Technology

Apple, Amazon and Microsoft have already held their big fall events — and now itGoogleturn. Over the past couple of years, the October event has become an increasingly important platform, as the company continues to press into various hardware categories. And really, itGooglelast chance to make a big splash ahead of the holidays.

The Pixel 3 will no doubt be the centerpiece of the show. Googlemade no bones about that fact — and between officially sanctioned previews and Niagara Falls-sized leaks, it seems clear we&ve seen what the phone has to offer. Of course, these days, the event is about much more than the Pixel. This time last year, the company rolled out a bunch of additions to its Home line of smart speakers, including the Home Mini and Max. I&d anticipate seeing a fair amount of news on that front, as well this time out.

The event kicks off October 9 in New York City. We&ll be there, of course. In the meantime, herewhat we think we&ll see, starting with the most obvious.

Hopefully there will be some surprises on the phone front, but I wouldn&t count on it. We&ve already seen both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL from every conceivable angle, both in still images and video. In fact, Googlegiven Samsung a run for its money on the leak front, this time out.

The Pixel 3 XL will embrace Androidnotch love with one of the largest cutouts we&ve seen to date. The Pixel 3, on the other hand, may skip the notch altogether. A new color is apparently in the works, as well — Aqua, to match the recently announced Google Home Minty.

The phones are said to be sticking with a single rear-facing camera configuration, which has served the line well in the past, but some new AR tricks are apparently in the works, to help show off ARCorelatest additions. The squeeze interface introduced by HTC has also been confirmed via a truly adorable official video from Google Japan. A pair of wired, Pixel Bud-esque headphones are expected be in the box, as well. The new phone should also be getting its very own charging stand — similar to one recently rolled out by Samsung (or, for that matter, AirPower). The stand, interestingly, is designed to essentially turn the Pixel into a makeshift smart display — similar to what Amazondone with its Fire tablets via Show Mode.

On that note, Google appears ready to put more skin in the smart display game, after partnering with a number of third parties earlier this year. The Home Hub has already shown its face in a couple of leaks and FCC approvals, with Google finally taking on the Echo Show head on. We know that the Home Mini likely won&t be getting a full refresh, given the recent color addition, but the first-gen Home does seem overdue to get a facelift that will hopefully make it look less like a Glade air freshener.

Like the Hub, a new Chromecast has also made the FCC rounds, though information on new features seems scarce. Given the lukewarm reception of the original Pixel Buds, hopefully we&ll see an update on that front. A new Pixelbook seems entirely plausible as well, along with the rumored addition of a convertible Pixel Slate tablet, adding another premium device to its Chrome OS offerings.

A few day after making the latest version of Windows 10 available to users, Microsoft has suspended the update, citing multiple reports of user data loss.

&We have paused the rollout of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) for all users as we investigate isolated reports of users missing some files after updating,& the company writes on its support site.

The company opened up the latest version of the desktop/laptop operating system as part of its big Surface event earlier this week. While it hasn&t officially started pushing the update, some users who&ve downloaded the OS refresh have begun reporting the deletion of documents, photos and other info on a variety of different forums.

The company appears to still be investigating precisely whatgoing on here — and how widespread the issue is. Plans to begin pushing it to users early next week are likely delayed until the company gets to the root of the issue. Meantime, if you were planning to install the update, itprobably best to just wait this one out.

Editornote: This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter&s independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and TechCrunch may earn affiliate commissions.

The best apps and online services are helpful tools that seamlessly integrate into everyday life. We&ve gathered some of our recommendations that can help with tracking your work, improving on sleep, and taking a mental break.

Photo: Rozette Rago

Budgeting

We researched nearly 50 options and tested six in order to conclude that You Need a Budget (YNAB) is the only budgeting app worth spending money on. Iteasy to set up, walks you through budgeting and saving, and can sync with your credit cards and banks.

You&ll be able to view month-to-month spending trends and get concise feedback that actually helps with sticking to your various budgets. We like that YNABfinancial guidance delves deep and that it outlines a zero-sum budgeting model which leaves money allocation specifics up to you.

Time-Tracking and Invoicing

If you freelance or run a small business, Harvest is a helpful time-tracking tool that can also manage projects and create and send simplified invoices. It has an intuitive interface, and integrates with apps like Basecamp and Google Drive. Through interactive reports, you&ll be able to get a better sense of how your time and resources are being spent and you&ll be able to do so while working in other project management apps. Whenever you begin or continue work on a project, you can record expenses and track time on the Web or on the Harvest mobile app.

Harvest also allows you to monitor time-tracking records of team members and generate invoices through Stripe, the Web, PayPal or PDF. For another time-tracking service thatjust as easy to set up and accommodates more clients, we recommend FreshBooks. Its invoices are more customizable and can be sent through more payment services.

Photo: Rozette Rago

Sleep-Tracking App

SleepScore is an effective and intuitive sleep-tracking app that offers detailed recommendations on how to improve sleep. Itthe only sleep-tracking app that we tested that can help outlining and conquering sleep goals. It has a smart alarm which can be set to wake you up at any prefered interval and it gathers sleep-stage data thatfar more thorough than most competitors.

Its free version will track your sleep for seven days and provide general sleep advice. We think its paid tier is worth the investment, especially if you can benefit from tracking your sleep data long-term, and from following tips for improvement. We like that its sleep trends analysis is easy to understand and navigating setup and settings is a breeze.

Photo: Michael Hession

Meditation App

For people who are on the go and could use a bit of help focusing or relaxing, we recommend Headspace (iOS and Android). It offers a broad variety of meditations and the most useful and best guided sessions for beginners. You can search meditations by topic, organized them in packs, and adjust the duration of a session.

With segments between three and 20 minutes, you can take advantage of structured courses—which are similar to in-person classes—or do short meditations when all you need is a few minutes of quiet time. Its design and interface are inviting and its library of courses are outlined in a way that helps beginners learn and progress beyond the basics. Headspace also offers advanced session levels and overall the best educational curriculum of any meditation app we tested.

Online Therapy Service

Amwell is the best online therapy service for those who want a therapist but have run into challenges finding one or making appointments. Itsecure and accredited by the American Telemedicine Association which ensures that your sessions are private and that your information is safe—if you&d like to, you can even opt out of showing your face during a video session. With about 600 therapists, you have a better shot at finding one to fit specific needs, and many more therapists to choose from compared to competitor platforms.

Amwell accepts insurance, but if you have to pay out-of-pocket, you can rest well in knowing that the servicecosts align with the top competition. Aside from therapists, there are also doctors and specialists on the platform who your therapist can refer you to. We like the overall video experience which feels like a traditional in-person session, and the prerecordings that walk you through the process before it starts.

These picks may have been updated by Wirecutter.When readers choose to buy Wirecutterindependently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and TechCrunch may earn affiliate commissions.