Use these Waze tips and tricks to become an expert navigator

Waze was already a popular, powerful crowdsourced map app before Google acquired it, but the navigation software is now better than ever before. Waze has so many features that even long-term users may not know everything that you can do with the app.

We’ve rounded up some of Waze’s top tricks and tips so you can get the most out of the app.

Adjust map icons according to your interests

Head over to Settings via the magnifying glass, then go to Display & map, and choose Details on map. This will give you a list of icons that you can add or remove from Waze maps. Use this list to customize what you want to see and keep the map fromgetting too crowded with icons. You can choose icons for other Wazers, police, crashes, traffic jams, construction, and more. Remember, some of these icons depend on crowdsourced information, so they aren’t always accurate: It may be worth experimenting with a few icons to see how dependable they are in your area.

Select Routes to check all available route options

Waze is set to automatically pick the route that takes the shortest amount of time, based on what it knows about the area. However, sometimes Waze doesn’t get it right, or doesn’t include other travel information that may influence the roads you take. That’s why it’s a good idea to open Routes in the Waze app, which allows you to cycle through a number of possible routes to your destination. Then you can pick the route that avoids known trouble spots or includes a stop you need.

Use the Arrive At feature to set driving times

With the Arrive At option (which you may be able to find via Find the best time to leave depending on your version of the app), you will be able to choose a number of times to arrive at your destination. Waze compares this with traffic at that time, and gives you a suggested time period to leave by. It’s handy if you don’t want to be late.

Share your ETA

When Waze is giving you directions, you will notice a central button that says Send ETA in your route info. This will open up your contacts and allow you to instantly message an updated ETA to a friend or family member. It’s particularly useful if you hit a traffic jam or an unexpected wait and want to make sure no one freaks out when you’re late.

Edit your Waze map with useful info

Waze

There are a couple different ways you can edit Waze maps to include more information. Currently, you can add a place to a Waze map, submit a report, or edit the streets on a map to make it more accurate. To add a place simply select the orange speech bubble in the lower corner of your map directions. From here, choose Places. Waze will then encourage you to take a photo of the location, and choose whether it’s a residential location or a business location. Finish labeling, then select Done, and the location will be saved to the map.

General reports, on the other hand, are used to update a map on ongoing events, such as changing gas prices, road closures, road hazards, and so on. If you look at the other report options beyond Places, you will see such options as Map Issues, Gas Prices, and so on. Use them for more temporary road conditions.

Finally, if you are really serious about editing maps to make them more accurate, visit the Waze Map Editor. Sign in here, and Waze will run you through the tutorials you need to adjust roads and locations to better match the real world.

Set Waze for motorcycles

Waze has a motorcycle setting. To find it, go to Settings, then select Navigation. Scroll through the options until you find one for Vehicle Type. You can choose between Private, Taxi and Motorcycle. If you set the app to Motorcycle, then Waze will start looking for more motorcycle-friendly options when creating directions for you.

Change or record voice instructions

If you use the voice directions setting, you should really check out Waze’s plethora of voice options you can play with. Head to Settings, choose Sound & voice, and then pick Voice directions. Waze offers a ton of different voices to choose from around the world, including multiple dialects and accents — and even a few celebrities. You can also record your own voice or the voice of a loved one if you want to take the time to record all the instructions yourself.

Add a stop to plan out longer trips with breaks

While Waze is giving you instructions, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal your route command center. One of the options here will be Add a stop, usually with several icons next to it for gas, food, parking and so on. You can either pick a stop from your favorites if you have any stored there, or search for nearby locations to add to your route. This is a great feature for vacations and road trips, where programming in a few stops based on everyone’s needs is beneficial.

Sync up your calendar events

Go to Settings, and select Planned drives. This gives you an option to connect to Facebook events (useful if that’s where you saw an event), or to connect one of your calendars so that you can choose your calendar events. As long as the location spaces are filled out in your calendar, Waze will be able to link up a route for you. It’s a great way to manage your events if you are frequently on the go in new areas.

Download maps for areas with poor connection quality

If there’s a chance that Waze will lose a connection where you are driving, you can download maps and instructions for offline use — as long as you are using an Android device (sorry, iOS users). Start by going to Settings and choosing Display & map. Scroll down until you find Data transfer and select this. Inside this window, you should see the Download traffic info option. Make sure it is enabled. With this feature, Waze will download all your routes when they are created so that you will have access to the directions even without a data connection.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Love Waze’s incident reporting feature? Lucky you, it’s coming to Google Maps
• Waze on iPhone just landed on your Ford’s infotainment screen
• Waze enlists A.I.-powered analytics company Anodot to improve driver experience
• Bye to Apple Maps, hello to Waze: CarPlay to support third-party navigation apps
• How to use Google Assistant, plus all the ‘OK, Google’ commands you need to know

What changed on Apple’s new MacBook Pro (and why you’ll care)

After a lackluster response to the redesigned MacBook Pro, Apple took user criticism to heart in an attempt to put the “pro” back in MacBook Pro. But what exactly did it change? The Touch Bar is still around, but did Apple address the reduced connectivity and sticky keyboard that marred the Pro’s release?

We got our hands on a new 15-inch MacBook Pro with the Core i9 processor, 32 gigs of RAM, and all the other top-level specs. We’ll walk you through all the features on the new MacBook Pro 15, and go over what changed (and what didn’t) since last year’s model.

The Outside

Not much changed in terms of style from the 2017 to 2018 version of the MacBook Pro. In fact, the dimensions, aluminum, and color options are all nearly identical to last year’s model. The screen is also the same, with a 2880 x 1800 resolution, 15.4-inch IPS display, and a maximum 500 nits of brightness. The only thing that changed on the screen from last year is that it is now compatible with Apple’s True Tone technology, which changes the color of your display based on the ambient light in the room you are in.

Under the screen, we still have the Touch Bar from the previous model. It also has True Tone enabled, but the differences are subtle to the naked eye and nearly impossible to capture on camera. There is also a Touch ID power button. Below the Touch Bar is the new-and-improved keyboard. Apple won’t say exactly how it’s been improved or what’s been done to address dust protection, but it is quieter, if only slightly.

Below the keyboard, is a large force touch track pad, which allows you to use different levels of pressure to perform different actions. Surrounding the keyboard are your stereo speakers; above the screen, there’s a 720p webcam. Two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports adorn the sides of the device, for a total of four ports that can be used for charging, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort.

The Inside

Where you’re going to notice the most differences from earlier models of the MacBook is under the hood. Powering the MacBook Pro 15 is either the Intel i7 or i9 processor. The device can also house up to 32G of RaAM and either a Radon Pro 555x or 560x graphics card. For storage, you can choose between 256GB (for the Radon Pro 555x models only), 513GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB. However, the prices differences between these options start to get a bit ridiculous and may not be worth the expanded SSD for the price. The options can quickly drive its price over $6,000.

The new MacBook Pro also comes with an 83.6 watt hour battery and an 87 watt USB-C charger. It also comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 802.11. On the software side of things, the MacBook is running the latest version of MacOS, High Sierra. Something new to this iteration, though, is the ability to  say, “Hey, Siri” whenever your screen is unlocked and give voice commands to your virtual assistant. This feature has been around on your iPhone for quite a while, but is finally making it’s way to the MacBook Pro.

David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him on Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s everything new with the 2018 MacBook Pro
• Apple’s newest MacBook Pro is now $150 off if you’re a student
• Apple’s T2 chip may be causing issues in iMac Pro and 2018 MacBook Pros
• How to change Amazon Alexa’s voice
• Unlock Google’s cool new Material Design interface hidden inside Chrome 68

TCL Roku TVs, SteelSeries gaming mice, charging stands, and more are all discounted today

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

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on three generations of TCL Roku TVs, the SteelSeries Rival 600 gaming mouse, an adjustable charging stand, and more! Most of these prices will be gone when the day ends, so don’t miss your chance to save big!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Best Screen Protectors for Moto G6

Keep your display protected with a tempered glass screen protector!

The Moto G6 is one of the best budget phones around. But just because the price is cheaper doesn’t mean it’s not worth protecting. For under 10 bucks, you can get a set of tempered glass screen protectors to protect that Moto G6 display from anything that life throws at it.

• Supershieldz Tempered Glass [2-pack]
• IQ Shield Tempered Glass [3-pack]
• Mr. Shield Tempered Glass [3-pack]
• TopACE Tempered Glass

Supershieldz Tempered Glass Screen Protectors [2-pack]

Supershieldz is a popular maker of screen protecting accessories and they offer a two-pack of tempered glass screen protectors for the Moto G6. The edges are rounded for comfort around the earpiece and home button cutouts.

It’s a good value from a trusted brand that’s backed by a lifetime replacement warranty. Available for just $6 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

IQ Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protectors [3-pack]

IQ Shield offers screen protectors for a wide variety of smartphone brands, and typically offers both tempered glass and film options. For the Moto G6, they offer a Full Bodyskin Protector ($16) and a Matte finish screen protector ($8). But the best value by far is the three-pack of tempered glass.

Tempered glass offers the best protection for your phone, and IQ Shield offers an impossibly thin screen protector. Best of all is you’ll have two backups as needed. Get your kit for just $8.

See at Amazon

Mr. Shield Tempered Glass Screen Protector [3-pack]]

The installation is the most important part of using a screen protector — you don’t properly clean that screen and you’re going to have dust and weird streaks appear.

That’s why Mr. Shield includes a complete installation kit that includes a cleaning cloth, dust collecting stickers, and an alcohol prep pad. The glass is laser cut to provide as much coverage as possible for the Moto G6.

These will be in stock and shipping from Amazon by June 16. Get yours for just $6.

See at Amazon

TopACE Tempered Glass Screen Protector

TopACE makes the list for offering a slightly more curved set of “horns” around the earpiece cutout. Otherwise, it’s another solid tempered glass screen protector for the Moto G6 that offers everything you’d expect in a screen protector.

Designed to be case friendly, this pack includes cleaning wipes and dust re for installation. Get yours for $10, or consider the two-pack of film screen protectors included on this Amazon listing for just $7.

See at Amazon

Are you getting a Moto G6?

Let us know if you’re buying the G6 and whether you plan to buy a screen protector for it.

Updated July 2018: Discounts across the board for our top picks here.

TCL’s amazing Roku TVs are on sale today starting as low as $200

The choosiest of choices.

TCL has three generations of smart TVs on sale today. These are TVs that have long been considered the best bang for your buck and they have only gotten better with each new generation. Whether you want a budget screen or something more modern with local dimming and great picture quality, you’ve got the choice today. Start with TCL’s 40-inch 40S305 Roku TV for $199.99. It normally sells for $230 and, outside of crazy deals like Prime Day or eBay’s site-wide sales earlier this year, it’s one of the best prices we’ve ever seen.

From the same series, the 43-inch Roku TV is down to just $229.99. This TV was selling around $270 back in March and has not gone lower than $250 until today.

The 2017 model 43-inch TCL is going for $279.99 right now. While it did drop to that price a few weeks ago from its average of $300, it has been sold out for some time now. There are a few back in stock on Amazon so you can grab this TV at one of its lowest prices ever.

The 2018 Series 6 is also on sale through Best Buy. The 55-inch R615 TCL Roku TV is down to $599.99 from a street price around $650 at other retailers like Amazon. That’s only $15 more than the best price we’ve ever seen.

The 65-inch version is also about $30 off. You can get it for $969.99 at Best Buy right now. CNET called this new version of the TCL “the best TV value we’ve ever reviewed” so you can’t go wrong there, either.

See on Amazon

This Raspberry Pi 3 Ultimate Starter Kit includes four courses and over 10 hours of content

Coupling Internet of Things (IoT) with a Raspberry Pi can lead to plenty of fun and opportunity, but you really need to have the right tools at your disposal. There are plenty of packages you can put together yourself, but what about the knowledge required to use the hardware properly? Why not get it all in one place?

Dive into Raspberry Pi with this starter kit that includes four courses and over 10 hours of content! Learn more

Android Central Digital Offers right now has an awesome deal on an Ultimate Raspberry Pi 3B Starter Kit, complete with Raspberry Pi, 37 sensors, and four courses that will teach you how to complete various Pi projects. Instead of the usual price of about $529, you’ll instead pay just $146. That’s 72 percent off the regular price.

Alongside the 37-sensor starter kit that includes a Raspberry Pi 3B, you’ll have lifetime access to four courses with over 10 hours of content. Courses include:

• Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Bootcamp
• 2018 Ultimate Guide to Raspberry Pi
• Getting Started with NodeMCU
• Build Your Own GPS Tracking System with Raspberry Pi

Use coupon code RASPBERRYPI10 and save an additional 10%! Learn more

If you’d like to jump into the world of Raspberry Pi but have been waiting for the right opportunity, definitely check out this kit. It contains everything you need to get started, and you’ll save hundreds of dollars off the regular price.

The Fitbit Aria 2 smart scale is down to just under $100 right now

Great price and a smart product.

The Fitbit Aria 2 Wi-Fi smart scale is down to $99.95 on Amazon in both Black and White. The smart scale normally sells for around $130. We shared a deal on it when it dropped to this same price back in early July, but it didn’t last long. It probably won’t last long this time around, either, so grab one while you can.

It can help you track your weight, lean mass, body fat percentage and more. Each scale can be set up for use with up to eight different users, and each person’s stats can remain private to just them. You can pair it with your phone in just a few minutes via Bluetooth, and it automatically syncs with your Fitbit dashboard.

See on Amazon

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker: Everything you need to know

Form your ninja team and prepare for multiplayer battle.

Naruto games have come a long way. The anime franchise’s video games reached new highs with the previous generation launches of Naruto: Rise of a Ninja and its sequel, Naruto: Broken Bond. Then came the Storm series, which has been in development by CyberConnect2 for quite some time.

That long-running series seems to have taken a sabbatical while Namco Bandai tries something new, however. It’s Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and it’s quite unlike any other Naruto game released to date. Why’s that? We’ll tell you everything you need to know.

What is Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker?

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is best described as a MOBA, short for multiplayer online battle arena. These games typically have two teams of varying sizes fighting to achieve some sort of victory. In Shinobi Striker, these teams will have four members each, and everyone has their own set of abilities, responsibilities, and skills to help will their team to victory.

Like much of the Naruto games to date, Bandai Namco is publishing the title, but it’ll be developed by someone else: Soleil. The studio is relatively unknown, with its only notable work to date being a forgettable third-person shooting game for PC.

It’s interesting, then, that they were chosen to keep the Naruto cash cow flowing at the franchise’s most pivotal moment.

Aside from the huge shift in gameplay dynamics, Shinobi Striker will boast an improved graphics style. It’s still a cel-shaded engine as is appropriate for video games based on anime and manga, but the engine features more bold characters with deeper shadows, sharper lines, and more vivid colors. It’s also still damned smooth with much of the action being rendered at 60 frames per second.

Is it a new Naruto adventure?

Nope. Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is just a pure MOBA, and if you know anything about these games you know that there isn’t much of a story or adventure to be had. All we know about what’s going on in this game is that there’s some sort of ninja tournament going on, and that sets the stage for these ninja teams to come together and fight.

The concept isn’t random, with these sorts of competitions being commonplace in the world of Naruto. The team concept isn’t foreign either, as the earliest parts of becoming a ninja in Naruto’s world is taking a ninja exam and training as a team of three with a seasoned sensei.

While some fans are sure to be disappointed that there won’t be much in the way of a narrative here, it makes sense. Boruto is the son of Naruto, and his tale is only just now getting started after the conclusion of the original Naruto and Shippuden arcs. There isn’t a whole lot of material publicly available to make a meaty adventure or even a light storyline to follow, but it appears Namco still wanted some sort of Boruto game to get the train rolling.

That’s why this is the perfect time for them to try something new. The jury is still out on whether it’ll take off and be the next big thing, but that’s the beauty of it — we didn’t expect a Boruto game this early on anyway, so any potential stumbles we’ll get with this release can be easily forgiven. (And if you know anything about anime fans, you’ll know how unforgiving they can be when you botch the source material.)

What do you do in this game?

More often than not, you’ll just be fighting. But Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker isn’t a fighting game in the traditional one-on-one sense. You’ll be going in with three other friends or strangers to take on a team of equal participants in a 3D arena-like setting.

Yes, you’ll still have basic attacks such as light and heavy, and you’ll still get to unleash powerful jutsus — or ninja techniques — to dish out damage against your foes. Build enough of your chakra to get access to an ultimate jutsu that’ll change the fight dramatically.

In between all of the flashy abilities is a bunch of utility you can use to your advantage. There’s a huge leap ability that lets you jump halfway across the map if you charge it up long enough, you can stick to walls by throwing your kunai at them (useful for recovering from a cliff dive on stages that have death pits in them), run up walls to meet your opponents from any vantage point, and more.

All of this goes down in a few different game modes:

• Combat Battle: This is straight up 4v4 fighting. The ninja team with the most kills wins.
• Flag Battles: Capture the flag. Take the enemy flag back to your base for a point, all the while defending your own.
• Base Battles: This is the equivalent of domination or control in other games. Basically, hold as many control points as you can to gain points.

Games are queued up from a shared hub world not unlike those featured in games such as Destiny or Dragon Ball FighterZ. You’ll be able to see other players walking around as they prepare to jump into their next battle. It’s here where you can meet your master shinobi trainers, customize your character, hit up the training grounds, or get in line for your next fight.

As you can see by now, Shinobi Striker is not your typical Naruto game, and things get even better the deeper you go.

Create your own character

That’s right: you can create your very own ninja! The player can make an avatar that they’ll use in battle. These highly customized avatars let you make the Naruto ninja you’ve always wanted. Whether you make a husky brawler from the stone village to a more tactical fighter from the Hidden Leaf, you can finally create your idea of the perfect ninja.

You’ll be able to customize almost everything about them. On the cosmetic side, you’ll choose your hair, mouth, eyes, pupils, eyebrows, nose, face paint, and skin colors. You can wear different outfits, too, with your starting outfit being determined by which hidden ninja village you choose to represent, and those outfits have a number of alternate colors you can choose from.

On the combat side of things, you’ll be able to equip your characters with a loadout based on one of four classes:

• Defense: These guys are slower, but bulky, and offer a lot of CC and utility to help your damage dealers do work.
• Attack: These are more balanced characters that typically get up close to the action to combo their enemies down.
• Ranged: Ranged characters can sit up on a rooftop and throw fireballs at people from afar. Enough said.
• Healer: Someone has to keep the team healthy, right? These support-style characters mainly care about keeping their killers alive to keep the damage pumping out.

To be clear, a team composition doesn’t have to consist of one of each class. You can mix and match these styles however you like. You can even change things up on the fly. Does your team need more defense to stop a barrage of attacks from the enemies? Double up on defense to create a front line of defense for your more vulnerable characters. You’ll be able to create multiple loadouts on your avatar, so you’re certainly not stuck with just one style of play when you need a change of pace.

Each class has a number of associated jutsus that can be learned. Expect more offense-oriented options for attackers, while defenders won’t exactly be throwing out any Rasengan, but may do well with, say, a water prison.

Your list of possible jutsus in the beginning won’t be long, but you’ll be able to learn more by talking to various “master” characters in the shared hub world. They’ll let you train to learn the move. Presumably, different masters will give you access to different jutsus, though we’re not sure how, exactly, you’ll go about actually training just yet.

When you just want to sharpen your skills without the stress of fighting another team weighing you down, you can head to a VR training facility to fight against practice dummies. It isn’t actual VR, mind you, but the mode should provide the perfect place to hone your techniques.

Can you play as Naruto characters?

Worried that you won’t be able to play with some of your favorite Naruto characters in Shinobi Striker? Well, worry not. There are as many as 20 playable characters in the game to start, each with their own class and list of moves.

Gaara, kage of his hidden sand village Sunagakure, is more of a defensive ninja. One of his special techniques is the Grand Sand Mausoleum. This technique traps opponents into or outside of a sand tomb, effectively keeping a foe in place to take a beating or protecting an ally from receiving one.

Deidara, who hails from the hidden stone village of Iwagakure, is another interesting character. He’s ranged, so he can do his bidding without having to get into his enemies’ faces. Deidara’s Explosive Style jutsu lets him chuck fire bombs at people. And he can even do it while hanging from the side of a building. How cool is that?

And remember folks: you can learn these moves on your own avatar at some point, so if you don’t want to play as these characters you can still tap into their limitless potential.

Here’s the full list of who you’ll be able to play as in Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, as well as their respective classes:

• Boruto Uzumaki: Attack
• Choji Akimichi: Defense
• Deidara: Range
• Gaara: Defense
• Hinata Hyuga: Heal
• Itachi Uchiha: Range
• Kabuto Yakushi: Heal
• Kakashi Hatake: Attack
• Kisame Hoshigaki: Defense
• Konan: Defense
• Mitsuki: Defense
• Naruto Uzumaki: Attack
• Pain: Attack
• Rock Lee: Attack
• Sai: Range
• Sakura Haruno: Heal
• Sarada Uchiha: Heal
• Sasuke Uchiha: Range
• Shikamaru Nara: Heal
• Yamato: Defense

That’s a pretty sizable list all on its own. And yes, it’s missing some heavy-hitting names from the Naruto universe — I’m personally in need of Jiraiya, Sarutobi, Guy Sensei, and Tsunade — but planned DLC is sure to help fill out the gaps as time moves on.

Is there a beta?

Well, there was a beta. A closed beta back in February was the public’s first chance to play it, and an open beta period followed throughout the month of July. It has since concluded, however, and there’s no indication that we’ll be treated to a third beta period ahead of the game’s launch date.

Pre-order Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Standard pre-orders of Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker will get an exclusive in-game clothing option. You’ll be able to dress your character up in Naruto’s Hokage costume, which is the costume he wears as the leader of the leaf village. The title of Hokage — or any type of kage, really — is pretty significant, so bring your A game if you’re going to be wearing it. You also get access to Pain as a Master sensei, so you can learn his moves on your own ninja fighter. You’ll be able to snag the standard edition for $59.99.

See at Amazon

There’s also the Uzumaki Edition, which is exclusive to Europe. You’ll get the base game and the aforementioned pre-order bonuses, of course, but you’re also getting the season pass and a figurine that features both Naruto and Boruto. It’s a real father and son thing that’ll warm the hearts of any Naruto fan.

As for that season pass, we’re promised at least 9 DLC packs over the game’s lifespan. It’s not clear what sort of content will be in these DLC packs, but we’ll guess you can expect new characters, cosmetics, and moves to be part of the deal once they’re made available.

When can you play it?

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker launches August 31st for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Put on your ninja bandana, equip your kunai, and get ready to lead your team to victory.

PlayStation 4

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

Amazon

Not everyone wants Android to be ‘open’

The way Google keeps walking the line between open and closed keeps biting it in the ass.

There’s a really cool Google I/O moment from a few years back that sticks out in my mind. It was shortly after I published a book on using Android tablets, which it caught the attention of Vic Gundotra. He pulled me aside and thanked me for helping people who weren’t super techy learn, and learn to love, Android. That was a big part of the theme that year, making it clear Android was ready for everyone. The language was a direct response to public opinion, due in no small part to the Droid marketing on Verizon. Android was the phone of choice for “power users” instead of people who just wanted a phone — or an iPhone.

There’s a reasonable argument to be made for Android suffering right now due to its open nature.

At the time, Google was trying to change the perception of Android as a whole. It took a couple of years to pull this off, and along the way, Android gained a reputation for being less open. Building Android from source nowadays looks nothing like the Android you get on a Pixel, because so much had been moved into Play Services in order to guarantee a certain level of experience across the platform. There’s no denying Android as a whole is better off now than it was a few years ago, but it’s also true Google sacrificed quite a bit of that “open” nature we nerds loved so much to get here.

And, if I’m totally honest, I’m OK with it. Linux Server Admin Russell from ten years ago would slap me for saying it (and goodness only knows what Jerry is going to do to me when he reads this) but I don’t really need Android to be open. That’s not why I use it these days.

I use it because notifications are excellent, the way apps interoperate with one another is unparalleled, and I enjoy the tight integration of Google’s services with the rest of my workflow. I don’t really need the platform to be open source to get any of those things. I don’t root my phone. I stopped installing custom ROMs. And the overall benefit of this open platform occurs behind closed doors these days.

In fact, there’s a reasonable argument to be made that Android is suffering right now from its open nature. The EU decision levied against Google is only happening because manufacturers don’t pay for specific license agreements to use the platform.

We have idiots installing custom ROMs on Galaxy Note 7 phones because enough of Android is available for people to make their own fixes to the things Samsung installed to stop people from using the phones. Fortnite is about to be released outside the Play Store by default, and when a bunch of people have infected phones from installing fake versions of the game we’re going to see a bunch of articles about how insecure Android is compared to iOS.

In each of these situations, Android is not closed enough to stop these things from being a problem, and it’s no longer open enough to make everyone happy. Google has been walking this line for years now, and the consequences of this are starting to really stack up. I’m OK with Google stepping over the line and closing Android. But I know that’s an unpopular opinion among many others, and the arguments for why I am wrong are, frankly, sound.

Some other things rattling around in my brain:

• Andrew, Hayato, and I are going to be in NYC later this week for the Note 9 launch. There isn’t much we don’t know at this point, which is fairly standard for a Samsung event at this point. Still, the Note fans have good reason to be excited.
• With Fortnite likely only heading to high-performance Android phones, are gaming-focused devices like the Razer Phone and ROG Phone going to start being more popular? Is Fortnite a game that sells phones in the same way games can sell consoles? I don’t think it is, but you can bet Razer and ASUS are going to push for it as we move into the Fall.
• I’ve never been more excited for the launch of a new version of Android. I’ve been using Android P from Day One, and have loved every minute of using it. There are so many things it just does for me, and that’s going to be an important part of how I use phones moving forward.
• It felt weird to get excited about a bike helmet, but that’s my life now I guess.
• I wrote all of this on the new Surface Go. I’ve used every Surface to date, Microsoft does a good job with these tablets. But compared to comparably priced Chromebooks in schools? I’m not sure Microsoft is ready to compete yet.

That’s it for now, get ready for an exciting week!

-Russell

Spyro Reignited Trilogy: Everything you need to know

Spyro is flying back onto our screens with a whole host of visual and gameplay enhancements. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about his return this September

10 years after the last Spyro game released we’re finally get a new one! … Sort of. Riding off the coattails of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy’s success, Activision is remastering the classic adventures of everyone’s favorite purple dragon.

After months of eager speculation, Activision confirmed in April that the Spyro Reignited Trilogy would be gracing our consoles this fall to coincide with the series’ 20th anniversary.

Your favorite classic Spyro games all under one roof

Similar to the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy features complete remasters of the first three Spyro games: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Though the word “remaster” is specifically used when referring to the compilation, in reality I’d say it’s closer to a remake. You aren’t just getting a slight bump in resolution and frame rate like you usually see with remasters. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy appears to be anything but half-baked.

It could have been easy for Skylanders developer Toys For Bob (who are helming the development process for the Reignited Trilogy) and Activision to just toss out a quick remaster of the first Spyro game and be done with it, but both companies decided to go the extra mile. Yes, this is likely due to money and the success of the N. Sane Trilogy, but we’re reliving some of our favorite childhood memories nonetheless.

Graphics

As I mentioned previously, each game’s visuals received an overhaul, making them worthy of a 2018 release. You won’t be dealing with blurry polygons and textures that look all blended together. You’re getting detail! Water will look more realistic (as realistic as Spyro gets). Castles will actually have noticeable stones. The colors will be vibrant, not washed-out. How you remember it as a kid is how it will look today. We all know how we look back on games and imagine them to be much more beautiful than they actually are. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

Some would argue that this removes a certain charm that the originals exuded. With nostalgia affecting our opinions, it’s hard to say definitively if the Reignited Trilogy will lose that spark of magic. Toys For Bob co-studio head Paul Yan, however, assured that they went to great lengths to capture the essence of the original’s aesthetic while modernizing it for today’s audiences.

“When you look at the original game and you squint your eyes at it, there’s a lot of imagination that you had to do at the time to fill in the blanks,” said Yan in an interview. “For us, it’s taking the game, and asking: What do people remember about this? It was important to start with the memories as opposed to how do you interpret exactly what’s on the screen.”

Yan stated that the team at Toys For Bob looked for any opportunities to “embellish and add more lushness and detail” when necessary, but took care in keeping the visuals familiar.

Gameplay

In addition to improved graphics, its gameplay mechanics have received some love as well. While it’s certainly important to preserve the feel of playing the originals, Toys For Bob also wants to ensure that the Reignited Trilogy features satisfying controls that can hold up against the best 3D platformers today. Twenty years have gone by since Spyro first released, and in that time a lot of competition in the genre has popped up. Any old clunkiness would be a hindrance to the experience.

Because the source code was not available to Toys For Bob, the studio rebuilt the classic games using a tool they dubbed the “Spyro Scope,” which allowed them to track variables and use them as a foundation for the Reignited Trilogy.

“We basically had the entire game running, then simultaneously this (tool) is pulling numbers and data on everything: coordinates for the level mesh, the placements for every single character, for every single gem, the value of what those gems are,” said Yan in an interview at San Diego Comic-Con.

As alluded to above, every level will be a perfect recreation of its original counterpart, right down to the location of certain enemies and gems. You won’t be thrown into any new locations unless Toys For Bob has some surprises up their sleeve that they haven’t revealed yet. All in all, over 100 levels are being remade between the three Spyro games.

Alterations and additions

Though the stories won’t drastically differ from what you remember, the developer is expanding on its narrative when appropriate, breathing new life by adding small details throughout the world. So what you’ll be getting are details meant to flesh out the universe and characters more, not turn the narrative upside down.

The Reignited Trilogy will feature a new soundtrack alongside new voiceovers for the characters. Don’t worry too much, though, because you can still choose to listen to the original soundtrack should you prefer that option. Stewart Copeland, who composed the music for the original games, is back and working on a new track for the Reignited Trilogy.

When can you play it?

The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is set to release on September 21, 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A Nintendo Switch version has not been revealed, but considering that the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy made its way to Switch recently, I’d imagine it’s not out of the realm of possibility to hold out hope for a Switch release of Spyro.

You can pre-order the Spyro Reignited Trilogy for $39.99. It doesn’t appear to have any special or collector’s editions, but Funko is making a Spyro & Sparx Funko Pop! that will release this September as well if you just want a little something extra in the form of a cute collectible.

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