Latest from Android Central

It's time to catch-up with Samsung's 2018 flagship.It seems like just yesterday the Galaxy S9 was the hottest and most popular Android smartphone on the market. However, here in 2020, it's over two years old. That's not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but in the smartphone world, it's the equivalent of a lifetime.The Galaxy S9 stands out as one of the most refined and complete phones Samsung's ever released, even if it wasn't the most exciting or intriguing.If you need a refresher on what's going on with the Galaxy S9 or are searching for some tips on how to use it to its fullest potential, you've come to the right place.Time for an S9 history lessonHere are our reviewsIt's now running Android 10If it's how-to's you're afterS9 accessories are plentifulThe Galaxy S20 is the new hotnessThe latestSamsung Galaxy S20$999 at Samsung$800 at Best BuySamsung's 2020 flagship is worth a lookThe Galaxy S9 has lived a long and fulfilling life, but now it...

Best answer: Yes. If you're looking for a timeless wearable, the Samsung Galaxy Watch is a good buy at any time. However, it's nearly two years old; you can get the more updated Galaxy Watch Active 2 for the same price, or you can wait for the new Galaxy Watch.Timeless and classic: Samsung Galaxy Watch ($280 at Best Buy)Updated for fitness folks: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 ($280 at Best Buy)What matters most to you?As you consider whether or not you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch in 2020, be sure to think about what features are essential to your purpose. If you're a fan of a traditional aesthetic, then it makes sense that you're interested in the classic look of the Galaxy Watch. With that said, if it's the perks under the hood that have your attention, you might think twice about buying it right now.You can get many of the same benefits in the Galaxy Watch Active 2 for the same price. It comes in a sleeker, more lightweight package. It also boasts an electrocardi...

Some serious work highlights this beautiful and gruesome post-apocalypse.What you need to knowNaughty Dog has released a new episode of Inside The Last of Us Part II.This video highlights the detail in the characters and the environments of the game.The Last of Us Part II is set to release on June 19, 2020.Small details in video games add up, which is why Naughty Dog has released a new episode of Inside The Last of Part II that focuses specifically on the new technology and details of the game. While previous episodes went over the story and the gameplay, this is all about the small touches. From characters to environments, there's a ton to go over. You can take a look at the video below.The Last of Us Part II is scheduled to release on June 19, 2020 on PlayStation 4. For more on the game, you can check out yesterday's State of Play episode, which highlighted new gameplay and mechanics, factions and more.RevengeThe Last of Us Part II$60 at Amazon$60 at Bes...

Only active paid members with an individual, student or family plan are eligible.What you need to knowYouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. can now get a free Nest Mini from the Google Store.The offer is available on a "first come, first served basis."In addition to YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium, Google Play Music subscribers are also eligible for the offer.Google is once again giving out free Nest Mini speakers to YouTube subscribers in the U.S. As spotted by a Reddit user (via 9To5Google), some YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscribers have started getting notifications from the YouTube mobile app for Android and iOS about the latest promotion.If you haven't received an email or an in-app notification yet, you can still try availing the offer by clicking on this link. As long as you have a YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, or Google Play Music subscription, you should be able to grab a promotional code for a free Nest Mini from the Google...

When it comes down to the best noise-cancelling headphones, Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones are at the top of the list right beside the Bose QC 35 II, and they're usually similarly priced around $350. However, right now you can pick up the refurbished XM3 headphones on sale for $199.99 at BackMarket in mint condition and saves nearly $150 off their price brand new. That's also about $90 off the average price of a refurbished pair at Amazon, and you'll even receive free shipping with today's purchase.BackMarket includes a 1-year warranty with these headphones as well.These wireless over-ear headphones charge via USB-C and feature atomic pressure optimization that can adjust for noise-cancelling at higher altitudes, along with a quick-charging feature that gives you five hours of playback after just 10 minutes of charging. It's also equipped with multiple microphones and is capable of lasting for up to 30 hours on a single charge. The Adaptive Sound Control will allow you to adjust ju...

If you're like me, your Kindle Paperwhite is practically attached to your hand. Your personal library is on one of these little babies, and they need some extra protection. Of course, protection doesn't mean a lack of style or versatility. Want a thin, rugged, leather, or artistic case? There's an option available for every budget and style wish. Here are some of the best choices for your Kindle Paperwhite.Vertical flipMoKo Premium Vertical Flip CoverStaff PickThe MoKo case is padded to shelter your Kindle from scratches and safeguard it against damage from drops. The interior is microfiber that's soft to the touch, making it easier to hold your Kindle Paperwhite for long periods. This case has the added benefit of turning into an adjustable vertical stand that lets you read hands-free. The auto wake/sleep feature wakes your Kindle from sleep mode when you open the case and puts it back into sleep mode when you shut the lid. This is the most versatile pick on our list, and ...

An original game starring new and iconic characters, set in Blackspire Outpost.What you need to knowOculus Studios will be publishing Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy's Edge, set for release in late 2020.The story takes place in Blackspire Outpost on the planet Batuu, the same location you'll find in Disney theme parks.ILMxLAB is working to tie in several pieces of Star Wars lore to build on Blackspire Outpost's importance.This action-adventure game is a VR exclusive, but no mention if this is on both Rift and Quest platformsWhile we won't be seeing a major theatrical Star Wars release in 2020, there's no shortage of Star Wars stories slated for release this year. An exciting new entry comes in the form of an Oculus-exclusive VR action-adventure called Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy's Edge, developed by ILMxLAB and published by Oculus Studios. As you might guess from the name, Tales From The Galaxy's Edge takes place in the very same metaverse you'll find at Disneyland a...

Amazon Prime Day is one of the biggest shopping days on the internet. Second only, perhaps, to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it brings deals galore to a bunch of the most popular tech and more for a limited period of time. Originally, Prime Day was for just one day as the name suggests but in recent years the event has stretched some. Last year it was 36 hours and for 2019 it has been confirmed we're getting a full 48 hours of savings starting on July 15.Not all of the deals will be available right away, and with thousands of promotions, they can be hard to keep track of. This handy guide will tell you all you need to know about how to get prepared for Amazon Prime Day and how to ensure you get the most out of the event itself.Amazon Prime MembershipThe deals on Amazon Prime Day are, as you might expect, exclusive for Amazon Prime members so it's a good idea to ensure you're signed up ahead of the big day(s). If you've never used Prime before, you can sign up for a free 30-day...

It can be an expensive endeavor to upgrade your TV set, especially if you're wanting to slide headfirst into the 4K future. One great way to save money is by going for a refurbished TV, and you can take hundreds off regular retail prices with this one-day sale on factory reconditioned Samsung UHD TVs over at Woot right now. There are several different 65-inch models on sale with prices starting at $919.99. The deals are only available until the end of the day at the latest (and some models have already sold out) so don't miss your chance to snag one of these TVs for less.Each of these TVs has been refurbished directly by Samsung, and they all come with a 90-day Samsung warranty as well.The sale includes a few models of the super neat Samsung The Frame TV. This TV has made a name for itself due to its Art Mode, which transforms the TV when it's off into a work of art — art which you've selected. There are hundreds of pieces to choose from including collections from the V&A M...

One of the most important weeks for GeForce Now since it launched is capped with the arrival of some of Ubisoft's biggest titles.What you need to knowNVIDIA GeForce Now is a streaming service that allows PC players to stream games they own on various devices.26 new games are making their way to the service in the latest update.The Long Dark returns while some of Ubisoft's biggest titles on the Epic Games Store are joining the party NVIDIA is back with another weekly update to its GeForce Now catalog and it's an absolute humdinger. 26 titles are joining the mix with this latest update, including brand new games like Maneater and Saint's Row The Third Remastered. As good as these are, there are a couple of bigger tales in this weeks update.First, The Long Dark makes a return, in conjunction with NVIDIA's new opt-in feature for game developers. Raphael van Lierop, founder and CEO at Hinterland, made a statement saying: "The GeForce NOW opt-in agreement gives creators co...

The Oculus Quest is an amazing piece of technology, but did you know you can actually use your hands instead of controllers in some games and apps? Once an experimental feature, there are now a few titles on the official Oculus Store available to download, but most are only available via the third-party Sidequest application. To get the most out of your Oculus Quest, be sure to install Sidequest on your Oculus Quest before you begin.Note: For the best results, always play in a well-lit room for optimal hand tracking performance. The brighter, the better. We cannot stress that enough.Found on the Oculus StoreBegin with Sidequest for theseFind these on the Oculus Store★ Featured favoriteThe Curious Tale of the Stolen PetsStaff PickThe Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is a charming game for all ages, heights, and skill levels. Follow the narration of your grandfather through half a dozen imaginary worlds to find the stolen pets and discover a wonderful tale...

The Exynos 992 is rumored to be a significant upgrade over the current Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865 chipsets.What you need to knowSamsung is reportedly set to begin mass production of its first 5nm Exynos chipset in August.The rumored Exynos 992 chipset could power Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 20 series phones.It will apparently utilize ARM's new Cortex-A78 CPU and Mali-G78 GPU designs.A report from ZDNet Korea had claimed last month that Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 could be powered by a new 6nm Exynos 992 chipset in select markets. The folks at ZDNet Korea have now published a new report that suggests the Exynos 992 will be Samsung's first mobile chipset to be built using a 5nm EUV process.As per the report, Samsung is set to begin the mass production of its next-gen Exynos chipset in August. However, the company is apparently yet to decide whether or not it will use the chipset in the Galaxy Note 20 series.More interestingly, the report states the Exynos 992 will use ...

This isn't the first time Google is being sued over privacy concerns.What you need to knowGoogle has been sued by Arizona over its location-tracking practices.The state accuses Google of tracking Android users even when they manually disabled location services and using that data to serve ads.The company claimed that the claims were a mischaracterization. Google has been sued by the state of Arizona due to its allegedly illegal tracking of Android users' locations. The company was accused of keeping tabs of users, even those who had turned off location tracking features manually.The Washington Post reported: The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in arguing that Google, the maker of the Android smartphone operating system, set up its mobile software in a way that enriched its advertising empire and deceived device owners about the protections actually afforded to their personal data, running afoul of Arizona consumer-protection laws that prohibit companies from misrepr...

Chatting with the AC forums.Your phone's virtual keyboard is one of the most important things you interact with every single day. It's how you send emails, texts, and create spicy tweets.Every phone comes with a pre-installed keyboard right out of the box, but if you take a look at the Google Play Store, you'll find a variety of third-party keyboard apps that can elevate the out-of-the-box experience.Some of our AC forum members recently got to talking about what keyboard app they're using here in 2020, and this is what they had to say. the_boon 05-24-2020 07:41 AM “ I bounce back and forth between Gboard and the BlackBerry keyboard Reply mlblack16 05-24-2020 08:49 AM “ I use Gboard the majority of the time, especially on certain apps/websites like this one. For some reason, Gboard will not wo...

After several delays and a few fights in Florida, the UFC is returning to Las Vegas! The next UFC Fight Night will go live on May 30 with a headliner featuring former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley and the #6 ranked welterweight Gilbert Burns. The fight will take place at UFC Apex, a brand-new production facility dedicated to all things UFC. Not only is this notable for being the first fight to take place at Apex, it's also important because the fight will feature a smaller 25-foot Octagon instead of the regular 30-foot space for fighters. The idea here is to have more fights that end in finishes instead of decisions. It will definitely keep the fighters closer together, and hopefully that means more action.Woodley vs. Burns is an interesting matchup. Both fighters have similar records at 19-4-1 and 18-3 respectively. Woodley weighs about 15 pounds more and has a longer reach and leg reach, but we'll see how the smaller fighting space impacts his ability to keep Burns at a d...

Unlimited plans are simple, but now's a great time to evaluate whether you actually need one.The advent of unlimited data plans in the U.S., taking off starting in 2017, has simplified billing and relieved stress for a ton of people. Per-gigabyte data plans started to seem antiquated — and potentially expensive — as we headed toward a future of video calls, multiplayer gaming, sharing huge photo and video files, and all-streaming media consumption. But now that we're all on unlimited data plans, it's reasonable to ask if we maybe went a bit too far in desiring unlimited data and are now getting a raw deal. Fear of data overages led us to sign up for unlimited — but not everyone benefited.Our fear of data overage charges that led us to sign up for unlimited offerings didn't end up saving us much money, if any. Data plans are, well, still expensive in the U.S. Even though the plans have been simplified into a single "unlimited" umbrella where we don't have to watch giga...

The suit claimed Apple, Google, Twitter, and Facebook were "stifling" the First Amendment.What you need to knowA lawsuit against Apple, Google, Twitter, and Facebook has been dismissed.It claimed that top tech companies were suppressing conservative views.A judge said that the claims were not actionable under the First Amendment. A lawsuit against top tech companies claiming that anti-conservative bias has been dismissed in the U.S. appeals court.As TechCrunch reports: The same day Donald Trump took to Twitter to threaten to regulate or shut down social media sites, the U.S. appeals court in Washington, D.C. dismissed a lawsuit accusing top tech companies of silencing conservative voices. Filed in 2018 by nonprofit Freedom Watch and right-wing gadfly Laura Loomer, the suit accused Apple, Facebook, Twitter and Google of stifling First Amendment rights.The lawsuit accused the four companies of collaborating to "intentionally and willfully suppress politically conserv...

Test your skills!What you need to knowOnePlus and Epic Games have partnered together to produce a new Creative Island.The island is filled with five different mini-games, all of which last up to 90 seconds. Fortnite players who have OnePlus phones can now stream the game at 90 FPS.One of the many modes inside Epic Game's Fortnite is its Creative mode, which allows players to customize their own space to host a variety of activity. As a part of OnePlus and Epic's ongoing partnership, the two companies have launched their own Creative Island that allows players to test their skills in a handful of mini-games.The island, named "90," will consist of five individual mini-games, all of which last up to about 90 seconds each and focus on the themes of speed and smoothness. The mini-games range from things like Color Dash, which test a players ability to color as many tiles as possible while undergoing different gravitational effects, to Skydive Shootout, which sees players tes...

Looking to add another smart speaker to your home? Maybe you've got that one little room that doesn't have an Echo in it or you need a speaker on your bookshelf. Daily Deals has the Amazon Echo 1st-generation smart home music speaker available for $34.99 refurbished with code THRIFTERECHO. That price is the lowest around at the moment, and the speaker is going for around $70 brand new on Amazon. The deal comes with free shipping and a 30-day warranty.Sure, this isn't the newest Amazon smart speaker in the lineup, but it still has a very powerful speaker that's steps ahead of similarly priced speakers. Plus, Alexa, the Amazon smart voice assistant, doesn't care about the age of the speaker. Alexa is built in the cloud, so as long as the speaker is compatible with Alexa it has the most advanced version. You can use voice commands to control your smart home, access streaming apps like Pandora or Amazon Music, and ask about all kinds of things like the news or weather.The Echo is des...

Small phones do a lot of things well, but sadly, typing just isn't one of them.I love small phones and I cannot lie! You Android lovers can't deny, that when a phone walks in with an itty bitty case, and small bezels in your face you get— okay, I'm not going to do the whole song, but safe to say, I love small phones. I love phones that will fit in the front pockets of my jeans so that I don't have to rock the Tomb Raider casual look. Small phones usually get shafted on battery or features — usually both — but they have many advantages, especially for users with smaller hands and smaller pockets.However, there is one area where small phones have a distinct, inescapable disadvantage to bigger, taller phones: typing. Typing on a small phone is awkward and uncomfortable unless you're very, very nimble, and in most cases your keyboard will take up half the screen or more, limiting the amount of a conversation/email you can see while replying.Once upon a time, small phones ...

The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G is receiving a new update as well.What you need to knowOnePlus is rolling out new OxygenOS updates for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series.The update brings Dolby Atmos support for the Bullets Wireless Z and adds 960fps slow-motion video recording to the OnePlus 7T. A new update for the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G has also started rolling out in Europe with the May 2020 security patch.OnePlus has started pushing a new stable OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series, just a week after it rolled out the latest Open Beta build for its 2019 flagship phones. The latest stable OxygenOS build comes with a few new features and improvements, including Dolby Atmos support for OnePlus' new Bullets Wireless Z earphones.According to the official changelog (via XDA Developers), the update comes with improved battery life, optimized volume adjustment, lens stain detection, and a few other enhancements. For the OnePlus 7T series phones, the update also adds support for slow-moti...

EE's most recent Mobile Network data report covers February to May 2020.What you need to knowEE has revealed how lockdown has changed UK mobile data usage.It says it has seen a 45% increase in traffic for apps like WhatsApp, Houseparty, and Skype.Voice calling has also doubled, and there's been a big increase in exercise data from apps like Strava. UK Carrier EE has revealed how lockdown is changing UK mobile data usage throughout the country.The new report, published earlier this week highlights several big shifts in communication and how people are choosing to use their data. From the report: With people unable to visit friends and family, as well as many people working from home, communication traffic on EE's mobile network has seen a huge increase. Zoom users on EE's network increased five times during lockdown compared to earlier this year, and total data use on the platform has more than doubled. Social evening activities with friends and family have seen the da...

Trump had threatened to "close down" social media platforms on Wednesday.What you need to knowPresident Donald Trump is likely to sign an executive order against social media companies on Thursday.The order could allow federal regulators to apply constraints to social media companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook for "political bias."For a long time, Trump has alleged that major social media companies are biased against conservatives.President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday that could significantly limit the immunity given to social media and other online platforms by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. As per a report from Washington Post, the order will enable federal regulators to hold social media companies responsible for the comments, videos, and other content posted on their platforms by users.Once the order is signed by the President and the scope of the law protecting social media companies is reconsidered, the F...

OnePlus will only be holding a limited sale for the OnePlus 8 5G in India tomorrow.What you need to knowOnePlus has delayed the availability of its latest OnePlus 8 series phones in India.Both phones were slated to go on sale in India from May 29. The new sales schedule for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro in India is expected to be revealed soon.OnePlus had announced earlier this month that it would commence sales of its new OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones in India from May 29. Unfortunately, the company has now revealed that it is postponing the date for open sales in India due to some unforeseen circumstances.OnePlus had to halt production of its latest flagship phones in India last week after nine employees at the OPPO facility in Greater Noida tested were diagnosed with COVID-19. Fortunately, however, production is now back up and running at the OPPO facility, which is where OnePlus assembles its phones for the Indian market.While OnePlus hasn't confirmed a new date for open sal...

Start preparing right now! Amazon Prime Day 2020 is rumored to be happening in September this year, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't start thinking about it now. This year, more than ever, it's going to be a great opportunity to get a head start on your holiday shopping. From simple things like ensuring your account is in good standing with updated information to small tips and tricks, we have you covered. Let's take a look at some of what you'll want to do in the days leading up to Amazon's event.Update your billing and shipping informationThis may seem like an obvious one, but it's easy to have your Prime account get cluttered up with extra shipping addresses and credit cards. This can slow you down, and even if it's just a matter of seconds, it may be the difference between securing a deal and missing out on it.Be sure to delete any expired credit cards or ones that you don't use anymore, and do the same for shipping addresses. If you have any Amazon gift cards laying aro...

Studios have to opt in by May 31 to have their game not removed from the service.What you need to knowDevelopers and publishers now have to opt-in through a new process to have their games available through GeForce Now.A blog post announced that those who don't opt in by May 31 will be removed.The process is likely in response to licensing issues with the service.NVIDIA announced Wednesday that publishers and developers who want to use its GeForce Now streaming service to offer games will now have to go through a new opt-in process."Going forward, only the games that are opted in will be available on the service, providing confidence in the GeForce Now game library," a blog post read.The company added that, so far, over 200 publishers have opted in to have their games available to stream through the platform, which allows players to stream games through the cloud across different PCs and mobile devices. It's meant to remove the complications of having a high-spec gaming...

1440p screen owners, your time has come.What you need to knowGoogle Stadia has, until now, only supported 1080p and 4K screens.1440p screen users were required to stream in 1080p.With a new update, Stadia now supports 1440p streaming.1440p streaming has the same requirements as streaming in 4K. Previously, Stadia games could only be streamed in 1080 or in 4K, with no proper support for other resolutions like 1440p. That's just changed, as the official Stadia Twitter account has confirmed that 1440p support is now available, provided that the users already met the requirements for streaming in 4K.We’ve completed rolling out improved resolution settings. Players using a display with a resolution between 1440p and 4K will be able to stream in 1440p instead of 1080p, so long as they meet all of the requirements to play in 4K: https://t.co/2oA33pCSMc— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) May 27, 2020Playing in 4K resolution requires a Stadia Pro subscription and a network speed of ...

If there's anything I've learned in all my years of gaming, it's that headsets can make or break your gaming experience. Not only do you want good sound quality, but you also want a comfortable fit and a microphone that won't make you want to rip your hair out. We did all the research for you to make sure you get the most out of your money without having to go through trial and errorLong battery lifeAstro A50 WirelessStaff pickWith Dolby 7.1 surround sound and a built-in MixAmp DAC, the A50 produces some of the finest sounds you can find in a gaming headset. Featuring 15 hours of battery life, this headset charges back up in its magnetic charging cradle. As far as wireless is concerned, it connects to the PS4 through a base station using a 5GHz wireless transmitter.$290 at Amazon$300 at GameStopBest budget optionRazer Kraken XThis is easily one of the most affordable options available. It features 7.1 surround sound capability when used on PC and sports a comfort...

This dark tale is almost here and there's new gameplay to check out.What you need to knowToday, Naughty Dog and PlayStation held a new State of Play event showing off The Last of Us Part II.This showcase presented about 20 minutes of gameplay. The Last of Us Part II is set to arrive on June 19, 2020. As promised earlier this week, PlayStation and Naughty Dog held a State of Play focused entirely on The Last of Us Part II. In this presentation, creative director Neil Druckmann showed off the setting and talked about new gameplay elements, like how Ellie can throw down ropes. You can check out the full State of Play below.There's a lot to go through here, including the major news that yes, Ellie can swim. You can also check out some images from the State of Play below.The Last of Us Part II is scheduled to release on June 19, 2020 on PlayStation 4. There's also a special edition console and some accessories releasing at the same time.RevengeThe Last of Us Part...

After nearly a decade of hitching rides to space with rockets from other countries, NASA will be sending two astronauts back to the International Space Station from U.S. soil. This mission, called Demo-2, is a joint task between NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX company. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will be returning to space, and NASA is making this event easier to watch than any previous one.SpaceX Launch: When & whereThe launch is scheduled to happen today, Wednesday March 27 at 4:33 p.m. Eastern. As with all launches, this is totally dependent on the weather at that exact moment, though the conditions are favorable for it happening. Should the launch not occur today, the next two possible dates are Saturday May 30 at 3:22 p.m. and Sunday May 31 at 3 p.m. Eastern.The Demo-2 mission will send Behnken and Hurley to orbit on a 19-hour journey to the ISS and viewers will be able to watch right from their TVs at home on Discovery and Science Channel (beginning at 2...

Online multiplayer on PlayStation 4 usually requires two things: a stable internet connection and a PlayStation Plus membership. If you don't have both, you probably won't be able to play online games with your friends. There are two exceptions: free-to-play games, like Fortnite, don't require you to need PlayStation Plus to play online multiplayer. You'll also be able to play any multiplayer games included with PlayStation Now when you're signed up for that service, even if you don't have a PlayStation Plus subscription.Products used in this guideOnline membership: PlayStation Plus 12-month ($60 at Amazon)Direct connection: Cat 7 Ethernet Cable (From $7 at Amazon)How to connect to Wi-Fi on PlayStation 4From the home screen, go to Settings.Scroll down to Network.Select Set Up Internet Connection.Select either Use Wi-Fi or Use Lan Cable.If using Wi-Fi, select your Wi-Fi network and enter your Wi-Fi password as prompted. If using a LAN cable, connect it to the back...

On May 26 at 1PM ET, Wholesome Games released the Wholesome Direct 2020 video showing 54 "cute and cozy" indie games that will release on various platforms within the next few years. If, like me, you've been playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and are looking for something similarly relaxing to play then you really ought to give these games a look.Every game listed during the Wholesome DirectOver 50 indie games were shown during the Wholesome Direct. Here's a brief description of each one, along with the release date, and the platforms they'll be releasing on.Button City — Steam (2020)You play as Fennel the fox who is trying to work with his friends to save the local arcade from being torn down. It's inspired by 90s kids movies like The Little Rascals and The Mighty Ducks.Errand Boy — Epic Games Store & Xbox One (Q2 2021)You play as a little monster who delivers errands for the creatures in his town. Bring joy to others as the world around you is falling...

AI smarts push Pixel ahead.What you need to knowThe strengths of the Google Pixel line lies in the power of AI and machine learning.The onboard speech to text is so speedy, it outperforms much more powerful iPhones.Google has also released a recorder app for older Pixels.Google's Pixels rarely compete on pure power, but machine learning and AI pick up the slack and push overall performance to a place where it can be compared with an often overhwleminlgy powerful iPhone. One area where this is most evident is Google's transcription speed when using speech-to-text on Pixels. It's fast, as this video reminded us today.I don't think that people appreciate how different the voice to text experience on a Pixel is from an iPhone. So here is a little head to head example. The Pixel is so responsive it feels like it is reading my mind! pic.twitter.com/zmxTKxL3LB— James Cham ✍? (@jamescham) May 27, 2020As you can see from the short video, Google's speech-to-text is power...

You can charge your DualShock 4 controller by attaching it to a USB cable via your PlayStation 4. However, that only works for one controller at a time, which is inefficient if you like playing multiplayer games. Having a cable sticking out can also make your setup look cluttered and your controller can disconnect if jostled. With a little extra investment you can solve all your power needs and even add some extra functions with one of these controller charging docks.Best overallPowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging StationStaff pickThe PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the only officially licensed charging dock for your PS4 controllers. It works off of AC adapters to make it easy to plug your controllers in and get a charge without any additional hassle. This dock fits easily onto an entertainment system and doesn't take up a lot of room.$25 at Best BuyFast chargeHyperX ChargePlay DuoThe HyperX ChargePlay Duo quickly charges two controllers at on...

Hand tracking is finally here.The Oculus Quest is a standalone virtual reality (VR) headset that doesn't require any cables to be connected to your PC. The device has received a number of new features in recent months, but hand tracking may be the most significant. With firmware version 17, the Oculus Quest will automatically detect the presence of controllers and switch to hand tracking when no controllers are detected.No longer an experimentOnce an experimental feature that needed to be separately enabled, hand tracking on the Oculus Quest now simply "just works" whenever the headset doesn't detect any controllers in use. To begin using your Oculus Quest with only your hands (and without controllers), simply put the Oculus Quest on your head and power it on. Your hands will be automatically detected and you can navigate through the entire Oculus Home screen with just your fingers.What's more, whenever you'd like to switch from controllers to hand tracking at any t...

Get ready to drop in for the fourth season.What you need to knowCall of Duty: Warzone Season 4 has been revealed with a new trailer.This trailer confirms that Captain Price is joining the ranks of available Operators.Season 4 is set to begin on June 3.Call of Duty: Warzone Season 4 has been announced with a new trailer. In it, Infinity Ward confirmed that Captain Price is indeed a new Operator for players to acquire. You can check out the trailer below.Call of Duty: Warzone is available as a free-to-play standalone game, separate from the rest of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. That hasn't stopped Modern Warfare from continuing to sell extremely well, with the game continuing to appear near the top of NPD charts month after month. As of April 30, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best-selling game of the year in the U.S.Infinity Ward has been working to curb the cheating problems in Call of Duty: Warzone, implementing new systems that force suspected cheaters to pla...

Spotify and Apple Music also offer a similar feature.What you need to knowYouTube Music will now let users pre-save unreleased albums to their libraries.Some tracks which have already been released as EPs or singles can be downloaded and played as part of an unreleased album.Rival streaming services, Spotify and Apple Music offer this as well.Google has added a slightly new feature to YouTube Music, the ability to pre-save unreleased albums to your libraries (via Reddit). Typically, some albums appear on the platform before their official release date, showing off a preview of unreleased tracks to tantalize potential listeners. In the past, you wouldn't be able to add them to your library. Now you can — with some caveats. The most obvious one is that you won't be able to play the unreleased songs on an unreleased album. YouTube Music instead marks those as "unavailable" instead of "unreleased" Another caveat, albeit a positive one, is that for some of those tracks, they ...

Will a remix lose some of what made the original great?In recent years, the story mode for first-person shooting (FPS) games has started to feel like an afterthought, something to shoehorn into your multiplayer experience. There are exceptions to this, of course, and some FPS have started to use the story mode in earnest, so now seems the perfect time to bring back an FPS that spent hours telling a great story. XIII, the PlayStation 2 classic, is getting a remaster for the PlayStation 4, and from what we are seeing it could be a good one.What is XIII?So is XIII - Remake a sequel?What is the XIII going to look like?What is the XIII release date?What is XIII?Based on the comic book of the same name, XIII is a Jason Bourne-style story of an assassin that loses his memory. In the case of XIII — you are called XIII because you have a tattoo of it on your chest — you have also been accused of killing the President of the United States. What follows is an excellent and st...

WorldWideStereo on eBay has the Sonos Playbar HiFi soundbar on sale for $399 refurbished. WWS is a Sonos authorized dealer, and this refurb unit is covered by a full Sonos one-year warranty. New versions of the Playbar still sell for around $600 or more at retailers like Best Buy. Finding it on sale at all has always been unusual, so finding it for this low and fully covered by Sonos is a tremendous deal.Earlier this month, Sonos announced the followup to the Playbar called the Sonos Arc. The Playbar is one of Sonos' older devices for sure, so it's nice to see a new version coming out. However, the Arc is going to launch at a starting price of $800 and won't come down from that price anytime soon. If you're looking to break into the Sonos ecosystem in a more affordable way, the deal above is how to do it.The Sonos Playbar is a great sound bar, especially if you're interested in getting a full-blown Sonos home audio system eventually. It's easy to set up and use (seriously, one co...

Watch and pay for HBO Max, all from your YouTube TV account.Google's YouTube TV has quickly become one of the top sources for live television. It's most definitely in the Top 3, right alongside Hulu With Live TV (which has been the official No. 1), and Sling TV. In addition to a rather solid stable of channels available for $49.99 a month, there also are a number of premium add-ons available.And for the first time, those add-ons now include HBO and HBO Max, as well as Cinemax. The former has been available on other streaming services, like AT&T TV (AT&T is the parent company of WarnerMedia, which owns HBO and HBO Max) and Hulu. And while YouTube TV has offered monthly subscriptions to the likes of Showtime, HBO had eluded customers, leaving them to subscribe elsewhere.Today, that's changed, meaning you can now watch HBO and Cinemax directly from within your YouTube TV account, as well as pay for it via your YouTube TV bill and your Google account. (This actually was one...

Next time someone says "Knock knock?" just open your Eufy app and identify the culprit! Grab the Eufy Security Wi-Fi 2K video doorbell on sale for $99.99 and sold by Anker Direct (Eufy is an Anker brand). We have seen this video doorbell go on sale before, but the previous best price ever was a drop to $108 about a month ago. Today's deal is a brand new low.Don't let strangers ruin your routine anymore. You can view a live stream of who's at the door and go over recorded footage later with Eufy's video doorbell. It has a 2560 x 1920 resolution for images and video, and it uses advanced HDR with distortion correction to ensure you get quality video every time.With two-way audio, you can hear and speak directly to anyone who approaches your door. This is a great way to communicate with delivery drivers, to let guests know you've stepped away for a second, or to have a quick conversation with the neighbor about the tool he insists you have.The camera uses advanced AI technology an...

One of the benefits of having a smartwatch is the ability to add small apps onto it. There are apps from as complex as a web browser to as simple as a calculator. Samsung smartwatches access the Galaxy Store to find watch faces, games, utilities, and more from both the phone or the watch itself. Adding a new app is simple both from the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone as well as through the Galaxy Store on your watch.Products used in this guideReady when you are: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 44mm (From $300 at Best Buy)The control center: Galaxy Wearable (Free at Google Play Store)How to install an app on a Samsung Galaxy smartwatch using the Galaxy Wearable appUsing the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone is a great way to find apps because you'll have a larger screen to see more info regarding the app before downloading. Here's how to get it done.Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone.Tap on Discover in the lower right corner of the app.Select View more in the Fe...

As you work from home, you'll find online storage space is invaluable for keeping all your notes, research, and projects in one place. There's more to consider than just pricing, but how much cloud storage you get for how little is probably the first thing you're going to want to know. The best option right now is Google Drive. You get the most space for nothing, and if you do choose to pay for more storage, its pricing and options out-pace everyone else.Best Overall: Google DriveGoogle Drive starts out by giving you 15GB of cloud storage for free. With this storage, you also get access to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides which will automatically save in your online Drive folders as you work in them. To get started you just need a Google account, which is essentially a Gmail account. You can upload and save images and files from mobile devices to your Drive storage, or access them from your cell phone or tablet at any time.If you use Google Meet for video conferencing, you can...

The Brother HL-L5200DW wireless monochrome laser printer has dropped to $169.99 at Best Buy. This deal is a price match of a similar sale going on through a couple of retailers like Office Depot. However, the same printer is still going for $200 at some places like B&H.If printing isn't a huge burden for you, there are certainly less expensive models you can go for, even in the Brother lineup. However, if you have a home office or run a small business or just depend a lot on your printer for documents and files and other things, the HL-L5200DW is a powerhouse machine that won't let you down.It's one of the Brother's fastest printing models at 42 pages per minute. And it has a resolution that can get as high as 1200 x 1200 for printing high-quality documents and even crisp images and photos. It also has duplex printing so you can use both sides of the page, letting you get jobs done with less paper waste.If you do need this for an office, you may want to protect the files yo...

Every kid wants a tablet. But deciding to invest in a tablet for your child is a big step, and there are several features to consider: price, parental controls, and perhaps most importantly, durability. The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is a top pick not only for offering tons of great content for kids but also for its included protective bumper case and parental controls. You can manage what your kids do and not worry that they might be accessing questionable websites or web content.Best Overall - Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids EditionThe Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is packed with some of the best hardware and software features you could ask for as a parent. Amazon took its top-of-the-line tablet and loaded it with parental controls, kid-specific content, and wrapped it up in a durable and functional case. While the screen size could be difficult for some children to hold, the provided case does include a fold-out kickstand to prop up the tablet.At 1080p, the full-HD display pr...

With E3 out of the picture, Sony looks to do its own thing.Update May 27: According to a report from Bloomberg, the alleged Sony event is set to take place on June 3, though this date isn't final as anything can change with the ongoing pandemic. Sony is not expected to reveal all PS5 information at this time, and instead plans to hold other presentations throughout the summer.There's been a rumored PlayStation 5 reveal event set to take place every month this year, and while nothing has materialized yet, that is set to change. According to VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb, PlayStation allegedly plans to hold an event in early June. His sources indicated that the event was originally planned for June 4, but that appears to have changed by a matter of days.This event is expected to showcase a variety of PS5 launch games, from both first-party and third-party developers. There is speculation that Horizon Zero Dawn 2 will be one of the titles shown, but this has not been confirmed. It's un...

Five member states wrote a fairly passive-aggressive letter, clearly aimed at Apple and Google.What you need to knowFive EU states have written a letter about contact tracing apps.Without mentioning Apple and Google by name, they were highly critical of the companies. They suggested Apple and Google were "imposing technical standards", calling the move a misstep and a missed opportunity. Five EU states have come together, penning a passive-aggressive letter clearly aimed at Apple and Google over their contact tracing technology.FAQ: What is the Google-Apple COVID-19 (coronavirus) Exposure Notifications system?In the letter, titled "Tracing Apps for a European way out of the crisis," ministers from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal highlighted the need for a joint effort to help restore normality to Europe, particularly when it comes to digital and technological solutions. The letter states: Based on the works of epidemiologists, we see technology as a usef...

A new "Watch others play" section could be added to game listings on the Play Store soon.What you need to knowGoogle is reportedly showing related gameplay videos sourced from YouTube in Play Store listings on some devices.The videos appear under a new "Watch others play" section.It remains to be seen if the new "feature" will be included in a future Play Store update.Google began testing new search filters for Play Store listings earlier this month, allowing users to refine search results by rating, the "Editor's Choice" badge, and "New." Google Play Store is now testing another new "feature," which shows videos from YouTube within game listings.According to a report from Android Police, a new "Watch others play" section has started showing up for a small number of users within game listings on the Google Play Store. The section includes YouTube videos that feature gameplay related to the listing. However, it isn't clear at this point if the recommended videos play dir...

Smart displays powered by Google Assistant have been around for a little while now and we've collectively figured out their place in our smart homes. As the form factor has matured, we've also seen some pretty stellar deals on smart displays with one more cropping up at Verizon where the JBL Link View is down to just $99.99. Considering it sells for $300 at Best Buy and elsewhere, this is a deal that is worth snapping up while it is still available. Add it to your cart to see the savings.With a number of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa-enabled smart displays out there, a third-party model has to offer something to differentiate itself from a crowded market that is dominated by the first-party options.JBL's smart display aims to do so with an 8-inch touchscreen, stereo front-facing speakers with JBL's excellent sound, and IPX4 splash resistance, so you don't have to worry about keeping it on your kitchen counters near the sink, and spill-able, splash-able ingredients. Like the L...

Sit down and get comfy — we've got a lot to talk about.Starting in 2016, the Fall season has become one of the most exciting times in the Android space. Sure, Samsung, OnePlus, and other companies are usually down with their announcements at this point in the year, but come mid-October, that's when Google gets to show off its latest and greatest flagships.The Pixel 4 and 4 XL were the big stars for 2019, and they're both packing a serious punch.Google's offering a lot of new tech with the Pixel 4 series, including things like dual rear cameras, 90Hz displays, and its Soli radar system for the first time. These are some of the biggest upgrades we've ever seen for the Pixel lineup, and as such, we have a lot to talk about.Check out our full reviewThere are two models —4 and 4 XLGet familiar with the specsPitting the Pixel 4 against the competitionThe 90Hz display is a big dealGoogle joined the dual camera clubLet's talk about SoliThere are three colorsWe should men...