides a strong and scratch-resistant surface that makes sure your phone stays fully protected without obscuring its style. This is a quality case at a great price.

Buy it now from:

VRS Designs

Olixar Leather-Style Wallet Case ($11)

There’s nothing quite like a leather wallet case for lending a sleek, executive feel, and this wallet case from Olixar is a great example of that. It’s made from PU leather — you’ll struggle to find real leather at this price — which is durable, easy to clean, and very protective. As a wallet case, the front cover flips over your phone’s display to keep it protected, while an inner plastic core keeps your phone held securely. It folds back into a horizontal stand if needed and it comes with two pockets on the inside of the front cover, which are perfect for cash, cards, or tickets. This option is a good and cheap way to add some executive style to your phone, but be aware it won’t be as protective as a bulkier case.

Buy it now from:

Mobile Fun

Krusell Sunne Vintage Nude ($32)

If only real leather will tickle your stylish itch, then check out this case from Krusell. It’s made from genuine leather that has been sourced and treated to the highest social and environmental certifications, per Krusell’s own dedication to sustainability and social responsibility. The case will also age over time, creating its own unique patina as the years tick by. Krusell’s design borrows from Nordic traditions, and it offers a slim design with a raised edge that protects the screen. The inner lining is soft and helps to protect against falls and drops — but it’s important to note that Krusell’s case isn’t as protective as bigger cases, and it has no protection for the buttons. Still, this is a beautiful case.

Buy it now from:

Mobile Fun

Official OnePlus Sandstone Case ($21)

Why look any further than OnePlus itself for full device protection? OnePlus has a history of making great cases for its phones and this Sandstone case is one of its most iconic. It’s made from hard polycarbonate, which provides strong protection against bumps, drops, and scratches, and there are raised edges that keep your phone’s display from resting on abrasive surfaces. It’s patterned with a sandstone grit, which provides a huge amount of additional grip to stop your phone slipping from your hand. It’s undoubtedly a fan favorite, it’s super slim, and it provides strong protection that looks good — at a great price, too.

Buy it now from:

OnePlus

Tudia Merge Series Rugged Case ($18)

Looking for some great protection to safeguard your OnePlus 6T while out and about? Tudia offers great protective rugged cases and the Merge Series is a solid option to keep your phone safe. It’s made from a combination of a shock-absorbing TPU inner core and an outer shell of scratch-resistant polycarbonate that provides decent protection against a variety of threats. It has raised edges to elevate your phone from surfaces, and the textured edges help to provide grip. This case is also slim enough to slip into and out of pockets easily. Tudia’s Merge Series is a great option if you work outdoors or have an active lifestyle, and it’s available at a tempting price.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium cases
• The best LG G7 ThinQ cases
• The best Galaxy S8 cases and covers
• The best Pixel 3 XL cases to keep your notch in one piece
• OnePlus 6T vs. OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?

The best scary stories from the internet

The internet has transformed most forms of social interaction, from gaming, to dating, to the ancient act of telling scary stories. Back in the day, stories of ghosts and hook-handed serial killers were something you told huddled around a campfire, and while the internet has stripped away the intimacy of old-fashioned ghost stories, it’s a platform that allows scary stories to spread. Eerie photos, “creepypastas” (scary stories that get copied and pasted around the internet), and disturbing Reddit posts are the urban legends of the digital age, so to celebrate Halloween, here are a few of the most famous, most chilling scary stories from the internet.

Slender Man

No discussion about internet horror can avoid mentioning Slender Man, far and away the most famous example of a viral scary story. Slender Man has been the subject of a feature film, video games, and was even name-dropped in a disturbing real-life stabbing, but his origin can be traced back to the forums of Something Awful, where in 2009, users created a thread for posting creepy, Photoshopped images. The biggest hit was user Victor Surge’s post of a pair of otherwise normal images with a tall, shadowy figure in the background, along with some background info on the photos and the “photographers,” both missing.

“The Slender Man” became the star of the thread, and fans quickly built an entire mythos around him. The character spread beyond the confines of the Something Awful forums, with more people adding their own takes on the story through fan art, blog posts, even short films. Slender Man’s ominous presence evokes the cosmic horror of H. P. Lovecraft, whose stories dwelled on humanity’s tiny place in a vast, dark, uncaring universe. Like Lovecraft’s most famous creation, Cthulhu, Slender Man has lost his edge through oversaturation, his frightful aura stretched thin across years of fan projects (and a critically reviled 2018 movie), but his story remains a terrific example of viral media. For a vintage taste of the Slender Man mythos, check out Marble Hornets, a series of short “found footage” films.

SCP Foundation

To a first time visitor, the SCP Foundation website may look like a relic from a previous age of web design. That plain visage belies the terrifying content within — a vast collection of creepy stories united by an overarching mythos. The community-driven site presents itself as the database of the SCP Foundation, an international group dedicated to collecting and studying supernatural objects and creatures. The site features entries on the various subjects contained by the Foundation, which range from more mundane entities (like SCP-021, a parasite that resembles a tattoo) to abstract monsters (SCP-087 is a dark staircase where people report strange sounds and visions). SCP’s entries are written in a plain, diagnostic style that one might expect from internal government documents, and this commitment to the act only adds to the creepiness.

Lavender Town Syndrome/Pokémon Black

When Pokémon reached the United States in the late ’90s, the internet was still a mysterious place where rumors could spread without being immediately disproven, and plenty of urban legends have since sprung up about the original games, Pokémon Red and Blue. Some were mundane — like the rumor that you could, through some sequence breaking, find a truck under which was the rare Pokémon Mew — but some of them could be disturbing, such as a post alleging that, after the original games came out in Japan, numerous children committed suicide after hearing the creepy theme music of Lavender Town.

Another Pokémon tall tale involves the wild world of bootleg games. The original Pokémon games came out on cartridges, which were prone to glitches and hacks. Bootleg games circulated, and could often have bizarre errors. One well-known creepypasta tells the first-person account of a mysterious, bootleg Pokémon cartridge. The author boots up the game to discover that it is called “ Pokémon Black Version,” and that the player begins with a Pokémon called “GHOST” which possesses a terrible power. Stories like these are a reminder of the mystery and power that Pokémon held for a generation; one wonders if today’s kids will one day swap stories of creepy encounters they had in Fortnite.

Anansi’s Goatman Story

Not as famous as the other entries on this list, but it stands out in the world of creepypastas for being straightforward in its prose, so it resembles a story an ordinary person would tell. The story comes from 4chan’s paranormal board, /x/, detailing a poster’s account of how he and a bunch of other teenagers went out for a night in the woods, only to realize they aren’t alone. It’s not a polished story, which helps add an air of authenticity, and the author wisely avoids the sort of edgy twists that poison a lot of scary stories on the internet.

Candle Cove

Although it didn’t reach the same level of ubiquity as Slender Man, Candle Cove followed a similar trajectory, starting out as a forum post that gained momentum, generating fan fiction and eventually making it to television. Written by web cartoonist Kris Straub, the original Candle Cove story was a series of forum posts in which different users reminisce about a show they watched as kids, Candle Cove, which featured disturbing puppets (and of which they could find no traces in adulthood). Straub’s original story is effective in its simplicity, and Syfy later adapted it for the first season of Channel Zero, an anthology series with each season building on a different creepypasta story.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Slender Man’ review
• Let Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant spook you on Halloween
• The best movies on Hulu right now (October 2018)
• ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’: Everything you need to know
• Police body cams are scarily easy to hack into and manipulate, researcher finds

WhatsApp krijgt toch advertenties

Na jarenlang advertentievrij te zijn geweest gaan er dan toch adverties getoond worden in WhatsApp. Volgens een topman van het bedrijf wordt hiervoor de status-sectie gebruikt.

Eerder was WhatsApp een betaalde app, iets wat verdween nadat Facebook het in 2014 kocht. Sindsdien was het zoeken naar een manier voor Facebook om haar aankoopbedrag van 16 miljard dollar terug te verdienen. Eerder leek het er op dat gebruikers van WhatsApp Business dat geld moesten binnenhalen. Topman Chris Daniels zet daar nu definitief een streep door; de status-sectie krijgt advertenties. In WhatsApp-status is het mogelijk om berichten of foto’s te delen die na 24 uur verdwijnen.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg voor de Amerikaanse Senaat

De stap zou er voor gezorgd hebben dat enkele WhatsApp mede-oprichters het bedrijf verlaten hebben. Zij hebben vooral moeite met het de mogelijkheid om gericht advertenties te kunnen tonen. Om dit mogelijk te maken wordt hoogstwaarschijnlijk Facebook’s eigen advertentieplatform gebruikt. Hier kunnen adverteerder gericht advertenties tonen aan groepen gebruikers gebaseerd op zaken als interesses en achtergrond. Vertrokken mede-oprichters zoals Brian Acton vrezen voor de privacy van gebruikers en de onderliggende encryptie nu die data gekoppeld moet worden. De eveneens vertrokken oprichter Jan Koum was ook altijd fel tegenstander van het tonen van advertenties.

Vanaf 2019 advertenties

Voorlopig kunnen we nog even kort genieten van een advertentievrije WhatsApp-ervaring. Facebook begint vanaf 2019 met het tonen van advertenties. Het is niet ondenkbaar dat ook andere onderdelen van de app advertenties krijgen. Hoe deze advertenties er uit komen te zien en hoe vervelend ze worden blijft voorlopig onbekend.

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Review: Philips Hue Play Adds Bright Bias Lighting to Your Entertainment Center

This year marks the sixth anniversary of the first products launched by Philips Hue in October 2012, with an original system that came with three Hue bulbs and one bridge and was sold as an Apple Store exclusive. Over time, Philips Hue added HomeKit support after Apple introduced the software framework in 2014, and numerous new bulbs, lamps, lightstrips, and more have come out of Philips Lighting — now Signify — over the past six years.

The latest lamps are a collection of fixtures that highlight your entertainment area, with one taller set (Hue Signe) and one shorter set (Hue Play) offering new and unique ways to attain bias lighting around your television, favorite pieces of art, and more. Signify sent me one pair of Hue Play lights for the purpose of this review, and over the past few weeks I’ve come to enjoy them as the latest addition to my dozen-bulb Hue setup, although I have yet to find them as indispensable as my other HomeKit devices and lights.

Setup

Like any new Hue bulb added onto an existing ecosystem, initial setup for Hue Play was pretty seamless. Out of the box, Hue Play comes with two light bars that each have a cord to connect with the main AC power adapter (which itself can power up to three Hue Play light bars). If you’re going to lay Hue Play flat, you won’t have to do anything but plug them in to an outlet and place them on your entertainment center, floor, etc.

If you want to stand them up, Hue Play comes with two black plastic stands that can be attached to the bottom edge of each light bar using an included Allen wrench and screw. After this quick installation, Hue Play can sit vertically beside your TV. The box also includes two different plastic stands that attach to the center back of each light bar, with an adhesive tape that attaches Hue Play to a smooth surface, namely the back of your TV.

Once the light bars are installed, you can add them into your HomeKit setup using the Philips Hue iOS app. In the Hue app I searched for and added Hue Play into my apartment’s setup, renaming them and assigning them to the correct room. Once in Hue’s app new lights sync to Apple’s Home app, which is where I primarily interact with my Hue lightbulbs. It was just as easy to set up and add Hue Play into various scenes and automations in Home as it has been for all other Hue bulbs I’ve purchased.

Placement

Hue Play’s design makes it a unique addition to the Hue system, but my own particular entertainment setup never quite gelled with the introduction of Hue Play as a freestanding fixture. I had to make a few placement adjustments to use Hue Play on my main entertainment center (when it wasn’t attached to the back of my TV), which initially impeded my enjoyment of the lights.

For entertainment systems with a bit more space, Hue Play should integrate pretty seamlessly. The unit is quite slim, measuring just under 10 inches long and 2 inches wide at the base. Hue Play is available in white and black as well, so it can blend into multiple design styles.

In my testing, I put one Hue Play light bar on each side of my living room TV in three configurations: vertical standing, horizontal, and attached to the back of the TV. For bias lighting, I already have one full-length Hue White and Color Ambiance Lightstrip on the back of my living room TV, so I had something to compare the Hue Play to, which you can see in images throughout this review.

Attached to the back of a TV, Philips Hue’s marketing shows three Hue Play units providing full bias lighting, with one each on the right and left edges and one on top of the TV’s backside. With just two units to test, I still found that Hue Play’s bias lighting was as good as my six-foot Hue Lightstrip, and was even brighter in most situations.

The other two configurations provided attractive bias lighting as well, and I particularly liked Hue Play when it was lying flat on my entertainment center. With some adjusting, I was able to hide Hue Play this way behind my PS4 Pro and a stack of books, further accentuating multiple objects near my TV and not just the set itself. When it was free standing vertically, Hue Play was just too much of a space hog for my personal setup, so it didn’t stay this way for long.

In all configurations I compared Hue Play to my existing Lightstrip and found every time that Hue Play was brighter than the Lightstrip. Each Hue Play unit outputs 530 lumens versus the Lightstrip’s 1600 lumen strip, but Hue Play’s focused spotlighting versus the Lightstrip’s dispersed lighting gives an overall brighter effect to Hue Play. This was far more evident during the afternoon, when the Lightstrip’s lighting effect could barely be seen in my bright living room, while Hue Play was unmistakable.

At night, the comparison between the two was a bit less evident. I never keep my Lightstrip at 100% brightness at night, usually opting for around 75%. I’ve found this to be the perfect bias lighting level for when I’m playing PS4 or watching a movie, and at this level the Lightstrip and Hue Play were essentially equals. The slight difference came in the exact shape of the light dispersion: Lightstrip is brightest atop my TV at night, while Hue Play (standing vertically) accentuated the right and left edges and was softer on the wall above the TV.

When Hue Play was attached to the back of my TV, two circular auras could be glimpsed on the wall behind the TV. Hue Play lying down horizontally was perhaps closest to the Hue Lightstrip’s light dispersion, with even light that swept up the entire wall instead of focusing on specific sections. Although I could see why someone might prefer one light pattern over another, I personally couldn’t find a positive or negative side to this aspect of Hue Play and Hue Lightstrip to a degree that one had a definite edge over the other.

As an example, here are a few comparison pictures between Hue Play and Hue Lightstrip in the evening and in full dark at nighttime (all images show each fixture at 100% brightness):

Hue Lightstrip (left) vs. Hue Play (right, vertical stand)
Evening
Nighttime Hue Lightstrip (left) vs Hue Play (right, horizontal)

Hue Lightstrip (left) vs Hue Play (right, attached to back of TV)

The difference between the Hue Play and Lightstrip will really depend on your specific use case, and of course the price. If you simply want to add bias lighting to a TV without any visual light fixture, Hue Lightstrip is cheaper at $89.99 (and lower in sales). For $40 more, Hue Play doesn’t really have many advantages over the Lightstrip in this specific category, unless you are looking for visible light fixtures to add as accents to your entertainment setup, want a brighter and more focused light, and you have the room.

I also placed Hue Play behind a picture frame and stack of books on a table beside my couch, and hidden behind a cubed bookshelf, and I particularly liked these placements for the light bar. The 10-inch fixture is the perfect length for accent lighting in unique situations, where a full-length lightstrip would be too long. The included cord is also about six feet long, so you have some room for placement options as well.

The back of the Hue Play has a rubberized texture that’s slightly raised to a point in the middle, allowing the light bar to settle in a perfect angled position that throws light at the wall it’s facing, and slightly upward. This setup is aimed at customers who opt for a single Hue Play kit, which is sold for $69.99, but it should be noted that purchasing just one light bar will not provide bias lighting for an entire entertainment system that’s as good as two light bars or Hue Lightstrip.

Light and HomeKit Controls

Hue Play supports the company’s white and color ambiance features, meaning you can cycle through as many as 16 million colors to output from the light bars. I typically settled on a light blue hue and the dispersion of the light from each fixture looked good from all angles. While not quite bright enough to light up an entire room on their own, I could see a trio of 530 lumen Hue Play fixtures providing a surprising amount of light, particularly for small areas.

On the control side of things, Hue Play is controlled like any other of Hue’s HomeKit lighting accessories. You can use either the Hue or Home iOS app, or simply speak to Siri on any device that supports Apple’s digital assistant. I currently have eight scenes and 10 automations in my Home app, which I typically interact with using Siri on HomePod.

I added Hue Play into a few scenes, mostly those that automate in the nighttime. During my tests, I edited my “Popcorn Time” scene to use Hue Play instead of my Lightstrip, and I also activated them for my “Book Time” scene. I use a completely different lamp for reading, but I liked the added light ambiance Hue Play provided. I also combined the two Hue Play lamps into one HomeKit accessory, making them even easier to tap to turn on and off, or control their brightness and color output simultaneously.

In all instances, Hue Play was easy to introduce into my existing HomeKit setup, it interacted well with other products, and performed consistently well for the past six weeks that I’ve been testing it daily. Of course, every now and then I came across a few “No Response” warnings on Hue Play in HomeKit, just like other Hue products. As usual, these glitches were usually fixed on their own and weren’t particularly pervasive in my daily use of the fixtures.

Bottom Line

Hue Play is a solid and unique addition to Signify’s growing stable of Hue light fixtures, offering three diverse placement styles, colorful lighting recipes, bright lighting, and a sleek body that will fit in most entertainment center areas without much disruption. If you don’t have as much room, Hue Play can still provide quality bias lighting when attached to a TV set, but the cost doesn’t beat the comparatively cheaper and reliable Hue Lightstrip.

How to Buy

The Hue Play can be purchased on Meethue.com in a Single Pack ($69.99) and Double Pack ($129.99). Each of these kits come with the three-slot AC adapter so that you can expand your setup. To do so, Signify sells the Extension Pack ($59.99), which is just a Hue Play light, cable, and mounting options without the AC adapter.

Signify provided MacRumors with a Philips Hue Play Double Pack for this review. No other compensation was received

Tag: Philips Hue
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New iPad Pro Has Comparable Performance to 2018 15″ MacBook Pro in Benchmarks

A series of benchmark results have shown up on Geekbench for the new iPad Pro, and its new eight-core A12X Bionic chip is truly a powerhouse.

The new iPad Pro achieved single-core and multi-core scores of 5,025 and 18,106 respectively based on an average of two benchmark results, making it by far the fastest iPad ever and comparable even to the performance of the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Intel’s six-core Core i7 chips.

We’ve put together a chart that compares Geekbench scores of the new iPad Pro and various other iPad, Mac, and iPhone models.

That the new iPad Pro rivals the performance of the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.6GHz six-core Core i7 processor is impressive, but even more so when you consider that the tablet starts at $799. The aforementioned MacBook Pro configuration is priced at $2,799, although with 512GB of storage.

Even the new 11-inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage is only $1,149, less than half that of the Core i7-equipped MacBook Pro.

At its special event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Apple said the new iPad Pro achieves up to 90 percent faster multi-core performance compared to the previous-generation models, and the Geekbench results support that claim. In fact, the new iPad Pro’s multi-core score is 94 percent higher than last year’s models.

The configured-to-order 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.9GHz six-core Core i9 chip is still faster than the new iPad Pro in terms of both single-core and multi-core performance, as is the iMac Pro, but Apple’s flagship tablet is quickly becoming one of the fastest products that it sells due to its advanced chip design.

The benchmark results also indicate that the new iPad Pro models have either 4GB or 6GB of RAM depending on the configuration. On Twitter, well-known developer Steve Troughton-Smith said 6GB of RAM is limited to the 1TB configuration, with 4GB of RAM in the 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations.

With the iPad Pro now rivaling some higher-end Macs in performance, there is a compelling case for Apple to start using its own ARM-based A-series chips in some Macs. Apple reportedly plans to do exactly that as early as 2020.

Related Roundup: iPad ProTags: Geekbench, benchmarksBuyer’s Guide: 11″ iPad Pro (Buy Now), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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Holiday Shopping Begins With Discounts on Unlocked iPhone XS, AirPods, and More at eBay and Amazon

The calendar has rolled over to November and multiple retailers today kicked off pre-Black Friday savings, including eBay and Amazon. On eBay, the company has begun its “11 Days of Deals” event, which will provide a rolling list of savings on tech, apparel, and more, beginning with discounts on a trio of Apple devices.

Today is the first day of the event, and eBay is discounting the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and AirPods for today only, and all of the items are sold as new. These are the unlocked and full-price versions of the new iPhone XS, and one of the first straight cash discounts we’ve seen on the 2018 devices. For AirPods, eBay’s sale is also one of the lowest prices available online today.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

If you’re interested, check out the deals below and head over to eBay to place your order before new bargains replace the Apple deals tomorrow:

• iPhone XS 64GB – $979.00, down from $999.00

• iPhone XS Max 64GB – $1,079.00, down from $1,099

• AirPods – $139, down from $159

Amazon has also debuted early deals for Black Friday, opening up an entire section for the weeks leading up to the shopping holiday. You can shop by Amazon Devices, Toys and Games, Computers and Accessories, Home, Electronics, and more, and many of these deals function similarly to Amazon’s classic Lightning deals and Prime Day deals, lasting only a set amount of time. We’ve listed a few shopping ideas below, but there are many more to be found if you visit Amazon’s Black Friday 2018 page.

Computers and Accessories

• Aukey accessories – Save on USB hubs, cables, and adapters / starting at $5.00 for a USB-C to USB-A adapter
• Choetech accessories – Save on a Qi charging mat ($18.49, down from $21.99) and a USB-C to HDMI cable ($16.99, down from $19.99)
• UrBeats Wired In-Ear Headphone – $37.99, down from $59.99
• Elago AirPods Silicone Case – $9.50, down from $10.99
• JETech Smart Case for iPad Mini 4 – $8.99, down from $11.99
• KAUKKO Lightweight Outdoor Backpack for up to 15-inch MacBook – $28.04, down from $32.99
• Seagate Expansion 4TB Portable External Hard Drive – $89.99, down from $119.99

Cell Phones and Accessories

• Anker Powerline Lightning (6ft) MFi Certified Cable – $8.49, down from $10.99
• VEPOWER Apple Watch Charging Cable – $12.15, down from $15.99
• RAVPower Fast Wireless Charger (7.5W) – $21.99, down from $39.99
• Anker Screen Protectors for iPhone XR and iPhone XS Max – $8.49, down from $9.99

We’ll be keeping track of all the best deals throughout the holiday season, so be sure to visit our Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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The MacBook of 2021 could kiss the keyboard, and Intel, goodbye

Imagine for a moment it’s the year 2021. Lebron James is President of the United States, we’re using the iPhone X2 (pronounced “twelve”), and Apple has a new MacBook coming out. What would it look like? How would it be different?

If you follow Apple rumors and patents, you know Apple is up to something much bigger than the just-launched new MacBook Air. Behind closed doors, Apple’s been working on a mysterious new laptop, codenamed “Project Star” internally. Calling it the “next MacBook” might even be a stretch, since the reports call it a “new device family” apart from the existing brands.

So, take this for what it is: Pure speculation. But using information from reports, rumors, patents, and just plain conjecture, here’s how we imagine it would be to transport to 2021 and buy a new MacBook.

The Touch Bar has swallowed the entire keyboard

Opening up the new 2021 MacBook for the first time, you notice something strange. It has no keys. In place of the conventional keyboard and trackpad is a second, monolithic black screen. Your nervous reflection stares back as you wonder how you’re supposed to type. It’s as if the Touch Bar, once a strip of OLED at the top of the MacBook Pro, has grown downward to fill the entirety of the bottom half of the clamshell device. You didn’t much like the Touch Bar to begin with, but you now see that it was merely a stepping stone to this much bigger sea change.

Furkan Kasap/Behance

As you connect the mental dots, the lack of a keyboard isn’t as surprising as you first thought. A string of devices have shown up recently, ranging from the Lenovo Yoga Book to the Asus Project Precog, each finding ways to cut out the keyboard. Your previous laptop, the MacBook Pro, already had a keyboard with almost no physical feel.

As you boot it up, the floating digital squares fall into place and form a virtual keyboard beneath your fingers. As they touch the glass, you feel the physical vibration trigger at the end of each fingertip.  It doesn’t feel quite like typing on the older keyboards you grew up on, but you’re able to touch type thanks to the effect of the haptic feedback. While it looks like the Touch Bar, it feels like the artificial feedback on the trackpad on your old MacBook Pro.

It feels strange at first, but the content you’re working on fills the entire screen, helping you focus on the task at hand.

You pull open the settings and find that you’re able to rearrange the layout as you like, including the size of keys and the functionality tied to certain apps. You open up the Mac App Store and find it full of apps that are already available on your iPhone. CEO Tim Cook said Apple wasn’t interested in merging iOS and MacOS operating systems, but when it comes to apps, the opposite was happening behind the scenes. The process began in 2018 when Apple changed API structures to help developers port more and more iOS apps over to the Mac. That was just the first step. Nowadays, the two platforms share the same architectural backbone.

You attempt to fold it around, but it doesn’t have a 360-degree hinge. Instead, all interaction within apps on the upright screen happens on the second display. Steve Jobs’ disdain of touchscreen laptops was one thing he’d said Apple still takes seriously today.

Furkan Kasap

You install Photoshop, launch it, and watch as the digital keyboard disappears entirely. In its place is a unique sets of dials, switches, and buttons custom designed by Adobe. As your MacBook instructs you, you learn that most key commands and buttons have been replaced with gestures, swipes, and clicks. It feels strange at first, but you notice immediately how the content you’re working on or watching fills the entirety of your screen, helping you focus on the task at hand.

The way this new Macbook automatically connects through your phone’s 5G hotspot makes it seamless.

As you get familiar with your new laptop, you begin to notice a number of other interesting things about it. First off, you notice you can’t download applications directly from Safari. You search for “Google Chrome” in the search box, but the first result is a link back to the Mac App Store. After doing some research, you realize it’s because this version of MacOS doesn’t allow downloads outside of the Mac App Store.

Apple’s A-series chip has been brought over from the iPhone to power this version of the MacBook, and with it, certain restrictions on what you can install. Apple is always after more control over its products, and the processor and application choice was the next evolution of that instinct. Once the T2 ARM chip was brought over to the iMac Pro to help out with Siri integration and security, it was only a matter of time.

By the year 2021, Apple may very well may be putting its own advanced A-series chips in its MacBooks. Illustration: Nate Barrett/Digital Trends

The second thing you notice is that your new MacBook is always connected to the internet. It comes with 5G LTE built-in, automatically pairing to your iPhone when it’s out of a Wi-Fi signal. On your first day with the laptop, you worked at the park during lunch, and even pulled it out on the bus ride home. LTE has become commonplace in laptops thanks to Qualcomm’s rapid influence, but the way the Mac automatically connects through your phone’s hotspot makes it seamless.

Ending your first day with the new MacBook, you couldn’t be happier. Winding down, you decide to watch some Netflix in bed. You tap on the first episode of Stranger Things season five and pull out your headphones. Your finger reaches around the edges of the device looking for a headphone jack. Your finger finds a single USB-C port, but that’s it.

You toss them aside and search for the AirPods in your bag. You find one ear, but can’t find the other.

Some things never change.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple could announce a new MacBook this week. Here’s what we want to see
• Apple preps production of updated MacBook Air for a 2018 launch
• It’s finally here. Apple’s new MacBook Air has Touch ID and Retina for $1,199
• Chromebook keyboard showcase may have leaked Pixelbook 2 images
• DJI’s new Mavic drones are here, and they’re even better than we expected