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Now’s your chance to get All-Clad cookware at an incredible price

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— Our editors review and recommend products to help you buy the stuff you need. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA TODAY’s newsroom and any business incentives.

All-Clad is one of the brands that, when they hold a sale, people lose their minds. While we found other cookware brands that perform better, there’s no doubt that All-Clad is one of the best money can buy.

However, that reliability often comes with a hefty price tag. But during All-Clad’s Factory Seconds VIP Sales, you can find steep discounts that make it much easier to upgrade your cookware. You’ll need to use the code ACJVIP18 to access the sale and start shopping.

The discounts you’ll find in these sales, which only happen a few times a year, are always impressive. We’re particularly into this 9-inch stainless/nonstick frying pan, which is only $50 right now compared to the full price of $115. There are lots of pots and pans available for similar discounts. And if you’re in the market for prep accessories like mixing bowls and kitchen shears, All-Clad’s got you covered too.

But wait! What does “factory seconds” mean? Basically, these are the products that couldn’t be sold at full price due to minor imperfections like surface scratches and dents. If you want your new cookware to look flawless, this might not be the sale for you. But pots, pans, and the like will get these kinds of marks through normal use anyway, so if you can look past the surface, you can score some amazing deals on new high-end cookware.

Use the code ACJVIP187 to access the All-Clad Factory Seconds VIP Sale

Prices are accurate at the time of publication, but may change over time.

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Expect these Netflix rivals thanks to the AT&T-Time Warner merger

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CLOSE

Paving the way for other big mergers. Time

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AT&T’s green light to seal its $85.4 billion deal for Time Warner is expected to kick off a new wave of video-streaming services seeking to battle Netflix.

Consumers won’t have to wait long to see results from the No. 2 wireless company and owner of DirecTV adding Turner, HBO and Warner Bros. studio to its stable.

Next week, AT&T will launch Watch TV, an ad-supported video service that’s free for its unlimited wireless subscribers and $15 for other consumers. The entertainment-centric service will have Turner channels and no sports, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson says. “Those are the kind of things we are going to be bringing to market,” he said on CNBC on Friday.

AT&T needed the deal, Stephenson has said, to evolve into a modern media company that could compete with companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Facebook and Google. Other traditional media players will be making their own moves to keep pace.

A look at some of the possibilities from the major players:

•AT&T: In addition to Watch TV, AT&T likely will look for ways to expand the reach of DirecTV Now, the broadband TV service currently with 1.5 million subscribers. And it could even launch a targeted sports service, says Joel Espelien, an analyst with Plano, Texas-based research firm The Diffusion Group.

“AT&T already has premium covered with HBO,” and could supplement that with sports, content consumers won’t find at Netflix and Amazon, he said. “Turner’s going to help there.”

Earlier this year, Turner announced plans to include pay-per-view of live games in progress (at a reduced price, but no pricing announced yet), as part of its Bleacher Report Live service in the upcoming NBA season. In addition to the NBA, Turner also has rights for March Madness, some Major League Baseball regular-season and playoff games and eSports, competitive video game competitions.

Also look for expanded promotion of AT&T’s Audience network, available on DirecTV, DirecTV Now and AT&T’s U-verse broadband service. It has original series such as Condor, starring Max Irons, William Hurt and Mira Sorvino; and Mr. Mercedes, based on the Stephen King novels; and weekly concerts featuring artists such as Jason Aldean and Imagine Dragons.

•Disney: The Walt Disney Co. has set its sights on expanding its already-impressive media empire (Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel) with a $52.4 billion bid on a coveted collection of 21st Century Fox’s assets including its movie studios (Avatar, Alien, Titanic) and TV studio (The Simpsons, Empire). That may not be a sure thing, as Comcast is now in the bidding, too.

The Fox movie and TV content would bolster Disney’s portfolio for next year’s launch of its own subscription video service, with original Marvel and Star Wars TV series and exclusive streaming of Disney’s theatrical releases.

Recently, Disney premiered ESPN+, a $4.99 monthly sports streaming service ($49.99 annually), with live MLB, NHL and MLS, PGA Tour, boxing and college sports not on ESPN and ESPN 2, as well as original content such as “30 for 30.” With Fox’s 22 regional sports networks, ESPN could strengthen ESPN+ and even add new ESPN video channels.

Disney would also gain a majority stake in streaming service Hulu, which a year ago added live TV to its on-demand library. Currently, Disney, Comcast and Fox hold 30 percent stakes, with Time Warner holding 10 percent.

Hulu, which has grown to 20 million subscribers and has gained acclaim with original series such as The Handmaid’s Tale, likely would be transformed as the Disney vehicle to take on Netflix, Espelien says.

•Comcast: One of the nation’s largest pay-TV and broadband providers, Comcast also wants to add Fox’s assets to its catalog along with NBC Universal, which it fully acquired five years ago. Should it succeed with its $65 billion offer to Fox, it could eventually enter the streaming service business itself.

Currently, Comcast sells Xfinity Instant TV with 10-plus channels including local ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS and other channels – plus broadband service – for $39.99 monthly. Current Xfinity broadband customers can add it for about $18. And you can add more channels, including HBO. Comcast also has a nascent Xfinity Mobile service, more than a year old, which could be packaged with content to attract mobile millennial customers.

But these may not come to pass. “Comcast is going to look the most traditional even if they own Fox,” Espelien said.

•Fox: The Rupert Murdoch-controlled media company finds itself in a good place, with a bidding war expected to ensue for a portion of the Fox empire including FX and National Geographic. Even before it emerges more focused on news and sports, Fox already has announced plans for a Fox News streaming service called Fox Nation to launch later this year.

•CBS: Although it’s currently mired in a legal battle with controlling shareholders Shari Redstone and National Amusements, CBS has sought a merger with Viacom. CBS already has a CBS All Access streaming service, priced at $5.99 monthly (limited commercials; $9.99 monthly no commercials), with original series such as “Star Trek: Discovery” and “The Good Fight,” and free ad-supported CBS Sports HQ and CBSN news services. Viacom’s brands including Paramount Pictures (“Mission Impossible”), Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, MTV and VH1 would expand its roster for improved Net TV offerings.

•Verizon: The nation’s largest wireless provider expressed interest in Fox’s assets last year and has been relatively silent recently. But the company, which acquired AOL and Yahoo in 2015 and 2017, respectively, then last year launched a new company, Oath, has ambitions of being a major content and digital advertising player, too. Beyond its own go90 video service, now 3 years old, Verizon has made video deals with the NBA and Hearst Media; Hearst and Verizon, collectively, also own 49 percent of AwesomenessTV, which creates original mobile video for younger audiences.

Verizon could make some acquisitions to jump-start its video plans, says Jim Nail, a principal analyst at research firm Forrester. “I feel like they are potentially primed to say, ‘Screw trying to build it, let’s just go buy it.’ Verizon has got to be looking at the AT&T thing and going, ‘Hmmm, we need to follow that example,’ ” he said.

•Lionsgate: The studio, which owns premium network Starz and has 16,000 films (“La La Land,” “John Wick”) and TV series (“Nashville,” “Orange is the New Black”) in its library, has seen its stock price rise 6 percent since the AT&T decision. With Lionsgate relatively value priced at a market cap of $5.4 billion, “people are thinking they are in play,” Espelien said. “There is this gold rush for original content.”

This wave of acquisitions and mergers could slow the growing number of streaming services, currently at 300 or so, which would better serve consumers because the average home subscribes to three or four, says Kevin Westcott, vice chairman for U.S. telecom and media at consulting firm Deloitte.

“We have got an an immense amount of consumer choice but a lot of fragmentation,” Westcott said. “Consumers want to have dozens of subscriptions to get the content. The moves you are seeing now – and I expect to see more moves in terms of acquisitions and consolidation – are around reaggregating multiple sources of content and presenting that to the consumer in a unified experience.”

And watching will become more economical as many services turn to advertising to cover the cost for consumers, Nail says. “As streaming gets more mainstream, (all consumers) don’t have the income to continually shell out more and more money, so the ad-supported channels are going to be much more appealing,” he said.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

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How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

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If you know the company Square, it’s probably because you’ve paid in a store using a Square “stand,” a dock that supports a tablet, or you’ve swiped your card through Square Reader, a smartphone dongle that processes payments. These products have a soothing, decidedly Apple-y aesthetic, from the simple dongle to the all-white stand that typically houses an iPad. But since late last year, Square has been quietly selling its own custom-made tablet, the Square Register, a $999, Android-based system. And the company has taken an obsessive approach to designing the product.

It caught my eye during a recent visit to the company, where it’s set up to accept payments in an employee cafe. The most noticeable part of the device is the large, 13-inch anodized aluminum tablet that sellers use; it’s as if a MacBook and an Android tablet got together and made a cash register. It struck me that Square has put a whole lot of effort into something that’s ultimately supposed to blend into the background. If it wasn’t a modernized cash register, it would almost make you want to buy one and use it as a tablet.

OK, not really; streaming Netflix on something designed to be a point-of-sale-system is a terrible idea, worse than watching movies on a Linux-based in-flight entertainment system. And while the Square Register looks like a premium product, it’s intentionally stripped down in ways that means it wouldn’t work at all as a consumer product. Example: It needs to be connected to power at all times.

But Square’s custom-made regist-ablet is something that gives the company an alternative to other tablets, including Apple’s iPad, and is indicative of how serious Square is about controlling the whole payments experience. Over the past few years, the company has assembled a team of 150 hardware designers and engineers—including ex-Apple employees—to build what it thinks is the future of point-of-sale systems. Its goal wasn’t just to make custom hardware, but to make the software experience better, too.

Other point-of-sale system makers also offer tablet stands or make their own tablets. Clover, owned by First Data, sells both a Clover Station and Clover Mini that cost less than Square’s solution. Shopify, a giant e-commerce company based in Canada, sells a point-of-sale kit for $749, but that uses an iPad.

The Square Register is aimed at businesses that process more than $125,000 in a year. Jesse Dorogusker, the head of hardware at Square and an Apple veteran, told me that some of the company’s larger sellers were “having some challenges” with just a Square stand and another tablet, though he was careful to say those problems weren’t specific to iPad.

Some of these issues had to do with sizing; 10 inches, the native screen measurement of the iPad, suddenly became the default size for modern point-of-sale systems, which Dorogusker said is “absurdly small” for a register. And some of Square’s merchants were telling the company that the software upkeep on consumer tablets was just too much.

“One of our larger sellers said they have someone whose full-time job is to run around and go to the stores and check the iPad, make sure it’s updated, cleaning up apps, update our Square app on there,” Dorogusker told me. “All of the IT challenges we were trying to take away the past couple years, we were giving back to our larger sellers.”

Most notably, while the swivel function on the Square stand works fine enough—the person behind the counter punches in your order, then swivels the tablet around so you can tap your phone or slide your card to pay—Dorogusker said it didn’t work for all counter-top sellers, either because of the awkwardness of the interaction or because of the way some counter-tops are built. The seller and buyer in a coffee shop should be close enough to have the interaction, but not so close that you’re leaning in and smelling each other’s coffee breath, basically.

So as part of the design process for the new tablet, Dorogusker and his team, which includes Thomas Templeton, another ex-Apple engineer, spent a lot of time studying the physical space that exists between a seller and customer. One of the things that was happening at the time this new Android tablet was being developed was the transition in the US from swipe credit cards, to chip credit cards and tap-to-pay options. “The behavior of, I hand my card to a seller and they swipe it and hand it back to me? That ritual was broken,” Dorogusker said. “It’s now common that I don’t give up my card. That influences the industrial design tremendously. Also, tapping your phone? You’re not going to hand your phone over to someone else.”

At Square’s offices, Templeton showed me several early sketches of the new Square system, as well as cardboard tablet prototypes. In the year before the tablet’s launch, Square engineers visited businesses with these prototypes and a fistful of magnetized card-swipe mods, which they could attach on either side or at the base of cardboard model. Templeton called these “Legos,” because of their modularity. The engineering team put the cardboard payment systems on countertops, attached some fake Legos, and presented them to sellers, both in and outside of the US. “We said, ‘Imagine this was your register. Is this screen right? Where would you want this? If you’re accepting chip cards would you want this closer to you, or closer to your customer?’” Templeton said.

Square
Square

The result of the whole process was not a single tablet, but a two-in-one device. The Square Register is comprised of a 13-inch, anodized aluminum tablet, which is stamped and machined. It has an HD touchscreen display and, while it’s attached to a stand, it was designed to look like it’s hovering in space. The second, seven-inch tablet can either be docked in the back of the big tablet, or sit elsewhere on the counter, attached by micro-USB. This small tablet’s display is Gorilla Glass, in case it gets dropped or knocked off the counter.

The register is running on two Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processors. And in a move that is indeed very Apple-y, Square has designed its own secure enclave, a co-processor for processing encrypted payment information. About a dozen employees at Square work on the silicon team.

Square’s tablet has 16 gigabytes of flash memory but hardly any internal storage, since it isn’t meant to have anything stored on it. It doesn’t have any cameras, and its speakers are basic. It does have an Ethernet port, since merchants need stable connections to process payments. In many ways it’s not a full tablet. Sure, Square’s software runs on top of Android, but Square is the only software a user will see; there’s no Google Play store here. But at the same time, that Square software can be updated automatically. If you could boil down tablets into two categories now—tablet computers and tablets as sleek, single-purpose slabs that in the past we thought looked like the future—Square’s is somewhere in between.

The Square Register had just 50 beta testers when it launched, and is only available the US. Even now, a small percentage of Square’s overall merchant base uses the custom-designed tablet; many payments in stores are actually still processed on iPads. Dorogusker declined to say whether Square makes money off this $999 tablet without internal storage or a battery, and would only say that it’s an important part of Square’s customer acquisition strategy. Square’s most recent earnings report indicates that while revenue from its hardware business is growing, it still spends millions more than it makes on hardware.

It would be an easy cliche to say Square has made an “iPad killer”; that’s not the case. But in a tablet market where Apple still dominates, a financial services company has made a piece of hardware that’s covetable and happens to run on Android. While it was built mostly for the benefit of merchants, it’s also nice-looking for the people swiping or tapping on the other side. And if they don’t notice it at all, it was probably designed to be that way.

More Great WIRED Stories

12 Best Tablets for Every Budget in 2018: iPad, Android, Fire HD, Surface

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Tech Deals: Vizio, 23andMe, iPad Mini, Amazon Devices

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It may be a little too late to get two-day delivery on your Father’s Day gifts, but you still have until the end of today to snag some of the best prices on Amazon’s already affordable devices.

Our top pick is the Echo Show, which is now $150 (was $230).

We’ve listed all of Amazon’s discounted devices here.

If you’re planning on bonding with your dad while playing PS4, now’s your chance! You can pre-order a bunch of games from E3 on Amazon here. Don’t forget to check out our complete list of hardware and software game deals, most of which continue through June 18.

We checked in with our friends at TechBargains to find you the rest of this week’s great deals, which you’ll find below.

Snag a 50-inch Vizio Smart HDTV and $150 Gift Card for $440

For the next month, you and a couple billion other people will probably be glued to your televisions to watch the World Cup. If you’re looking for another set to put in your bedroom (not a bad idea, since many games will start at 3 am PDT), a Vizio 50-inch 4K smart HDTV is an attractive and affordable option. It doesn’t have a TV tuner, but as long as you’re not trying to attach a digital antenna, that’s not a problem. That price gets even better with an extra $150 Dell gift card.

Buy the 50-inch Vizio E50-F2 Smart TV for $440.

Five Other Great Tech Deals

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Instant Film Cameras From Fujifilm and Lomography Prove It’s Hip to Be Square

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We look at two cameras that approach the iconic quadrilateral instant photo from new angles.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10

Best for: Instagram natives

Fujifilm’s first square-frame instant camera is an analog-digital hybrid. Capture up to 50 images with the digital sensor, apply Instagram-like effects and tweaks on the dial switch, then commit only the best shots to film. It’s a bit like a miniature printer, using light to expose the Instax Square film. This hybrid approach means no more wasted shots and unlimited reprints for your friends.

$279

Lomography Lomo’Instant Square

Best for: Artsy lo-fi fanatics

Unfold this uniquely styled camera, peer through its optical viewfinder, and capture square analog gold without dwellling over the ones and zeroes. Controls include exposure compensation, a bulb flash mode for long exposures, and a multiple-­exposure option. A close-up lens makes for sharp selfies and colored flash filters let you fine-tune the mood of your shot.

$199 and up

This article appears in the June issue. Subscribe now.

Gadget Lab Podcast: Why Apple, Google, Microsoft Are Stirring the Software Pot

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Android apps on Chrome OS. iOS apps that can be turned into MacOS apps. Microsoft’s universal apps. Even an Echo UI jammed into an Amazon Fire TV box. All of these are examples of the current era of Frankensoftware: Apps or software features that were originally designed for one platform, but now are being ported over to newish, emerging platforms. On the downside, these software mutations can seem like the unusable concoctions of FOMO-driven tech executives in the early days. On the upside, Frankensoftware has the potential to make things better and easier both for consumers and software developers. Lauren and Mike discuss on this week’s Gadget Lab podcast.

Podcast

Show notes: Want to dive deeper into Frankensoftware? Check out Lauren’s story on WIRED about the topic.

Recommendations this week: Mike recommends Currently, a Chrome browser extension that shows you the time of day and weather every time you open a new tab. Lauren recommends taking a break from all the bad news for a little while and enjoying the story of a raccoon that channeled Alex Honnold and free-climbed a tall building in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier this week, while the world watched the feat online.

Send this week’s hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Michael Calore is @snackfight. Co-host Arielle Pardes (@pardesoteric) is back next week! Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys.

How to Listen

You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how:

If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Play Music app just by tapping here. You can also download an app like Pocket Casts or Radio Public, and search for Gadget Lab. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

We’re also on Soundcloud, and every episode gets posted to wired.com as soon as it’s released. If you still can’t figure it out, or there’s another platform you use that we’re not on, let us know.

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Best E3 Game Deals: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (2018)

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While you’re catching up on all the new games at the 2018 Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), you might want to take a look at these deals, too. Rivals Sony and Microsoft are each holding massive game and console sales this week, presumably in a bid to outdo each other and gain momentum. There are even a few Nintendo game deals going on. Details on each E3 week game and console deal are below, along with a few particularly good game deals we found. Be sure to read WIRED’s E3 Trends story, as well.

Pre-Order New E3 Games

Amazon has a roundup of big E3 games that you can pre-order now, with $12 discounts if you’re a prime member. The discount is hard to notice, but will show up at Checkout. Look for small blue text in your Cart under the standard price. Do keep in mind that these games haven’t been reviewed yet, and most won’t come out for months.

View Amazon’s Full E3 Pre-Order List.

A Few Prime Discounted Games

PS4 E3 Sale (Ends June 18)

To celebrate E3, Sony is having what it calls a Days of Play Sale with deals on PlayStation 4 consoles and games on a bunch of retailers. The sale ends June 18.

PS4 Hardware on Sale

Sony

PS4 Game Sale Highlights

Xbox E3 Sale (Ends June 23)

Microsoft

Not to be outdone by Sony, Microsoft is holding an even bigger and longer game and hardware sale on Xbox One consoles and games during E3 and after. It includes the first decent deal price we’ve seen on the Xbox One X (which earned our WIRED Recommends seal of approval) since it’s debut. The sale ends June 23.

Xbox One Hardware on Sale

Xbox Subscriptions on Sale

Xbox Game Sale Highlights

Nintendo E3 Sales (Ends June 21)

Nintendo

Nintendo has a digital E3 sale going on Nintendo Switch and 3DS games until June 21 at 11:59 a.m. ET. Best Buy also has a few 3DS games on sale. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is also on sale this week on Amazon and other retailers.

Be sure to check out our Best Switch Bundle Deals and Best Switch Accessories to scan for any other discounts going on this week.

Updated on June 15 with some new deals from Nintendo and some E3 deal highlights added.

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Huawei MediaPad M5 Review: 8.4-inch, 10.8-inch, and M5 Pro

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Tablets were supposed to take over the world. Back in 2012, it felt like they had the potential to absorb the best qualities of smartphones and replace PCs entirely for most people. They just never made it to the finish line.

Even today, no tablet is quite the best of both worlds. They seem stuck in limbo somewhere between necessity and luxury—not quite as versatile as a traditional notebook, but not as essential as a phone. Instead of replacing phones and laptops, they’ve acted more like a semipermeable membrane where phone ideas flow up and computer ideas flow down, creating an osmosis of tech goodness. The lessons tech makers learned from tablets have improved laptops and handhelds, but they’ve also made tablets feel redundant.

And that’s probably why sales have slumped—the latest sales figures are almost half of what they were in 2014. Most device makers have abandoned them in favor of the next device fad.

But not Huawei. Like Apple, Samsung, and Amazon, the Chinese device maker is one of few still putting some heart (effort) into its tablets. It’s releasing three versions of its new MediaPad M5 tablet—standard 8.4-inch and 10.8-inch sizes, and a special MediaPad M5 Pro with a stylus in the box. All three are competitively priced, well-rounded devices. They’re worth a look if you’re looking to add another touchscreen to your life.

A Touch of Class

Like most iPad competitors, the MediaPad M5 tablets have a thin profile, with brushed metal unibodies and a glass front that tapers nicely at the edges. They look and feel as premium as any iPad or Galaxy Tab.

On the back, a row of dots adorn the top and bottom edges. They’re actually speakers (four on the larger models, two on the 8.4-inch), and they sound about as good as you’re gonna get on a tablet, thanks to some tuning by Harman Kardon you won’t hear much distortion, even at high volumes. They’re perfect for a Netflix show or casual music listening, but you’ll still want a good Bluetooth speaker to really get the party started.

You’ll also need Bluetooth headphones if you want to listen quietly because there’s no 3.5mm audio jack on any of the models. You can make do with the included headphone jack to USB-C adapter, until you inevitably lose the adapter or forget to bring it with you somewhere.

The fingerprint sensing home button works well, though be careful if you enable fingerprint authentication. If you don’t use your tablet for three days, it will require a PIN when you unlock it and you will have only five tries to get in. I was halfway through my attempts before I realized it was about to lock me out, and I can’t say I didn’t panic a little. I have yet to find a way to change this overly-cautious feature. My advice: If you’re just using the tablet around the house, you may want to consider disabling the fingerprint login. And don’t forget that PIN!

The battery should last longer than 10 onscreen hours, or more realistically a few days if you’re a casual user. I mostly used the MediaPad M5 to play a few games, check my email, read the news, and binge-watch The Staircase on Netflix (Did you hear about The Owl Theory yet?). Don’t try and watch those murder mysteries in the shower, though—none of Huawei’s tabs are waterproof.

Second-Best Tablet OS

All three MediaPad M5 tablets are about as powerful as a flagship phone from two years ago, which is what you should expect for a $300+ tablet. Each has a 2,560 x 1,600 pixel LCD screen, a Huawei Kirin 960 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB of file storage (with a MicroSD slot for extra memory). Strangely, they also have LTE connectivity built into them, but it’s disabled in the United States.

The whole machine runs fluidly on Google’s new Android 8.0 Oreo operating system, though Huawei has made it look more like iOS, rounding otherwise sharp edges and ditching the app drawer completely. I haven’t had any major issues with Huawei’s skin, except that it’s already a few months behind Google’s latest security patches.

Most Android apps operate a lot better on tablets than they used to, but compared to iOS on an iPad there still aren’t anywhere near as many apps and games that take advantage of the larger display. That’s the case for all large-screened Android devices, unfortunately so it’s not something I can hold against Huawei.

Both the MediaPad M5 and M5 Pro have a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture (no flash) and an 8-megapixel selfie cam. I’ve done some limited testing and both cameras perform very adequately, though neither is particularly impressive for any strenuous photo conditions. The front selfie camera should also work well for video chatting. If you’re a tablet shutterbug (bless your heart), opt for an iPad—Apple’s cameras best the MediaPad in just about every scenario imaginable.

Which M5 is Best for Me?

If you’re buying a tablet for the coffee table or to watch Netflix on around the house and check some email, the 11-inch MediaPad M5 is your best bet. The screen size is great for video and it’s built to be used in landscape orientation, like a widescreen TV. If you try to use it vertically, in portrait orientation, the power and volume buttons are on the bottom, awkwardly right below the fingerprint sensor. The speakers also sit right where my hands wanted to cradle it, so I blocked the speakers unintentionally. Unlike an iPad, it has an extra long smartphone-like screen, which also makes it awkward vertically.

The only differences between the standard $360 MediaPad M5 (10.8-Inch) and the $450 MediaPad M5 Pro are a slightly faster version of the same processor, and the included M-Pen stylus that comes with the Pro. T

he M-Pen was comfortable to hold, but wasn’t able to keep up with my handwriting as well as a Microsoft Surface or iPad Pro. It should serve most artists and notetakers well enough, and I liked the touch calculator Huawei included.

Huawei

The M-Pen has a clip up top so it can snap to a few sheets of paper or a case/cover you attach. It doesn’t snap to the Pro itself in any way, which makes it easy to misplace or forget. Both versions have a special wireless keyboard hookup, but I found the keyboard accessory to be too small to be of any real use.

The smaller $320 MediaPad M5 (8.4-Inch) is built to take on the go. If you want a slightly larger screen for travel, gaming, email checking, or light reading, this tablet is best for that.

Tough Crowd

It’s a shame that the MediaPad M5s have strange volume and power button placement, LTE functionality that’s disabled, no waterproofing, and no 3.5mm audio jack, but those are the only real criticisms I can throw at them. They’re a huge upgrade from Amazon’s best tablets, that’s for sure.

But, the iPad casts a long shadow across the rest of the tablet market. If you don’t have an Apple aversion, I’d still recommend the standard iPad as my top tablet pick. iOS has certain advantages on slate-type devices that Android just hasn’t bothered to include, even in its latest updates. You get all the perks of Apple’s superior software and tablet app selection for only a little more than the competing Huawei option.

That said, these are three fantastic Android tablets that are priced perfectly. Unless you’re an artist or really want a stylus, the standard 8-inch and 11-inch MediaPad M5 tablets are a better deal. If you want a little more fire than a Fire Tablet can provide or need to escape Apple’s walled garden, the Huawei MediaPad M5 series is about as good as Android tablets get.

Snap Kit Will Let Other Apps Use Snapchat’s Features, But Not Your Data

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Snap’s recent app redesign may have slowed its growth, but that hasn’t stopped the company from trying to entice people to use Snapchat in new ways. Its latest move is designed to keep you using Snapchat even when you’re not in the Snapchat app.

Snap just announced a platform for third-party app developers, called Snap Kit, that lets other apps used Snapchat features, including stickers and Bitmoji. It also turns Snap into an authentication tool app makers can embed in their own apps to let people easily log in—similar to the way many apps let you use your Facebook username and password to gain entry.

This newfound access for third-party developers comes at a time when data privacy is top of mind for some consumers as well as legislators, and Snap is going to great lengths in its outreach around Snap Kit to assure people the platform is airtight. News about Snap Kit was leaked last month; today’s release makes it official.

Snap

Snap has four new software kits for third-party app makers to use: Creative Kit, Login Kit, Bitmoji Kit, and Story Kit. Most of these control features that will live on third-party apps, though some, like Creative Kit, will ultimately bring users back into the Snapchat app (i.e., bringing filters and stickers into Snap’s camera screen). Bitmoji Kit means those stickers can live in other apps—think Bitmoji in Tinder, which is one of Snap’s launch partners—and Story Kit will turn Stories into embeddable pieces of content that can live on other websites. Snap declined to say whether it was using OAuth, a well-known open standard for authentication, as part of its Login Kit, but it sounds like the workflow for using it across other apps will be similar.

In addition to Tinder, apps like Giphy, Pandora, Patreon, Postmates, and SoundHound are included in Snap Kit’s initial launch. For now, Snap says, people from its trust and safety and customer operations teams will be approving all third-party app access, and indicated it could stay that way until the company figures out how to automate the approval process. The company says that if those teams have any concerns about an app’s “security or intentions,” it won’t get approved. 1

Fair Share

Naturally, opening up Snap’s platform to third-party app developers raises questions about exactly how much user data those outside app makers are going to be able to access. Snap says that only display names and Bitmoji avatars are shared when people use Snapchat as a login method, and that additional “user-identifiable information, such as demographic information or friends list,” are not shared with devs.

Snap

“Under no circumstance do we allow anyone to ask for your friends list or contacts directly,” says Katherine Tassi, Snap’s deputy general counsel. “[Mobile] platforms do give developers the ability to ask for contacts, but that will be on their own.” Tassi added that third-party developers also won’t be able to see people’s messaging activity—though there is anonymized, aggregated usage data shared between Snap and the developer.

In a proactive move against old third-party apps keeping their hooks in your Snapchat account even after you’ve stopped using them, Snap will disconnect third-party apps by default if you haven’t used them in 90 days. Also, Snap says it will not use any data for ad targeting purposes.

Jacob Andreou, Snap’s vice president of product, says Snap’s app platform has been in progress in some form or another for a few years. That means Snap has had plenty of time to react to the serious privacy concerns that have recently popped up around social networks and data-sharing. However, Snap insists it’s always had privacy in mind, and shot down the notion that its newest bullet points around privacy and security are any kind of adjustment on the heels of the Facebook’s recent fumbles.

Snapchat users will be able to log in to other apps using their Snap username and password in a way that’s familiar and straightforward.

Snap

“We definitely followed the Cambridge Analytica scandal really closely and carefully, as we do all such events in this space as they impact us,” says Tassi. “But our approach to privacy and our principles are firmly embedded in the way we design products, and the way we’ve been developing this toolkit has had that approach all along.” (Snap CEO Evan Spiegel could certainly be described as more reactionary last month, when he jabbed at Facebook directly during an onstage interview at Code Conference last month.)

Tassi and Andreou also said that any precautionary elements of its new software development kit are unrelated to an embarrassing privacy snafu that happened in late 2013, when an anonymous group of hackers were able to reverse-engineer Snapchat’s Android app and retrieve 4.6 million usernames and phone numbers from Snapchat’s servers. The following year, the company had to settle with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that its “disappearing messages” claim wasn’t accurate. In other words, Snap has previously assured users that their data was being kept secure, when in some ways, it really wasn’t.

“For people like me who follow privacy developments, it’s going to be pretty hard to rebuild our trust, technically or through commitments they may make” around its new developer platform, says Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist and director of the Internet Architecture Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “But for most users, I’m not sure they associate Snap with the checkered privacy and security past it has.”

It may just depend on how much people want to use their Bitmoji in other apps, or publicly share their Snapchat Stories to other apps; or how easy Snap makes it to use Snapchat as an authentication tool. As history has shown, consumers sure do offer up a lot of data in exchange for convenience and a little bit of digital fun.

1Update, June 14: An earlier version of this article indicated that access for third-party app makers would be invite-only. The article has been updated to reflect that Snap Kit is open to all developers, though there will be an approval process in place.

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Vivobarefoot Primus Trail Swimrun Review: Wear Anywhere

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Finding the perfect summer travel shoe can be an overwhelming task. No one wants to tote around a suitcase full of sneakers and sandals, but it’s hard to have fun on vacation with blisters or a limp. Can you hike all day and walk into a nice restaurant for lunch? What if your travel plans include a morning run? Will French people stare at me if I’m wearing these?

Is there a shoe out there that is at once durable, sporty, good for water, and good-looking? Or should I just give up and put my Chacos back on?

With one minor caveat, I can announce that my search is over. For the past few weeks, I’ve been running, hiking, wading through rivers, and meeting friends for lunch in Vivobarefoot’s Primus Trail Swimruns.

The Swimruns were originally designed for a Swedish race series called the Ötillö Swimrun, which can be described as an off-road triathlon sans the pesky biking portion. These versatile kicks are light, athletic sneakers that are designed to fit like a sock, with a breathable and draining mesh upper for when you go into the water and a durable, sticky, bright orange sole.

You don’t need to be a dedicated barefooter to enjoy these shoes, but if you plan on running in them, you probably should be. I’ve been running for ten years in successive pairs of Merrell Trail Gloves, and even I needed a little time to adjust to the Swimruns. But once you have, you probably won’t want to take them off.

Fun Run

I’m not a doctor, so I can’t exactly recommend barefoot running as a method of injury prevention. But anecdotally speaking, I took up barefoot running ten years ago as a way to strengthen my legs and feet while recovering from an ACL repair. I’m a lot slower now, and I don’t think I’d wear barefoot shoes if I still wanted to race. But I haven’t hurt myself since.

I’m not the only one at WIRED who loves barefoot running, and Vivobarefoot. Galahad Clark, the seventh generation of shoemakers from comfy shoe manufacturer Clarks Shoes, founded the company in 2004 as Terra Plana. They became Vivobarefoot in 2012, and they use innovative designs and materials to activate all the bitty nerve endings in your feet by letting them feel the ground. This can help you fire up ancillary leg and ankle muscles that may be dormant in a more supportive shoe.

The Swimruns slip on like a pair of wetsuit booties, or a pair of socks. I normally wear a size 8 in running shoes, but I had to size down to my casual shoe size in a 7.5. I have an extremely low-volume foot, but it was easy to cinch down the quick laces to accommodate them. The shoes also come with a removable thermal insert for extra padding and warmth if you need it.

I’ve been wearing them without socks for a few weeks, while running and hiking in and out of water. So far they haven’t started to smell, but I do take them off and dry them in the sun every afternoon.

If you’ve never done any barefoot running, it feels less like running and more like padding around a forest like a kitten. it will take you awhile for your feet to acclimate. Even if you’re familiar with it, I suggest taking it easy at first. The Trail Gloves are one of the most stripped-down running shoes around, but even they offer a little more support. It took a week or two of extremely short, slow runs on asphalt, gravel, groomed trails, and un-groomed singletrack for the tendons in my heels to acclimate to the Swimruns.

I didn’t wear the shoes while swimming, but I do take my dogs out on and around the rivers of Portland, Oregon, a couple times a week. Sports sandals, like Chacos, are the water shoe of choice around these parts, but I have mixed feelings about them. Dirt and pebbles can wiggle their way under the soles of my feet, and I have to shake them out. Not to mention my tendency to walk into sharp sticks, or stub my unprotected toes on rocks.

The Swimruns, however, were a great alternative. On one outing, my toddler daughter and I walked out on a narrow wooden barricade that jutted into the Willamette River, only realizing, too late, that we had to negotiate several thickets of overgrown thorns. Rather than sign up for another prickle-and-scratch session, I opted to hop off the barricade and directly into murky, knee-deep water.

The Swimruns have protective, puncture-resistant rubber zones, so I didn’t worry about bumping into, or stepping onto, anything sharp or splintery while wading back to shore with a squirmy three-year-old under my arm. The rubber is dotted with draining mesh holes, so when I got back on the beach, a few steps pumped all the water out of my shoes. Within a minute or two, my feet were dry.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve taken them through water, sand, dirt trails, and deep mud. After rinsing them off, they still look as good as new.

Wee Heavy

Though I loved these shoes, I have one minor gripe: they’re not quite as light as the Merrell Trail Gloves. At 500 grams, or slightly over a pound for both shoes, they are just a few ounces heavier. If you’re sensitive to that sort of thing, it’s worth noting.

At least the extra weight doesn’t keep them from compressing easily. For example, they fit in the top compartment of my small Matador daypack.

My family is planning a few trips this summer, in deserts and on beaches, traveling by car and by air, and I’m already planning on taking the Swimruns with me. The quick laces mean that you can easily slide them on and off. You can wear them with or without socks, for sprinting through airports or going on hikes. You can use them as water shoes to protect your feet while swimming or paddling.

And unlike some of Vivobarefoot’s more wacky designs, these look like street shoes. I like the sporty black mesh and bright orange soles (the women’s version also comes in a more toned-down blue). At $135, they’re a little pricey but certainly not out of reach for many people, especially if you’re only planning on wearing one pair of shoes.

If you’re looking for a sporty travel sneaker that can double as a casual shoe, congratulations! The Vivobarefoot Primus Trail Swimruns tick all the boxes. Plus, the locals won’t judge you for your choice of footwear, so you can use all that empty backpack space to tote more snacks, instead.

Best Amazon Device Deals: Sale on Echos, Kindles, Fires (June 2018)

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Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers are rarely expensive (unless you opt for the luxe Kindle Oasis). They’re built to be affordable, and this week they’re on sale for Father’s Day. We’ve compiled every decent deal on Amazon-branded devices going on right now, which also include Cloud Cams and Fire TVs. Some are more than 30 percent off, others less than 20 percent, but nearly every Amazon device is on sale in some way until June 16.

You’ll need Amazon Prime to get most of these deals. It costs $10 per month with an annual subscription and has a free trial. Most of you probably already have it, though.

Echo & Alexa Speakers

Amazon

Read our WIRED Best Echo & Alexa Speakers guide for recommendations on which Amazon Echos to buy. Our Best Smart Speakers guide has some Google speaker recommendations, as well.

Echo Deals

Fire HD Tablets

Amazon

We’re fans of some of Amazon’s Fire Tablets. The Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 are our two favorites, along with the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition (if you’re buying for a little one). All three are listed in our Which is the Best Fire Tablet? guide.

For most folks, the Fire HD 7 isn’t the best to buy because of its lower quality screen, processing power, battery life, and camera. But it is also on sale this week and is dirt cheap, perfect for a kid. Amazon also has a free 30-day trial to its FreeTime Unlimited featuring kid-friendly games, books, and TV service.

Fire Tablet Deals

Kindles

Amazon

The Kindle Paperwhite is our favorite ebook reader. It’s $100 and gives you a light and incredible month-long battery life. But it’s not the only decent e-reader Amazon makes. You can read about every Kindle in Our Favorite Kindles.

If you do buy a Kindle from Amazon, check out Kindle Unlimited. It’s $10 a month, but you can read unlimited books (and listen to Audible books) for that price. If you’re an avid reader, the math is in your favor.

Kindle Deals

Cloud Cams

Amazon

The Amazon Cloud Cam allows you to monitor your home and do other things like allow Amazon delivery folks to enter your home. You can access video for the last 24 hours and it has features like night vision and two-way audio. To get more, Amazon has a subscription with features like person detection.

Cloud Cam Deals

Fire TVs

Amazon

Amazon’s latest Fire TV supports hands-free Alexa and some advanced features like 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. The other Fire TVs are now just compact dongles for your TV, and easily tuck away without much hassle. The Fire TV 4K is one of our picks for the Best TV Streaming Devices.

Fire TV Deals

When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read more about how this works.

Amazon extends discounts for Whole Foods to these 10 more states

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Amazon is serving up a new discount plan for Prime members at Whole Foods Markets.

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Amazon is bringing its new Prime Whole Foods Market discount to 10 more states starting Wednesday.

With the expansion, Amazon Prime members can save an extra 10% on many sale items and get exclusive offers on popular products at stores in 23 states, including California, Texas, Arizona and Georgia.

“We’re excited that Prime savings will be available at nearly half of our Whole Foods Market stores this week, giving more Prime members access to great deals just in time for summer,” said Whole Foods president and CEO A.C. Gallo in a statement.

The members-only discount launched May 16 in Florida and has expanded quickly. The program will be extended nationwide this summer and is already available at Whole Foods Market 365 stores nationwide.

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Introducing new savings available exclusively to @amazon Prime members at Whole Foods Market, launching in Florida stores today and across stores nationwide starting this summer. Download the app and learn more: https://t.co/pX95KqCezI#PrimexWholeFoodspic.twitter.com/HDKs1bnlsg

— Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) May 16, 2018

“Based on the positive customer feedback and successes we’ve seen over the past month, we’re accelerating our timeline to expand these savings to all of our U.S. stores,” Gallo said.

This week, Amazon also expanded its free two-hour Whole Foods grocery delivery to Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and Richmond. The service available for Prime members on orders over $35 is now available in 14 cities through Prime Now.

The program is currently available in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco and will continue expanding throughout 2018.

Whole Foods discount

Prime member deals are advertised with signs throughout Whole Foods stores and also are listed in the Whole Foods app.

To access them, Prime members must download the Whole Foods Market mobile app and sign in with their Amazon account, which will create a QR code that the Whole Foods cashier scans at the register.

Members can also link their cell phone number to their Prime account and provide a number at the Whole Foods checkout.

Learn more at www.amazon.com/primesavings and ww.wholefoodsmarket.com/amazon.

Amazon Go: see inside Amazon’s new store without a checkout line

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The Amazon Go app being scanned in at the turnstile

The Amazon Go app scanned at the turnstile entrance to the Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle. The app connects the shopper to Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. As they choose foods and place them in their bag or just hold them, the items are automatically charged to their account. When they leave, they don’t have to go through a checkout line, they just walk out.  Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY
The Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon's headquarters

The Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle. It features Just Walk Out technology, which allows shoppers who have the Amazon Go app to walk in, grab what they want, and walk out – all without going through a checkout line. The costs are automatically charged to their account.  Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY
A woman buying ice cream at the Amazon Go convenience

A woman buying ice cream at the Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle.If a customer picks something up but then put it back, the store knows it and removes the item from their virtual shopping basket.  Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY
A salad for sale at Amazon’s Amazon Go convenience

A salad for sale at Amazon’s Amazon Go convenience store at the company’s headquarters in Seattle. Store-made sandwiches, salads and other items come in plastic containers tagged with a dot-based readable system similar to a bar code. This is one way the store’s multiple cameras are able to know what items the customer has selected.  Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY
The Amazon Go app. Used at the Amazon Go convenience

The Amazon Go app. Used at the Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, it links to Amazon’s proprietary Just Walk Out technology. Amazon is expected to keep details of this technology closely held as it tests its first store with the public.  Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY
Cameras in the ceiling at the Amazon Go convenience

Cameras in the ceiling at the Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle. The cameras, along with sensors in the shelves and heavy computing technology, allow Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology to track what items a shopper has taken.  Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY
The Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon's headquarters

The Amazon Go convenience store at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle. Amazon staffers who have used it for the last year like to see how fast they can buy something from the store — in some cases, in just a minute.   Elizabeth Weise/USA TODAY

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New states

Prime members can take advantage of Whole Foods’ savings starting Wednesday in these additional states:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • Oregon
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Washington
  • The program is now available in all of California and Nevada. Previously, it was only available in the northern parts of both states.

Already available

The program was already available at Whole Foods Market 365 stores nationwide and Whole Food Market stores in the following states:

  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Idaho
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri (Kansas City only)
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Utah

More: Amazon cooks up new Prime perk: 5% back on Whole Foods purchases

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It’s the same free two-hour delivery window. Time

USA TODAY reporter Elizabeth Weise contributed to this report.

Kelly Tyko is a consumer columnist and retail reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Follow her on Twitter @KellyTyko.

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Three changes coming to Microsoft Office: simplified `ribbon', new icons, better search

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If you’re one of the billion-plus people who employ Microsoft’s bread and butter Office software each month, you may start noticing some changes. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced new updates for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, but the company is proceeding rather cautiously and rolling out these out gradually over the next few months.

The changes, from a collapsed “ribbon” to newly drawn icons, may help modernize a venerable but aging franchise.

In recent years Office has mostly been transformed from a set of desktop applications to a cloud-connected app and services. And that means Microsoft no longer piles on a bunch of new features at once into software that you bought and were meant to live with every two to three years, until the next new version came along.

“We were like bakers in a kitchen putting all the wonderful touches on our creations and then we did the big reveal,” says Microsoft corporate vice president Jared Spataro.

So call these next changes coming to Office more of a modes reveal. The refresh is based on the so-called “Fluent Design” system that Microsoft announced last year for Windows 10:

Simplified ribbon

The three-line ribbon toolbar at the top of your screen is being whittled down to a space-saving single line. The idea is that you can better focus on your own content in a Word document, for example. If you’re not keen on this new view though, Microsoft still gives you the option to expand the ribbon back into its present form.

You can also now customize the ribbon. According to Microsoft, 95% of us use the same 10-ish commands in the ribbon. But the remaining 5% of commands differ from user to user. You will now be able to pin the commands most meaningful to you to the ribbon.

The online version of Word is the first app to get this simplified ribbon. It comes to Outlook for Windows next month. But those of you who toil in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on Windows have to wait for until Microsoft solicits more feedback from a broader set of users.

Fresh icons

Users of the web version of Word at Office.com will also be the first to experience new colors and higher contrast icons that may be easier to make out for people with poor vision.

A Microsoft designer with low vision found that when the contrast is lower, and icons are of the same color, they may blur, making them harder to disseminate.

These newly designed icons will appear for select “Insiders” in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Windows later this month. In July, they will show up in Outlook for Windows, and in August start rolling out to Outlook on the Mac.

Improved search

The moment you place your cursor in a search box, and before you type anything, you’ll see recommendations generated by artificial intelligence and based on past searches or what you’re working on.

Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow USA TODAY Personal Tech Columnist @edbaig on Twitter

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The 8 best ice cream treats from your childhood, ranked

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Remember the blissful summers of childhood? No school, running through sprinklers, and begging your parents for a dollar or two before chasing the ice cream truck around the neighborhood. There’s nothing like a sticky commute in mid-July rush-hour traffic to make want to trade it all for that carefree life.

Luckily, nostalgia sometimes comes on a stick. We rounded up all of the classic ice cream treats from our childhood and ranked them from most craveable to most disappointing to our matured adult tastebuds.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Jeremy Stamas
Patty and Cindy haven’t forgotten the sweet allure of a cone on a hot day.

Our panel of tasters are some of Reviewed’s ever-opinionated staff:

• Cindy Bailen, Staff Writer

• Patty Camerota, Assistant Social Media Producer

• Jonathan Chan, Staff Writer

• Michael Desjardin, Senior Staff Writer

• Samantha Gordon, E-Commerce Editor

• Jackson Ruckar, Photo/Video Producer

• Jeremy Stamas, Video Production Manager

• Andrew Winson, Data Entry Manager

1. North Star Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice cream sandwich

Credit: Walmart

“One bite and I remembered why I love these. That sticky chocolate cookie and the generic vanilla are legit creamy and sweet in the right way.” -Samantha

“This is what memories are made of.” -Patty

“There’s something really special about the way this looks—the paper wrapping, the straight lines, the stark contrast of the dark cake and bright ice cream filling. I also like that it’s soft, so it’s easy to eat, and the whole thing mixes together in your mouth to create a perfect combination of flavors. Side note: remember the kids who would lick the ice cream around the sides first and then eat the rest of the sandwich? I hated those kids.” -Jeremy

“Hard to be impartial, because it tastes like childhood.” -Andrew

“Each bite was reminiscent of childhood and summertime.” -Cindy

Tragically, you can’t buy North Star ice cream online. In-store only.

2. Dove Bar (Dark Chocolate)

Dove Bar

Credit: Amazon

“Can’t go wrong here. The dark chocolate is so melty and delicious and the ice cream is basically gelato.” -Samantha

“This had the best chocolate of the bunch, with its dark, strong flavors. The chocolate was thick, though, so it was hard to eat without making a mess, and the ice cream wasn’t anything special.” -Jeremy

“Almost exactly like a Klondike bar, except smaller, cleaner to eat, and more expensive.” -Andrew

“Luxury in an ice cream bar.” -Cindy

“Love the dark chocolate shell on this one—it’s so much richer than the garden-variety chocolate often found in ice cream bars.” -Michael

You’ll have to trek to the store for these!

3. Drumstick (Vanilla Fudge)

Drumstick

Credit: Walmart

“This is the one treat in our roundup that lived up to my childhood memories. The alternating combinations of wafer, ice cream, chocolate, and nuts kept me eating.” -Jon

“Every layer offers something delicious, and well, the surprise nugget of chocolate on the bottom? What a score.” -Patty

“The cone beats the ice cream and coating hands down.” -Cindy

“Ah, the classic Drumstick. I love how chewy the cone is, and there’s really no beating that fudge nugget at the bottom. Yeah, I said “fudge nugget.” What are you gonna do about it?” -Michael

Get it from Amazon Fresh for $6.49

4. Magnum Ice Cream Bar (Double Chocolate)

Magnum Bar

Credit: Amazon

“This one was, honestly, too indulgent. The chocolate coating-to-ice cream ratio was skewed toward the chocolate. If you have a chocolate craving, this will more than satisfy it though.” -Samantha

“I prefer chocolate ice cream, but this had way too much chocolate going on.” -Jeremy

“Very rich-tasting, but a bit of a chocolate overdose for me. I would have preferred it with vanilla ice cream.” -Cindy

Get it on Amazon Fresh for $4.49

5. Klondike Bar (Original)

Klondike

Credit: Amazon

“In face of so much competition, the original Klondike back seems like a bland throwback. However, I can’t deny that there’s something satisfying about unfolding that foil paper.” -Jon

“This has a similar nostalgia factor to the ice cream sandwich, but the chocolate just isn’t that good. It had a too-sweet after taste and didn’t pair all that well with the ice cream.” -Jeremy

“Boooo. These are boring, flavorless, and messy. What would I do for a Klondike bar? Nada.” -Patty

“Just the right amount of chocolate shell. The only downside here is these things get messy fairly quickly.” -Michael

Get it from Amazon Fresh for $4.49

6. Choco Taco

Choco Taco

Credit: Amazon

“If you haven’t had one since you were a kid, don’t. It’ll ruin the illusion that this was ever good.” -Samantha

“Disappointing. This was just underwhelming in its size and level indulgence. Equal parts chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and wafer, the lack of anything standing out cause this treat to turn to bland mush.” -Jon

“Pretty meh overall, soggy and mediocre cone. I was disappointed in this as I remember it as a childhood classic.” -Jackson

“This was nowhere near as good as I remember it being. I’m truly saddened by this development.” -Michael

Get it from Amazon Fresh for $4.99

7. M&Ms Ice Cream Cookies

M&M cookie sandwich

Credit: Amazon

“These were rough. Really rough. The cookies tasted like cardboard and the ice cream was weak in flavor.” -Michael

“It wasn’t that bad, but if I wanted an ice cream sandwich, I’d much rather use good ice cream and cookies that I actually liked and make my own.” -Samantha

“The ice cream is mediocre, the cookie is mediocre, and both of them together isn’t enjoyable to eat. I thought this would be my favorite, but it ended up being at the bottom.” -Jeremy

“Unimpressed. Nothing special about the ice cream. The cookie was kind of dry, and hard, on top of which biting into the cold mini-M&Ms was an unpleasant squeaking sensation like biting into cold pieces of wax.” -Andrew

Oh, man. Available in-store only.

8. Good Humor Oreo Bars

Oreo bar

Credit: Amazon

“I always expect the cookie crumbles on these things to be crunchy, but they’re always mushy and soft. I wouldn’t choose this for dessert even if it was the only choice.” -Samantha

“The brand Oreo makes me think about a crunchy cookie with cream in the middle, but this popsicle turned mushy only after a few minutes at room temperature. The lack any jaxapositioning textures made me just shrug my shoulders.” -Jon

“The Oreo flavor did come through nicely, and I appreciate the cookie crumble texture on the outside (reminds me of my favorite part of an ice cream cake). But unfortunately this pop isn’t very craveable.” -Patty

“I didn’t taste the Oreo at all… It was more like ice cream with the dust that’s left over when you finish a sleeve of Oreos.” -Jackson

Get it on Amazon Fresh for $3.66

These are the 5 best deals on Amazon right now

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— Our editors review and recommend products to help you buy the stuff you need. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA Today’s newsroom and any business incentives.

Happy Hump Day! Father’s Day is slowly approaching, which means you should start looking for a gift, if you haven’t gotten one yet. Amazon has a ton of deals and price drops every day on some our favorite products, which is perfect for those of us who don’t want to break the bank, but still want to get something special for Dad. Whether he’s a tech guy or a novice chef, there’s something that he will love—or for you to treat yourself with.

1. A tool kit to tackle summer projects

If you have a handyman in your life, you might want to take advantage of this deal for a Bosch Tool Kit for a Father’s Day gift. This kit comes with a 12-volt driver, a 12-volt impact driver, and two batteries, so its perfect for whatever upcoming summer projects your family is planning. Right now, it’s down 40% on Amazon.

Get the Bosch 12-Volt 2-Tool Combo Kit for $99 and save $66.15

2. Amazon Echos for every little question

If your dad is constantly asking you seemingly silly questions about, well, everything, you might want to get him an Amazon Echo for Father’s Day so he can ask Alexa instead. Right now, Amazon is running a sale on three Echo devices: the Dot (perfect for small spaces), the Echo (perfect for the living room), and the Show (perfect for the kitchen). My dad loves using his Echo to listen to music, ask about the weather, and set a timer when he’s cooking. Plus, if yours is more of a tech guy, he can link up other smart home devices to it.

3. A car charger for upcoming road trips

While on a road trip, we use our phones for music, navigation, and giving updates to family members (when you’re not behind the wheel, of course). All these things can drain your battery pretty quickly, so you don’t want to be on the road for a while without a good car USB charger. Trust me. This one from Anker has two ports and fast charging capabilities, so you can offer juice to multiple devices. Right now, it’s at its lowest price in the color white.

Get the Anker 24W Dual USB Car Charger for $7.58 and save $4.41

4. The best way to sous vide your food

The Dad’s who think they’re becoming an expert chef need to be introduced to sous vide this Father’s Day. This fancy way of cooking involves slowly heating food in a temperature-controlled water bath for the perfect texture and doneness. In order to do so, you’re going to need an immersion circulator. The Anova Bluetooth Precision Cooker is the best one we’ve ever tested and right now, it’s at its lowest price of the year on Amazon.

Get the Anova Bluetooth Precision Cooker for $98.41 and save $50.59

5. Popular DNA testing kits

DNA kits are all the rage right now. Everyone wants to know where their ancestors really came from or if they have any long-lost relatives lurking around. Right now the popular 23andMe DNA kit is 20% off. And if you want to take your DNA a step further to learn more about your heritage and your genetics, the Health and DNA kit is also 30% off right now. Plus, they make great gifts for Father’s Day (hint, hint).

Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.

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Did the Owl Do It? Unpacking the Weirdest Fan Theory About Netflix’s ‘The Staircase’

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As true-crime obsessives already know, last Friday Netflix dropped The Staircase, a docu-series chronicling the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson and the subsequent murder trial of her husband, Michael. While the project followed a long and circuitous route to the streaming giant—it originally premiered in the US on the Sundance Channel in 2005, then received a two-hour follow-up in 2013, all before Netflix packaged it together and added some new footage—it immediately became a word-of-mouth sensation.

If you’ve binge-watched all 628 minutes, you might be tempted to think that the big question is: Did Michael Peterson kill his wife, or did Kathleen Peterson fall down the stairs? But whenever there’s fervent interest in a murder case, there are often alternative theories—and one very popular hypothesis that you didn’t see in Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s series posits that there was a third party involved in Kathleen’s death: an owl.

Preposterous? It depends on who you ask.

The Raptor Motion

“The first time I heard about the Owl Theory I said to myself, ‘That’s totally stupid!'” says de Lestrade, who has spent the past 16 years following Michael Peterson’s life both in and outside of prison. “But later, Larry Pollard explained to me in a very effective way what he thought could have happened.”

“Larry,” also known as T. Lawrence Pollard, is a lawyer and former Peterson neighbor, and the primary architect of the Owl Theory. In 2009, Pollard filed a motion requesting that Peterson’s conviction be set aside and all charges dismissed or that he be granted a new trial based on the discovery of “new and compelling evidence” that the real culprit in Mrs. Peterson’s death was a raptor, or bird of prey. Included in his 40-point motion, Pollard stated:

  1. The “Owl Theory” was advanced to the Defendant’s lawyers and the Prosecution at the conclusion of the trial, namely, that Mrs. Petersonmay have been the victim of an attack by a wild bird outside herhouse, an attack which caused puncture wounds to her elbows, injurieson her face and around her eyes, and lacerations to her scalp. Thetheory was dismissed at the time on the basis that owls do not attackhuman beings and that the theory lacked credibility.

Among the physical evidence Pollard believed backed his claim was “the presence of blood droplets on the brick walkway and the slate landing outside the home” as well as “the existence of feathers attached to Mrs. Peterson’s hair and found by the medical examiner clutched in her left hand with fresh blood.”

In a Netflix bonus feature (see below), Peterson’s attorney David Rudolf makes clear that he believed there was enough evidence to warrant further investigation into whether an owl could’ve done it. “The only real difference, if you will, between our theory at trial and the Owl Theory is the initial infliction of the wounds,” he says.

Testing the Theory

According to Rudolf, the first time he was presented with the theory “was a day or two before the closing, [so] I couldn’t do anything with it.” Had the case been retried, Rudolf says he absolutely would have delved further into its plausibility.

“I consulted with Dr. Carla Dove, the chief ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution in DC, who agreed to do DNA testing on the feathers,” Rudolf says. Larry Pollard also consulted others, including a neurosurgeon, a professor of veterinary medicine, and Kate P. Davis, executive director of Raptors of the Rockies. (“All three agreed that the wounds on Kathleen’s scalp were consistent with an owl attack,” Rudolf says. All three also provided Pollard with affidavits.)

In Davis’ mind, there’s no question that a raptor was involved. Within just a few minutes of getting a call from Sophie Brunet, editor of The Staircase—who became romantically involved with Peterson during the course of production—Davis conducted a simple experiment. She grabbed a metal salad bowl from her kitchen, covered it with and eighth of an inch of clay, went out to where her own barred owl, Graham, lived, then “picked her up over my head and dropped her on that salad bowl.” She took pictures of the resulting talon marks and sent them to Sophie, who confirmed that they matched Kathleen’s injuries.

When Davis, who has had plenty of personal experience with talon marks on her own body, saw the photos of Kathleen’s injuries, she agreed that they were a match. “I bet my bottom dollar that Kathleen, after the partying and all that, went outside to move some Christmas decorations, the owl hit her in the back of the head, she pulled it off with her hands—[which is how she] got the feathers and poke holes in the side of her face—and dropped it, and that’s why there’s blood outside,” Davis says.

But Davis also maintains that the owl wasn’t the direct cause of death. “She was compromised to begin with, she’s walking up these steep stairs, she’s feeling woozy,” she says of Kathleen Peterson. “She walked up to that 15th stair and she fell backwards.”

Yet Daniel George, a now-retired crime scene technician with the Durham City Police Department who was the first technician on the scene in 2001, doesn’t believe that there was any fall at all—partly because of where the blood was and where the body was. “There was nothing up on the steps themselves,” says George, who recently recounted the experience for An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase, Investigation Discovery’s own special on the Peterson trial. “There’s 19 steps, but no blood any further than five feet up the steps.”

“The amount of blood is really troubling, yes, but how do you explain the type of cuts and lacerations she [had]?” asks de Lestrade. “I don’t know what happened the night Kathleen Peterson died, but I have hard time believing that’s a murder. It is very difficult to explain Kathleen Peterson’s injuries if it is a murder. That’s why, today, I believe the Owl Theory may be the best theory to explain what happened to Kathleen.”

Not So Fast

Though owls have been known to swoop and injure people (earlier this year, there were at least three incidents in Atlanta), hearing of the Peterson case was the first time the idea of a “killer” owl occurred to ornithologist Dove. “It’s not something I would even think about,” she says. “But then somebody showed me a video of an owl attacking this big man. I have no idea one way or the other. I’m not saying I’ve ever heard of it happening—I certainly haven’t. I don’t really know.”

Though Dove consulted with both Peterson’s legal team and the filmmakers of The Staircase, she never had a chance to examine the actual evidence in the case—only photos. And that’s not enough. “When we do the identification work, we do it from fragments of feathers,” Dove says. “We need the fluffy, downy part, which is the fuzzy part at the base.”

The pictures she saw of the feather samples, though, were inconclusive, and couldn’t even point her to a particular taxonomic order of birds, let alone a narrower group or family. “We offered to go down there and go through the evidence to see if we could find more feather fragments,” she says, “but it never materialized.”

As for whether there could have been an owl present, George admits that while investigating the staircase itself, they did find “one item in particular that was maybe a sixteenth of an inch long—it was a curved shape and it looked almost like a mini-talon. We didn’t know what it was.”

Yet the item, which was shipped off to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to be tested, didn’t have any blood on it. “It could have been a piece of a fingernail, it could have been a dog’s toenail, it could have been anything,” George says. “It could have been a piece of wood that was on the steps.”

While many owl theorists have pointed to the fact that the injuries to Kathleen’s head were deep but did not leave her with any deeper skull or brain damage—which would be expected with the blunt force trauma Michael was accused of inflicting on his wife—George says they were still “down to the skull … it certainly didn’t look like anything an owl could have done. It almost looked like it was cut. But the medical examiner determined that those lacerations were caused by a brutal beating of blunt force trauma to the skull.”

Still, Dove and her team saw enough reasonable evidence in the photo to agree to examine the evidence more thoroughly. “We’re professionals and we’ll examine anything that’s reasonable,” she says. (Except maybe the time they received a request to examine some angel feathers; “that was a little bit far-fetched for me,” she admits.)

In early March 2017—less than a week after Michael Peterson entered an Alford plea to involuntary manslaughter—North Carolina’s WRAL.com reported that Rudolf had filed a motion to obtain the feather fragments from evidence so that they could be sent on to Dove for further testing. But the money dried up. “Once the case was concluded,” he says, “there was no funding to test the feathers.”

Given all the uncertainty, the biggest question surrounding The Staircase might actually be: In more than 10 hours, why did the series not mention such an insane-sounding, but still plausible, theory? De Lestrade’s answer is simple: “I decided to keep it out of the film because it was never presented in court. I wanted to stick to Michael Peterson’s judicial journey. I just wanted to present how the legal system will treat the case.”

Could there be another feather left in his documentary cap? Hoo knows.

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