The best Chromebooks of CES 2019

Google’s Chrome OS had a small footprint during the CES 2019 technology show in Las Vegas. Models were scarce compared to Windows 10 devices, though Asus wasn’t shy with its portfolio of five Chromebooks for the mainstream and education markets.

The big Chromebook news during the show stemmed from AMD. The company now dishes out all-in-one A-Series “c” processors, aka Accelerated Processing Units, revised and optimized for Google’s Chrome OS platform.

Typically, we see units shipping with MediaTek and Intel chips, and while we have yet to benchmark a Chromebook with AMD’s new chips, the tweaked APUs promise to be great for running Android apps on Chromebooks without breaking the bank.

Read: Buyer’s guide: What is a Chromebook, what can and can’t it do?

That said, here are the best Chromebooks that were on display during the CES 2019 show in Las Vegas!

Acer Chromebook 315

The first AMD partner on our list is Acer with its new Chromebook 315. It packs a 15.6-inch IPS display with a Full HD resolution served up in touch and non-touch flavors. You’ll see a decent amount of system memory and the usual limited storage capacity as seen with other Chromebooks. That means photos and videos many need to be pushed onto a microSD card after installing your Android app treasure trove.

Outside AMD’s involvement, what we really loved about this Chromebook was its upward-facing speakers parked on each side of the keyboard. Typically, speakers reside on the bottom, projecting muffled sound away from your ears and onto the surface below, like a desktop or your lap. That’s not the case here.

Other notable goodies crammed into this Chromebook include USB Type-C connectivity, a backlit keyboard on the touch-based model, and a weight of a mere 3.79 pounds.

Acer’s new Chromebook 315 lands in North America this February for a starting price of $279.

HP Chromebook 14

Next is HP’s new Chromebook 14, the second model revealed during the show sporting an AMD all-in-one processor. Compared to Acer’s model, this Chromebook packs a smaller 14-inch screen with an even lower HD-class resolution.

Here you’ll see a smaller amount of system memory than what appears in Acer’s model, but the same storage amount. You’ll also see a microSD card slot to help solve your storage woes, USB Type-C connectivity, and a pair of USB Type-A ports.

For now, the only color option you’ll find is a textured Chalkboard Gray finish. Overall, this model sports a rather standard Chromebook design while adding a 180-degree hinge, so you can lay the device completely flat and open on any surface to easily share the screen’s content. This Chromebook weighs 3.4 pounds and promises up to nine hours and 15 minutes of mixed usage.

HP’s Chromebook 14 ships January 22 with a starting price of $269.

Asus Chromebook Flip

The next Chromebook on our list doesn’t rely on an AMD processor. The Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is the successor to the Flip C302 packing eighth-generation Intel Core Y-series processors designed to extend battery life by consuming very little power. Asus also increased the former 12.5-inch screen to the current 14 inches but retained the same Full HD resolution.

As the name suggests, the Flip C434 includes a 360-degree hinge to enable the typical laptop, tablet, stand, and tent 2-in-1 positions. Asus says it crammed a 14-inch screen into a 13-inch all-aluminum chassis, enabling bezels measuring just five millimeters thin.

Configurations will consist of up to 8GB of system memory, up to 128GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot. You’ll also find two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port for peripherals, and an audio combo jack.

According to Asus, this Chromebook will launch in the coming months in various configurations with a starting price of $569.

HP Chromebook x360 14 G1

Also shipping without an AMD processor, HP’s new x360 14 G1 for professionals serves as the company’s first Chromebook to support Intel’s Core i7 processors. It’s based on a 14-inch IPS touch-enabled screen with a Full HD resolution backed by 16GB of system memory and up to 64GB of storage.

HP’s model relies on a 360-degree hinge enabling laptop, tablet, tent, and stand 2-in-1 modes. This should be ideal for professionals who need to share their work in the office, though we’re surprised this model doesn’t ship with a compatible pen.

Other goodies you’ll find in this professional Chromebook include HP Classroom Manager software, two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port, a micro SD card slot, a backlit keyboard, and a battery promising up to 13 hours on a single charge.

The new Chromebook x360 14 G1 will be available this month for a currently unknown price.

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And so that’s that. As you can see, AMD really won the Chromebook show this CES. On a final note, Asus also introduced its Education series during the show. This new lineup starts with the company’s first Chrome OS tablet: the Chromebook Tablet CT100. Following this new tablet is the 11.6-inch clamshell-style Chromebook C204, the 11.6-inch ruggedized convertible Chromebook Flip C214, and the 14-inch clamshell-style Chromebook C403.

Source: Android Zone

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Where are the true wireless earbuds that use Qualcomm’s TrueWireless Stereo Plus?

Plenty of neat new products have been unveiled at CES this year, kickstarting a number of new trends for 2019. One unfortunate absentee from the list are Bluetooth earbuds sporting Qualcomm’s TrueWireless Stereo Plus technology. We did spot the Mavin Air-X brandishing support, but that was essentially it.

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TrueWireless Stereo Plus is a big deal for wireless earbuds and it’s a crime that it’s not being more widely adopted. In a nutshell, it improves battery life between recharge times by connecting both buds to the phone, therefore preventing the master bud from discharging faster than the other. The more basic TrueWireless version also supports master earbud swapping to help save on battery life in a similar fashion. Connection quality also improves as transmission doesn’t have to pass around your skull and latency is lower due to the absence of retransmission. Finally, pairing is simpler as both earbuds connect as a stereo pair rather than individually.

The technology was first announced shortly after Qualcomm’s QCC5100 chip back in early 2018. The company also announced the lower cost QCC3026 alternative in June, which supports a subset of the bigger chip’s features. There has been plenty of time for manufacturers to take Qualcomm’s reference designs and get them into consumers’ hands.

Qualcomm Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus facilitates a simultaneous connection from a smartphone and left and right earbuds. In turn, this mitigates latency and connectivity issues.

Why isn’t this idea taking off?

Part of the problem is that this isn’t necessarily an easy feature to explain to customers, or even manufacturers if you’re in Qualcomm’s position. There’s no obvious way to tell the difference between a TrueWireless and Stereo Plus pair just by looking at them. Branding helps a little, although Apple’s W1 chip probably grabs some attention simply because of the Apple branding, few audio enthusiasts care about processors. Ultimately, most consumers are looking at metrics like battery life and sound quality, rather than harder to quantify metrics like connection quality, ease of pairing, and what chip happens to be onboard.

Secondly, TrueWireless Stereo Plus currently only works with Snapdragon 845 and upcoming 855 powered smartphones. There are a lot of compatible phones in circulation now, but many more consumers own mid-range phones that include other Snapdragon chips. In Western markets, a huge number of wireless audio consumers are playing back content from iPhones too, which don’t support any of Qualcomm audio technologies including aptX. Once again, audio fragmentation is hurting some of the better innovations to have appeared in the Bluetooth space.

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Ultimately, the technology isn’t widely supported enough to make it a must-have feature for Bluetooth earbud developers, which is a shame. Qualcomm could help by bringing TrueWireless Stereo Plus support to more cost-effective SoCs this year, such as its Snapdragon 600 series.

With development and component costs falling and USB Type-C headphones appeared to go nowhere, we may yet see more TrueWireless Stereo Plus headsets appear later in the year. Fingers crossed.

Next: Smartwatch roundup: The best wearables we could find at CES 2019

Source: Android Zone

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Ring employees reportedly had open access to customer’s video feeds

• A report claims that Ring employees had almost nonrestricted access to customer’s video feed and recorded clips.
• All a Ring employee had to do was know someone’s email address to have a live feed from a person’s cameras.
• Fortunately, the report’s sources have no knowledge of the system being used maliciously by the company or its employees.

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Consumer-level smart video doorbells and security cameras have become immensely popular, but some worried that the video feeds could be hijacked by those with malicious intents. Thanks to a report from The Intercept, Ring customers should be more worried about the company’s employees watching them than anyone else.

According to the report, Ring’s employees and executives had access to live footage from cameras places outside and inside customer’s homes. A source told The Intercept that customers were unknowingly watched by a team of engineers annotating videos to help team automated object recognition software.

What’s even scarier is that all an employee reportedly needed in order to find someone’s live video feed was their email address. The video portal was meant to be used by customer service, but access to the tool was open to any U.S. employee.

Although the source said they never personally witnessed any egregious abuses, they told The Intercept “if [someone] knew a reporter or competitor’s email address, [they] could view all their cameras.”

And it doesn’t stop there. In addition to Ring deciding against encrypting video files as it was a costly endeavor that would also lose the company revenue opportunities, R&D employees in Ukraine had access to a folder with “every video created by every Ring camera around the world.” Using a corresponding database, those same employees could link specific video files to the owner’s Ring account.

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If there is a silver lining to this entire report, it’s that The Intercept’s sources state that they never saw anyone take advantage of the system. This is fortunate as many were reportedly aware of the lax security measures and openly talked about them in the workplace.

As you might remember, Amazon bought Ring about a year ago for over $1 billion. This acquisition took place around the time that the company was launching its Key program which allowed delivery drivers to drop off packages inside customer’s homes.

In the time since Amazon acquired Ring, the company has reportedly placed stricter restrictions on customer’s videos. Unfortunately, the report’s sources state that employees can easily bypass the security measures if they wanted.

When questioned about these allegations, an Amazon spokesperson stated that the company had strict policies in place that restricted access to customer data.

Source: Android Zone

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Pick up a $50 Bluetooth speaker for under $20

Every music lover should have a Bluetooth speaker. However fancy your smartphone is, it’s not going to do your tunes justice, and any occasion is enhanced by some big beats.

Usually, you tend to get what you pay for in the Bluetooth speaker department, but today there’s an opportunity to pick up a $50 speaker for only $20.

The Kline Bluetooth speaker has everything you would want from an affordable Bluetooth speaker. It has a compact design to make it easily portable, but it has the internals to deliver crisp highs and deep bass.

Eight-hour playback ensures that it can keep your party going for a while. What more do you need?

The Kline Bluetooth speaker at a glance:

• Streams music wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet
• Super portable so you can listen anywhere
• Built-in speakerphone lets you take calls without disconnecting
• Rechargeable battery boasts over eight hours of playback
• Features a solid metal design complete with a soft cloth grill

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The Kline Bluetooth speaker is currently going for $49.99 on Amazon, but right now Tech Deals is offering it for only $19.99. That’s the type of hefty price drop we love at AAPicks.

If you want to take advantage of this deal then hit the button below. Do be quick — the offer expires in a matter of days.

To The Deal!

The AAPicks team writes about things we think you’ll like, and we may see a share of revenue from any purchases made through affiliate links. To see all our hottest deals, head over to the AAPICKS HUB.

Source: Android Zone

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The Nokia 6 (2019) might have a display cutout for the front camera

It’s been a little over a year since HMD Global announced the Nokia 6 (2018). With a successor likely on the horizon, Twitter account Nokia Leaks published what could be the successor’s specifications.

According to the leak, the so-called Nokia 6 (2019) — it’s also referred to as the Nokia 6.2 — features a 6.2-inch display with a cutout for the front camera. This could be the same hole-punch display that was featured in recently-leaked Nokia 8.1 Plus renders.

Nokia 6.2 (6 2019): 6.2-inch display with camera hole-punch, Snapdragon 632, 4/6GB RAM, 16MP Dual-rear Zeiss Camera,OZO Audio, First market China. Coming Jan end/Feb 2019.

— Nokia_Leaks (@LeaksNokia) January 10, 2019

The Nokia 6 (2019) also reportedly features dual rear 16-megapixel cameras with OZO Sound support. OZO Sound uses algorithms and the phone’s microphones to capture 360-degree spatial sound. The leak didn’t say if the Nokia 6 (2019)’s cameras also support OZO Focus and Zoom, which let you track an audio source and isolate audio to correspond to video zoom, respectively.

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Under the hood, the Nokia 6 (2019) reportedly sports Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 632 processor and either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. As with the Nokia 6 (2018), the RAM amount might depend on the storage size.

It’s likely that the Nokia 6 (2019) will runs Android 9 Pie out of the box as the phone is probably a part of the Android One program.

Nokia Leaks claims that the Nokia 6 (2019) will first launch in China which might coincide with the Nokia 8.1 Plus’. If true, the Nokia 6 (2019) will possibly be announced either at the end of January or sometime in February. Nokia Leaks also claims that the phone is “definitely coming” to the U.S.

Source: Android Zone

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Smartwatch roundup: All the best wearables we could find at CES 2019

Smartphones may have been almost a no-show at CES 2019, but that wasn’t the case for smartwatches. From fitness companies to fashion brands, we’ve seen plenty of companies launch new wearables at this year’s trade show.

Here’s our list of the best smartwatches we could find at CES 2019.

Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2

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Fossil launched quite a few new smartwatches at CES 2019, and the most impressive on is the Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2.

This is one of our favorite watches because, unlike last year, the Scallop Smartwatch 2 doesn’t sacrifice function over form. It’s still as pretty as ever, and this time around comes with a GPS, heart rate sensor, Google Pay support, and a 3ATM water resistance rating.

Overall, it’s a pretty smartwatch with all the features you could want.

Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2

Withings Move and Withings Move ECG

The Withings Move and Withings Move ECG are hybrid smartwatches, so they look like analog watches more than anything. Don’t let the design fool you though — they can both track your steps, calories burned, distance traveled, and sleep.

The Withings Move ECG, which won our Best Fitness Product Award at CES, comes with a built-in electrocardiogram. If you or anyone you know frequents the doctor for ECG tests, Withings’ new watch might be a great way for you to keep your eye on your heart health.

These watches are also customizable, so you’ll be able to mix and match different colors to match your style.

Withings Move

Withings Move ECG

Matrix PowerWatch 2

Matrix may not be a well known company, but it’s actually doing some fantastic things in the smartwatch space. The company’s new watch, the Matrix PowerWatch 2, runs on your body heat and solar energy, so you should never have to charge it.

As far as I’m concerned, every smartwatch should work like this.

It’s a little chunky and the design won’t be for everyone, but the forward-thinking technology crammed into this device certainly makes for a compelling product. Plus, it has an on-board GPS, heart rate sensor, and it’s compatible with Google Fit.

Matrix PowerWatch 2

Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music on Verizon

Garmin has been making smartwatches for a long time, so it’s a little surprising to hear it’s just now releasing its first 4G-connected smartwatch. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music is launching on Verizon sometime in 2019 with support for the carrier’s 4G LTE network. That means you can receive and respond to messages from your watch, even when your phone isn’t around.

The biggest news with this watch are the built-in safety features. If at any time you feel unsafe in your current situation, you can press and hold the side button to send a discrete message and current location to your emergency contacts. The same message/location feature will also be activated if the watch senses you’ve experienced an impact while walking, running, or cycling.

If you’d like more nitty-gritty details about the Vivoactive 3 Music, check out our first look article here.

Michael Kors Access Sofie

Michael Kors’ new Access Sofie smartwatch is the first from the brand in a few years. It comes with an updated design and new hardware features to bring it to 2019 standards.

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Under the hood, the new Access Sofie features a GPS, heart rate sensor, NFC, and a 300mAh battery. It also has three physical buttons on the side — two of which are remappable.

If you’re looking for a classy Wear OS watch, this might be a great option.

Michael Kors Access Sofie

Fossil Carlie and Fossil Neutra hybrids

Fossil has launched two refreshed versions of its popular hybrid smartwatches.

The new Fossil Carlie hybrid (above, right) will appeal to people with smaller wrists. It’s offered in a rose gold case with a pink leather strap, or a black stainless steel case and black leather strap for $155. It’s also available in rose gold stainless steel with a rose gold stainless steel strap, and a silver stainless steel case and stainless steel strap for $175.

The new Fossil Neutra hybrid smartwatch (above, left) features a smaller dial on the watch face that will give you an overview of your daily activity. It’s available with a brown leather strap ($155) or a stainless steel silver strap for $175.

Both watches measure 37mm wide and feature 16mm interchangeable straps. Since they’re powered by a coin-cell battery, Fossil expects the battery to last up to six full months without a replacement. And just like other hybrid watches from the company, all of these watches will track your fitness, give you smartphone notifications, and also feature customizable buttons on the side.

New colors for Skagen Falster 2 and Skagen Holst hybrids

Skagen Falster 2 ‘glitz’

The Skagen Falster 2 is getting a new ‘glitz’ finish, featuring black hematite stones around the bezel of the watch case. These are still quite understated designs despite their flashier materials.

Skagen is also launching a new reflective silver strap for the Falster 2. Again, this new strap isn’t overly eye-catching — it’s a subtle reflective strap and doesn’t look overly flashy.

Skagen Falster 2

Skagen is also launching two new finishes for its Holst hybrid smartwatches.

Mobvoi TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2

Mobvoi launched two new Wear OS smartwatches at CES 2019: the TicWatch S2 and TicWatch E2.

Both new watches are for a sportier, younger crowd. They both had GPS and heart rate sensors on board, along with 5ATM water resistance ratings. Mobvoi also says it worked hard to bring two-day battery life to both smartwatches, too.

What’s more, Mobvoi says they’ll receive new fitness and health features in a future update, including fall detection, on-device workout guidance, and more.

TicWatch S2

TicWatch E2

Coolpad Dyno smartwatch

Last but certainly not least, the Coolpad Dyno kids smartwatch will help parents keep track of their children. The Dyno’s fun, inviting design will help make sure kids keep the watch on at all times, while the 4G connectivity will ensure parents can find their kids at all times.

Parents can call or message their children through the Dyno watch, and even set up safe zones to make sure their children won’t wander off. The Coolpad Dyno is launching at the end of January 2019 for just $149.

Next: Weird CES: The bizarre things we didn’t expect to see

Source: Android Zone

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Corning shows us its new specialized glass for AR wearables

YouTube

At CES 2019, we had the chance to test out a new AR wearable prototype partially developed by Corning. One of the pillars of Corning’s business is the development of Gorilla Glass, which is used on almost every flagship smartphone.

Although Corning has set the industry standard for smartphone glass, the creation of glass for augmented reality lenses is a whole different beast.

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One of the biggest problems with the adoption of wearable technology like AR and VR visors is the ability to scale supply. Corning wants to lead the visor glass market just like it does in the smartphone market. To achieve this, the company is refining the process of creating visor lenses which it will then hope to sell to various companies creating the visor hardware.

Corning is backing a company called WaveOptics, which developed a method for displaying augmented reality which Corning believes is the winning formula. It is very technical, but there are multiple methods for displaying AR content; for example, think of the difference between something like Google Glass and something like the now-defunct Intel smart glasses.

According to Corning, its research concludes that the thing consumers care the most about when it comes to a visual wearable is the look of the device. As such, the company is working hard to make a wearable visor which won’t look like you’re wearing some futuristic headset.

We had the chance to try out a very early prototype of what Corning and WaveOptics are putting together. Check it out below:

The headset was bulky and had a huge pack attached to it which made it awkward to wear. However, as you can see from the image, the glass itself wasn’t much bigger than a large pair of sunglasses. There’s obviously a lot of room for improvement, but the basics are there.

As for the imagery depicted while wearing the glasses, it worked as you might expect. I could see clearly in front of me and could also see the AR elements, like icons, film clips, mock smartphone screens, etc. It certainly showed a lot of promise.

Corning is working hard to develop a glass manufacturing process that will allow companies to create lenses for equipment like this quickly and cheaply. It’s early days yet, but Corning is clearly going all-in on visor lenses and believes they will be a big part of the future.

NEXT: 10 best augmented reality apps and AR apps for Android

Source: Android Zone

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Android Authority’s CES Top Picks 2019 Awards: Our favorite products from the show

We’ve spent the last week meeting with companies and roaming around the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to find the very best of CES 2019. From laptops, to smart home devices, to drones, there’s certainly a lot to take in — that’s why we’ve created a list of the best products announced at CES 2019.

Here are Android Authority’s CES Top Picks 2019 Awards.

The best smartphone: Alcatel 1X

The Alcatel 1X is proof that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a decent smartphone. For around 130 Euros, Alcatel’s new budget-friendly phone offers a 5.5-inch display, Android 8.1 Oreo, a 3,000mAh battery, and support for 4G connectivity. It also comes with this beautiful sandstone texture on the back that will instill nostalgia in any OnePlus One fan out there.

What’s more, it packs a dual 16MP and 2MP rear-camera setup, which actually turned out to be quite impressive during our hands-on time with the device. Portrait mode is surprisingly good too.

The best laptop: Dell Alienware Area-51m

Dell’s Alienware went back to the drawing board to overhaul its popular gaming laptop design. Called Alienware Legend, the move marks a significant change in the overall Alienware brand. That includes a reimagined shape and new color options: Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon. The underlying sci-fi theme fans love still remains highly relevant.

The first product based on this new Alienware Legend identity is the Area-51m. In addition to the new outward appearance, Alienware revised the internal design to provide better overclocking and a thinner form factor. All this plays host to the latest Intel Core processors and GeForce RTX 20 Series graphics. The Area-51m initiates a new era for Alienware and its fans.

The best smartwatch: Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2

A ton of smartwatches were announced at the trade show this year, and the best one came from Kate Spade. We’re giving the Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2 an award this year because it was clear the team listened to user feedback. With an on-board GPS and heart rate sensor, the Scallop Smartwatch 2 is now a capable fitness companion — not just a pretty watch.

Watch: The best smartwatches from CES 2019

Let’s be honest, this is still a pretty watch, though. The flower-like design surrounding the bezel adds to the classy aesthetic, backed up by the understated silicone strap and stainless steel case. Of course, the iconic spade icon is scattered throughout, adorning the rotatable crown and on the top of each Kate Spade watch face.

A pretty, feature-packed smartwatch. What more could you ask for?

The best fitness product: Withings Move ECG

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The Withings team is back in full force after its brief time at Nokia, and it just announced two new fitness watches called the Withings Move and Withings Move ECG. The Move ECG won Android Authority’s Best Fitness Product Award due to the overall quality of product and benefit users will get out of the electrocardiogram.

ECGs can be literal life savers for some people, and the fact that it’s packed into an attractive, affordable, and customizable fitness watch should not be overlooked. At $130, the Withings Move ECG is a no-brainer if you frequent the doctor for heart problems.

The best smart home product: Google Assistant Connect

For years Google has been trying to become the one-stop shop for smart home products, and the Google Assistant Connect is its next big push to bring even more Assistant-connected products to your life.

Assistant Connect is a set of capabilities that product manufacturers can use to connect their own products to Google Assistant-powered devices like the Google Home or Home Hub. If a product was developed with Assistant Connect, it’s able to talk to nearby Assistant devices and display your personal information (i.e. calendar events/weather) on the screen.

The most obvious example is if a company were to create a simple display without any mics or speakers, including Assistant Connect would allow it to show you content from your linked smart speaker. In this case, the smart speaker would handle all the computing on its own while using Assistant Connect to transfer and display that content on the display.

It’s an inexpensive and easy way for companies to bring Assistant to their products, which is why it’s deserving of our Best Smart Home Product award.

The best audio product: Audio Technica ATH-ANC900BT

Few audio companies have the professional history of Audio-Technica, and when they throw their hat in the ring, we pay attention. Taking aim at the top end of active noise cancelling headphones, the ATH-ANC900BT has the firepower to be a blast.

By using a more energy efficient Bluetooth 5 connection, the ATH-ANC900BT has the specs to outlast the likes of Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser’s top-of-the-line headphones. Additionally, they’re also the most affordable entry into the top-end of ANC headsets, coming in at only $299.

The best concept: Whirlpool Connected Hub Wall Oven

Whirlpool surprised us this year when it showed off its Smart Countertop Oven, produced under its WLabs brand.

The WLabs Smart Countertop Oven automatically detects the type of food you’re cooking. You can then choose from additional cooking options based on your preferences. For example, if you’re cooking pizza, the Smart Countertop will give you a range of crispiness to to choose from.

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Whirlpool is also the first on the market with a product that can distinguish between frozen and non-frozen food. Its current cooking algorithm is set to a 95 percent confidence interval too, so cooking times and settings should be very accurate.

What impressed us most, however, is Whirlpool’s planned distribution model for this product. Whirlpool will ship just two thousand units in the coming weeks for $799 each. We’re told the reasoning behind launching under the WLabs brand is so that Whirlpool can better gather user feedback and tweak anything accordingly. That way, it can improve the experience even further before launching a mainstream consumer product.

Overall, we were quite impressed with Whirlpool’s work as is. So, we’re very happy to see a commitment to develop the concept further.

The best mobile accessory: Corning Gorilla Glass Personalized Phone Case

The Corning Gorilla Glass personalized phone case is a surprisingly fun new addition to the mobile protection market. Corning will print any photo you like on the back of its Gorilla Glass 5 which then gets embedded into a rubberized case for your smartphone. The final product is a sturdy case with a smooth, elegant glass back that also has a picture of your spouse, kids, family, pets, or anything, really.

Eventually, Corning will have vending machines that will print you a case in a matter of minutes. Just upload your photo to a web server, tell the machine which phone you own, and a few minutes later your brand new case will pop out. Keeping your phone free of scratches and dents has never been this cool.

Best innovation: LG Signature OLED TV R

LG’s Signature OLED TV R is something we’ve only ever imagined or seen in a movie or TV show. It may shape the future of TVs forever, which is why it wins our Best Innovation Award.

Watch: LG’s rollable OLED TV at CES 2019

A prototype of the TV was shown off at CES 2018, but this year the rollable TV is a real product that consumers will actually be able to buy. The way it beautifully rolls and rises out of the sound bar feels like pure magic. The TV is there when you want it, and disappears when you don’t. It can even be there when you only partially want it. The horizon-line view shows only a fraction of the display for quick access to basic functions. It’s cool, futuristic, and will be a game changer to the TV industry.

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Spotlight Awards

It’s easy to focus on the biggest names in technology at trade shows as big as CES. That’s why Android Authority has chosen six of our favorite innovative tech products that may have flown under the radar.

Jabra Elite 85h

Elevating their wireless headphones game, the new Jabra Elite 85h are noise-cancelling cans made for folks on the go.

Equipped with SmartSound, these over-ear headphones adapt automatically to produce the best sound for phone calls, music, and more. Coming in four colors with a rain resistant build, enjoy ANC on the go for up to 32 hours of battery life, even longer with ANC turned off. ANC auto switching turns on and off the service based on your environment. Of course, the Jabra Elite 85h also sound great, and you can adjust the EQ and sound profiles through the Jabra Sound+ app for extra sound clarity.

Insta360 ONE X

Weather you’re skiing down a mountain or hiking up a cliff, the Insta360 ONE X should be just the thing you need to capture great 360-degree video. This 4K-capable camera features Insta360’s FlowState Stabilization, which means smooth footage even in the most

Nuu Mobile G4

Nuu Mobile showed off its brand new G4 smartphone at CES 2019, and it provides some killer value at a cheap price. It comes with a big 6.2-inch display, a 2GHz MediaTek Helio P60 processor, dual 16 + 8MP rear cameras, and it runs Android 9.0 Pie.

The best part? You can get all of that for just $249 in March 2019.

Next: All our favorite CES 2019 announcements in one place

Source: Android Zone

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Hands-on with the Cat S48c rugged phone, available now on Verizon

CAT is primarily known as a heavy equipment company, but what most people don’t realize is they also make smartphones. These devices are primarily made for people who work in construction and contracting, where they need their devices to be rugged and also tools to help them work. While CAT has traditionally made devices with specialized features like distance-calculating lasers and heat-measuring cameras, the company is looking to appeal to a wider audience with the introduction of the new CAT S48c.

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Here are the best rugged phones you can buy right now

Owning a smartphone is almost a requirement for most folks these days. Unfortunately for those that work in more intense environments like construction, most ordinary smartphones aren’t exactly built for the job. Their phone needs …

The S48c looks extremely similar to a number of previous CAT phones, with a rugged, rubberized construction and colors that fall in line with the tractor company’s branding. It’s definitely a bit thicker than most phones we come in contact with on a daily basis, but these devices are made for those who are likely to rough their phones around a lot. Think of it like a permanent Otterbox case. There are even rubber gaskets covering each of the ports on the device, like the USB Type-C port, headphone jack, and SIM tray.

The sturdy construction helps give the device a number of ruggedness certifications, including IP68 water and dust resistance, MIL Spec 810G, and Non-incendive Class I, Division 2 drop and vibration certification. This isn’t surprising considering the CAT S48c’s construction, and I got the impression I couldn’t break this phone if I tried. I’ve thrown previous CAT phones across rooms with little more than a scratch, and the S48c is no exception.

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, the S48c isn’t meant to compete with the likes of Samsung and Huawei flagships. Rather, CAT’s new phone is made for people who are subjected to stressful conditions on a daily basis, and need something with a lot of protection and killer battery life. The phone is packing a 4,000 mAh battery, so it should last quite a while, especially with a 5-inch Full HD display. There’s even a remappable key on the side of the device that allows for things like walkie-talkie functionality, as well as quick launching of your favorite apps.

I got the impression I couldn’t break this phone if I tried.

Other CAT S48c specs include 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, a 13MP rear camera and 5MP selfie camera, and Android Oreo with an update to Pie coming in the near future. These are fairly average specs for a mid-range device in this category, but the real news here is that the CAT S48c will be available from both Sprint and Verizon Wireless. Verizon customers can purchase the device for the full retail value of $599 or buy the device on a two year contract for $249.99.

It’s interesting that the CAT S48c doesn’t include any special features like we’ve seen in previous CAT devices. Most of the company’s phones have included some kind of extra feature to make the phone extra compelling to hardcore users, but, besides the ultra-rugged design and certification, the S48c doesn’t seem to offer much extra. Still, for those looking for a device that won’t break and can take photos underwater, this could be a compelling option.

What do you think of the device? Would you buy a rugged phone like this? Let us know!

Read next: Your updated guide to all CES 2019 news

Source: Android Zone

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T-Mobile is taking on phone scammers with new Caller Verified technology

If you own a smartphone, you have likely seen and answered calls that appear to come from your local area code, but are actually automated messages and scams. Today, T-Mobile announced it has launched a new technology called Caller Verified.

T-Mobile says that Caller Verified is the carrier’s label for the use of the STIR and SHAKEN standards, both of which are designed to detect when scammers spoof a local number. Customers that have been updated with the carrier’s new technology will now see a “Caller Verified” label when a voice message has been confirmed as a real phone call and not one generated by scammers. T-Mobile says it is the first carrier to use the STIR and SHAKEN standards.

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Here are the best T-Mobile plans

T-Mobile is now the third most popular wireless carrier in the US, as it surpassed Sprint to gain that spot in 2015. It currently has 72.6 million customers as of April 2017. While that’s well …

T-Mobile added that it has been making headway towards fighting scam calls for some time. In 2017, it launched Scam ID, which notified users if an incoming call looked like a scam call, as well as Scam Block, which let users block those kinds of calls. In 2018, it launched a Name ID app that offered features like reverse number lookup, personal number blocking and more.

The Uncarrier claims these efforts have already had a considerable impact, stating that in the last 18 months, it has blocked over one million scam calls, while also labeling 8.9 billion calls as Scam Likely.

T-Mobile will first roll out Caller Verified via an over-the-air update to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Other smartphones will receive the update in the coming months.

Source: Android Zone

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