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Friday, 29 March 2019

Iris Smart Hub (2017) review: Lowe’s offers an affordable smart-home system for the hacker mindset

A new professional monitoring option puts the focus squarely on security.

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Apple Card FAQ: Interest rates, rewards, sign-up and everything else you need to know

Here's everything you need to now about Apple's new credit card.

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The Garmin Vivoactive 3 has built-in GPS and a weeklong battery life, and it's only $200 today

Update: Google Gmail, Microsoft Outlook.com add 'dynamic email,' to avoid the pain of new tabs

Master SQL With This $39 Training Bundle

Truebill helps you stay on top of your finances for only $20

Vivaldi 2.4 enhances the browser's tab wizardry

Amazon's Fire HD 8 and 10 tablets have never been cheaper for Prime members

TurboTax vs. H&R Block 2019: Which is the best tax software?

5G could be the foundation of next-gen 'cloud VR'

Samsung SmartThings Hub (2018) review: Samsung’s smart hub finally goes wireless

The third-generation SmartThings Hub is equipped with the latest in ZigBee and Z-Wave technology, and it no longer requires an ethernet cable to join your home network.

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BioWare's Anthem adds DLSS support as Nvidia's RTX push continues

Huawei’s P30 Pro goes toe-to-toe with the Samsung Galaxy S10+ on power, price, and photography

Best robot vacuums: We name the most effective cleaners

Vacuuming is one of the most hated household chores. Here are your best choices for outsourcing it to some automated help.

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Apple apologizes for failing MacBook keyboards yet again

Watch the first colorful, chaos-filled trailer for Borderlands 3

Nearly a decade after the original Borderlands, Gearbox Software has announced a third main installment in the series — alongside a trailer that features a few familiar characters. There’s very little hard detail about its plot, features, or release date, but this marks the first new, numbered game since 2012, and we’ll supposedly learn more about it on April 3rd.

The Borderlands 3 trailer seems to promise the same thing as Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. It looks like a colorful shooter for up to four players, with a distinctive cartoonish style and endless (“over one billion,” up from the original game’s literally world record-holding 17.75 million) varieties of procedurally generated firearms.

Yesterday, a...

Continue reading…



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Vizio's Dolby Atmos premium home theater sound system is on sale for $900

You'll love the sound.

The Vizio SB46514-F6 46-inch 5.1.4-channel premium home theater sound system is down to $899.99 on Amazon. That's $100 off the street price and the lowest price on this sound system outside of Black Friday.

All Around You

Vizio 46-inch 5.1.4-channel home theater sound system

It's expensive to begin with, but the price is worth it. This surround sound system is enhanced by Dolby Atmos. You'll feel like you're in a movie theater.

$899.99 $1,000 $100 off

See at Amazon

With this system you get a five-channel sound bar with two rear speakers for full surround sound, a wireless subwoofer, and four up-firing Dolby Atmos speakers. Those Dolby Atmos speakers provide a true cinematic experience, and the 10-inch drivers on the subwoofer deliver room-shaking bass. Thanks to the built-in Chromecast, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi you can stream from just about anywhere. Users give this system 4 stars based on 43 reviews.



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This Oontz Angle 3 speaker has enhanced stereo sound on sale for $21

Can even take a splash or two.

The black Oontz Angle 3 enhanced stereo edition waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker is down to $20.99 when you clip the $4 off on-page coupon. This speaker normally sells for around $28, but it's currently down to around $25 without the coupon. All other colors are $30 or more.

More Sound

Oontz Angle 3 enhanced stereo edition portable Bluetooth speaker

The Bluetooth has a range of 100 feet. The battery lasts up to 14 hours. It's IPX5 water resistant. Plus this is a great low price.

$20.99 $28 $7 off

See at Amazon

There are a lot of Oontz Angle 3 speakers, but this one has enhanced stereo functionality for a greater clarity of sound with dual-precision acoustic drivers. The bass output is enhanced as well with a passive bass radiator. The triangular design and downward facing radiator enhance the sound quality. The speaker is also very loud with no distortion at maximum volume.

The Bluetooth connectivity helps you stream from your favorite apps like Spotify or Pandora and any of your favorite Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices. The battery life lasts up to 14 hours, and it has a built-in mic for hands free communication. Users give it 4.3 stars based on a ridiculous 32,000 reviews.



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Grab Netgear's R6700 Nighthawk router on sale for $70 for a few more hours

Buy one while you can.

The Netgear Nighthawk R6700 dual-band Wi-Fi router is down to $69.99 on Amazon. This router has been selling for $90 since last year and was going for as much as $120 before that. The temporary drop to $70 is a match for its lowest ever. This is an Amazon Lightning Deal, and these deals usually only last for a very brief amount of time. This one in particular has about six hours left, and it's currently around 45% claimed. So it could sell out before the timer runs out, but either way you need to act fast to save money.

More internets

Netgear R6700 Nighthawk Wi-Fi Router

Lightning Deals don't last forever. Take advantage of this low price while you can. Currently you have less than six hours, and it's just under 50% claimed.

$69.99 $90 $20 off

See at Amazon

Pair this router with something like the $45 Netgear CM500 cable modem to ditch your ISP's rental fees. Most ISPs charge a few bucks a month for the cable modem installed in your home originally, so you can recoup the costs you're paying today after just a few months.

The Nighthawk R6700 is an awesome router with more than 24,000 user reviews giving it 4.1 stars. It has high-powered antennas and has technology that boosts range, speed, and performance. It works well in homes with a lot of Wi-Fi devices, which most homes are these days.



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Outfit your favorite iPhone, iPad, or MacBook with 20% off Speck cases

Protect your gear!

Today through March 31, you can save up to 20% on cases for Apple smartphones at Speck. The site includes cases for phones, tablets, the MacBook, Apple Watch, and more. Get $5 two-day shipping on just about everything included in the sale as well.

Save some money

Speck cases for smartphones, tablets, and laptops

Speck has cases for literally everything. Whether you need to protect your iPhone, MacBook, iPad, or Apple Watch, you can save big during this sale that expires March 31.

20% off

See at Speck

Many Speck cases focus on different features, including additional grips, protection, etc. While you could get a phone case like the Presidio Stay Clear case for the iPhone X and XS down to $31.96 ($36.96 with shipping) with this sale, Speck also makes cases for larger devices like the MacBook. Add a little color to your Retina MacBook Pro with the SeeThru Wild Salmon Pink case for $10 off.

Speck also has a ton of cases on clearance, which includes some older model iPhones and Android phones.



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Do I need Apple Card to use Apple Pay?

Apple Card is coming this summer. Once it does, do you need it in order to keep using Apple Pay? We break it down!

Apple Card is Apple's first branded credit card, built on its Apple Pay service and the Wallet app. It's a revolutionary product with arguably some of the best consumer-centric features for rewards, money management, and privacy to ever grace the financial services market. That said, you may already have a credit card that you get a lot of value from, and don't feel the need for yet another credit card.

So, can you still use your other bank card with Apple Pay? The answer is yes, of course you can! You can continue to use all of the debit and credit cards that you added to Apple Pay at all the same merchants that you know and love, and Apple is still expanding Apple Pay to cover more banks and card providers every day.

Apple Pay Cash Update

There is one credit card feature that Apple has announced it is removing from other credit cards, and that is the ability to send person-to-person payments using a credit card through Apple Pay Cash. Using a credit card to send a person-to-person payment is considered a cash advance, and credit card companies are known to charge exorbitant fees and interest rates to use the feature. It is not known if Apple Card will support this feature either, though Apple did announce that their card would feature no cash advance fees. We'll have to wait and see if Apple allows this for their own while restricting everyone else.

If you want to learn more about Apple Pay:

If you're considering signing up for Apple Card:

If you know you want to sign up for Apple card, here's how to get notified as soon as it's available:



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Why pay for Nintendo Switch Online when you can score a year for free?

Have an Amazon Prime account? You're in luck.

Nintendo Switch Online was released at the end of last year to mixed reviews. While some gamers love the rotating selection of classic NES games that you can play with a membership and the ability to save your game data to the cloud, others are less than happy about now having to pay to access online multiplayer modes on games where they used to be free. No matter which group you find yourself in, Twitch Prime is offering Nintendo Switch gamers a stellar deal which will make you forget all about the cost of the service... at least for another year.

Yippee!

Nintendo Switch Online membership

Free classic NES games to play, the ability to save your game data to the cloud, and access to online multiplayer on various games... it's nearly essential for Nintendo Switch owners.

Free! $19.99 $20 off

See at Amazon

Twitch Prime connects to your Amazon Prime account so you can access exclusive rewards for gamers along with free game downloads and more on a consistent basis. We've seen a few fantastic offers available only for Twitch Prime subscribers, like that time they gave away Grand Theft Auto V for free, and this is another to add to the history books. For a limited time, you can score a full free year of Nintendo Switch Online with your Twitch Prime membership! That's a savings of $20 off its price otherwise.

If you're not already a Twitch Prime subscriber, you'll be able to join by clicking the 'Claim' button at this deal's offer page and following the prompts. You'll want to be aware that only primary Amazon Prime account holders can become a Twitch Prime member; additional family accounts with Prime benefits cannot redeem this offer.

This deal has a bit of a twist. As you'll see on the offer page, the first 'Claim' button available is for three months of Nintendo Switch Online. You must first go through the steps to redeem the three months of service; once 60 days has passed, you'll then be able to click the second 'Claim' button to redeem the other nine months of service for free. While going through the steps to redeem the offer, you'll be prompted to enter your PayPal or credit card information as this service will be set to auto-renew and charge your payment method after the three months has expired. Just to be safe, once you've gone through all the steps, you can visit this page at Nintendo to turn off auto-renew.

If you're worried about forgetting to claim the other nine months of service, be sure to follow Thrifter on Twitter. They'll make sure to send out a reminder come June 1st, and you'll also receive a reminder via email from Amazon.



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Shortcuts 2.2 brings support for Apple Notes with handwriting recognition

The Shortcuts app has a few new features to make your experience better than ever.

Apple has released version 2.2 of the Shortcuts app, bringing with it new actions for the default Notes app, updates to the Travel Time and Adjust Date action, adds support for Baidu Maps, and includes a number of smaller features and some critical bug fixes.

Overall the update brings some much-need stability, a new set of tools for everyday users to play around with and discover how to integrate into their workflow, and opens up transportation automation for a huge subset of users worldwide. Here's how.

Support for the Notes app

With the new support for Notes, users can use Create Note, Append to Note, Find Notes, and Show Note in the course of their custom shortcuts, allowing for programmatic interaction with the thoughts and ideas they've jotted down.

It's now possible to create notes in the background without displaying the Notes compose sheet, to add to the same note over and over with Append to Note, to bring the text of your Notes into Shortcuts and act on them, and to open Notes to any individual note that you're working with (used in combination with one of the other three actions).

Plus, anytime you are working Notes content as a variable in Shortcuts, you can tap on the variable to extract further details like only the body, the Folder it resides in within the Notes app, and the Creation or Modification date.

Even further, we've discovered that the Find Notes action brings in the full text of anything that's been hand-written in your notes – as long as iOS can recognize the word. This means that users of iPads and the Apple Pencil (or with other styluses or using your finger on iPhone) can write things out by hand, use Find Notes to grab that note, and copy out what they've written.

Previously it was only possible to search for Notes and have it return the words it recognizes, but now that OCR (optical character recognition) works in conjunction with the Shortcuts app, and any other potential endpoint it can hook into. This is a huge leap for handwriting on iOS, because any advanced support required third-party apps – and now, it can be scripted into your shortcuts, and even triggered with Siri to grab that text out of a note, which is pretty powerful stuff.

More actions and updates

Alongside the Notes actions, Apple added Get Numbers From Input, support for Baidu maps, updates to the Travel Time action, and the addition of Get Start of Calendar Week to the Adjust Date action.

Get Numbers From Input works as a way to find any values inside content and extract just that data, ignoring all of the text or other information that's non-numeric. Using this, people can scrape out information from inside larger chunks of content, strip out the units for any measurements they might be working with, and get just the numbers they might need. This action drops in alongside other "Get ____ from Input" actions like those that grab email addresses, phone numbers, contacts, dates, text, dictionaries, URLs, addresses, and images too, which can be handy for information workflows.

Shortcuts has also added support for opening into Baidu Maps if you have it installed, which means you can use the Show Directions action in either Driving, Walking, Biking, or Transit mode. For the millions and millions of Chinese users who rely on this for transportation, this is a huge boon for their automation potential. Curiously, however, Baidu Maps isn't supported within the Show in Maps action.

But for those using Apple Maps and the Get Travel Time action, there are some welcome additions to the information provided. Beyond just getting the total length of the trip, users can tap on any Travel Time variables and further extract the Arrival Time, Route Name, and Distance to the destination.

That means it's much easier to set up commuting shortcuts that tell your family when you're getting home, or have Siri inform you which route to take by asking the HomePod as you prepare to leave, or estimate how far it is between two destinations.

And in a small but helpful update, the Adjust Date action can return the start of the current week in addition the the start of the minute, hour, day, and month. Previously it'd require fancy date and time math to calculate when the previous Sunday is based off the current date, and now it's a feature in the app.

While the usefulness of this depends on your needs, it means it's much easier to build shortcuts that estimate weekly ranges – say you do a weekly report and want the dates for Sunday and the next Saturday to display at the top of your report, now you can Adjust Date set to Get Start of Current Week and use another Adjust Date to add 6 days to it. Or you could curate a weekly playlist in Apple Music with a nicely-formatted description specifying the date range.

Bug fixes and a new feature

Along with these new actions and updated functions, the 2.2 update fixes some important bugs that have been fairly preventative for power users of Shortcuts.

Sync is fixed: Since the release of Shortcuts, "Shortcuts Sync" has been somewhat temperamental, ruining the order when a user syncs across devices and randomly shifting everything around. And further, large changes in the order seemed to create crashes on other devices, where users would have to delete and reinstall, further mixing up the order again.

That should all be fixed now, with changes smoothly showing up across devices, resolving any crashes, and not creating issues when installing on a new device. This makes it much, much easier for users with large numbers of Shortcuts to keep their libraries organized, not to mention solving the frustration of not being able to use your automation app on your phone once you did something on your iPad.

Photo sharing is fixed: Further, the update resolves another nasty bug that was making it impossible to share from Photos into Shortcuts – any time a user tried, they would be hit with an error message instead. Users could get around this by saving to the Files app first, but with iOS' preference for saving content into the Photo Library, this seemed entirely broken to most Shortcuts users, and from a very commonly-used application for automation purposes.

Now, the Photos extension works again with Shortcuts, letting you automate all the images, GIFs, and videos you have stored.

HomePod shortcuts run properly now: In another bug fix, Apple also resolves a somewhat silly issue with triggering Shortcuts from HomePod – whenever it needed to handoff back to the iPhone, it would often skip the next action in line and move to the second, almost moving too fast for itself. Now this should work properly again, making it much more reliable to experiment with shortcuts that can start on HomePod and continue on your phone.

Hopefully, Shortcuts users will never see these impactful bugs in a public release of an Apple application for this long of a time period again. As many more professionals begin to rely on iOS and Shortcuts to complete tasks vitally important to their jobs, not being able to use the app or its main functions for extended periods of time becomes a major problem.

I hope that Apple recognizes the importance of automation to their users' workflows and prioritizes emergency releases to fix these issues over waiting for the minor updates they put out alongside minor iOS releases. Otherwise, it may be enough that people feel they can't rely on this service (which has already been expressed in places like the r/shortcuts Reddit community), and also tarnish some of the potential of a device like the HomePod that promises cool Siri functionality, and then falls flat when you try to use it with regularity.

That's a shame because of the massive potential upside Shortcuts offers, especially when it is deeply integrated into your workflow and how you use iPhones and iPads to solve more and more of your needs each day.

That being said, improvements to workflows are always welcome, and even the last little feature is handy for Shortcuts power users (or making new people into new ones).

Now, when you tap the Library icon in the app, the app will scroll to the bottom of your list. This lets you quickly jump to any shortcuts you've recently created (which get added to the end of the list by default), and you can return to the top by hitting the blank space in the status bar above the application (in between the current time and your device battery).

Impact of the update

With Shortcuts 2.2, many issues have been resolved, power users can have their workflow restored, and anyone with an iOS device can now script their interactions with the Notes app. Using Shortcuts to automate aspects of transportation has improved dramatically for Apple Maps and Baidu Maps users, it's easier to work with numbers and dates, and there's more room to experiment with running shortcuts from HomePod.

I hope Apple continues the trend of adding new actions within minor updates of Shortcuts, especially those that add previously-untapped potential, but also for those that simplify some potential that was already there, but just too convoluted to obtain. The Adjust Date's Get Start of Week function is a great example, because every small addition like this lowers the bar for difficulty and raises the bar for thousands of tiny but specific tasks.

And that's where Shortcuts' potential lies – finding little spaces that add up to huge spaces that haven't been explored yet, and doing it from the best mobile devices in the world. You don't have to be at a desk or in an office to tap into the potential of computers – it's right there in your pocket.

Time to get building! But in the meantime, try downloading our shortcut that uses all the new actions we covered – perfect for capturing your thoughts before a commute.



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Apple Card versus the cash back competition

Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Mobile Nations may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network*

Apple's new credit card features one of the easiest to grasp rewards programs in the industry. A lot of credit cards are based on points, which, depending on your knowledge of your credit card provider's program, can become incredibly confusing and frustrating to manage. Apple has instead elected towards a simple, straight-forward, and non-limiting cash back program for Apple Card. The cash back benefits are as follows per Apple's website:

  • Get 3% back on everything you buy from Apple, whether you buy it at an Apple Store, apple.com, the App Store, or iTunes. That includes games, in‑app purchases, and services like your Apple Music subscription and iCloud storage plan.
  • Get 2% back every time you buy something using Apple Pay. That's in every category, with no limits. Imagine all the things you use a credit card for every day — at Target, Walgreens, Lyft. You'll get 2% back on just about everything.
  • If you happen to come across a store, website, or app that doesn't take Apple Pay yet, Apple Card still gives you 1% of your purchases back in the form of Daily Cash.

How Does this compare to other cash back credit cards?

Let's find out! First, let's break down Apple's cash back offerings. If we exclude the 3% cash back on Apple purchases, Apple Card is a non-limiting 2% cash back credit card. However, we have to keep in mind that the 2% cash back we are looking forward to is completely reliant on the merchant we are purchasing from supporting Apple Pay; otherwise, we are working with a 1% cash back credit card, which is low compared to most other card offerings from other providers. At least we'll all feel really cool swiping that Jony Ive designed titanium physical card.

There are a number of other cash back credit cards that already match or exceed the cash back rewards that Apple Card is going to feature, as well as also having no annual fee and offering bonus offers for when you sign up. Let's take a look at three cash back credit cards that go pound-for-pound against Apple Card.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a worthy challenger to Apple Card and sets it's customers up with a very similar cash back system as its competitor.

Tiered cash back

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

See at The Points Guy

This card gets you 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year then 1%), 2% cash back at U.S gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. There's no annual fee and unlike Apple Card, you'll earn a valuable sign-up bonus to the tune of a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months

While Apple Card does keep the advantage when it comes to general spending (as long as you are using Apple Pay) the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express can easily pass it when it comes to one thing you are sure to always spend your money on: gas and groceries. Most gas stations are still lacking Apple Pay support, and even though more grocery chains are adopting the technology, the American Express will beat Apple Card by 1% at both. That, paired with no annual fee, makes the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express a better option for those who find their largest areas of spending to be on groceries and gas.

Citi® Double Cash Card

The Citi® Double Cash Card is a great card for those who want straightforward cash back with no points or bonus categories to keep track of. It also promotes good financial wellness as half of the cash back is given once you pay the card off.

Twice the cash

Citi® Double Cash Card

See at The Points Guy

Easily one of our favorite cash-back cards, Citi® Double Cash Card earns 1% cash back on all purchases and then another 1% cash back as you pay the balance down. That's 2% cash back on every purchase. Contrary to the Apple Card, it doesn't differentiate if you shop online or in-store. What's more, this card also doesn't have an annual fee.

The idea behind the Citi® Double Cash Card is simple: earn 1% cash back on all purchases with no limits, and earn another 1% cash back as you pay the balance down on your card. Cash back can be redeemed to a gift card, a statement credit, or a check in the mail. While the rewards redemption process is without a doubt easier for Apple Card (it's going to beat everyone in that category), the Citi® Double Cash Card can essentially double your cash back at merchants that do not yet accept Apple Pay.

Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the best cards around for those who are looking to skip any kind of categorized rewards and instead opt for a drop-dead simple rewards system.

Simple cash back

Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card

See at The Points Guy

Earning cash back doesn't get easier than it is with the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card. You'll earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make and no annual fee is required. We also love that it includes a $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months. Put off paying for that iPhone purchase with 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months.

That's it. No remembering which purchase fits into which cash back rate or playing the game of seasonal bonus offers. It doesn't get much simpler than this. If you're looking to keep things minimal for your credit cards rewards and Apple's system is just another complicated rewards program in your eyes, it doesn't get much more simple than the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Which One Is For Me?

That all depends on you! How do you spend your money? If you find yourself keeping your cards in your wallet because you're in Apple Pay utopia, the Apple Card is a natural fit. If you spend a lot on gas and groceries, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express would be a great fit. If you aren't lucky enough to be surrounded by merchants who accept Apple Pay, you can still consistently earn 2% cash back with the Citi® Double Cash Card. If you're looking to keep things super simple and just want one unwavering/unchanging rewards program, the Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card might be for you. Whatever you choose, you can be sure that you're getting some of the best cash back rewards available.

*This content is not provided by card issuers. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the card issuer.



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Grab a Fitbit Alta fitness tracker for $31 off right now

The Fitbit Alta black and silver fitness tracker is down to $69 on Amazon. This tracker averages around $100 and today's deal is the best we've seen in months. This price is available in size small, while the large version will run you $1 more. Find your perfect fit here.

Step to it

Fitbit Alta

This affordable fitness tracker will help you achieve your fitness goals. It's easy to use, and this deal is the best than we've seen in months.

$69 $100 $31 Off

See at Amazon

The Alta can track steps, calories burned, and minutes active. It uses an OLED display that's easy to read and has a battery life that lasts up to five days. It will also track your sleep for you automatically with data on how long and well you slept. You can also use it to set a silent, vibrating alarm. The tracker can sync with your phone to provide you with call, text, and calendar notifications, too. It has 3.5 stars based on more than 3,000 reviews.



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This discounted Panasonic kit has 12 rechargeable batteries and a charger

Plenty of batteries and the charger to keep them powered up.

The Panasonic eneloop CC55 Quick Charger Kit is down to $34.95 at B&H. The same kit goes for over $45 on Amazon when in stock at all. This is part of B&H's DealZone, so the price won't last past tomorrow night. Plus, shipping is free!

Repowered

Panasonic eneloop CC55 Quick Charger Kit

Instead of buying new batteries every time the old ones go dead, why not just pick up a rechargeable battery pack so you won't have to worry about them for years to come? This kit comes with a mix of 12 AA and AAA batteries along with a charger to get you started.

$34.95 $45.57 $11 off

See at B&H

The kit comes with eight AA batteries, four AAA batteries, and an advanced Quick Charge 3-hour battery charger all in one package. Each battery has 800mAh and a 2100 cycle, which means they can be recharged up to 2100 times. They will maintain their charge for a long time (up to 10 years) when not in use. The charger works with both sizes and any combo, and it has built-in safeguards to automatically turn off when the batteries are fully charged.



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Canon introduces Ivy Cliq+ and Ivy Cliq for instant photos

Canon's new digital cameras also double as printers, catering to the growing instant camera market.

Canon USA has introduced a pair of new products to take advantage of the growing instant camera market. If you enjoy the immediacy and tactile feel of a physical photo—which can also double as stickers—then listen up.

Instantly print your pictures

First up is the IVY Cliq+, which features an 8-megapixel sensor, microSD expansion, and a number of complementary filters, photo frames, and text options to jazz up your photos before printing them out.

The IVY Cliq is the less premium version of the Cliq+, but it still offers a 5-megapixel sensor, microSD expansion, built-in flash, and optical viewfinder.

Both Canon cameras can print on 2x2 and 2x3 on ZINK paper, and there's also a sharing option, which makes it simple to print out two photos—one for you and one for a friend.

The Cliq+ also features a companion app, allowing users to control the camera remotely and even personalize the experience with custom shutter sounds. For selfie-takers, the Cliq+ features a selfie mirror that surrounds the lens and an LED ring light.

The Cliq+ comes in a variety of colors, including Pearl White, Sapphire Blue, and Ruby Red, while the Cliq comes in Bumblebee Yellow, Seaside Blue, and Lady Bug Red.

You'll be able to pick up the Cliq+ and Cliq in April for $159 and $99, respectively.

Instant photos

Canon IVY Cliq+

Easily print out digital photos wherever you are

Canon's new Cliq+ instant camera features an 8-megapixel sensor, large LED ring flash, 2-inch selfie mirror, and microSD expansion. There's also a companion app to apply filters and customize the overall experience. If you enjoy the immediacy of physical photos, then you'll love Canon's new camera.

$159 at Amazon

Less power

Canon IVY Cliq

A cheap way to jump into the instant camera market

The Canon IVY Cliq is the less powerful version of the Cliq+, but it's still great for taking and sharing photos instantly with friends and family. The Cliq comes equipped with a 5-megapixel sensor, microSD expansion, and a variety of beautiful colors, including Bumblebee Yellow.

$99 at Amazon



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Apple releases first tvOS 12.3 public beta

Want to see what's going with tvOS 12.2? The public beta is now available. Here's how to download it!

tvOS 12.2 is coming down the line, though Apple has yet to say anything about it. Ahead of its arrival, Apple is letting interested users check it out beforehand with a public beta.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac (sadly, no public beta for the Apple Watch). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

If you're interested in trying out the tvOS 12.2 public beta, just sign on up for Apple's Beta Software program and ready your device.

What's new in the tvOS 12.3 public beta?

March 28, 2019: Apple releases tvOS 12.3 public beta 1 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.3 public beta 1 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.3 to start testing, your time has come.

March 4, 2019: Apple releases tvOS 12.2 public beta 4 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.2 public beta 4 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.2 to start testing, your time has come.

February 20, 2019: Apple releases tvOS 12.2 public beta 3 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.2 public beta 3 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.2 to start testing, your time has come.

February 5, 2019: Apple releases tvOS 12.2 public beta 2 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.2 public beta 2 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.2 to start testing, your time has come

January 28, 2019: Apple releases tvOS 12.2 public beta 1 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.2 public beta 1 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.2 to start testing, your time has come.

December 11, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12.1.2 public beta 1 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.1.2 public beta 1 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.1.1 to start testing, your time has come.

November 15, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12.1.1 public beta 3 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.1.1 public beta 3 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.1.1 to start testing, your time has come.

November 7, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12.1.1 public beta 2 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.1.1 public beta 2 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.1.1 to start testing, your time has come.

November 1, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12.1.1 public beta 1 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.1.1 public beta 1 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.1.1 to start testing, your time has come.

October 22, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12.1 public beta 5 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.1 public beta 5 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12.1 to start testing, your time has come.

September 20, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12.1 public beta 1 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12.1 public beta 1 for testers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12 to start testing, your time has come.

August 27, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12 public beta 8 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12 beta 8 for developers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12 to start testing, your time has come.

August 20, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12 public beta 7 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12 beta 8 for developers. If you already have a previous tvOS beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away. If you've been waiting for tvOS 12 to start testing, your time has come.

August 15, 2018: Apple releases tvOS 12 public beta 6 for testers

Apple has just released tvOS 12 public beta 6 for members of its Beta Software Program. If you already have the tvOS 12 public beta installed, proceed to System > Software Updates and download away.

How to register for Apple's Beta Software Program

Registering for the Apple Beta Software Program is free and just requires an Apple ID.

  1. Head to beta.apple.com.
  2. Tap Sign up to get started with the program.
  3. Enter your Apple ID email address and password.
  4. Tap Sign In.
  5. Tap Accept to agree to the program's terms and conditions.

How to enroll your Apple TV in the tvOS 12.1 public beta

To enroll your Apple TV in the tvOS 12.1 public beta, you'll need to be signed into your Apple TV with the same Apple ID you used to register for the Beta Software Program.

  1. Open Settings on your Apple TV.
  2. Click Accounts.

  3. Click either iCloud, iTunes and App Store, or Game Center.

  4. Sign in with the same Apple ID email address and password that you used to register for the beta program.

  5. Click Menu on your Siri Remote.

  6. Click Menu on your Siri Remote again.
  7. Click on System.
  8. Click Software Updates.

  9. Turn Get Public Beta Updates on.

  10. Click Get Public Beta Updates.

  11. Click Agree.

You can turn off public beta updates by clicking the Get Public Updates button again under Software Updates.

How to install the tvOS 12.1 public beta

  1. Open Settings on your Apple TV.
  2. Click on System.

  3. Click Software Updates.

  4. Click Update Software.

  5. Click Download and Install.

Questions?

If you've got any further questions about installing the tvOS 12.1 public beta, be sure to let us know in the comments.



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Apple releases first public beta of iOS 12.3

Looking to try out iOS 12.3? The public beta is now available. Here's how to download it!

iOS 12.3 is on its way with features that need to be tested before the software is made available to the general public. As such, Apple is letting interested users check out iOS 12.2 and provide feedback before it goes into wide release.

If you're one of those interested users, however, you will have to go through the public beta download and install process. While it's not complicated, it's a bit of a departure for how you might normally get software onto your iPhone or iPad. So, we're going to walk you through it and give you a place to ask questions if you need extra help.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac (sadly, no public beta for the Apple Watch). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

What's new with the iOS 12.3 public beta?

March 28, 2019: Apple releases iOS 12.3 public beta 1

Apple has released iOS 12.3 public beta 1 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

March 4, 2019: Apple releases iOS 12.2 public beta 4

Apple has released iOS 12.2 public beta 4 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

February 20, 2019: Apple releases iOS 12.2 public beta 3

Apple has released iOS 12.2 public beta 3 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

February 5, 2019: Apple releases iOS 12.2 public beta 2

Apple has released iOS 12.2 public beta 2 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

January 28, 2019: Apple releases iOS 12.2 public beta 1

Apple has released iOS 12.2 public beta 1 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

January 10, 2019: Apple releases iOS 12.1.3 public beta 4

Apple has released iOS 12.1.3 public beta 4 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

December 11, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12.1.2 public beta 1

Apple has released iOS 12.1.2 public beta 1 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

November 15, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12.1.1 public beta 3

Apple has released iOS 12.1.1 public beta 3 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

November 7, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12.1.1 public beta 2

Apple has released iOS 12.1.1 public beta 2 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

November 1, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12.1.1 public beta 1

Apple has released iOS 12.1.1 public beta 1 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

October 22, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12.1 public beta 5

Apple has released iOS 12.1 public beta 5 for members of the Public Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

September 20, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12.1 public beta 1

Apple has released iOS 12.1 public beta 11 for members of the Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

August 31, 2018: Apple releases iOS 12 public beta 10 to testers

Apple has released iOS 12 public beta 10 for members of the Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

August 27, 2018

Apple has released iOS 12 public beta 9 for members of the Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

August 23, 2018

Apple has released iOS 12 public beta 8 for members of the Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

August 20, 2018

Apple has released iOS 12 public beta 7 for members of the Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

August 15, 2018

Apple has released iOS 12 public beta 6 for members of the Beta Software Program. If you've prepared your device to receive the public beta over the air, proceed to Settings > General > Software Updates and download away.

How to make an archived backup of your iPhone or iPad

Before you begin, make sure you back up your iPhone or iPad. While the beta process is fairly straightforward, any time you make any significant change to your device you risk problems. And with your personal data, it's always — always! — better to be safe than sorry. Even if you back up every night, you'll want to make sure it's absolutely up-to-date.

  1. Plug iPhone or iPad into your Mac or Windows PC.
  2. Launch iTunes.
  3. Click on the iPhone or iPad icon in the menu bar when it appears.
  4. Make sure backup is set to This Computer. (And enable Encrypted backup — it's worth it!)
  5. Click on Back Up Now. (Click on Encrypt Backup and add a password — you want the security.)
  6. Back up Apps, if asked.


  7. Press Command, to open Preferences. (Or go to iTunes in the menu bar and click on Preferences.
  8. Click on the Devices tab.
  9. Control-click on your Backup and choose Archive.


Archiving will prevent your current backup from being overwritten by an iOS 12.1 backup in the future, should you want to revert for any reason.

How to register your account for the iOS 12.2 public beta

If you've already joined an Apple public beta in the past, you shouldn't need to register again for iOS 12.2; simply sign in with the same Apple ID. If you've never joined a public beta before, you'll start by signing up with your Apple ID.

  1. Go to beta.apple.com on the iPhone or iPad you want to enroll in the beta.
  2. Tap on Sign up to get started. (If you've already signed up for a previous public beta, tap on Sign in and skip to our "How to enroll your device" section below.)
  3. Enter you Apple ID email address and password.
  4. Tap Sign in.
  5. Tap Accept to agree to the terms and conditions.

Once you're signed up and signed in, it's time to start downloading.

How to enroll your iPhone or iPad in the iOS 12.2 public beta

Unlike regular iOS updates, where you just tap and start downloading, Apple is using configuration profiles to validate devices for the iOS 12.2 public beta. Here's how to install it.

Note: If you've been on a previous iOS public beta, you may need to remove the previous beta profile before installing the iOS 12.2 version. You can do so by going to Settings > General > Profile, selecting the iOS Beta Software Profile, and pressing Delete Profile.

  1. Go to beta.apple.com, if you're not there already.
  2. Tap the iOS tab, if it's not highlighted already.
  3. Tap on Download profile.
  4. Tap on Install in the upper right corner.
  5. Enter your Passcode.
  6. Tap on Install, this time to consent to the beta agreement. (Read it: There are risks to any beta.)
  7. Tap on Install at the bottom to confirm. (Yes, you need to be really sure.)
  8. Tap on Restart to reboot your device.

Once your iPhone or iPad has finished rebooting, it should start to download iOS 12.2 automatically. From this point on, the process is the same as any other iOS update.

How to install the iOS 12.2 public beta

To install the iOS 12.2 beta, you'll need to visit Software Update on your iPhone or iPad.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen, tap on General, then tap on Software Update.
  2. Once the update appears, tap on Download and Install.
  3. Enter your Passcode.

  4. Tap Agree to the Terms and Conditions.
  5. Tap Agree again to confirm.

Your iPhone or iPad will reboot to install iOS 12.2. There will be a couple of progress bars going across the screen. Sit tight, and let everything finish.

How to get started with iOS 12.2 public beta

Once your iPhone or iPad reboots, it'll be running iOS 12.2. There's a brief bit of setup you'll need to go through, however, as the system will have changed enough that it'll need your login to complete the update.

  1. Tap Continue.
  2. Enter your Apple ID password. iCloud settings will update, so give it a minute.
  3. Tap Get Started.

Once that's done, you'll be on the Home screen and ready to rock iOS 12.2.



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