Posted by Samuel S. Schoenholz, Senior Research Scientist and Roman Novak, Research Engineer, Google Research
The widespread success of deep learning across a range of domains such as natural language processing, conversational agents, and connectomics, has transformed the landscape of research in machine learning and left researchers with a number of interesting and important open questions such as: Why do deep neural networks (DNNs) generalize so well despite being overparameterized? What is the relationship between architecture, training, and performance for deep networks? How can one extract salient features from deep learning models?
One of the key theoretical insights that has allowed us to make progress in recent years has been that increasing the width of DNNs results in more regular behavior, and makes them easier to understand. A number of recent results have shown that DNNs that are allowed to become infinitely wide converge to another, simpler, class of models called Gaussian processes. In this limit, complicated phenomena (like Bayesian inference or gradient descent dynamics of a convolutional neural network) boil down to simple linear algebra equations. Insights from these infinitely wide networks frequently carry over to their finite counterparts. As such, infinite-width networks can be used as a lens to study deep learning, but also as useful models in their own right.
Left: A schematic showing how deep neural networks induce simple input / output maps as they become infinitely wide. Right: As the width of a neural network increases , we see that the distribution of outputs over different random instantiations of the network becomes Gaussian.
Unfortunately, deriving the infinite-width limit of a finite network requires significant mathematical expertise and has to be worked out separately for each architecture studied. Once the infinite-width model is derived, coming up with an efficient and scalable implementation further requires significant engineering proficiency. Together, the process of taking a finite-width model to its corresponding infinite-width network could take months and might be the topic of a research paper in its own right.
To address this issue and to accelerate theoretical progress in deep learning, we present Neural Tangents, a new open-source software library written in JAX that allows researchers to build and train infinitely wide neural networks as easily as finite neural networks. At its core, Neural Tangents provides an easy-to-use neural network library that builds finite- and infinite-width versions of neural networks simultaneously.
As an example of the utility of Neural Tangents, imagine training a fully-connected neural network on some data. Normally, a neural network is randomly initialized and then trained using gradient descent. Initializing and training many of these neural networks results in an ensemble. Often researchers and practitioners average the predictions from different members of the ensemble together for better performance. Additionally, the variance in the predictions of members of the ensemble can be used to estimate uncertainty. The downside is that training an ensemble of networks requires a significant computational budget, so it is often avoided. However, when the neural networks become infinitely wide, the ensemble is described by a Gaussian process with a mean and variance that can be computed throughout training.
With Neural Tangents, one can construct and train ensemblesof these infinite-width networks at once using only five lines of code! The resulting training process is displayed below, and an interactive colaboratory notebook going through this experiment can be found here.
In both plots we compare training of an ensemble of finite neural networks with the infinite-width ensemble of the same architecture. The empirical mean and variance of the finite ensemble is displayed as a dashed black line between two dotted black lines. The closed-form mean and variance of the infinite-width ensemble is displayed as a solid colored line inside a filled color region. In both plots finite- and infinite-width ensembles match very closely and can be hard to distinguish. Left: Outputs (vertical f-axis) on the input data (horizontal x-axis) as the training progresses. Right: Train and test loss with uncertainty over the course of training.
Despite the fact that the infinite-width ensemble is governed by a simple closed-form expression, it exhibits remarkable agreement with the finite-width ensemble. And since the infinite-width ensemble is a Gaussian process, it naturally provides closed-form uncertainty estimates (filled colored regions in the figure above). These uncertainty estimates closely match the variation of predictions that are observed when training many different copies of the finite network (dashed lines).
The above example shows the power of infinite-width neural networks to capture training dynamics. However, networks built using Neural Tangents can be applied to any problem on which you could apply a regular neural network. For example, below we compare three different infinite-width neural network architectures on image recognition using the CIFAR-10 dataset. Remarkably, we can evaluate ensembles of highly-elaborate models like infinitely wide residual networks in closed-form under both gradient descent and fully-Bayesian inference (an intractable task in the finite-width regime).
We see that, mimicking finite neural networks, infinite-width networks follow a similar hierarchy of performance with fully-connected networks performing worse than convolutional networks, which in turn perform worse than wide residual networks. However, unlike regular training, the learning dynamics of these models is completely tractable in closed-form, which allows unprecedented insight into their behavior.
We invite everyone to explore the infinite-width versions of their models with Neural Tangents, and help us open the black box of deep learning. To get started, please check out the paper, the tutorial Colab notebook, and the Github repo — contributions, feature requests, and bug reports are very welcome. This work has been accepted as a spotlight at ICLR 2020.
Acknowledgements Neural Tangents is being actively developed by Lechao Xiao, Roman Novak, Jiri Hron, Jaehoon Lee, Alex Alemi, Jascha Sohl-Dickstein, and Samuel S. Schoenholz. We also thank Yasaman Bahri and Greg Yang for the ongoing contributions to improve the library, as well as Sergey Ioffe, Ben Adlam, Ravid Ziv, and Jeffrey Pennington for frequent discussion and useful feedback. Finally, we thank Tom Small for creating the animation in the first figure.
Modern computer processors (CPUs) are complex pieces of technology, and that shows no sign of changing. The complexity of a CPU brings a challenge to manufacturers, like Intel. Making great hardware is one thing. Making it easy to understand is another.
Intel and other hardware manufacturers work hard to simplify CPU specs and performance. You’ll find a series of numbers and letters attached to each CPU product, such as the Intel Core i9-9980HK. All of these numbers and letters mean something—but what?
Here’s how you figure out what Intel CPU numbers and letters mean, and why it pays to know.
Intel Processors Explained
Before considering the various letters and numbers attached to each Intel processor, take a look at Intel’s CPU brands.
The main Intel CPU brand is Core, supplemented with the i3, i5, i7, and most recently, i9 brand. In almost all cases, the higher the number, the better the performance. So, an Intel Core i5 is better than an Intel Core i3, and so on.
Intel’s Core i3 range are entry-level processors. The i5’s are mid-range but cover a very broad spectrum of core counts and clock speeds (some i5 CPUs have hyperthreading, too), while the i7 range consists of high-end CPU hardware.
The Intel CPU brand roster didn’t change for several generations until the launch of the Intel i9 brand. Intel Core i9 is now the premium Intel CPU tier, offering the most cores, highest clock speeds, support for more memory, and so on. With the introduction of a new hardware tier above the i7, Intel caters to all aspects of the consumer CPU market, for both mobile and desktop users.
Intel N3000-Series Pentium and Celeron Mobile CPUs
Intel Core isn’t the only Intel mobile processor brand. Here are the other processors you will see on laptops, notebooks, Chromebooks, tablets, and so on.
Intel Pentium CPUs are a budget brand of scaled-down processors, often available for a significantly lower price than a Core CPU while still using the same base architecture (the manufacturing process and associated technology, not the number of CPU cores, memory cache, and so on). There is also the Intel Celeron CPU range. Intel Celeron CPUs focus on mobile devices, notebooks, and other portable hardware with low-spec requirements.
Intel Pentium and Intel Celeron mobile CPUs also appear under the branding “N3000.” These CPUs use a different architecture, known as “Airmont,” and have lower CPU and GPU performance. You’ll find them in cheap and cheerful entry-level laptops, notebooks, and Chromebooks. If you can find an N3000-based CPU paired with fast enough RAM and storage, they can perform reasonably well. However, this is often not the case.
Other Intel Mobile CPU Brands
Intel Atom CPUs power an interesting range of hardware. Originally designed for ultra-thin laptops, Atom CPUs now power anything that requires an extensive battery life. You’ll find Atom CPUs in notebooks, Chromebooks, and tablets, as well as embedded systems and IoT devices.
Finally, there is the Intel Xeon CPU range, although these are for servers, workstations, and embedded systems. Intel Xeon CPUs have a separate nomenclature to Intel Core CPUs, although they often use the same architecture, albeit with some performance enhancements and tweaks for server use. For instance, an Intel Xeon CPU might run a lower clock speed with more overall CPU cores than an Intel Core CPU of the same generation, even if both CPUs occupy the same price point.
The latest Intel Core CPUs share a common nomenclature. All other Intel CPUs use a different naming and branding system. As such, the rest of this article will focus on the details of the Intel Core processor naming system.
Intel CPU Numbering
All of the Intel Core processors use a naming system that operates like so:
Core [brand] + [processor number] + [suffix]
The Intel Core i9-9980HK, for example, has the processor number 9980. This processor number contains more information relating to the performance of the processor. The first number represents the processor generation, in this case, the 9th Intel Core processor generation. At the time of writing, these are the latest Intel Core mobile CPUs, although the 10th generation is already on the horizon (at which time the processor number will switch to 10xxx).
The final three numbers serve to tell you where Intel ranks the processor in terms of performance versus its other models. The higher, the better. In this case, the 9980 is the best consumer-facing Intel CPU currently available.
There are some quirks to the system. The first generation of Intel Core CPUs didn’t use a representing number. CPUs from that generation use just three numbers to distinguish from each other, such as the Intel Core i3-330M.
Another quirk is Intel mobile CPUs with odd-numbers, such as the Intel Core i7-7567U. This is a low voltage dual-core CPU, rather than the quad-core CPUs found in other i7-7xxx hardware. There is also the Core i7-7Y75, which you’ll note includes the letter “Y” in the processor model number. An Intel Core CPU processor number with a “Y” in the middle denotes the lowest power CPUs available, and likely low power, too.
Paying attention to the processor number is a simple way to gauge performance, all other things being equal. If you’re examining two laptops, one with a Core i5-8500 and another with a Core i5-8300, you know the first is more powerful without looking at the specifications.
What Do Intel CPU Suffixes Mean?
Intel’s Core CPU nomenclature uses another important feature to distinguish between processors. The suffix found at the end of many CPU names gives you an instant indicator as to what you can use the CPU for.
Although Intel attaches numbers to processors to align them in the company’s product line, not all products make for easy comparison. A quad-core CPU is obviously going to have an advantage over a dual-core model. But what about CPUs built for portable hardware or for embedded systems, that come with an ultra-low-power rating? That’s where the suffix system steps in.
The Intel CPU suffix is uniform across all processor generations, although not all CPU generations use each CPU suffix. Here is a list of Intel CPU suffixes and what they mean.
K: indicates the CPU is unlocked, meaning a user could overclock the processor to extract more power
U: indicates an ultra-low power CPU, often found in portable devices
H, HK, and HQ: these are mobile processor-specific suffixes, indicating High-performance graphics, High-performance graphics with an unlocked CPU (for overclocking), and High-performance graphics with a Quad-core CPU
B: a recently introduced suffix (as of 8th generation Intel mobile CPUs), B processors perform similarly to their desktop counterparts and are named similarly, although use slightly different architecture
HF: these mobile processors carry high specs, but also lack a graphics processing unit
Y: a mobile CPU with extremely low power use; many “Y” models still have high clock speed using Max Turbo Frequency settings
M: the M suffix stands for mobile and was once common to many different Intel mobile CPU models; at the time of writing, it is only in use for extremely high-end Intel Xeon mobile workstation models, such as the Xeon E-2286M
Understanding the differences between the various Intel processor suffixes lets you quickly understand the specs of the CPU you’re considering.
How to Judge Intel CPU Generations
When looking at an Intel-powered laptop or portable device, do the following to judge the processor:
Check. What Intel CPU generation are you looking at?
Look. Figure out the processor number, paying attention to the first numeral. Make sure the processor matches the CPU generation you are expecting.
Examine. Consider the suffix and what that means for the performance and power consumption of the mobile CPU.
These three bits of information will give you most of what you need to know about a mobile Intel processor. Once you understand how Intel organize their laptop processor list, making at-a-glance judgments isn’t difficult. Now, let’s just hope Intel keeps this branding, rather than switching to some other scheme!
Facebook has endured several scandals over the years, and they invariably concern the privacy and security of its users. This led to the #DeleteFacebook campaign, and you might have been tempted to delete Facebook as a result.
However, there is another option. Rather than deleting Facebook, you can just deactivate your account. But what happens when you deactivate your Facebook account? In this article we’ll give you the facts about deactivating Facebook…
What Is the Difference Between Deleting and Deactivating Facebook?
There’s a difference between deleting and deactivating your Facebook account. They’re not interchangeable.
Essentially, deactivation is for people who aren’t certain they want to leave Facebook forever. If you just want to take a sabbatical from social media, deactivation is a good option, although it’s not the only one. You could merely ignore Facebook without deactivating it, but that depends on how tempted you’ll be to return.
Deleting Facebook, meanwhile, is more permanent. It’s a decision not to be taken lightly. If you delete your account, you can’t come back and expect any of your data to still be intact. There is a way to start again, but we’ll return to that later in the article.
Can People Search for Me If I Deactivate Facebook?
People can still search for you, but your profile shouldn’t show up. In theory.
Your timeline will disappear, alongside your list of “likes”. That should happen immediately, though you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to get to that stage. Everything will be invisible.
Similarly, if you delete Facebook, your account will vanish. But full deletion won’t happen for a few days because the social network gives you some leeway.
If you log back in shortly after deactivating your account, it will be automatically reactivated. Otherwise, it takes 90 days for information on a deleted account to be removed from Facebook’s servers. Some details will still exist, but any personal identifiers will disappear. You’ll become nothing more than a statistic.
Does My Profile Completely Disappear If I Deactivate Facebook?
Deactivation should make your profile invisible. However, some deactivated users are reporting that, after logging back in, they have numerous pending friend requests. This indicates that their names are still searchable and the links still active. Depending on your privacy settings—which you should keep an eye on anyway—full details shouldn’t be available.
How do you make sure your deactivated Facebook profile disappears? Try a simple search, either through a friend’s profile or using Google. The former is a better option; otherwise, it could take a lot of time scouring results featuring others with the same name as you. This should tell you if you can still be found, despite deactivating your account.
If you still exist on Facebook, try logging back in then trying to deactivate again. If this still doesn’t work, you can complain to Facebook or take the next step: deletion. Before you do that, read on to find out what you need to do before deleting Facebook entirely.
Do My Comments Disappear If I Deactivate Facebook?
If deactivation has worked, your posts on your own timeline won’t be publicly visible, and your friends shouldn’t be able to see them either. Your whole profile will have gone. But that doesn’t mean comments you’ve made to others will disappear as well.
Facebook is obsessed with memories. It likes to make you nostalgic, and remind you of just how long you’ve used social media. It’s a way of building brand loyalty.
That’s why your comments won’t vanish. Your name will appear as plain text, as the link to your account will be broken. Your profile image will be replaced by a default icon too.
And of course, if you choose to reactivate your Facebook account, all of those posts will revert back to normal.
What happens if you delete Facebook permanently? Your data will be erased within 3 months, but can’t guarantee that flotsam and jetsam—comments, reactions, and posts on others’ timelines—will be cleared.
How to Tell If Someone Deactivated Facebook
What does a deactivated Facebook account look like? You won’t be able to check their profile because links revert to plain text. Posts they’ve made on your timeline will still exist but you will not be able to click on their name.
If you’re concerned that someone has been unusually quiet on Facebook, there are three options to consider. The first is that they’re simply busy. Try messaging them to ask if they’re OK.
Look through your list of friends. If they’re still listed, they’re probably just preoccupied. If they’re not, the second possibility is that they’ve blocked you. But before you investigate that, question whether they’ve deleted their whole account.
So how do you know if someone has blocked you on Facebook or deactivated their account?
Go to a mutual friend’s profile and check whether the person in question is listed there. If their name is searchable, the profile still exists. Sadly, though, that probably means you’ve been blocked.
Check on Messenger; there could be a technical issue. You can’t send a message if you’ve been blocked, and their profile picture will be replaced on any comments they’ve previously posted on your timeline.
Can I Still Use Messenger Without Facebook?
You might be worried that by deactivating Facebook, you won’t be able to use the separate (but nonetheless connected) Messenger app. After all, they’re both owned by the same company and mine the same contact list. It seems like Messenger cannot exist without its parent, and that used to be the case.
But fear not: You can still use Messenger even if you don’t have a Facebook account.
When you deactivate your account, Facebook will ask if you want to deactivate Messenger too. Say no, and your information on the app will be saved. Obviously, if you’d prefer to go without the instant messaging service, you can deactivate Messenger seperately.
In some cases, you’ll need to reinstall Messenger after deactivation. If you delete Facebook, you’ll certainly have to sign into the app again, albeit using a slightly different method. To do this, you simply click Not On Facebook?, and add your name and phone number. Allow it access to your address book so you can keep in touch with friends.
Can People See My Messages If I Deactivate Facebook?
Yes, you can still use Messenger, so it follows that your messages will appear after deactivating your account. In fact, when you press “Send,” as long as you have internet access, the message will go straight to the recipient’s inbox.
However, if you delete Facebook, your previous messages will read “Facebook User”. They won’t be able to respond. Incidentally, this is the same thing that happens if you block someone.
Can You Reactivate a Facebook Account?
If you’ve deactivated your Facebook account, all you need to do is log back in. You can change your password if considerable time has lapsed and you’ve forgotten it. Your profile still exists, as does your personal information. Previous messages and comments typically re-appear too.
Actually, Facebook makes it very easy to reactivate. That’s especially true if you’ve given the social network your phone number. Some users have reported getting texts from Facebook, tempting them back. Clicking on the accompanying link—even accidentally—will reactivate your profile. (Of course, it’s dangerous to click on SMS links, so be careful!)
Can you reactivate a deleted Facebook account? You can, but it’s more difficult. You’ll need to have taken steps to prepare for your reactivation before deletion. The social network lets you download a copy of all the data Facebook has stored about you. That means you can get your account back up and running, although the process is a bit trickier than if you’ve merely deactivated it.
What Happens to Tagged Photos After Deactivation?
Because Facebook has saved your data for your potential return, tags in pictures will still exist. However, those tags will convert to plain text. No one can link those images to a profile (to reiterate, your profile isn’t visible to anyone). This is also true of any other posts you’ve tagged in.
If you reactivate your account, the tags will reappear as if nothing’s happened.
This is pretty much the same after deletion; tags will revert to plain text. If you open a new account, those original tags won’t link automatically with your name again. Just think of the number of people with the same name as you.
Let’s say you have deleted your profile, then regretted it, and decided to return. You’ll need to ask your contacts to remove previous tags and update them to your new profile.
Worried about an embarrassing photo? Don’t want people identifying you even after deactivation or deletion? Don’t forget you can manually remove tags anyway—but do so before taking further steps with your account.
Should You Deactivate or Delete Facebook?
If you’re reading this because you’re not sure whether to delete or deactivate Facebook, choose the former. Why? Because you’re clearly unsure about the decision. Therefore it’s better to go for the non-nuclear option which will allow you to return one day.
Have you ever stumbled across an online video you’d love to download and add to your collection? Perhaps it’s a video of your favorite recipe, a clip of a particularly daft dog doing something silly, or a how-to guide for a tech issue you’ve been struggling with.
Whatever the reason, it’s easy to grab a copy for all eternity if you use one simple tool: xVideoServiceThief.
xVideoServiceThief is an open-source video downloader that has been around for many years. With versions available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, it’s the only downloader you need.
Where to Download xVideoServiceThief
You can download a copy of xVideoServiceThief from a few different places depending on your operating system and usage requirements. Use the links below to grab the correct version for your needs.
Note: The downloads will begin as soon as you click.
Sadly, there is no 32-bit version of xVideoServiceThief for Linux. The developer insists it is coming soon. For an alternative, you might try using Xtreme Download Manager instead.
What Can xVideoServiceThief Do?
As of this writing, the app can download content from 93 different sites, and that number is steadily increasing. All the major players—YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and LiveLeak—are supported, as are some less well-known niche sites.
The app also offers several additional features to help make downloading easier: in-app video searching, the ability to schedule downloads, and a way to convert video files into the AVI, MPEG1, MPEG2, WMV, MP4, 3GP, and MP3 formats.
How to Download a Video With xVideoServiceThief
To begin, grab a free copy of the app and install it on your system. Thankfully, there are no other apps bundled in the installer you need to watch out for.
Before you download a video, make sure you set your download location at the bottom of the app window. When you’re ready, click Add Video in the top left-hand corner.
On the next pop-up window, enter the URL of the video you want. In my example, I’m going to download a review of the Apple AirPods from the official MakeUseOf YouTube channel. xVideoServiceThief will immediately recognize the host site. If the site is not supported, you’ll see an error message.
Click OK and the video will automatically start to download. If you don’t want the video to download immediately, untick the checkbox next to Download Videos Automatically.
When the process has finished, you’ll see a toast notification in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. Head to your download location to find and watch it.
The process is simple and straightforward, but issues can always arise. If you’re struggling to use the software, reach out in the comments below, and we will try to help.
Stay Secure When Downloading
When you use tools like xVideoServiceThief, you should also use a VPN like CyberGhost or ExpressVPN to help you stay secure. Click on the two links for an exclusive discount for MakeUseOf readers.
Finally, if this tool doesn’t work for you, don’t worry. We’ve covered 18 more free tools to download any online video, check out some of the other options until you find one that suits your needs.
Our verdict of the Creative Super X-Fi AIR:
Get the Creative Super X-Fi AIR if you need a new pair of headphones to use at home or in the office and crave the spatial audio experience. Reconsider if you want to heavily use them on-the-go, need noise-cancellation, or value a long battery life.810
Immersive surround sound, packed into a pair of comfortable headphones; it’s the quiet audiophile’s dream. Creative’s Super X-Fi Headphone Holography technology promises to deliver just that. We received an impressive demo of the technology at CES 2020 and took home a pair of Creative SXFI AIR headphones, valued at $159.99, to put them through the test. Here’s what we found.
Creative SXFI AIR Specifications
Design: closed over-ear
Drivers: 50mm Neodymium magnet
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C, Line-in
MicroSD Card Slot: supports MP3, WMA, WAV, and FLAC formats
Microphone: detachable NanoBoom microphone
Colors: white and black, plus 16.7 million colors for the RGB ear-cup rings
Weight: 338g (11.9oz)
Battery Life: up to 10 hours
Charging time: 2.5 hours
Price: RRP $159.99, on sale for $139.99 at the time of writing
First Impressions
The SXFI AIR wireless over-ear headphones are fairly lightweight for their size (11.9oz or 338g). Each side of the headband expands up to 1.5inches (4cm) and the ear cups swivel slightly to provide a perfect fit for any head size or shape. The foam-cushioned headband and ear cups complete a comfortable experience.
Creative placed all control options on the left ear cup and an RGB light strip graces the outer edge of both cups. The light comes on when you’re using the headphones and you can customize the colors via the SXFI AIR Control app. Unfortunately, this is a separate app from the one you’ll need to set up your Super X-Fi profile; more on that below.
Overall, the Creative SXFI AIR headphones appear bulky and the absence of a folding mechanism means they’ll take up lots of space in your bag. The lack of active noise-cancellation makes them work best in a quiet environment. That said, the build quality appears solid enough to tolerate an active lifestyle.
Size comparison: Creative Super X-Fi Air vs. Sony WH-1000XM2 vs. TaoTronics BH22
Headphone Ports and Controls
Along the rim of the left ear cup you’ll find (from front to back):
on/off button
detachable NanoBoom microphone
USB-C port
3.5mm AUX jack
source selection (Bluetooth, USB, or SD card)
microSD card slot
Super X-Fi toggle
The touchpad on the side of the left ear cup lets you control playback and volume or accept calls.
The NanoBoom microphone plugs into its own 3.5mm AUX jack and you can replace it with a better quality gaming microphone if you like. Alternatively, you can take it out and plug up the port.
Two things make these headphones special: the built-in Super X-Fi technology (see below) and the audio source options. The USB-C charging port doubles as audio input for your PC, Mac, PS4, or Nintendo Switch. In addition to Bluetooth and the standard 3.5mm AUX jack, the SXFI AIR also functions as its own audio player when you insert a microSD card; a rare feature in headphones.
How Does Super X-Fi Work?
Super X-Fi is an AI-based technology that uses acoustic modeling to create the impression of spatial audio inside a pair of headphones. The technology is backed up by decades of research.
The Theory
The perception of sound is incredibly subjective and depends, in no small part, on the shape of your outer ears. Scientists refer to this circumstance as head-related transfer function (HRTF).
“Humans have just two ears, but can locate sounds in three dimensions – in range (distance), in direction above and below (elevation), in front and to the rear, as well as to either side (azimuth). This is possible because the brain, inner ear and the external ears (pinna) work together to make inferences about location.” Source: Wikipedia
Creative’s Take
Software can simulate those spatial cues, if it knows enough of the listener’s personal HRTF. Creative uses either an in-ear acoustic measurement or a picture-based head map to feed its AI with that data, which then calculates a custom-fit audio profile for every user. Once you’ve connected your SXFI profile, the SXFI software can crunch incoming audio to sound like you were using a surround sound speaker setup.
SXFI Gen2
In early 2020, Creative launched Gen2 of its AI, which brought a range of improvements to Super X-Fi, including the preservation of more sound details, better audio fidelity, clearer sound signature, and higher positioning accuracy, which is key for movies and games.
“At the beginning, our user profile base was in the range of tens of thousands. Over the past year, riding on the successful launch of Super X-Fi, we have accumulated hundreds of thousands of user profiles. This significant jump in real-world data has provided us with the capacity for more research, and importantly, it has enabled us to train the Super X-Fi AI engine to be even more accurate in personalizing the audio experience for our users. This was key in our development of the Super X-Fi Gen2 profile.” —Lee Teck Chee, Vice-President of Technology at Creative and inventor of Super X-Fi
The Gen2 engine also features more efficient power consumption. As a result, the SXFI AIR headphones gained more than 10% battery life. This explains why our headphones, using Bluetooth, lasted for a little more than the advertised 10 hours; a pleasant surprise. I also should note that the headphones turn off rather quickly when not in use. And every single time that happens, I’m startled by the voice that seemingly pops up right next to me to announce “powering off”.
While the SXFI AIR are excellent all-around headphones, you shouldn’t use them for first-person-shooter (FPS) games. Instead, look into the the SXFI GAMER headset, which runs a Super X-Fi engine designed specifically for the FPS-specific sound environment.
How to Create Your Super X-Fi Profile
The spatial audio experience generated by the Super X-Fi AI incorporates your head shape into its calculations. To create your custom profile, you can use the SXFI App to take pictures of your face and ears. Download the SXFI App (Android, iOS), create an account, and log in. Under Personalize, click Start Head Mapping, and follow the on-screen instructions.
We found that the quality of the pictures had an impact on the resulting audio. So make sure you take the pictures with sufficiently good lighting. It’s also easier when you can get someone else to take your pictures for you.
Once you have created your profile, connect your SXFI AIR headphones to your phone via Bluetooth. Then return to Personalize and select your profile. The app will automatically sync your data to the connected headphones. Now you’re ready to enjoy 3D spatial audio.
There’s a second way to create your personal profile. When you’re lucky enough to receive a SXFI demo, as we did at CES 2020, they will measure your personal audio perception using an in-ear microphone. Creative said they might offer this acoustic measurement as a premium service in the future. Until then, you’ll have to use the app.
The SXFI Sound Experience
Creative’s Super X-Fi demo at CES 2020 blew us away. For the demo, we were using Creative’s SXFI AMP with a pair of generic headphones. At one point during the setup, I briefly thought I heard an audio cue from an external speaker. When I remembered I was already wearing headphones, I was sold on the technology and the remaining demonstration convinced me further.
Bluetooth vs. Wired Connection
The experience we had during the demo was outstanding. And at first, I couldn’t quite replicate it with the SXFI AIR headphones, although I used the higher quality audio profiles created during the demo. However, when I switched from Bluetooth to wired audio transmission via USB and from Spotify to a high quality audio source, the sound improved dramatically.
Note: If you have a Spotify subscription, you’ll be streaming at up to 320 kbps (vs. 160 kbps for free users). Make sure you set the streaming quality to “very high” in your Spotify settings.
Unfortunately, Creative opted for the low-quality SBC codec for wireless streaming. Its maximum transfer rate is 320 kbps, making it just good enough for Spotify, though you may experience data loss. SBC simply won’t let you enjoy the full audio quality provided by a non-lossy format like FLAC.
In-ear Measurement vs. Head Map Audio Profile
Personally, I could tell a difference in quality between the audio profile generated during CES and the app-based audio profile. It was more subtle when I took the head map pictures in great lighting. Creative says that the picture-based audio profile reaches about 90% of the accuracy of an in-ear measurement.
Music vs. Entertainment vs. Calls
I most enjoyed the SXFI AIR headphones when listening to music. With default settings, it gives rock and pop songs a club-like sound with good bass and a satisfying 3D effect. For classical music, the overall quality and spatial audio effect were even more convincing.
Audio calls were the least pleasant as the speaker on the other end sounded tinny. Movies and TV shows were somewhere in the middle. I couldn’t shake off the “sound in a can” impression, but the spatial effects were clearly audible.
If you’re not satisfied with the sound, be sure to download the SXFI AIR Control app (Android, iOS) and use the Equalizer to customize your audio experience. It comes with presets for movies, games, as well as classical and pop music. Within this app, you can also disable or customize your AIR’s RGB ring lights.
It’s regrettable that you need a separate app to create your audio profile, but once that’s done, you’ll only need the SXFI AIR Control app to switch between existing profiles and customize your headphone settings.
How Does the SXFI AIR Compare?
Creative isn’t the only company that has come out with a spatial audio product.
Sony 360 Reality Audio
At IFA 2019 in Berlin, we received a quick demo of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, which also uses a head map to generate a custom audio profile. While Sony’s object-based spatial audio technology works with any headphones and commands no additional hardware, it doesn’t work with any old audio source. 360 Reality Audio is its own music format.
Presently, you’ll need a subscription to a premium music streaming service like Deezer or Tidal, before you can access Sony’s 3D audio format. You’ll also need to use its mobile app to create your custom audio profile. In other words, you’re limited to music available on a streaming service via your smartphone. On the bright side, you can opt for an affordable monthly subscription and see how you like the effect.
During our demo in Berlin, we were impressed with the clarity of the 3D effect, but we noticed a drop in bass compared to the unaltered track.
Dolby Headphone
This mobile surround solution is part of the audio decoders found in many surround sound gaming headsets, including the HyperX Cloud series. You can get a HyperX Cloud II surround sound headset for as little as $99.
The Dolby Headphone technology has been around for over twenty years. Like Creative’s Super X-Fi, it applies HRTFs, but it went with a one-size-fits-all model that lacks user-specific customization.
Our Super X-Fi AIR Verdict
The SXFI AIR are a great pair of headphones for audiophiles who desire an immersive listening experience for music, entertainment, and non-FPS gaming. These headphones will let you privately enjoy surround sound, without bothering your neighbors.
However, the audio quality suffers when using Bluetooth or low-quality audio files, which is why we can only recommend the SXFI AIR if you’re prepared to use a wired connection or can transfer your media to a microSD card. Moreover, given that the headphones don’t offer active noise-cancellation (ANC), the battery life is slightly disappointing. The lack of ANC also limits their use in public spaces.
Get the Creative Super X-Fi AIR if you crave the spatial audio experience in a quiet environment and don’t mind its limitations.
If you already have a great pair of headphones, but want to experience the Super X-Fi sound, try the SXFI AMP, priced at $149.99. It contains the same technology, but it’s completely wired, using USB input from your phone, computer, or gaming console, and a 3.5mm audio jack output to your headphones.
Silicon Valley is a geeky show, but it’s not just for geeks. What makes Silicon Valley compelling is that it not only provides big laughs, but it also offers both satire and insight into the whole tech startup craze.
Since Silicon Valley finished forever after six seasons, you might be looking for similar TV shows. So we have rounded up the best TV shows like Silicon Valley to watch on Netflix.
These aren’t all geeky TV shows, but they’re similar enough to Silicon Valley that we think fans of Silicon Valley will enjoy it. Whether because of the subject, the tone, or the humor.
The IT Crowd is as close as it gets if you’re just looking for a comedy show about tech geeks—except the geeks in this show aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the box. You don’t have to be an IT geek to enjoy this show, though.
There’s also a world of difference between those who work in IT and those who are part of the Silicon Valley culture. That said, The IT Crowd is funny for a lot of the same reasons: well-developed characters, interesting situations, and a glimpse into a world not often seen on television.
Arrested Development has nothing to do with the tech industry, but it features a lot of the same undercurrents that make Silicon Valley hilarious. In short, Arrested Development is a clever comedy about a family of wealthy narcissists who can’t help but get in each other’s way.
It’s extremely layered—you can watch it 10 times and still catch gags that you hadn’t noticed before. But the greatest things about this show is its incredible cast, the strongly-written characters, and the amazing punchlines. Although the quality does dip slightly in later seasons, Arrested Development is still worth watching.
Loaded has a similar premise to Silicon Valley, following a group of friends within the tech industry. The big difference is that it’s set across the pond, so you could call it the British version of Silicon Valley. In the show, the four men sell their tech startup and become overnight millionaires.
However, all of their new money puts strain on their friendships and personal lives, with far more comedy than that premise might suggest—much like how it plays out in Silicon Valley. Loaded has eight episodes, each an hour long, which means you’ll be laughing for a long time.
Halt and Catch Fire is the only show on this list that isn’t a comedy. It doesn’t even come close to generating laughs, so don’t expect any. Why is it included then? Because Halt and Catch Fire is what you’d get if you took Silicon Valley and planted it firmly in the drama/suspense genre.
The show is a fictionalized story that shows an insider’s perspective of the PC revolution that happened in the 1980s and the internet revolution of the 1990s. If the tech side of Silicon Valley is what interests you, then you’ll probably enjoy this show quite a bit.
Master of None is a shining example of what Netflix can accomplish with its original productions. It’s a unique show created by and starring comedian Aziz Ansari. Interestingly, Master of None doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre, which is one of the aspects that makes it so unique.
While there are elements of comedy and drama, and at times even mystery, it isn’t a full-blown comedy or drama. It’s essentially a slice-of-life series that has nothing to do with geeks or technology. Nevertheless, you might enjoy it because it’s a mature show with a lot of tonal similarities to Silicon Valley.
Bojack Horseman is one of the greatest animated shows ever, which is a bold claim, and one of the best Netflix originals. It revolves around Bojack Horseman, a washed-up sitcom star (voiced by the always-excellent Will Arnett) who is trying to get his life together with help from his friends and colleagues.
Not only is it hilarious, set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist, but it also deals with mature themes like depression and addiction. If you like the dark comedy and self-centered characters of Silicon Valley, you’ll love Bojack Horseman.
Parks and Recreation gives a fictional look at the lives of people within a Parks Department. Much like Silicon Valley, the characters often have to deal with the fact that what can go wrong will go wrong. Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, a feisty bureaucrat who wants to do best by her employees and people.
The show really finds its feet after the first season, so stick with it for a hilarious and often heartwarming experience. It has a killer gag ratio which holds up through multiple viewings. Parks and Recreation is also notable for featuring Chris Pratt before he became a blockbuster star.
The American Office is based on the British show of the same name. While both are great, controversially the American version might be better thanks to the brilliance of leading man Steve Carell. It also ran for many more seasons, so there are lots of episodes to enjoy on a binge.
The show is a mockumentary set in a Scranton paper company. This may be a long way away from Silicon Valley geographically, but The Office is similar because of its great ensemble cast and wacky situations.
The Office also has a lot of purposely cringeworthy moments, similar to the messes that Richard Hendricks finds himself in time and time again.
How to Find Other Shows to Binge-Watch
Netflix is crammed full of great TV shows. While this article focuses on shows like Silicon Valley, there are lots of other great shows worth binge-watching on Netflix. You just need to know where to look.
Music production is more accessible than ever before. What once needed a professional recording studio can be done at home with DAW software and free VST instruments. Some of the biggest tracks in the last few years have been made by bedroom producers using affordable equipment.
While most music software has its own built in instruments and effects, learning how to use external VST (Virtual Studio Technology) provides you with thousands of tools to take your sound to the next level. Even better, there are a ton of great options that won’t cost you a dime.
To help you get started, here are the free VST plugins all musicians should grab.
1. Piano One
Sound Magic’s Piano One is arguably the best free acoustic piano VST available. The samples come from a Yamaha C7 Grand piano, captured using Sound Magic’s own Hybrid Modeling Engine technology. The free version lacks features but makes up for it with its incredible sound.
TAL-Noisemaker is a fully featured synthesizer with three oscillators, along with an array of effects and options. It is as comfortable creating soft and lush pads as it is creating harsh EDM lead lines and even drums.
The synth panel is intuitive, easy to use, and there are an array of presets bundled with it to help you get started quickly.
The VK-1 Viking Synthesizer is a lovingly created emulation of an analog monophonic synthesizer. On top of three oscillators, two modulation channels, and an LFO, accurate transistor ladder filter emulation give this synthesizer an authentic sound that is hard to match.
VK-1 is a “pay what you want” product, and therefore technically available for free. At a time when Moog is releasing $30 iPad synthesizer apps, trusting the user with the price is a bold move.
It’s impossible to feature a single instrument from Spitfire Audio’s Labs project. Each one is unique, ranging from overdriven cellos to high-quality live drums, to strings recorded on vintage mics from a professional ensemble.
They are all available as easy-to-use free VST plugins.
Guitar Rig has been the go-to name in all things amp simulation and guitar FX emulation for years. Guitar Rig 5 Player edition brings some of the functionality of the full program to a free VST download.
While limited compared to the Pro version, the Native Instruments Factory Selection library makes a powerful tool for guitarists lacking in hardware. Even non-guitarists will find this plugin perfect for making screaming synths and dirty sounding drums.
The CamelCrusher plugin is known and loved by producers with good reason. A deceptively simple combination of distortion, compression, and filtering add up to some meaty results. Presets ranging from “Annihilate” to “Tube Warmth” give great options for radically changing your sound quickly.
Camel Audio stopped distributing CamelCrusher after Apple acquired it, but the original version of the plugin is still freely available from third party VST sites.
Reverb can make sounds blend together or stand out, depending on which you prefer. It can also give your tracks a sense of space and depth. Panagement by Auburn Sounds is a reverb, but also much more, with a Binaural Distance Panner feature to let you place sounds anywhere in the stereo field.
A more full-featured version is available for $39, but the free version offers plenty of power.
Glitchmachines makes free VST plugins and packs for those who love modern, sci-fi sounds. Hysteresis is a delay unit with a difference. Its primary design is to take any input sound and morph it in a variety of crazy ways—often leaving sounding radically different to the source sound.
While this VST will primarily be of interest to electronic music producers, the plugin can also be tamed to give more standard delay effects too. As with all of Glitchmachines VSTs, things get really interesting when you spend a little time in their documentation learning superuser tricks.
Illformed (also known as DBlue) is a name many producers know well. The Glitch VST does precisely as its name suggests. It takes your sounds and glitches them in a variety of mind-melting ways. Sounds get reversed, reshuffled, bitcrushed, and repitched, along with many other controllable presets.
Glitch 2 is now available, though Illformed still offers Glitch 1.3 for free, bundled with the excellent Tape Stop, Crusher, and Stretch effects. The only downside is that it’s only available for Windows in 32-bit form, which somewhat limits compatibility.
Vocoders have gone from fringe devices used in experimental music to mainstream instruments used in hit songs. 4ormulator’s Vocoder Extreme allows users to emulate these sounds, along with some extra features you wouldn’t normally see on a free instrument.
By adding a variety of effects and resonators, the Vocoder Extreme can be used as an instrument in its own right. This is the perfect effect to learn the basics of vocoding, or, as 4ormulator says, create “…musical entropy generators, ambient chaos fields, or even resonant soup machines!”
What many people don’t realize about Reaplugs (Reaper’s VST suite) is that they can use them with other programs. Reaplugs contains powerful compression and EQ tools, along with some unique ideas.
This can be especially handy if you used to use Reaper but have since moved on to other free DAW software. As you can still sculpt your sound with plugins that you’re familiar with.
Metering is important when it comes to getting your final mix or master just right. One of the downsides of many free (and some paid) DAWs is that the metering is basic at best. That’s where the excellent Voxengo SPAN comes in. This features various forms of metering including RMS, EBU R128, K-system meter, and true peak detection, plus a built-in spectrum analyzer.
Free VST plugins can completely change the way you create music. The vast majority of DAW software supports VSTs, and while not all of them are cross-platform, most work on Windows, macOS, and even Linux. If you love your DAW but feel like you need some new sounds, VST plugins can be a great new source of inspiration. And it’s a bonus if they’re free.
The BBC produces some amazing TV shows, with high-quality dramas and comedies airing on the BBC in recent years. Some of these shows rival anything you’ll find on AMC or HBO.
The good news is that many of the best BBC shows are available on Netflix US, providing Americans with even more reasons to subscribe to Netflix.
British programming has a different feel to it, but if you’re willing to cross the pond and try something new, you may fall in love with what the best BBC shows have to offer.
Sherlock is a modern take on the renowned detective story series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are perfectly cast as Holmes and Watson, and the entire show is so stylish and entertaining that one can’t help but be drawn in and enthralled.
Each season only has three episodes, but each episode is basically a 90-minute feature film that covers the material in one or two of Doyle’s stories. There’s a lot to love about this show, including the surprising-but-inevitable twists and turns that made Sherlock Holmes such a hit in the first place.
Peaky Blinders stars Cillian Murphy, also known as “that guy from the Christopher Nolan films,” who plays the leader of the Peaky Blinders gang in post-WWI Birmingham (England) and attempts to avoid the investigations of a ruthless detective (played by Sam Neill) and move up the ladder of the criminal underworld.
But that premise doesn’t do the show justice. It presents a richly interwoven narrative with lived-in characters who span multiple storylines. If you’re looking for a gritty and grounded period drama, it doesn’t get better than Peaky Blinders.
Peaky Blinders is a strong contender for the best BBC series on Netflix. All five seasons are on the platform.
The Last Kingdom is an historical fantasy show like you’ve never seen. It’s like Game of Thrones with its political intrigue in a medieval setting, but grounded in reality and not as stylized or embellished as other historical fantasy shows like Rome or The Tudors.
This show takes place in the 800s when England wasn’t yet England and when the Saxons were at war with the Danes. The story follows Uhtred, a Saxon by birth but raised by Danes, who wants to reclaim his homeland but is often caught in the conflicts of both sides and is never quite sure to whom his allegiance should belong.
It’s easily one of the best BBC shows on Netflix, and you can watch all three seasons on the streaming platform.
North and South is a four-part miniseries (more like a mega-movie, if you ask me) that tells the story of a woman who moves from southern England to a factory town in northern England during the 1850s and falls in love, but struggles to assimilate.
While there’s nothing particularly original about an “outsider meets hostility and resistance” story, North and South is a winner due to how much attention it pays to production design, atmosphere, and most importantly, its characters. Execution is everything with TV shows, and North and South nails it.
Happy Valley is anything but happy. This small-town crime drama centers on a police sergeant who’s depressed and grieving the suicide of her teenage daughter. When the man responsible for it is let out of prison, she grows obsessed with tracking him down and demanding justice.
This is drama in the truest sense, and it’s elevated by the intricate web of characters and relationships that drive the central conflict in Happy Valley. A wonderfully written show, though a bit hard to get into if you aren’t in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.
Call the Midwife follows a group of midwives in poverty-stricken London during the 1950s and uses the setting to explore various hard-hitting social and economic issues like miscarriages, abortions, prostitution, birth defects and disabilities, prejudice, and more.
Despite the weight of its themes, Call the Midwife has enough levity to avoid being a depressing mess of a show. In fact, it’s surprisingly hopeful and optimistic on the whole, which just makes it that much more of a must-watch.
The lead role is played by Oscar winner, Vanessa Redgrave.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell takes place in an alternate 1800s England where magic has been dead for hundreds of years and only two magicians—the titular characters—are able to tap into that power. It’s an entertaining miniseries that builds to a satisfying conclusion, and makes you wonder why miniseries aren’t more popular.
If nothing else, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a fun journey to a not-so-long-ago England propped up by strong performances. It’s definitely worth a watch as it’s one of the best BBC miniseries on Netflix.
Are you tired of murder mystery shows where criminals are dumb, cops are dumber, and impossible cases are solved and tied off with a neat bow in one episode? Then this is the show for you. The Fall is a slow-burning, methodical crime drama that shows what might actually happen if a smart detective pursued a clever serial killer.
Gillian Anderson delivers one of her best performances as Stella Gibson opposite Jamie Dornan’s murderous Paul Spector. This is a must-watch if you prefer your criminal justice television shows to be more than just mindless entertainment.
Bodyguard is a crime drama and political thriller that isn’t afraid to take its time when exploring story beats. It centers on a police sergeant, who suffers from PTSD from his time as a war veteran and finds himself assigned as bodyguard to a politician whose politics don’t align with his own.
The show has its share of political and social commentary, but its main draw is its expertise at being a grounded-but-intense psychological thriller. Performances are great all around, especially by Richard Madden, who you may recognize as Robb Stark from Game of Thrones.
Doctor Foster is a thrilling family drama about Dr. Gemma Foster, a practicing physician who begins to suspect that her husband is having an affair. All of the signs are there, but they’re just vague enough to make her wonder if her gut instinct is right—and, as the obsession grows, her life begins to unravel.
It teeters into melodrama at points, but it’s engaging and gripping all the same. Suranne Jones’ performance is enough reason on its own to give this series a try.
Two seasons are available on Netflix.
More Brilliant Shows to Stream Online
We believe that these are the best BBC shows to watch on Netflix, and all Americans should enjoy watching them. However, there are lots of other great shows to stream online.
The beautiful, mysterious science of how you hear | Jim Hudspeth
Have you ever wondered how your ears work? In this delightful and fascinating talk, biophysicist Jim Hudspeth demonstrates the wonderfully simple yet astonishingly powerful mechanics of hair cells, the microscopic powerhouses that make hearing possible -- and explains how, when it's really quiet, your ears will begin to beam out a spectrum of sounds unique to you.
Google wants to read you a bedtime story, and thanks to Google Assistant, the company can do just that. This Google Assistant feature, called Tell Me a Story, prompts Google to tell you a story through your phone. Which could be a Godsend for parents.
Hey Google, Tell Me a Story
In 2017, Google enabled a new feature enabling you to ask Google Assistant to tell you (or your kids) a story. Unfortunately, it only worked on Google Home devices. Making the same request on Android or iOS would just get you a quote or a joke, but not a story.
However, in 2019, Google rolled out this feature to more devices. So now, “Hey Google, tell me a story” will elicit the same response across Google Home, Android, and iOS. The response being that Assistant will read you one of the stories Google has curated.
How to Ask Google to Tell You a Story
On The Keyword, Google explained that Tell Me a Story allows you to hear stories like “Let’s Be Firefighters!” (Blaze and the Monster Machines) and “Robot Rampage” (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). You can also ask Google to read you a bedtime story instead.
Google launched Tell Me a Story to coincide with National Tell a Story Day, which is held on April 27 every year. However, reading should be a year-round activity, and the “Hey Google, tell me a story” command will, thankfully, work 365 days a year.
Tell Me a Story is available in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and India. All you’ll need to make use of it is an Android or iOS device with Google Assistant installed on it, as well as the latest version of the Google Play Books app.
This is a neat Google Assistant feature, and another tool in a parent’s arsenal when their little ones won’t go to sleep. However, having Google Assistant reading a bedtime story to your child is no substitution for doing it yourself. Especially if you do all of the voices too!
If there are particular conversations on WhatsApp you want to keep to hand, you need to pin them to your chat list. The process differs slightly between iOS and Android. However, in both cases, pinning conversations in WhatsApp is pretty straightforward.
Keep reading to learn how to pin WhatsApp conversations in Android and iOS…
How to Pin WhatsApp Conversations on iOS
Let’s begin with iOS. To pin a WhatsApp conversation in iOS, follow the instructions below:
Open the WhatsApp app.
Scroll down to the conversation you want to pin.
Swipe right on the conversation.
Tap the Pin button.
How to Pin WhatsApp Conversations on Android
If you have an Android device, use these steps to pin a WhatsApp conversation instead:
Open the WhatsApp app.
Scroll down to the conversation you want to pin.
Tap and hold on the conversation.
Tap the pin icon that appears above the list of conversations.
What Happens When You Pin a Chat in WhatsApp?
When you pin a chat in WhatsApp, it will automatically be stickied to the top of your list of conversations. You can pin up to three separate conversations simultaneously.
If you pin a second chat, it will appear above the first pin. You cannot manually reorder your list of pinned conversations, which means you might have to do a bit of fiddling to make them appear in your preferred order. If you know which three chats you want to pin before starting, add them in reverse order.
You can customize notifications and alerts for pinned chats in the same way as you would do for non-pinned chats.
How to Unpin a Conversation in WhatsApp
If you want to unpin a chat in WhatsApp, just repeat the instructions above but tap Unpin instead of Pin in the final step.
Buying your first phone in the US? Looking to switch carriers? Want to know which phone carrier is the best? The number of options available may seem overwhelming, but looks can be deceiving.
In actuality, there are only really four nationwide networks to pick from: Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.
Here’s what you need to know to pick the best phone carrier in the US for you.
Verizon Wireless is the phone carrier with the largest network in the US. It has the most subscribers, and it covers the largest land area. In many rural parts of the country, this network is your only option.
Because of this size, Verizon Wireless tends to charge the most for its service. The company has a vast infrastructure to support, from towers to retail stores, as well as technicians and sales representatives. Yet Verizon does have a monopoly in some areas, and it knows many customers are willing to pay more to have the best network.
Verizon is a CDMA network, so you aren’t free to swap a SIM card between devices. You can only use phones that Verizon approves to operate on its network, and you have to contact the carrier to activate your line whenever you switch devices.
If you’re traveling abroad, Verizon may empty out your bank account. The company currently charges $5 a day for trips to Canada or Mexico and $10 a day to other countries. That’s in addition to your existing monthly bill.
AT&T is the second-largest phone carrier in the US, both in subscribers and coverage. While its reach isn’t as broad as Verizon’s, the network still does a good job of serving many smaller towns and rural counties.
AT&T’s prices are comparable to Verizon, though slightly lower. On the other hand, the carrier’s prepaid plans are very competitive compared not only to Verizon but Sprint and T-Mobile as well.
Unlike Verizon, AT&T is a GSM network, so you won’t have to pay the carrier store many visits unless you run into problems. Once you activate your SIM the first time, you can move it from one phone to the next. If you have multiple phones and need to swap between them regularly, you’re going to want a GSM carrier.
You can also pick up a prepaid SIM card at a store and activate a device yourself at home the same day. And if you want maximum coverage, AT&T is the best GSM network carrier in that regard.
While AT&T is cheaper than Verizon when traveling abroad, it’s still a costly option. The carrier offers an international package that includes over 200 countries, but you’re looking at an additional $60 charge per month. That number goes up if you want more data.
You can use the AT&T network and save money by checking out Cricket Wireless instead. It’s a subsidiary of AT&T that offers cheaper, no-contract plans.
T-Mobile is the third-largest carrier in terms of subscribers, but its network is very spotty. You can expect excellent speeds and performance in cities, but you may not be able to place a call if you venture to places that interstate highways don’t pass through.
If you spend most of your time in urban areas, T-Mobile offers the best bang for your buck. You’re likely to walk away with a higher data allotment and other perks, such as unlimited streaming.
Like AT&T, T-Mobile is a GSM network. That means you’re free to take your SIM from one phone to another. It’s also incredibly easy to pick up a T-Mobile prepaid SIM card in a convenience store and hit the ground running. T-Mobile is the best GSM network carrier for people who live in cities and are on a tighter budget.
T-Mobile bakes international travel to over 210 countries into its current non-prepaid plans. The top plan lands you unlimited 2G data and unlimited text, with calls at 25 cents per minute. If you leave the country regularly, T-Mobile is the way to go. Keep phone calls to a minimum, and your wallet will barely suffer at all.
Want a cheaper plan? Consider Metro, a subsidiary of T-Mobile that doesn’t cost as much.
Sprint is the fourth-largest carrier. It has a somewhat broad network, but you will also encounter the slowest speeds of the nationwide carriers. On the flipside, Sprint sometimes does a better job supporting smaller metropolitan areas than the big cities. If you live in one of the country’s many small-to-mid-sized cities, Sprint may serve your needs just fine.
Since Sprint isn’t able to compete with network speeds, it often comes out with lower-cost plans and deals. Sprint can be the cheapest way to get an unlimited data plan.
Sprint is a CDMA network, so you need to contact the carrier whenever you’re ready to activate a new phone. This also limits which phones you can purchase.
The unlimited data plans on offer here include unlimited talk and text, plus an allotment of LTE data in Canada and Mexico. In over 185 other countries, you get 2G data and unlimited text, with calls charged by the minute. Rates may vary by country. While not as well-respected as T-Mobile, this is still a much better deal than Verizon Wireless and AT&T.
Sprint owns brands such as Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. Both can provide you with a phone on Sprint’s network for even less money.
One thing to know going forward is that T-Mobile and Sprint are in the process of merging. If the process doesn’t hit any roadblocks from the federal government or the courts, then the two phone carriers will become one. This will combine their resources to provide better coverage than either can currently provide separately. On the flip side, the larger carrier’s prices may also change. All we can do right now is wait and see.
You may live within range of a regional carrier like US Cellular. It’s the fifth-largest carrier and serves 23 states across the country.
Most other carriers are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). They provide cell phone connectivity without having to build and maintain their own infrastructure. Instead, they lease a nationwide carrier’s network.
MVNOs are often cheaper if you aren’t a heavy data user. On the downside, these services lack carrier stores, so you have to be comfortable heading online and troubleshooting yourself.
Which Mobile Carrier Is the Best for You?
There are so many factors to consider when answering this question. Where do you live? How often do you travel? Do you stream music and movies over mobile data? Do you buy unlocked phones?
No company can claim to be the best carrier in the US for all purposes and in all areas. But hopefully, you have enough information now to make an informed decision. If you’re after an unlimited plan, be sure to check out the cheapest phone plans with unlimited everything, too.
