Moto Z3 Play vs. OnePlus 6: Can Motorola’s latest beat our midrange pick?

Moto Z3 Play Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Smartphone giants like Apple and Samsung continue to churn out massively popular (and expensive) phones each year, but there are plenty of affordable phones that offer a similar, high-end experience. The Moto Z3 Play and OnePlus 6 are two excellent examples of relatively inexpensive phones that pack a big punch.

But they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. So which phone should you pick? We put the Moto Z3 Play and OnePlus 6 head-to-head to find out in a specs comparison.

Specs

Moto Z3 Play
OnePlus 6 

Size

156.5 x 76.5 x 6.75 mm (6.16 x 3.01 x 0.27 inches)

155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm (6.13 x 2.97 x 0.31 inches)

Weight
156 grams (5.50 ounces)
177 grams (6.24 ounces)

Screen size
6.01-inch Super AMOLED display
6.28-inch AMOLED display

Screen resolution
2,160 x 1,080 pixels (402 pixels per inch)
2,280 x 1,080 pixels (402 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 8.1 Oreo
Android 8.1 Oreo

Storage space
32GB, 64GB
64GB (with 6GB of RAM), 128GB, 256GB (both with 8GB of RAM)

MicroSD card slot
Yes, up to 2TB
No

Tap-to-pay services
Google Pay
Google Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

RAM
4GB
6GB, 8GB

Camera
Dual 12MP and 5MP rear, 8MP front
Dual 16MP (OIS) and 20MP rear, 16MP front

Video
Up to 4K @ 30 frames per second, 720p @ 120 fps
Up to 4K at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 480 fps super slow motion, HDR

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Ports
USB-C
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes

Water resistance
Splash-resistant coating
No

Battery
3,000mAh

TurboPower charging

3,300mAh

DashCharge

App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store

Network support
Sprint, U.S. Cellular
AT&T and T-Mobile

Colors
Deep Indigo
Midnight Black, Mirror Black, Silk White

Price
$500
 $530

Buy from

Motorola, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, Amazon Prime Exclusive Phones
OnePlus

Review score
Hands-on review
4.5 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life and charging

Motorola’s latest phone, the Moto Z3 Play, packs some pretty decent specs for a midrange phone. You will find a Snapdragon 636 processor along with 4GB of RAM.

But while the OnePlus 6 is comparatively priced to the Moto Z3 Play, it’s in a class all its own. The base model packs a Snapdragon 845 processor and a whopping 6GB of RAM, specs that rival flagship phones that cost hundreds of dollars more. The Z3 Play simply doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to performance, which doesn’t mean you won’t find snappy speeds — it just won’t be as fast as the OnePlus 6.

Things are a bit more on a level playing field when it comes to battery capacity and charging. Although the Moto Z3 Play features a slightly smaller 3,000mAh battery compared to the 3,300mAh battery you will find on the OnePlus 6, it has a smaller display and will likely last a longer period of time. That is based on our experience with the Moto Z2 Play, as Motorola said the Z3 Play should have similar battery life. Neither phone offers wireless charging, but both have their own proprietary fast-charging systems to add some juice quickly; OnePlus’ Dash Charge technique should charge your phone faster, but not by much over Motorola’s TurboPower technology.

Overall, we are giving the win to the OnePlus 6 for this category. While the Moto Z3 Play has awesome battery life and TurboPower charging, performance won’t be as strong as the OnePlus 6.

Winner: OnePlus 6

Design and durability

Andy Boxall/DigitalTrends.com

The Moto Z3 Play looks a lot like it’s predecessor, the Moto Z2 Play. Both phones are thin, feature a pronounced camera bump, but the newer model has much slimmer bezels around the screen. On the back, both have ugly pogo pins, which is where you connect Moto Mods. The all-glass Z3 Play looks good for a mid-range phone but put it next to the OnePlus 6 and there’s no competition.

The OnePlus 6 could easily be mistaken for a flagship phone. It has a gorgeous glass body with a discreet camera bump on its back. On the front, you will find a nearly bezel-less display, save for the tiny top notch (which you can hide through software).

As for durability, the Moto Z3 Play’s body is constructed of Gorilla Glass 3, while the OnePlus 6 features stronger Gorilla Glass 5. And although the Moto Z3 Play has a splash-resistant coating, neither phone has an IP-rating to protect against water damage.

We’re calling this round for the OnePlus 6. It offers a much more refined design, and should be able to take a tumble better than the Moto Z3 Play.

Winner: OnePlus 6 

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you’re a fan of big displays, you’re in luck: Both the Moto Z3 Play and OnePlus 6 have 6-inch screens. On the Z3 Play, you’ll find a gorgeous 6.01-inch AMOLED display with a 2,160 x 1,080 pixel resolution. With a 402 pixels-per-inch (PPI) measurement, the display is pretty sharp.

The display on the OnePlus 6 is quite similar. The AMOLED screen is slightly larger at 6.28-inches, and so is the 2,280 x 1,080-pixel resolution. It has the same 402 ppi, though.

For this round, we have to call a tie. Both the Moto Z3 Play and the OnePlus 6 feature gorgeous AMOLED screens. And while the OnePlus 6 may have a slightly larger display, the resolution differences are barely noticeable.

Winner: Tie

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Smartphone shutterbugs rejoice: Both the Moto Z3 Play and OnePlus 6 feature a dual-camera setup on the rear. On the Moto Z3 Play you will find a 12-megapixel primarily lens alongside a 5-megapixel, depth-sensing, secondary lens. The main lens has an f/1.7 aperture.

On the OnePlus 6, you will find two 16-megapixel lenses with an f/1.7 aperture as well optical image stabilization on the main lens. We have typically seen better camera performance on the OnePlus 6 over the Moto Z Play series, but we haven’t fully had a chance to test the Z3 Play’s camera yet. Both phones have Portrait mode features and can shoot slow-motion video.

For now, we’re going to call this round a tie. We need to do more camera testing on the Moto Z3 Play before we can call a definitive winner for this category.

Winner: Tie 

Software and updates

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Both the Moto Z3 Play and OnePlus 6 run Android 8.1 Oreo, without many flourishes — it’s similar to stock Android. OnePlus does offer way more customization options, but the Motorola software also adds in handy gestures such as double twisting the phone to launch the camera.

If you’re looking to keep the latest version of Android on your phone, however, you may have better luck with the OnePlus 6. Historically, OnePlus has been quick to push OS updates out to its handsets, while Motorola tends to take a bit longer.

We are giving this category to the OnePlus 6 simply because OnePlus has a much better track record of quickly updating its devices compared to Motorola.

Winner: OnePlus 6

Special features

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

OnePlus does offer a quite a number of software features, but there is nothing groundbreaking that stands apart. The Moto Z3 Play has Moto Mods, which you can easily snap onto the back of the phone to add extra capabilities. There are about 14 mods you can attach, ranging from a camera, a battery, a wireless charging module, and a photo printer.

The Moto Z3 Play is the clear winner.

Winner: Moto Z3 Play 

Price

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Moto Z3 Play arrives this summer and it will be available through Motorola, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and a number of retailers. We anticipate the phone will sell for around $400 or $450 for the 32GB model, although we have yet to receive final pricing. We do know the phone will cost $500 with a battery mod bundled in. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you will also be able to purchase the Moto Z3 Play at a discount through the Prime Exclusive Phones program.

The OnePlus 6, on the other hand, is only available through the OnePlus website. It comes in at $530 for the 64GB base model. The 128GB variant is available for $580, and you can pick up the 256GB model for an additional $50. The phone ships unlocked but will not work on CDMA carriers like Sprint or Verizon.

Overall winner: OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6 Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

While the Moto Z3 Play is a good midrange smartphone, you simply get a lot more bang for your buck with the OnePlus 6. The OnePlus comes with a better processor, more RAM, and a larger display. Unless you’re a true Moto enthusiast with lots of Moto mods, picking the Moto Z3 Play over the OnePlus 6 is a hard sell.

Editors’ Recommendations

• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T vs. OnePlus 5: Is it worth it to upgrade?
• LG V35 ThinQ vs. OnePlus 6: Can LG’s latest flagship beat an Android favorite?
• Here’s everything you need to know about the new OnePlus 6
• Huawei P20 Pro vs Google Pixel 2 XL: Can the P20 Pro dethrone Android royalty?
• Moto Z3 Play vs. Moto Z2 Play vs. Moto Z Play: Should you upgrade?

Seaside or pine forest? This alarm clock wakes you to the scent of your choice

Like a lot of people, we’re usually woken up in the morning by the insistent beeping of our smartphone alarm. That is a method that is certainly effective at rousing us from slumber, although it’s not exactly enjoyable. Could there be a better way? That is the question that the folks behind a new Kickstarter campaign clearly asked themselves. To answer it, the Google-accelerated French startup Bescent has created an alarm clock capable of combining sight, smell, and sound for an altogether more pleasant wake-up experience.

The so-called Sensorwake olfactory alarm clock offers a mix of blue halo light, five preloaded melodies and — most excitingly — scent capsules. There are 16 different scents in total, ranging from the smell of ground coffee or orange juice to the evocative aroma of the seaside, a pine forest, or a freshly cut grass meadow. These scents have been created in collaboration with Swiss fragrance manufacturer Givaudan and use dry diffusion without any “liquids, heating elements, mist, or mess.” A single capsule promises to last up to 30 wake-ups, after which you simply slot in a new one to repeat the process.

“Like many teenagers and young adults, I hated waking up early,” Bescent CEO and founder Guillaume Rolland told Digital Trends. “I needed an alarm, but I thought there had to be a more soothing way to be woken up than the loud cell phone alarm I was used to. Seeking a more motivating way to wake up, I turned to the sense of smell. In 2015, when I was 18, I began building prototypes in my garage. That same year I represented France at the Google Science Fair and my innovation was recognized as ‘one of the top 15 that could change the world.’”

Rolland said that Sensorwake will appeal to anyone who wants to wake up in a better mood. (And, let’s face it, pretty much everyone falls into that category.) He continued that he sees the product having a particular appeal to both people who frequently travel for work and students who want to wake up better rested for class.

As ever, we offer our usual warnings about the risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you wish to go ahead and get involved you can do so by visiting the project’s Kickstarter page. Having only been up and running for a couple of days, the Sensorwake olfactory alarm clock has already smashed through its crowdfunding target, suggesting that Rolland was quite right in thinking that there is an audience for this.

An alarm clock with two scent capsules will set you back $59, while other higher-priced options come with more capsules. These capsules are also available to buy separately. Shipping is set to take place in November.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: AR globes, laser cutters, autonomous luggage
• Smartphones may get ‘smell-o-vision’ thanks to this tiny electronic nose
• Rise and shine with the best alarm clocks to kick-start your day
• There’s finally a pillow designed specifically with side-sleepers in mind
• Put down the smartwatch! Xenxo S-Ring packs 12 features into a tiny wearable

Microsoft dumps a 40-foot data center to the ocean floor off Scotland’s coast

Microsoft’s Project Natick isn’t about a new two-in-one tablet or piece of clever software. Instead, the company wants to sink self-sufficient data centers to the ocean floor. Phase two of its push to revolutionize the data center began on Wednesday as Microsoft’s team dropped a container-sized prototype on the seafloor near Scotland’s Orkney Islands. 

According to Microsoft, the 40-foot prototype contains 12 racks playing host to 864 servers and their associated cooling systems. The team assembled and tested the prototype in France, shipped it to Scotland via a flatbed truck, lowered it onto the ocean floor, towed it out to sea, and connected a cable consisting of fiber optics and power. It now sits quietly with the fish 117 feet below the ocean surface. 

Powering this submerged data center is the European Marine Energy Center that relies on tidal turbines and wave energy converters to generate electricity from sea movement. Wind turbines from local farming lands contribute to the power as well. All of this power is piped from the Orkney Island power grid through a cable attached to the data center. At full capacity, the data center uses just under a quarter of a megawatt of power. 

While the idea might seem like something out of science-fiction, the realities of water-bound computing, especially on a large scale, are very positive. The remote nature of such a facility would mean it would require fewer on-site staff (if any at all), it would be naturally resistant to weather and the environment, possibly even more so than solid ground structures, and perhaps most importantly, would require almost no active cooling. 

Keeping a data center at a chilly operational temperature is one of the biggest challenges for modern operators, with the likes of Facebook looking to innovate by only using renewable energy and recycled waste heat. But putting a data center under the sea could be much more efficient, as it would require no energy to cool at all. 

Microsoft’s first prototype sat 30 feet below the surface just off the California coast in 2015 and remained there for four months. Named after Leona Philpot, an obscure character from the Halo franchise, it survived perfectly well. 

Eventually, Microsoft wants to ramp up and rapidly deploy pre-packaged module data centers everywhere in the world, including “the roughest patches of sea.” Microsoft says they could be “ordered to size, rapidly deployed and left to operate lights out on the seafloor for years.” 

Of course, these submerged data centers won’t be dropped into remote locations of the Earth’s oceans. The plan is to place them near coastal cities around 120 miles off the coast. This will help artificial intelligence-driven technologies thrive in coastal communities and extend out to land-based data centers that are typically located inland to avoid floods, hurricanes, and other troublesome weather. 

Microsoft says the underwater data centers are built to last up to 20 years, though they have an anticipated real lifespan of five years. Their replacement would likely be the result of required hardware upgrades within the individual servers rather than structural damage or failure. 

Updated on June 6: Added the launch of phase two.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Think inside the box with these tricked-out shipping container homes
• Google makes good on promise to offset 100 percent of its electricity use
• Designer of out-of-this-world superyacht MY Roswell welcomes spaceship analogies
• University of Michigan hopes new drone facility pushes students to great heights
• 7 ambitious DARPA projects that will help out the military of the future

Microsoft dumps a 40-foot data center to the ocean floor off Scotland’s coast

Microsoft’s Project Natick isn’t about a new two-in-one tablet or piece of clever software. Instead, the company wants to sink self-sufficient data centers to the ocean floor. Phase two of its push to revolutionize the data center began on Wednesday as Microsoft’s team dropped a container-sized prototype on the seafloor near Scotland’s Orkney Islands. 

According to Microsoft, the 40-foot prototype contains 12 racks playing host to 864 servers and their associated cooling systems. The team assembled and tested the prototype in France, shipped it to Scotland via a flatbed truck, lowered it onto the ocean floor, towed it out to sea, and connected a cable consisting of fiber optics and power. It now sits quietly with the fish 117 feet below the ocean surface. 

Powering this submerged data center is the European Marine Energy Center that relies on tidal turbines and wave energy converters to generate electricity from sea movement. Wind turbines from local farming lands contribute to the power as well. All of this power is piped from the Orkney Island power grid through a cable attached to the data center. At full capacity, the data center uses just under a quarter of a megawatt of power. 

While the idea might seem like something out of science-fiction, the realities of water-bound computing, especially on a large scale, are very positive. The remote nature of such a facility would mean it would require fewer on-site staff (if any at all), it would be naturally resistant to weather and the environment, possibly even more so than solid ground structures, and perhaps most importantly, would require almost no active cooling. 

Keeping a data center at a chilly operational temperature is one of the biggest challenges for modern operators, with the likes of Facebook looking to innovate by only using renewable energy and recycled waste heat. But putting a data center under the sea could be much more efficient, as it would require no energy to cool at all. 

Microsoft’s first prototype sat 30 feet below the surface just off the California coast in 2015 and remained there for four months. Named after Leona Philpot, an obscure character from the Halo franchise, it survived perfectly well. 

Eventually, Microsoft wants to ramp up and rapidly deploy pre-packaged module data centers everywhere in the world, including “the roughest patches of sea.” Microsoft says they could be “ordered to size, rapidly deployed and left to operate lights out on the seafloor for years.” 

Of course, these submerged data centers won’t be dropped into remote locations of the Earth’s oceans. The plan is to place them near coastal cities around 120 miles off the coast. This will help artificial intelligence-driven technologies thrive in coastal communities and extend out to land-based data centers that are typically located inland to avoid floods, hurricanes, and other troublesome weather. 

Microsoft says the underwater data centers are built to last up to 20 years, though they have an anticipated real lifespan of five years. Their replacement would likely be the result of required hardware upgrades within the individual servers rather than structural damage or failure. 

Updated on June 6: Added the launch of phase two.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Think inside the box with these tricked-out shipping container homes
• Google makes good on promise to offset 100 percent of its electricity use
• Designer of out-of-this-world superyacht MY Roswell welcomes spaceship analogies
• University of Michigan hopes new drone facility pushes students to great heights
• 7 ambitious DARPA projects that will help out the military of the future

Comcast outage takes out phone and internet service across the U.S.

Comcast

If you’re a Comcast customer, you probably noticed that your phone and internet service may have been down since this morning. Customers have voiced concern and frustration over the massive nationwide outage affecting home and small business users across the country. Although Comcast’s business Twitter account only confirms that business phone service has been down, home customers are reporting on service tracker Down Detector that the outage is also disrupting internet access in cities such as San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Portland, and Seattle.

The outage seems to be intermittent, with long periods of down time followed by quick periods of online time. “Internet down in Tallahassee, FL and it has been going up and then down every other hour or so since Tuesday afternoon,” user Wycked wrote on Down Detector’s comment section.

Businesses relying on landline access for phones have been reporting that customers have not been getting through when they attempt to call in, and some customers have been successful in forwarding calls on their business lines to cell phones. With a few medical practices relying on Comcast for small business phone service, the outage is much more than a nuisance.

“Unacceptable when patients cannot reach out to, or be contacted by their medical practitioners,” KJ Buttler wrote on Down Detector. “I am recommending that we stop using Comcast voice in the immediate future. Too many incidents of outage.”

Comcast has acknowledged the problem on its @ComcastCares support account on Twitter: “@comcastbusiness customers may still be experiencing an issue with their Voice service. We appreciate your patience as we continue to resolve. Please continue to check back here for more updates.” Some customers are even reporting that Comcast expects the problem to be resolved by this afternoon.

“Now they’re telling me 2:55 p.m. California time,” user Kerry wrote on Down Detector. Another user reported that service is expected to be back by 5:45 p.m. ET for the Miami area. Other users noted on Twitter that service is slowly coming back in their area.

This nationwide outage affecting Comcast Xfinity and Comcast business subscribers follows a smaller recent outage affecting parts of Colorado earlier this month. In that incident, Comcast blamed the disruption on a physical cut to its fiber cables.

Comcast has not provided any explanation for today’s outage. With service disrupted across the country, the culprit may be more than just a cut to Comcast’s fiber lines.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Nest’s network failed and people’s smart home devices went dark for 3 hours
• TaskRabbit back online after cyberattack, warns users to monitor their accounts
• Russia’s attempt to block Telegram crashes the country’s internet
• Kidde smoke alarms are being recalled because they can’t detect smoke
• Soon, you won’t need a separate subscription to watch Netflix on Comcast Xfinity

9 Amazon Echo Accessories You Never Knew Existed (but Should Definitely Check Out!)

Amazon’s Echo line already is pretty good. But for just a few bucks more you can make your Echo even better.

So you’ve got an Amazon Echo ($179.99). Or maybe (or more likely) the less-expensive Echo Dot ($49.99). Or maybe even a newfangled Echo Show. That’s just the start of things. Turns out there’s a burgeoning accessory ecosystem that’s actually full of useful things that make your Echo just a little bit better.

And none of it breaks the bank.

Let’s take a quick look at a few of the things you definitely should give a gander if you’ve got a new Echo.

• Echo Spot Adjustable Stand
• Amazon Echo Buttons
• Aobelieve Acrylic Speaker Stand for Alexa Amazon Echo Plus and 1st Generation Echo
• Echo Dot Case
• Portable Battery Case for original Echo
• Voice remote for Echo and Echo Dot
• Screen protector for Echo Show
• Wall hanger for Echo Dot
• VAUX cordless speaker for Echo Dot (Gen. 2)

Echo Spot Adjustable Stand

The Amazon Echo Spot is a cool little guy. But maybe you just don’t like how it sits flat on your desk or night stand. Maybe you want it to get just a little more height on it.

That’s where this adjustable Echo Spot stand comes in. It’s just $20 and attaches with magic. Wait. No. Not magic. Magnets. Magnets are pretty much magnets, though, and so we’ll allow it.

But the point is this is a cool little accessory if you just need to prop up your Echo Spot at tad.

See at Amazon

Amazon Echo Buttons

An Amazon Echo is a lot of fun on its own. But have you ever wanted to just come inside and sit around with your friends and play games with an Echo — and any of the Echo devices — with a sort of game show buzzer? Now you can.

For just $19 you get a couple of Amazon Echo Buttons that let you play a number of games through the Echo. They light up, you mash it when it’s your turn, and hijinx ensue.

It’s that simple. Just buy ’em, tell your Echo to pair ’em up, and you’re on your way.

See at Amazon

Aobelieve Acrylic Speaker Stand for Alexa Amazon Echo Plus and 1st Generation Echo

If you’re like me and you just don’t like the design of the OG Echo or new Echo Plus, give this a shot. It’s an acrylic stand for about $25 — or a cage, if you will — that envelops the speaker. It’s definitely something you’ll want to look into if you have cats, or kids, or anything else running around that might knock over your Echo, as it adds some much needed stability.

It’s also got a little holder for the remote control, which means you’re far less likely to lose it. The stand also doesn’t impede the sound coming out of the speaker, which is especially important given the improvement (and increase in price) in the Echo Plus.

This one comes in white, if your Echo is white, or in black.

Echo Dot Case

Let’s face it — the Echo Dot ain’t much of a looker. Fortunately, Amazon sells some clothes for this little guy. The fabric cases run $10, and the leather ones are about $20. While that’s a good chunk of the price of the Echo Dot itself, it goes a long way to turning the plastic puck into something you don’t mind folks seeing in your living room.

Do take care that you’re getting the right one, though. If your Echo Dot only has two buttons, it’s a first-generation Dot. The second-gen Dot sports four buttons.

See at Amazon

Portable Battery Case for original Echo

Why would you want this instead of an Amazon Tap, which is meant to be portable? Well, for one, you already own an Echo and don’t want to spend another $100 and change. Another reason would be that I’ve just never been that crazy about the Amazon Tap, and I’ve owned one from the start.

So that’s where this little guy comes in. This is an extra $50, but it’s definitely less expensive than adding a Tap to your Echo arsenal. It’s got a rubberized base that fits on the bottom of your OG Echo and promises up to 6 hours of playback time. It’s done up in that same sort of plastic as the Echo itself and sort of makes the whole thing look like a rocket. It’s got an on/off switch, low-battery LED and another for charging status.

This uses the Echo’s power cable to charge, which is nice, so you won’t have to have yet another USB cable clunking things up.

Note: This is not compatible with the new Amazon Echo Plus.

See at Amazon

Voice remote for Echo and Echo Dot

Let’s say you only have a single Echo in your home, but you want to use it from anywhere. That’s where this little $29 remote comes in. Stash it in your pocket and pull it out wherever you are to talk to Alexa — even if it’s in another room.

It’s also got dedicated buttons for music playback, which is nice.

See at Amazon

Screen protector for Echo Show

I’m not a huge fan of screen protectors, but I also won’t begrudge anyone who is. If you want to protect your investment, $8 gets you this tempered screen protector for the Echo Show. I could definitely see using it in the kitchen, perhaps, because food spills and splatters do happen.

See at Amazon

Wall hanger for Echo Dot

Some folks want to stash their Echo Dot on the wall, out of the way. Some folks also like to do so with tape or Velcro. But of course, there’s a better way.

This outlet hanger lets you stick the Dot (either generation) on the wall without drilling or needing extra wires. Not bad for about $14.

See at Amazon

VAUX cordless speaker for Echo Dot (Gen. 2)

The Echo Dot is great, but its speaker leaves a lot to be desired. This cordless speaker uses the Echo Dot’s 3.5mm aux plug for audio, and Micro-USB for charging.

After that you’ve got something that looks and sounds a whole lot better than the Echo Dot on its own, is portable — and at $50 still comes in less expensive than the Amazon Tap.

See at Amazon

Updated June 2018: Added some great new entries!

Amazon Echo

• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Echo Spot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

See at Amazon

Inbox’s location-based reminders are going away

The snooze until “someday” option is also being retired.

It’s been a hot minute since Google gave a lot of attention to Inbox, and while that’s now changing, it’s not for the better. According to reports from multiple users, Inbox’s “someday” and “pick place” snooze options are being eliminated.

One of Inbox’s selling points is the ability to snooze emails so they disappear from your main inbox for a certain amount of time. Someday would snooze the email until a random date in the future, and while nice to have, wasn’t ever that useful.

The biggest stab in the back is the removal of pick place. With this, Inbox allowed you to snooze an email until you got to a certain location. For example, you could snooze an email about your utility bill being due until you got home. This is something I used all the time with Inbox, and it’s a real shame to see that it’s disappearing.

One user on the Google Product Forums has since noted that the two features are officially being retired but is asking folks to send feedback in the Inbox app to let Google know that we want them to stick around.

It’s also worth noting that these changes are happening no matter which version of Inbox you have, meaning there’s no point in reverting to an older build of the app.

It sure looks like Google is about to kill Inbox

Aerial Dream (or, how to get the excellent Apple TV screensavers on Android TV)

One of the best features of Apple TV can be on Android, too.

The default screensaver on Android TV is fine. Google’s always done well at showcasing photography as a background, and it’s one of those things that makes Android TV so compelling — even when you’re not actively using it, it still looks good.

But Apple TV has taken the screenshot to a whole new ‘nother level with its “Aerials.” We’re not just talking static image here. We’re talking video. High-level (and high-resolution) moving art, that almost looks like it’s standing still. But it’s not. You can fly through San Francisco. Or Hawaii. Or London. Or, soon, over the Earth. Day or night. You can waste days looking at these things. (OK, that’s maybe a slight exaggeration. But they really are that good.)

And you can get them on Android TV. (Actually, any device running Android.) All it takes is an app. And best of all? It’s free.

More at CordCutters.com: How to use Apple TV screensavers on Android TV

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• The hardware you need
• All about streaming services
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• Join the discussion

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Video games, smart bulbs, TP-Link routers, 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 Eufy smart bulbs, TP-Link routers and smart plugs, video games like Far Cry 5, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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How to use Oculus Venues

Take live events to the next level by joining the crowd

You can find the Oculus Venues apps right in the library on your Oculus Go. The app should have come preloaded on your headset so there won’t be any downloading needed. This app is a game changer for watching live events in VR. Instead of watching from a private browser you’ll be watching in a VR showroom with everyone else who is watching in VR. It’s set up much like a concert hall where you each have your own seats, 4 per section and a whole lot of sections.

The first thing you want to do is load up the app by selecting it from the menu. It will immediately prompt you to connect it to your Facebook and, once you do, the fun begins!

• Social sharing: What it is and what it does
• Choosing your event
• Viewing options
• People options
• Audio settings
• Reporting other users

Social sharing: What it is and what it does

From the main menu of the app, there are only two notable things, the option for “Social Sharing” on the top right and the list of live events right in front of you. Social sharing allows you to control how much of your interests people are allowed to see. Just because you connected your Facebook to Oculus Venues does not mean it is going to automatically share all of your personal information. In fact, with Facebook’s growing concern for its user’s safety, you have to opt into it.

Even if you opt into this option it will only share information of shared interests with fellow peers. This means if you like the Android Central Facebook page only the other people who have also like the page will be able to see that you do. The full warning goes as follows:

In Venues, other attendees can see if you have something in common with them on Facebook like your mutual friends or Pages you’ve both liked. This only shares the things that you have in common, not your full Facebook profile.

To opt into social sharing:

Select the settings button on the top left of the main menu screen of Oculus Venues.
Select Social Sharing.
Select Enable.

Choosing your event

All available options will appear in a list as soon as you enter the event. On the bottom of each icon, you’ll see information on the date and times the events are taking place. For more information on each event, all you gotta do is select the event in question and read the description. If the event is available to watch now you’ll have an option to join the venue to get in. If not you can always hit the “Subscribe” button to receive updates.

Upon trying to enter an event for the first time it will request access to your microphone and give you warnings of the time of an event you’ll be joining. For instance, if you’re watching a late night concert it will give you warnings about the potential foul language you might hear in the songs or audience. If you agree to these terms select “accept” and you will be loaded into the event.

Viewing options

If you want to watch these live events but don’t want to talk to other people you can totally watch by yourself. As soon as you load into a venue it will start you in the Solo Viewing Mode. It’ll kinda look like you’re in a private booth looking down at the audience around you and the show in front of you. If you want to join all the people that you see having fun down there select “Join crowd” from the menu in front of you. This will place you in a random open seat within the audience.

To change your seat you can either select “Try new seat”, which will be in the same spot “Join crowd” used to be. This will randomize your seat to another one in the venue. Another way of doing this is to select any of the seats by you. While you can’t directly move to a seat across the room you can keep changing your seat manually until you get there. Kinda like having to actually walk over there!

People options

Everybody has their own avatars in Oculus Go that is customizable from the main menu. While you’re seeing their designed avatars, they’re seeing yours. Not just that, but selecting the “People” option from the main menu will show you all the people you are able to hear right now. From the main menu their face will light up when they are the one talking and, if you’re watching their avatars, a volume symbol will appear by their mouth when they are talking.

Another thing you will notice from the People menu are little icons under their avatars. This is where the social sharing comes in. All of those icons are all the shared interests and friends that you have with the person.

Audio settings

Once inside of a venue you’ll be faced with a square that will serve as your menu bar. One of the options on this bar is to control all of your settings. From here you can change the volume of the event and the chat audio. If you want to be able to hear your peers more than you hear the event all you gotta do is drag bar to the right so it passes the event volume (and vice versa). This is not affected by the overall volume control from the buttons on your headset. This only changes the levels of each selection.

The second option you will find on this menu is the ability to mute and unmute your microphone. You can also mute your microphone from the main menu under your avatar.

Reporting other users

Oculus has a code of conduct they want to make sure is followed by these live events. Once you try to load into a venue for the first time it will play a short video about the code of conduct, letting you know the rules and how they will be monitoring the event. You have to accept these terms to be able to join a room. Don’t worry, if you missed the video every time you load into an event it will show the prompt again except this time it will give you the option to accept or read the written code of conduct.

Should you be faced with an unsavory person while in these rooms you can always report them to Oculus yourself.

Select their avatar.
Select the reporting option.
Go through the prompts to fill out the report.

There is also an option to do this through the Reporting section of the menu in front of you.

Select “Report” from the main menu on the bottom.
Decide if you want to report with a video or without one.
If you select to report without one it will take you to the home screen of your Oculus Go, follow the prompts to complete the report.
If you decide to report a video it will give you a short time to record a video and then start the prompts to complete the report.

I have found a small error when it came to reporting someone. For some reason, if you go directly back into the room you won’t have a menu option anymore. If you go through the option of reporting someone you’ll have to close the app entirely and load back into it so that you still have your menu inside of the venue.

Have you tried venues?

What has been your favorite live event so far? Tell us in the comment section below!