Microsoft To-Do picks up ‘Planned’ smart list on Android

Keep a handle on your upcoming tasks with To-Do’s latest smart list.

Microsoft To-Do has been gradually rolling out its new “Planned” smart list feature across platforms, and Android is the latest on deck. The feature offers a quick overview of your tasks for the upcoming week, and it’s rolling out now with the latest update to To-Do for Android (via OnMSFT).

The “Planned” list sits alongside your “My Day” and “Important” tabs within the To-Do menu. Tapping into it will show you what tasks you have coming up for the next five days, along with some that are even further out.

This update also introduces multiple widget support, along with improvements to the dark theme. Here’s a look at the full release notes:

• The Planned smart list is now available on Android! Just open Planned for an overview of your scheduled tasks for today, tomorrow, the next 5 days and beyond.
• Dark theme is now more consistent across the app with support in search results and the widget!
• We’ve also added multiple widget support.

To check out all of what’s new, you can grab the latest update to Microsoft To-Do for Android on Google Play now.

See at Microsoft

Keep your gear safe with Belkin’s 12-outlet surge protector for $13

Worry no longer.

The Belkin 12-outlet advanced power strip surge protector is down to $13.20 at Amazon today. This surge protector regularly sells for $25 on average and has never dropped this low in price until today. Earlier this year it was selling for as much as $33.

Belkin’s power strip has a 4,000 Joule energy rating and can protect a home office or professional workstation. The unique design includes several outlets at right angles to others and spaced out so you can find space for everything, even the larger plugs.

If your gear is connected properly and gets hurt by a power surge, Belkin covers it with a $250,000 Connected Equipment Warranty along with the regular lifetime warranty for the device. Users give it 4.4 stars based on 435 reviews.

See at Amazon

Keep your PlayStation 4 Pro quiet with these tips

Best answer: Your PlayStation 4 Pro may get loud due to the fans needing to work harder to dissipate heat. Repositioning and cleaning your PS4 Pro with a can of compressed air is the first thing you should do when you notice it happening.

Amazon: Dust-Off Disposable Compressed Gas Guster ($14)

Keep your PS4 Pro clean and comfortable

The most common cause of noise in many consumer electronics is due to a spinning fan, and that’s no less true when talking about the PS4 Pro. Fans work to help move heat away from the PS4 Pro’s internal components, as overheating could lead to hardware failures.

As such, it’s important to keep your PS4 Pro as clean as you can. Be sure to give its external a good wipe down at regular intervals, and for the hard-to-reach areas — such as the cooling vents and inside the disc tray — you can use compressed air to ensure all its airways are unblocked.

Another measure you can take is to ensure your PS4 Pro has as much breathing room as possible. Try and position your console in such a way that there are a few inches of space on all sides. If the console is too close to a wall or door, the heat can blow back onto itself and make the console hotter, which causes the fans to spin up more.

What else can cause the PS4 Pro to get loud?

One less common cause of loudness in the PS4 Pro is the disc drive. This is typically only an issue during your initial game install, as the PS4 is designed to install all game data to your hard drive so as to limit the wear and tear on the disc drive. As such, you’ll most likely only hear noise from it when you’re in the process of installing a game.

There are times when the PS4 Pro’s disc drive will spin up after installation, namely when you first insert the disc and boot your game up. This is because the PS4 needs to read the disc to verify that the game you’re trying to play is actually inserted in the console. This should subside within a few minutes.

What if the noise doesn’t improve?

If the fans continue to roar after cleaning and moving your PS4, or if the disc drive is spinning outside of the scenarios discussed above, it may be a mechanical failure that requires further attention. We’d advise contacting Sony’s PlayStation division in that situation.

Sony can help you troubleshoot your PS4 Pro’s issues, and if they can’t then they can initiate a warranty or repair process to help get you situated.

It’s worth noting that a loud PS4 Pro doesn’t necessarily mean anything is gravely wrong with the console. It could very well work just fine. But if you want peace of mind or just can’t stand the noise, call Sony. You can get started with that right here.

Our pick

Dust-Off Disposable Compressed Gas Guster

$14 at Amazon

Blow air in, get dust out.

Compressed air is affordable, safe, and simple to use. And you get two in this convenient package.

The $120 Lutron Caseta smart lighting starter kit is easy to setup and use

Everything you need in one kit.

The Lutron Caseta wireless smart lighting dimmer switch starter kit is down to $119.90 on Amazon. This kit normally sells for around $160 and hasn’t dropped from that price since July. This is a match for the lowest we’ve ever seen, and it’s neither a price that happens often nor one that lasts very long.

The starter kit comes with two dimmer switches, two Pico remote controls, and the Lutron Caseta smart bridge. The bridge is the hub for all your Lutron devices. Once you’ve connected the switches to the hub, you can then add the hub to your smart home ecosystem (Amazon, Google, Apple), and control it with your voice.

The kit is easy to set up, and once you do you can use the remote controls to access the lights from inside the house or the free Lutron app to control them from anywhere. They can also be tuned to automatically adjust to the seasons or Daylight Savings Time, and the Smart Away feature helps make it look like someone is still home when you’re traveling. Each dimmer switch can control up to 17 bulbs. The kit has 4.5 stars based on 224 reviews.

See on Amazon

HTC Exodus blockchain phone available for pre-order — if you have crypto

You’ll need to pay for the phone using either Bitcoin or Ethereum.

A little over five months since the phone was first announced, HTC is now opening pre-orders for the Exodus — it’s mysterious new smartphone that’s powered by blockchain.

Per a press release that went out today, HTC describes the Exodus as follows:

The EXODUS 1 provides the premium performance and quality of design expected from HTC’s flagship device lineup and combines it with the blockchain technology and software necessary to create a smartphone experience fit for a modern user and the new internet age.

The back of the phone looks a lot like the HTC U12 from earlier in the year, featuring dual rear cameras, a fingerprint sensor, and a transparent back that showcases some of the phone’s internals.

Pre-orders are available through HTC’s Early Access Program, and if you want to pick up an Exodus for yourself, it’ll cost you either 0.15 BTC or 4.78 ETH. In the true spirit of the blockchain, you can only purchase the Exodus using either Bitcoin or Ethereum. In USD, that comes out to around $950.

Shipments are expected go out sometime in December.

See at HTC

SD and HD titles on Google Play Movies are being upgraded to 4K for free

The price of new 4K movies is also being lowered.

4K is steadily becoming the new resolution norm in the entrainment world, and to make sure it stays on top of things, Google is now upgrading all of its users’ SD and HD titles to 4K at no extra cost.

This move was announced on October 23, and according to Google, “when 4K titles are available from participating Hollywood studios, we’ll upgrade your past movie purchases so you can stream in 4K.” All of this is done for 100% free, and when a movie of yours does receive the 4K treatment, you’ll see it added to a new “Upgraded to 4K” filter in the Play Movies & TV app.

Along with this, Google also says that all 4K movies going forward will cost less.

Last but not least, Google Play Movies & TV is getting some much-needed upgrades for smart TVs. You can now watch titles in 4K via the Movies & TV app on “most 4K Samsung Smart TVs.” Google notes that it’s working with LG to support its TVs as well. Similarly, the app for Samsung, LG, and Vizio televisions now has a cleaner and more streamlined UI.

Download: Google Play Movies & TV (free)

The Ledger Nano S cryptocurrency hardware wallet has dropped to $80

For all your transactions.

The Ledger Nano S cryptocurrency hardware wallet is down to $79.99 on Amazon. The wallet usually sells for around $95. This price matches a low we saw once back in August.

If you’ve invested in a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or Ethereum, you can use this wallet to check and confirm transactions. The wallet keeps your confidential information safe and protected in an isolated environment, and it’s designed to work with companion apps. The Nano S supports the FIDO second factor authentication standard. It keeps your accounts backed up on a recovery sheet that allows for easy restoration to any other compatible device.

See on Amazon

Should you wall mount your PlayStation 4?

Best answer: Mounting your PS4 to the wall is a great option for those who want to save some room or those who just like the look.

Amazon: HIDEit PS4 Wall Mount and Controller Mount ($35)

Looking cool and saving space

When it comes to deciding between just placing your console on the entertainment center, or mounting it up on the wall, it really is just a personal preference. It’s certainly not a requirement, but there are plenty of ways to do it and save yourself some space in the long run. Whether you’ve got some pesky roomies or you just like the look of it mounted by your TV, there are determining factors that will help you decide if this is a good move.

Mounting your system on the wall can save room, especially for those who are set in up in a bedroom, gaming nook, or limited on space due to apartment living. Getting your PlayStation 4 out of the way can also help with keeping it clean and cool for longer between cleanings. Since earlier models of the console can be turned on — or off — by an errant paw, tail, or a sneaky little finger, this also eliminates accidentally power loss.

However, you will need to remember to have your system close enough to connect your television, and wall mounting a console that hooks up to PlayStation VR might be more cords than you want to be draped across the wall. It can also cause problems if you charge your controllers using the USB ports as you’ll need to get longer cords or stop playing while you charge up.

You also want to be careful with the mount you end up getting, based on the people in your house and the traffic they may cause. As easy as it is to bump a PlayStation off a shelf or table, it’s just as easy to run into a wall and knock it off the mount as well. So, if you have not-so-little pups or crazy kids that can’t stop knocking into things, you might want to be cautious when purchasing a mount.

These are great points to think about if you want to get a mount for your console. If you do decide that wall mounting is the way you want to go, there are some great options to make this process a breeze!

Our pick

HIDEit PS4 Wall Mount and Controller Mount

$35 at Amazon

Get your console and your controllers out of the way

My personal favorite when it comes to wall mounts is this HIDEit mount. Not only can you mount any version of the PS4 with ease, you can also have your controllers mounted on the wall right next to it.

Volgende stap naar toestel met volledig scherm; de slider

De huidige trend in smartphone-land is een zo groot mogelijk scherm in een zo klein mogelijke behuizing. Die zoektocht gaat gepaard met concessies; de notch. De gehate inkeping is niet de enige manier om de selfiecamera kwijt te raken. Verwacht de komende tijd een andere oplossing; de ouderwetse slider.

De slider ken je misschien van jaren geleden. De laatste populaire slider was de Nokia N97 uit 2008. Hier ging het om een horizontale slider bedoeld om een volledig toetsenbord tevoorschijn te toveren. Het slide-mechanisme waar wij het nu over hebben is juist bedoeld voor de selfiecamera. Fabrikanten spelen nu volop met het idee. Het voordeel? De gehele voorzijde kan nu uit scherm bestaan. Geen notch meer nodig. Enig nadeel is de iets dikkere behuizing maar dat is mogelijk iets waar de consument mee leert te leven.

De eerste verkrijgbare telefoon met uitschuifbare selfiecam is de Oppo Find X en de Vivo NEX. Het gaat hier om een mechanische slider waarbij de selfiecamera uit de bovenkant schuift. Toch bracht dit andere fabrikanten op ideeën want die experimenteren nu volop. Zo ook Huawei die binnenkort de Honor Magic 2 op de markt komt. Bij dit toestel kan de gehele achterkant omhoog geschoven worden waarna een 16 megapixel selfiecamera tevoorschijn komt. Het mechanisme lijkt bovendien ideaal voor friemalaars onder ons ter vervanging van de verder vrij zinloze fidget spinner.

Ook goed voor de privacy

Ook Xiaomi zou aan een dergelijke oplossing werken in de binnenkort uit te komen Xiaomi Mi Mix 3. Hiermee lijkt de zogenaamde schuifcamera vaste voet aan de grond te krijgen en lijkt het iets te zijn waar we in 2019 niet omheen kunnen. Wat ons betreft een positieve ontwikkeling omdat het mechanisme twee problemen oplost: het verdwijnen van de notch en het afschermen van de selfiecamera. In het huidige klimaat waarbij telefoons zonder op te merken gehackt of overgenomen worden plakken steeds meer mensen deze af. Als deze in de behuizing verborgen is hoeft dat niet meer. Twee vliegen in één klap dus.

Apple Plans to Expand Uses of Haptic Touch on iPhone XR Over Time

By now, you’ve probably heard that the iPhone XR features a new technology called Haptic Touch instead of the usual 3D Touch.

Haptic Touch is simply a marketing name for a long press combined with haptic feedback from the Taptic Engine. The feature is a substitute for 3D Touch , which Apple wasn’t able to include on the iPhone XR in order to achieve a nearly edge-to-edge LCD screen, a remarkable engineering feat.

The biggest downfall with Haptic Touch is that it currently works in only a few places, such as the flashlight and camera shortcuts on the lock screen, and in Control Center to pop open additional toggles and menus. Fortunately, that won’t be the case forever, according to The Verge’s Nilay Patel.

From Patel’s iPhone XR review, emphasis ours:

Haptic Touch does not have equivalents to everything 3D Touch can do, however — I missed previewing links in Safari and Twitter quite a bit. Apple told me it’s working to bring it to more places in iOS over time, but that it’s going slow to make sure the implementation is right.

Apple did not provide a timeframe, but it’s safe to assume that additional Haptic Touch gestures will be added in future software updates.

It’ll be interesting to see where Apple expands Haptic Touch across iOS, as the feature can only be implemented for actions that don’t already rely on a long press. For example, long-pressing on an app icon on the home screen enables “wiggle mode,” allowing apps to be deleted or rearranged on the home screen.

For that reason, Haptic Touch does not work with Quick Actions when you long press on an app icon on the iPhone XR home screen. Haptic Touch also doesn’t support Peek and Pop for previewing content such as links and messages.

3D Touch : Quick Actions on left, Peek and Pop on right
Apple already works around the lack of 3D Touch for keyboard trackpad mode. In iOS 12, users can simply tap and hold the space bar to enter the trackpad mode, which allows for easier movement of the cursor within text fields. This user interface change was more than likely inspired by the iPhone XR .

A few months ago, Barclays analysts said it is “widely understood” among Apple’s supply chain partners that all 2019 iPhones will lack 3D Touch. If accurate, Apple’s plans to expand Haptic Touch may go beyond software. For now, the pressure-sensitive feature lives on with the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

Related Roundup: iPhone XRTags: 3D Touch, Haptic TouchBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XR (Buy Now)
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