Google Assistant gets a touchy-feely makeover, adds voice purchasing

We’ve seen some of Google’s preinstalled Android apps get significant design changes over the last few months — and it looks like it’s finally Google Assistant‘s turn to go under the knife. Starting October 3, Google is rolling out an update for Google Assistant on iOS and Android that will change the look of the Assistant’s UI, and make it easier to use.

Google says it’s noticed a lot of people use a combination of touch and voice input when using the Google Assistant, and often switch between the two during normal use. As such, it’s made being able to easily swap back and forth between inputs a central element of the Assistant’s redesign.

Options are key. Ask the Google Assistant a question, and while it’ll still give you an answer out loud, it’ll also offer a large card with options to tap, links for more information, or sliders to mess with. It’s a blending of touch and voice, and the new style borrows more than a little from the large cards of Google Now.

Changes to how voice-led text messages work are particularly welcome, and users will now find it easier to edit a message before it’s sent. Bigger visuals also mean it’s easier to get the information you need at a glance, and commands that center on smart home devices will often bring up a slider, allowing users to fine-tune their smart lighting’s brightness, or alter the volume of their streaming music.

Checking on your day will also be easier than ever before, and Android users will be able to simply swipe up on their Assistant’s home page to get personalized information and actions based on location and time of day.

Certain apps will also be able to show unique content, such as preview gifs of workouts on Fitstar, or larger images of recipes from Food Network. Developers will be able to take these “Actions” even further too, and users will be able to complete in-app purchases through these cards. For instance, Starbucks will offer recommended items, and Headspace users will be able to purchase a subscription using nothing but their voice. Google hopes this process will streamline purchases for apps, as it will allow users to simply use their Google accounts to sign up — rather than going through the lengthy process of making a new account with the app.

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The best microSD cards for your Amazon Fire tablet

The Amazon Fire Tablet is a great investment, but it can run out of storage space pretty fast. That means it’s time for a microSD card.

Whether you have a Fire Tablet for yourself or your kids, you’ve probably noticed that the internal storage doesn’t go very far. You can easily fill it up with some games, a few apps, and media, which is a bit disappointing. Instead of trying to figure out what to delete, and how to micro-manage the storage, why not make things easier and add a 64GB SanDisk microSD card so it can hold more?

Cheap and cheerful

Samsung 32GB Evo Plus microSD

This high-performance card offers transfer speeds of up to 80MB/s, and they’re built to last. These cards are water-, temperature-, magnetic-, and even X-ray-proof. At under $15, that’s hard to beat.

$14 at Amazon

Our top brand name pick

SanDisk 64GB microSD

With 64GB of extra storage, you’ll easily be able to install a ton of new apps, save music and movies locally to access whenever you want, and much more. It’s hard to find a much better value than this microSD card.

$21 at Amazon

A budget beauty

Silicon Power 64GB microSD

Silicon Power’s 64GB microSD offers speeds you’d expect out of a memory card for this price, with nothing crazy that makes it stand out. It can work in a variety of devices and comes with a lifetime warranty, so you shouldn’t have to worry much about it.

$12 at Amazon

All-in-one

PNY Elite 128GB microSD

PNY makes a variety of different sizes at different price points, and the 128GB sits at a pretty sweet spot. For $40, you can load tons of movies, endless amounts of apps and pictures, and almost never have to worry about filling it up. It also comes with a free OTG reader for your phone and computer.

$40 at Amazon

The Big Kahuna

SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSD

200GB is the largest capacity that the Fire Tablet is meant to use, and if you tend to burn through storage with tons of local music, movies, and offline videos, this is a nice option to have.

$44 at Amazon

There are plenty of storage sizes to fit your Fire Tablet’s needs, but I think that SanDisk’s 64GB card is the best of all worlds. It offers plenty of storage space, incredible speed, and comes at a great price. Happy storing!

One thing Amazon absolutely fixed with the new Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote

The previous Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote was lacking any sort of volume or power controls. The new Alexa Voice Remote rectifies that.

Wherein we commend Amazon for doing what we wanted it to do months ago.

You had to know it was coming. The only real question is why it took so long.

Amazon has announced a new Fire TV Voice Remote. And unlike every other remote control it’s released until now (OK, that’s really just a couple versions of the same old thing), it’s mostly been missing the actual “TV” part of the equation.

That includes the remote control included with this year’s Amazon Fire TV Cube. The most advanced Fire TV box yet — with Alexa built in via a speaker and microphones — requires you to either use your voice to control volume levels, or to reach for a second remote.

Neither one of those options is good, as I wrote back in June:

Now we have a device in the Fire TV Cube that can do proper CEC control of pretty much anything physically connected via HDMI. It can turn the TV off an on by itself. It can adjust input. And adjust volume.

But you have to use your voice to do it. Not everyone wants to do that. Not everyone can do that. And, frankly, when you’re in the middle of watching a movie, shouting commands (and then waiting for Alexa to execute them) is pretty much the last thing you should be doing. It kills the moment. It kills the mood. And it’s solving a problem that we didn’t really have in the first place. Volume buttons are a must on the remote control of any device that can do CEC. Apple gets that. Roku gets that. Android TV gets that.

Amazon needs to fix that.

Yes, Amazon needed to fix that. And now it has fixed that. And the good news is that the new Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote will ship with its current Fire TV lineup starting Oct. 31.

How’s it done this? Basically by just cramming an infrared emitter into the remote control. You’ll now find buttons to control power, volume up and volume down, and a mute button. No more second remote controls. No more clip-on additions that do the same thing. (Sorry to all those companies, I suppose.)

The new Fire TV Voice Remote is also compatible with a few (but not all) Fire TV devices. That includes the $39 previous-generation Fire TV Stick, the $119 Fire TV Cube, and the $69 Fire TV Gen. 3 — the one shaped like a pendant. If you have an older Fire TV device, you’ll want to update. (And of course if you’re updating to a new Fire TV model, you’ll get the new remote.) The remote is available for $29.99. It’d be nice if Amazon just fired one off to everyone who bought, say, a Fire TV device in the last month. (Or at least everyone who bought a Fire TV Cube.) But that’s maybe a stretch too far.

Either way, Amazon has fixed things. That is good. It just took too damn long.

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Save 50% on the TorGuard VPN and browse in peace… for life

Pay a little extra for privacy and security.

Use the code THRIFTERDEALS to take 50% off any of the Anonymous VPN services offered by TorGuard. This deal brings the price down to $4.99 for the monthly service or $29.99 for a year. Anonymous VPN is a subscription service, but you will continue to get the discounted price every time it renews until you end it. That’s pretty awesome because it means 50% off for life if you want.

TorGuard is a virtual private network. The internet at large is a really public space, and a lot of times that means your data is being passed around when you don’t even know about it. VPNs turn your internet experience into a private one so you can protect yourself and not worry about who is collecting or using your information. No matter which plan you choose, TorGuard services will include access to more than 3,000 servers in 50 countries, up to five simultaneous connections, perfect forward security, advertisement and malware blocking, protection against known leaks, support for all operating systems and devices, and more. You can even add on extras like protection from DDoS attacks.

Even if you aren’t generally worried about privacy, which you should be, there are a lot of general use reasons to subscribe to a VPN service. For example, if you play video games or stream online, you can use a VPN to protect your IP address from online trolls. Since VPNs can access servers in multiple countries, you can use them to view content that would not normally be available to you, like YouTube videos or European Netflix. It also keeps ads from targeting you based on your shopping habits and things like that, which can be very disconcerting.

You can try a month of the TorGuard VPN for as little as $5 with the THRIFTERDEALS promo code, and if you like it upgrade the service or keep it at the discounted price. For that low of a cost, it’s worth a shot.

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Trade in an old device and get $20 off a new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Move on from standard and boring.

Trade in whatever media streaming player you own and once it’s received, Amazon will take $20 off the cost of a new Fire TV Stick 4K when you go to checkout. The Fire TV Stick 4K is a brand new product Amazon just released, and it comes with an all new Alexa remote, too.

You can also use this trade-in program to bring the relatively new Fire TV Cube down to $84.99, which is a $35 discount. The Fire TV Cube will also include Amazon’s new Alexa remote.

So the way this works is you trade in any Roku, Apple or Google streaming device and Amazon will give you up to $2.99 as an Amazon gift card. This works with pretty much any device, whether it’s an old Roku streaming stick or Google Chromecast Ultra. Once your trade-in is accepted by Amazon, add a Fire TV Stick 4K to your cart and the bonus savings of $20 will be taken out automatically during checkout.

Sending in the device is easy, too. Pick the device you want to trade in from Amazon’s list, answer a question about the condition of the device, and then print the shipping label Amazon creates for you. You have seven days from when you submit the trade-in to mail it to Amazon.

There are other ways to save on Amazon’s new device, too. Check out all the great bundles that includes devices like the 3rd-generation Echo Dot, the Fire TV Recast and more.

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Best Alternatives to the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that doubles as a smartwatch, there are plenty of options other than the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro. In fact, there are probably many better options available to you, some of them for even less. For example, the Fitbit Versa is Fitbit’s latest smartwatch/tracker and features tons of apps and Fitbit’s excellent tracking capabilities.

Our pick

Fitbit Versa

The Fitbit Versa is a great-looking, fitness-focused smartwatch that features all the awesomeness of a Fitbit tracker plus great third-party apps to round out the smartwatch experience. It comes in great colors, there are a ton of stylish band options, and it’s swimproof!

$200 at Fitbit

Samsung upgrade

Samsung Gear S3

If you like Samsung fitness tracking but want even more smarts, then the next best thing is the Gear S3 — Samsung’s full-fledged smartwatch. It knows when you’re out for a run or walk and will automatically start counting your steps, and there’s even an LTE model, so you don’t need your phone on you to make calls.

$250 – $350 at Amazon

Accurate tracking

Garmin Vivosport

The Vivosport is Garmin’s answer to the Geart Fit2 Pro, with swimproofing, built-in GPS, smart notifications, music playback control, and much more. Garmin’s trackers are meant for the rugged life, with well-made, durable wrist bands, and tracking for strength training and cardio, as well as cycling and “Intensity Minutes”.

$170 at Amazon

Budget pick

Xiaomi Mi Band 2

There is not better fitness tracker for under $50. The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 tracks steps, sleep, distance, pace, calories burned, and active minutes, and it even features call, text, and social media notifications (like Facebook), including caller ID. While not swimproof, the Mi Band 2 has an IP67, making it impervious to sweat. Plus, the battery life is unreal — my wife went five weeks on a single charge, and that’s with daily wear.

$27 at Amazon

Next best Fitbit

Fitbit Charge 2

If you don’t need an outright smartwatch like the Versa, then the Charge 2 is the best you can get. In fact, it’s the best fitness tracker for most people (until we review the Charge 3, of course). It features Fitbit’s accurate heart rate monitor, smart notifications, guided breathing sessions, and lots more. That being said, you might want to wait for the Charge 3, which is only $20 more.

$130 at Best Buy

Next best Garmin

Garmin Vivosmart 4

If Garmin’s $170 Vivosport is a bit pricey for you, then check out the Vivosmart 4. Aside from built-in GPS, it has the same feature set, including heart rate monitor, and it even has something the Vivosport doesn’t — the Pulse Ox sensor. Pulse Ox estimate blood oxygen saturation while you sleep and can spot-check during the day. Stress tracking is also included, and it can even tell you when you’re at your most energetic.

$130 at Amazon

If you’re interested in a fitness tracker with some features, there are alternatives, nay, better options that the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro, and for the price, the Fitbit Versa is your best bet, with a suite of smart features and excellent fitness tracking at its core.

The Amazon Fire TV 4K Pendant is no more

The Amazon Fire TV 4K (aka the Amazon Fire TV pendant or Amazon Fire TV Gen. 3) is now out of production and won’t be replenished, Amazon tells us.

It was a cool design while it lasted.

Amazon has confirmed to CordCutters.com that the 2017 model of the Fire TV — also known as the Fire TV Gen. 3, or the Fire TV 4K, or the Fire TV pendant — has reached end-of-life status. No more are being produced, and Amazon doesn’t plan on making any more.

Indeed, when you visit the product page for the Fire TV Gen. 3, it recommends you buy a new $49 Fire TV Stick 4K instead.

It’s easy to look at the two devices and think that this is a step down — $30 difference, less RAM, etc. — but the new Fire TV Stick has a huge leg up in that it supports Dolby Vision for HDR, and it’s the first Amazon Fire TV device to do so.

So let’s pour one out for the Fire TV pendant, but let’s herald the coming of the Fire Stick 4K.

Amazon Fire TV

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Which smart speakers work with Amazon Music Unlimited?

Best answer: Amazon Music Unlimited is supported on all Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, as well as certain third-party speakers from Sonos, Bose, HEOS, Bluesound, and Play-Fi.

Amazon: Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) ($150)

Alexa-enabled speakers are your best option for Amazon Music Unlimited

Amazon Music Unlimited is a subscription service that gives you access to tens of millions of songs, as well as playlists and personalized “radio” stations. Of course, your best option for listening to your Amazon Music Unlimited is on an Alexa-enabled smart speaker.

Your best option for Alexa-enabled speakers is the Amazon Echo line, which includes the Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, Dot, and Tap, as well as the Spot, Show, and Dot Kids Edition. All of these speakers have Alexa functionality built right in, and all you have to say is “Alexa, play me some music,” and so long as you have a Music Unlimited, your speaker will start playing tunes.

You can also ask Alexa to play specific artists, songs, albums, or genres, and having an Alexa-enabled speaker is the best way to do that seamlessly. You could just listen on your phone and broadcast it to any old speaker via Bluetooth, but to get the full experience, you’ll want an Alexa-enabled speaker.

Best third-party Amazon Music-enabled speakers

Amazon has a specific list of supported devices that are guaranteed to work with Amazon Music Unlimited. If you want a third-party option, you’ll have to pick from this list:

• Sonos
• Bose SoundTouch
• HEOS
• Bluesound
• Play-Fi

Our pick

Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen)

$150 at Amazon

The latest Echo Plus is a powerhouse.

With an improved speaker and the ability to make a stereo pair with the Echo Sub, the 2nd Gen Echo Plus is the best of the Echo bunch, and it’s even less expensive than the original Echo was at launch. You can ask Alexa to play all of your favorite tunes from your Amazon Music Unlimited library, and get her to turn up the heat and turn off the lights while you’re at it.

Transform your home with the $100 SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

See what your home is sensing.

The Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit is on sale for $99.99 on Amazon. This kit normally sells for around $200 and sometimes drops to $150. This sale for $100 is the best we have ever seen and was only matched once before – on Amazon’s Prime Day back in July.

This kit includes the SmartThings Hub, but it is worth noting there’s a newer generation of the Hub available now. The 2nd generation is one of the all-time great smart home hubs, though, so you won’t miss the upgrade too much. The kit also comes with two Multipurpose Sensors, a Motion Sensor and an outlet so you can connect wirelessly with a range of smart devices and have them work together seamlessly. Combine all these things together to keep a close eye on your home, get notifications on your phone, and keep everything under control.

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Here are the PlayStation VR games we want to play

There is a lot to be excited about this year. Here are some of our favorites

Out of all the amazing VR technology out there, in terms of adoption, the PlayStation VR reigns supreme. With an incredibly low entry price the PSVR is an excellent way to get into room scale VR. After all, you only need a PS4 or PS4 Pro to play and there a lot of people with those already.

Every month there is something new for the PlayStation VR, and this year we have already seen some amazing games come to the platform. Here’s a list of games we’re excited for that are coming soon!

More: PS4 Slim vs PS4 Pro

Blood and Truth

Blood and Truth is one of the most exciting releases on PlayStation VR. It takes everything we want in video games, fast-paced action, puzzles, and a storyline, and puts you into the game in VR.

Based in London, UK, you can expect a dark, gritty game full of swearing and very bad accents, as we join in the adventures of an ex-soldier in a revenge story as old as time. I can’t wait.

Beat Saber

If you have been interested in VR at all over the last year, you will have seen Beat Saber everywhere. A mix of Guitar Hero style beat games and straight up Jedi lightsaber action, this game is, on paper, awesome personified.

While we still don’t have a release date for the PlayStation VR version, there is a lot of coverage of the game over at Windows Central for you to check out and get jazzed up with. This feels like a game I could spend a lot of time with to get fit.

More: Everything we know about Beat Saber

Golem

There is currently a lot of mystery around Golem. First seen several years ago, this fascinating puzzle/action game has been delayed more times than I would wish.

I am still holding out hope though that Golem will arrive on the PlayStation VR sooner rather than later and we can enjoy some giant magic robot fighting!

Megalith

Speaking of giant things fighting, there’s a game called Megalith coming to PSVR where, you guessed it, you get to be a giant thing fighting other giant things.

The premise of Megalith seems simple enough. You are a Titan trying to kill other Titans for the prize of becoming a god. It sounds like a lot of fun, and the art style makes me even more excited to play it.

Dreams

Finally, we have the weird and wonderful Dreams for PlayStation VR. We don’t have a release date or much to go other than a cryptic launch video and a few hands-on accounts, but Dreams looks to be one of the more unique games to come to VR.

It appears to be a mix of platformer, 3D designer, and video game designer all rolled into one for you to create anything and everything you could want. I love the idea that you will be able to make your own games inside a VR world and I;m looking forward to seeing what the amazing creators out there come up with.

What about you?

What are you most excited for on the list of upcoming games for the PlayStation VR? Let me know in the comments, and while you are there tell me what you are enjoying on PSVR right now.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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