6 tips and tricks to help you get the most out of YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a very good but very beta product, so using it takes some tricks.
YouTube Music is making a comeback — albeit a bit slowly — and while no service is ever perfect, there’s a lot to like in YouTube Music. There’s also a lot to loathe, such as bugs in the UI, incomplete features, and lacking library management. YouTube Music is quite usable and quite good at offering up music that’ll keep you rocking, but there’s a few things you can do to improve your experience.
Learn to hit pause
The pause button is perhaps the most important button in a music app, but the most important pause button in YouTube Music isn’t on the playback screen: it’s in the Privacy & location settings. Before you sit down to search for hundreds of songs and build up your library, before you get ready to let YouTube Music DJ your party for you, before you hand it over to your kid to let them pick the music, pause your YouTube history.
The toggles in Privacy & location allow you to hit pause on your Youtube histories —search history and/or watch history — and during pause, nothing is added to your history, searched aren’t saved, and the only music that is added into the matrix for your recommendations are the song you thumbs up, thumbs down, or add to your library.
Pausing while library building is especially important because it means that if you listen to multiple videos looking for a particular remix or cover you prefer, the rejects don’t get into your history or recommendations. You also listen to far more music when building your library, and without history paused, it can make your watch history for that day ridiculously long to sift through.
Get your mixtapes together
Sometimes you just want your music app to pick the music for you. Spotify’s Made for You mixes exemplify how amazing algorithmic stations can be when done right, and on YouTube Music, there are two mixtapes you absolutely need to check out:
Your mixtape is an endless radio station that’s built based on your tastes and history. Your mixtape may stumble a few times when you’re first using YouTube Music, but keep thumbing songs up and down. If you can, play Your mixtape on YouTube Music’s desktop site so that you can thumbs up songs or remove them from the queue before you get to them in the play order.
Offline mixtape is a more direct comparison to Spotify’s Daily Mixes — a mix based on your library and is refreshed every 24 hours based on what you listened to yesterday — but it has two distinct differences. Offline mixtape has a limit of 100 songs, and as the name implies, it is available offline.
The first time you enter the Downloads section of YouTube Music, you’ll be asked to Turn on your Offline mixtape. Do it immediately. This will not only give you a reliable mix to listen to while on the go, it is the easiest way to start up a shuffle offline, since YouTube Music lacks Google Play Music’s “Shuffle All” option and “Downloaded only” mode. It can be set between 1-100 songs, and the larger it is, the longer you can jam out offline.
SD cards, learn to monitor your storage usage yourself
YouTube Music has made downloads easier than ever for YouTube Music Premium — yes, you need Premium for downloads — with one very noticeable exception. If you’ve got a phone with a microSD card, like a Samsung Galaxy S9, you can download albums, playlists, songs, and Offline Mixtape just fine.
But when you go into Download settings, the app will say you’re using 0MB, even if you’re got gigabytes of data saved.
YouTube Music doesn’t allow you to choose which storage you use for downloads — the main YouTube app does — but it seems to defaulting to expandable storage. The Storage shown in Download settings is set to the internal storage, and since YouTube Music isn’t using internal storage, it’s showing 0MB used.
Going to YouTube Music’s app information doesn’t show how much data your downloads are taking up, either. If you want to see how much you’ve downloaded, you’ll have to pull out a file manager app and go hunt it down yourself. Go to SD Card/Android/data and long-press com.google.android.apps.youtube.music. Open the folder’s Properties or Details and you’ll see the Size of the folder, giving you the amount of data used by YouTube Music’s offline downloads and cache.
Find albums through song search results
YouTube Music is a brand-new service to most users, and as such, most of us are still building up our libraries. In the process of building up my library, I came across an odd but frequent issue: I’d search for an album, and it wouldn’t show up in Album search results. However, songs from that album would be in the search results, so I knew the album was there somewhere.
It’s a bug, to be sure — one I hope YouTube Music fixes posthaste — but if it happens to you, here’s what to do:
Tap songs in the category carousel under the search bar.
If you see a song from the album you want, tap the three-dot icon to the right of the song.
Swipe up on the song menu that appears to reveal all of the options.
Tap Go to Album.
You’ll be taken to the full album listing, where you can add song to library, download the album, and add the album to your library. I’d hold off a moment before adding that album to your library, though.
Be picky when adding albums
If you’re starting out in YouTube Music, you’ve got to fill up your library so that you have something to listen to and YouTube has something to base its recommendations on. You’re going to be tempted to do what you do in other music apps and just start adding albums left and right to your library. Fight this urge.
Every album you add to your library gets added to your Saved playlists in the main YouTube app. If you go album-crazy, your playlists list in YouTube will rapidly get unmanageable. Be picky about what albums you add:
- Don’t add any Singles albums to your library. Just add the single to Liked songs and move on.
- If you like half the album or less, just add those 4-6 songs to Liked songs or a playlist.
- If you listen to an album in order or on shuffle with any regularity, add the album to your library.
Use Bluetooth instead of Casting
I cast music every day from Google Play Music to my Google Home. I am an ardent fan of the music controls you have when casting music to Google Home. If you want to use YouTube Music with your Google Home, set it as your primary music provider and call up a particular song or station, but I wouldn’t recommend casting with YouTube Music.
Shuffle and repeat vanish from your YouTube Music queue controls while casting. Play order can also shift, especially if you’ve been tweaking a station using “Play Next” and “Add to Queue”. In short, casting with YouTube Music is unreliable, and you should highly consider using Bluetooth instead of Casting when you want to pump YouTube Music into bigger, better speakers.
Oh, and if you’re a YouTube Music Free user, you can only cast to Chromecasts with screens anyway, since Background Playback is a YouTube Music Premium feature. The only way you’re using YouTube Music for free on a Google Home is via Bluetooth.
Your turn
What quirks in YouTube Music have you figured out? Do you have a secret trick to getting YouTube’s recommendations dialed in without giving it a deluge of thumbs up and down? Do you have any tips for building a playlist better, stronger, and faster? Share them with us in the comments!
This Brother Compact Laser Printer is only $100 right now
Print up to 36 pages per minute with this compact printer.
Amazon has the Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer on sale for $99.99. This typically sells for $150, and today’s price is the lowest ever. 1,751 customer reviews left this with a cumulative score of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
This printer has a 250-sheet capacity, and you can print up to 36 pages per minute. It also has quick copying and scanning features, and cloud-based print and scan from Google Drive, Evernote, and more.
In addition, this has Amazon Dash Replenishment features so it can automatically order more toner when it’s low. Your purchase is backed by a one-year limited warranty.
See at Amazon
Best shooter action games for Android
Spill some blood with the best Android shooters currently on the market.
We’ve rounded up some of the best shooting games across Android for those who always need a target. We have the full gamut here, ranging from simple, single-tap games to full-blown first-person shooters that nearly bring the console experience to your phone and tablet.
- PUBG Mobile
- Critical Ops
- Modern Strike Online
- Guns of Boom
- N.O.V.A. 3
- Bullet Force
- Hitman: Sniper
- Combat Squad
- Modern Combat 5: Blackout
- Overkill 3
- Unkilled
- Dead Trigger 2
- Dead Plague
- Major Mayhem
- Gunman Clive
PUBG Mobile
PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battleground) is the latest epic shooter to land in the Google Play Store. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this game which still seems to be straddling the line between a beta and full release.
This is a battle royale game that drops 100 players onto the map with no supplies or weapons. Each player must fend for themselves and quickly loot nearby buildings for gear. Once you’re ready to fight, you have the freedom to play how you want — go in guns blazing like Rambo, or sneak around like a deadly assassin. The map is massive and scattered with drivable cars, small towns to explore, and secrets to discover. You can play all by yourself in Solo mode or team up with some friends for Duo or Squad mode.
It’s all free to play, and the in-game currency is only used for a cosmetic upgrade — think a cool pair of shades for your character. Check it out!
Download: PUBG Mobile (Free)
Critical Ops
Critical Ops is still in Beta, but it’s still worth checking out. Right now, there are three game modes to choose from: bomb defusing, team deathmatch, and gun game where you cycle through different weapons every time you kill an opponent. Despite still being in, this game is really good.
It’s kind of got that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare vibe to it, mixed with a healthy dose of CounterStrike to create a best-of-both-worlds scenario that offers great graphics and really solid controls. It’s free to play with in-app purchases available but you can only buy skins for your guns and the developers have assured players that this game will never be pay-to-win. If that remains the case, then Critical Ops is absolutely one of the best shooters available for Android!
Download: Critical Ops (Free w/IAPs)
Modern Strike Online
Not interested in anything other than the thrill of online multiplayer? Modern Strike Online offers just that: a pure online FPS experience packed with features and game modes we’ve come to expect from the genre. Once you’ve leveled up some you unlock all six game modes, which include the standard fare you’d expect — free-for-all, team deathmatch, seek and destroy, and a hardcore mode. In-game currency can be bought via in-app purchases or earned via daily rewards, crates and generally kicking ass. Spend your gold and credits on new weapons, armor, and accessories for your character. There’s a decent amount of customization available for kitting, with over 30 types of weapons available to rent or buy.
It’s as complete an FPS as you’ll find on Android. You’ll want to head into the settings first to customize your controls and screen layout and tweak the graphics quality to optimize gameplay on your device. By default, your gun will auto-fire as soon as an enemy enters your crosshairs — you can switch this off in the settings, but it’s actually a pretty handy feature to have when you’re already using your thumbs to move and look around. Yes, there’s the occasional in-game ad and constant pressure to invest real cash, as is the case with most mobile games these days, but it’s not terribly invasive and there’s plenty of fun and loot to be had relying on the free crates and daily rewards.
Download: Modern Strike Online (Free)
Guns of Boom
Guns of Boom is a bright and colorful cartoony first-person shooter that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still delivering one of the purest competitive online shooter games for Android. The game gets all the basics right that you want from a good FPS — quick and responsive controls that are customizable, well-designed maps and weapons that allow for adaptive gameplay, and a healthy community of players.
Matches are 4-vs-4 deathmatches which take place in vibrant and colorful maps that allow for a mix of rush assaults, close quarters combat, and long-range sniping. One of Guns of Boom’s biggest strengths is how easy it is to load up the app and jump right into the game. Alternatively, you can spend time in the menus connecting with friends or organizing with a clan, or dive into the Arsenal to buy and upgrade new weapons and health kits using in-game cash and gold. To that end, Guns of Boom may give you the feeling that it’s pay-to-win and that might be the case once you get up to Level 30 with the hardcore players who may have invested up to $100 or more into the game. But the game is super generous with cash and powerups if you work towards completing daily challenges and grind away.
If you can work your way up to Level 22, you are invited to try out the new Guns of Boom esports tournament being launched this year. A new Pro-mode was announced in late 2017, and we’ve learned that ESL Gaming will host the inaugural Guns of Boom esport tournament with $200,000 in prizes available to be won. There are qualifying tournaments for North America and European players which start on June 9th.
Download: Guns of Boom (Free w/IAPs)
N.O.V.A. 3: Freedom Edition
N.O.V.A. 3 picks up the story of former N.O.V.A. commander Kal Wardin as he crashlands in San Francisco amid an ongoing battle. Gameplay is mixed with cutscenes that tell the fairly in-depth story — it might, in fact, be the reason you keep coming back to N.O.V.A. 3.
Play against enemy A.I. units or play multiplayer over local Wi-Fi or the internet. Gameloft implements some measures against cheaters and boosters, namely encouraging players to record or document the actions of said cheaters.
Controls are responsive and targeting is aided by tapping a button to aim down sights, a nice feature for those with big fingers. There are some ads displayed on the menu screens and a popup once in awhile when you die, but nothing the experienced mobile gamer can’t handle.
Download: N.O.V.A. 3 (Free)
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Bullet Force
Looking for nothing more than solid online FPS action? Look no further than Bullet Force!
This game supports 20-player battles and includes popular game modes including Team Deathmatch, Conquest, Free-For-All, and Gun Game. The graphics are pretty great for mobile and the on-screen controls can be tweaked as needed. There are over 20 weapons to unlock and customize and if you’re out of service range, don’t fret! You can play offline matches against bots and keep your skills sharp.
Download: Bullet Force (Free w/IAPs)
Hitman: Sniper
Hitman: Sniper finds you, Agent 47, stationed with a sniper rifle outside an estate filled with rich people, bodyguards, and a certain high-priority target. Your job is to take your time, plan a course of action, and begin removing enemies any way you see fit (as long as it’s through a scope). Each mission has different objectives you can complete for extra money, which you can then spend on weapon upgrades and new sniper rifles. If you’re especially proud of a mission, use the Share Replay function to share gameplay footage with your friends.
This game has nice graphics and great mechanics: you must lead enemies who are on the move and must account for their sometimes unforeseen actions. They will not shoot back but will take cover and move around the map attempting to help your prime target escape. Controls are easy and responsive, meaning you won’t have too much trouble lining up the shot. The music is great, especially when you miss a couple of shots and set off some alarms, and the voice acting is also above par for mobile games. Get your heart beating with this great shooter, and enjoy no ads or in-app purchases.
Download: Hitman: Sniper ($0.99)
Combat Squad
Tired of mobile first-person shooters that feel too familiar — almost cookie-cutter? Combat Squad brings an extra layer of tactical strategy to the table by having you control your own squad in one-on-one battles against online opponents. It works by letting you “dive” in and out of controlling your squad members, while the remaining teammates follow your lead via A.I. control.
You’ll need to build up a diverse squad and strategically control each member of your team to achieve victory. The gameplay and controls here are great, so if you’re looking for a fresh take on the genre for mobile, give Combat Squad a try!
Download: Combat Squad (Free w/IAPs)
Modern Combat 5: Blackout
Did someone replace my phone with a console? Modern Combat 5: Blackout is a first-person military shooter that gives you a real video game experience from the palm of your hand. Beginning with an escape mission in Venice, the campaign follows Caydan Phoenix as he travels the world battling Raiders and the World Liberation Army. Customize your soldier’s loadout and special abilities to best suit your playstyle — more options are unlocked as you rank up.
Gameplay is smooth and the controls are easier to manage than most shooters, likely due to the fact you can modify all settings, including audio, control, and HUD. Modern Combat 5 has beautiful graphics for a mobile game and runs without hiccups on an LG G4.
New to Modern Combat 5 is a PvP multiplayer mode that has five game modes: Free for all, VIP, Squad battle, Capture the flag, Zone control, and Team battle. Test your skills against players around the world and work your way up the global leaderboard. This game has minimal ads, though it does have some micro-transactions.
Download: Modern Combat 5: Blackout (Free)
Overkill 3
Overkill 3 is a third-person shooter that guides you through the level, also known as being on rails. Your job is to aim and shoot bad guys. Sounds easy? Overkill lets you choose a difficulty before each boss fight, meaning your recent disposal of entry-position bad guys has no bearing on what is to come.
Choose a loadout from the armory before each mission and unlock new weapons and gear as you progress through the game. You must collect stars by completing specific objectives during each mission — the stars are used to unlock more missions. A tally at the end of each level keeps track of your progress, so you’ll never be unsure of where you stand.
Graphics are not as great as other shooters, but Overkill 3 features a co-op mode that lets you team up with a friend or random player to crush the enemy. Ads are few and far between, but there are many in-app purchases.
Download: Overkill 3 (Free)
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Unkilled
Unkilled takes you on a wild, zombie-killing ride with a variety of enemies for you to slay using a variety of weapons. Some missions require different weapons and gadgets, meaning you must enter your armory to upgrade current weapons and purchase new ones. There are plenty of upgrades and weapons rewarded to you for free as you move through the ranks, and you will feel like you’re achieving something each step of the way.
The controls are easy to use and sensitivities are adjustable. Your weapons will shoot automatically when you are aiming at a zombie except when you’re in a static mission; here you will aim and shoot using both thumbs.
There are two play modes available now — campaign and skirmish ops — with multiplayer apparently coming soon. Skirmish Ops pits you and your base against other players and zombies. Defend yourself or go on the offensive; either way, you will find yourself moving up the leaderboard as you expend bullets and bash brains.
Ads are infrequent but in-app purchases are everywhere.
Download: Unkilled (Free)
Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2 continues to be the quintessential zombie-shooting experience on mobile. The graphics are amazing, though the game hardly takes itself seriously — there are lots of tongue-in-cheek references and over-the-top baddies to mow down. This version is a little different in that players now have their own hideout and a crew that can build stuff for them. The controls have also been streamlined for touch; all you have to do is move the crosshairs over a zombie, and if you’re in range, you’ll automatically start shooting.
There are tons of missions to enjoy, and the in-app purchases have been scaled back with the removal of the premium currency — now you can buy and build everything yourself without spending a cent.
Download: Dead Trigger 2 (Free)
Dead Plague
Dead Plague is an outstanding top-down shooter that absolutely deserves a place on this list for its brilliant graphics, frantic gameplay, and support for online co-op play. You play as a member of a strike team that’s been dropped on an island where a zombie plague has broken out. You must fight your way through the swarms of zombies to find the DNA samples that are humanity’s only hope of finding a cure.
There’s a nice variety of enemies to battle, including some epic boss battles, along with a full arsenal of weapons to choose from. With tight dual-stick digital controls and an engaging campaign that you can play alone or online with friends, Dead Plague stands out as one of the best shooters for Android.
Download: Dead Plague (Free w/IAPs)
Major Mayhem
Major Mayhem is a fast, simple run-and-gun side-scroller. Players simply tap on ninjas, secret agents, or whoever else the president has commanded you to wipe out. There’s some kind of storyline in there about a girlfriend or something, but really, you just tap your targets as the pop out from behind cover.
It sounds simplistic, but the great cartoon feel, over-the-top storyline, and wide range of unlockables provide excellent bite-sized gameplay.
Download: Major Mayhem (Free)
Gunman Clive
Gunman Clive is a throwback to early 2D platformers — we’re talking NES difficulty and mechanics. Run, jump, and shoot as Clive makes his way through traps, puzzles, and enemy gunmen. The control design reminded me a lot of NES with its directional pad and two button interface — responsive and easy to control.
In an arena of mostly flashy, cutting-edge graphics, the monochromatic visual art design might be enough to cause you to overlook this dusty gem. This game isn’t about great graphics — it’s about challenging gameplay and a soothing soundtrack. Be prepared to lose track of time as you try just one more time to reach the end of the stage.
Adding to the retro feel and offering a nice change to the norm, Gunman Clive does not require any device permissions, does not have any in-app purchases, and does not display any ads.
Download: Gunman Clive ($1.99)
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Did we miss any?
Let us know in the comments below your favorite shooter available for Android. If none of these games put the ammo in your clip, check out our roundup of the best Android games.
Updated March 2018: Added PUBG Mobile and Critical Ops to our list!
Nokia 2.1, Nokia 3.1, and Nokia 5.1 are now official: Here’s everything you need to know
HMD Global rolls out key updates to its budget portfolio of devices.
HMD Global unveiled the 2018 refresh to the Nokia 6 earlier this year, and the company is now doing the same for the rest of its budget lineup. The Nokia 2.1, Nokia 3.1, and the Nokia 5.1 slot in at the same price points as their predecessors, offering key updates that make them competitive in the latter half of 2018.
The key change for 2018 is that the Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 5.1 are making the switch to an 18:9 form factor, much like the mid-range Nokia 7 Plus. The Nokia 3.1 continues to be powered by a MediaTek chipset — like the Nokia 3 — but this time around HMD is using a MediaTek SoC in the Nokia 5.1 as well, touting significant gains in performance.
What hasn’t changed is HMD’s commitment to timely updates. The Nokia 3.1 and 5.1 are based on Android One, and will receive two platform updates as well as three years’ worth of security patches.
The Nokia 2.1, meanwhile, is becoming a part of the Android Go initiative. The phone comes with lightweight versions of popular Google services, including Search, Gmail, Assistant, Maps, and YouTube, and will also receive fast updates. Here’s everything you need to know about HMD’s latest phones.
Nokia 2.1, Nokia 3.1, and Nokia 5.1: Specs
| Operating system | Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) | Android 8.1 Oreo | Android 8.1 Oreo |
| Display | 5.5-inch 16:9 720p (1280×720)Oleophobic coating | 5.2-inch 18:9 HD+ (1440×720)Oleophobic coatingGorilla Glass | 5.5-inch 18:9 FHD+ (2160×1080)Gorilla Glass |
| Chipset | Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 4254×1.40GHz Cortex A53 | Octa-core MediaTek MT67508x1.50GHz Cortex A3 | Octa-core MediaTek Helio P18Up to 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 308 | Mali-T860 MP2 | Mali T720 MP3 |
| RAM | 1GB | 2GB/3GB | 2GB/3GB |
| Storage | 8GB | 16GB/32GB | 16GB/32GB |
| MicroSD slot | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear camera | 8MP | 13MP | 16MP |
| Front camera | 5MP | 8MP | 8MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh | 2990mAh | 2970mAh |
| Charging | MicroUSB 2.0 | MicroUSB 2.0 | MicroUSB 2.0 |
| Security | Passcode | Fingerprint sensor | Fingerprint sensor |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/nBluetooth 4.2OTG, 3.5mm jack | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/nBluetooth 4.2, NFCOTG, 3.5mm jack | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, NFCFM radio, 3.5mm jack |
| Dimensions | 153.6 x 77.6 x 9.67mm174g | 146.25 x 68.65 x 8.7mm138.3g | 151.1 x 70.73 x 8.27mm |
| Colors | Blue/Copper, Blue/Silver, Grey/Silver | Blue/Copper, Black/Chrome, White/Iron | Copper, Tempered Blue, Black |
Nokia 5.1: Same great design, now 40% faster
Like last year’s Nokia 5, the chassis of the Nokia 5.1 is milled out of series 6000 aluminum, and the phone is one of the most durable in this category. The phone sports rounded edges and a “satin” finish at the back, and the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back of the device. The unibody design eliminates the need for antenna lines, resulting in a cleaner look.
The switch to an 18:9 form factor has allowed HMD to fit a larger 5.5-inch display — up 0.3 inches from the Nokia 5 — in a body 2mm narrower than last year’s model. The Nokia 5.1 also comes with a FHD+ panel with a pixel density of 443PPI, significantly higher than the 5.2-inch 720p panel used in last year’s model. There’s also 2.5D curved glass along the sides, and Gorilla Glass protection.
Under the hood, the key change is that the Nokia 5.1 is now powered by a MediaTek Helio P18 chipset, with HMD saying the octa-core SoC delivers 40% more performance over last year’s Snapdragon 430.
We haven’t really seen the Helio P18 on any mainstream devices yet (MediaTek’s website doesn’t even list it), but it comes with eight CPU cores clocked up to 2.0GHz and a Mali T720 GPU. Elsewhere, the Nokia 5.1 features 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage, or 3GB of RAM along with 32GB of storage, microSD slot, 8MP front shooter, FM radio, NFC (in select markets), Bluetooth 4.2, and a 2970mAh battery (30mAh less than last year).
The rear camera has been upgraded, and is now a 16MP unit that has PDAF and dual-tone flash. The Nokia 5.1 will be going on sale from July, with the 2GB version available for €189 and the 3GB variant retailing for €219. You’ll be able to choose from three color options: Copper, Tempered Blue, and Black, with the last variant launching a few weeks later.
Nokia 3.1: 18:9 display and double the number of cores
HMD said that the Nokia 3 was its most successful model on Android, and the company is rolling out key upgrades for 2018. The Nokia 3.1 is picking up a 5.2-inch HD+ (1440×720) display and is powered by the 1.5GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6750 chipset. HMD is touting a 50% boost in performance from the quad-core MediaTek MT6737.
The design sees an aluminum mid-frame with chamfered edges and a polycarbonate back, much like last year’s model.
Other specs include 2GB/3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 13MP camera, 8MP front camera, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 2990mAh battery.
The phone will be sold in three color options — Blue/Copper, Black/Chrome, and White/Iron — and you’ll be able to pick it up starting June. The base 2GB variant will retail for €139, and the 3GB option will set you back €169.
Nokia 2.1: Huge battery paired with Android Go
With the Nokia 2.1, HMD is making the switch to the Snapdragon 425, which offers four Cortex A53 cores clocked up to 1.4GHz. Like the rest of the new launches, the Nokia 2.1 delivers vastly superior performance when compared to the 2017 model — up to 50% faster, according to HMD.
The phone itself is larger, thanks to a 16:9 5.5-inch 720p display, but the polycarbonate design is largely identical to last year’s model. One of the main differentiating features of the Nokia 2.1 is the 4000mAh battery, which should easily deliver two days’ worth of usage from a full charge.
You get 1GB of RAM along with 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 8MP camera, 5MP front shooter, and Bluetooth 4.2. Oh, and there are stereo speakers up front.
Last year’s Nokia 2 came with a full-fledged version of Android out of the box, and while HMD rolled out Android Go’s memory management tweaks to the device in a subsequent update, the device was laggy even during everyday tasks. A lot of that had to do with the hardware, and HMD is making the right move by switching to Android Go.
As we’ve seen on the Nokia 1, Android Go runs great on low-powered hardware, so the Nokia 2 should have no issues handling day-to-day tasks. The phone will go on sale starting July for $115, just $15 more than the Nokia 1.
More to come
We’ll have much more to share on HMD’s latest devices in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the Nokia 2.1, 3.1, and the 5.1 in the comments below.
Huawei is the only Chinese company in Forbes’ 2018 Most Valuable Brands
The company’s valued at $8.4 billion.
Phones like the Mate 10 and P20 Pro have made 2018 an awesome year for Huawei so far, and all of that hard work appears to have paid off. The company recently announced that it was placed in Forbes’ Most Valuable Brands for the second year in the row and is the only Chinese company on the list for 2018.
Huawei made its debut appearance on the list in 2017 at rank 88 out of 100, but this year saw the company move up to position 79. Huawei’s brand value also increased by 15% year-over-year from $7.3 billion to $8.4 billion.
Brand value isn’t the only uptick Huawei saw from 2017 to 2018. According to research from IDC, its market share increased by a whopping 13.8% and saw in increase in brand-awareness across the globe by 85% during 2017.
Huawei also notes that it spent RMB 89.7 billion on research and development in 2017 and more than RMB 394 billion over the past ten years.
As for the rest of Forbes’ list, the top five spots went to Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon in that order.
Where to buy the Huawei P20 Pro in the U.S. and Canada
The best over-the-air antennas
The ChannelMaster CM-2018 is a top-selling over-the-air antenna. ($50 at Amazon.)
TV can still be free, once you buy the hardware.
Fun fact: Over-the-air television still exists, just like it did 50 years ago. OK, it’s way better than it was 50 years ago, with proper audio and video coming in at 1080i resolution. And in the coming years it’s only going to get better.
Oh, and by the way, it’s free. All you need is some sort of antenna, and a TV tuner.
Indoor? Outdoor? There’s actually no single best antenna for everybody.
The former may already be attached to your house, probably near the entrance to the Cold War-era bomb shelter. The latter may well be built into your television set — that “antenna” connection that you’ve never used.
If you’re just getting back into the OTA game, we can help. Our data folks (yes, we have those) have combed the internet for the most popular antennas being bought today.
Which one’s right for you? Well, that’s the thing. There is no one right antenna. It comes down to a number of things, but the principle is the same in any case. The bigger it is and the higher it is, the more easily it’ll pick up signals from farther away. Trees and hills and mountains don’t help matters. And if it’s a highly directional signal and your antenna isn’t pointing the right way? That’s another problem.
First: Do some OTA homework
It’s worth spending a few minutes with a website that helps you locate the TV towers in your area. It’ll show which direction they’re in, and how far away they are. That should give you some sort of idea of what kind of antenna you need.
Two such websites we like:
Next: What to buy? My basic rule of thumb is this: If you have a good way to mount an antenna outdoors, at least 10 feet or so in the air? Do it. It’s worth it in the long run. If an indoor antenna gets it done for you, though? Great. Maybe snag an inexpensive amplifier. The point is it’s going to be different for everyone.
Here’s my experience: I started with a cheap indoor antenna, and it worked OK. But I was missing my local Fox affiliate, and the local CBS affiliate was spotty. (And that was a thing during football season.) The problem? The indoor antenna just wasn’t strong enough or elevated enough — and it was facing the wrong direction.
I then moved to a better outdoor antenna, facing the right direction for those two channels, and life is good. I could have saved some money overall if I’d just spent a little more upfront. But every situation is going to be different.
A smarter tuner
Most televisions have a built-in tuner. That is, you can plug an antenna straight into the TV, scan for channels, and it’ll work just fine. But we can do better in 2018.
Boxes like HDHomerun, Tablo and AirTV let you plug in an antenna and shoot that feed out over your home network, so you can watch that over-the-air TV on nearly any device. And these boxes have multiple tuners, so you can watch on more than one device (tablet, TV, whatever) at a time.
These are accessories worth looking into if you’re serious about over-the-air TV. And they have apps for just about every major platform — Android, iOS, Xbox and your home computer.
HDHomerun at Amazon AirTV at Amazon Tablo at Amazon
And with that, here are the antennas we think you should take a look at.
The best over-the-air antennas
Channel Master CM-2018 ($50)
Well, then. This is the sort of old-school outdoor antenna you might remember back from the 1980s. (Look around your neighborhood, folks.) This updated model rates 60 miles for VHF and 45 miles for UHF and will almost certainly get the job done.
This is one of the highest-rated antennas around, and for good reason — it works really well.
Plus you can hang your laundry on it in a pinch.
See at Amazon
ClearStream Fusion ($99)
See at Antennas Direct
This latest entry from ClearStream is a great go-to antenna. It’s meant for indoor or outdoor use (remember that the latter is always better) and doesn’t take up a whole lot of square footage. You’ll know it’s there, but it’s not horribly gaudy. The included J-mount and 20dB amplifier (which now uses microUSB for power) are nice touches as well.
This is the sort of antenna you want to turn to if you’re serious about OTA TV but still want to look good doing it.
RCA Flat Digital Amplified Indoor Antenna ($31)
This is the sort of thing you’re likely to find sitting on a living room entertainment center or bookshelf, connected directly into a television set. It’ll get the job done for the strongest channels, but you can pretty much forget about receiving anything at a distance.
See at Amazon
Winegard FlatWave Amped FL5500A Digital Antenna ($51)
This 50-mile indoor antenna is reversible, so you can sort of pretend to hide it on a wall, or stick it to a window. (Preferably get it up as high as possible.) Direction is still key with this kind of antenna, so you’ll want to make sure it’s pointing the right way, if at all possible.
See at Amazon
Clearstream 2Max ($56)
Now we’re getting serious. This 60-mile external antenna can go in an attic, if it must. But better would be to stick it on a mast outside. (We’re talking just a few screws into the side of a building is all.) While no antenna is what we’d consider attractive, this is probably one of the better-looking signal-catchers of the bunch.
See at Amazon
Mohu Leaf 50 ($49)
This is another one of the most popular indoor antennas. It’s got a 50-mile range, but it’s still an indoor antenna. So distant stations might still be an issue. It’s also paintable (again, if you want to try to conceal it), and it’s also extremely thin.
See at Amazon
Updated May 29, 2018: Added the ClearStream Fusion to the ranks.
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Asus ZenFone 5Q up for pre-order in the U.S. for just $299
The phone officially launches July 31.
During MWC 2018, Asus announced the ZenFone 5, 5Z, and 5 Lite. The 5 and 5Z picked up a lot of attention for being shameless iPhone X clones, but the 5 Lite ditched the notch in favor of a basic, functional budget offering. Today, it’s been confirmed that the phone is coming to the U.S.
Available in the States as the ZenFone 5Q, the phone is available for pre-order on Amazon right now with a price tag of $299.
For just shy of 300 bucks, the 5Q offers a 6-inch 18:9 LCD display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080. There are also dual cameras on both the front and back, with the 16MP rear shooter and 20MP selfie cam each paired with a secondary wide-angle lens.
Inside the ZenFone 5Q is the Snapdragon 630 processor paired with 4GB RAM, 64GB of storage, and a decently-sized 3,300 mAh battery.
Other goodies include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card expansion up to 1TB, NFC, and Android Oreo.
You can pre-order the ZenFone 5Q on Amazon right now and the phone’s said to properly launch on July 31.
See at Amazon
Apple Updates WWDC App Ahead of 2018 Event
Ahead of the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off on Monday, June 4 with a keynote event, Apple has updated its official WWDC app for iOS devices, introducing a revamped design, a new organizational system, and a list of available sessions and labs that will be hosted by Apple employees at the event.
According to Apple’s release notes for the app, the update introduces a new look that is designed to make it simpler to find favorites, downloaded videos, sessions, and labs so developers who are unable to attend are able to quickly access WWDC resources.
Topic-based organization of videos, sessions, and labs has been added to make it easier to find discussions covering specific aspects of the software, such as “Building apps for watchOS” and “Building Modern Apps.”
The app has been updated with a new 2018 schedule that outlines when various sessions and labs will be held. Notably, Apple last year eliminated the Apple Design Awards ceremony, but will be reintroducing it this year on Monday afternoon.
Some of the app sessions have placeholder names as they cover topics and features that will be announced at Monday’s keynote event when new versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS are unveiled.
For developers who are on-site and attending WWDC, the app offers up on-site tools like maps and start times for labs, sessions, and events. For those unable to attend, it includes live video streams of the keynote, labs, and sessions.
Like last year, Apple is also offering a tvOS app for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV so developers can also watch WWDC sessions on their television sets.
The Worldwide Developers Conference starts on June 4 with a keynote that will take place at 10:00 a.m. Apple will live stream the keynote on both its website and on the Apple TV, and MacRumors will also provide live coverage on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Apple’s WWDC app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Related Roundup: WWDC 2018
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Vision-Focused Accessibility Efforts Made by Apple, Amazon, and Others Highlighted in New Report
A new article published last night by The Wall Street Journal takes a look into how accessibility-focused technology has the “potential to fundamentally change the mobility, employment and lifestyle of the blind and vision-impaired.” The piece looks at advancements made by Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and other companies, including hardware and software like Amazon’s Echo, Microsoft’s Seeing AI app, and Apple’s Siri.
One blind individual, Mike May, discussed using dedicated accessibility technology like Aira, which provides users with special glasses that connect them to a human representative in real time who proceeds to describe the user’s surroundings to them as they move around. Aira ranges from $89 for 100 minutes per month to $329 for unlimited access per month.
While important for blind users to have technology focused entirely on their daily needs, advocate Mark Riccobono pointed out that introducing accessibility into existing devices, like Apple does, “may be an even bigger need.”
He points to the iPhone, which had accessibility built into it from the beginning.
“I can go down to the Apple store and pay the same price and triple-click the home button and I have VoiceOver,” says Mr. Riccobono, referring to a feature where the phone will describe aloud what is happening on the screen. “That’s built in, it’s great, it doesn’t cost a penny extra.”
Apple’s devices have numerous features aimed at visually impaired users, including VoiceOver, display accommodations, the magnifier and zoom, resizable text options, and more. These features are available across the Apple ecosystem on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. One user, Erik Weihenmayer, mentioned using Siri to send texts to family members, which is also a functionality of HomePod.
Of course, many of the voice-activated devices that have become powerful aids for the blind, such as Amazon’s Echo and Google Home, weren’t specifically designed for them, or with philanthropy in mind.
Mr. Weihenmayer, for example, uses Comcast ’s voice remote to find TV shows, Apple’s Siri to send texts and Amazon’s Alexa to cue up his favorite music.
The article ends with a focus on the next potential “life-changing” technology for the blind: the driverless car. Apple’s own progress in this field is now reportedly focused entirely on an autonomous driving system that would be integrated into an existing manufacturer’s vehicle.
As Apple works on an autonomous system to launch on a wide scale in the future, it has already ramped up self-driving initiatives around its corporate campuses, recently signing a deal with Volkswagen to use Volkswagen vans as self-driving shuttles to transport employees in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“Transportation can be a very large barrier in the lives of blind people,” impeding everything from employment to education, says Eric Bridges, executive director of the American Council of the Blind. “Having the ability to have one of these vehicles come and take you where you want to go, when you want to go, and not be constrained by the paratransit system or the fixed-route system,” promises a greater level of independence and freedom, he says.
Other companies have beaten Apple to market in this field, most notably including Alphabet’s Waymo, which is planning an autonomous car service for a wide launch in 2018. For its part, Waymo says it will put audio tools and Braille labels in its self-driving cars so that blind riders can perform tasks like requesting the car to pull over or calling a Waymo operator.
For Apple, the company on May 17 highlighted a wide range of its accessibility features on its website in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The updated Apple.com accessibility page includes a short commercial from 2016 about real people with disabilities who use Apple products in everyday life, narrated by Sady Paulson, who uses Switch Control on a Mac.
Otherwise there are dedicated sections on the webpage for different types of disabilities, including Vision, Hearing, Physical and Motor Skills, and Learning and Literacy. At the top of the page Apple explains, “Technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone.”
Tags: The Wall Street Journal, accessibility
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Apple Grows Self-Driving Car Fleet to 62 Vehicles in California
Apple’s fleet of self-driving vehicles roaming the streets of California is now at 62 vehicles and 87 drivers, up from 55 vehicles and 83 drivers just two weeks ago. The numbers come from ongoing coverage provided by macReports, citing information obtained from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Apple has been expanding its autonomous vehicle test since it was granted a permit from the California DMV in April 2017, enabling it to test the advanced technology on public roads in the state. Beginning in early 2018, multiple sources reported on the number of vehicles in Apple’s fleet, with 27 autonomous vehicles counted in January and 45 in March.
Each of Apple’s cars is equipped with the company’s in-development autonomous driving software, along with advanced LIDAR equipment and an array of cameras to detect the vehicle’s surroundings. The actual cars are Lexus RX450h sports utility vehicles and must have safety drivers inside of them, since Apple’s permit does not include driverless testing.
Apple’s growing collection of self-driving vehicles is reportedly gathering data for the company’s long-rumored autonomous vehicle software. Apple initially pivoted to self-driving car software when plans for its own electric vehicle fell through.
As Apple continues to grow the fleet, it’s still unclear exactly what the company will do with the software when it’s finished the testing phase. One likely possibility will be a partnership between Apple and an existing car manufacturer to place the self-driving software inside a vehicle not built by Apple, which could be implemented through a future version of CarPlay.
Rumors that date back to 2016 suggest the software could include augmented reality aspects, like a heads-up display that provides a collection of useful driving details from various apps. Since those rumors, AR has become a huge field of interest for Apple with the launch of the iPhone X and ARKit, so it’s easy to see Apple’s interest in potentially expanding such technology into driving.
More recently, in June 2017 Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed Apple’s work on autonomous software: “We’re focusing on autonomous systems. It’s a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects… it’s probably one of the most difficult AI projects to actually work on.”
Tag: Apple Car
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