‘No Man’s Sky’ will get base building in its first major update
There’s some good news for No Man’s Sky fans this Black Friday: The game is soon to get its first major update, according to a post from the developer, Hello Games. The bad news: Hello Games won’t reveal much about the patch, except to say that it’s called the “Foundation Update” and it will bring — wait for it — the foundations of base building. If that name wasn’t punny enough for you, the studio adds that the Foundation Update is also “putting in place a foundation for things to come.”
And that’s all we know. Hello Games says the update will arrive “soon,” but didn’t otherwise specify a time frame. The developer also says it will follow up with detailed patch notes at a later date.
To say this is the first update for No Man’s Sky wouldn’t technically be true. Since launching on the PlayStation 4 and PC back in August, the game has seen a sizable day-one patch and patches to fix a slew of bugs. Adding to these woes, Hello Games has been accused of false advertising, after screenshots in the Steam store seemed to promise a different game altogether — one centered on open-ended space exploration instead of resource gathering.
Via: Polygon
Source: Hello Games
Black Friday Specials: Save bigger than ever on these software bundles and subscriptions as prices drop for Black Friday
Get ready to kick 2017’s bum by learning a new marketable skill, picking up a super-fun hobby, beefing up your home network security, or simply making the most of some well-deserved downtime. Any one of these software deals are on Black Friday mega sale for a limited time.
Become an Ethical Hacker Bonus Bundle
MSRP: £551.30 ($681 USD) | Sale: £39.67 ($49 USD) | Price Drop: £20.24 ($25 USD)
With 340 lessons spread out over 9 courses, you’ll be on your way to hacking on the right side of the law in no time. This thorough bundle takes you from beginner ethical hacking through advanced and beyond, teaching you specialized skills and how to launch a career in the industry.
Complete Arduino Starter Kit & Course Bundle
MSRP: £420.88 ($519.90 USD) | Sale: £50.99 ($62.99 USD) | Price Drop: £48.56 ($59.99 USD)
This fully stocked no-experience-required beginner’s ARDX Arduino starter kit and course bundle will lead you through 13 different electronics projects with straight-forward, illustrated instructions, including troubleshooting tips. Control lights, buzzers, motors, and more—you’ll be humming “Mr. Roboto” before you know it.
Getflix: Lifetime Subscription
MSRP: £692.16 ($855 USD) | Sale: £31.57 ($39 USD) | Price Drop: £23.48 ($29 USD)
World travelers, rejoice! Keep on streaming shows with your favorite VOD service from anywhere when you watch via Getflix. This essential service routes internet traffic more efficiently and unblocks more than 100 channels for streaming movies, sports, and more on any device, internationally.
PureVPN: Lifetime Subscription
MSRP: £483.30 ($597 USD) | Sale: £72.05 ($89 USD) | Price Drop: £47.76 ($59 USD)
True online security and freedom can be yours with the world’s fastest VPN. PureVPN’s network is trusted by over a million users and allows more simultaneous device connections than most other VPNs. Use on just about any device with an internet connection to encrypt data and secure your connection, even on the sketchiest public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Bonus price drop: FRESHeBUDS Pro Magnetic Bluetooth Earbuds
MSRP: £97.10 ($119.95 USD) | Sale: £32.34 ($39.95 USD) | Price Drop: £24.25 ($29.95 USD)
Nod your head to the beat in any weather with these water- and sweat-resistant Bluetooth earbuds. With enhanced battery life, a secure, lightweight fit, and auto-pairing to your device when their magnetic design is pulled apart, you can focus more on what you’re doing and less on your earbuds.
Bragi’s ‘Headphone’ takes on Apple’s AirPods
Almost three years ago, Bragi left an indelible mark on the headphone universe. The then-unknown company launched a pair of “truly” wireless headphones on Kickstarter that not only cut every wire, but boasted a slew of fitness-tracking features, all wrapped in a superslick design.
Bragi delivered on its promise, releasing the Dash this summer, but with a few compromises. The fitness features weren’t comprehensive enough to be valuable, the microphone wasn’t great, and even basic connectivity with phones wasn’t very stable. You can’t have bleeding edge without a few cuts, though, right?
Enter “the Headphone.” These $149 buds look a lot like the Dash, but are a much simpler proposition. The Headphone drops nearly all the smart features, and the result is arguably the product Bragi should have launched originally: a solid pair of truly wireless headphones. The Dash was definitely an impressive opening act, though, and perhaps necessary to earn the company the gravitas to be taken seriously.
The very first thing I noticed about the Headphone is that the build feels cheap compared to the Dash. The Headphone comes in a light plastic case — not a cold, weighty metal one this time. There’s no battery in that case either; it just serves as a charging cradle (and case, obviously). The Dash’s smooth, touch-sensitive controls have been replaced by physical buttons on the right bud. There’s also no app connectivity with the Headphone, and no onboard storage for music. So why bother? Well, there’s at least three very good reasons: connectivity, battery life and price.
Bragi defined the truly wireless headphones category, and many competitors soon emerged. Remarkably, all of them — almost without exception — suffered some form of connectivity hiccup. This could be between the buds themselves, or between the headphones and your phone when outside (an issue with the Dash). Some cheaper products presented both problems.
With the Headphone, connectivity issues have vanished — even outside walking with your phone deep in your pocket. The Dash is very sensitive, and if you have your phone in the wrong pocket, music would suffer dropouts. With the Headphone, I’ve had the odd minor glitch while turning my head to look for traffic crossing a road, with the phone in the opposite pocket.
The audio connectivity isn’t just better than the Dash; it’s better than any “truly” wireless buds I’ve tried (Erato’s Apollo 7 and Earin, to name a few). Importantly, the Headphone’s buds never lost connection with each other either — a common problem with these products. Best of all, unlike similar headsets, Bragi didn’t use a design with something hanging out of your ears (looking at you, AirPods) to help ensure good connectivity. Like the Dash, the Headphone sits flush in your ear, making them much more inconspicuous.
One downside to the physical buttons is that they require quite a push to register a click, so you’re basically mashing the earbud into your ear each time, which can feel uncomfortable. This mashing effect happens with all three buttons on the right bud. It’s a relatively minor annoyance, as you can always use your phone to control the volume, but it’s something to get used to.
The lack of fitness features on the Headphone isn’t a problem, as there are many other ways to track activity. But I did love the ability to load music onto the Dash and leave my phone at home when going for a run. Not many truly wireless buds offer this — Samsung’s Iconx is one of the others — but it’s a feature that elevates the usefulness of wireless earbuds, especially when music streaming might not be convenient.
A feature the Headphone does have is the “transparency” mode that Bragi helped pioneer. Transparency uses the microphone to blend ambient noise around you (traffic, people talking, etc.) with your music. Handy when you don’t want to stop your music, say when buying a coffee. But also a potential lifesaver for cyclists who gotta have their tunes on the ride to work.
It’s definitely a welcome addition to the Headphone’s relatively basic feature set, but for some reason, the ambient noise doesn’t seem to be quite as audible as it is on the Dash in the same conditions. My doorbell pierces through much less on the Headphone while listening at moderate volume, and sometimes I had to remove a bud to engage in conversation, which is less common with the Dash. Perhaps Bragi reconfigured it the second time around.
More important, music sounds pretty good on the Headphone, but a caveat: Bragi’s press materials told me this might not be the audio profile that will be on retail units. The profile on the model I’m wearing right now is fairly neutral. That’s to say, it’s sounds like there’s less emphasis on the bass and the high midrange frequencies (vocals, melodies, etc.), which are commonly ramped up in consumer headphones.
Again, if we’re comparing to the Dash, I actually prefer the Dash’s audio profile. It feels a little thicker, and has more impact (and a fair bit louder). The Headphone is still a very good listen, and probably more suitable to those who listen to live/acoustic music. My noisy brand of angry dance music just doesn’t feel quite as thumping this time around, though.
The microphone, on the other hand, is less impressive. I rang a number of friends and family and didn’t tell them I was using a hands-free, and nearly everyone asked me where I was calling from in that “you-sound-different” kinda way. I recorded a few tests on my MacBook using the mic on the Headphone, and they ranged from poor to inaudible. You’ll be able to use these to make calls, but it’s not a strong suit.
It might seem like there’s a lot of things lacking in the Headphone, and to a large degree that’s true … if you compare it to the Dash. Pit the Headphone against most of the competition, and suddenly things look rosier. The general connectivity situation is a great step forward for the category. The audio quality is solid (even if the mic is lacking), and the six or so hours of battery life is pretty decent (though a shame there’s no battery in the case).
At $149, the price undercuts Earin’s lightweight buds by some $50, and is (no doubt deliberate) $10 less than Apple’s AirPods, which is perhaps the competition Bragi’s really setting its sights on. With a better battery life, decent audio and enough change to buy yourself lunch, the Headphone should appeal to those iPhone 7 owners shopping around for a wireless set. Especially if Bragi can deliver on it’s “November” ship date and beat Apple to market.
Six gifts for your paranoid friends and family
It pays to be paranoid in a time of rampant breaches, social media account extortion, identity theft, fake security products, ransomware, and hack attacks on all. That’s why we’ve put together a gift guide for those among us who don’t want to find out they have a security issue the hard way. Typically that would include things like VPN subscriptions or password manager recommendations, but that’s no fun when it comes time for everyone to open their presents.
That’s why we’ve selected six sweet gadgets that’ll protect the privacy and security of those you care about. Carefully screened to keep out the “security snake oil” products flooding the gadget market, our picks have been selected with a keen eye on things that actually work to fight attacks that actually happen.
YubiKey 4 ($40)
There’s one way you can keep your accounts safe: by carrying a physical key that’s required whenever you log into your online accounts. That’s why some hackers always carry a YubiKey with them everywhere they go. Phishing, malware and other attack methods simply won’t work because they’d need your username, password and plug in your YubiKey to work. The little USB key acts like two-factor authentication for any service or site you register it with (ones that support two-factor, that is). What’s more, it requires no special software, works across multiple devices, and rides along discreetly on your keychain.
PortaPow Data Block USB ($7.89)
PortaPow Micro USB Cable ($11.99)
Attacks like ransomware can spread between devices when you connect them, but often times we can only charge our phones or tablets from a USB port. This means we run the risk of viruses or data hacking if we pull a little extra battery life from an unknown socket. Plus, it usually means slow charging. This little must-have solves all of these problems: it’s a lightning-fast charge and blocks the transfer of data. PortaPow’s Micro USB Cable is the same thing but in micro cord form: it prevents your device going into data transfer mode by blocking data on the line, and like the PortaPow USB, it charges faster than standard USB cables.
Stewart/Stand Stainless Steel RFID Blocking Wallet ($14.95+)
If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you may know that malicious hackers can easily clone your passport or steal your credit card, debit, or driver’s license credentials just by brushing up against your wallet or purse. That’s because anything with an RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) chip in it can be cloned by someone using very inexpensive hacking tools. The only way to prevent that is to carry an RFID-blocking wallet or passport case, which physically blocks this kind of personal breach… Except most of them are cheaply made and look awful, and seldom have options for those of us who like to flaunt our paranoia with feminine flair.
Blink(1) MK2 ($30.00)
Know someone with Twitter anxiety, constantly checking to see if they’ve been mentioned? Or would you like to know when your computer’s acting weird behind the scenes, like if suddenly your CPU starts getting slammed for possibly nefarious reasons? Maybe you want to know when a web page has changed, or anything else you’d like a notification for… That’s what the Blink is for. It’s a tiny, discreet USB plug that’s actually an LED indicator, one that you can set to flash in different colors and patterns depending on what you’ve set it to tell you. It works with IFTTT for serious flexibility, and comes with a five foot extension cord.
Toool Emergency Lock-Pick Card ($29.95)
Picking locks isn’t hard to learn, but few people pick up the skill. If you ever get locked out of your house, need to get out of handcuffs, or don’t want to call some creepy locksmith to help you get into your home, The Lock-Pick Card is a must-have. The wallet-sized card is actually a nine-piece lockpick toolkit. Simply snap the tools out of the card whenever you need to save your own bacon.
The Onion Pi ($69.95)
More people are starting to realize that to be safe online from criminal hackers, nosey marketers, stalkers, and overreaching authorities is to be anonymous. And that’s a very good thing. One of the most popular “snake oil” privacy gadgets is the so-called “Tor in a box” — a plug-and-play gadget that promises to make you anonymous online. Nearly all of these are made by clueless charlatans whose products put you at risk. But you or your favorite hacker can just make or build an “Onion Pi” for about $69.95 in parts with this free tutorial.
Grab These iPhone and iPad Apps While They’re on Sale for Black Friday
Today is Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States. Between now and Cyber Monday, a number of developers are offering deals on their iPhone and iPad apps. MacRumors has been keeping an eye on AppShopper, and we have more App Store sales to share today.
Name: Alto’s Adventure
Developer: Snowman
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV)
TouchArcade Review: 4.5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Join Alto and his friends as they embark on an endless snowboarding odyssey. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins.
Along the way you’ll rescue runaway llamas, grind rooftops, leap over terrifying chasms and outwit the mountain elders – all while braving the ever changing elements and passage of time upon the mountain.
Name: Fantastical 2 for iPhone
Developer: Flexibits
Sale Price: $2.99
Previous Price: $4.99
Compatibility: iPhone
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Fantastical 2 is the award-winning calendar app with features such as natural language parsing, reminders, a beautiful week view, and much more!
Name: Deliveries
Developer: Junecloud LLC
Sale Price: $2.99
Previous Price: $4.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Deliveries helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they’re going to arrive. Whether it’s the latest gadget you’ve preordered online, or a new graphic novel you can’t wait to dive into, Deliveries will keep tabs on it so you don’t miss the doorbell.
Name: Gears
Developer: Crescent Moon Games
Sale Price: Free
Previous Price: $1.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
TouchArcade Review: 5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Explore the fanciful world of Gears! A gorgeous 3D physics-based ball rolling platformer that redefines the genre, Gears immerses you into adventure with 3 beautifully detailed worlds of 27 unique and challenging levels. Gears will have you on the edge of your seat for hours of gameplay… this is like no game you’ve ever played before.
Name: Out There: Ω Edition
Developer: Mi-Clos Studio
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $4.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
TouchArcade Review: 5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
You are an astronaut awaking from cryonics not in the solar system, but… out there… in a far and unknown place of the galaxy. In Out There, you will have to survive, tinkering your ship with what you can gather drifting in the void, and spot garden planets to refill your oxygen supply.
Space is an hostile place; dangerous and mysterious adventures will mark each step of your travel. You will not only meet intelligent species that won’t care about you, but also deal with ancient powers linked to your destiny and the fate of mankind itself.
Name: Heads Up!
Developer: Warner Bros.
Sale Price: Free
Previous Price: 99 cents
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
It’s the game The New York Times called a “Sensation,” and Cosmopolitan said “will be the best dollar you’ve spent.” Heads Up! is the fun and hilarious game from Ellen DeGeneres that she plays on her show, and you can play with your friends!
From naming celebrities, to singing, to silly accents — guess the word on the card that’s on your head from your friends’ clues before the timer runs out!
Name: Pixelmator for iOS
Developer: Pixelmator Team
Sale Price: $1.99
Previous Price: $4.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Pixelmator is a powerful, full-featured, layer-based image editor that lets you touch up and enhance images, sketch and paint, as well as create advanced image compositions on iPad and iPhone alike.
Name: Riptide GP: Renegade
Developer: Vector Unit
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $2.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
TouchArcade Review: 4.5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
You are a hydrojet rider, framed and cast out from the Riptide GP league, forced to race illegally through city waterways, flooded ruins, and churning factory machinery in an effort to reclaim your reputation and your title. Play through the single player career to unlock new vehicles, playable characters, and customization features as you take down bosses and build your crew.
Name: Forbidden Desert
Developer: Button Mash Games Inc.
Sale Price: $1.99
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iPad
TouchArcade Review: 4.5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Your mission to recover a legendary flying machine has just been thrown into chaos. An unexpected sand storm has forced your helicopter to make a crash landing. Now, stranded in the vast desert and exposed to an unrelenting storm, your only hope for survival is to quickly excavate the ancient city, find the parts to the flying machine, and rebuild it to escape.
Name: The Orchestra
Developer: Amphio Limited
Sale Price: $2.99
Previous Price: $13.99
Compatibility: iPad
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
A new way to experience classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra, performing extracts from eight works representing three centuries of symphonic music.
Name: Pandemic: The Board Game
Developer: Asmodee Digital SAS
Sale Price: $2.99
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
TouchArcade Review: 4.5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
As skilled members of a disease-fighting team, you must keep four deadly diseases at bay while discovering their cures. Travel the world, treat infections, and find cures.
You must work as a team to succeed. The clock is ticking as outbreaks and epidemics fuel the spreading plagues. Can you find all four cures in time? The fate of humanity is in your hands!
Name: Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Sale Price: $1.99
Previous Price: $4.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
TouchArcade Review: 5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition, brings the hit PC game enjoyed by over 4 million players to the iPhone and iPad. Now you can experience the uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic on the go!
Name: Infinite Blade III
Developer: Epic Games
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iOS Universal (iPhone and iPad)
TouchArcade Review: 5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Siris and Isa have joined with the God-King Raidriar in a desperate attempt to destroy the Worker of Secrets and his army of Deathless titans. Uncover new mysteries to wield the power of the Infinity Blade in this timeless adventure of champions and villains.
Previously Highlighted Deals
Name: Talisman
Developer: Nomad Games
Sale Price: $1.99
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
TouchArcade Review: 4.5/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Talisman: Digital Edition is a classic fantasy adventure board game, where you embark on a dangerous quest, fighting dragons, battling serpents, and avoiding the deadly curse of the Hag. These are some of the many obstacles you will face. So choose your character wisely, Warrior, Assassin, Thief or Wizard? There are 14 available, unique in their strengths, weaknesses and special powers. To win the game race your opponents through a perilous realm, journeying to the heart of the land to find the crown of Command.
Name: Heroes of Loot 2
Developer: OrangePixel
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
TouchArcade Review: 4/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
After their job, of keeping the dungeons in balance, was done, our heroes needed a new job. Roaming the lands they found a call for heroes, a castle in need, possible even a damsel in distress?
Pick two heroes to take into the adventure, controlling both heroes and using their special skills to navigate the dangerous castle hallways, rooms and floors. Switching between the two characters to solve quests, puzzles, and of course clear the dungeons of all evil.
Name: Space Grunts
Developer: OrangePixel
Sale Price: 99 cents
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
TouchArcade Review: 4/5 stars
Links: AppShopper | iTunes | YouTube Trailer
Description:
Space Grunts combines fast paced arcade action with turn-based gameplay.
The year 2476, Earth’s space-federation has been building moon-bases across the galaxy. One of those moon-bases has been sending a distress signal.
Space Grunts are a group of intergalactic “problem” solvers, sent to investigate..
You play one, out of a team, of Space Grunts, and your mission is simple: find your way into the moon-base, and figure out what has happened. You’ll have to fight your way through aliens, robots, security drones and base-systems. Find the lower levels of the moon-base, and get to the core of the problems.
Name: Screens for iOS
Developer: Edovia
Sale Price: $9.99 (Late Thursday to Early Tuesday)
Previous Price: $19.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Leave your computer behind and travel light! Screens lets you connect back to your Mac, Windows or Linux PC and control it from the comfort of your living room, the corner coffee shop or anywhere in the world.
Name: Scanner Pro
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $1.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Scanner Pro is the best app for quickly scanning and saving a digital version of a paper document. Scan any papers, ranging from a receipt to multi-page documents. Scanner Pro will automatically detect borders, correcting distortion and geometry. Share, email and upload your perfect scans. Use OCR to convert any scan into a text.
Name: PDF Expert
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $4.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $9.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
PDF Expert 5 is a must-have app for anyone who reads, annotates or edits PDF documents on iPad or iPhone. It allows you to mark up documents with highlights and handwriting, insert text and stamps, sign and even merge PDFs. Moreover, PDF Expert 5 is the best choice for filling out PDF forms right on your iPad and iPhone.
Name: Printer Pro
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $3.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Printer Pro lets you wirelessly print from the iPhone or iPad. It can print directly to many Wi-Fi printers or any printer attached to your Mac or PC via helper application installed on your computer.
Name: Calendars 5
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $3.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $6.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Calendars 5 is complete re-imagining of what the best mobile calendar experience should be. Calendars 5 is smart, excels in both tasks and events and runs on any iOS device you might have. It’s the calendar app you have been looking for.
Name: PDF Converter
Developer: Readdle
Sale Price: $1.99 (Wednesday to Friday)
Previous Price: $3.99
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad (Universal)
Links: AppShopper | iTunes
Description:
Make PDFs from any file that you have on your iPad or iPhone. Save Word, Excel, Powerpoint or iWork documents, web pages, photos and even clipboard content as professional quality PDFs. Everything from a multi-million contract to a web page you want to read later can be saved as a PDF in just a few taps.
Keep an eye on AppShopper and our Black Friday roundup for additional app and software deals through Cyber Monday. The roundup also tracks good deals on Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, Beats headphones and accessories, and more from retailers such as Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart.
Related Roundup: Black Friday
Tag: App Store
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Cases and battery mods work great with Daydream View
Will I have to take my case off to use Daydream?
If you’ve used a Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard headset before, you’re familiar with needing to remove your phone from its case in order to get the best VR experience. Seeing how much more compact Daydream View is when compared to a Gear VR, you probably guessed that you’ll need to take your case off to use this VR headset as well. It turns out that’s not true, though. In fact, you can use just about any case you want and Daydream View will be more than a little accommodating.
Read more at VR Heads!
Don’t miss out on these sweet deals on cases
Save on cases for the latest Samsung phones, as well as some options for the Nexus 6.
It’s the biggest day of deals of the year, and you’re probably overwhelmed as it is. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t pass along these coupon codes for deep discounts on a variety of cases.
Today’s offers include cases for the Galaxy S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+ and Note 5, as well as a couple cases for the Nexus 6 thrown in for good measure. To use these cases, you’ll need to select the option to fulfill the order from the manufacturer, then simply add the coupon code during checkout to save up to $11. Supplies are limited, so act now!
Galaxy S7
- vCommute in Space Gray/Black for $4.99 (Reg. $16.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF12
- Retain (Clear case) for $0.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code: **VENOFF07 **
- iSlide in Teal/Champagne Gold for $1.99 (Reg. $12.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF11
- vAllure in Coral Pink/Gold for $2.99 (Reg. $12.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF10
- vArmor in Black/Black for $3.99 (Reg. $14.99) — Use coupon code: **VENOFF11 **
Galaxy S7 edge
- vCommute in Gold/Black: $4.99 (Reg. $16.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF12
- Retain (Clear case) for $0.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF10
- iSlide in Teal/Champagne Gold for $1.99 (Reg. $12.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF11
- vAllure in Navy Blue/Gold for $2.99 (Reg. $12.99) — Use coupon code VENOFF10
- vArmor in Navy Blue/Orange for $3.99 (Reg. $14.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF11
- vShield HDf Full Screen Coverage Screen Protector (TPU) for $0.99 (Reg. $6.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF06
Galaxy S6
- iSlide in Teal/Champagne Gold for $1.99 (Reg. $8.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF07
- LEGACY LITE in Metallic Forest Green/Deep Sea Blue for $1.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code VENOFF06
- LEGACY (Case with Kickstand) in Champagne Gold/Black for $2.99 (Reg. $9.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF07
- RETAIN (Clear Case/Gunmetal TPU Bumper) for $0.99 (Reg. $6.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF06
- vArmor in Teal/Gray for $2.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF05
- vFolio (Genuine Leather Wallet Case) in Black for $1.99 — Use coupon code: VENOFF08
- vFrame in Champagne Gold/Black for $1.99 (Reg. $9.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF08
Galaxy S6 edge
- iSlide in Coral Red/Champagne Gold for $1.99 (Reg. $8.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF07
- LEGACY LITE in Black/Gray for $1.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code VENOFF06
- RETAIN (Clear Back/Black TPU frame) for $0.99 (Reg. $6.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF06
- vArmor in Dark Gray/Gray for $1.99 (Reg. $8.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF07
- vFolio (Genuine Leather Wallet Case) in Black for $1.99 (Reg. $9.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF08
- vSuit Wallet Case in Black for $1.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF06
- vSkin in Smoke Black for $0.99 (Reg. $7.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF07
Galaxy Note 5
- vArmor in Black/Black: $1.99 (Reg. $13.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF12
- Anti-Glare (Matte) Screen Protector for $0.99 (Reg. $5.99) — Use coupon code: VENOFF05
Galaxy S6 edge+
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Everything you need to know about Freedom Mobile
What’s the big deal with Freedom Mobile?
Earlier this week, Canada’s Wind Mobile announced that it was changing its name to Freedom Mobile, and under new owner Shaw was launching an LTE network on November 27. That was met with a healthy dose of excitement and trepidation from current Wind Mobile users and potential switchers alike, but there were many remaining questions. Let’s try to break some of them down right now.
What is Freedom Mobile?
Freedom Mobile is the new Wind Mobile, a brand change that, according to CEO Alek Krstajic, was necessary to offload some of the baggage of the existing brand, and find a new space within the Canadian mobile industry under new owner, Shaw Communications.
For all intents and purposes, Freedom Mobile is the same company as Wind Mobile — even the orange and blue color scheme is nearly identical — but with LTE connectivity.
OK, so what’s the big deal about LTE connectivity?
Wind Mobile, around since 2009, has been behind the incumbents like Rogers, Bell, and Telus when it comes to technology. While the so-called Big Three set up and expanded their LTE networks to include high-speed tech like LTE-Advanced, carrier aggregation and VoLTE, Wind Mobile was stuck with limited spectrum, older equipment, and 3G speeds. Even in the big cities in which they were supposedly competitive, like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, download speeds were limited to under 5Mbps.
More: Is Wind Mobile worth it?
In late 2015, Wind Mobile began replacing all of its old network equipment with newer Nokia equipment, beginning with Vancouver and working east towards Ottawa. While those changes have been for the better, they are still limited to 3G speeds.
LTE is a big deal, then, because it finally allows now-Freedom Mobile to compete on the same level as the Big Three carriers — at least in the markets the company operates. And because Freedom is owned by Shaw, it has the capital to continue investing in networking equipment — and spectrum, when it becomes available — where it doesn’t currently operate.
Tell me about the LTE service
Starting November 27, Freedom Mobile will operate an LTE network in the cores of Toronto and Vancouver, expanding to the outlying regions of each city by the spring of 2017.
By summer of 2017, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa will be LTE-enabled, and Freedom hopes to have negotiated LTE roaming deals with its domestic roaming partners (namely, Bell and Rogers) for when customers are not connected to its Home network.
Finally, by the fall of 2017, all of Southwestern and Southeastern Ontario — where there are towers — will be LTE-enabled.
How fast will it be?
Freedom Mobile’s LTE connectivity is not slated to be the fastest in the business, but with a theoretical maximum speed of 180Mbps, it will certainly be competitive with the incumbents’ existing networks, at least in areas with good coverage.
The main issue will be that because LTE service will be so limited, many customers will often fall back to Freedom’s 3G service, which is considerably slower than LTE, and slower too than the incumbents’ 3G networks.
How do I get on the LTE service?
This is where things get a bit tricky. Freedom Mobile’s LTE network operates on a brand new channel called Band 66 — that’s why the company calls it a “traffic-free” LTE network — which means there are only a handful of phones that support the new standard. Eventually, most new phones will support Band 66, which operates on AWS-3 spectrum, but as of this writing it is limited to the expensive LG V20 and the yet-unreleased ZTE Grand X 4, a mid-range device.
Eventually, you’ll be able to bring your existing phone to Freedom Mobile to connect to its LTE network, but right now the most popular devices, from the Galaxy S7 to Google Pixel to iPhone 7, are not going to work on Freedom’s LTE network.
There is one exception, though: in Eastern Ontario — Ottawa, and the surrounding region — LTE is piggybacking off Freedom’s existing AWS-1 spectrum because the company wasn’t able to buy any AWS-3 spectrum in that area during the 2015 auction. That means the network will be slightly slower in that region — using 10Mhz as opposed to 30Mhz — but it will also work with hundreds of existing phones, unlike in other parts of Canada.
What are the plans available right now?
Freedom Mobile is taking an early adopter strategy for its LTE network, likely because it knows how limited it is at first. Not only is there only one plan available right now, but it’s different, and slightly more expensive (naturally) than the rest of the company’s plans.
The LTE plan is regularly $45 and includes 3GB of data, unlimited Canadian calling and global texting, but for a limited time the price drops to $40 and the data allotment is doubled to 6GB, which is pretty good.
What about switching over? Can I use LTE on my current plan?
No, if you’re an existing Wind Mobile customer transitioning to Freedom Mobile, you won’t be able to use your existing plan to access LTE. And if you’re using an older SIM card, you may actually need to buy a new one to get access to the LTE network.
What if I want to trade in my newly-purchased Wind phone for an LTE-compatible one?
Freedom is doing people a solid by extending the return window on phones purchased less than 30 days ago. For those purchased between August 1 and November 21, there’s a special trade-in program that charges a small restocking fee should you decide to buy the LG V20.
So, is it worth switching over?
That depends. We have yet to use Freedom Mobile’s LTE network, at the very least it should be five to ten times faster than its 3G network.
There are a few things to consider. Even though Freedom Mobile has 30Mhz of AWS-3 spectrum in most of its regions (except for Eastern Ontario), AWS spectrum still doesn’t travel well through walls, so those in basements or buildings with thick cement exteriors may experience the same connectivity issues on LTE as on 3G. LTE is inherently more efficient, but radio waves are not magic: you won’t get service where the signal can’t reach.
Right now, if you’re currently a Wind Mobile customer, I’d wait to see whether the network is as robust in the Toronto and Vancouver core as the company claims, and I’d investigate other devices before settling on the LG V20, especially if you’re looking for a smaller phone — that thing is massive.
We’ll have much more Freedom Mobile coverage in the next few weeks, so stay tuned! Got questions? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll try to answer them!
Apple iPad Pro 10.5 tipped for early 2017, could have A10X processor
Apple is said to be preparing an all-new size for its iPad range. A 10.5-inch iPad Pro is rumoured for release in the first quarter of 2017.
At present, Apple has the 7.9-inch iPad mini 4, plus 9.7- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets. The 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 is also still sold by the manufacturer. A 10.5-inch model would bridge the size gap.
The rumour comes from Digitimes, which reports that claims come from Taiwanese manufacturers in the supply chain. They say the enterprise and education sectors are keen on an iPad of that size. The 12.9-inch is said to be too expensive for them, so something slightly larger than the iPad Pro 9.7 would be welcomed.
- Apple iPad Pro 9.7 review: The tablet to beat all tablets
- Apple iPad Pro 9.7 vs iPad Pro 12.9: What’s the difference?
Digitimes also says that a 10.5-inch iPad Pro would sell around two million units in the first quarter of 2017, straight after release, with a further three to four million shifting before the end of the year.
A new, cheaper 9.7-inch iPad will reportedly also be launched to compete directly with Android rivals.
Both devices could utilise a faster version of the A10 processor in the iPhone 7. According to sources, it will follow the same naming conventions as previous mid-generation upgrades and be called the “A10X”.
Previous rumours have suggested that Apple will hold an iPad launch event around March next year.
The first smart mirror you can actually buy focuses on your flaws
Staring lovingly at your reflection in the mirror gets old, especially if it’s not a magical one that tells you you’re the fairest of them all. But what if all that time you already spend in front of a mirror could actually make you the most beautiful person in the land? Many smart mirrors already make this promise, but HiMirror is the first one you can actually buy, and it costs $189. The secret sauce comes in the form of a camera that captures your au naturel visage to analyze your complexion, before offering you tips on how to get better skin. I tried it out recently and was impressed by how many things it could do.
The 5.5-pound mirror is more cutesy than the futuristic thanks to its pink accents. It houses a 14-inch LCD screen and has a camera sitting in the middle of a ring flash, which helps light your face for better images. HiMirror snaps a picture of your face every day to analyze your wrinkles, dark spots, dark circles, red spots and pores. The idea is to track how your skin changes over time, and flag your so-called problems so you can take “early measures to improve upon your skin and achieve your beauty goals.”
During a recent demo, I stood in front of the mirror, carefully moving around to align my face with the onscreen outline, until the camera recognized me. HiMirror then took a photo and displayed how I had fewer fine lines and red spots than I did the day before (the system was comparing me to another person’s profile), but that my dark circles were worse. It then told me that I had to drink more water and sleep more, which, duh. It also told be not to be discouraged by my (self-proclaimed) terrible complexion. HiMirror pairs with an iOS or Android app so you can track your complexion on the go.
In addition, HiMirror will play tutorial videos on proper skin-care techniques (because there’s a right way to wash your face!), stream music from Spotify and show you the weather forecast and UV index for the day. You can also tell it the types of beauty products you use, so it can determine whether they’ve been effective in treating your target areas. Adding a product to what the company calls your “Beauty Box” simply requires holding up its barcode to the camera and scanning it. It’s not clear yet how many brands and products this feature supports, but most big brands are recognized.
In fact, most of your interactions with HiMirror will involve the camera or the motion detector below the screen. Wave your hand to the right to slide to the next screen, and move your hand up or down to navigate options. You can press the physical buttons on the mirror’s right edge to toggle brightness, speaker volume or mode (which turns the screen off, leaving behind a basic mirror). The gestures mean you don’t need to touch the display, so you won’t smear the glass and obstruct your view. You can also use voice commands to control the device, although the functions here are somewhat limited. You’ll always have to say the trigger phrase (“Hi Mirror, listen”) before speaking a command, and the system doesn’t yet understand contextual follow-up questions.
The camera also allows for some security features. HiMirror won’t start its operating system unless it recognizes your face. This proved accurate during my demo, when I failed to log in by scanning my face and had to wait for the company’s rep to stick his head in front of the camera. You can also say a passphrase to log in — HiMirror will recognize your voice and sign you in. That’s mostly helpful only if you’re sensitive about your complexion and don’t want guests or family members snooping around and finding your facial data, because there isn’t any really confidential info stored on the mirror. Those who are worried that HiMirror’s camera can be hacked to spy on their bathroom activities can cover it up with the provided shutter.
The company also makes a smart scale that can be paired with the mirror which will measure your body weight and fat percentage, and send that information to the mirror (and your phone). The mirror’s display will then play videos and dispense information on how to get to your goal weight, too. It feels a little superficial to be focusing on such arbitrary characteristics of physical appearance, but really, what else do you use a mirror for if not to make sure you look good?
Setting up the mirror requires some assembly, but it should install on most walls. It might sound like a hassle, but I’d do it just to enjoy that ring light that sits at the top of HiMirror. It’s exactly like the flash that plenty of photographers and bloggers use to make their portraits look flawless, and to add a sparkle to the subject’s eye. That’s not one of HiMirror’s selling points, but certainly something that draws a selfie-lover like me.
For a first-gen product, HiMirror offers a surprising number of features, and appears to understand its target audience well. The beauty-obsessed may spend even more time in front of the mirror than they already do, poring over their data and watching instructional videos. Future iterations of the device may better integrate with your phone to make it a more helpful assistant. As it stands, though, HiMirror looks to be a smart home gadget that beauty-lovers will adore.
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