Sunday, December 31, 2017

HQ Trivia now available in the U.S.

Here's some good news for North Americans: HQ Trivia is here!

Update, December 31: As promised, the company has opened up access to HQ Trivia to all Americans and Canadians on Android in beta form. The app is available through the Play Store's 'Early Access' program and is still in beta, but you can now play it at 3pm and 9pm every day, and 9pm every weekday.

Earlier this week, the mobile phenomenon, HQ Trivia, announced that its Android release was nearing. Now, the company has said that it launched in limited beta in the U.S. on Christmas Day to iron out some bugs, and that it will open the app to more users in the coming days and weeks.

But Canadians are a bit luckier: thanks to the smaller population, the game is in open beta up north, which means that every Canadian can now take part in the live trivia game that happens daily at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET.

The game features a live host and a series of questions of increasing difficulty with hundreds of thousands of people competing for real cash prizes. Over Christmas, the game had 730,000 simultaneous users — and that was on iOS alone. Once it opens up to Android users, we can expect a million concurrent users on a regular basis. That should happen by the new year, but scale is hard, so it may take a bit longer.

Download HQ Trivia (free)



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From the Editor's Desk: A reminder to keep CES announcements in context

It's good to remember that just because something is newsworthy doesn't mean it's going to be a real-world product.

Amazingly, CES 2018 is less than a week away. Though the "show" doesn't officially open until January 9, the press will be heading to Las Vegas this week and the news will start pouring out this coming weekend before CES has technically started. Heck, you're going to start seeing CES announcements in the first couple days of January, a full week early.

With all of that CES craziness so nearly upon us, it's worth remembering what this show is actually for and what it really means when it comes to products actually being released.

As someone who follows the technology world closely, it's easy to get excited about the flood of big and exciting announcements coming out of CES. There will be dozens of previously unknown companies showing off some pretty amazing technology demos and even complete products. Even if you ignore the companies that make absolutely unattainable claims, of which there are many, there will still be plenty of realistic and believable stuff to see and get excited about.

Unfortunately, most of it will never come to market for you and I to buy. And understanding why requires understanding what and who CES is for.

There's a reason why it's now called just "CES" and that is no longer an acronym for "Consumer Electronics Show" — this isn't really a show aimed at consumers, even though many of the products on display are consumer-focused in nature. No the reality of CES is that it's designed for businesses to talk to other businesses all in one place. For companies to talk about licensing or buying technologies (or the company altogether), or to get some investment, or to strike some deals for distribution or manufacturing or a retail partnership. For many more well-established companies, CES is a chance to see what's on the horizon from the competition or potentially buy up a smaller company with something new to offer.

Unfortunately, most of the tech shown at CES will never come to market.

The only real counterpoint to this is the really big names at the show. Samsung and LG and Sony and Intel and Nikon and Ford and dozens of other huge companies that have their product roadmap lined up and well into production before CES arrives. They use CES to show off what they already know is launching — they're not waiting to gauge public interest or see what works. A vast majority of what they show off at the show is coming to market in 2017, plus a few glimpses at some prototypes and ideas they have for the future. But it's all anchored in reality, with finished market-ready products that are already being mass-produced and would be released whether CES happened or not. For them, it's just an easy way to show off to everyone at once and get in on the news cycle.

Regardless of who CES is actually for, we will of course be there cover all sides of the show. Because even though a majority of what's shown at CES will never see the light of day again, those who understand that fact can still get some great insight into where the technology industry is headed. We're still excited about that, and we're going to see everything we can.

And with that, as I start to pack my bags for CES, a few random thoughts on the week:

  • We published our Best of 2017 awards this week, covering all sorts of hardware, software and stories.
  • We put our collective foot down and say a lot of things are "best" in individual categories, but this is our full-on yearly lineup of award winners. It was a good year.
  • I also wrote my four-month-later review of the Essential Phone this week. Despite all of the improvements, this still isn't a phone I'd choose to use on a daily basis given its bad performance and stability. It's that simple.
  • I understand that many people are happier with the phone than I am, and don't see as many issues with performance. But for me, having used dozens of different phones this year, I can say that when you put the Essential Phone head-to-head with the competition it just doesn't stand up. Essential has lots of fundamentals perfect, but the execution is sorely lacking.

Happy New Year to everyone out there! Have a safe and fun evening.

-Andrew



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Best social multiplayer games to play at a party

Your smartphone is the key to an evening of sweet party games with friends!

Party games provide a great way for friends, new and old, to come together, share a laugh, and just have a good time. But with pretty much everyone owning a smartphone these days, the way we play party games has evolved.

While some might say it's anti-social to be on your phone at party, these hilarious party games typically only require an Android phone

We've included a couple options that use a Chromecast-enabled TV, along with a tried and tested VR classic that requires Daydream View or Samsung Gear VR.

Escape Team

Escape rooms are great fun for a group of friends, but getting a group together can be tricky and booking a room can get expensive.

Escape Team lets you enjoy the fun of solving escape room-style puzzles in the comfort of your own home using pen and paper. You download and print off missions from the Escape Team website and then load up the matching mission in the Android app. The app gives you your countdown clock and delivers a fictional backstory for the missions via audio clips. You can also use the app to request hints if your group gets stuck on a puzzle.

The game is recommended for groups of 2 to 4 people, and requires some outside-the-box thinking and teamwork if you're to be successful. You get the introduction and first mission for free then you can get the remaining four missions for just $1 — and that's the only in-app purchase or ad you'll see. The paid missions are each around a half hour to complete, so for $4, you can get a full afternoon's worth of good clean fun saving the world.

If you've ever tried an escape room or just love solving puzzles, you're going to fall in love with this game.

Download: Escape Team (Free w/IAPs)

Chwazi Finger CHOOSER

Most of the entries on this list are great multiplayer games you and your friends can play using your phone at a party, but Chwazi Finger Chooser is an awesome app to have on your phone for more traditional games. It's an app that's designed to quickly and randomly help groups decide who goes first or split into teams.

Simply load up the app, choose the parameters (fingers to chose who goes first, and groups to make teams), and then have each player place one finger on the screen. Once everyone is in, Chwazi takes a moment and then randomly selects one finger to go first or splits everyone into color-coded teams.

It's a quick and fair way to split up into teams or choose who goes first so you and your friends can spend more time playing and less time bickering about making fair teams. Chwazi can support up to 32 fingers, but good luck fitting that many on your average smartphone (tablets will work better for larger groups).

Download: Chwazi (Free)

Jackbox Party Pack

Since 2013, Jackbox Games has been developing outstanding social party games that are super intuitive to play, and available across a wide variety of platforms. It gets people talking and laughing like any good party game should, and Jackbox has really fine-tuned the party game genre. They've repackaged a number of their mobile games into fun party games you can play on your TV or computer and have released three party packs each featuring five great party games. Best of all there are no special controllers required — up to 8 people can play using only a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to connect.

The three bundles each contain five different social games that typically support 3 to 8 players:

  • Jackbox Party Pack — includes YOU DON'T KNOW JACK 2015, Fibbage XL, Drawful, Word Spud, and Lie Swatter.
  • Jackbox Party Pack 2 — includes Fibbage 2, Earwax, Bidiots, Quiplash, and Bomb Corp.
  • Jackbox Party Pack 3 — Includes Quiplash 2, Trivia Murder Party, Guesspionage, Tee K.O., and Fakin' It.

Jackbox offers its Party Packs for virtually every platform and video game console, including Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Steam. People at your party can log in and play on their phone, a tablet or a computer — all they really need is a browser to access Jackbox.tv and the four-letter room code.

All party packs are available for $24.99 no matter which system or device you're running with the exception of PlayStation 4 users who can try the original Jackbox Party Pack for free, and enjoy a 70% discount on Jackbox Party Pack 3 with PlayStation Plus.

My friends and I are quite partial to the bundle of games included in the first Party Box, so I'll link it in the Google Play Store below. But you really can't go wrong with any of these bundles. Each offers great value and a guaranteed good time with friends and family. Best of all, "The Jackbox Party Pack 4" was just recently given an autumn release date, so we have even more uproarious party games to look forward to in the near future!

Download: Jackbox Party Pack ($24.99)

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Psych!

Psych is a game of trivia and bluffing where everyone comes up with a fake answer to the question, and then try and guess which is the real answer. You get points for picking the right answer, or if someone picks your answer. It's very similar to games like Balderdash or Fibbish.

This game requires that all players have the app loaded onto their own phones, along with a solid internet or Wi-Fi connection. There are in-app purchases to unlock new categories, or decks, but there's enough variety in what's included for free for an evening's worth of fun.

Download: Psych (Free)

Who Can't Draw?

Get your friends and family to flex their artistic skills (or lack of said skills) and find out Who Can't Draw. The first artist gets a word and does their best to draw a picture of that word. The phone is then passed around the room, with each person trying to do their best to copy the drawing they were passed... in just 15 seconds. It's essentially a sketching version of the old schoolyard game of telephone. Once the phone reaches the last person in the game, they must try and guess what the original word.

At the end of each round, you're shown a results page with everyone's drawing. It's hilarious to see how the interpretation changes from person to person, as guessed word and the original word are rarely the same.

Download: Who Can't Draw? (Free)

Teledoodle

Another social drawing game, Teledoodle is a mobile version of Telestrations that can be played on a single device with up to 8 people. Drawers get up to a minute to create their masterpieces, but it's ultimately up to the guesser to determine what was drawn. That guess is then passed to another drawer who must interpret what they are given so on and so on until everyone has had a turn. Then, it's time to see how the drawings and guesses progressed, often with outrageous results.

Download: Teledoodle (Free)

Charades

Love it or hate it, charades is a classic party game that's perfect for all ages. The Charades app takes the format and brings it into the 21st century by holding your phone up to your forehead and having your friends and family act out or try to give you clues for the word on the screen. With over 44 categories available in this free-to-play app, there's a ton of fun to be had.

You might have played this game as Heads Up, which is typically what we would recommend here, but according to reports from the Google Play Store, a recent update has caused the app to become unstable for many users. If you find it working fine for you, it's another great option.

Download: Charades (Free)

Ticket To Ride

The award-winning train-based board game is a household favorite around these parts, and it's also got an outstanding, fully-licensed app for Android. It's a great little game to play with up to four other friends, featuring pass-and-play for playing on a single device, or local area network options if everyone has the app on their own phone. Setup and play time is short and brisk thanks to all the card dealing and pieces being handled digitally, making a well-designed game even more fun to play.

This is a paid app, with in-app purchases to unlock other game boards. Given the price of the physical version of the game, the combo that includes all expansions and versions is a great deal that increases the game's replayability tenfold.

Download: Ticket To Ride ($2.99)

Cardcast

If you've got a Chromecast, you've also got a digital version of Cards Against Humanity to play as a two-screened experience with your TV and phones. It's an open-sourced game that actually allows you to go in and create your own decks to play with if you so desire, or choose a deck from the deep database of user-created decks. Up to 10 people can play at one time, and players are free to connect or disconnect in the middle of a game.

If you're not familiar with CAH, it's notorious for its not-safe-for-work content. However, one of the benefits of Cardcast is that you can find a family-friendly deck to play, so that Granny isn't offended… unless of course you've got a pretty cool Granny.

Download: Cardcast (Free)

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Big Web Quiz

Another quick and fun game to play on the Chromecast, Big Web Quiz is a fast and fun quiz game with cross-platform compatibility — whether your friends and family are on iOS or Android, everyone is able to download the app and connect to the Chromecast.

Up to six people can connect up and play. Everyone watches the screen for the question, then uses their phone to answer. It's a fun, colorful app filled with interesting and quirky trivia.

Download: Big Web Quiz (free)

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes!

It's not too often we get to recommend a VR game for a party or social gathering given how isolating a typical VR experience is... but Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is far from your typical VR game. It's an intense game of bomb defusal that looks to recreate those movie moments where the main character gets defusal instructions over the walkie-talkie.

Available for both the Samsung Gear VR and Google's Daydream View, one person straps the VR headset on and gets to look and manipulate the bomb, while everyone else in the room consults the bomb manual (downloadable for free from BombManual.com. Can your family or friends work together to defuse the bomb before it goes off? This game is quite stressful at times, but also a lot of fun.

If you're playing on a Samsung Gear VR, you'll need to download from the Oculus Store. If you're playing on a Daydream View with your Pixel phone, you'll want to download the version from the Google Play Store.

Download Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes from Google Play ($9.99)

Download Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes from Oculus Store ($9.99)

Anything we missed?

Got a party classic that didn't make our list? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated December 30: Get everyone involved in the fun at your New Year's Eve party this year!



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Best Car Chargers for Google Pixel and Pixel 2

Keep your Pixel charged while out on the road. Here are our favorite USB-C car chargers.

We've all been there (some of us more than others): You hop in your car ready to rev on the road and then you check your phone — it's dying at a rapid pace! You've barely enough battery life to get to your destination. Well, that's what car chargers are for, and if you've a Google Pixel or Pixel 2, this next list should be particularly resonant for you. Here are some of the best car chargers you can buy for your Pixel or Pixel XL.

Belkin

The Belkin car charger with removable 4-foot USB-C cable is consistently suggested as one of the better car chargers for USB-C compatible devices. Make sure that you purchase the 27-watt version, however, which is capable of delivering enough power to rapidly charge your Pixel or Pixel XL. It can power your tablet and Chromebook in the car, too.

Belkin's car charger is available from $19.

See at Amazon

Tronsmart

Tronsmart's car charger with a built-in USB-C cable is easily your best option for keeping your Pixel juiced on the road, and it sells for $15.

The attached USB-C cable means no need to remember one every time you drive, and the USB Type A port is handy for charging another device at the same time via Quick Charge 2.0 or 3.0. Your Pixel will charge quickly and efficiently, thanks to USB 3.1 and its delivery of 5V at 3A.

If you want a car charger that has exactly what you need to keep your Pixel going, check out the Benson-approved Tronsmart 33W dual USB charger.

See at Amazon

Maxboost

Maxboost's 35W charger is another to feature a built-in USB-C cable, so you never have to worry about forgetting yours at home. The other USB port is great for any of your Quick Charge 2.0 devices and charges with up to 18W (12V/1.5A, 9V/2A, 5V/2A).

The handiest part of this charger is its muted light-up ring that shines when plugged in. It's dimmed so as not to distract you while you drive.

This charger comes in black or white, each with a blue LED ring, so you can match it to any color Pixel you have! Yours for $19.

See at Amazon

Aukey

Aukey's charger features both a USB-C port and a USB Type A port, so you can charge your Pixel and another device at the same time. While your Pixel won't work with the built-in Quick Charge 3.0 support, charging at up to 3A is supported for speedy refills via the USB-C port.

(And hey, if you have other devices that do support QC3, the USB-A port has you covered. All this for just $16.

See at Amazon


Your picks?

Are you using an awesome USB-C charger that we didn't mention? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated December 2017: This article was updated with the latest links to our favorite Pixel chargers.



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5 easy ways to get the most out of your Android phone's camera

There are a few tricks you can use to get the most out of any phone's camera.

With a smartphone in every pocket, taking photos has become one of the most-used features of these powerful little computers. But there's more to it than just hardware and software — you need to know how to use it all! That's why we're continuing our 12 days of tech tips with a super-useful one: taking better photos.

You may know how this stuff works, but your friends and family may only be novices when it comes to photography. You can always hand off some of these powerful and simple tips to them!

Clean the lens

Yes, really. It feels like the simplest possible thing, because it is! And that's why we forget about it. Our phones come with us everywhere and that means the camera lenses are far more susceptible to getting covered in fingerprints and dirt and all kinds of other things. You may not notice when you're taking photos that there's a smudge on your camera lens, but trust us: take a second to wipe off your lens before you take your next important photo, and it can make a world of difference in the end product.

This is actually even more important for selfies, because the camera lens often has no physical separation from the main glass covering the screen and is far more likely to have smudges on it from using your phone every day. Front-facing cameras are typically lower resolution and quality to begin with as well, making them less likely to overcome a smudge on the lens glass. Give the top bit of your phone screen a good wipe down before taking a selfie — you'll be impressed by the difference it makes.

Turn on viewfinder grid lines

Most camera apps offer some sort of grid line option, but it's almost never turned on by default. If your phone offers grid lines, turning them on will help a ton with your photo composition. It may seem annoying to have all of these lines across the viewfinder at first, but you need to realize how important it is to have good visual separation and proportions in your photos.

The typical lines you'll find in most camera apps will be a simple 3x3 grid, which helps you follow the tried-and-true "rule of thirds" method of framing scenes. The flat lines will also help you set up flat horizons on longer photos (like sunsets) or make sure that you don't get your phone angled so far that it throws off the perspective of the shot you're trying to take.

Use your flash as a last resort

It's often said that photography is just the mastery of light. That's even truer on smartphones with tiny camera sensors that struggle to take in available light. In a dark or mixed lighting scene, it may be enticing to turn on your camera's flash — but resist the temptation! The flash is typically too bright and too direct to be used anytime you have a subject close to you, completely washing out everything with bright white light. At the same time, it's not strong enough to work properly to fill a larger space.

Instead, move around your phone or your subject (when possible) to adjust the light instead of relying on the flash — you'll take better photos every time. Also keep in mind you can use tap-to-focus in most cameras to reset the exposure on a specific point — often times that's all it takes to get the lighting right on your subject instead of the background that you don't really care about.

Consider a mini tripod

You'll notice that I'm not mentioning a selfie stick. Show yourself some respect and get a tripod with a smartphone holder instead. There are great cheap models all over the place, ranging from simple stiff-legged models up to ones with flexible legs and magnets in the feet. Pair it up with a smartphone clamp and you'll be set up to take all kinds of photos.

Tripods are useful for self-portraits without having to resort to a selfie stick, but can also seriously improve your low-light shots and of course long exposure or timelapse photos just by propping up your phone for a few seconds or a minute. A tiny tripod that folds up and fits in a pocket can widen the range of your photography capabilities.

Use a photo backup service

None of these tips help you in any way unless you're backing up your photos so they're safely copied off of your phone. You can take a fantastic photo, and even share it out on social networks, but you really should have a backup of that original.

Google Photos is a fantastic choice with both free and paid backup tiers, as is Dropbox. The best services are ones that will back up regularly and automatically — you don't want to leave backing up to your ability to remember to do it manually!

Go take some great photos

With these tips in mind, and a little preparation with a new app or maybe an accessory like a tripod, you'll be taking better photos and backing them up to enjoy for years to come!



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3 awesome things you get with your PlayStation Plus subscription

PlayStation Plus is a lot more than a subscription service. It's an essential part of the PS4 experience.

It seems that nearly every video game console developer has some version of a premium online subscription service. Nintendo will soon be launching a premium online subscription service, Microsoft has had Xbox Live Gold for quite some time now, and of course Sony has PlayStation Plus.

Each platform offers various services and perks to their subscribers. Have you been kicking around the idea of pulling the trigger on a PlayStation Plus subscription but you're not entirely sure what you will be getting in exchange for your hard earned dollars? Let's take a look at three things you will get with your PS Plus subscription

Online play

With the exception of free to play or subscription based games a PlayStation Plus account is required to play multiplayer games online. So that means if you are picking up a copy of Destiny 2 and you expect to jump online and start leveling up your character right away, then you had better keep in mind that a PS Plus subscription is going to end up being part of your total cost.

Unfortunately, there are some games that are almost entirely online and without a PS Plus subscription there won't be much you can do with your game other than using it as a sixty dollar coaster. You PlayStation Plus subscription ensures that you will be able to hop online and start killing stuff with your friends.

Deals, Deals, Deals!

I would have to imagine that there were a few years there while Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo watched as gamers sacrificed their wallets and the altar of Steam sales. After seeing the sheer volume of product moved by steam they had no choice but to join them rather than try to beat them.

With your PlayStation Plus subscription, you will be privy to multitudes of sales and discounts. The common rabble will be stuck paying full price while you will be getting discounts that will occasionally dive as deep as 80%. If you are money conscience then you can rest easy knowing you are getting deals that you can't always get elsewhere.

Free games!

One of the most appealing features of a PlayStation Plus account is what sometimes referred to as the Instant Game Collection. Every month PS Plus subscribers will get access to two select games for absolutely free. That means that by the end of one year of subscription you could have 24 games. Instant Game Collection! Something else that should be mentioned is that there are two free selected games on PS4, Vita, AND PS3. If you have all three consoles that's a pretty smoking deal. Another important thing to note is that if you cancel your PlayStation Plus account you will lose access to the games that you received for free. You only have those free games while your account is active.

If your interest has been piqued and you would like to give PS Plus a spin then you have an option to give it a chance for free. Sony offers a 14-day free trial which will give you the opportunity to get that beak wet without spending any money. If you decide that you love it you essentially have 3 options. You can pay $9.99 a month, $24.99 every three months or you can drop $59.99 and you will be set for the whole year. If you don't feel like handing your credit card info over to Sony then you can also pick up a PlayStation Plus subscription card at applicable brick and mortar retailers or you can just snag one off of Amazon.

Personally, I really dig PlayStation Plus. I have had a subscription since I first picked up my PS4 and I have been happy with it the whole time. As far as I am concerned, the free games alone make it worth the price of admission. If I have to have the subscription to play games online with my friends anyway, it's nice to have the addition of free games and discounts.

Why are we reviewing PlayStation 4 games on Android Central? Let us explain.



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Saturday, December 30, 2017

Android Oreo beta for OnePlus 5T now available

Available to flash right now.

So far, OnePlus has released Oreo updates for the 3, 3T, and 5. The company teased that its new 5T would be seeing similar treatment a couple days after Christmas, and now we have our first Open Beta of OxygenOS that's based on Android 8.0.

Since this is the first Open Beta that OnePlus has released for the 5T, you'll need to follow the instructions for flashing the new software onto your phone. Once you do this and get it up and running, you'll be enrolled in the beta and receive over-the-air updates for any new versions that are released.

With the new software on your 5T, you'll find all of the following items:

  • Optimized the app shortcut style
  • Combine icon options with app shortcuts
  • Now able to upload photos to Shot on OnePlus
  • Added Picture in Picture
  • Added Auto-Fill
  • Added Smart Text Selection
  • New Quick Settings design
  • Updated Android security patch to December

The OxygenOS Open Beta is perfectly usable as a daily driver, but keep in mind that it may not be quite as stable as an official release.



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Fly the skies with the Spectre Drone for $83!

Drones are hot right now and have been for a few years. There are drone racing competitions, tons of tricks you can do, and tons of footage you can shoot (drones are constantly used TV and film production now). People have been flying model airplanes for decades, but drones up the "coolness" factor and are often considerably less expensive than most flying model planes.

TRNDlabs' Spectre Drone is an awesome mid-range drone that's not necessarily for novices but certainly doesn't require an expert hand to fly. It regularly retails for $149.99, but Android Central Digital Offers has it for $99.99. And right now, when you use code BESTOF17, you can take an addition 17% off and get it for $83!

The Spectre offers wonderful stability for anyone who isn't a hardened, experience drone pilot. It features fly-assist features, including enhanced auto take-off and landing, and it can even hover so you can get awesome shots from any height you choose. It also has a range of 50 meters, so you can fly it the width of a football field and watch a live field the whole way using the companion app.

If you're looking to get into drone flying or want to buy a gift for someone who does, the TRNDlabs Spectre Drone is an awesome way to get started, since it's not so simple that it gets boring quickly and not so advanced that you need years of practice before take-off. Check it out at Android Central Digital Offers and be sure to use code BESTOF17 to get it for $83.

See at Android Central Digital Offers



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Best Philips Hue Alternatives as of December 2017

What's the best alternative to Philips Hue? Here are our favorites!

Philips Hue smart lights are some of the coolest on the market and they're definitely some of the most popular, but they can be quite expensive, especially once you get into colored bulbs. If you're looking for a less expensive alternative or just something other than what's popular, then check out these other awesome options.

GE Link Starter Kit

This starter kit from GE features two A19 LED bulbs and a link hub, allowing you to control all GE bulbs through the Wink mobile app. Although these bulbs only come in a soft white, they're great for general use around your home, while still having complete control over scheduling. The GE Link starter kit is also compatible with Amazon Echo, but requires the Wink hub. Pricing starts around $75 for the bundle.

See at Amazon

LIFX A19 Wi-Fi Smart Bulb

The LIFX Wi-Fi bulb provides 16 million colors and 1,000 shades of white, connecting over your Wi-Fi network without the need for a hub. Simply download the LIFX app and gain control of lighting effects and custom schedules to suit your needs. Each A19 bulb only consumes 17 watts of energy and has a lumen count of 1017. LIFX bulbs even work with Nest Protect and Thermostat, flashing the lights when smoke is detected or switching the lights on and off automatically to make it appear as if someone is home while you're away on vacation. You can order the LIFX bulb starting at $54 for one. LIFX bulbs are Amazon Certified to work with Alexa.

See at Amazon

Lucero A19 Smart Bulb

This colorful LED Bluetooth bulb from Lucero can be customized through the Lucero Smart Bulb app, where you can sync with your music and even control up to 50 bulbs in various groups (up to five). With over 16 million colors, there are plenty of options to suit your mood while managing to stay energy efficient at only 7.5 watts. These affordable smart bulbs are available for just $32 each.

See at Amazon

Cree BA19 LED Bulb

The daylight (5000K) dimmable Cree LED bulb is compatible with multiple platforms, including Amazon Echo, Wink, WeMo, and more. After setting up with a compatible hub, you can schedule your Cree bulbs to turn on and off at any specific time, adjust brightness, or even customize them to work while you're away from home as an extra security measure. Each Cree bulb is only 11.5 watts and is available for about $15 each — not bad for its 22-year lifespan.

See at Amazon

Sylvania Lightify by Osram

The best feature of the Lightify bulbs by Osram is that they're compatible with Alexa. If you have an Echo in your house, then these will work right out of the box (so long as you have a hub), so you can control your lights with just your voice!

Lightify comes in RGBW, tuneable white, and soft white, so you have your choice of light temperature to best suit your room. Just download the Lightify app, and you're on your way. These bulbs fit into standard sockets, and you can adjust color temperature in the RGBW and tuneable white bulbs to best fit your mood or needs (soft white when it's time to chill, daylight to help you stay awake). Pricing starts at $40 for a bulb, but you can get a 2-pack for $50.

See at Amazon

Flux Bluetooth Smart LED bulb

Flux bulbs are color-changing bulbs that work via Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi like the other bulbs on this list, which means you won't be able to control them with you're not at home. That being said, you can still schedule actions, like having the bulbs turn on when you're away from home or to wake you up in the morning.

Flux bulbs feature over 16 million colors, which you control directly from the Flux app. You can control the mode (strobe, shifting colors, etc.), and these will even sync with music on your phone to add some extra atmosphere to your dance party.

Flux bulbs come in 7- or 10-watt iterations and are available for around $30.

See at Amazon

IKEA Tradfri

Believe it or not, IKEA has some pretty rad smart bulbs that are inexpensive (around $17/bulb) and work well. They have a brightness equal to roughly a 70-watt incandescent bulb and are dimmable using the Tradfri remote. In fact, you can control up to 10 bulbs, panels, or light doors, which are all dimmable as well. You can also switch from warmer-colored light to cooler hues depending on your mood and the time of day.

Thanks to community member snapphane for the tip!

See at IKEA

Z-Wave

Z-Wave isn't a bulb, but a technology that allows many switches to be used to wirelessly control normal, everyday lightbulbs. With any Z-Wave switch, you can control not-smart bulbs via a great smart home hub — no need to pay through the nose for smart bulbs that last decades (though they are a pretty solid investment).

The light of your life

Which smart lights do you use? Sound off in the comments below!

Updated December 2017: Updated pricing for everything and added IKEA's affordable smart bulbs.



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