Headphones at IFA 2018: What’s New and What’s Hot?

Headphones are a dime a dozen, and distinguishing one pair from another can be tough when there are so many options out there.

But a few companies at IFA 2018 managed to catch our interest with their new and upcoming headphones. Here are some of the best headphones releases and announcements you might want to know about.

Panasonic

HTX80B

While the Panasonic HTX80B over-ear wireless headphones (available on Amazon) have been out since earlier this year, they deserve a mention. Not only is the minimal retro style pleasing to the eye, but they’re incredibly comfortable to wear.

Unlike many over-ear headphones, the HTX80B’s cups are large enough that they don’t press on your ears, and the band is so light that you barely feel them on your head. On a full charge, the headphones last about 24 hours of active use.

But most importantly, the passive noise isolation works well. I could barely hear anything around me as I listened to music on a modest volume in the midst of an active venue.

While the build quality is great, the audio quality is par for the course, so it may be tough to justify the price. If style, comfort, and passive noise isolation are what you need and you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of sound for it, consider the HTX80B.

HD605N

The Panasonic HD605N was the company’s main headphones showcase. It comes with three active noise cancelling modes, both wired and wireless connections, and a “cover to silence” gesture for when you want to talk to somebody.

Cover both cups with your hands to stop audio playback and pause active noise cancellation. Whether you’re studying for an exam or commuting on a train, you won’t have to remove the headphones if someone wants to ask you something.

And while it’s easy to switch between Low, Medium, and High noise-cancellation modes at the press of a button, I couldn’t quite tell the difference between them. They all worked just fine and created a pleasant listening environment.

Audio quality is great thanks to its 40mm HD driver and anti-vibration frame. With noise cancellation enabled, the HD605N lasts about 20 hours of active use—and every 15 minutes of charging provides 2 hours of audio playback.

The Panasonic HD605N is available on Amazon starting today.

Skullcandy

Venue

Launching on September 17 for $180, the Skullcandy Venue expands Skullcandy’s line of premium headphones with active noise cancellation and built-in location tracking with Tile technology.

While noise cancellation is enabled, you can simply press the Monitor Mode button to pause and listen in on your surroundings. Pretty standard for modern noise cancellation headphones.

But the built-in Tile tracker caught our interest. All you need is the Tile mobile app to track down your headphones in case they’re ever lost or stolen—and it works even when the battery is dead.

Google Assistant integration is also worth noting: when the Venue is connected to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, you can double-press the designated button and interact with Google Assistant through the Venue’s own microphone and speakers.

The wireless Venue lasts up to 24 hours with active noise cancellation, and recharges at a rate of 5 hours of audio playback for every 10 minutes plugged in.

Pre-order now on the Skullcandy website.

We’ll be updating this post with more products as we encounter them.

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Home Networking at IFA 2018: What’s New and What’s Hot?

IFA brings with it an army of cutting-edge home networking products, ranging from super-fast gaming routers to hybrid Mesh-based wireless extenders with smart assistant capabilities. So are any of these worth buying going into 2018?

TP-Link’s New 2018 Networking Products

TP-Link, renowned for its Archer line of router, just announced a whopping seven new home networking products. Five of these make up the brand-new Deco line of mesh routers. The other two are the latest additions to its 802.11ax line of high-end gaming routers.

TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, P7, M5, M4, and M3

TP-Link’s newest line of frisbee-shaped home routers includes the Deco, which consists of five models. The highest end version is the Deco M9 Plus which offers tri-band (5GHz) wireless connectivity along with ZigBee smart home integration, TP-Link’s Mesh networking technology, IFTTT integration, TP-Link’s parental control system, and AC2200 speeds.

The Deco P7, on the other hand, comes with added Powerline capabilities, meaning it can shoot off an internet signal over your home’s electrical system—in addition to offering wireless extension capabilities. Powerline generally works better than WiFi in newer homes. Although powerline devices generally require a more expensive adapter in order to function.

Archer AX1000, Archer AX6000

TP-Link’s latest two entries in its Archer line include the AX1000 and the AX6000—both high-end gaming-oriented routers. They don’t have a firm release date or pricing details yet, but the AX6000 may cost around $400, whereas the AX1000’s price could be $100 cheaper at $400.

Unlike the previous standard of wireless connectivity, 802.11ac (Wireless-AC), Wireless-AX products offer improved broadcast range, faster speeds, and overall 4x faster throughput.

On the downside, almost no consumer-oriented wireless devices can use the Wireless-AX standard. And while Wireless-AX is reverse compatible with Wireless-AC, Wireless-N, and other older standards, early adopters won’t get the speed and reliability advantages promised by the new standard until manufacturers start putting the wireless standard into devices. So when will your smart TV, smartphone, or set-top-box get Wireless-AC compatibility? It’s at least a year away or maybe two.

Netgear’s Latest Nighthawk and Orbi Product Releases

Netgear just announced three new home networking devices, which includes the Orbi Voice, Orbi Outdoor, and Netgear XR500.

Orbi Voice and Orbi Outdoor Wi-Fi Satellite

Using the Orbi standard, the Orbi Voice is a combination smart assistant and router using Netgear’s Orbi system. The smart assistant is Alexa, which means it also includes all of the integrations and plugins that are available to the Alexa platform. The Orbi Voice features four microphones for improved voice recognition and two speakers, for a total of 35-watts of sound power. We listened to the speakers at its maximum power and, for two speakers totaling 35-watts, these get really loud.

Like the Orbi Voice, the Orbi Outdoor Wi-Fi Satellite integrates into the same Orbit mesh network, except that it’s ruggedized and weatherized. Not only can it withstand extreme outdoor temperatures, it also handles inclement weather from snow to torrential storms.

Netgear XR500

In addition to its Orbi line, Netgear also introduced the Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 router. It features 6 Ethernet ports, as well as a 10Gig Fibre uplink, a first for a gaming router.

The XR500 can dramatically improve ping times with an extremely elegant solution: it uses a region filter to prevent connections to distant servers. The XR500 also throws in a baked-in VPN, meaning it automatically disguises your network traffic so it cannot be intercepted by malicious actors. The router runs an advanced management OS which makes enabling and controlling the features a breeze.

The XR500 may retail for around $400, give or take a few bucks.

 

 

Should You Upgrade Your Home Network Yet?

If you’ve been holding off on upgrading for a while, now could be a good time to jump in on the new line on TP-Link Deco. If you have an existing Netgear Orbi mesh network and you’re in the Alexa ecosystem, the convergence of those is certainly welcome, as is a powerful outdoor mesh point.

Other than that, we’ve seen all manner of gimmicky home networking products and haven’t been blown away. MakeUseOf review’s editor, James Bruce, argued that most consumer routers are quite limited. I’m inclined to agree. While some of the products fulfill very specific market niches, unless you’re actively looking for (for example) a wireless router with Powerline capabilities, there is little reason to upgrade your home network.

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Wearables at IFA 2018: What’s New and What’s Hot?

When it comes to IFA expo, you can always expect a good turnout of new hardware announcements. This year only proves that rule. Among the new smartphones, laptops, VR, and smart home devices there’s one more section we could not ignore.

In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of best wearables that made their debut at IFA 2018.

Fossil Group

Emporio Armani Connected

Release Date: September 2018

Price Range: Starts at $295

Emporio Armani Connected is not just a pretty exterior anymore. The 2018 edition is packed with useful features, like Google Assistant voice controls and waterproofing. However, its selling point is the big tech upgrades. The watch is now equipped with built-in GPS, heart rate tracking, and NFC payments. 

But of course, style still matters. The watch is made from stainless steel, has both rubber and link bracelets to choose from, and additional customizable watch faces. 

Skagen Falster 2

Release Date: September 2018

Price Range: Starts at $275 

The new generation of Skagen Falster also looks like an interesting option for someone who wants a stylish-looking smartwatch with a lot of functionality.

It runs Wear OS, so you get all the usual perks of using Google Assistant. The watch supports NFC for mobile payments and has all of the standard fitness features. Some other practical functions include GPS and waterproofing.

Diesel On Full Guard 2.5

Release Date: October 2018

Price Range: N/A

If you like your smartwatches chunky, with a massive display but also stylish, Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 has you covered. It will add some extra weight to your wrist, but you also get a ton of functions with it. There’s heart rate monitoring, NFC for contactless payments, and integrated GPS.

The watch comes with Wear OS, which means that you can access Google Assistant from your wrist and receive all your smartphone notifications. The battery life is a standard 1-2 days.

Garmin Vivosmart 4

Release Date: Available now

Price Range: $130

Garmin has now become one of the most reliable wearable brand out there. And they came to IFA with yet another device that both works well and looks good.

On top of the usual fitness features, Garmin’s Vivosmart 4 takes your blood oxygen saturation measurements which allows them to take a more detailed look at your health and improve sleep tracking. Another cool add-on is the energy monitoring system called “body battery”. Vivosmart 4 will assess your energy levels throughout the day and alert you when you’re too tired for a workout or other physical exercise.

The color options include berry purple, grey, light blue, and black.

Fitbit Charge 3

Release Date: October 2018

Price Range: Starts at $150

One of the more expected releases on our list is Fitbit Charge 3. It’s everything you can expect from a new Fitbit device–every possible fitness feature, great durability, and top-grade software. In comparison with Charge 2, Charge 3 is more touch-friendly and comes with a bigger screen.

Charge 3 has such an extensive functionality, it will make you feel like you’re getting a smartwatch and not just a fitness tracker. Some of the functions include 24/7 heart rate tracking, extensive battery life (up to 7 days), waterproofing, integrated GPS, and even something called “female health tracking”. The latter is essentially a fertility tracker, which means that your Charge 3 can stay on top of your ovulation cycle, should you want it to.

Charge 3 comes in a variety of colors and with plenty of straps to choose from.

Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD F30

Release Date: End of the year

Price Range: N/A

For all outdoor sports fans out there–Casio came to Berlin with the Pro Trek Smart WSD F30, which looks to be the most practical smartwatch yet.

You cannot miss it–it grabs your attention with its tough and somewhat chunky exterior. But Pro Trek isn’t all about the looks. It’s the perfect watch for the great outdoors. Having that on your wrist, you’ll be able to find your way home safely, no matter how tough the condition you’re in. The mapping capabilities of the watch are quite impressive, with an ability to run them offline too.

Pro Trek also runs Wear OS, so it comes with all of the smartphone notifications and Google Assistant. The battery life on this one is extended to 3 days.

Read the full article: Wearables at IFA 2018: What’s New and What’s Hot?

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5 Free Apps and Sites to Learn English, Speak It, or Improve Vocabulary

If you’re reading this, you know a bit of English. But how well do you really know it? Whether you’re seeking to improve your vocabulary, learning how to speak and converse in English, or helping someone who wants to learn it, these sites and apps will get you there.

MakeUseOf readers know that in our search for the best app to learn a new language, we usually concur that Duolingo is the best. Set it up with a language you speak fluently, and add the language you want to learn, and it will take you through every step to become an expert in your new tongue.

But you’ve come here looking for something more than Duolingo, haven’t you? You need an online course to tackle the basics or a neat app that gradually improves your vocabulary. Or how about a fun way to learn a language through the subtitles of your favorite Netflix movies and shows?

LearnEnglish by British Council (Web): Take a Test, Then Take Courses Accordingly

Since the British invented the language, you might as well turn to them first. The British Council has a tremendously helpful portal called LearnEnglish, which caters to all levels of English learners.

Start with the free English test, a series of 25 questions that judge how well you already know the language. This is a good quiz for those of you who think you’re experts. Try it out and see if you can get a perfect score.

Based on your test results, LearnEnglish will recommend different resources on its portal so you actually challenge yourself to learn. LearnEnglish also has an excellent podcast for those who want to hear the language out loud, as well as video instructions. And in case you are looking for specific lessons in the workplace, check the Business English classes to sound more professional and write better emails.

Do People Say (Web): Don’t Google Phrases, Search Them Here

Even if you already know the basics of the language, it’s difficult to find the right way to use a phrase. For many people, a quick way to find the correct way to use a phrase is to search for it on Google. But that’s going to give you academic answers, it won’t tell you how people use that phrase regularly.

Instead of searching websites, Do People Say searches Reddit comments to find how people are using a particular phrase. The search results also include a short definition from Wikitionary, one of the best ways to learn slang. Put together, it’s a simple page that shows you how regularly people use that phrase, the context they use it in, and the different meanings it can have.

This site is a perfect example of someone making a tool that fills their own needs, and in turn has been appreciated by several others. Google isn’t the ideal tool for looking up phrases, and Do People Say is easier and better for non-native English speakers.

Tinycards by Duolingo (Web, Android, iOS): Flash Cards for Several Things

Flash Cards is an old and popular method of memorizing what you learn by writing a question on one side and the answer on the other. You see the question, say the answer, and flip it around to see if you were right. Duolingo has turned that into an impressive app to learn words, called Tinycards.

Tinycards has a large collection of card “decks” created by community members as well as editors of the Duolingo team. For example, one deck can help you learn the names of colors in the English language. There is a deck of 100 beginner language words, as well as a tough deck of advanced English usage.

Decks can teach you words, grammar, or cultural aspects of using English. Tinycards is best used as a mobile app, but it’s also a really useful website to fire up during a break at work.

Download: Tinycards for Android | iOS (Free)

4Cards (Android): Learn Four New Words a Day, at Four Different Times

There is a growing number of people who believe the best way to learn isn’t with a crash course, but instead by learning in small portions every day. This idea of micro-learning with bite-sized lessons can also help improve your vocabulary.

4Cards forces you to take a pause in your learning. You can’t skip ahead in your lessons. Every day, the app will introduce you to four new words in the English language, giving you their definition, how they are used, and encouraging you to make a sentence with each word so the practice makes you remember it.

But here’s where it gets better. Those four words aren’t given to you all together at the start of the day. You get one each in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night. By slowing down the time between each word, you avoid information overload and get a chance to actually try out that new word for a few hours before moving on to the next one.

More than that, this method also makes 4Cards less threatening than other such apps to learn a new word every day. Try it out, you’ll fall in love with it.

Download: 4Cards for Android (Free)

Subtly (Chrome): Learn Words While Watching Netflix

Subtly is a cool Chrome extension for those with a Netflix subscription. Much like Kindle lets you look up words, similarly Subtly does that for Netflix. So while you watch movies or TV shows, you can learn new words.

Here’s how it works. Download the extension and choose a language you already know. In Chrome, start playing a video on Netflix with English subtitles. If you don’t know the meaning of any word, you can now click that word in the subtitles to find its translation in the language you know, as well as its meaning. There’s even an option to hear it pronounced correctly. It’s a really simple, interactive, and fun way to learn a language.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone use this unusual way to learn a language. But unlike the previously mentioned Lingvo, Subtly doesn’t require a phone and a TV or PC running simultaneously.

Download: Subtly for Chrome (Free)

For English Videos and Speaking Courses…

These five sites and apps are new and fun ways to learning the English language, eschewing the traditional methods used in classrooms. That said, they might not be for everyone, especially those who want to learn to speak the language, not just read or write it.

If you prefer a simple tutorial, then Udemy has excellent English-speaking courses to get a strong command on the language. If you prefer not to pay to learn, then try these YouTube channels that teach spoken English. Technology will help you with your English somehow.

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Apple is late to a self driving milestone — its first test car accident

Apple’s secretive self-driving vehicle program has disclosed its first accident, according to a report filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

The low speed accident, which occurred August 24, is a milestone of sorts for the company, albeit not one that is being celebrated. These days, as more companies head out onto public streets to test their autonomous vehicle systems, accidents have become more common. The vast majority are minor, low-speed incidents.

There was just one accident involving a self-driving vehicle (that one was owned by Delphi) reported to the DMV in 2014. So far this year, there have been more than 40 accidents involving self-driving cars reported to CA DMV.

The first fatal autonomous vehicle accident, which involved an Uber self-driving vehicle striking a pedestrian, occurred in March in Arizona.

The Apple test car was attempting to merge onto an expressway near its headquarters in Cupertino, California, and traveling about 1 mile per hour, when it was rear-ended by a Nissan Leaf, according to the report. There were no injuries reported. Both parties reported moderate damage to their vehicles.

Apple doesn’t talk about its self-driving vehicle program. The tech company’s permit with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the agency responsible for monitoring AVs in the state, is the only official acknowledgment that it even has a program. Apple’s self-driving program has been considered an open secret in Silicon Valley. And more recently, CEO Tim Cook has made references to the company’s interest in autonomous systems. In an interview with Bloomberg, he called it the mother of all AI projects. But the company doesn’t talk about its program or its ultimate product plans.

The accident report doesn’t reveal much, beyond the make and model of Apple’s test vehicle. The self-driving test vehicle involved in the accident was a 2016i Lexus RX450H. This the same make and model that Google used to test its self-driving system.

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Skullcandy aims upscale with two new headphones

Skullcandy has always been an odd brand. Aimed at a younger, hipper audience, the headphones always featured wacky graphics and a lower price point. Now, facing competition from multiple players, they’ve decided to step up their game in terms of quality and style.

Their two new models, the noise-cancelling Venue and the bass-heavy Crusher 360, are designed to hit the Bose/B&O/Sony quality point while still maintaining a bit of Beats styling. The Venue are the most interesting of the pair. They are true over-ear noise-cancelling headphones that cost a mere $179 — more than $100 less than Bose’s best offerings.

The Venue’s noise cancellation was excellent, as was the sound quality. The headphones were solidly built and last for two five-hour flights, a first for me when it comes to wireless or wired noise-cancelling headphones. Usually in almost every model I’ve tested I’ve had to charge or change the battery after about eight hours. This is a vast improvement.

As for audio quality, I was quite impressed. Having heard earlier Skullcandy models, I went in expecting tinny sound and muddy bass. I got neither. What I got was a true sound without much modification and very nice noise cancelling. In short, it did exactly what it says on the tin.

One peeve is the size of the headphones and the case. Most headphones can fold up to a smaller package that is unobtrusive when it hangs off your back or sits in your lap. These headphones come in a massive, flat case that is not imminently portable. If you’re used to smaller, thinner cases, this might be a deal breaker. That said, the price and sound are excellent and the Venue is a real step up.

[gallery ids="1702440,1702439,1702438"]

Then we have the Crusher 360. These are also well-made headphones that collapse into a slightly smaller package than the Venue. They also offer what Skullcandy calls Sensory Bass and 360-degree audio. What that means, in practice, is that these things sound like a bass-lover’s very effusive home theater system on your head.

The Crusher, like the Venue, is wireless and lasts about 30 hours on one charge. They don’t have noise cancelling, but what they do have is a set of haptics inside the ear cups that essentially turn bass events into wildly impressive explosions of sound. You can turn this feature up and down using a capacitive touch control on the side of the headphones and, if you’re like me, you probably will be using that feature multiple times.

How do they work? Well, the bass these things pump out is almost comical. While I don’t want to completely disparage these things — different ears will find them pleasant if not downright cool – the Crushers turn almost everything — from a drama to a bit of dubstep — into a bass-heavy party. I used these on another flight and heard every single bang, boom and bop in the movies I watched and, oddly, I found the added bass response quite nice in regular music. If you like bass you’ll like these. If you don’t, then you’d best stay away.

The headphones cost $299.

[gallery ids="1702432,1702431,1702430"]

Skullcandy isn’t the audiophile’s choice in headphones. That said, their efforts to improve the brand, product and quality are laudable. I avoided the company for years after a few bad experiences and I’m glad to see them coming back with a new and improved set of cans that truly offer great sound and a nice price. While the Crushers are definitely an acquired taste I could honestly recommend the Venue over any similarly priced noise-cancelling headphones on the market, including Bose’s businessperson specials. These headphones aren’t perfect, but they’re also not bad.

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Twitter hints at new threaded conversations and who’s online features

Twitter head Jack Dorsey sent out a tweet this afternoon hinting the social platform might get a couple of interesting updates to tell us who else is currently online and to help us more easily follow Twitter conversation threads.

“Playing with some new Twitter features: presence (who else is on Twitter right now?) and threading (easier to read convos),” Dorsey tweeted, along with samples.

Playing with some new Twitter features: presence (who else is on Twitter right now?) and threading (easier to read convos) https://t.co/aCVRxVDfy0

— jack (@jack) August 31, 2018

The “presence” feature would make it easier to engage with those you follow who are online at the moment and the “threading” feature would allow Twitter users to follow a conversation easier than the current embed and click-through method.

However, several responders seemed concerned about followers seeing them online.

@pandemona Not a fan of presence in this kind of space so would prefer opt-in if it happens. The reply threading looks promising and could be a big improvement as long as there’s still a way to read a thread without interruption.

— Staci D Kramer (@sdkstl) August 31, 2018

Twitter’s head of product Sarah Haider responded to one such tweeted concern at the announcement saying she “would definitely want you to have full control over sharing your presence.” So it seems there would be some sort of way to hide that you are online if you don’t want people to know you are there.

There were also a few design concerns involved in threading conversations together. TC OG reporter turned VC M.G. Siegler wasn’t a fan of the UI’s flat tops. Another user wanted to see something more like iMessage. I personally like the nesting idea. Cleans it up and makes it easier to follow along and I really don’t care how it’s designed (flat tops, round tops) as long as I don’t have to click through a bunch like I do with the @reply.

I also don’t think I’d want others knowing if I’m online and it’s not a feature I need for those I tweet at, either. Conversations happen at a ripping pace on the platform sometimes. You are either there for it or you can read about it later. I get the thinking on letting users know who’s live but it’s not necessary and seems to be something a lot of people don’t want.

Its unclear when either of these features would roll out to the general public, though they’re available to those in a select test group. We’ve asked Twitter and are waiting to hear back for more information. Of course, plenty of users are still wondering when we’re getting that edit button.

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Google and AISense will talk voice at Disrupt SF 2018

Only a few years ago, talking to your phone or computer felt really weird. These days, thanks to Alexa, the Google Assistant and (for its three users) Cortana and Bixby, it’s becoming the norm. At this year’s Disrupt SF 2018, we’ll sit down with AISense founder and CEO Sam Liang and Google’s Cathy Pearl to discuss the past, present and future of voice — both for interacting with computers but also as a way to help us capture and organize information.

It’s probably a fair guess that you’ve heard of Google, and Cathy Pearl has literally written the book on designing voice user interfaces. You’re probably also quite familiar with the Google Assistant.

AISense, on the other hand, may not be a household name yet, but it’s flagship product, Otter.ai, is quickly gaining a following. Otter.ai is a mobile and web app that automatically transcribes phone calls, lectures, interviews and meetings in real time. The team built its own voice recognition tech that can distinguish between speakers, making for pretty clean transcripts that aren’t always perfect but still very usable. Otter.ai is also the exclusive provider of automatic meeting transcription for Zoom Video Communications.

We’ll be using Otter.ai to provide real-time transcripts of all of the panels on the Disrupt stage next week, so you’ll be able to see it in action at the event.

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The 9 Most Important Habits for Staying Safe and Secure Online

Snapchat Trophies: What They Are and How to Get Them All

Did you know that Snapchat gives you trophies? It’s a nice game to unlock them all, and use them for bragging rights among your friends. Here’s the full list of Snapchat trophies, and how to get them all.

What Are Snapchat Trophies?

Trophies are one of the surprising things about Snapchat that many users aren’t aware of, especially since they don’t have any practical use. More than anything else, Snapchat uses trophies to add a bit of gamification, making you come back and use the app more.

Here’s what you need to know about Snapchat trophies:

1. All Snapchat trophies look like standard emojis.
2. You are rewarded with a trophy for performing activities. For example, if upon verifying your email address, you will receive the email trophy.
3. Some trophies have multiple levels to them. For example, you get a babyface trophy when your Snapchat score hits 10. Hit 50,000 and you’ll get the rocket trophy.

How to See Your Snapchat Trophies

You can check which trophies you have earned so far at any time.

1. Open Snapchat and tap your profile.
2. Tap Trophies in the profile page to see your Trophy Case.
3. Tap any trophy to see what it means, and whether it has multiple levels.

To check if a trophy has multiple levels, tap a locked trophy. If it opens into a single locked trophy, then there are no levels. If tapping the locked trophy opens a series of locked trophies, then it’s a trophy with multiple levels.

These are just the basics, so if you need any help, please refer to our Snapchat guide for beginners.

How to Unlock All Snapchat Trophies

Snapchat hasn’t made it easy to unlock the trophies. The trophy case only shows locked trophies, and does not have details on how to unlock them. So here’s the full list of Snapchat trophies, what they look like, what they mean, and how to unlock them all.

1. Email Trophy

What it means: Verified email address in settings.

How to get it: Go to Snapchat > Profile Page > Settings (cog wheel icon) > Email, and follow the instructions if your email address isn’t verified.

2. Phone Trophy

What it means: Verified phone number in settings.

How to get it: Go to Snapchat > Profile Page > Settings (cog wheel icon) > Mobile Number, and follow the instructions if your phone number isn’t verified.

It’s generally a good idea to do this for two-factor authentication to make your Snapchat secure.

3. Baby Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 10.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 10.

4. Gold Star Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 100.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 100.

5. Sparkles Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 1,000.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 1,000.

6. Circle and Star Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 10,000.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 10,000.

7. Explode Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 50,000.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 50,000.

8. Rocket Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 100,000.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 100,000.

9. Ghost Trophy

What it means:  Your Snapchat score hit 500,000.

How to get it: Raise your Snapchat score to 500,000.

10. Speaker Low

What it means:  You shared 10 stories from search.

How to get it: Share 10 stories with your followers by browsing on Snapchat Search.

Snapchat Search is generally fun to browse, and you might find some great Snapchat accounts to follow too.

11. Speaker Medium

What it means:  You shared 50 stories from search.

How to get it: Share 50 stories with your followers by browsing on Snapchat Search.

12. Speaker High

What it means:  You shared 500 stories from search.

How to get it: Share 500 stories with your followers by browsing on Snapchat Search.

13. Videocassette Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent a video.

How to get it: Send a video to a friend.

14. Movie Camera Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 50 videos.

How to get it: Send 50 videos overall.

15. Camcorder Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 500 videos.

How to get it: Send 500 videos overall.

16. Hear No Evil Monkey Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent a mute video.

How to get it: Send a video without any audio.

17. Loop Once Trophy

What it means: You’ve flipped the camera during a video.

How to get it: Flip the camera once while shooting a video.

18. Loop Trophy

What it means: You’ve flipped the camera five times during one video.

How to get it: Flip the camera five times while shooting one video.

19. Rotate Trophy

What it means: You’ve flipped the camera 10 times during one video.

How to get it: Flip the camera 10 times while shooting one video.

20. Microscope Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 10 zoomed videos.

How to get it: Send 10 videos using zoom.

21. Magnifying Glass Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 10 zoomed photos.

How to get it: Send 10 photos using zoom.

22. Sun Trophy

What it means: You sent a snap on a hot day.

How to get it: Send a snap with the temperature filter above 100° F.

To identify filters for any trophy, refer to our full list of Snapchat filters.

23. Snowflake Trophy

What it means: You sent a snap on a freezing cold day.

How to get it: Send a snap with the temperature filter below freezing.

24. One Finger Trophy

What it means: You’ve used a filter.

How to get it: Send a snap with one filter.

25. Two Finger Trophy

What it means: You’ve used two filters in the same snap.

How to get it: Send a snap with two filters.

26. Fried Egg Trophy

What it means: You’ve earned your breakfast.

How to get it: Send a snap between 4am and 5am.

27. Sunglasses Trophy

What it means: You’ve paired Snap Spectacles with Snapchat.

How to get it: You’ll need to get your hands on a pair of Snap Spectacles. Pair them with the Snapchat app, and you’re done.

28. Japanese Ogre Trophy

What it means: You’ve snapped 1,000 selfies.

How to get it: Send 1,000 snaps using the front-facing camera.

29. Flashlight Trophy

What it means: You use the front-facing camera flash.

How to get it: Send 10 snaps with the front-facing camera flash on.

30. ABCD Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 100 text snaps.

How to get it: Send 100 snaps with all-caps large text.

31. Lollipop Trophy

What it means: You’ve used five or more pencil colors.

How to get it: Send one snap using five or more pencil colors.

32. Rainbow Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 10 snaps with five or more pencil colors.

How to get it: Send 10 snaps using five or more pencil colors.

33. Palette Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 50 snaps with five or more pencil colors.

How to get it: Send 50 snaps using five or more pencil colors.

34. Panda Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 50 snaps with the black and white filter.

How to get it: Send 50 snaps with the black and white filter.

35. Moon Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent 50 snaps using night mode.

How to get it: Send 50 snaps using night mode. To activate night mode, start Snapchat, cover the lens, and wait for a moon icon to appear on the screen. As soon as it does, take a photo.

36. Devil Trophy

What it means: You’ve taken a screenshot of someone’s snap.

How to get it: Take a screenshot while viewing a snap.

37. Angry Devil Trophy

What it means: You’ve taken screenshots of 10 snaps.

How to get it: Take screenshots while viewing 10 different snaps.

38. Goblin Trophy

What it means: You’ve taken screenshots of 50 snaps.

How to get it: Take screenshots while viewing 50 different snaps.

39. Fax / Scanner Trophy

What it means: You’ve scanned a Snapcode.

How to get it: Scan any snapcode. It can be a snapcode for a website or business, or a friend’s personal snapcode.

40. Radio Trophy

What it means: You’ve submitted a snap to an Our Story collection.

How to get it: Submit one snap to an Our Story collection.

41. Clapboard Trophy

What it means: You’ve submitted 10 snaps to Our Story collections.

How to get it: Submit 10 snaps to different Our Story collection.

Before you unlock this trophy, do note that this is one of the ways your friends can track you on Snapchat.

42. Bullseye Trophy

What it means: You added five friends using the Add Nearby feature.

How to get it: Go to Add Nearby, and add five friends.

43. Blue Circle Trophy

What it means: You’ve created a Story in Snapchat Memories.

How to get it: Create a Story in Snapchat Memories.

If you have trouble with this trophy, as well as all other trophies related to Memories, check out our guide to Snapchat Memories.

44. White Circle Trophy

What it means: You’ve sent a Story from Memories.

How to get it: Go to Snapchat Memories, and send one of those Stories to someone.

45. Disc Trophy

What it means: You’ve saved a Story in Snapchat Memories.

How to get it: Save a Story to Snapchat Memories.

46. CD Trophy

What it means: You’ve saved 100 snaps in Snapchat Memories.

How to get it: Save 100 snaps to Snapchat Memories.

47. DVD Trophy

What it means: You’ve saved 1,000 snaps in Snapchat Memories.

How to get it: Save 1,000 snaps to Snapchat Memories.

48. Detective Trophy

What it means: You’ve searched for a snap in Memories.

How to get it: Go to Snapchat Memories and use the search function.

49. Eyes Trophy

What it means: You’ve set up My Eyes Only in Snapchat Memories.

How to get it: Go to Snapchat Memories and activate the private My Eyes Only mode.

50. Link Trophy

What it means: You’ve linked your Bitmoji account to Snapchat.

How to get it: Create a Bitmoji account. Then go to Snapchat > Profile > Add Bitmoji.

51. Microphone Trophy

What it means: You’ve used Shazam while on Snapchat to identify a song.

How to get it: You’ll need to install Shazam, the best music identification app. Then tap and hold anywhere on the Snapchat camera screen to identify a song playing around you.

52. Globe Trophy

What it means: Your snap was posted on a Live Story.

How to get it: Ask a friend to post one of your snaps on a Live Story.

Get Your Snapchat Score Up!

As mentioned before, there isn’t any function to these trophies. They only serve as a way to show how much of a Snapchat addict you are. And it can be fun to compare your trophy case with your friends, much like your Snapchat Score.

In fact, unlocking and earning trophies is a good way to raise your Snapchat score. Get a high score and unlock those trophies, then compare with your friends to see which one of you is the master of Snapchat!

Read the full article: Snapchat Trophies: What They Are and How to Get Them All

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