Welcome to the 311th edition of Android Apps Weekly! Here are the big headlines from the last week.
A few Google services went down earlier this week. This seems to happen a lot with all of the extra load on networks due to stay-at-home orders. However, this particular failure was a router problem in the southern United States. The issue was swiftly solved and things are back to normal. However, do expect some connection issues with how hard the Internet is used right now.
Huawei introduced Celia this week. It’s basically Huawei’s version of Google Assistant. It works a lot like a super basic version of a voice assistant app. You can use it to set alarms, check weather, create reminders, and send messages. In other words, it does the usual stuff. It also only uses certain search engines in certain regions. It comes pre-loaded on the Huawei P40 Pro.
Last week, we talked about the US partnering with companies to track your phone and the coronavirus. It turns out the same thing is happening in the EU. The commission promises to make the data anonymous, but use smartphone movements to track people to get an idea of how the coronavirus spreads. Of course, people are concerned as they are in the US. Hit the link to learn more details.
The Weather Channel app is a surprisingly good spot to track COVID-19’s spread through the US. The new feature is a new section within the official app and lets you track things across the country, or state by state. For instance, you can check Montana and see the progression of the illness. We highly recommend it because it is from a neutral source with a long history of reliability.
There were many smaller incidents involving coronavirus this week, especially with the new stay-at-home orders. For instance, a 77-year old man in Spain was fined for playing Pokemon Go in public. In addition, YouTube and Netflix are cutting stream quality to 480p to relieve data usage across the world and not just in the EU. However, it’s not all bad news. Google Play Movies may provide some free movies for people to watch while they’re stuck at home. Hit all the links for more details!
DragonSky
Price: Free to play
DragonSky is a new idle and merge game from Com2uS, the developers of Summoners War and other games. It plays like most idle and merge games. You start with a single character, merge it with a copy of itself to make a new character, and continue on this path until you have a massive collection of characters. Characters are dragons in this game and, to be honest, they’re fairly adorable. You clear stages with your dragons, earn experience points, and do other stuff as well. The game has its ups and downs and we expect it to improve more over time. However, the free to play aspects are a little strong with this one and Com2uS should probably calm down with the in-app purchases a little bit.
Almighty Volume Keys is a customization app for your volume keys. You can change the functionality to do a variety of things, including control music, record sound, turn your flashlight on and off, turn Bluetooth on and off, and do some other stuff. In addition, the app includes Tasker support and, of course, you can change the volume as well. It worked well in our testing and most people seem to have little if any trouble with it. This is an excellent app for remapping your volume keys.
War of the Visions FFBE is the follow up to Square Enix’s insanely popular and good Final Fantasy Brave Exvius game from a few years ago. This one takes place in the same game universe, but instead uses Final Fantasy Tactics style game play instead of the traditional mobile RPG. It has the usual gacha elements, including character summons of various rarities along with upgrades, gear, and stuff like that. The combat is a bit slow, but the game makes up for it by giving you an auto-battle button for easier grinding. We have no doubt this will climb in popularity just like the regular Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.
Facebook Creator Studio is the latest app from the social media giant. This one lets creators mess around with their creations before it goes live on Facebook. You can check out analytics about your videos, manage your Facebook posts, and even respond to messages from fans of your page. The app started out quite poorly with a lot of bugs, hiccups, and sections not working properly. However, it should improve over time and, hopefully, this is the last app Facebook releases for this sort of thing for a while.
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is, well, a mobile version of the card game from The Witcher series. The game boasts a fair progression system free of pay-to-win elements, plenty of cards to collect, plenty of deck combinations to build, and plenty of online PvP. The game isn’t a 100% faithful rendition of the version from The Witcher series, but it’s more than close enough to scratch that itch. The Witcher fans have already left to go download the game, but it’s good even if you haven’t played the games.
As the world moves to work online, people are searching for the right tech to get by. Whether you’re on a Zoom meeting or just blocking out distractions, trusty headphones are an essential item to have. We’ve gone ahead and rounded up some of today’s best headphone deals to help you shop. These deals are spread across Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. You can also choose from Beats, Microsoft, Audio-Technica, and more to find the perfect fit.
Up first is a pair of Beats options: the Solo3 Wireless and the Studio3 Wireless. You can grab the Beats Solo3 Wireless in silver for $ 179 ($ 20 off). The Solo3 Wireless boasts 40 hours of battery life so you can listen for your entire work-from-home week. If you want the power of a studio right in your ears, you can turn to the Studio3 Wireless for $ 199 ($ 149 off). The Studio3 also packs Active Noise Cancelling to help you stay focused.
A third option for the over-ear style is a pair of Microsoft Surface Headphones for $ 199.99 ($ 150 off). They’re designed to pair quickly and easily with any of your Windows 10 gadgets using Swift Pair.
If you prefer buds, you can turn to earbud options from AKG and JLab. The AKG N30 is available for $ 299.95, and they represent one of the top wired options we could find. However, you can also go for the Epic Air True Wireless from JLab for $ 74.99 (50% off).
Staying on wireless earbuds, you can grab a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-CKR7TWGY earbuds for $ 124.99 (64% off). They offer six hours of battery life that you can easily extend with the included charging case.
The last deal we came across is a pair of Sennheiser MB 660 MS for $ 302.36 (24% off). They have three microphones, unique sound profiles, and up to 30 hours of battery so you can work in peace.
Sennheiser MB 660 MS Wireless Headphones
Upgrade your work-from-home audio experience with Active Noise Cancelling and up to 30 hours of battery life. Switch between two connected channels and rely on three microphones to communicate easily.
You have plenty of choices for a new pair of high-end headphones, but you can always check out some of our favorites here. Many of our audio reviews come from the experts at our sister site, SoundGuys.
Out of concern for keeping the rising internet traffic clear of congestion during the coronavirus outbreak, Google is making some changes to YouTube. Starting today, the video streaming service will cut the streaming quality default down to standard definition (480p) resolution for at least a month.
Editor’s Pick
Here are all 5 YouTube apps and what they do!
YouTube is the world’s most popular streaming service. You already know what you can find there. The service is so big that there are multiple apps for browsing all of the content. They’re all let …
Bloomberg reports that, according to a company spokesperson, Google has seen high traffic on YouTube throughout the day since the coronavirus crisis began, rather than just traffic spikes in the evening. This is, of course, due to the fact that many people are either working from home or are simply stuck inside due to government requests to keep them at home. YouTube previously said it would cut down on its video streaming quality to Europe, along with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus. Now it’s going into effect for everybody.
Google says that it doesn’t believe that the world is in danger of truly breaking the internet with an increase in the use of streaming services like YouTube. However, it made the decision to set the default setting back to SD resolution out of both caution as well as some concerns from government officials.
Last fall, Apple came out swinging with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The fruit company’s latest flagship has an advanced triple-camera system meant to provide users with the ultimate mobile photography experience. Samsung rose to meet the challenge with its Galaxy S20 series, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra in particular. This new phone boasts one of the most capable multi-camera systems in the market. Is one better than the other? Find out in our Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max camera shootout.
Note: All the sample photos in our article have been resized for display purposes. Full-resolution samples are available here.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Specs
Before we dive into the photos, let’s take a gander at the hardware. Each device has a complex system stuck on the back, with myriad cameras working together to produce results.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s main shooter captures 108MP at f/1.8. Of note: it has a really large 1/1.33 sensor, which lets it capture a lot of light. This is what powers its nighttime features. Shots taken with this camera are binned down by a factor of nine (nona-binning) to 12MP each, but the full resolution is available with the press of a button. The telephoto camera snaps 48MP shots at f/3.5, the ultra-wide snaps 12MP shots at f/2.2, and the selfie camera snaps 40MP shots (binned to 10MP) at f/2.2. A time-of-flight (ToF) sensor helps with depth information. That’s a lot of sensors and lenses.
Apple’s approach is similar though not quite the same. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a three-camera setup on the rear. Apple opted for three 12MP sensors for the ultra-wide, standard, and telephoto cameras. The ultra-wide enjoys an aperture of f/2.4 and a 120-degree field of view, while the standard camera has an aperture of f/1.8, and the 2x optical zoom telephoto offers an aperture of f/2.0. These are joined by a 12MP selfie camera at f/2.2. Apple does not use a ToF sensor, nor does it use pixel-binning.
Samsung and Apple rely on entirely different processing platforms. The S20 Ultra, for example, relies on the Snapdragon 865 system-on-a-chip. The 865 provides a range of advanced imaging tools, including machine learning and a dedicated image signal processor. Apple, on the other hand, uses its home-grown A13 Bionic chip with a third-generation neural engine.
Pitting the performance of these two processors head to head is not exactly an (ahem) apples-to-apples comparison, so we’re not going to deliver a verdict here. We do know, however, that the Snapdragon 865 bested the A13 on some benchmarks.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Apps and features
Specs are important at determining the results, but the software is often doing most of the work. How are the camera apps from Samsung and Apple?
Both Samsung and Apple have straight-forward camera applications that make it a breeze to find and use features. A double-press of the power button launches the camera app of the S20 Ultra, but there’s no way to truly rapidly launch the iPhone camera app. The best you can do is wake the screen and tap the camera shortcut on the lock screen. I wish Apple had a speedier method.
Samsung simplified its camera UI recently in One UI 2.0. The shutter button is located prominently, with camera modes and zoom tools nearby. I like that Samsung makes certain controls (flash, timer, aspect ratio, etc.) a breeze to adjust with a few quick taps. Shooting modes include photo, video, Single Take, pro, panorama, food, night, live focus (portrait), live focus video, pro video, super slow-mo, slow-mo, and hyperlapse.
The most significant mode is Single Take, which records up to 10 seconds of video and then automatically generates up to nine different photo/video file types for sharing.
Apple has long offered a dead-simple camera app to iPhone users. The main viewfinder offers easy access to the wide-angle, standard, and 2x telephoto lenses, as well as the bevy of shooting modes. These include photo, video, time-lapse, slow-mo, portrait, and panorama. The far side of the viewfinder is where you’ll find buttons for the flash, live photos, and the timer.
While the Samsung app has more overall features, the Apple app is a touch easier to use. With these in mind, we’ll call the Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max camera app comparison a draw.
Winner: Tie
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Camera shootout
Daylight
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample bridge fallsApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample tracks and falls
Daylight shots are where every camera should shine. There’s not a lot of greenery around just yet, but I did take the Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max comparison outdoors to see what’s what.
In these shots, you’ll see blue skies, brown trees, gray gravel, and lots of contrast. In fact, the iPhone shots are over contrast-y if you ask me. The S20 Ultra shots have less contrast but also a touch less color. In this series, I prefer the S20’s results over the iPhone’s, particularly because they are more in line with what my eyes saw when I took the pictures.
S20 Ultra
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Winner: Galaxy S20 Ultra
Detail
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample wide tracksApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample wide angle tracks
The amount of detail visible in these photos depends almost entirely on the exposure. For example, the S20 used a brighter exposure and thus lost some detail. In other instances, the S20’s brighter shot retains detail where the iPhone’s darker shot did not. More importantly, when you zoom in on these photos, the level of visible detail in the gravel and wood grain is about even. There’s no clear winner in this category.
Winner: Tie
Portrait/selfie
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample portraitApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample portrait
The Galaxy S20 Ultra has a time-of-flight sensor, which should help to take superior portraits, right? This isn’t necessarily the case.
As you can see in the samples here, the S20 was able to define me from the background very well, with a few rough edges here and there (look at my coat sleeve). The background is properly exposed, but my face looks overly pink. Worse, I’m not entirely in focus.
The iPhone did a slightly better job. My coat sleeve is smoother along the edges, and my face is much sharper. More to the point, color is a tad more accurate and there’s more detail in the background and foreground. Last, my face isn’t over-beautified.
As for selfies, the S20 messes up in a few ways. First, it mirrors the scene, meaning everything is backwards (you can see the reversed text on my jacket). You have to dive into the selfie camera settings to switch this. Second, the S20 smoothes over my skin a bit too much. The iPhone simply delivers here, whether it’s focus, color, bokeh effect, or temperature.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample selfieApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample selfie
Again, it’s only by a hair, but I’m going with the iPhone this time around.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample color 1Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample color 1
In my experience, the Apple iPhone has always had an issue properly processing colors. Apple’s algorithms often generate a t00-warm cast to photos that isn’t necessarily accurate to the scene at hand. The iPhone 11 Pro Max still does this to some degree, but the effect isn’t nearly as pronounced as it used to be. That’s good news for the iPhone.
In these samples, the iPhone’s exposures are a touch darker than the Samsung’s. This allowed them to retain more detail and deliver richer hues. It’s very close, but I think the iPhone has the better balance of exposure and detail here. It’s particularly pronounced in the grain of the wood. Samsung is often known for over-saturating colors, but in these samples the colors come off as a little flat. I’m calling the iPhone the winner here, but only by a hair.
S20 Ultra
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
HDR
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample HDRApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample HDR
HDR is meant to help balance out the light and dark parts of any given scene. In the sample here, I shot the underside of a bridge with the sun overhead. It’s challenging, given the reflectivity of the river on both sides. The Galaxy S20 Ultra nailed it the first time. It’s not perfect — some detail is missing in the underbelly of the bridge — but it’s very good. More importantly, the sky is blue, and the surrounding vegetation is properly exposed. It took the iPhone three tries to get this shot right (it blow out the sky on the first two attempts), and even then it still loses too much of the bridge to the shadows.
Samsung’s flagship delivers the better HDR shot.
Winner: Galaxy S20 Ultra
Low light
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample low light 1Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample low light 1
This is a tough one. In the sample above, the S20 got everything just right. It captured the tone and color of the sky without under- or over-doing it. The iPhone simply didn’t get it right. Focus is really soft, which makes the clouds look more like a painting than a photo.
In the shots below, however, I think the reverse is true. The S20 blows out some details that the iPhone is able to keep. Moreover, the color is a bit richer in the iPhone shot and the focus is a touch sharper. This one is too close to call.
S20 Ultra
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Winner: Tie
Night mode
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra camera sample night mode riverApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample night mode 1
Both the S20 Ultra and iPhone 11 have night modes that are meant to really deliver in darker environments. In this shot, there was almost no light at all, and yet both phones managed to find enough to flesh out the scene. I think the color looks a bit more natural in the S20 Ultra shot, while it skews too warm in the iPhone shot. The S20 image is also sharper and less noisy. I’m giving this one to the S20.
Winner: Galaxy S20 Ultra
Wide/zoom
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample ultra wideApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample wide angle
Let’s talk about zoom for just a second. The S20 Ultra’s main selling point is absurd levels of zoom. The device has an ultra wide-angle camera that delivers 0.5x zoom, in addition to offering 1x, 2x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 30x, and, yes, even 100x zoom. Samsung’s S20 Ultra does this by blending its up-to-4x optical zoom telephoto lens with digital cropping of the 48MP sensor to reach the 100x claim. You can see in the samples below just how effective this really is.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample 1xApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample 1x
Apple adopted this triple-threat approach to imaging as well. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has its own ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, though it is more limited. The iPhone’s zoom is capable of 2x optical and up to 10x hybrid optical and digital crop.
The S20 Ultra’s ultra-wide shots look very good, with solid color tone and good focus. By way of comparison, the iPhone’s shots look a bit washed out and flat. Similarly, the S20 delivers quite good 10x zoomed shots, while the iPhone’s max range of 10x zoom comes across as soft and more like a painting than a photograph. Toss in the S20 Ultra’s 30x and 100x zoom range (limited though it may be), and it’s clear which device wins this round.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Photo Sample 2xApple iPhone 11 Pro Max photo sample 2x
Winner: Galaxy S20 Ultra
Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which wins?
Based on the sample shots I was able to capture for this article, I’m going to call the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra the winner, but just by a nose. Some will surely prefer the warmer look to shots captured by the iPhone, and Apple’s device clearly takes excellent pictures in varying scenes and scenarios. I think the S20 Ultra edges out the iPhone 11 Pro Max due to its more flexible zoom range, better night mode, HDR, and daylight shooting. Yes, the iPhone does better with color and portraits, but not by much.
This concludes our Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max camera comparison. What do you think? Did we get it right? Please feel free to share your opinions in the comments below, and be sure to check out our S20 Ultra vs Pixel 4 XL camera shootout as well.
In the wake of COVID-19, smartphone sales are plummeting. The only upside to this is that carriers are offering better deals than ever. The Samsung Galaxy S20 starts at $ 1,000 and goes up to $ 1,400 for the Galaxy 20 Ultra. However, there is now a way you can get one for absolutely free!
Sprint has the phones available on the Flex Lease program. If you order a Galaxy S20 on Flex Lease, your monthly payments will be $ 0. At the start of the month, this deal required an eligible trade-in device, but not anymore.
There are other perks too, including the Galaxy Forever program that lets you upgrade to the latest Galaxy device after just 12 monthly payments, rather than the standard 18 months you sign up for on a Flex Lease.
You pay the full Flex Lease price initially, but get it all back in bill credit. We’d always urge you to check out the terms and conditions for yourself, but this offer is the real deal.
Hit one of the widgets below to check out your S20 device of choice.
According to XDA Developers, the Android 11 power menu could soon include a new Quick controls section, featuring a tweaked UI and custom app shortcuts. XDA first caught wind of the potential addition in the Android 11 DP1 code, but it wasn’t able to get it working at all until Android 11 DP2.
The below screenshots come from XDA forums member Quinny899. He was able to develop an application that utilizes the new in-development API after analyzing the developer preview’s framework.
The new Android 11 power menu reveals a rearranged UI with the Emergency, Power off, Restart, and Screenshot buttons moved to the top, leaving the majority of the menu available for the Quick controls. There’s also a menu button that opens an Add controls activity menu. This should allow the user to select which shortcuts to add to the Quick controls menu, though we don’t know for sure which apps would be able to take advantage of this yet.
XDA believes Google will reserve this area for home automation shortcuts, thanks to a list of “valid device types” it found in the code. The list features devices like fans, coffee makers, AC units, curtains, and more, so the outlet’s theory makes sense, though it’s unverified at this time.
So far, there is no sign of the Quick Access Wallet functionality that Google introduced in the second Pixel feature drop. There’s plenty of space at the bottom of the power menu for Android 11 to implement this feature, but it’s not present in the screenshots.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is still a great phone to buy even if it’s a little older at this point. It features Qualcomm’s 2018 flagship Snapdragon 845 chipset, making it a pretty powerful phone even in 2020.
You also get Samsung’s gorgeous 6.4-inch Infinity Super AMOLED display, a dual 12MP camera with variable aperture, a large 4,000mAh battery, and of course the S-Pen. Amazon is offering up the smartphone at its cheapest price to date.
You can grab a factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with 128GB storage for just $ 599.99. This represents a cool 40% discount on the retail price of the phone. You can make even bigger savings on the 512GB model, which is also 40% off at $ 749.99 ($ 500 off). The deal applies to all three colors of the device.
This deal is today only, so there are literally hours to run on the clock. Click the widget below to get the Galaxy Note 9 for $ 599.99.
It seems like companies are launching high-end Wear OS smartwatches left and right. At the beginning of the year, Suunto launched the $ 500 Suunto 7, its first real smartwatch and one of the best Wear OS watches you can buy right now.
Now, Montblanc and Tag Heuer are launching new, super expensive Wear OS smartwatches. The Montblanc Summit 2 Plus costs $ 1,170, while the new Tag Heuer Connected smartwatch goes for a whopping $ 1,800.
That got us thinking. If a company made a Wear OS smartwatch that was perfect for you, how much would you pay for it? I’m talking no compromises and every single feature you want on a smartwatch, but it’s running Wear OS. We asked you last week how much you’d be willing to pay, and the results are pretty interesting.
How much would you pay for an ‘Ultra’ Wear OS watch?
Results
Out of almost 2,000 total votes, 64% of Android Authority readers said they’d still only pay the “average” amount of money for a perfect Wear OS smartwatch: between $ 100 and $ 300.
29.5% of voters said they’d pay much more for a perfect Wear OS watch. 27.2% would pay somewhere between $ 300 and $ 1,000, while 2.3% of voters said they’d pay over $ 1,000.
Finally, 6.5% of voters wouldn’t pay any amount of money for a perfect Wear OS device.
Here are some of the best comments from last week’s poll explaining why they voted the way that they did:
Monk: I’d go for up to 500… Good battery, rugged. Not a name brand per say but not some knock off startup company. It’s gotta work with any Android phone. I have a phone, so I don’t need 3g 4g or 5g… Maybe enough data to do texts for when I’m away from my phone but I don’t need to watch videos or anything. I’d want heart rate and 02 sensor. Sleep tracking that works well. Some other medical miracle that hasn’t been done yet. Easy to use reminders (guess a top of the line assistant that doesn’t need data to do most tasks)In terms of design thin enough to not feel bulky. Round face without a flat tire. A dual screen for low power consumption. A new design where the buttons aren’t huge, so you could wear it comfortably on either wrist without pushing them by mistake. Comfortable band that you don’t have to buy an aftermarket one and hope for the best. Then instead of over designing a new pixel with maybe some people like the soli stuff but instead throw that R/D into wear OS and make it
DBS: WearOS is a sh*tshow. Unpolished, unfinished, unsupported. Even Google seems to have forgotten it. So I wouldn’t buy anything over 100€ running it. Only if the watch was under 100€ would I consider it. Since there’s no option for that…Option 1 it is.
jdrch: I wouldn’t buy it, not because “I hate Wear OS” (LMAO wat) but because I’m not about to buy yet another device that needs to be charged. I already rock a Bluetooth headset, phone, and backup power bank everywhere. Don’t need a 4th.
Lee: I’ve removed Google pay from my watch due to constant inconsistency of it being fussy about where exactly on the terminal it makes connection, or it deciding to quit or freeze right at the point of payment. A smart ring works flawlessly without any of this & requires no charging. Unless you have a watch with that charges itself it’s just not worth it, you can still have Google assistant through earphones.
mejustsayin: I have the gear s2 classic. it is almost the ideal watch. the perfect smartwatch for me is small, takes phone notifications, able to make payments (prefer samsung pay) and don’t have all the health tracking features. It will be a while before I will be in the market for a new watch. I just cannot see getting a new watch every few years at the current prices. when I am in the market, wear os will be considered and I will pay to get what I want and need – within reason.
none: If it has a square screen, and it isn’t made by Samsung, I’ll buy it…
Chris Jewell: I bought the Montblanc Summit 2 a year ago for about $ 950. The point about paying the extra dollars is that you get a quality timepiece as far as hardware and aesthetics. For example it is virtually scratch proof and the leather strap still looks good. It’s a beautiful watch and I’ve had a lot of compliments. I know that WearOS has a bad reputation but on my watch it’s super fast and responsive. The battery lasts about 16 hrs with regular usage which isn’t stellar but I’m OK with that. I know that in 5 years or so the software will likely be obsolete and the battery will have deteriorated but I’m kind of hoping that those things can be repaired. If not, I’m still happy with my purchase.
Harry Knuckles: My fitbit versa 2 is awesome and only cost $ 180. Buying “Luxury” technology is just like waving a flag saying I’m foolish.
funkpod: I put down the $ 300 to $ 1000 option, only because I could see spending$ 350 or even$ 400. If it is like the Apple Watch quality, then yeah, I’d pay that much. But not $ 1k.
That’s it for this week. As always, thanks for voting, thanks for the comments, and don’t forget to let us know what you thought of the results below!
The best types of speakers are the ones that you can save money on, and there are a number of great speaker deals across the web today. We’ve rounded up some of the best deals from Amazon, Dell, and JBL to help you save on a variety of different speakers.
For starters, you can head on over to eBay and pick up the Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Speaker for $ 99.95 ($ 100 off). The smallest one-piece wireless speaker from Bose delivers room-filling sound and can be controlled from the app.
On Amazon, you can save money on the Bose Home Speaker 300 or the Home Speaker 500. The Bose Home Speaker 300 is $ 199 (23% off) and the Home Speaker 500 is available for $ 299 ($ 100 off). Both options include built-in Alexa voice integration and the Home Speaker 500 also has a display to show your music. You can check out all three speakers with the widgets below:
If you’re not looking to join the Bose brigade you can head on over to Dell for 60% savings on the UE Wonderboom Mini Bluetooth Speaker. You can pick one up for just $ 37.98 ($ 62.01 off) and enjoy the peak portability and waterproofing capabilities.
UE Wonderboom Mini Limited Edition
Take your music on the go with the portability and battery power of the UE Wonderboom Mini. You can listen for up to ten hours in any conditions thanks to the waterproofing technology.
Finally, if you’re on the hunt for a full-sized cinematic audio experience you can stop by JBL and check out the JBL Cinema 610. You can pick up the whole set which includes an eight-inch 60W subwoofer and five satellites for $ 149.95 (63% off). Check out the details via the widget below:
JBL Cinema 610 Speaker System
Experience an in-home cinematic sound setup. The JBL Cinema 610 packs an eight-inch subwoofer and five satellite systems for powerful surround sound in all of your favorite games and movies.
This is a perfect opportunity to save with a variety of speaker deals but the savings won’t last long. Check out the widgets before the deals disappear.
As the years go on, more people are ditching cable in favor of streaming services. That’s because cutting the cord is usually cheaper, easier, and more flexible. It’s also possible to share subscriptions with friends and family, giving users access to multiple services without paying for them all. Unfortunately, sharing streaming services means handing out your passwords, thus handing over a piece of your privacy. Well, that’s all about to change thanks to a new Google Chrome extension called DoNotPay.
DoNotPay is a tool that promises users the ability to share streaming services without sacrificing private passwords. From our experience, this tool works just as expected, and it’s super easy to setup.
How to use the DoNotPay extension
After you install the extension in a compatible Chromium-based browser, you will need to verify your identity. To do so, you need to submit your mobile number and enter the code DoNotPay sends to you via SMS. Then, once you are logged into the streaming website of your choice, click the DoNotPay extension icon in your browser to generate a link.
You can send this link either by entering someone’s email address or manually copying and pasting it. Once the recipient clicks the link, they will be prompted to go through the same process you did earlier to download the extension and verify their identity. Once that’s all done, they can access your subscription services without knowing your password.
There are no limits to how many links you can create, but the standard subscription device limits will still apply. Note that even though people you share your subscriptions with won’t be able to change your passwords or two-factor authentication mechanisms, you are still giving them some control over your accounts. It’s essential to always take caution when deciding who to share your subscription services with.
DoNotPay’s functionality isn’t limited to streaming services either. The technology behind the tool allows users to safely share login information from any website.
How does it work?
DoNotPay works by effectively passing on the login session via encrypted cookies from the websites you choose to share. Founder Joshua Browder promises this method is safe, secure, and that DoNotPay cannot access these cookies.
“We use VGS [Very Good Security], which provides encryption and PCI II compliance and is trusted by many fintech companies,” Browder told VentureBeat. “The cookies are also encrypted in transit and can only be seen by the people you are sharing them with.”
It’s also worth mentioning that DoNotPay offers this service entirely free without selling any of your data. The company makes money through its legal services for a small $ 3 monthly fee, which you can also access from the extension.
As of right now, DoNotPay is only available for Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers like Microsoft Edge, though that may change in the future.
“We have plans to expand to Firefox, and even our DoNotPay mobile app if this service becomes popular,” Browder said. “The Chrome extension is a test to see if it catches on, which we imagine it will.”
