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The best mobile accessories at CES 2018, from skin scanners to selfie drones

best mobile accessories
CES never fails to surprise us. From a roll-up television to sleep robots, CES 2018 was no exception. But while CES is best-known for big product launches, there are also tons of accessory manufacturers showing off their newest products. We roamed the halls at CES 2018, looking for the best mobile accessories. Here’s a few of our favorites.

Neutrogena Skin360

From L’Oréal’s wearable that can track UV exposure to Foreo’s high-tech facial masks, beauty tech was a huge trend as CES 2018. However, the Neutrogena Skin360 was the most exciting beauty accessory we saw this year. The Neutrogena Skin360 attaches to your phone to analyze your skin. The Skin360 can keep track of pore size, skin moisture, and skin quality. With the Skin360, you can easily track how small changes, such as drinking more water, have an effect on your skin.  The Neutrogena Skin360 should be available in stores this summer and will be priced at $50.

 To learn more:

Neutrogena

Selfly

If you’re looking to up your selfie game, the Selfly camera drone may be right up your alley. Selfly is a phone case that includes a detachable autonomous camera drone, so you an easily carry the camera drone around all the time and pop it out whenever you want to grab a selfie. You can pre-order the Selfly drone on Indigogo now, with an anticipated ship date of February. Pre-order pricing starts at $109.

Buy it now from:

Selfly

Osmo Mobile 2

The Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal offers plenty of improvements over last year’s model. For starters, battery life is more than tripled on the Osmo Mobile 2, to 15 hours. The Osmo Mobile 2 also offers zoom control, active tracking, and several different modes such as hyperlapse and slow-motion. The best part is the Osmo Mobile 2 is about $50 less expensive than its predescessor, coming in at $130.

Buy it now from:

Osmo Mobile 2

Catalyst Case for Apple AirPods

Sometimes it’s the most simplistic mobile accessories that catch our eyes, and the Catalyst Case for Apple AirPods is the perfect example. The Catalyst Case is a drop-proof and waterproof case for your AirPods. The case is made out of a high-grade silicone and features a removable carabiner so you can easily attach it to your backpack.  You can even connect your Lightning connector to the AirPods case through the removable plug in the bottom of the case. The case is only $25, which is much less expensive than replacing a lost or damaged AirPod.

Buy it now from:

Catalyst

PopSockets Car Vent Mount

PopSocket Car Air Vent

Speaking of simple, it doesn’t get much more easy than the PopSockets Car Vent Mount. This plastic mount connects easily to your car vent, allowing you to use your existing PopSockets phone grip to hang your phone. While there are plenty of car mounts available for your smartphone, they usually don’t work with phone grips like the PopSockets. The PopSockets Car Vent Mount will be available in the coming weeks for $10.

Buy it now from:

PopSockets

iMate

imate

Don’t let the generic name fool you, the iMate is one of our favorite accessories from CES 2018 because of its versatility. It’s a charger, battery backup, and portable docking system. Since the iMate uses Type-C power delivery, the it can quickly charge your phone, iPad, or MacBook. The iMate even features a mobile charging base for the Apple Watch, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of juice on any of your devices. Pricing and availability for the iMate will be announced in the future.

To learn more: 

iMate

Editors' Recommendations

The Google Pixel Fold may launch a lot sooner than you expected
Alleged dummy model of the Google Pixel Fold.

Google is apparently closer to launching its first foldable phone a lot earlier than leaks had predicted. WinFuture, citing information received from sellers, reports that the Pixel Fold is lined up for a market release in June. It appears that Google will at least give a brief teaser of the phone at its I/O developers conference in May, alongside the budget-centric Pixel 7a.

The report adds that Pixel Fold is the official marketing name of the foldable phone, and it will at least be up for grabs in the European markets in the second week of June. The eagerly awaited phone will be sold in a sole 256GB storage configuration, while color options on the table are Carbon and Porcelain.

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Bixby vs. Google Assistant: Which AI is better for you?
google assistant mobile.

AI digital assistants and chatbots (like ChatGPT) are huge now, and there are more than a few to choose from. If you, like many Android phone owners, have a Samsung device, then you have the choice between two AI assistants: the Google-backed Google Assistant and Samsung's Bixby.
What are the differences between the two assistants, and which one is better for you? Is Bixby better than Google Assistant, or should you  go all-in with Google's AI? We compared Bixby and the Google Assistant to find out. 
Bixby vs. Google Assistant: device integration

Google Assistant is available on all Google Nest and Home products, including Android TVs, lights, security cams, speakers, and more. Google Assistant is also available on Android Auto, so you can use the virtual assistant to execute commands when you’re driving. Google Assistant is available on other brands' smart devices too, so you can use Google's voice assistant on Lenovo's Smart Home System. You'll also find it in all of the best Android phones, but did you know you can also download and use it on Apple iPhones as well?
Samsung’s Bixby, on the other hand, is limited to Samsung devices, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It's also limited to only being able to control other devices via the SmartThings app, rather than having native support. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is more restricted. However, full functionality of Bixby is limited to newer devices, so unlike Google Assistant, which tends to be available to older devices, you'll need to keep upgrading to get the most out of Bixby.
This won’t matter much for users who’ve been using Samsung devices for years and want to continue investing in new Samsung products, but if you live with people using different Android devices, Google Assistant might be a better option for smoother integration across devices.
The winner is pretty clear here. Google Assistant is available on a lot more devices, including Apple iPhones, and helps you to create a comprehensive system for convenient use. 
Winner: Google Assistant
Bixby vs. Google Assistant: performance and accessibility

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First Google Pixel 8 Pro renders reveal some surprising changes
Leaked render of the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Once again, and in an unsurprising turn of events, Google has missed the leak train. Leakers @OnLeaks and SmartPrix have leaked rumored renders of the upcoming Pixel 8 Pro. Going by the Pixel 7's launch date, the next Pixel flagship has leaked a good six months ahead of its official introduction.
Google's terrible track record aside, let's discuss the leaked renders. It looks like the company's design team is favoring rounded edges again. The Pixel 7 duo was an improvement over the boxy looks of its predecessor, and the Pixel 8 Pro only appears to add more of that rounded corner profiling. It actually looks good, albeit a bit wider.

The overall design remains more or less the same. Google is sticking to the dual-tone approach with glass on both sides, and a metal frame that also extends over at the back to form the horizontal camera strip. Another change compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s dual cut-out design is that the Pixel 8 Pro only has single elongated pill-shaped outline housing all three camera sensors.
This triple-lens setup likely includes a primary high-resolution snapper, an ultra-wide angle camera, and a periscope-style telephoto zoom shooter. There’s another round cutout right below the LED flash, but it’s unclear if it’s a macro or depth camera, or some kind of IR or a specialized photosensitive sensor. 

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