The RHA TrueConnect wireless earbuds last for hours with water resistance

Great sound and style.

RHA has unveiled its newest earbuds, the truly wireless TrueConnect. These in-ear headphones connect to charge via USB-C, have a five hour battery life, and use a charging case that can hold another 20 hours. The fast charging on the case can charge your new earbuds to 50% in less than 15 minutes. They will use Bluetooth 5.0 for high-quality wireless streaming, and they are IPX5 rated for resistance to sweat, splashes, and weather. That battery life is nothing to sneeze at considering other highly-rated earbuds, like the Jabra Elite 65t, don’t last nearly as long.

The design includes a stem, similar to Apple’s AirPods, that sits flush with the ear where RHA has stuffed a larger antenna for improved calls and connectivity. That design also helps bring the mic closer to the user’s mouth. These are fully compatible with all operating systems and can even integrate with voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. The buttons on the earbuds provide music playback control and access to the aforementioned assistants.

These earbuds will come with a three-year warranty. You can pre-order them through RHA’s website for $169.95 right now, or wait for wider availability when they release October 18. If you’re in the market for earbuds like this right now, you should look at the Bose SoundSport Free for $199 or the $178 Sony WF-SP700N with active noise-cancelling.

See at RHA

How is the Google Pixel XL holding up two years on?

How has the Pixel XL held up two years on from its release?

It’s been two years since Google shifted away from the Nexus line, ushering in a new era of Android flagships with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. With the latest iteration of the Pixel lineup soon to be revealed, let’s take a look at the handset that set the course for Google’s current hardware path.

I returned to using the Pixel XL as my daily driver on August 9, the day that Android Pie officially launched. Running on Android 9.0, I’ve fallen back in love with the OG Pixel XL in part because I just love the camera and physical design, but also because it continues to offer the streamlined Android experience I enjoy most.

Still going strong on Android Pie

Updating to a new version of Android is always exciting, but the 9.0 update felt like a big visual shift that gave the Pixel software a fresh coat of paint. From the rounded corners on nearly every menu to the colorful icons in the drop-down settings menu, those first few weeks running the Pixel XL on Android Pie made the phone feel brand new.

It takes some time to get used to the new gesture controls, but its certainly faster and easier to navigate between apps once you get the hang of it.

I’ll admit that it took some time to get used to the new look and feel of everything when I first updated the XL. One of the biggest changes was how Google redesigned the three-button navigation system down to two — the back button and the pill-shaped Home button. Gesture controls are a feature that you need to go into settings to turn on, but once you do it completely changes the way you navigate through apps on your phone, and mostly for the better. Having to swipe up twice to access the app drawer was a big adjustment, and the swipe right gesture control for switching between recently used apps is pretty ingenious once you get the hang of it.

Given the amount of time I spend on my phone, rewiring my thumb’s muscle memory for the gesture controls took some time, and for a while, it was genuinely frustrating. Once I got used to the new controls, however, it immediately becomes apparent how fluid and comfortable it can be, saving you a couple seconds every time you switch between which really adds up in the long run.

Beta testing the Digital Wellbeing feature

As a self-diagnosed screen addict, the Digital Wellbeing feature that Google unveiled at I/O 2018 was something I was eager to try and so it has been put to use on my Pixel XL.

I have a hard time putting my phone down at night when I should be sleeping, but I’d rather be watching YouTube or getting in one last round of Brawl Stars. I turned on the wind-down feature, which converts your phone to grayscale and turns off notifications during a set time (defaults to 11 pm to 7 am). I also used the app dashboard to set some timers on apps that are notorious for stealing my attention for hours at a time, and having those little notifications pop up telling me my daily allotted time with the app is coming to an end has proven to be a good tool for curbing my usage.

It’s probably going to take many more months of testing to check whether the wind-down feature and app timers will have a dramatic effect on curbing my smartphone addiction — and there have already been a couple instances where I’ve continued to watch grayscale YouTube or gone into settings to turn off app timers.

Battery and Bluetooth are better with Pie

If there are two things that drive me crazy the most with smartphones its low-battery anxiety and issues using Bluetooth.

I can’t say for certain whether my Pixel XL’s battery life has improved or worsened since upgrading to 9.0, but the new update has vastly improved my ability to monitor my remaining battery life. The battery settings page now gives me a mostly accurate prediction of when my phone will run out of juice based on my average daily usage, which, for context, typically involves a ton of screen time, YouTube binging, Bluetooth pairing, and audio streaming.

Instead of trying to guess how long I’ll get out of 30% battery remaining, my phone will now tell me when I should expect my phone to die, which is especially important when using a two-year-old device. You also got to love the Adaptive Battery feature, working in the background to optimize CPU and battery performance.

Android Pie has brought subtle improvements to both battery usage and Bluetooth connections for the Pixel XL.

Bluetooth is another area that’s been subtly improved. In an average day, there are 3 to 4 different Bluetooth speakers, receivers, or headphones that I’ll regularly switch between — from the speaker in my shower to the FM transmitter in my car to my favorite pair of Bluetooth headphones to the speaker I use for pumping tunes at dodgeball. If I wasn’t having trouble connecting to a particular device, I was tearing my hair out trying to switch from one device to another. Switching from a Samsung

Since updating to Android Pie, I’ve noticed that Bluetooth has vastly improved, to the point where I can turn it on and the phone will instantly pair to whichever active Bluetooth device is closest. Get in the car, turn on Bluetooth, and it connects to my car’s Bluetooth dongle without having to fuss about in settings. These are the little improvements that are easy to overlook but actually make a huge difference in cutting out those little frustrating moments.

Official software support ends this month

Android Pie may be the end of the road for the OG Pixel XL — Google says guaranteed software support for the Pixel and Pixel XL ends October 2018, with guaranteed security updates ending October 2019.

It’s a bit of a shame because the phone itself is still great to use late into 2018, and I reckon I’ll still be using the Pixel XL into 2019. It still feels great in my hand, is still fully capable of running all the games and apps I enjoy, and has hardware features I appreciate like the well-placed fingerprint sensor, superb camera, and a freaking headphone jack that I still get good use out of.

Android 9 Pie

• Android 9 Pie review: Greater than the sum of its slices
• Everything you need to know about Android 9 Pie!
• Will my phone get Android Pie?
• How to get Android 9 Pie on your Pixel right now
• Join the Discussion

LG Watch W7 hands-on: Weirdly practical, weirdly pricey

LG is once again innovating in the smartwatch space.

I have a lot of respect for the wearable division at LG. Throughout its history, this team has pushed the envelope and tried new things more times than any other smartwatch manufacturer in the history of Wear OS. LG was one of the launch partners of Android Wear, one of the first to make a fully round watch, and the first to make a cellular Android Wear watch. It’s a rich, if brief, history of innovation and creative problem solving, which I have appreciated quite a bit.

At its V40 ThinQ launch, LG broke the mold again and made a smartwatch with something no other company has. The LG Watch W7 has mechanical watch hands attached to an actual, real watch movement, but it also has a fully circular touch display with an excitingly custom version of Wear OS onboard.

And after spending a little time with one, my finger is hovering painfully over the pre-order button.

As smartwatches go, the LG Watch W7 looks fairly standard on the outside. The stainless steel body and rubbery sport strap look and feel extremely familiar if you’ve used an LG smartwatch in the last couple of years. The rotating crown on the right side of the body is flanked by a pair of buttons, giving the whole body a very traditional watch look and feel.

The mechanical hands are immediately noticeable. LG is one of several smartwatch manufacturers over the years that have used animation tricks to create that real watch illusion on several watch faces, but the polished metallic surface of these hands is something no flat display can replicate. And at first glance, these mechanical hands almost seem like an obstacle to using a smartwatch. These physical pieces of hardware exist in between you and the display, which means they can partially obscure notifications or complications on a watch face. But LG recognized this could be an obstacle and dedicate the top physical button the watch to solving it. When you hold it down, the mechanical hands get out of the way so you can see what you couldn’t before. Granted, this is a solution to a problem LG created with this design, but the solution is fairly elegant in its execution.

Creating space in between the touch panel and the display for mechanical hands, and the movement to drive those hands, means the watch is a little on the chunky side. It’s not quite as tall as a TicWatch Pro or the larger Samsung Galaxy Watch, but this is not a small watch by any means. But those watches have things this does not, like NFC and a heart rate monitor for fitness tracking. And because it’s packing a much older Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, we already know it’s not going to blow us away when it comes to performance and battery life. The compromises with this design are quite clear and quickly become difficult to swallow when matched with a $450 price tag.

That having been said, the unique things the LG Watch W7 can do are cool as hell. There’s a whole suite of what LG calls “Master Tools” which use the mechanical hands to spectacular effect. The compass app uses the hands to point North no matter where you are standing. The stopwatch and timer apps use the hands to physically count up or down. These may seem like small things, but out in direct sunlight where literally every smartwatch struggles to display something, you have access to this whole mess of apps that will always be super functional because the mechanical hands are so visible. And that’s pretty important for people who want their smartwatch to be a watch first and a smart accessory second. For the folks who see things the other way around, however, there’s a good chance you’re going to want to wait for the second generation of this idea.

LG V40 ThinQ review: Five cameras aimed straight at Samsung

Google Wear OS

• The best Wear OS smartwatches
• Discuss Android Wear in the forums!

UK Daily Deals: USB flash drives, Casper mattresses, 4K TVs and more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today on Kingston USB flash drives, Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Casper mattresses, Philips 4K UHD TVs, multi-device keyboards and much more!

View the rest of the deals

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

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

Best alternatives to Amazon Music Unlimited

It’s written right in my bio: if you see me without headphones, run. Through years of heavy usage of music apps and services of all kind, I’ve taken stock of the streaming music services available today. Amazon Music Unlimited is quite the capable music subscription, but if you find yourself wanting something more — or if you’re an Amazon subscriber looking for a replacement for the music locker Amazon is retiring — here are the streaming music subscriptions to look to instead.

Mix-and-match music

Google Play Music

Want to subscribe to a streaming music service without leaving your carefully cultivated personal library behind? Google Play Music lets you mix subscription music with purchased music from Google Play and up to 50,000 uploaded songs as you wish in a single, unified library. Google Play Music also comes with YouTube Music, meaning you get two music apps for the price of one!

$10/month at Google Play Music

Unrivaled selection

YouTube Music

Drawing on YouTube’s jaw-dropping selection, Google’s newest music app lets you mix official albums and music videos with fan covers, concert performances, remixes, and so much more. Your Mixtape leverages Google’s AI prowess to keep you rocking out all day and all night. There are still a few bugs being worked out, but it’s a worthwhile part of YouTube Premium.

$12/month at YouTube Premium

Algorithms, bundles & coolness

Spotify

Spotify’s student bundle is the best in media streaming today, and it’s hard to break away from the siren song of Spotify’s shuffles once that discount ends. Between its many exclusives, famous algorithms, the simple magic of Spotify Connect, and a recently upgraded offline policy, Spotify is a music service with a lot to love.

$10/month at Spotify

International love

Deezer

Availability matters and Deezer is available in more countries than any music subscription service in the world. Between a music catalog that’s 53 million songs and counting and a robust podcast and audiobook selection, Deezer keeps the music flowing in almost 200 countries.

$10/month at Deezer

Fidelity to high-fidelity music

Tidal

When it comes to quality music in a quality experience, Tidal offers 1411 kbps FLAC files on its HiFi plans, and a slick Android app to match. Tidal’s HiFi plans are more expensive than normal subscriptions, but its large selection of discounts — including a military discount — help soften the blow.

$20/month (HiFi) at Tidal

If you used Amazon’s music locker, Google Play Music is ready to welcome you with open arms. Mixing subscription, purchased, and uploaded music in one library, you can listen to just about anything on Google Play Music. If you can’t find it there, you’ll probably find it on its eventual successor, YouTube Music, which is included with Google Play Music and YouTube Premium subscriptions. Device-hoppers, give Spotify a look; Spotify Connect lets you bounce your current queue from phone to computer to Chromecast and beyond without losing your spot or throwing off your groove.

Has the NVIDIA Shield TV PRO been discontinued?

Best answer: According to the latest info straight from NVIDIA support, the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is indeed discontinued, but still available for sale from some U.S. retailers, including Amazon, until stock is depleted.

Amazon: NVIDIA Shield TV Pro ($299)

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is no longer in production

The rumors regarding the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro being discontinued can be traced back to the NVIDIA GeForce forums and had been discussed since the early months of 2018. We did not receive official word from NVIDIA one way or the other until late August when the topic was put to bed with a link to an NVIDIA support document, which stated that the Shield TV Pro (2017) had been discontinued, alongside the remote and vertical stand for the 2015 model.

The same document states that all Shield products will continue to be supported with regular software updates and full customer support.

NVIDIA is doubling down on the 16GB model

This news was somewhat surprising given there was no new Shield TV hardware announced by NVIDIA at CES 2018, and the Shield TV Pro had been marketed as the latest and greatest hardware release. But it would seem that the higher asking price of the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro turned off potential customers, given that NVIDIA has doubled down on the 16GB Shield TV by offering bundles that include a SmartThings Link dongle ($220) or a gaming controller ($195).

One issue that might have contributed to the death of the Shield TV Pro was some of the new features added when the NVIDIA Shield software was updated to Android 8.0 — in particular, the addition of proper support for external storage. With the new update, you’re able to connect and mitigate content from the internal storage to an external storage source such as a USB flash drive or external hard drive. This was a major sticking point for folks who were hoping to run a Plex Media Server on the 16GB Shield TV, and one of the main draws for spending more on the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro.

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is still worth getting of internal storage is an important factor

Having said that, not everyone is going to want to deal with external storage. You’re limited to a 256GB flash drive, which is half the storage size offered by the Shield TV Pro, and anybody who’s relied on an external hard drive knows that they, too, can lead to slower read speeds and other issues.

Given that NVIDIA still intends to support the Shield TV Pro with software updates and customer support even though they’ve stopped production, the only question is whether that extra internal storage is worth paying an extra $100.

Our pick

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro

$299 at Amazon

Get it while you still can!

If you know you’ll get good use out of that 500GB of internal storage and don’t want to muck about with an external USB storage device, the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is still a great product and worth buying… while you still can.

An alternative arrangement

Go non-pro

NVIDIA Shield TV

$179 at Amazon

Always in stock

With the Android 8.0 update, the 16GB NVIDIA Shield TV is now capable of offering full support for external storage for the purposes of setting up a Plex Media Server. You can save some money by buying the 16GB model and make up the storage space with a high-capacity USB flash drive.

Best value for extra storage

Sandisk Ultra Fit 128GB USB 3.0

$31 at Amazon

More space for media

This USB flash drive is insanely small — perfect for plugging into the back of your Shield without interfering with other USB accessories you might use — and a great value for a 128GB drive.

Switch between sitting and standing with Halter’s $120 elevating desktop

Take a stand or sit down.

Amazon has the popular Halter adjustable sit/stand elevating desk on sale for $119.99 today, a savings of $50 from its regular price. With just the squeeze of its handle, the gas spring can quickly and easily switch it between the two positions in just seconds. It comes pre-assembled, so all you have to do is take it out of the box and put it on your desk and start using it.

The sturdy riser can hold both a laptop and monitor, and the shelf under it is designed to hold your keyboard, mouse, and more. It’s backed by a full one-year warranty. You’ll want to consider grabbing this discounted anti-fatigue mat as well to relieve some pressure while standing for long periods of time. This is the lowest price it’s ever sold for, so be sure to grab one before it’s too late.

See at Amazon

Add Bluetooth to nearly any car with this $8 AmazonBasics kit

Go hands-free with this discounted Bluetooth kit.

The AmazonBasics Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit is on sale for only $7.89 right now which is an insane deal. It sometimes sells for as much as $30. In the past, when it’s dropped this low, it was an add-on item. This time around, there are no $25 requirements, if you want just this kit, you can order it right now without anything else!

You don’t need to replace your head unit or trade in your current car, all you need is this hands-free Bluetooth kit and a few minutes of time to install it. All you do is plug the power cable into the cigarette lighter socket and then the 3.5mm audio cable into the Aux input of your vehicle. Then simply pair your phone with the setup, and voila, you have Bluetooth to receive calls, listen to music and more.

See at Amazon

Deals: Save on the 2017 MacBook Pro and Shop Flash Sales With Belkin and RAVPower Chargers

B&H Photo has launched savings on Apple’s 2017 line of MacBook Pro models, both with and without the Touch Bar. A few of the MacBook Pros in the sale are seeing lowest-ever prices for both 13-inch and 15-inch models, and in general all are beating out rival prices from Best Buy, Adorama, and Amazon.

We’ve listed a few of the MacBook Pros on sale below, but be sure to visit B&H Photo to see the full collection. As a note, B&H Photo’s sale includes both Apple’s basic models and a few custom configurations.

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.

13-inch MacBook Pro

• Touch Bar, 3.1 GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,499.00, down from $1,799.00
• Touch Bar, 3.1 GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $1,549.00, down from $1,999.00
• No Touch Bar, 2.3 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,649.00, down from $1,849.00
• Touch Bar, 3.1 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $1,799.00, down from $2,199.00

15-inch MacBook Pro

• No Touch Bar, 2.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,899.00, down from $2,499.00
• Touch Bar, 2.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD – $1,999.00, down from $2,399.00
• Touch Bar, 2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $2,099.00, down from $2,799.00
• Touch Bar, 3.1 GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD – $2,699.00, down from $3,399.00

In other sales, Best Buy today has a one-day sale on a few of Belkin’s chargers, including the USB-C to USB-A cable for $8.99, down from $29.99. The retailer is also offering Belkin’s universal vehicle charger for the same price, $8.99, down from $29.99.

Amazon also has a notable flash sale today, offering shoppers a chance to save on a few of RAVPower’s charging devices. Those interested can get the USB-C Wall Charger — which has five USB-A ports for fast simultaneous device charging — for $20.99, down from $29.99.

Over on Tile, the Bluetooth tracking company this week debuted new devices, and is now offering some sales on each of its new products. Shoppers can get the Tile Pro 2-pack for $60, down from $70; the Tile Mate 4-pack for $60, down from $100; and the

Tile Combo Pack for $70, down from $110.

Check out our full Deals Roundup for information on other sales happening this week, including savings on Apple’s iPhone X silicone cases, BeatsX, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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PSA: HomePod Launches in Spain and Mexico on October 26

For those who may have missed the news, Apple has confirmed the HomePod launches in Spain and Mexico on Friday, October 26.

Apple actually made the announcement last month, but it was buried in a footnote of a press release on the day of its iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 event, so the news did not make many headlines at the time.

HomePod will be available in Space Gray or White for €349 in Spain and 7,999 pesos in Mexico, according to Apple’s online store.

A recent HomePod software update added support for Spanish in Spain, Mexico, and the United States, enabling Siri to communicate in that language. Siri also gained the ability to search by lyrics, set multiple timers, make phone calls, and more.

Spanish users will be able to receive the latest headlines, entertainment news, and sports updates directly on the HomePod, with Univision Noticias, ESPN Deportes, Telemundo Entretenimiento, and other sources now available.

HomePod will be available to purchase from Apple.com, Apple Stores, and select authorized resellers in Spain and Mexico.

The smart speaker first launched in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom in February, followed by availability in Canada, France, and Germany in June. Apple has yet to detail availability in other countries.

Related Roundup: HomePodTags: Spain, MexicoBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Neutral)
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