Plantronics’ latest headphones are for everyone from athletes to gamers

These wireless headphones are affordably priced and now available.

The holiday shopping season is closing in on us all, and Plantronics has new products lined up to help you take advantage of your gift-giving opportunities leading with the true wireless BackBeat Fit 3100 earbuds. With a battery life of five hours and a charging case adding an additional ten, these headphones are capable of all-day playback. They’re also sweatproof and waterproof so you can listen and work out without worry. Amazon and other retailers have them priced at $149.99 and available now.

Meanwhile, the BackBeat Fit 2100 earphones take those same earbuds and add a flexible band between them to keep them connected. Not only can they last for a bit longer on a single charge (up to seven hours), but you also save $50 as they’re sold for just $99.99 in Black, Grey, or Lava Black.

The wireless BackBeat Go 410 headphones were also just released, featuring a battery life of up to 12 hours. They offer active noise-cancellation so you can listen without all the sounds around you bleeding through, and the feature can be turned off as well to conserve your battery power. These earphones aren’t fully wireless like the BackBeat Fit 3100 earphones above, but they’re a bit less expensive at $129.99.

Plantronics didn’t stop there though. Things get even more affordable with the BackBeat Fit 350 headphones which are priced at just $79. These headphones, just as the ones above, utilize Bluetooth to connect to devices and are capable of lasting for six hours of playtime before needing to be recharged. There’s also a pair of over-ear headphones, called the BackBeat Go 810 headphones, for $149.99 which offer active noise-cancellation, 40mm drivers, and up to 28 hours of wireless listening.

For the gamers out there, Plantronics also recently released new versions of its Rig gaming headsets: the Rig 300, Rig 400 Pro, and Rig 500 Pro. Which one is right for you will generally depend on which console you use and your budget, though the 500 Pro HC would get you the most bang for your buck. There are a variety of headphones in these lines to choose from depending on your needs and the style you like.

See at Amazon

Canada Daily Deals: Philips Hue, LaCie Rugged hard drives and more

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 Philips Hue Starter kits, rugged hard drives from LaCie, Bluetooth speakers and headphones from Anker, and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA and follow the team on Twitter.

How to Watch Apple’s ‘Gather Round’ iPhone Event Live in Your Time Zone

There’s just a day to go until Apple holds its annual iPhone-centric event to introduce new iPhone models, with this year’s event expected to see the debut of the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone Xs, the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone Xs Max, and the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which could be called the iPhone Xr.

We’re also expecting to see new Apple Watch Series 4 models with larger displays thanks to reduced bezels and more accurate ECG-based heart monitoring technology. Other surprises could be in the works too, such as the launch of new second-generation AirPods and the debut of the long-awaited AirPower.

Apple’s event will kick off on September 12 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple Park campus, with Apple set to live stream the event on the Apple TV and on the events website. Check out the list below to see when the event takes place in your time zone, and read on to see just how to watch.

• Honolulu, Hawaii — 7:00 a.m. HAST
• Anchorage, Alaska — 9:00 a.m. AKDT
• Cupertino, California — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Phoenix, Arizona — 10:00 a.m. MST
• Vancouver, Canada — 10:00 a.m. PDT
• Denver, Colorado — 11:00 a.m. MDT
• Dallas, Texas — 12:00 noon CDT
• New York, New York — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Raleigh, North Carolina — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Toronto, Canada — 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Halifax, Canada — 2:00 p.m. ADT
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — 2:00 p.m. BRT
• London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. BST
• Berlin, Germany — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Paris, France — 7:00 p.m. CEST
• Cape Town, South Africa — 7:00 p.m. SAST
• Moscow, Russia — 8:00 p.m. MSK
• Helsinki, Finland — 8:00 p.m. EEST
• Istanbul, Turkey — 8:00 p.m. TRT
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 9:00 p.m. GST
• Delhi, India — 10:30 p.m. IST
• Jakarta, Indonesia — 12:00 a.m. WIB (9/13)
• Shanghai, China — 1:00 a.m. CST (9/13)
• Singapore — 1:00 a.m. SGT (9/13)
• Perth, Australia — 1:00 a.m. AWST (9/13)
• Hong Kong — 1:00 a.m. HKT (9/13)
• Seoul, South Korea — 2:00 a.m. KST (9/13)
• Tokyo, Japan — 2:00 a.m. JST (9/13)
• Adelaide, Australia — 2:30 a.m. (9/13)
• Sydney, Australia — 3:00 a.m. (9/13)
• Auckland, New Zealand — 5:00 a.m. NZST (9/13)

How to Watch Live on Apple TV

On the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, Apple has an Events app that can be downloaded from the tvOS App Store.

Open the App Store.
Use Siri or the Search field to search for “Apple Events.”
Select the “Get” button to download the app.
Choose the Events app from the Apple TV home screen.
Prior to 10:00 a.m. on September 12, the Events app will display instructions letting you know to come back at the proper time to watch the live stream. Once the event begins, the app will open right up into a live broadcast straight from Apple Park.

On the older Apple TV models, there’s no need to install an Events app because it’s a pre-existing channel. Simply select the “Events” option at the proper time to watch Apple’s live stream on a second or third-generation Apple TV.

How to Watch Live on Mac, iPad, and iPhone

For those who do not have an Apple TV and would prefer to watch the event on a Mac or iOS device, all you need is the Safari web browser.

Apple has a dedicated Apple Special Event website where the live stream will be hosted. All you need to do is open the link using the Safari browser on a Mac, iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone to watch live when the event begins.

iOS 10 or later is required, as is macOS Sierra or later.

How to Watch on Windows

If you don’t have an iOS device or a Mac handy to watch the event, you can do so on a Windows machine by visiting the Apple Special Event website using the Microsoft Edge browser.

Live Twitter Coverage

Apple is planning to provide a live stream of the event on Twitter as well as on the Apple TV and website, so those interested in viewing the stream via the social network can do so.

Join us September 12 at 10 a.m. PDT to watch the #AppleEvent live on Twitter. Tap ❤️ below and we’ll send you updates on event day. pic.twitter.com/i9mGHTKhvu

— Apple (@Apple) September 10, 2018

MacRumors Coverage

For MacRumors readers who are not able to watch the event live, we will be offering live coverage of everything Apple announces both here on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account, so make sure to follow us on Twitter and tune in to the website in the morning if you don’t want to miss anything.

We’ll have extensive coverage of all of the new announcements throughout the week as well, so make sure to keep an eye on the site.

If you want to get a sneak peek at everything Apple plans to announce on Wednesday, make sure to check out our What to Expect article, and for full details on all of the new iPhone features we’re expecting to see, visit our dedicated iPhone Xs roundup.

Related Roundup: iPhone Xs
Discuss this article in our forums

Plex to Shut Down Plex Cloud Service on November 30

Plex today announced on its forums that it is planning to shut down the Plex Cloud service as of November 30, 2018.

Plex introduced the Plex Cloud option back in the fall of 2016, providing Plex users with a way to store their media in the cloud to make it accessible from anywhere without the need for a local server.

Since its launch, Plex Cloud has suffered from issues, which led Plex to stop allowing new Plex Cloud servers in February to address performance, quality, and user experience problems.

According to Plex, it has not been able to solve its Plex Cloud problems in a cost effective manner.

We hold ourselves to a high standard, and unfortunately, after a lot of investigation and thought, we haven’t found a solution capable of delivering a truly first class Plex experience to Plex Cloud users at a reasonable cost.

Starting on November 30, 2018, Plex Cloud users will no longer be able to access their Plex Cloud servers. Plex Cloud worked through a connection to services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, so all content will remain available to users through those services. Plex also plans to unlink all third-party cloud storage services from Plex Cloud on November 30.

With the discontinuation of Plex Cloud, Plex media content will be accessible only through local libraries, with the company recommending that people store former cloud content on a NAS. Plex says that the end of Plex Cloud will allow it to focus on improving core functionality and adding new features and content.
Discuss this article in our forums

Brikk and Caviar Debut Ultra Expensive iPhone Xs and Xs Max Models in Luxury Materials

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone Xs and the iPhone Xs Max, luxury iPhone companies Brikk and Caviar have announced custom versions of the two new iPhones made from materials like carbon, ceramic, alligator, and other materials.

Russian site Caviar, for example, is offering ornate iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs designs with carbon bodies, snake skin, alligator skin, gold accents, and diamond accents.

One of the most expensive Caviar iPhones, a version that features gold plating, mother of pearl, and 20 diamonds, is priced starting at $5,420.

Brikk, meanwhile, is offering iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max models in carbon, ceramic, and gold. Pricing on the carbon models, which feature “an extremely rare form of carbon” that’s also used by Lamborghini, are priced starting at $9,995. For that price, you also get solid gold logos and 24k yellow gold buttons.

Brikk’s ceramic iPhones start at $12,995 and come in either black or white, also with a 24k gold main body and buttons. Brikk says its ceramic iPhones offer exceptional heat resistance and light weight.

For those with even more cash to spend, Brikk also plans to offer solid gold versions of the iPhone Xs and Xs Plus, which will cost upwards of $50,000. These devices are just announcements at this point, as Brikk and Caviar will need to wait for the official iPhone Xs and Xs Max launch to purchase iPhones for customization purposes.

Both Caviar and Brikk are known for selling ornately-designed luxury iPhone models for exorbitant prices, which are fun to look at but are out of the price range of most iPhone buyers.

Nevertheless, should someone be interested in one of these iPhones, Caviar is taking pre-orders now and Brikk is expected to begin accepting pre-orders soon.

Related Roundup: iPhone Xs
Discuss this article in our forums

FCC to Take More Time to Review Merger Between Sprint and T-Mobile

The United States Federal Communications Commission today informed T-Mobile and Sprint [PDF] that it needs more time to review the proposed merger between the two companies before making a final decision on approval.

According to the FCC, it is pausing the informal 180-day transaction clock to allow for “thorough staff and third-party review” of newly submitted and anticipated business documents.

Sprint and T-Mobile on September 5 submitted a revised network engineering model that’s “significantly larger and more complex,” which the FCC needs to look over. The two companies also did not provide the FCC with documentation on a “Build 9” business model until September 5, so that’s also something the FCC needs to review, and T-Mobile is also planning to offer up additional economic modeling documents.

The FCC says that the 180-day clock will remain stopped until T-Mobile and Sprint have completed the record “on which they intend to rely” and a reasonable amount of time has passed to allow the FCC and third-parties to look over the documentation.

Sprint and T-Mobile officially reached a merger agreement back in late April, so the original 180-day review period was set to end in October. The FCC aims to complete applications for license transfers relating to complex mergers within an informal 180 day period, but warns that some application review periods can exceed 180 days.

If the T-Mobile and Sprint merger is ultimately approved by regulators, two of the four major carriers in the United States will combine into one single entity. T-Mobile and Sprint combined will have nearly 100 million customers, putting it second only to Verizon.

The combined company will be named T-Mobile and current T-Mobile CEO John Legere will serve as the Chief Executive Officer. Sprint and T-Mobile have previously said they’re hoping to close the deal in the first half of 2019.

Tags: Sprint, T-Mobile, FCC
Discuss this article in our forums

Nvidia thinks 5G could give you a high-end PC gaming experience on the go

Nvidia’s GeForce Now subscription service allows you to play purchased PC games on low-end machines, with the majority of the work offloaded to cloud-based processors. It requires a fairly fast internet download speed to run effectively, but with the advances of 5G on the way, Nvidia is confident it can open up the door for even more players to get the performance of an expensive PC without the cost.

Nvidia demonstrated GeForce Now’s capability with 5G during AT&T’s Spark Conference in San Francisco. According to The Register, a fairly run-of-the-mill laptop was hooked up to a 5G base station and was able to achieve 60 frames-per-second framerate with only 16ms of lag. This could feasibly be reduced down to as little as 3ms in the future, which Nvidia said could allow users to play virtual reality games without needing expensive extra hardware.

It probably isn’t safe to play virtual reality games while you’re standing on the bus or in the park, but Nvidia’s vision seems to be in line with what we’ve heard from other companies recently. Microsoft is making a push for cloud gaming, as well, in order for players to experience its games regardless of device. Cross-play games like Fortnite have made this even more appealing, as they allow users from nearly any platform to compete against each other.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Mobile carriers aren’t yet ready to roll out 5G and it will be even longer before they’re able to do so on a large scale. AT&T, for instance, will initially introduce the technology to Atlanta, Dallas, and Waco, Texas, and Verizon is planning to launch a wider version of the technology beginning in 2019.

GeForce Now is just one of several game streaming services that could benefit from 5G. PlayStation Now lets subscribers play full PS4 games without having to purchase them, and we’d love to be able to access these games on more devices. GameFly Streaming was previously another option, but was shuttered after its technology was sold to Electronic Arts this year.

According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, all games could take the streaming-only approach in the future, as he speculated that the upcoming console generation would be the last. Only time will tell if this is true, but Microsoft’s is reportedly developing a second streaming box to sell alongside its next traditional Xbox console.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Xbox Two? Xbox 2020? Everything we know about Microsoft’s next console
• Nvidia’s new GPUs look amazing, but that doesn’t mean you should buy one
• Take 20 percent off HP Omen gaming PCs and laptops for a limited time
• ‘Hellblade’ comes to VR, free for those who own the game on Steam
• Pictures of a blank GeForce GTX 1180 card reveal connectors and memory slots

Nvidia thinks 5G could give you a high-end PC gaming experience on the go

Nvidia’s GeForce Now subscription service allows you to play purchased PC games on low-end machines, with the majority of the work offloaded to cloud-based processors. It requires a fairly fast internet download speed to run effectively, but with the advances of 5G on the way, Nvidia is confident it can open up the door for even more players to get the performance of an expensive PC without the cost.

Nvidia demonstrated GeForce Now’s capability with 5G during AT&T’s Spark Conference in San Francisco. According to The Register, a fairly run-of-the-mill laptop was hooked up to a 5G base station and was able to achieve 60 frames-per-second framerate with only 16ms of lag. This could feasibly be reduced down to as little as 3ms in the future, which Nvidia said could allow users to play virtual reality games without needing expensive extra hardware.

It probably isn’t safe to play virtual reality games while you’re standing on the bus or in the park, but Nvidia’s vision seems to be in line with what we’ve heard from other companies recently. Microsoft is making a push for cloud gaming, as well, in order for players to experience its games regardless of device. Cross-play games like Fortnite have made this even more appealing, as they allow users from nearly any platform to compete against each other.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Mobile carriers aren’t yet ready to roll out 5G and it will be even longer before they’re able to do so on a large scale. AT&T, for instance, will initially introduce the technology to Atlanta, Dallas, and Waco, Texas, and Verizon is planning to launch a wider version of the technology beginning in 2019.

GeForce Now is just one of several game streaming services that could benefit from 5G. PlayStation Now lets subscribers play full PS4 games without having to purchase them, and we’d love to be able to access these games on more devices. GameFly Streaming was previously another option, but was shuttered after its technology was sold to Electronic Arts this year.

According to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, all games could take the streaming-only approach in the future, as he speculated that the upcoming console generation would be the last. Only time will tell if this is true, but Microsoft’s is reportedly developing a second streaming box to sell alongside its next traditional Xbox console.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Xbox Two? Xbox 2020? Everything we know about Microsoft’s next console
• Nvidia’s new GPUs look amazing, but that doesn’t mean you should buy one
• Take 20 percent off HP Omen gaming PCs and laptops for a limited time
• ‘Hellblade’ comes to VR, free for those who own the game on Steam
• Pictures of a blank GeForce GTX 1180 card reveal connectors and memory slots

Save 95% on a Pro Plan lifetime subscription to Animatron Studio

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Animatron has designed a powerful tool for creating fun and colorful animated videos that are perfect for storyboarding a bigger film idea, adding a touch of fun to your next presentation, or marketing your small business on social media. You’re able to import and edit your own graphics, photos, and audio to create memorable content, and there are over 500,000 royalty-free assets available for you to use.

Everything you create can be exported to HTML5, SVG, GIF, or to a video format for universal playback. You get 10GB of storage for your movies and 100GB/month of hosting bandwidth.

Create awesome animations for your business or social media! Learn more

A monthly subscription to Animatron’s Pro Plan costs $15/month, so getting a lifetime subscription to these tools for just $50 is an incredible value. Save close to $1,000 thanks to Android Central Digital Offers and only pay once.You don’t need to be a professional animator to create professional-looking animations. Step up your social media game with animations from Animatron!

Best portable battery packs under $20 in 2018

I live my life on the go, so keeping all of my gadgets charged up is critically important. But, that doesn’t mean I need to go out and drop $100 on a battery. An inexpensive battery is just as good as a pricey one.

The ExpertPower 20,000mAh portable charger is the best battery you can get under $20 right now because of its large capacity. You get three USB ports to charge from, and the large capacity will mean you can go a few days without needing to charge the battery itself.

Your best choice for a battery

ExpertPower 20,000 mAh Portable Charer

• $17 from Amazon

If you’re gonna spend any money on a battery pack, you may as well get the biggest capacity you can.

The main job of a portable battery is to charge your gadgets, and the battery can’t do that if it’s already dead. This battery offers a generous 20,000 mAh cell, so you can easily go a few days without needing to charge the battery itself — even under the worst conditions.

Who should buy this battery

If you can go a few days without being near a power outlet — whether for camping, road trips or just in case of emergencies — this is the battery for you. The large cell will easily last you the course of a trip, even when charging all of your gadgets.

Is it a good time to buy this battery?

Yes. Batteries are batteries — they don’t go through a yearly release cycle like smartphones and laptops do. And even if a new battery does come out, that won’t change the capacity of this one at all.

Reasons to buy

• Largest capacity for this price
• Three USB-A ports to charge your devices from
• Two of the USB ports offer faster charging

Reasons not to buy

• No USB-C

Why you should buy this battery

A battery’s one job is to safely charge your devices, and this does just that for a low price. The large, 20,000mAh capacity means you’ll be able to charge your smartphone, headphones and even tablet several times over, making this perfect for a camping trip or other weekend excursion.

This battery will charge all of your gadgets multiple times over.

Having three USB-A ports means you can charge more than one gadget at a time, and two of the ports output at 2.1 amps. There’s no Qualcomm Quick Charge support, but this should still charge your devices at a reasonable speed.

Other batteries to consider

None of these batteries are going to be significantly cheaper, but if you don’t need a huge spare battery, a smaller pack will take less space in your bag or back pocket.

A more compact choice

Anker PowerCore 5000

This battery is super compact, meaning it can easily slip into your pocket.

$20 at Amazon

If you just want a battery that’s as small as possible, this one from Anker is for you.

This battery from Anker is perfect if you want something as small as possible. It has enough juice to recharge your phone one time, so you’ll need to charge the battery itself every night. It comes in right at $20 for the black version, but the blue, red and white versions are slightly more expensive. There’s no official Quick Charge support, but the 2 amp output should charge your device relatively quickly.

Better for campers

FLOUREON Solar Charger

If you’re heading to the great outdoors, you may as well get a battery that can charge right at your campsite.

$18 at Amazon

This battery can charge via solar power, perfect in the wilderness.

Solar power may not be as fast as charging from a wall, but it’s better than a dead battery. This pack from FLOUREON can charge from the sun’s rays, so you’ll never have an empty cell. You get two USB-A outputs, and the 10,000 mAh battery means you can charge your gadgets a few times before the power pack itself dies.

Bottom line

Capacity comes before other features in a power pack, and the 20,000mAh battery in ExpertPower’s pack is the biggest we could find for this price. Being able to charge multiple gadgets at once is a happy addition as well.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Tom Westrick is a U.S.-based freelancer. He’s been poking and prodding at Android phones since 2011, and covering various topics for Android Central since 2017. He can often be found with multiple laptops in his backpack and a cup of iced tea in his hand. Follow him on Twitter.

Ara Wagoner is overjoyed to have joined the Android Central team full-time after four years of freelance contributions to the site. Yes, her holster is for a phone not a gun. When she’s not building new Android themes and poking Google Assistant with a stick, you can find her gutting pumpkins to brine and bake pumpkin seeds. If you see her without headphones, RUN.