Tired of static Android wallpapers that serve only as bland backdrops? Live wallpapers add panache to your Android device without draining the battery.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Grubhub’s offer of free lunch to anyone in the New York City metro area today led to sheer chaos. Many were unable to access the promotional deal — which was scheduled to run from 11 am to 2 pm ET this afternoon — when both the website and app started to crash, according to tweets from many frustrated users. A large number of restaurants were overwhelmed with orders from hungry customers, prompting them to pause taking on new orders or “close” for the day. Although Grubhub’s “free lunch” promo was actually just a deep discount (the offer was good for $ 15, and customers were responsible for additional taxes, tip and delivery fee), turns out few people will turn down the offer of a cheap meal, especially in one of the world’s most expensive cities. While access to the website and app was eventually restored, a number of customers still complained about delayed or canceled orders.
Why did @Grubhub offer free delivery in NYC & then the restaurants all turned off their delivery 😭😭😭😭 like whattt #grubhub#nyc
— the Next Oprah ✨ (@iampreciousnkem) May 17, 2022
At its peak, Grubhub said its platform was receiving 6,000 orders per minute. “The initial demand temporarily overwhelmed our app, causing some diners to experience an error message when they used their promo code. However, this was quickly rectified, and along with our restaurant and driver partners, we were able to successfully fulfill more than 400,000 lunch orders connected to the promotion,” a spokesperson for Grubhub told Engadget.
But workers and restaurant owners faced worse problems than merely going hungry on their lunch breaks. Buzzfeedspoke to several Grubhub delivery people and restaurant owners and workers, all who recounted a harrowing, stressful day filled with non-stop orders. Many workers and restaurants told various outlets that they weren’t informed about the promo in advance.
.@Grubhub not giving restaurants a heads up to be prepared for the surge in demand is gross. The restaurant called me super apologetic saying that they’re essentially out of food because they had no clue this was happening. https://t.co/ETSXnaxJ7G
— Ashley. (@arneespeaks) May 17, 2022
“We really got slammed by it today,” Ching, a worker from Greenberg’s Bagels told Buzzfeed. “It was just non-stop all day.”
Grubhub denied claims that it didn't inform restaurants of the promo beforehand. "Grubhub isn’t just a delivery logistics app, we are a marketplace for restaurants. And as we do with any promotions, we notify our entire restaurant network in advance via multiple points of communication," a Grubhub spokesperson told Engadget in a statement.
Despite the advance warning, it's clear many restaurants were unprepared for the barrage of orders and the extra strain on staff and food supply that such an offer incurred.
currently working front of house at a restaurant in brooklyn and you guys big time messed up. we have over 30 cold orders not being picked up by drivers and our phones are off the hook with angry customers. absolutely fucking over the entire NYC service industry today
— renny (@rennyconti) May 17, 2022
We’ve looked everywhere and found the best music-listening and -creating apps in existence for Android and iOS, including Spotify, Apple Music, and GarageBand.
Mobile | Digital Trends
We all know that there’s no such thing as a free lunch but when you are already paying for a service it’s always good to get an extra benefit for no extra charge. As they’ve done for a number of years now, T-Mobile is giving its customers free access to MLB TV for Mobile for […]
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile, Sprint, and Metro customers can snag a free season of MLB TV for Mobile from April 5th
We’ve already seen the previously leaked but now official infographics for the Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A53 and now the two handsets have been officially unveiled by Samsung. The Galaxy A53 5G is Samsung’s new mid-range champion, gaining a performance bump and improved cameras with prices starting from $ 449 in the US and £399/€369 in […]
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G starts from $ 449 in the US with pre-orders getting free Galaxy Buds Live
Being a parent can be difficult, but there’s help out there. Here’s a list of the best free apps for parents to make life easier.
Android | Digital Trends
Since its debut in 2015, Apple Music has offered one of the more generous free trial periods in the streaming industry. As a first-time subscriber, you could use the platform to listen to music for free for up to three months before the company asked you to start paying. That’s no longer the case.
In a change spotted by Japanese blog Mac Otakara and subsequently reported by MacRumors, Apple now offers a shorter one-month free trial in many countries where the service is available, including the US, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. You can already see the change reflected on the Apple Music website. “One month free, then $ 9.99 per month,” the US portal says when you visit.
At the moment, Apple Music pricing remains the same, with the $ 5 per month Voice Plan as the most affordable way to access the platform’s library of tracks. The change broadly aligns Apple with competitors like Spotify, which, outside of promos, typically offer one-month free trials to new subscribers.
While we’ll likely never know Apple’s official reason for shortening the trial, there’s a good chance the decision came down to simple economics. When the company first came out with Apple Music, it didn’t pay royalties for tracks users streamed during their free trial period. Apple later famously changed that policy after Taylor Swift published a letter criticizing the company. By shortening the trial period, the company can more quickly recoup the costs of attracting new subscribers to the platform.
If your New Year’s resolution is to improve your health, grab Amazon’s offer for the Fitbit Inspire 2, which includes a free one-year trial of Fitbit Premium.
Wearables | Digital Trends
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is discounted by $ 150 on Samsung, and every purchase of the foldable smartphone comes with freebies that include the Galaxy Buds 2.
Mobile | Digital Trends
Tidal is adding a free, ad-supported tier as it seeks to expand its user base. The option, which is only available in the US for now, includes access to Tidal's entire library of 80 million songs as well as playlists. The service noted on Twitter that it's introducing the free tier to "remain competitive" with its rivals, eight months after Square bought a majority stake in the company. Tidal says the plan is rolling out on Android and "will be available on all devices in the coming days."
There are some trade-offs beyond occasional ads, of course. The audio quality tops out at 160 kbps, there's no offline listening option and it doesn't appear that you'll have unlimited skips. The later feature is mentioned explicitly as part of the revamped $ 10/month Tidal HiFi plan.
Tidal says users on that plan can now listen to music in HiFi quality — up to 1,411 kbps. There are no ads and you'll gain access to more than 350,000 videos. Users can listen to music in HiFi quality on connected devices through Tidal Connect, and they'll be able to track and share what they're listening to via a new activity feed.
In addition, there's a $ 20/month HiFi Plus plan. It includes everything from the HiFi tier, as well as master-quality audio at up to 9,216 kbps. The plan also offers immersive, spatial audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, and early access to upcoming features. Both HiFi plans are available in all countries in which Tidal operates.
What's more, the HiFi Plus tier has a couple of new features centered around artists. One of those is direct-to-artist payments, which Tidal is rolling out today. Every month, 10 percent of a HiFi Plus user's subscription fees (i.e. $ 2) will go to the artist they listen to the most. That's on top of regular streaming royalties. It's another way for users to support their favorite artists.
Fan-Centered Royalties will not be aggregated.
Instead, royalties will go to the artists that TIDAL users actually stream, so fans can directly support the artists they love. (What a concept, right?)
This will start in January 2022 at our HiFi Plus tier. pic.twitter.com/Q8z4fleYOc
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) November 17, 2021
Starting in January, Tidal will roll out a revamped artist payment system called fan-centered royalties. Every time a HiFi Plus user listens to one of their songs, they'll receive a "significantly higher" per-stream payment than other music streaming services' payouts. Apple Music pays a penny per stream, while artists have long been asking Spotify for a similar rate.
Tidal says "royalties attributed to HiFi Plus subscribers will not be aggregated." Payments will be tied to each individual user's listening activity, but only on that tier. HiFi Plus users will be able to see how those payments are divvied up through their activity feed.
In addition to revamping the payment model, Tidal is aiming to ensure "quick and seamless" payouts to artists around the world. It's working with Square, Cash App and PayPal to facilitate those.
These are bold, but perhaps necessary moves by Tidal as it aims to become more competitive with larger music streaming services. Tidal was one of the first major proponents of lossless audio, but as rivals started offering that option at no extra cost, it more or less had to bring that option to the $ 10/month plan.
Apple Music added lossless and Dolby Atmos spatial audio features in June. Amazon Music Unlimited dropped the premium fee for HD and Ultra HD streaming in May. It too offers spatial audio as part of the regular plan.
Meanwhile, many of Tidal's rivals have long offered ad-supported free streaming options, including Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and YouTube Music. At the opposite end of the scale, Spotify announced plans in February to roll out a CD-quality audio plan, also called HiFi, in select markets at some point this year. It has yet to do so.
It’s somehow fitting that our first Cyber Monday deal is for CyberGhost VPN that you can grab a three-year plan at just $ 2.25/£1.99 monthly, with an extra 3 months bundled in on top. With more than 36 million customers worldwide, CyberGhost VPN promises to keep your data safe from prying eyes and unblock geo-restricted websites […]
Come comment on this article: [Deal is still live] Secure your data with a 3-year plan to CyberGhost VPN at just $ 2.25/month and get an extra 3 months free
Christmas Day is fast approaching and as our minds turn to gifts and turkey have you decided how you are going to contact friends and family in this pandemic world we are living in? Instead of having huge family gatherings most countries are encouraging smaller groupings, which places a greater emphasis on video calling. Zoom […]
Come comment on this article: Zoom announces unlimited free video calls to celebrate the festive period
“A small percentage of iPhone 11” units suffer from touch issues, Apple says, and it’s swapping out their displays for free as part of a new replacement program. In its announcement, the tech giant admits that the screens on iPhone 11s manufactured b…
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Whether its sitting at a desk working or doing something more enjoyable like gaming, a chair that is comfortable to sit on for those extended sessions is an absolute must. This is where Anda Seat comes in with its Dark Knight Gaming Chair that boasts lumbar support and a racing style comes in to its […]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Anda Seat’s Dark Knight Gaming Chair is down to $ 407 with free shipping
If you missed getting the free Stadia Premiere bundle because you weren’t signed up to YouTube Premium, you’ve got another chance to get your hands on one by pre-ordering Cyberpunk 2077 on the Stadia platform. Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to launch on December 10th, and Google says that you’ll receive a code to redeem for […]
Come comment on this article: Get a free Stadia Premiere bundle when you pre-order Cyberpunk 2077
With Stadia’s one-year anniversary mere days away, Google is trying something different to encourage people to give the platform a try. Starting on November 19th, you’ll be able to play Destiny 2 through Stadia for free. That’s a significant change f…
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As Netflix nears 200 million subscribers globally, it’s shaking some things up when it comes to marketing. In the US it’s offered a free trial period for years — remember when Netflix streaming came bundled with new games? — that gave full access to…
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Google expanded Meet’s availability earlier this year to give more people access to the video chat service in the midst of coronavirus-related lockdowns. The tech giant didn’t just make it available to everyone with a Gmail account, though, it also m…
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Best Buy might be your ticket if you’re looking to get started on a smart home and want better sound than you usually get from smart speakers. The retailer is running a promo that gives Echo Studio buyers a free Echo Show 5 for the same $ 200 it norma…
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Google is giving you an extra incentive to buy a Chromebook: a whole lot of cloud gaming that could make your laptop shine. The tech giant has introduced a perk that gives Chromebook owners a free three-month trial of Stadia Pro. You’ll need a system…
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After a leak from an Irish retailer gave up the goods, Microsoft has confirmed the news — Halo Infinite will include a free-to-play multiplayer mode, and it’s running at 120FPS. This news wasn’t revealed during last week’s Xbox Series X gameplay show…
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It’s no secret that Google is planning to announce the successor to the Google Home at some point during 2020 although no one except the search giant knows exactly when. In the meantime, you can pick up the Nest Hub Max for $ 229 from Best Buy and get the 7-inch Nest Hub thrown in for […]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Get a free Nest Hub when you buy the Nest Hub Max from Best Buy for $ 230
Verizon (Engadget's parent company) has launched a new deal to try to entice people to its Fios service. Building on the Disney+ promotion the telecom announced last year, new customers can get up to 12 months of Hulu free when they subscribe to Veri…
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Chromebook ownership has its perks, which includes offers on a rotating selection of apps and games. Now, Doom and Doom II are available for free on Chromebooks for a limited time. The offer isn’t available to every Chromebook user, so check the perk…
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T-Mobile is launching a new program that will bring faster network connectivity to first responders. The commitment, called Connecting Heroes, involves a big investment in T-Mobile’s 5G network and a promise to allow first responders access to this network, free of charge. T-Mobile Connecting Heroes Connecting Heroes is a 10-year commitment to provide free service […]
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile Connecting Heroes program launches free 5G for first responders
Strava, the social fitness network that tracks cycling and running, is putting some of its previously free features behind a subscription paywall. In a press release, the company said that it’s not yet a profitable company, and that its “commitment t…
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It’s pretty rare that Comcast is in the news for anything good, but their wireless MNVO service, Xfinity Mobile, just made a big announcement that’s going to earn some goodwill from customers. At least for a while. Xfinity Mobile 5G service 5G isn’t very widespread at this point, and that’s just for bigger postpaid carriers. […]
Come comment on this article: Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile becomes one of the first prepaid carriers to offer 5G, and it’s free
Plex is continuing its march towards becoming your one-stop-shop for all media, whether that’s your own content, streaming music, or video catalogs from partners. Today’s expansion brings Crackle movies and TV shows right into the Plex ecosystem, dramatically expanding how much free stuff you can watch right from within Plex. More free Plex movies Crackle […]
Come comment on this article: Plex adds tons of free movies and TV shows from Crackle, no subscription required
Coursera is opening access to its online education in a bid to help those newly unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gizmodo notes the service has made 3,800 courses and 400 specializations available for free through government agencies hoping to…
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Sling is trying to convince people to stay home with some free Sling TV channels, and they’re calling it Happy Hour Across America. Let’s dive into some of the details. Free Sling TV This move is a part of the “Stay in and Sling” initiative, where Sling TV is letting users stream some free channels […]
Come comment on this article: “Stay in and Sling” with free Sling TV channels every night
As if fighting the coronavirus pandemic weren’t challenging enough, cybercriminals are making things more difficult for healthcare providers and humanitarian groups. Attacks have already delayed COVID-19 testing and limited access to related healthca…
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Plex is joining the chorus of companies handing out freebies to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The media app makers are offering their Live TV feature free to all users for three months through June 30th. You'll still need a tuner and an over-the…
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Wondering what to watch while you self-isolate? Well, if you are an Uncarrier customer you’ll be glad to learn that T-Mobile Tuesdays is rewarding you with a two-month subscription to YouTube Premium (with YouTube Music Premium included), at no cost to yourself. From today onwards, T-Mobile customers can watch ad-free videos, download their favorite content […]
Come comment on this article: Uncarrier customers get two-months of YouTube Premium for free with T-Mobile Tuesdays
Disney+ has been available in the US for a few months now, but thanks to content licensing issues its debut in the UK was delayed until March 24th, which is now just a week away. After signing promotional deals with carriers in France, Germany, Spain, and other European countries, Disney has teamed up with the […]
Come comment on this article: Disney Plus launches in the UK on March 24, O2 customers can snag 6-months subscription for free
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. This week, Westworld is back and despite my issues with how season two unfolded, I'm ready and waiting for season three. Aaron Paul and Marshawn Lynch are interesting additions to the cast, and with the robots v…
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As expected, Activision has announced Call of Duty: Warzone, a brand new free-to-play battle royale based on its popular first-person shooter franchise. If you already own a copy of Modern Warfare, you'll be able to play the game starting tomorrow at…
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Google has been handling Stadia in a pretty weird way, and things are about to get even stranger. With many Pro users having their trials expire at the end of this month, but the free tier of the game streaming service still a few months off, there were some questions about whether or not you […]
Come comment on this article: Stadia Pro subscribers will get first dibs on the free tier when their trial ends
State of Decay 2 is getting a major update — and it's no standard content patch either. The total overhaul — appropriately titled "the Juggernaut Edition" — will see the game's graphics and audio get a far-reaching remaster, as well as several oth…
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IMDb thinks it has a way to keep you coming back to its free streaming video service: offer a bunch of the TV shows from your younger days. IMDb TV has secured the rights to stream over 20 Disney-owned series, including Lost, Desperate Housewives, M…
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Google has revealed the next two games that'll be available for free to Stadia Pro members on February 1st: Metro Exodus and Gylt. Once you've claimed them, you'll continue to have access as long as you keep your subscription to the game streaming se…
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If you’ve already played through your library of games on Google’s Stadia gaming service you’ll be happy to note that January’s freebies are available. Stadia Pro users can now claim the Thumper and Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration titles to shake off the returning-to-work blues. All you need to do in order […]
Come comment on this article: January’s free games are now available to download for Stadia Pro members
Cord cutters rejoice – Plex has followed through on a September announcement that it would offer a free streaming service by the end of 2019. After initially teaming up with Warner Bros., thousands of ad-supported movies and TV shows are now available on the Plex app. Specifically, you can stream “free movies, TV shows, extreme […]
Come comment on this article: Plex launches a free streaming service for movies and TV
Google has produced quite a lot of Home Minis since its 2017 debut, resulting in semi-frequent discounts and giveaways. We’re fast approaching the date of a new model (Nest Mini) and there’s likely ample stock that still needs to move. If you’re a YouTube Premium or Assistant user, you just might snag one for free. […]
Come comment on this article: You might score a free Google Home Mini if you’re using Assistant or YouTube Premium
Earlier this year, YouTube promised to make its original shows — exclusive to paying Premium members at the moment — available to the public as ad-supported programming. Now, the Google subsidiary is staying true to its word and making all original…
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If you're hunting for something new to watch, you may have looked to Twitter for suggestions. The site often serves as a human-powered recommendation tool for new TV shows and movies, with fanbases of shows like Game of Thrones and Big Little Lies tw…
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Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle will soon hit the roads, and while the LiveWire will have a longer range than first expected, at 140 miles of city driving on a single charge, you'll still need to hook it up to a charger once in a while. T…
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During the week of the 4th of July, Sperry was running their semi-annual sale on shoes. I like Sperry shoes, and I needed some new shoes, so I bought a few pairs. But on the way to checking out, I noticed a promo where Sperry was gifting a free Bluetooth speaker when you spent more […]
Come comment on this article: [Review] I bought a bunch of shoes and Sperry sent me a free Bluetooth speaker
Minecraft is celebrating its 10th birthday by making its Classic version easily playable on web browsers. You don't need to download any files to make it work, and you don't have to pay a cent for access. Since Classic was only the second phase in th…
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Google is making their Google Home speakers even better right out of the box, and now you’ll be able to stream music right away without setting anything else up or spending money. Of course, you’ve pretty much always been able to do this with things like Spotify and Pandora, but now you have the Google […]
Come comment on this article: Google Home speakers can now stream ad-supported (and free) YouTube Music