Sunday, March 31, 2019

Where to get a replacement charger for Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

Best answer: The best place to find a replacement charger for your Galaxy Watch Active is either Amazon or Samsung. Samsung's Wireless Charger Duo or Pad Slim are sure to keep your Watch Active charged up.

Dual-Charger or Slim

For some odd reason, Samsung doesn't have the wireless charger that comes with the Galaxy Watch Active listed on its website. This is a bit different than past smartwatch releases, as the company usually makes its charger available to purchase. That leaves us looking to Amazon, as the online retail giant seemingly has everything that you could possibly need, even if the OEM doesn't have it listed.

The good news is that the Galaxy Watch Active supports Qi wireless charging, which lets us use Samsung's own wireless chargers to get it topped up.

In that case, we look to other offerings from Samsung such as the Wireless Charger Duo Pad and Pad Slim. The Wireless Charger Duo Pad allows you to charge two devices at once, whether that's your Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Watch Active, or any combination of Qi-certified devices.

This is also equipped with Fast Charge 2.0, providing up to 12W of speed for S10 owners, and up to 7.5W of output for S9 or Note 9 owners. But regardless of which device you use, you can rest easy knowing that the Wireless Charger Duo Pad is charging your device as fast as possible.

As for the Slim Pad, this is just your run-of-the-mill charging pad that Samsung offers. There is nothing really special about this wireless charger, other than it does the job just perfectly fine and doesn't take up a whole lot of real estate.

Duo Charger

Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad

$100 at Amazon

Keep your watch and phone charged at the same time

Who doesn't love the versatility to charge two devices wirelessly, at the same time? The Charger Duo Pad comes with Fast Charge 2.0 and works with your smartphone and Galaxy Watch Active.

Slim Charger

Samsung Wireless Charger Pad Slim

$15 at Samsung

Basic with no frills, just fast charging

If you don't need the extra charging pad of the Charger Duo Pad, then the Pad Slim for Samsung will do the job just as well. Plus, you won't have to worry about cleaning off a huge area on your desk or nightstand in order to house this charger.

The Watch

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

$200 at Amazon

Samsung's latest and greatest wearable

Samsung is really getting close to the "perfect" smartwatch for its users, and the Galaxy Watch Active brings us even closer. At just $200, you would be hard-pressed to find a better smartwatch to pair with your Galaxy S10.



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Keep local copies of data for less with these World Backup Day discounts

Amazon is celebrating World Backup Day with big discounts on various storage products. Whether you're looking to add a microSD card to your Nintendo Switch or Android phone or want an external drive to keep your files safe, today's the best day to make the purchase. With gear on sale from popular brands like Kingston, Toshiba, WD, LaCie, and more, you're going to want to stop what you're doing and check out the sale.

Safe files

World Backup Day discounts

Having your data stored in the cloud is great, but can also be expensive, and if the company has a failure you risk losing it all. Keep local copies of your most important files for less with today's big sale.

Various Prices

See at Amazon

Starting with the "smallest" options, there are a bunch of microSD cards to pick between. These are great to be used in action cameras, Android phones, tablets, Nintendo Switch, and so much more. You can grab a 128GB Kingston card for $15.49 today, or jump up to SanDisk's 256GB high-speed option for just $52.99. If you happen to need a full-size SD card, we've got you covered as well. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB card is on sale for $31.98, and the 512GB is on sale for $159.99.

In terms of external drives, the most affordable from this sale is the Toshiba Canvio 1TB drive for $39.99. There's also a WD 2TB My Passport drive on sale for $62.99, which comes pre-formatted for the Mac, or the drop-resistant 500GB WD My Passport Go for $71.99.

If you're a real media junkie, there's also the diskless Synology 2 bay DS218j on sale for $130, or the much more powerful QNAP TS-453BT3 NAS on sale for $799. There's also a variety of drives available that are designed to fit inside these machines.

These prices, many of which are all-time lows) are only good for today, though, so you'll want to act quick and not miss out. Keeping local copies of your data, along with those in the cloud, can prove to be very helpful in the long run.



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Illuminate dark spots at home with up to 40% off popular Mr. Beams lights

Today only, Amazon is offering up to 40% off a variety of Mr. Beams lighting gear, which brings pricing down to as low was just $12 for some of it. There are some lights designed for usage inside, and others that are able to be used outside, so if you're struggling with pesky dark areas at night, or want something where you can't easily run power, today's sale is for you.

See it better

Mr. Beams One Day Sale

If you're looking for high-quality lights to place inside your home or outside that will last for a long time and won't require expensive electrical lines be run to them, these are the ones to buy. There's a wide variety of options available today, so check them all out.

Save up to 40% today

See at Amazon

Starting with the interior lights, you can get a one-pack or two-pack of these well-rated stick-on ceiling lights that are motion activated. You can install them in just seconds, and they are powered by AA batteries. The light itself turns off after 30 seconds of no motion, which allows the batteries to last longer, and each one provides an output of about 200 lumens. There's also a brighter option available for $19.79 each, or one that you actually screw into the wall instead for the same price.

Exterior lighting is where Mr. Beams really tends to ... shine. There are a number of outdoor lights in this sale, including this wireless battery powered motion-sensing floodlight for $21.59 or this 2-pack of motion-sensing spotlight style lights for $26.49. You can opt to get a single spotlight camera for $11.89 if you don't need to light up a whole bunch of space. These are also all battery powered, meaning you can install them within just minutes without the need to have electrical wiring run to where you want to place them.

You'll want to check out the full sale here as many of these are down to all-time low prices. Keep in mind, these discounts are good for today only, so don't miss out.



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These are the best Galaxy S9 screen protectors

Protecting the Samsung Galaxy S9's curved display is no easy task — tempered glass offers the best protection but a PET film can generally flex around the edges of curved displays better. There's also a price difference, so there's a lot to consider when you're buying. Whether you prefer tempered glass or a flexible film, these are the best screen protectors for your Samsung Galaxy S9.

Best overall

Whitestone Dome Glass (2-pack)

Staff pick

Whitestone's UV-curing wet-install Dome Glass kit is the best on the market, and while it's expensive, it'll protect your screen from edge to edge with its crystal-clear life. Dome Glass can give a battered S9 a second chance, gripping screens with scratches, scuffs and small cracks, too. If you drop and shatter the first protector, this kit comes with two!

$50 at Amazon

Easy to install

amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector

While the Whitestone requires time and tools, amFilm has tried to simplify its install process by providing an "applicator case" so you can line up the perfect fit. This simpler tempered glass protector comes with a smaller price. Its dot-matrix and silicone gel design is more prone to peeling up; make sure you follow amFilm's installation guide.

$13 at Amazon

Best for cases

Spigen NeoFlex (2-pack)

Spigen makes excellent cases, so they're the natural choice for making case-friendly screen protectors. They might not be tempered glass, but they're far easier on your wallet and far easier to apply. Just make sure you watch the installation video and be very patient with the drying process.

$9 at Amazon

Thinnest option

IQ Shield LiQuidSkin (2-pack)

IQShield offers a two-pack of tissue-paper-thin plastic film screen protectors that have been fine-tuned to be compatible just about any case you throw at it. These screen protectors are smudge resistant, "self-healing" small scuffs and scratches, are easy to install, and cost less than breakfast at Starbucks.

$8 at Amazon

Easy installation

LK Tempered Glass Screen Protector with Installation Tray

Sometimes the trickiest part of using a tempered glass screen protector is the installation. LK's solution is an installation tray that helps to line up the screen protector the first time so you can avoid the fingerprints and dust that collect when you need multiple tries or little adjustments to get things just perfect.

$16 at Amazon

I know that screen protectors can feel like a compromise, making your screen feel or look dirtier than it is, but the Whitestone Dome Glass grips well, looks great, and spending $60 on two screen protectors beats the stress, panic, and multi-hundred dollar costs of replacing a broken screen on your Galaxy S9.



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The best wireless headphones for the Google Pixel 2

The Google Pixel 2 is a great phone, but you're going to need a quality pair of Bluetooth headphones thanks to the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. Fortunately, there are a plethora of options to choose from. We've tried to round out a list that offers a good variety of styles and price points, so you should be able to find the right pair for your needs.

Best you can get

Sony WH1000XM3

Staff pick

If money isn't an object and you just want the very best wireless headphones money can buy, look no further than the Sony WH1000XM3. Bad naming aside, these headphones deliver phenomenal sound quality, active noise canceling, and a battery that lasts up to 30 hours on a single charge. It also features a comfy design and charges via USB-C just like the Pixel 2.

$348 at Amazon

Google-fans only

Google Pixel Buds

You gotta include Google's Pixel Buds on this list, but at this price, only hardcore Google fans could justify the price. The Pixel Buds are stylish and ambitious, but we'd probably recommend the Pixel USB-C Digital Ear Buds, released alongside the Pixel 3, as a more refined wired version of the Pixel Buds at a fraction of the price.

$159 at B&H

Buds on a budget

Anker Soundcore Spirit Pro

Anker may be more famous for batteries than headphones, but its new Soundcore series of wireless Bluetooth headphones are fantastic. Anker spent a lot of time making sure the Soundcore Pros sound great, from deep bass to smooth highs and pleasing mids. A single charge gets about 10 hours of battery life, and they have an 18-month warranty in case anything goes wrong.

$50 at Amazon

Never settle

OnePlus Bullets Wireless

OnePlus has always made great phones for less than its competitors, but did you know the same is true of its accessories? OnePlus Bullets Wireless headphones are a fantastic-sounding, well-designed pair of wireless earbuds. Technically they're neckbuds, which mean the cord wraps comfortably around the neck taking stress (and gravity) off the headphones itself, so they're easily worn for hours at a time.

$69 at OnePlus

Hey, big spender

Bose QuietComfort 35 II

If quiet and comfort are your biggest factors when buying headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II should fit your needs perfectly! These over-ear, active noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones are the gold standard. The Bose brand is synonymous with high-quality audio products and the QC 35s are a great example of their craftsmanship.

$349 at Amazon

Tune out the world

Libratone Q Adapt

The Libratone Q Adapt are more than just another pretty pair of on-ear headphones. These beauties have 4 levels of active noise cancelling, allowing you to tune out as much or as little of the world as you want, and the touch panel on the back of the right earcup allows you to quickly and silently control your music and calls. The Q Adapt charges via USB-C, so it can use the same cable as your Pixel 2.

From $244 at Amazon

Outstanding battery life

Wicked Audio Hum 900

If you're looking for a comfortable pair of over-ear headphones with outstanding battery life, check out the Wicked Audio Hum 900. These headphones have a classic design, can play over 13 hours of music before needing a recharge, and sound pretty great for the price.

$63 at Amazon

Best value

Jabra Move Wireless

Not looking to break the bank on headphones? You'll want to consider the Jabra Move Wireless on-ear headphones. They're lightweight and durable with a headband made of stainless steel and dirt-resistant fabric on the ear cups. You get up to 8 hours of music playback and 12 days of standby time on a single charge.

$40 at Amazon

Street style

Skullcandy Ink'd Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

Looking to inject a bit of fun into your headphone life without emptying your bank account? Skullcandy's Ink'd headphones are available in several bright and playful colors like this Miami Blue. These buds sound really good, have 8 hours of battery life, and are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods thanks to their neckbud design.

From $31 at Amazon

It's a shame that Google had to go and get rid of the headphone jack, but with so many great Bluetooth headphones out there to choose from it's not so bad — especially when headphones like the Sony WH1000XM3 exist. Yeah, it's pricey, but Sony delivers a near-perfect experience that we think you'll really love.



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Saturday, March 30, 2019

Will my phone change for Daylight Saving Time automatically?

Let's do this whole time change thing again.

Twice a year the clocks change (for most of us). We "spring forward" an hour and then "fall back" the hour later in the year, and depending on where we live that happens on a different day. It's all sort of convoluted. And this inevitably leads to folks wondering what they have to do to their Android phone so things work right after the switch. If this sounds like you, we've got good news:

You don't have to do anything.

This is the best thing you'll never have to do for your phone!

Unless you went into your phone's settings and switched away from the automatic network time (in which case you already know what to do), you won't have to do a thing. Your Android will check the network for the correct date and time and switch itself on it's own overnight, changing the system time so that things like calendars and alarms will still be right. The same thing applies when other parts of the world move an hour forward or back on their schedule, or if you travel to those places, and still apply in six months when we change again. And more practically, it also lets our phones know the correct local time when we fly or drive to a different time zone.

If you're worried about your phone's ability to switch the time automatically, go double check your "date & time" settings (typically under the "system" section) and make sure your time zone is set properly and that you have "automatic date & time" and/or "automatic time zone" turned on. So long as they're turned on and you have a cellular connection, the network and phone will handle the rest while you sleep.



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Best Ethernet cable to use on PlayStation 4

We have been into gaming since the days of floppy disks. We spend hundreds of hours a week using as many consoles, games, and accessories as possible to give you the best advice for your gaming experience.

The DanYee Cat 7 Ethernet cable is the perfect Ethernet cable for your PlayStation 4. While the category doesn't make a huge difference, the braided cord means it's durable and it should last you the life of your console.

Our pick

DanYee Cat 7 Ethernet cable

Great for any job

The Braided cord and premium connectors make the DanYee Cat 7 cable a great choice for your PlayStation 4 needs. The price is right too.

Who should buy this Ethernet cable?

With so many products on your Wi-Fi network these days, you need a strong connection to your PS4 so you play multiplayer games without lag disrupting your seemingly perfect ambush. With this cable, you can get the speeds you need at a price that's right.

Is it a good time to buy this cable?

Right now Cat 7 cables are the best you can purchase, so if you are going to have an Ethernet cable, it may as well be the best.

Reasons to buy

  • Braided cord for strength
  • Premium connectors
  • Available in varied lengths

Reasons not to buy

  • Can be a little stiff

Why do I need an Ethernet cable?

I think we can all agree Wi-Fi is great, but when you are playing online games on your PlayStation 4, you need the most stable connection you possibly can. The best way to do this is by plugging your console directly into your router.

While the PS4 only needs a small amount of bandwidth to play, the more you can squeeze out of your system, the better your gaming experience will be.

I love the braided cable and its premium feel in your hand.

The DanYee Cat 7 cable gives you the best chance to get your optimum speed from your internet connection. Of course, it can't magically make your internet better than it is; if you only have a 10Mbps connection, then that's all it has to work with. With an Ethernet cable though, you can expect significantly higher speeds.

There is just a small note I want to make clear; there is no significant difference in performance between a Cat 5, Cat 6, and Cat 7 Ethernet cable. The different categories and what they do is beyond the scope of this article, but suffice it to say you can be happy with any of the categories for your PS4.

That being said I always advise people to futureproof their purchases. If you can afford to buy the very latest, then you absolutely should. Because who knows what might happen in the future.

Alternatives to the DanYee Cat 7 cable

The alternatives listed here are designed to fit other use cases that can occur on your hunt for the right Ethernet cord. Any of these Ethernet cables would be great for giving your PS4 the boost it needs.

Budget pick

AmazonBasics Cat 6 cable

Cheap and cheerful

$7 at Amazon

While all cables are pretty cheap, the AmazonBasics range is known for its low price and high reliability. Amazon also has an excellent exchange policy in case you need it.

I tried to give you all an option for cheap, reliable, cabling but the price variance is actually very small from our top pick. If you are really strapped for cash then this is a good option.

Extra length

25 ft Cat 6 Ethernet cable

Sometimes length matters

$8 at Amazon

One the biggest reasons that Wi-Fi is used on the PS4 is positioning. A lot of the time your router is too far away from your console to make use of the hard-wire. This 25 foot long cable is perfect for connecting a further-away router to your PlayStation 4.

The flat nature of this cable is extremely helpful in making it an unobtrusive part of your gaming space. The added length makes no difference to the signal strength either, so you don't need to worry about that.

Bottom line

While any of these cables would be perfect for your PlayStation 4, the DanYee Cat 7 Ethernet cable is the premium choice for us. Future proofing is important in modern technology and the braided Cat 7 cable is robust enough to last.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

James Bricknell Has been a PlayStation Player since the big grey box first appeared. He now owns all of the iterations, including the PlayStation Classic. Yes, he likes it that much.

Jennifer Locke Jennifer Locke has been playing video games nearly her entire life. If a controller's not in her hands, she's busy writing about everything PlayStation. You can find her obsessing over Star Wars and other geeky things on Twitter @JenLocke95.



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