Articles by Jeramy Johnson

The best Samsung Galaxy S21 cases will not only keep your new smartphone protected, but they’ll keep it looking as stylish as you are. Whether you prefer a clear case, a flip case, something colorful, or something rugged, with a phone as popular as the Galaxy 21, you have options. Here are some of the best Galaxy S21 cases we’ve found so far. The best part of all is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep your Galaxy S21 looking great for the long-term!

Tough and textured

Caseology Parallax Case

Staff Pick

The Caseology Parallax line is one of our favorite cases. It is affordable, stylish, protective, and a pleasure to hold. Plus, it comes in several interesting colors, including Matte Black, Ash Gray, Pink, and our favorite — Purple-ish.

$13 at Amazon

Low key case

Spigen Liquid Air Armor Case

The Spigen Liquid Air Armor case is low-key one of our all-time favorite smartphone cases. It is thin and low profile, while securely protecing your precious dev…

Be prepared for Hayato’s microphone hot-takes.

What you need to know

Google appears to be testing adding integrated shopping links to its videos.
The program is in a pilot stage now, with a limited number of creators participating.
Viewers in the U.S. may come across these shopping links on Android, iOS, and the web.

According to a report today from Engadget, YouTube appears to be testing a pilot program for inserting shopping links in the videos of some of its popular content creators. Participating channels will be able to put a shopping bag-shaped link on their videos, which will lead viewers to a list of featured items in the video that they can then purchase via embedded links. The links may also lead viewers to other videos on YouTube related to the products in question, resulting in even more engagement as they spiral down the rabbit hole of available content.

The testing is currently being conducted in the U.S. only on the web and on Android and iOS devices, but presuma…

Hear what you want to and what you need to.

What you need to know

These new headphones are Bluetooth buds that clip onto an existing pair of glasses.
The JBuds Frames allow for open-ear listening, allowing you to enjoy audio while still hearing the world around you.
The JBuds Frames will retail for an affordable $50.

CES 2021 is still a few days away, but the new product announcements continue to pour in preceding this year’s virtual event. One of the most popular categories of consumer electronics at the online show this year looks to be Bluetooth and true wireless earbuds, and the new JBuds Frames from JLab Audio are staking their claim to be mentioned among this year’s best wireless earbuds.

The JBuds Frames are somewhat of a hybrid product because while they are headphones, they don’t go in or over your ears. Instead, the two Bluetooth receivers clip on the arms of your eyeglasses or sunglasses, delivering up to 120 dB of sound while still allowing you to experience the o…

A whole Galaxy worth of S21s to keep track of

What you need to know

Information uncovered by leaker Evan Blass point to over 900 Samsung Galaxy S21 variants.
Blass said the URLs were discoverable and posted an image of them on the Voice social platform.
SKUs point to multiple configurations and at least 11 different color options.

Noted leaker Evan Blass has uncovered another interesting bit of information about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21 product lineup. According to URLs generated by Samsung’s web team, Blass discovered over 900 versions of the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup that will be made available worldwide throughout 2021.

The many SKUs indicate various models, chipsets, storage and/or RAM variants, and color options for countries around the world. While there may only be a handful of color options available at launch, the leak appears to show that there could be as many as 11 different colored Galaxy S21s to come, including navy, red, and brown. Blass notes that this …

Google Assistant works best when everyone in the home gets personalized results, and all you need to do is set up Google Assistant Voice Match in your Home app settings to get there. With Voice Match set up, you can set personal reminders about Google Calendar updates and get Assistant to pull up your favorite playlists from Spotify without worrying about bumping someone else off their account. Best of all, it’s a feature that’s super easy to set up for anyone with a Google account.

Products used in this guide

Google Assistant with a display: Nest Hub Max ($230 at Best Buy)
Google Assistant audio experience: Nest Audio ($100 at Best Buy)

How to set up Voice Match with Google Assistant

Open the Google Home app and tap on your avatar/icon in the top right corner.
Tap on Assistant settings.
Tap on Voice Match.

Make sure the Hey Google feature is toggled on to access the Google Assistant, hands-free.
Tap Next to enable hands-free Google Assistant access.
Tap I Agree to enable …

One of our favorite features on the latest Fitbit smartwatches is the contactless payment system known as Fitbit Pay. Fitbit Pay allows you to use your compatible Fitbit smartwatch or tracker to pay for things on the go, without worrying about having to bring along your wallet, credit or debit cards, or smartphone. We’ll show you how to add a credit or debit card to your Fitbit Pay wallet so that you can experience the convenience of contactless payments.

Products used in this guide

Fitbit Pay pal: Fitbit Versa 3 ($230 at Amazon)

How to add a credit or debit card to Fitbit Pay

Open the Fitbit app and tap your avatar icon in the top left corner.
Tap on your compatible Fitbit Pay device (for me, it is a Versa 3).
Tap on the Wallet tile.

Authenticate via your passcode or biometrics on your smartphone.
Tap on the + sign in the top right corner to add a new card to your Fitbit Pay Wallet.
Tap on the Credit/Debit tile.

Enter your card number and tap Next.
Enter your card informa…

Best answer: If you’re going to pick up an Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus, you should absolutely plan to get the wireless charging dock accessory. Not only does it wirelessly charge the tablet, but it basically turns it into an Echo Show device when docked.

Docking station: Wireless Charging Dock for Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus ($40 at Amazon)

Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus Wireless Charging Dock A must-have accessory

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is one of the best value tablets available. When you compare the Amazon Fire HD 8 vs. the 8 Plus, the biggest differences come down to the amount of RAM, faster-charging speed, and wireless charging capabilities in the HD 8 Plus. Therefore, it stands to reason that if you’re going to spend the extra $20 or so on the more premium model, you’re going to want to take advantage of its most compelling feature — wireless charging. To do that, you’ll need to pick up the wireless charging dock. Makes sense, right? You can still charge the tablet via USB-C cable, whic…

LG wants to snag more Samsung Galaxy Note fans who are being priced out of stylus support.

What you need to know

LG is reportedly bringing 5G down to the Stylo line.
The company is retaining the 3.5mm headphone jack and a built-in stylus.
The phone will feature a triple-camera system and a side fingerprint sensor.

According to a leak first discovered and posted by Steve Hemmerstoffer at Voice, the next devices in the LG Stylo line have leaked, showing some familiar features, some usability and design improvements, and the likely inclusion of 5G on at least one of the phones.

Hemmerstoffer claims that the new devices, known as the LG Stylo 7 5G and LG Stylo 7, will feature a 6.8-inch edge-to-edge display, with a hole punch replacing the teardrop selfie camera. The camera housing on the back is no longer flat like on the Stylo 6, and it is orientated vertically instead of horizontally. Additionally, the fingerprint sensor has moved from the rear to the side.

The leaked render sh…

Alexa needs to break free in 2021.

At the beginning of this year, before things went coo-coo pants crazy, I made a case for Amazon to resurrect the spectacular failure of its Fire Phone in order for Alexa to become a truly useful, first-class mobile assistant. While I stand by my belief that Amazon needs to continue to do everything it can to bring Alexa out into the real world to make it a universal mobile voice assistant on par with Google Assistant and Siri, I’m now less sure that an Amazon-branded phone is the way to go. Don’t get me wrong, I’d still be interested in seeing what the company could come up with after six-plus years of hindsight, but it seems clear to me that the future for a more mobile Alexa is in wearables, not smartphones.

So as we look forward to positive changes in 2021, I wanted to take a look at the state of mobile Alexa vs. her competitors and speculate on how a truly mobile Alexa could thrive.

Competition

The mobile voice assistant wars have largely …

I feel like I’ve aged 10 years this year.

I know, I know. I’m tired of reliving and rehashing 2020 as much as you are, and I’m just as glad as you are that it’s almost over. However, today is a special day for me. Not only are we only four days away from a new year, but I’m beginning my 45th trip around the sun. What a way to end 2020, isn’t it?

I know that most of you have already had your birthdays at some point during this crappy year, but now that mine has finally arrived, I actually am feeling a bit hopefull for the first time in a long time. Not only are we starting to see the first COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, but we’re finally getting a bit of stimulus relief soon (even if it’s too little, too late for most of us). And from a more tech and consumer-focused persective, this year has brough tons of great devices, games, services, and content for us to enjoy in our isolation.

Just as one’s birthday is a great time for self-reflection, so too is the end of the year. I’m not …