Fitbit Public Preview adds food & water logging, more as app redesign comes to free users
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VLC launches on Chrome OS with support for all sorts of video & audio formats
The developers behind the popular media playback software VLC have today announced that the app is now available on Chrome OS. The team explained in a blog post that Chrome OS was one of the last operating systems on which you couldn’t run VLC, so today’s release has been a long time coming for users of the operating system.
Facebook fully launches Instant Articles on Android
Instant Articles are Facebook’s attempts to speed up webpages on mobile in order to keep users reading and sharing within the social network. The serviced fully launched to all iOS users in October and has been in public testing since then on Android. Today, Instant Articles are rolling out to all Android users, as the rest of industry continues work on an open sourced alternative .
Take 50% off any album purchase from Google Play
You can save 50% on any one album from Google Play this weekend. Go through this special link to activate the coupon and then the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. This is a great chance to save on music that isn’t available on any streaming services including Adele’s new critically acclaimed album. Deal expires at midnight on December 1. If for some reason Google Play does ask you for a coupon code, just enter 50ALBUM2015.
Terms and Conditions are as follows:
Get 50% off any one album of your choice. Select any album on Google Play and redeem your offer by midnight December 1, 2015. Your discount will be applied at checkout.
Must be redeemed on Google Play from compatible Internet connected devices using a Google account. Limit 1 per user. Age restrictions apply. Valid in AU, BR, CA, DE, FR, GB and US. Nontransferable. No cash value. Cannot be used in conjunction with other offers or discounts. See Google Play Terms & Conditions
Google will soon bring podcasts to Play Music
Google announced in a blog post today that it is finally bringing podcasts to its Google Play Music app. In order to make that happen, the company — now a subsidiary of Alphabet — has launched a tool for podcasters to upload their content.
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9to5Toys Last Call: Moto X 2nd gen. $250, Galaxy S6 Edge (unlocked) $800, Galaxy S6 battery case $20, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Motorola Moto X 2nd generation 16GB (unlocked): $250 shipped (Reg. $400)
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB (factory unlocked): $800 shipped (Reg. $1,000)
ZeroLemon Galaxy S6 2800mAh Battery Case $20 Prime shipped w/ code (Reg. $30)
Enter to win a Huawei Watch for free at 9to5Toys Specials
Dell (CRM3120-1667BLK) 11.6-Inch Chromebook: $190 shipped (Reg. $250)
Refurbished 11.6-inch Chromebook (model CB3-111-C670): $140 shipped (Reg. $200)
Amazon Gold Box – Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones in black $190 shipped (Orig. $300), more
GoPro HERO4 Black 4K Action Camera $400 shipped (Reg. $500)
Review: Moleskine’s new myCloud Smallpack offers plentiful storage in a tidy design, $150 giveaway
More new gear from today:
Motorola SURFboard SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem (refurb): $40 + $5 shipping (Orig. $100)
Hurry! Get two Philips LED Light Bulbs for $4.97 (backordered, but finally avail for order!) http://t.co/QiNSIcu0Fx pic.twitter.com/vmnEQJlyqB
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) April 23, 2015
- New! Games/Apps: Deus Ex Ultimate $5, Map My Run+ $1, iOS freebies, more
- New! Samsung Galaxy Tab S (T800) 32GB Tablet (refurb) $320 (Orig. $750)
- New! Magazine subs from $4.50/yr: Wired, Paper, Smithsonian, ESPN, Entrepreneur, more
More deals still alive:
Seagate 1.5TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive $50 shipped (Reg. $70)
- Toshiba 1TB $50 (Orig. $75), 3-Pack Seagate 1.5TB $150 ($210 value), more
- Seagate Expansion 5TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive $120 shipped (Orig. $250)
- Add Ethernet and more USB 3.0 ports to your MacBook for $16 Prime shipped, more
- iTunes Free App of the Week: Pursuit of Light ($1 value)
- Media: Meat Loaf’s Greatest Hits free (~$15 value), Unbroken HD rental $1 (Reg. $5), more
- ZeroLemon SolarJuice 10000mAh water resistant Battery Pack w/ flashlight: $26 (Orig. $50)
- Season 3 of “Orange is the New Black” are arriving on Netflix, are you ready to stream?
- One-yr Sam’s Club Plus Membership w/ a $20 GC & more: $45 ($120+ value)
- Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR (refurb) w/ 18-55mm Lens Kit $336 shipped (Orig. $599), more
- Headphones: Audio-Technica QuietPoint over-ears $100 (Reg. $150+), more
- HooToo TripMate Wireless N Travel Router w/ USB port $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
- Huge Innori 22400mAh 3 Port USB Battery Pack $35 Shipped (Orig. $70)
- Printers: Brother Wireless laser (refurb) $120
- Tailgate-ready Cuisinart Compact Gas Grill for $120 shipped (Reg. $200)
- Yamaha RX-V377 5.1-Channel 4K A/V Receiver w/USB: $180 Shipped (Orig. $300)
- Apple AirPort Express w/ AirPlay & Wireless Printing refurb $65 (Reg. $99)
- Spigen iPhone 6/Plus cases from $4 Prime shipped, multiple colors/styles available
- Garmin nüvi 7-Inch GPS w/ Lifetime Maps (Cert Refurbished) $110 (Reg. $130)
New products & more:
Droplet smart buttons remind you to get things done without a barrage of notifications
- Two of Philips’ new LED light bulbs can be had for just $5
- popSlate’s new case puts an E Ink display on the back of your iPhone 6
- Sony’s new 43-75″ 4K UHDTVs bring an incredibly thin design, pre-orders start today
- Sony’s new soundbars and A/V receivers include Google Cast and up to ten HDMI inputs
- Blizzard’s latest multiplayer brawler Heroes of the Storm heads to beta & gets release date
- IKEA details its new wireless charging furniture, add-ons and iPhone cases
- Are Verizon’s new FiOS bundle plans the answer to ala carte programming?
- OWC put a 480GB SSD in a pocket-size USB 3.0 Flash Drive
9to5Toys Last Call: Galaxy Note 3 (unlocked) $295, LG G3 w/ $100 Amazon GC, WD 2TB Hard Drive $80, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32GB (unlocked): $295 shipped (Reg. $500)
LG G3 w/ free $100 Amazon gift card for $0.01 w/ 2-yr contract or $479 w/o
WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $80 shipped (Orig. $140)
Philips Hue Lux price drops make it cheaper than ever to add smart lighting to your house: single bulb $20, Starter Kit $80
GoPro HERO4 Black/Surf Camera: $399 (Reg. $499.99)
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $470 shipped (Reg. $700)
Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate tablet companion, giveaway worth $310
More new gear from today:
Games/Apps: Royal Trouble Hidden Adventures free (Reg. $7), Mortal Kombat X for iOS/Android launches, iOS freebies, more
Daily Deals: DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter $599, CaseCrown Pro Case for iPad Air 2 $5, Vaas Waterproof Bluetooth Shower Speaker $15, more
More deals still alive:
Media: Harry Potter 8-film iTunes collection $50, Game of Thrones S1 Blu-ray $20, more
- Parrot Zik Wireless Bluetooth $230 (Reg. $300), Sennheiser Over-Ear $70 (Reg. $80+)
- JBL SoundFly Air wireless speaker with Apple AirPlay (Refurb.): $29 shipped (Orig. $140)
- Upgrade your HDTV’s audio w/ this 320W LG soundbar for $245 (Reg. $600)
- AOC 17-Inch USB 3.0 Powered Portable LCD/LED Monitor $170 shipped (orig. $250)
- AmazonBasics MFi Lightning cables: 6-ft $10 (Reg. $15), 3-ft $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)
- JBL Headphones: J55i $20 (Reg. $35+), J56BT wireless $55 (Reg. $70+)
- Xbox One AC Unity bundle w/ Halo MCC & 3-months Live $350, more
- Roomlia hotel savings app adds loyalty program: stay 7 nights, get 1 free
New products & more:
Orange Chef’s Countertop kitchen prep accessory integrates with Apple Watch and Vitamix
- Give your MacBook a boost with this stunning USA-sourced wooden stand from Grovemade
- NuDock wants to charge your Apple Watch, iPhone and every other USB device you own
- Monoprice introduces new line of 5 USB-C cables for connectivity & displays as low as $10
- This Tiko 3D Printer has a unibody design and direct drive titanium setup, costs only $179
- Roku announces new features and upgrades to its line of streaming media players
- Dust off your Game Boy cartridges, this case will let you play them on your iPhone 6 Plus
- Samsung’s Radiant360 R7 wireless speaker has a blimp-like design & 360 degree sound
9to5Toys Last Call: Galaxy Note 3 $295, Amazon free app – Trainyard, LG G3 w/ $100 Amazon gift card, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Samsung N9000 Galaxy Note 3 32 GB factory unlocked for GSM networks: $295 shipped (Reg. $500)
Amazon free Android app of the day: Trainyard (Reg. $3)
LG G3 w/ free $100 Amazon gift card for $0.01 w/ 2-yr contract or $479 w/o
Google Nexus 9 16GB WiFi (white): $320 shipped (Reg. $400)
Google Play Birthday Sale: $0.99 albums from Beck and Drake, $3 movies, discounted apps, more
Daily Deals: JBL USB computer speakers $25, Samsung Smart 20MP camera $279, microSD Cards from $10, more
Amazon Gold Box – up to 50% off computer accessories:
– Toshiba 3TB Canvio External Hard Drive $90 (Reg. $140)
– Belkin Thunderbolt 2 dock $240 (Reg. $300)
…and dozens of more deals
SanDisk’s groundbreaking microSD card will stuff an extra 200GB in your MacBook, GoPro, more
Small States Review – Bolt Briefcase from WaterField Designs is an ideal work and travel companion, $249 giveaway
More new gear from today:
WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $80 shipped (orig. $140)
- New! Games/Apps: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes $15, NewsBar reader $3, iOS freebies, more
- New! Harman Kardon NC Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones $125 (Reg. $200), more
- New! Audio-Technica Headphones: PRO700MK2 on-ears $128 (Reg. $170+), ATH-ANC7B over-ears $100 w/ pickup (Reg. $160), more
More deals still alive:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnkVkwH2qbE?rel=0]
Readdle’s wireless printing app Printer Pro goes free on iOS for the first time (Reg. $7)
- Jabra Solemate Bluetooth Speaker in black $60 shipped (Reg. $95+)
- Beats Studio Wired Over-Ear Headphones $230 shipped (Reg. $300)
- Elgato 256GB Portable Thunderbolt Drive $368 shipped (orig. $500)
- Pioneer’s SPH-DA120 adds Apple CarPlay to your car for $445 (Reg. $600)
- Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS $140 (Reg. $170)
- Amazing Indie Game iOS sale: up to 50% off Kingdom Rush, Banner Saga, more
- Dr. Seuss Birthday Sale: up to 80% off more than 60 iOS book apps/collections
- OontZ Angle Bluetooth speaker by Cambridge SoundWorks $28 Prime shipped (Orig. $70)
- Samsung 55-inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV $700 shipped (Reg. $800+)
- 3-pack of Apple-certified MFi Lightning Cables $21, 4-pack $27 Prime shipped
New products & more:
Mad Catz brings console style controllers to Android devices with the L.Y.N.X.3
- Radically upgrade your PS4, Xbox One or Wii U hard drive for $100 or less
- Free Xbox Live Gold Games for March: Rayman Legends, Tomb Raider, more
- Netflix March Preview: House of Cards S3, Aziz Ansari Live standup, Mad Men S7, more
- These AA and AAA batteries can be recharged from any USB power source
- Control Siri, iTunes and your iPhone’s camera from afar w/ Satechi’s Bluetooth buttons
9to5Toys Last Call: Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 $245, LG G Flex (unlocked) $230, Samsung 55″ Smart HDTV $700, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T530 10.1″ 16GB WiFi Android Tablet: $245 shipped (Reg. $299)
Black LG G Flex (first generation) L23 32GB, 4G LTE, unlocked for GSM carriers: $230 shipped (Reg. $300)
Samsung 55-inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV $700 shipped (Reg. $800+)
Logitech 330W 2.1-Channel Desktop Speaker System $100 shipped (orig. $150)
Southwest Airlines has one-way flights from $73 to cure your winter blues
More new gear from today:
Bose QuietComfort 20 from $245 shipped (Reg. $300)
- New! Games/Apps: Botanicula $2 (Reg. $5), Kingdom Rush Origins $1 (Reg. $3), more
- New! Power Banks: Goal Zero Solar/Hand Crank $60 (Reg. $80), 11,200mAh $20 (Reg. $30)
- New! Kitchenaid 300w Stand Mixer Tilt 4.5-Quart (Metallic/Red): $180 shipped
- New! 50% off Calvin Klein Underwear – 3pack boxers:$14, thong panties: $12, more
More deals still alive:
- Acoustic Research Portable Wireless Bluetooth Outdoor Speaker $19 (orig. $130)
- Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drive $380 shipped (Reg. $450+)
- Kensington Clicksafe Combination laptop/device lock $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $25+)
- One-year magazine subs from $5/yr: Wired, Dwell, Runner’s World, more
- Incipio NGP impact-resistant iPhone 6 case in black $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
- Headphones: Klipsch X11 $100 (Reg. $132+), Sennheiser HD205-II $25 (Reg. $50)
- Numark iDJ Live II Lightning DJ Controller for Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone $67 (Reg. $100)
- HDDs: Seagate 5TB desktop $130, Seagate Slim portable 2TB (multiple colors) $85
- D-Link Day/Night WiFi Surveillance Camera w/ iOS or Android Viewing $60 (Reg. $140)
- HDTVs: Samsung 48″ Smart $548 (orig. $848), Samsung 51″ Plasma $348 (orig. $879), more
- Stack these two Microsoft promos for 200GB of OneDrive storage for free
- TP-LINK AV200 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit $21 shipped (Reg. $30+)
- Samsung 50-inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV $599 shipped (orig. $1,200)
- BJ’s 1-Year Inner Circle Membership + $25 Gift Card $35 (~$75 value)
- Amazon Fire TV streaming media player $34 w/ Sling TV subscription or $84 w/o
New products & more:
- Leica uses mid-century military design with its limited edition M-P camera
- Here’s a look at Pioneer’s new all-gold limited edition DJ controller
- WaterField Designs has a new travel pouch for your tech from its San Francisco workshop
- Bang & Olufsen’s Bluetooth speaker is a must-see with its anodized aluminum gold finish
- Gaming For Couples: Catch up on 9 great video game columns!
- Target turns up the heat on Best Buy/Amazon by slashing its free shipping threshold
- The latest batch of Halo toys: authentic Needler blaster and McFarlane’s new Master Chief
- Rovio releases new matching puzzle game ‘Jolly Jam’ for iOS and Android
- Trendnet’s new 1200 AV2 MIMO equipped Powerline kit is now available
MagicPlay brings native Apple AirPlay support to Play Music on rooted devices
MagicPlay—another app from the doubleTwist developers—brings support for Apple’s AirPlay to any Android device running Android 4.1, allowing content to be streamed to an Apple TV connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the phone. If you aren’t rooted, a separate app will enable you to stream your music and videos to an Apple TV or compatible set of speakers from doubleTwist, but you won’t be able to use these features within the Play Music app itself.
If your device is rooted, however, MagicPlay now adds an option to stream your content via AirPlay from the Play Music app. This feature, added in the 1.1 update that was released today, was announced by doubleTwist in a blog post today. MagicPlay now takes advantage of an API normally reserved for the Chromecast:
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Twitter announces upcoming Android app update with new search filters (update: available now)
Update: the new version is available now.
Today Twitter has announced they will be updating their official app for Android, making it easier to discover what is happening on the microblogging network. The update adds new search filters that allow you to quickly navigate to specific people and Tweets. The filters also allow you to toggle between all relevant Tweets and only the most popular “top Tweets.”
Filters will also allow you to filter by different media types, such as photos and videos. There’s also an option to see Tweets only from the people you follow. The update includes includes a new timeline in the Discover tab that makes it easier to see what’s currently trending. This trending timeline will show topics that are associated with nearby events and TV shows.
Google makes it easier for Android & iOS devs to deploy cloud backends w/ Cloud Platform updates
Google is making some improvements to its Google Cloud Platform today that will make it easier for developers to provide cloud services across apps on multiple platforms. After first launching a preview of Cloud Endpoints earlier this year, Google announced today that the web backend solution for app developers has moved to General Availability. Cloud Endpoints provide developers with an easy way of building a simplified cloud backend to deploy across their web, Android and iPhone apps:
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Flipboard brings personalized magazine feature to Android devices
Earlier this year, popular news app service Flipboard brought a personalized magazine feature to iOS, and, today, the feature has made its way to Android devices. Because Android applications can integrate more deeply into the core operating system, the new Flipboard update is even more versatile for custom magazines:
On Android devices, people also have the option to flip an item into a magazine from other applications, including YouTube, a web browser or their photo gallery. There are also many ways to share Flipboard magazines on Android: in addition to the social networks they have connected to Flipboard, Android users can share a magazine from the magazine’s cover “share” button, via text message, email or on Pinterest.
Flipboard has also introduced a new web tools system for personalized magazine creators to edit their magazines via a web browser. Additionally, the new update includes single-sign-on for Facebook accounts and the ability to login to a FinancialTimes account.
Flipboard for Android now unofficially available to all
We already know Flipboard made its Android début last week with the introduction of Samsung’s new Galaxy S III, but today the app is available to everyone willing to download and install the APK themselves. XDA-developer forum user Valcho uploaded the .apk that he extracted from the Galaxy S III, which means you’re getting the actual app. It should also be easily installed through your device’s Web browser, so you will get to try it before its official release on Google Play. Go over to the XDA forums to grab it now.
Amazon gearing up for Kindle Fire tablet launch with video and magazine deals
A mockup of a seven-inch Amazon tablet running a forked Android version.
As Amazon gears up to debut its long-rumored tablet on Wednesday at a media event in New York (a subtle hint of a media-focused launch), TechCrunch chimes in with a name. The Android-driven device will be apparently marketed under the Kindle Fire moniker in order to distinguish it from Amazon’s highly regarded family of dedicated Kindle e-readers. Manufactured by Foxconn, Apple’s favorite contract manufacturer, the gizmo should boast a seven-inch color touchscreen (not true multi-touch) and won’t have an email client preloaded, but users will be able to download one from its mobile application store or use a built-in browser for web mail, writes author MG Siegler who first saw the device early this month.
Meanwhile, AlllThingsD’s Peter Kafka writes the online retailer is cutting partnerships left and right with Hollywood studios and magazine publishers. Amazon has now added Fox shows to its streaming catalog, Kafka reported today, explaining the deal includes shows Fox no longer airs and old Fox movies such as “Office Space,” “Speed” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. Also, at least three magazine publishers have thrown their weighg behind Amazon’s tablet project: Hearst, Conde Nast and Meredith. Kafka cites industry sources claiming all three publishers “have deals to sell digital versions of their titles on the new device”.
Those titles are allegedly optimized for Amazon’s seven-incher and terms are said to mirror the 70:30 revenue split offered by Apple’s iTunes content store. Even though its success is anything but given, conventional wisdom has it that the Amazon tablet should benefit from Amazon’s many cloud services and long-standing partnerships with content providers. What’s unique about Amazon…