iPhone XR Receives FCC Approval Ahead of October 19 Pre-Orders

Apple received approval from the FCC today to sell the iPhone XR in the United States, ahead of pre-orders next month.

Apple can now remove the following fine print from the iPhone XR product page on its website, although it has yet to do so:

iPhone XR has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. iPhone XR is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

iPhone XR pre-orders begin Friday, October 19, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability starting a week later, on Friday, October 26. The colorful device starts at $749 in the United States.

With a $250 lower price point, the iPhone XR doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. Some of the trade-offs include an LCD rather than OLED display, an aluminum instead of stainless steel frame, and a single rather than dual rear camera. Read our full comparison.

Nevertheless, the iPhone XR has the same A12 Bionic chip as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, and its advertised battery life is longer than both of those devices. It also has a nearly edge-to-edge display with a notch, Face ID, a glass back, wireless charging, Portrait Mode with Depth Control, and Smart HDR.

Given its many similarities to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, priced from $999 and $1,099 respectively, many tech reviewers have suggested waiting for the less-expensive iPhone XR. Orders begin in three weeks.

As far as FCC approval is concerned, it is a routine step before the launch of any new iPhone, as Apple waits until the last minute to receive approval from the necessary regulatory agencies, presumably to avoid leaks.

Related Roundup: iPhone XRTag: FCCBuyer’s Guide: iPhone XR (Caution)
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Cardiogram Partners With Life Insurance Company to Offer Apple Watch Owners No-Cost $1,000 Accidental Death Plans

Apple Watch app Cardiogram, which is designed to provide you with more information on the heart rate readings obtained from the Apple Watch, is teaming up with Greenhouse Life Insurance Company and Amica Life to offer up to $1,000 worth of accidental death insurance to Apple Watch owners.

Cardiogram users can get the deal starting today through the Cardiogram app for iOS. The offer is available in Wisconsin, Arizona, Indiana, and Georgia, and will be expanding to other states in the future.

Greenhouse Life Insurance Company, launched from RGA, and Amica Life are the latest insurance companies to embrace the Apple Watch. Health and life insurance providers have been increasingly incorporating data from wearable devices into their plans to encourage preventative care.

Companies like John Hancock and Aetna, for example, provide discounted Apple Watch devices to their customers, encouraging them to be more active to improve health.

“Ultimately, life insurers save dollars by saving lives,” said Brandon Ballinger, co-founder of Cardiogram. In multiple clinical studies, Cardiogram has validated the accuracy of its artificial intelligence-based algorithm, DeepHeart, to detect multiple chronic conditions – including hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes and atrial fibrillation – using the heart rate sensor on consumer wearables. “This launch is a step toward using wearables to improve health. One of the first challenges we faced was to distill the complex world of life insurance into a simple set of screens that ordinary people can understand on their phones.”

The Cardiogram accidental death insurance plan provides coverage in the case of a fatal accident. It is not as comprehensive as full coverage life insurance, but it does not require a medical examination. Customers who opt into a free $1,000 plan have the option to upgrade to $100,000 to $500,000 worth of coverage for $9 to $41 per month.

In addition to the Apple Watch, the program is also available for all devices that support Cardiogram, which includes accessories from Garmin and those that run WearOS from Google.

Cardiogram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Cardiogram
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Apple Updates Logic Pro X and MainStage 3 With New Features

Apple today updated Logic Pro X, its software designed for professional audio editing. Version 10.4.2 of Logic Pro X introduces several useful new tweaks and updates to Logic Pro X features.

Users can now relocate the Sound Library to an external storage device if desired, and Smart Tempo is able to analyze tempo data across multi-track recordings to define a Project Tempo. Smart Tempo also now analyzes the tempo of MIDI performances recorded without a metronome, and a new mixer mode lets channels strip fader and pan controls.

A full list of everything that’s new in the Logic Pro X update is below:

– The Sound Library can be relocated to an external storage device
– Smart Tempo can analyze tempo data across multi-track recordings to define the Project Tempo
– Imported multi-track stems can follow or define Project Tempo
– Smart Tempo now analyzes the tempo of MIDI performances recorded without a metronome
– Alchemy provides drag and drop hot zones that let you select re-synthesis and sampling options while importing audio
– Alchemy allows numerical editing of parameter values
– Dragging one automation point over another now aligns them vertically
– New mixer mode allows channel strip fader and pan controls to be used to set send level and pan
– Automatic Slurs can be applied to selected notes in the Score Editor
– Add a photo to track or project notes to help remember key session details or studio hardware settings
– This update also contains numerous stability and performance improvements

Apple has also updated MainStage 3, which accompanies Logic Pro X and is designed to turn the Mac into a live rig. A long list of new features have been added to MainStage, as outlined in the release notes listed below:

General
– Channel Strip MIDI input inspector allows any MIDI CC data to be filtered, transformed or passed through
– Text notes can be added to the bottom of channel strips
– The Metronome is now fully configurable, with separate settings for Bar, Group, Beat, and Division
– This update also contains numerous stability and performance improvements

Sound Library
– The Sound Library can be relocated to an external storage device
– 2 vintage brush kits for Drum Kit Designer
– More than 800 new loops in a variety of instruments and genres
– New Visions library for Alchemy adds 150 cinematic presets

Plug-Ins
– ChromaVerb is a sophisticated new algorithmic reverb with a colorful, interactive interface for creating rich acoustic spaces
– Space Designer offers a new design and a scalable, Retina interface
– Step FX adds rhythmic multi-effect processing using 3 powerful step sequencers and an X/Y pad
– Phat FX makes your tracks bigger and bolder using 9 effects that add warmth and punch to your sounds
– The Vintage EQ Collection provides 3 accurate models of vintage analog EQs from the 1950s to the 1970s
– Studio Strings and Studio Horns are deeply sampled, realistic ensemble instruments with custom articulation controls
– Mellotron is now available as a standalone instrument plug-in
– Retro Synth now offers 18 different filter models
– The length of individual steps in the Arpeggiator plug-in are adjustable
– Loopback now applies a small crossfade at each loop cycle to reduce the likelihood of clicks or other audio artifacts

Alchemy
– Alchemy provides drag and drop hot zones that let you select re-synthesis and sampling options while importing audio
– Alchemy allows numerical editing of parameter values
– Alchemy adds 12 new synthesized formant filter shapes
– Alchemy now offers a side chain input that can be used as a source for envelope followers
– Alchemy includes an automatic time align feature for improved morphing
– New additive effects in Alchemy expand the options for filtering and modulating sound

Logic Pro X can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $199.99. [Direct Link]

MainStage 3 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $29.99. [Direct Link]
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How to make calls on the HomePod

If you have a HomePod and an iPhone, we have good news: You can now make calls from the HomePod, too. Apple has recently equipped the HomePod and Siri with all they need to turn the HomePod into a phone speaker whenever you want. Interested? Here’s how to make, take, and transfer calls with your HomePod.

Prep steps

Step 1: Before you begin, update your iPhone and your HomePod. Your HomePod will typically install software updates automatically, but you can open up the Home app to make sure. Tap the round Home icon in the upper left corner and select Software Update to check. When any updates have been applied, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 2: Double check to make sure your iPhone is on the same Apple account and wireless network as your Homepod.

Step 3: Head to your iPhone and go to Settings. Look for Siri & Search, and make sure the options for Listen for Hey Siri and Press Home for Siri are turned on (or just one of them, depending on how you prefer to use Siri). Then open up the Home app, go to your HomePod Settings, and make sure the same options are turned on there.

Step 4: While you are in the Home app and working on HomePod settings, look for the feature that says Personal Requests, under the Siri on HomePod label. Make sure that Personal Requests is turned on, this guarantees that Siri can handle the job.

Calling someone

Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is reasonably close by and turned on.

Step 2: Say, “Hey Siri, call [person’s name]. This needs to be the right name for a contact that your iPhone can recognize, which is something to consider if you like giving people cute nicknames in your contacts list. Also keep in mind that the full name is best, since you might have someone else with the same first name in your contacts.

Step 3: Talk! When finished, you can say, “Hey Siri, hang up” or words to that effect, and the call will end.

Someone is calling you

Step 1: Get within speaking range of your HomePod and say, “Hey Siri, answer my phone.”

Step 2: Talk! When you are done with the conversation, you can say, “Hey Siri, hang up.”

Step 3: Did you not make it to the HomePod in time? You can also say, “Hey Siri, who just called?” to get more information about the caller without having to take out your phone.

Transferring to HomePod in the middle of a call

Step 1: Tap the audio button on your phone. It looks like a speaker and a Bluetooth signal together. A list of available, wirelessly connected devices will pop up on the bottom of your iPhone. Look for the name of your HomePod and select it.

Step 2: Watch for a green light on your HomePod. When the green light comes on, the call has been connected and you can resume it.

Note: For all of these methods, you can still use your iPhone to control the conversation when necessary. Tapping the mute button, for example, will mute on the conversation on the HomePod as well. This is why it’s a good idea to keep your phone close at hand!

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9 of the most unusual wellness wearable devices

Packed with everything from an FDA-cleared EKG reader to an assortment of smart fitness tracking tools, the Apple Watch Series 4 is currently the toast of the health-conscious wearables world.

But there are plenty of other, more experimental wellness wearables out there — able to do everything from take blood to monitoring how much UV light we soak up. Here are some of the most intriguing.

A Fitbit for alcohol

Did you recently find yourself in front of your computer at some ungodly hour, maxing out your credit card buying multiples of every new Apple device. There are two possible options: Either you’re a massive fan with a whole lot of disposable income or you were very drunk. If it’s the latter, you might want the join the line for alcohol-monitoring wearable created by Milo Sensors.

Called Proof, it’s a wearable device that will tell you when you’ve had too much to drink — like a Fitbit that tells you to ease up on the booze. It does this by tracking the alcohol molecules present in the skin. While it’s not available to buy just yet, according to its creators it will be capable of measuring intoxication levels far more rapidly than a regular breathalyzer.

A blood-sipping wearable

No, it’s not some kind of medieval monastic device to remind you about human suffering. Instead, this eMosquito wearable pierces your skin at regular intervals to take and analyze blood samples.

Created by researchers at Canada’s University of Calgary, it’s intended as a wearable for diabetes sufferers — which will mean the wearer no longer has to stop and think about pricking their finger for a blood sample. It’s still a work in progress, but in the future the team hopes it might also prove valuable for carrying out other tests, too, such as genetic testing or cancer screening.

An anti-UV smart wearable

If you’re the kind of rugged individuals who prefers their smart, health-tracking wearable to come in the form a tattoo instead of a smartwatch, the folks at San Francisco-based LogicInk have you covered. They have developed a smart temporary tattoo, worn on the skin, which changes color as it’s exposed to sunlight.

The tattoo features a design consisting of three concentric rings, created from proprietary inks, which gradually transitions from white to purple. When all three have gone purple, wearers know they’ve reached their daily UV limit.

A tattoo that monitors your insides

LogicInk aren’t the only people making smart health-tracking wearables in the form of tattoos. Researchers at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed Dermal Abyss, a system of biosensitive inks which change color with changes in the body.

These inks can effectively measure the concentration of glucose, sodium, and pH in the skin’s interstitial fluid, which surrounds cells. The idea of tattoos to measure internal health is still at a relatively early stage, but it could be an immensely helpful (and non-invasive) way of offering up early warnings signs about changes in a person’s health.

Helping people avoid falls

The new Apple Watch is capable of telling when a person has fallen down and calling for help. But a wearable device created by researchers at Spain’s Universitat Politècnica de València aims to make sure that they don’t fall down to begin with. Called FallSkip, it’s a custom smart waistband which works in conjunction with a mobile app.

By analyzing a person’s balance and gait patterns, coordination, reaction time, and muscle strength using an in-built accelerometer and gyroscope, it awards a score indicating a person’s chances of falling in the near future. The team hopes that the wearable will one day be a standard tool in every physician’s clinic to help optimize care for the growing elderly population.

Aiding people with autism

Stanford

Unlike some of the other projects on this list, this one isn’t so much a new wearable device as it is a new medical application for an existing one — in this case, Google’s ill-fated Google Glass. At Stanford University, researchers have been investigating ways that Google’s headset could be used by people with autism to identify the expression displayed by the people they are interacting with.

This is something that those on the autistic spectrum can have particular difficulty with. It’s not meant to be used in all social situations, but rather as a training tool at home, with users matching up emojis to acted-out emotions on the part of a parent or caregiver. It can also help to promote eye contact.

A pollution-tracking device

Whether it’s keeping track of how many steps we take or monitoring our heart rate, today’s mainstream wearables can monitor plenty of information about ourselves. But what about the world around us? An intriguing device called the PocketLab Air promises to keep everyone informed about the levels of carbon dioxide and ozone, particulate matter, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, altitude, dew point, heat index, and light intensity in their area.

This can then be shared to create a crowdsourced information map, potentially prompting changes in our individual behavior (where we go), but also bigger changes — like collecting the data that could show schools that they might consider creating a “no-idling zone” to protect the health of their students. Strictly speaking, this is more of a “carryable” than a wearable, but we’re counting it since the whole idea is that you take it with you wherever you go!

Editors’ Recommendations

• Fitbit’s new health care platform sets out to improve wellness in the workplace
• Qualcomm may finally reveal a new wearable chipset on September 10
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• Fitbit Charge 3: Everything you need to know
• Fitbit Charge 3 vs. Fitbit Versa: Which one should you choose?

How to fast charge your iPhone

The arrival of the new iPhones means there has never been a better time to grab yourself a slice of Apple’s pie, whether you’re looking to grab one of the newest iPhones around or take advantage of the lowered prices for older iPhone models.

But while Apple’s specs and iOS 12 ensure that your day-to-day performance will be silky smooth, there are parts of the experience that won’t be as fast as you’d expect. Apple’s iPhones have supported fast charging for a while now, but unlike many Android counterparts, Apple has never included a fast charger with an iPhone. Unfortunately, getting your hands on a fast charger for your iPhone 8 or above does require you to spend a bit more cash.

But there are a lot of chargers out there, and it might not be clear which one you should grab to charge your iPhone super-fast. Don’t worry, we’ve done the legwork and the research to find out. Here’s how you can fast charge your iPhone, from the 8 to the XS Max.

What is fast charging and why can’t my charger do it?

We’ve written a comprehensive guide to fast charging, but suffice it to say here that fast charging allows for power to be transmitted to your iPhone’s battery faster than would be possible with a slower charger or from your computer or laptop. However, while the phone is able to regulate the amount of charge that it receives, it needs to have a charger that can send it enough power.

How much faster is fast charging? Apple claims that fast charging will refill up to 50 percent of your iPhone’s battery in just 30 minutes. Charging speeds that fast mean you can say goodbye to overnight charging entirely.

But, the 5W charger that comes with most Apple iPhones is not able to fast charge. It’s able to supply power fast enough to recharge an iPhone eventually, but it’s not able to transmit charge fast enough to charge up anything larger, like an iPad.

Most iPads come with a 12W charging block instead. If you own an iPad you can use one of these to soup up your iPhone’s charging rate — there’s no harm in doing so, and it won’t harm your phone in any way, since the phone will never take more charge than it can handle. However, Apple’s iPhones from the iPhone 8 onwards are capable of an even faster rate of charging, and getting that speed requires an even stronger charger.

Apple’s official fast charger

While Apple doesn’t supply a fast charger with any of its iPhones, it does recommend a way for you to get access to fast charging easily by purchasing a new cable and charger for your device. This is far from the least expensive option, but if you’re happy to spend the money to get your charger straight from Apple, here’s what you need.

The cable

Unfortunately, the cable you received with your iPhone won’t cut it for fast charging. Apple’s fast charging system uses USB-C — the advanced version of USB that’s now used in many Android phones. USB-C is capable of transmitting power faster than older USB standards, and fast charging on iPhones requires a USB-C to Lightning cable.

Apple offers an official Apple USB-C to Lightning cable for $19, and getting your hands on one is as simple as popping into your nearest Apple Store or ordering from Apple’s online store.

Buy it now from:

Apple

The power adapter

Like the official cable, the charger needs to be something a little special, too. It’s a 30W adapter with a USB-C port, rather than the usual USB-A port.

Happily, some of you might already have one of these knocking around — and that’s because it’s part of the charger that comes with many of Apple’s MacBooks. Most MacBooks made from 2015 and later use USB-C compatible charging blocks, and you can use one of these to fast charge your iPhone.

If you’re rocking a MacBook Pro, then you might have a charger that’s even more powerful than the 29W or 30W varieties, but Apple has confirmed that even the 61W and 87W versions are safe to use with your iPhone 8 or newer phone. Remember, the amount of power being drawn is regulated by your phone, so it will never draw more than it can handle — the charger can’t force your phone to accept a wattage it can’t handle.

If you don’t already have one of these adapters lying around, then picking them up is fairly easy. Like the cable, head over to your nearest Apple Store or head online and find the 30W USB-C Power Adapter for $49.

Please note: If you are buying an adapter just for iPhone fast charging, don’t buy an adapter stronger than 30W. iPhones can only take charge up to 30W, so a more powerful charger would just cost more money and not offer any extra benefit.

Buy it now from:

Apple

The cheaper options

As you might have noticed, Apple’s fast charging package comes in at the princely sum of $68. While iPhones aren’t exactly budget devices themselves, that’s still a hefty amount of dollar. Thankfully, Apple doesn’t hold a monopoly where iPhone fast charging is concerned, and you can get cheaper options from elsewhere that will do much the same job at a much lower price.

Please note: We haven’t tested the below products, so use at your own risk.

You might struggle to find a reliable USB-C to Lightning cable for much less than Apple’s asking price, but it’s the charging adapter where you’ll find the biggest savings. You can grab anything with a USB-C port and enough power, but make sure it supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) and stick to reputable brands.

A good choice is this 30W USB-C wall charger. It costs just $26, saving you $23, is well reviewed and comes from Anker, a reputable accessory company. You should be fairly secure using this as your iPhone’s fast charger, and it will work perfectly with Apple’s cable.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

If you really need to avoid buying Apple’s cable for whatever reason, there are alternatives. Aukey’s USB-C to Lightning cable will save you a dollar, and will supposedly fast charge an iPhone. You might be able to find even cheaper cables, but we recommend being careful where cables are concerned, as a cheap or low-quality cable can cause major issues or even become a fire hazard.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Look mom, no wires

Finally, what about fast charging via a wireless charger? Well, while it’s possible to get a faster charging wireless pad, the technology hasn’t yet reached the point where it can outpace the best wired chargers out there. However, if you’re still interested, check out our favorite wireless chargers to find some great options.

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ECG Feature on Apple Watch Could Take Years to Be Approved in the United Kingdom

Earlier this month, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 4 with a new electrocardiogram (ECG) feature that measures the electrical activity of your heartbeat, providing you with a heart rhythm classification that can be shared with your doctor. The feature isn’t out yet, but it will be limited to Series 4 models in the United States later in 2018.

Today, 9to5Mac shared a potential time window for the launch of the ECG feature in the United Kingdom. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) explains that the process starts by examining Apple’s documentation surrounding the ECG feature and performing an audit of the quality assurance system.

While this step doesn’t appear to be lengthy, the proceeding steps could make the process longer. MHRA says it would require Apple to perform a new clinical investigation to judge the effectiveness of the ECG on Apple Watch, but Apple would likely not be able to use any of the data from the studies it’s already completed because MHRA requires companies to notify the regulator in advance of a study.

Once the study is submitted, MHRA has 60 days to approve it (which may become longer if the regulators have further inquiries for Apple), and then Apple can begin the study. These last few steps are what the MHRA say “could potentially add years” onto the debut of the ECG in the UK.

You may need to carry out a clinical investigation as part of the process to obtain a CE marking for your medical device. You must inform MHRA if you are planning to do this at least 60 days before starting your investigation [providing] some basic details about the investigational device, the intended population, the type of study, and estimated application date.

The last factor could be the most time consuming and could potentially add years onto the CE marking process.

Despite the potential for years-long approval, Apple may find ways to expedite this process. While the United Kingdom remains part of the European Union, it’s possible that Apple could receive approval from a broader regulatory body and sidestep the MHRA’s processes.

In the United States, Apple has obtained de novo FDA clearance for the ECG feature in the Apple Watch Series 4 and the feature that can send a notification if an abnormal heart rate has been detected. However, FDA clearance is not the same as FDA approval and the FDA does not recommend that the ECG feature be used by those under 22 or those who have already been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

The FDA warns that Apple’s ECG app is not designed to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment and is intended for informational use only. The Series 4 is the first ECG product being offered over the counter directly to consumers.

Elsewhere, Apple has said it is working with Health Canada to bring the ECG functionality to the Canadian market, although no timeline has been specified.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Is the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro still worth buying in 2018?

Best answer: The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro offers 500GB of storage packed into an otherwise identical form factor as the standard 16GB NVIDIA Shield TV. Whether that added storage is worth it is up to you, but it’s still the best Android TV box you can buy in 2018. NVIDIA has done a great job of offering software updates that continually make the Shield TV better than before, and the 16GB is a great option for any habitual streamer.

• Amazon: NVIDIA Shield TV Pro ($299)

The Shield TV Pro is what you make of it

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro stands atop NVIDIA’s Android TV lineup as the premium offering, with it’s biggest differentiating feature being the 500GB of internal storage. In terms of performance, it’s going to operate just the same as the non-Pro model including support for 4K TVs. But all that extra space gives you more room for making the Shield your own in countless ways.

The extra internal storage included with the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is only worth the money if you plan to make the most of it.

As popular as media streaming has become in 2018, there’s still something to be said for the simplicity of offline content. Let’s say you’ve got a massive library of movies, TV shows, and music — with the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro, you can load all that great stuff on and enjoy it using Plex, an outstanding media player that’s included with each Shield. Also included with the Shield TV Pro is the Plex Media Server app which lets you keep your media library instantly accessible on the Shield, and streamable to other devices (phones, tablets, video game consoles, etc.) running the Plex app.

But maybe you’re eyeing the Shield TV because it’s great for gaming. There are a ton of great games available across the Google Play Store, NVIDIA Games, and GEFORCE Now libraries, along with NVIDIA GameStream which lets you stream games from your PC to your Shield. With all that storage space, you’re also able to set up retro emulators and then load up the Shield with all your legally acquired ROMs.

That’s the true strength of the Shield TV Pro — the versatility to make it your own with your favorite media, games, and apps and the portability to easily set it up anywhere. On the software side, the Shield TV Pro has received regular updates with NVIDIA doing a good job of keeping the Shield experience fresh and exciting with new features continually added over the past three years.

You pay $100 for an extra 484GB

Deciding whether to spend an extra $100 on the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro will ultimately come down to the importance of having that extra storage on hand. It’s way more convenient to never have to worry about your Shield running out of storage, especially if you plan to continually load up content to enjoy offline.

You’ve still got options for expanding storage if you opt for the 16GB NVIDIA Shield TV. While the newest model did away with the microSD slot, you’re still able to mount extra storage via USB flash drive — and the 128GB SanDisk Ultra Fit ($31) is a sizeable and affordable solution.

Bottom line

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is worth the extra money if you know you’ll absolutely make use of all that extra storage space. Whether you want to load it up with offline media or a ton of awesome games, the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is right at home as the core of your home media entertainment.

Our pick

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro

$299 at Amazon

Control your smart home with your Shield.

The latest Shield bundle includes a SmartThings Link that connects via USB to convert your Shield into a Zigbee and Z-Wave smart home hub. This lets you connect and control an ever-growing number of compatible smart devices right from your couch. A great deal that makes the Shield that much more useful.

You could upgrade the standard version

NVIDIA Shield TV

Starting at $177 at Amazon

DIY for extra GBs.

You can save by getting the 16GB NVIDIA Shield TV — and we’d recommend either the Smart Home or Gaming bundles if you do because the value is there. From there, all you need is some external storage.

SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB 3.0 Flash Drive

$31 at Amazon

Feels like it’s wearing nothing at all!

This ultra-slim flash drive is the perfect way to add an extra 128GB of content to your Shield. Load it up on your computer, then install it in the back of your Shield and you’re off to the races!

Is Amazon Music Unlimited really a better deal than Spotify?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We understand that music is the soundtrack to our lives, and we want to make sure you get the best deal.

Spotify Premium

Awesome Algorithms

$10/mo at Spotify

Pros

• Top-notch subscription catalog.
• Best-in-class playback handoff between devices.
• Generous bundle options available, especially for students.

Cons

• 10,000 song library limit is easier to hit over time.
• No cloud integration for purchased or uploaded music.

Spotify is the most popular name in streaming music today, and with that popularity comes big exclusives, big marketing, and lots of algorithmic data to fine tune its musical suggestions. Spotify Connect works with more smart speakers and connected devices than any music service on the planet, and their student discount is currently the best deal in media streaming.

Amazon Music Unlimited

The underdog

$8/mo at Amazon (with Amazon Prime)

Pros

• Solid, stable cross-platform music player.
• Integrated music store for augmenting subscription catalog.

Cons

• Works with Amazon Alexa, but not Google Assistant or Apple Siri.
• Abounding confusion over tiers and features.

Amazon Music Unlimited is quite a decent music service, especially if you’re an Amazon Echo user or you frequently buy music from Amazon’s store. Amazon just makes the tiers of its music services more confusing than Google does, which is a feat in and of itself.

Playing what you want where you want

Amazon Music and Spotify have been around the block a few times, so they’re both pretty stable music streaming apps. Both have Android apps with Android Auto compatibility, web clients for easy listening at work (or on Chromebooks), and desktop clients for Windows/Mac. Spotify has a Linux app, too. Spotify also has a higher maximum streaming quality at 320 kbps, and is compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Amazon Music is only compatible with Amazon Alexa, but both apps have Chromecast compatibility, so you can at least cast Amazon Music to a Google Home and then use the basic voice commands to control the music once its being cast. Spotify also puts lyrics for available songs up onscreen when Chromecasting, whereas for Amazon Music, lyrics can only be viewed in the apps. Spotify has far, far, far more compatibility with smart speakers and a melee of other platform thanks to Spotify Connect.

Amazon only says “tens of millions of songs” are available on their platform, which is really vague compared to the “35 Million +” available on Spotify. However, Spotify still has a 10,000 song limit for user’s libraries, whereas the song limit for an Amazon Music library is 100,000 songs.

Want to build a bigger playlist? Spotify allows you to have up to 10,000 songs in a playlist. However, if your playlist is over 3,333 songs, you won’t be able to download the whole playlist on your device, and both Amazon and Spotify’s Android apps have issues when shuffling playlists with more than a few hundred songs in them. Amazon Music’s playlist song limit isn’t concretely stated anywhere in their support documentation, but its Android app has trouble building or viewing past 500 songs on a playlist.

How often do you go offline with your music? Spotify has one of the worst offline policies among the major streaming music services: three devices, 3,333 songs each. The idea is that you can download a third of your 10,000-song library on each of your three devices, but that’s not really the practice most users want with offline downloads.

Best bang for your buck

Before we go any further: if you’re a college student, Spotify’s $5/month student bundle with Spotify, Hulu (ad-supported), and Showtime is going to be the best value for you by far. For those of us who aren’t currently in a 4-year university, Amazon Music Unlimited offers a discount to Amazon Prime members, but is that deal really the best one you can get?

At first glance, $8/month looks better than $10/month, but it requires Amazon Prime, which boosts your yearly cost to $216. Granted, Amazon Prime has a lot of other features, from two-day shipping to unlimited photo backups and, of course, Amazon Prime Video, which has been delivering award-winning original content the last few years. You can also mix Amazon Prime’s catalog with movies purchased through the Amazon store and digital copies through Movies Anywhere.

Meanwhile, Spotify’s Hulu bundle gets you significantly fewer products and services, but the two services it gets you — Spotify Premium and Hulu (ad-supported) — are high-quality streaming services with competitive features, robust support, and availability on just about every streaming box or smart speaker. It’s also $60 cheaper a year than Prime + Unlimited.

When it comes to family plans, Amazon Music Unlimited loses most of its pricing advantage. Prime members can only save $30 a year on Amazon Music Unlimited’s Family Plan — and only if they take the annual plan instead of the monthly plan — but if you buy your kids Amazon Fire Kids tablets or an Amazon Echo Dot for Kids, those devices will have Block Explicit Songs on by default with Amazon Music Unlimited.

Spotify Premium

Algorithmic powerhouse

$10/month at Spotify

Better bundles and magical mixtapes make Spotify a delight.

Spotify’s student bundle is the best in media streaming today, and the Spotify/Hulu bundle for non-student users is a price-performer as well. Between its many exclusives, famous algorithms, and the simple magic of Spotify Connect, it’s hard to say no to the biggest name in streaming music.

Amazon Music Unlimited

The underdog

Amazon’s music subscription is a decent alternative if you still buy music.

$8/month at Amazon

There are fewer and fewer music subscription services that will allow you to augment their selection with purchased music. If you’re a dedicated Amazon Echo user or Amazon Prime user, Amazon Music Unlimited can fit well and keep your music flowing.

UK Deal: This £9 3-in-1 cable is a must-have for all Android and iOS fans

This cable can charge pretty much any device.

There’s no such thing as too many charging cables, especially when they come with three different charging connectors. Right now, you can snag Anker’s PowerLine II 3-in-1 cable for just £8.99 when you checkout using coupon code CC78YGCO. It normally sells for around £12, and this is the first time the cable has ever dropped below £10.

The cable itself is a Micro-USB cable that happens to have two additional adapters connected right to it. There is one for Lightning ports to charge your iPhone and iPad, along with a USB-C connection to charge your newer Android devices and accessories. It offers a max speed of 2.4A on both the Lightning and Micro-USB chargers, and 3A on the USB-C end. The Lightning connector is MFi-certified, meaning that Apple has approved it for use in safely charging and syncing your iPhone or iPad.

Anker is so confident that you’ll love this cable and won’t have issues with it that the company is backing it with a hassle-free lifetime warranty. These are handy to have around since not everyone uses the same devices these days. Be sure to grab a few of these to have in your car, home, travel bag, and more today.

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