Google Photos is being updated with Favorite and Like buttons

The ⭐️ is launching this week while the ❤️ is “coming soon.”

Google Photos is a constantly evolving beast, and this week, it’s being updated with a new feature that’ll allow you to favorite photos you take.

When looking at a picture you’ve captured, you’ll soon be able to tap a new ⭐️ icon that’ll mark it as a favorite. As you keep tapping that little icon, these photos will automatically populate a new Favorites album that you can browse and share like any other album you’ve created.

Along with this, Google has another feature that’s “coming soon” that’ll allow you to like photos from other people that are shared with you. When viewing photos a friend/family member has sent to you on Google Photos, tapping the new ❤️ button will show them you like what you see.

These aren’t huge features, but they are welcome ones that should come in handy. The ability to like photos will make it easy to let people know you’ve seen whatever they shared with you, but I’m most excited for the favorites button as a new way to filter out certain photos from the mass of them I’ve collected over the years.

What do you think about this latest addition to Google Photos?

Download: Google Photos (free)

MacRumors Exclusive Sale: Power Your Apple Devices With RavPower’s Portable Batteries, Qi Mats, Cables, and More

Our next exclusive partner sale is debuting this week, and it allows our readers the chance to save on nine Apple accessories from well-known company RavPower. The products on sale focus on power delivery for your Apple devices, with Qi mats, Lightning cables, portable battery packs, and more available at a discount.

All of RavPower’s products included in the sale are on Amazon, so if you’re interested in any of the accessories simply add one to your cart, proceed to the checkout screen, enter the relevant promo code into the Gift cards & promotional codes field, and then click “Apply.” As usual, Amazon Prime customers can get free two-day shipping on all orders.

In the list below you’ll find every RavPower product offered in the sale, all of which will remain active through 11:59 p.m. PT on June 15, 2018. Note that only one code can be used per order, so if you’d like to order more than one type of item, you’ll need to place separate orders. Prices listed below also exclude additional taxes.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with RavPower. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

• 7.5W Fast Wireless Charging Pad – $25.99 with code RUMORSPC034, down from $39.99

• 7.5W Fast Wireless Charging Stand – $35.99 with code RUMORSPC069, down from $45.99

• 60W 5-Port USB Power Delivery Charger – $29.99 with code RUMORSPC059, down from $39.99

• Dual USB Car Charger with 3ft Lightning to USB Cable – $8.99 with code RUMORSPC025, down from $11.99

• 9,000 mAh External Battery Pack with Built-in iPhone Lightning Connector – $29.99 with code RUMORS18, down from $41.99

• 16,750 mAh 4.5A Dual USB Output External Battery Pack – $22.99 with code RUMORS010, down from $32.99

• 3,000 mAh Extended Battery Case for iPhone 6/6s – $9.99 with code RUMORS045, down from $19.99

• Power Strip 6-Outlet Surge Protector with 2 USB Ports – $11.99 with code RUMORSPC009, down from $16.99

• Lightning Cable, 2-Pack 3ft 6ft Apple MFi Certified iPhone Cables – $11.99 with code RUMORSLC010, down from $15.99

Visit our full Deals Roundup to catch up with more of the latest sales happening this week.

Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: RAVPower
Discuss this article in our forums

Sonos Launches New Lineup of Discounted Speaker Bundles

Sonos today introduced several new speaker bundles, which are designed to allow customers to purchase more than one Sonos speaker at a discounted price.

The new bundles range in price from $379 to $1,899 depending on the products included, with discounts up to $157 on the highest priced bundles.

A two room set that includes two Sonos One speakers is priced at $379, for example, down from the regular price of $398 that the speakers would cost when purchased separately.

A two room pro set, which includes two of the Sonos Play:5 speakers, is priced at $899, almost $100 off the separate pricing.

Sonos has options for multi-room speaker setups and entertainment arrangements that include the Playbase and the Playbar, along with more expensive setups designed for vinyl records.

All of the new speaker bundles can be viewed and purchased on the Sonos website.

Sonos is one of Apple’s main competitors, with the Sonos One, which includes support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, designed to compete with the HomePod. Sonos first introduced bundles when the HomePod launched, selling two of the Sonos One speakers for $349, the same price as the HomePod. The new bundle that includes two Sonos One speakers is more expensive than that original deal, but, along with other offerings, allows for Sonos equipment to be purchased at a discounted price.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Sonos and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

Tag: Sonos
Discuss this article in our forums

Alexa makes herself at home on a variety of new Acer laptops

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Acer is breaking new ground in vocal recognition systems in portable computing by adding official Alexa support to its various laptop ranges. New laptops will have support at the point of purchase, and existing Acer laptop owners will gain support through updates in the near future — but only one of them will understand you from across the room.

Amazon’s Alexa-supporting smart speakers, including the Echo and Echo Dot, have proved to be quite popular, but its smart-assistant doesn’t need to be tethered to first-party hardware. Along with Amazon’s own speakers, smart TVs, and HP’s Pavilion Wave all-in-one, Acer has now launched Alexa support for its Spin laptops. Similar to existing products, these laptops will support all of the same smart functions.

Various other notebook manufacturers have promised Alexa support on their hardware this year, but Acer will be the first to actually ship systems with full support. The Spin 5 and Spin 3 will ship out to buyers with Alexa on board on May 23 and 26 respectively, with plans for the Nitro 5 Spin to debut in June. We’re also told that new systems in the Aspire, Switch, and Swift ranges will support Alexa at some point in the next few weeks.

Existing owners of Acer hardware will also be able to join in with the vocal revolution in the near future. Acer promised to update laptops through its Acer’s Care Center, starting with the Spin 5 on May 23, with other models and systems receiving their own updates in the following weeks.

All of the systems will have Alexa support through the onboard audio chip, and as with the smart speakers, users will merely have to use the Alexa wake word (“Alexa,” at default) to have it perform one of its various skills and functions. Although that part of Alexa’s operation will be comparable to the experience had with smart speakers like Amazon’s own, most of Acer’s new Alexa-supporting laptops do not have the capabilities to hear users accurately at range. Although the Spin 5 does support the far-field voice recognition for at-range listening-in, all of Acer’s other laptops will need users to be quite close to be heard clearly.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best laptops under $1,000
• The best stealth gaming laptops
• Spring is the season to buy a new laptop
• Dell XPS 13 9370 review
• The best laptops

Qualcomm joins Facebook’s Terragraph Project to bring fast Wi-Fi to U.S. cities

Facebook and Qualcomm are teaming up to bring fast Wi-Fi to cities across the United States. For at least two years, the social media giant has been attempting to create a “multi-node wireless system focused on bringing high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas.” It’s called the Terragraph Project, and it was first debuted at the social network’s 2016 annual developer conference.

The goal is to send data through routers more efficiently, resulting in faster Wi-Fi. And now, Qualcomm chipsets will be integrated with this technology, which should allow manufacturers to upgrade routers in order to send data at a frequency of 60GHz.

According to a Qualcomm spokesperson, the Terragraph Project could be a boon to both rural and urban neighborhoods that suffer from Wi-Fi dead zones. The technology is contingent upon the 802.11ay WLAN standard, which promises transmission rates of up to 40Gbps over 300 to 500 meter ranges. But with a little bit of finagling from Qualcomm and Facebook, this standard has been further improved with enormous antenna arrays, channel bonding, time-synchronized nodes, and TDMA protocols, Engadget reports. This should help signals bypass obstacles (like huge skyscrapers), as well as reach more users and reduce costs.

Trials for the new network are slated to begin in the middle of 2019, though it’s not entirely clear where the test cities will be. Previously, Facebook suggested that Terragraph would be tested in San Jose. Given that Terragraph is meant to help areas where laying fiber or other internet sources is particularly expensive, there are a number of cities and towns that could certainly benefit from this technology.

This isn’t Facebook’s first foray into internet. The company already offers Free Basics, a free internet service that has come under fire previously for offering a very abbreviated and carefully curated version of the web (which, of course, includes Facebook). Unfortunately, fake news has found its way onto the site, and Facebook recently removed the service from Myanmar and other areas where it has presented a misinformation problem to users.

Hopefully, Terragraph will provide a better alternative to existing solutions, and if all goes well, we could soon be seeing this fast new network in the next year.

Editors’ Recommendations

• These Wi-Fi router deals can boost your internet speeds, save you more than $100
• 5G is coming — here’s what to expect, and when to expect it on your carrier
• What is WiGig?
• What is WPA3?
• Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi offers internet service to developing countries

The LG Q7 range brings premium innovations to the midrange market

LG is fleshing out its 2018 range with today’s announcement of the new LG Q7 range. The LG Q7 brings a whole host of interesting new features to LG’s midrange lineup, but with the midrange market even more interesting than ever with the recent reveal of the OnePlus 6, what can LG bring to the table to tempt prospective buyers?

Choices, choices

Like last year’s LG Q6, the LG Q7 will be coming in three different flavors: The standard LG Q7 Plus, the Q7 Plus, and the Q7 Alpha (stylised Q7α). Each of the phones is functionally identical from the outside, with a rounded bezel-less design similar to last year’s LG Q6, as well as 5.5-inch FHD+ FullVision displays running a 2160 x 1080 resolution. Like the Q6, you’ll instead be looking at the differences between the models being  in the specifications on each.

If you’re looking to get the very best of LG’s newest midrange entries, then you’ll be wanting the LG Q7 Plus. The powerhouse of the range, the Q7 Plus comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as standard, while the standard Q7 and the Q7 Alpha come with a still respectable 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. If the storage numbers aren’t big enough for you, all three models also come with MicroSD slots, and are expandable up to 2TB of extra storage. That’s a lot of pictures of your lunch.

LG has been a little cagey on the identity of the processor in each of the models, only specifying that there will either be a 1.5GHz Octa-Core processor or a 1.8GHz Octa-Core processor. We’re guessing that both will be variants of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series, possibly a Snapdragon 450. We also assume that the more powerful 1.8GHz processor will be in the Q7 Plus, while the standard and Alpha variants will see the slightly less powerful 1.5GHz version.

You’ll find a decently sized 3,000mAh battery in each of the phones, as well as Android 8.0 Oreo.

Capable cameras

The differences between the models continues into the camera. You’ll find a 16MP camera mounted on the back of the LG Q7 Plus, while the standard Q7 and Q7 Alpha make do with the small downgrade to a 13MP lens. Each of these rear-mounted cameras, regardless of model, will also come with PDAF — Phase Detection Auto Focus — an addition that LG claims is 23 percent faster to focus than previous focusing options.

Around the front of each phone you’ll find a 5MP selfie lens with the capability to capture 100-degree, wide-angle shots — perfect for those large group shots. You’ll also be able to access the selectively blurred “bokeh” style of shots with LG’s Portrait Mode. Additionally, LG has moved the fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone, which can be used as a camera shutter button, making selfies even easier than ever.

Sound investments, smart additions

If sound quality is important to you, then you’re in accord with LG’s mobile division. Each model of the Q7 range will come with DTS:X 3D Surround Sound — a first in this price range, according to LG — which gives users virtual surround sound, with 7.1 channels. The LG Q7 Plus goes even further with audio innovations, also adding a Hi-Fi Quad DAC for high-end headphones, to cut down on distortion and deliver clearer sound to the user — another first in this price range.

Love or hate it, artificial intelligence seems here to stay, and while it’s not been loaded with the A.I. smarts of the LG G7 ThinQ, the LG Q7 range will also come with LG’s QLens feature. Essentially an A.I. search feature, users will be able to point their cameras at food or clothing to find shopping recommendations, or identify landmarks to find matching or similar photos.

Rough and tumble-ready

Life is tough, and so is the LG Q7. LG has beefed up the protective qualities of its midrange phones to survive a hazardous world, and as a result, it claims that the metallic body and metal frame of the LG Q7 is able to pass 14 MIL-STD 810G tests designed by the United States military to test the performance of equipment in harsh environments.

That’s not all either — LG has also added water and dust-resistance to the Q7, with all models of the phone being rated up to IP68.

Where to buy the LG Q7

While LG is releasing three models of the LG Q7, there’s no guarantee that a particular model will be available in your region. At this time LG is mum on pricing and availability, but does say that it aims to release the phones in early June in Europe, with shipments to the Americas and Asia following shortly afterwards. The LG Q7 Plus and Q7 will be available in Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue, and Lavender Violet, while the LG Q7 Alpha will only be available in Moroccan Blue.

It’s obvious to note that the LG Q7 Plus will be the most expensive of the lot, but it’s hard to say how much those price ranges will be when it’s released. With the previous Q6 releasing for 250 British pounds last year, it’s fair to expect the standard LG Q7 to be around that price, if not slightly more expensive.

Editors’ Recommendations

• LG G7 ThinQ vs. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: Clash for the heavyweight title
• LG G7 ThinQ vs. LG G6: Out with the old, in with the new
• LG G7 ThinQ vs. iPhone X: Which phone comes out on top?
• LG V30S ThinQ hands-on review
• LG G7 ThinQ vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: A brains-versus-brawn comparison

We tried some of the RED Hydrogen One’s crazy tech: Here’s what you need to know

Christian de Looper/Digital Trends

RED, known for its high-end cinema cameras, is venturing into the smartphone business. The Red Hydrogen One is a phone that has been shrouded in mystery ever since the company announced it late last year, but we had an opportunity to learn just a little more about the device at RED’s headquarters in Los Angeles.

The company is still not giving much away — even while we held it in our hands. We know some specifications, such as how its 5.7-inch screen has a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution. It also runs Android, there’s a dual-sensor camera on the front and the back, and it’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 (yes, the flagship chip for 2017), as well as a 4,500mAh battery. It’s built for immersion, as the Hydrogen One’s display is aimed at delivering a 3D experience without the need for 3D glasses; and the phone can process audio to be much more spacial.

The holographic display

The RED Hydrogen One is a beast of a phone. Even with a relatively standard display size of 5.7 inches, it’s thick and heavy. That’s not to say it’s too unwieldy — there are textured grooves on the side that make it easy to hold, while also adding a unique look to the phone. With a large camera module and grey-and-red color scheme, this phone looks different from anything else on the market.

We initially thought the most important part of the RED Hydrogen One would be its camera, considering RED is a camera company. From the brief experiences we’ve had (and considering RED hasn’t really shown us the camera yet), the highlight is the display. The phone uses nanotechnology between the LCD and the back-light to create a 3-dimensional (3D) effect. It reminded us of the display on Nintendo’s 3DS, but images and videos from the so-called “4V” display really did pop off the screen — even at different distances.

The RED Hydrogen One’s display is neat, but it’s not a Star Wars-style hologram.

It’s important to temper expectations. The RED Hydrogen One’s display is neat, but it’s not a Star Wars-style hologram. It does pop out, but you can’t place the phone horizontally and watch images expand off the display.

There are some other major caveats to using it too. The content has to actually support the display — and therein lies one of RED’s biggest hurdles. To overcome this, RED is launching a content platform, where people will be able to download movies and TV shows. The company has also developed technology to convert 2D content into 3D content, but perhaps unsurprisingly, RED representatives said content filmed with the camera on the phone or Red’s upcoming professional dual-lens cinema camera will look better on the screen thanks to the stereoscopic data.

When content isn’t 3D, the display can still be used in normal 2D mode, just like any other phone. The demos we saw were very impressive, but they were also controlled. The jury’s out on whether or not the technology will end up working in the real world with a range of movies and TV shows that people might want to spend their time watching. RED is working on nailing down deals with major movie studios, but whether or not that materializes remains to be seen.

Immersive audio

Visual immersion is only a part of the equation. Another piece of the puzzle is audio, and RED’s tackling that too on the Hydrogen One.

Audio from the Hydrogen One sounds close to reality with headphones on — as in if we closed our eyes, we felt as though we were transported to the scenes in the demo videos. It’s all thanks to a lot of 3D audio processing, which enables spatial sound. While it sounds very good, it’s not technologically groundbreaking. We found it similar to listening to Dolby Atmos-supported devices.

Even with ear buds, you can check out experiences like this to get a good idea of what Red is going for. In fact, one of the major demos involved a hair salon, and while we can’t say for sure if this is the same audio, it’s at least very similar.

While the audio may not be groundbreaking, paired with the 3D display, it truly does improve the level of immersion for what you’re watching.

What don’t we know?

The real take-away from our visit to RED’s headquarters is that there’s a whole lot we don’t know. There’s still a lot we haven’t seen with the display and audio, let alone with the rest of the phone. The Hydrogen One is modular, but we don’t know what it’s meant for or how it changes the phone. We could definitely see it playing into RED’s professional equipment.

We also don’t know much about the Hydrogen One’s camera, which we assume will be the main area of focus for the phone. The phone is built to work with other RED products thanks to its modularity. The word “modularity” has been a bit hit-and-miss in the smartphone world — but in specific use-cases, like the ability to use the phone as a display on RED’s professional equipment, and the ability to use professional lenses with the phone, we suspect it could help pave the way for better smartphone photography. According to a report from The Verge, the one of the first modules will be a large camera sensor that will allow the user to attach lenses from Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Leica, and so on.

Skepticism

The RED Hydrogen One sits somewhere in between $1,200 to $1,500. Yes, it’s expensive, but this is clearly an early-adopter phone with experimental technology. Even though it will strangely be sold on AT&T and Verizon, this phone isn’t meant to be a phone for the average consumer — at least, not yet. Instead, this is a phone for those firmly in the RED ecosystem — those who have RED gear, and want to be able to use their phone with it.

Like virtual reality headsets, it’s clear the Hydrogen One is going to run into the same problem: Content. The phone needs to launch with a large library of movies and TV shows to watch with the holographic display.

We’ll keep an eye out for more things RED as we get closer to the Hydrogen One’s launch date this summer.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AT&T and Verizon to sell the mysterious Red Hydrogen One phone this summer
• DT Daily: RED’s holographic smartphone coming this summer
• Ossic X 3D headphones won’t ship, as company shuts its doors
• Modsy’s latest partnership will put a virtual designer in your home
• DT Daily: RED’s Holographic Smartphone Coming This Summer

Get the training required to pass the CompTIA Security+ exam for just $59!

When it comes to data security, CompTIA is the golden standard of certification. If you’re interested in a career in data security, you’ll need to pass the Security+ (SY0-501) exam

The problem here is that the training covers a broad range of topics and the courses required are usually not cheap. Right now, however, Android Central Digital Offers has a deal on the 2018 CompTIA Security Certification Training Bundle, you’ll pay just $59. That’s 98 percent off the regular price!

This training bundle contains 14 courses with over 140 hours of content included, which covers everything from everything you need to know to pass the various IT certification exams.

If you’re interested in becoming a certified data security specialist, this is the course you need. Don’t wait too long — this price is only here for a limited time.

See at Android Central Digital Offers

HMD Global, the company behind Nokia phones, just raised $100 million

Around 70 million Nokia handsets were sold in 2017.

Last year, a company by the name of HMD Global revived the Nokia brand and started releasing a heap of Android and feature phones under the iconic name. 2017 proved to be rather successful for HMD, and to ensure things stay that way, the company recently raised an additional $100 million in funding.

According to Reuters, new investors include FIH Mobile (a subsidiary of Foxconn) and DMJ Asia Investment Opportunity. Jean-Francois Baril, a former Senior Vice President at Nokia, lead this latest round of funding.

HMD Global sold around 70 million Nokia phones in 2017, resulting in total sales of $2.1 billion.

Per HMD Global CEO Florian Seiche —

Our aim is to be one of the leading players in the global smartphone market, and our initial success strengthens our confidence that we can continue on our growth path in 2018 and beyond.

Nokia’s already announced a heap of phones for this year, with some of the highlights being the Nokia X6, Nokia 7 Plus, and the alluring Nokia 8 Sirocco. HMD’s been using the Nokia brand to do exciting things in the Android space, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Nokia 1 review: Android Go has a lot of potential

Google Keep vs. Google Tasks: Two productivity extremes

Google has two to-do apps in its arsenal, and the difference between them is clear.

Google believes in giving its users choice, which may be part of why it has two email clients, four reminder systems, an ever-growing number of chat apps, and now two music subscription services. Google has two to-do services — Google Keep and the newly-revived Google Tasks — with two remarkably different feature sets and integrations. If you’re wondering which one you should trust to keep you on task, the choice is pretty easy.

Google Tasks takes minimalism to the limit

Google Tasks was given a shiny new look as part of the recent Gmail redesign, but unfortunately wasn’t give any new features apart from the publishing of a standalone app for Android and iOS. You can make tasks add descriptions, subtasks, and a due date, but you can’t add a due time to a due date. You have to date every subtask in a task to the same date to have them stick together when sorted by date, and you can’t give anything a priority.

You can make separate lists in Google Tasks, but you can’t view tasks from all lists in one master list view. You can’t archive tasks to get them out of the way; you can send them to the trash or you can keep them in the Completed section at the bottom of the list. Oh, and you can only access the Trash folder of Google Tasks by going to the original Google Tasks site, which has not received the shiny new look the Gmail panel and app are sporting, making it look very 2003.

Google Keep has everything but the kitchen sink

Google Keep, by comparison, looks the same on just about every platform it’s available on, from its website to its mobile app to Wear OS to Google Docs, where you can summon a Google Keep toolbar on the right side of the Docs editor and even drag and drop Google Keep notes into your document. The only place Google Keep is a little different is in the newly redesigned Gmail, where Keep notes have more softly rounded corners, the same font as Gmail, and an extremely simplified creation/editing interface.

Where Google Tasks has very few options and features, Google Keep has just about everything but the kitchen sink. You can give your notes one of 12 colors, you can label your cards using hashtags, and you can have simple text notes, list notes, doodles, image notes, and even voice notes on the mobile app. You can add people to notes in Google Keep, such as adding your significant other to your grocery list or adding your classmates to an outline for your midterm project.

You can clone notes in Google Keep or copy them to Google Docs when you’re close to the 19,999 character limit on an individual note — line breaks and list items count towards that limit, by the way. You can set a location-based reminder to a card or a time/date reminder to a card, and reminders can be recurring, so my end-of-shift checklist pops up as a reminder on my phone and my watch 15 minutes before I clock out every day.

You can archive cards that you’ve finished so they’re out of the way, but still accessible and searchable if you need to dig them back up later. You can filter notes by color, date, note type, labels and of course using the search bar at the top of Google Keep. You can also pin important notes to the top of your Google Keep feed, where they will sit above all the other notes you take.

The winner is clear — for now

Google Tasks looks shiny and new with its new app and Gmail refresh, but it’s just too bare bones compared to Google Keep. Google Keep may have a lot of bells and whistles, but it’s also got more robust reminders to keep you on-task, and it allows you to do more than just jot down a goal. Google Keep is a fantastic brainstorming and planning tool; one that I use almost every day, be it for organizing my thoughts for an article, building my grocery list, or whatever else I need it to do.

At the same time, Google Tasks is just getting started, and it’s likely Google will add features to it quickly, as it did for Keep when it debuted a few years ago.

In the meantime, let us know which you prefer — ultra-minimal or the kitchen sink?

Read more: Everything you need to know about Google Keep