Category: Technologies

West Ham will look to inflict more misery on inconsistent Man United in the first EPL game of the day at the London Stadium.

A win for the Hammers would see them rise to sixth in the EPL standings, going above Newcastle Brighton as well as their opponents today. A victory would also allow the hosts to put their 5-1 Carabao Cup thrashing to Liverpool behind them, with boss likely to field a full-strength side here after his rotated lineup’s dismal showing at Anfield.

Man United fared much better on their trip to Liverpool last weekend, with Erik ten Hag’s men claiming a creditable clean sheet against their title-chasing rivals. The Red Devils will be looking to build on that result as they attempt to improve a poor run of just one win in their last six games.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.

West Ham vs. Man United: When and where?

West Ham United hosts Manchester United at the London Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 23. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. GMT (7:30 a.m. ET, 4:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 11:30 p.m. AEDT in Australia).

How to watch the West Ham vs. Man United game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream West Ham vs. Man United in the US

Saturday’s West Ham-Man Unitedmatch is on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the West Ham vs. Man United game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The West Ham-Man United game is exclusive to TNT Sports — showing on its TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 1 HD and TNT Sport Ultimate channels.

Livestream the West Ham vs. Man United game in Canada

If you want to stream West Ham vs. Man United live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the West Ham vs. Man United game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Pretty much every new TV and projector has the ability to decode HDR, or high dynamic range, video. In most cases, HDR content looks better than non-HDR material, though an individual display’s ability to deal with the extra data can vary greatly.

However, there isn’t just one HDR format. There are a number, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG and a couple of others. Few displays can decode them all, but all can decode the basic HDR formatting that all HDR content includes. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, along with 4K Blu-ray discs, can also support multiple formats, though often they only have one or two.

The good news is, this isn’t a format war. All HDR displays can watch all HDR content. However, some of the formats have additional features that can be used by compatible displays for an even better image. Knowing what each of the formats does, and what to look for on your own TV, can be very helpful. Here’s everything you need to know

The basics

In CNET’s TV and projector reviews, both the capabilities of the TV itself and the way HDR is used in the movie or TV show have a greater impact on image quality than the specific HDR format. Which is to say, just because a display can read a “better” HDR format, doesn’t mean that display will look better than one that can’t read that format. Here’s a tour of the HDR landscape as it stands today.

• It’s not a full-fledged “format war,” it’s more like a slap fight.
• Multiple HDR formats can exist in a single TV.
• Everything supports HDR10, but many TVs and sources will also have at least one of the other formats.
• One format might look “better” than another on paper, but in the real world the biggest factors are the TV’s overall performance and the content itself.

Most new TVs have the ability to display HDR content, which has more detail in the bright and dark areas of the image, for a greater “dynamic range” compared to non-HDR content (i.e. pretty much everything you’ve ever watched). Older content is now referred to as “SDR,” or standard dynamic range. HDR content on an HDR TV can look far more punchy and vibrant than traditional content.

Read more: How HDR Works

Just having an HDR TV isn’t enough. You have to watch specific HDR content. Without HDR content, your HDR TV doesn’t really know what to do with itself. Sure, it will look good, and maybe even artificially expand SDR content for perhaps a slight improvement. But to get the most out of your HDR TV, you need real HDR content. Thankfully, there’s now a lot of it out there. Chances are your favorite new programs are available in HDR.

HDR10

• Supported by everything.
• Better image quality potential than SDR, but perhaps not as good as HDR10 Plus or Dolby Vision.
• Static metadata.

HDR10 is as close to a standard as we’ve got. It’s free to use for manufacturers, so it’s available everywhere. Every HDR TV can decode it, every HDR streamer can stream it. Pretty much all HDR content has an HDR10 version, in some cases along with a more “advanced” HDR format like Dolby Vision, which we’ll discuss in a moment.

HDR10’s issue, if you can call it that, is that it has “static” metadata. This means that there’s one HDR “look” for the entire movie or show. This is certainly better than SDR content, but it doesn’t allow for, say, a really bright scene to look its absolute best, nor a dark scene its best, within the same movie. This one-size-fits-all aspect of static metadata is fine, but doesn’t let the content nor the TV live up to its full potential. You need dynamic metadata for that, which most of the other formats have.

Static metadata is sort of like if a football team all had to wear the same sized shirt. Maybe it looks good on the quarterback, and OK on the big linebacker and the diminutive kicker, but surely they’d all look better with a shirt in their own size.

HDR10 isn’t backward-compatible with SDR TVs, so it’s no good for broadcast. You’ll find it available with streaming content and on 4K Blu-ray.

HDR10 Plus

• Championed by Samsung.
• Not widely supported.
• Dynamic metadata.
• Potentially better image than vanilla HDR10.

As you probably figured from the name, HDR10 Plus is like HDR10… but plus. The “plus” in this case is dynamic metadata, improving on HDR10’s static version. This means that on a per-scene — or even per-image — basis, the content can provide the TV with all the information it needs to look its absolute best.

The catch is… this is a Samsung format. It’s pushing it hard, and despite promising no licensing fees (so anyone can use it basically for free), this is a bit of a stumbling block. Hard to imagine a world where LG willingly supports a fledgling format backed by Samsung. Other TV companies have probably been hesitant to back it for the same reason. Yes, consumer electronics is as petty as junior high.

Right now — beyond Samsung — Panasonic, TCL, and Hisense are the biggest display brands supporting the format in the US. On the content side, there’s Amazon, Hulu, Paramount Plus, Apple TV Plus and Google. It’s unlikely HDR10 Plus will ever become the standard dynamic metadata HDR format, but it does give companies an alternative to the licensing fees of Dolby Vision.

Read more: What is HDR10 Plus?

Dolby Vision

• Widely supported.
• Potentially the best image quality of all the formats.
• Less content than stock HDR10.

Dolby Vision, like HDR10 Plus, can have dynamic metadata. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Vudu and Apple TV Plus support it, and you can find it on some 4K Blu-rays. Aspects of Dolby Vision, like how it handles dynamic metadata and color, are optional for HDR formatting in the upcoming NextGenTV, aka ATSC 3.0.

The issue with DV is that companies have to pay Dolby to use it. On the plus side to that, Dolby will then show them how to make their TVs look best when showing DV content. So for some companies, this is an easy way to get their TVs to look better than perhaps they would on their own. For larger companies (like certain Korean companies that begin with S), they don’t need such assistance and would rather dump money into their own HDR format, thank you very much.

After HDR10, this is the most popular HDR format, but that doesn’t mean it’s universal. Samsung is the biggest holdout, for reasons mentioned above. Some companies might only offer Dolby Vision support on certain models. Generally speaking, if a company doesn’t support Dolby Vision, they likely support HDR10 Plus, though some companies support both. There is far less Dolby Vision content than there is vanilla HDR10 content. Not a huge issue, but something to keep in mind.

HLG

• From BBC and NHK.
• Free to use.
• Broadcast friendly.

Hybrid Log Gamma was created by Britain’s BBC and Japan’s NHK. Unlike the formats we’ve discussed so far, it’s actually backward-compatible with SDR TVs. One signal that works on both older TVs and newer is a huge deal for broadcasters. Though as you can imagine, it’s not without drawbacks. Mainly, that’s in terms of picture quality. Like HDR10, HLG is likely better than SDR, but perhaps not quite the picture quality of the other HDR formats. It’s part of the upcoming ATSC 3.0 standard.

There’s already wide TV support. Content is still in the early stages, however. If you can get the BBC’s iPlayer (whether you’re in the UK or using a VPN), that service has HLG support. DirecTV and YouTube also support HLG, but there’s just not a lot of content so far. Since it’s free, and fills an important niche, expect to see more HLG in the future. Some phones can record HDR via HLG, which you can playback on HLG-compatible displays.

For more info, and why it’s so different from other methods, check out our explainer on hybrid log gamma.

Advanced HDR by Technicolor (SL-HDR1, 2 and 3)

• Not widely supported.
• Each “flavor” has its own niche.
• Potentially useful, but we shall see.

Technicolor’s Advanced HDR comes in multiple flavors: SL-HDR1 is similar to HLG, in that it’s fully backward-compatible with SDR TVs, allowing for one signal to rule them all; SL-HDR2 has dynamic metadata like HDR10 Plus and Dolby Vision; SL-HDR3 uses HLG as a base, but adds dynamic metadata.

Content is limited to some NextGenTV broadcasts. It’s unlikely it will get wide acceptance among streaming companies.

Read more: What is Advanced HDR by Technicolor?

There can be only one. Or three. Or maybe five

A few things here are pretty easy to guess. HDR10 is the de facto base format. Nothing is likely to change that. Dolby Vision, with its wide industry support, especially on the content side, is likely to remain the “step-up” format. HDR10 Plus has increased in acceptance since its launch and is now a viable alternative to Dolby Vision.

NextGenTV continues its slow rollout, and it remains to be seen how much HDR content we’ll get with over the air content, though both HLG and Advanced HDR are viable options.

In reality the long-term outlook is, to be honest, one of universal playback and irrelevant content format. Do you care if your TV is showing Dolby Vision or HDR10 Plus, as long as it looks as good as possible and just like the other format? Since a TV’s HDR performance is almost entirely based on its physical hardware, as long as the content looks good and can be shown properly, its specific format “language” doesn’t matter. Well, it doesn’t matter as long as your TV can speak it.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of things like cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, and also Budget Travel for Dummies. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

Apple’s iPads aren’t the only high-end tablets on the market, and if you’re looking for something that’s not in the Apple ecosystem, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9is the one to go for. Not only can it compete with the best iPads out there, but you also have a few great options if you want to customize it a little bit, depending on your budget.

That said, much like with Apple’s high-end stuff, bargains can be hard to come by. Still, you can get trade-in credit, and there are free storage upgrades that will show up as $120 discounts.

What color does the Galaxy Tab S9 come in?

The Galaxy Tab S9 is only available in graphite or beige, and unlike some other new Samusung devices, there aren’t any variants that are exclusive to Samsung.

How much does the Galaxy Tab S9 cost?

Prices start at $800 for the basic configuration of the Tab S9, and run all the way up to $1,620 if you want the high-end configuration of the Tab S9 Ultra. Prices below reflect the original list price, before any discounts or offers are applied.

• Galaxy Tab S9 (128GB): $800
• Galaxy Tab S9 (256GB): $920
• Galaxy Tab S9 Plus (256GB): $1,000
• Galaxy Tab S9 Plus (512GB): $1,120
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (256GB): $1,200
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (512GB): $1,320
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (1TB): $1,620

Best Galaxy Tab S9 deals

Subscribing to Microsoft 365 can get quite expensive over the years. But if you want to cut out the subscription and go for a lifetime license, like with Microsoft Office Pro 2021, it will cost you a hefty $440 up front from Microsoft. There is an alternative if you’re willing to go a generation further back with Office 2019, which is going for only $30 on StackSocial. That’s an 86% discount on its usual $229 price tag, though the deal is slated to expire in just a few days.

Mac users will get the basic Home and Business suite of apps, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and OneNote, while Windows users will get the Professional version. That includes the same apps as the Mac version, with the exception of Teams — however, it does add Publisher and Access to round out the suite.

This isn’t the latest version of Office, but compared to signing up for the Microsoft 365 subscription suite, which costs $7 a month or $70 a year for individuals, StackSocial’s offer is a great deal. There is a free online version of Microsoft Office out there that you can use, but it lacks several features, so this may be a better option. Also, Apple users should note that Outlook is now available as a free app for the Mac.

Some important things to note — you’ll get a one-time use code for a single computer, which means you won’t be able to download these apps on multiple devices. And that does mean that if you upgrade to a new computer or your current one dies, you likely won’t be able to transfer the suite. These licenses also lack some of the added conveniences you’ll get with a 365 subscription, including OneDrive cloud storage and cloud-based AI features, including Microsoft Copilot. Additionally, these apps should work for as long as your computer does, but the Mac license has reached the end of its lifecycle, which means Microsoft’s support for this version of Office has ended. Windows users will have extended support through Oct. 14, 2025. There is also a risk that Microsoft could terminate the license at any time, but we’ve been running other versions of Office from StackSocial since early 2022 and have yet to encounter a problem.

Be sure to check system requirements before you make your purchase to ensure these will work on your device. And if you’re looking to upgrade your operating system, there is a bundled deal available that includes both Office Pro 2019 and Windows 11 Pro for just $50. Both are great options if you’re grabbing a new laptop deal or desktop deal and need a software upgrade.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will be hoping his side can take the opportunity to move to the top of the table as they take on a Sheffield United side that’s rooted to the foot of the table.

With an impressive 12 wins from their opening 17 games, Villa now find themselves as unlikely title challengers with the Villans just a point behind leaders Arsenal ahead of kick-off.

With just eight points in their 17 matches, and a worrying six points off safety, returning boss Chris Wilder will be hoping his Sheffield United side can put their demoralizing 2-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend behind them and claim a much needed positive result as they head into the busy Christmas period.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching all of the action live wherever you are in the world.

Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United: When and where?

Aston Villa host Sheffield United at Villa Park on Friday, Dec. 22. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 7 a.m. AEDT on Saturday, Dec. 23 in Australia).

How to watch the Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you’re unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch — and that’s where a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s a great idea if you want an extra layer of privacy for your devices and log-ins while you’re traveling and connecting to Wi-Fi networks.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier sticks you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it thinks is circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United in the US

Sunday’s Aston Villa-Sheffield United match is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Livestream the Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United game in Canada

If you want to stream Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs including Roku don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

For last-minute shoppers, crunch time is here. Christmas is just days away, and many retailers won’t be able to deliver packages in time for the big day. Whether you’re looking for something that you know will arrive on time, you want to give your loved ones gifts that won’t clutter up the house or you want to avoid carrying gifts through an airport, don’t fret. We’ve gathered up plenty of thoughtful digital gift options that will be a hit this holiday season for just about anyone on your list. And the best part is that they won’t know you got a late start on your holiday shopping.

There are a variety of gifts to choose from that you can deliver digitally, from subscriptions to gift cards, and we’ve highlighted the best of the bunch below.

Digital deals on online classes and subscriptions

• Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App lifetime subscription: $150 (save $300)
• 2024 Guitar Lessons online training bundle: $16 (save $464)
• Headspace 1-year subscription for mental wellbeing: $49 (save $21)
• Curiosity Stream: Save 25% with promo code GIFT23

• Sam’s Club 1-year Club membership: $15 (save $35)
• Ticketmaster 2-for-1 tickets with promo code TMN241
• BritBox 1-year streaming subscription: $90
• BroadwayHD 1-month streaming subscription: $20
• The Criterion Channel 1-month streaming subscription: $11
• Atlas Tea 3-month subscription: $55 (save $10)
• Costco 1-year Gold Star membership: $60 (Get a free $40 Costco gift card with purchase)

Digital deals on gift cards

And for those in your life that tend to be picky with what items they want, a gift card is always a good option. Here are some popular gift card options that can be delivered digitally.

• Fanatics $100 gift card: Get a free $10 gift card with purchase

• Google Play $100 gift card: Get a free $10 gift card with purchase
• Netflix $100 gift card: Get a free $10 gift card with purchase
• Cheesecake Factory $50 gift card: Get a free $15 gift card with purchase
• Buffalo Wild Wings $25 gift card: Get a free $5 gift card with purchase
• Instacart $100 gift card: $85 (save $15)
• Amazon gift card: Available from $25 to $100
• Apple gift card: Available from $15 to $200
• Disney Plus gift card: Available from $25 to $100
• Starbucks gift card: Available from $15 to $75

If you’re hunting for an OLED TV for your home, you’ve probably found that they tend to carry a pretty hefty price tag. But Best Buy is making it easier to get your hands on one, choosing to sell the LG 48-inch Class A2 OLED TV for an absolute steal. Right now you can skip the original $1,300 asking price and spend just a fraction of the cost, saving $750 and paying just $550 of your hard-earned cash. And this isn’t some no-name brand, either — LG makes some of the very best TVs around and has done for years.

In terms of the TV itself, this is a great option for anyone looking to upgrade a bedroom TV to something bigger. The same goes for people who want a new TV for the living room but don’t want something so big that it dominates everything and everyone within it. At 48 inches, this is a good size without being a 75-inch monster.

The smaller size doesn’t mean that you’re missing out on features, though. This TV has an OLED display with a 4K resolution, and it’s built on webOS so you know apps for all of your favorite streaming platforms will be present and correct right out of the box. More advanced features include dynamic tone mapping for even better color and contrast, and AI Picture Pro to ensure even your older content looks great on this 4K TV.

If you like this 48-inch TV but wish this deal was for something a bit more cinematic, don’t fret. We’ve rounded up a number of great TV deals on some of the best models out there, including other OLED TVs.

Apple’s exclusive iMessage club saw some break-ins earlier this month thanks to Beeper Mini, an Android app that gives non-iPhones access to the blue bubble treatment. This means that an Android device using the Beeper Mini app can message people on iMessage as if they were using an iPhone, with encrypted blue bubbles, read receipts, in-line replies and high-quality multimedia in tow. That quickly set off a clash between Apple and Beeper, with Cupertino blocking the app, citing security concerns, and Beeper finding new ways to reconnect its Android users to iMessage.

While two companies throwing down over texting seems a bit odd, it’s deeply tied to Apple’s strategy to control the mobile market. Apple launched iMessage in 2011, before third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp were the norm. Since then, Apple has grown to become a multitrillion-dollar tech behemoth, commanding the majority of US mobile phone market share at 57%, with a staggering 87% of Gen Z users on iPhone, according to research from Piper Sandler. Apple’s closed ecosystem of software and devices encourages people with Apple devices to only buy Apple devices, increasing the company’s dominance. It’s why a boutique phone-maker like Nothing had to go out of its way to create a messy backdoor into iMessage, or else users wouldn’t consider buying anything other than an iPhone, according to founder Carl Pei.

Apple’s iMessage has become a mainstay in American communication and affects how people interact with one another. Social pressure to convince friends and family to move to iPhone is by Apple’s design. The company revealed as much in court documents, saying that putting iMessage on Android would only “serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.”

The tide seems to be changing, however: Apple said last month it would be opening up its Messages app (likely due to European regulation) to work with the newer, more feature-rich texting protocol called RCS. This hopefully will lead to a more modern and secure messaging experience when texting between an iPhone and an Android phone, and lead away from the aging SMS and MMS standards. Unfortunately, green bubbles will continue to persist even if there might be little to no functional difference. While third-party apps like Nothing Chats attempted and ultimately failed to bring iMessage to Android, Apple will likely never release the app on Google’s mobile operating system.

Until RCS is fully adopted, companies are creating services to allow access to iMessage via Android phones. Apple, for its part, has been quick to block apps like Beeper Mini, citing security concerns. This, however, is raising eyebrows from lawmakers regarding competition in the messaging space and Apple’s tight control over the market.

Apple vs. Beeper: The latest updates

As Apple continues to block Beeper Mini, Beeper in a Dec. 21 blog post told users to grab a jailbroken iPhone and install a free Beeper tool that’ll generate iMessage registration codes to keep the service operational. It’s such a roundabout and potentially expensive way of trying to get iMessage on Android that it likely won’t be worth it for most people. For those not willing to go out and jailbreak an iPhone, Beeper said in a now-deleted blog post that it would allow people to rent a jailbroken unit for a small monthly fee starting next year. Whether this plan comes to fruition remains to be seen.

“Each time that Beeper Mini goes ‘down’ or is made to be unreliable due to interference by Apple, Beeper’s credibility takes a hit,” Beeper said in the Dec. 21 post. “It’s unsustainable. As much as we want to fight for what we believe is a fantastic product that really should exist, the truth is that we can’t win a cat-and-mouse game with the largest company on earth.”

While the fight against Apple will be a David vs. Goliath challenge, it’s not something Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky is ready to back away from. Migicovsky said Beeper is investigating legal action against Apple around antitrust.

“They’ve degraded the performance of iMessage for iPhone users,” said Migicovsky in an interview with The Information, “all in search of crushing a competitor.”

Before the jailbroken iPhone workaround, Beeper was asking users to verify their accounts on a Mac, whether it be their own or a friend’s machine. Apple reportedly appears to be finding ways to continue blocking Beeper users, with as much as 60% of them reporting outages.

The cat-and-mouse chase between Apple and Beeper is bringing scrutiny from lawmakers. Last week, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee, along with Representatives Jerry Nadler and Ken Buck, called on the Department of Justice’s antitrust division to see whether Apple was violating any laws. In a letter addressed to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, the lawmakers said they were “concerned that Apple’s recent actions to disable Beeper Mini harm competition, eliminate choices for consumers, and will discourage future innovation and investment in interoperable messaging services.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised competition concerns earlier this month as well. That came after Apple admitted to blocking Beeper Mini, telling The Verge that the app “posed significant risks to user security and privacy, including the potential for metadata exposure and enabling unwanted messages, spam, and phishing attacks.” Beeper argued that allowing Android users to text iPhones via encrypted messaging, and not SMS, is safer for everyone.

Apple vs. Beeper: A quick history

Founded by Migicovsky, founder of the Pebble smartwatch company and a Y Combinator partner, Beeper launched its Mini app on Dec. 5. The app, which then cost $2 per month, allows Android users to communicate with people on iMessage as if they were using an iPhone. The company said it reverse-engineered iMessage with the help of a 16-year-old high school student.

Beeper Mini launched less than a month after Nothing, maker of the Nothing Phone, announced Nothing Chats, an app by Sunbird that let Android users message people using iMessage with blue bubbles. Nothing Chats, however, was criticized over security concerns as it requires people to log into their Apple account at Sunbird’s Mac server farm. Sunbird then rerouted all messages through its servers so that messages appear on both iMessage and Nothing Chats. But logging in with your Apple ID to a Mac at some unknown location isn’t ideal from a security perspective. Nothing has since pulled Chats from the Google Play Store and Sunbird temporarily shut down its iMessage app to address security concerns.

Days after Beeper Mini launched, Apple blocked the app, citing security concerns for iMessage users. Due to the ongoing outages, Beeper stopped charging its $2 subscription fee as it tries to figure out a way to provide consistent service.

Since the launch of Beeper Mini, it’s been a back-and-forth between Beeper and Apple, with a cadre of frustrated users caught in the middle.

While LG is probably better known for its TVs, you might not be surprised to hear that it’s also in the wireless earbuds market as well. The LG Tone Free FP9 are an interesting pair of earbuds, offering a couple of unusual features that you probably won’t find anywhere else. And right now, you can grab them at over half off via BuyDig, dropping them down to just $60, rather than the usual $140.

What makes the LG Tone Free FP9 special? While the earbuds themselves connect wirelessly to your devices using Bluetooth, they can also connect to the charging case as an audio source. That means that you can plug your charging case into a USB port or headphone jack and use that to transmit to your earbuds. It’s a really useful technology that solves the issue of having to connect to a third-party device, such as on an airplane or a car, that doesn’t have Bluetooth.

Another smart feature to note is that the charging case blasts the ear tips with UV light to help get rid of germs and bacteria, which is a nice little addition and certainly not something your AirPods case can do. Besides that, the LG Tone Free FP9 have active noise cancellation, although, like most other earbuds, that relies a lot on the sort of seal you can get. You do get three gel ear tips to try out.

The LG Tone Free FP9 are certainly among the more quirky true wireless earbuds out there and are ideal for folks that take a lot of flights. Even so, if they don’t quite do it for you, check out some of these other earbud deals.