9to5Google

Latest

VLC launches on Chrome OS with support for all sorts of video & audio formats

Screen Shot 2015-12-17 at 8.11.05 PM

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.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Facebook fully launches Instant Articles on Android

Facebook 2-1

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 .


Expand
Expanding
Close

Take 50% off any album purchase from Google Play

adele
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

Site default logo image

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

moto x 2nd gen

Motorola Moto X 2nd generation 16GB (unlocked): $250 shipped (Reg. $400)

s6 edge

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB (factory unlocked): $800 shipped (Reg. $1,000)

galaxy-s6-battery-case-zerolemon-samsung-galaxy-s6-2800mah-slim-power-battery-case-black-1-year-warranty-e14297944804841

ZeroLemon Galaxy S6 2800mAh Battery Case $20 Prime shipped w/ code (Reg. $30)

 

images_medium

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)

bowers-wilkins-p5-headphones-in-black-sale-02

Amazon Gold Box – Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones in black $190 shipped (Orig. $300), more

gopro-hero4-black

GoPro HERO4 Black 4K Action Camera $400 shipped (Reg. $500)

moleskine-mycloud-smallpack

Review: Moleskine’s new myCloud Smallpack offers plentiful storage in a tidy design, $150 giveaway

More new gear from today:

motorola-sb6121-cable-modem

Motorola SURFboard SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem (refurb): $40 + $5 shipping (Orig. $100)

More deals still alive:

seagate-external-hd

Seagate 1.5TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive $50 shipped (Reg. $70)

New products & more:

droplet-reminders-new-smartphone-03

Droplet smart buttons remind you to get things done without a barrage of notifications

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

dsafdafdsa

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32GB (unlocked): $295 shipped (Reg. $500)

lg-g3-fan

LG G3 w/ free $100 Amazon gift card for $0.01 w/ 2-yr contract or $479 w/o

wd-my-passport-ultra-2tb

WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $80 shipped (Orig. $140)

philips-hue-lux-starter

Philips Hue Lux price drops make it cheaper than ever to add smart lighting to your house: single bulb $20, Starter Kit $80

29 09 20141411995281gopro_hero-4-black-4

GoPro HERO4 Black/Surf Camera: $399 (Reg. $499.99)

r

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $470 shipped (Reg. $700)

this-is-ground47

Small States Review: This is Ground’s Mod 2 is the ultimate tablet companion, giveaway worth $310

More new gear from today:

royal-trouble-mac-os-x

Games/Apps: Royal Trouble Hidden Adventures free (Reg. $7), Mortal Kombat X for iOS/Android launches, iOS freebies, more

DJI-Phantom-2-Vision-Quadcopter

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:

harry-potter-itunes-collection

Media: Harry Potter 8-film iTunes collection $50, Game of Thrones S1 Blu-ray $20more

New products & more:

Countertop_Lifestyle-2

Orange Chef’s Countertop kitchen prep accessory integrates with Apple Watch and Vitamix

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

$_12-1

Samsung N9000 Galaxy Note 3 32 GB factory unlocked for GSM networks: $295 shipped (Reg. $500)

71xK0B+XFFL

Amazon free Android app of the day: Trainyard (Reg. $3)

lg-g3-fan

LG G3 w/ free $100 Amazon gift card for $0.01 w/ 2-yr contract or $479 w/o

469828_o03_current_nexus9_white_34r_r4_lowres

Google Nexus 9 16GB WiFi (white): $320 shipped (Reg. $400)

google-play-3rd-birthday-sale-e1425332878338

Google Play Birthday Sale: $0.99 albums from Beck and Drake, $3 movies, discounted apps, more

JBL-pebbles-speakers

Daily Deals: JBL USB computer speakers $25, Samsung Smart 20MP camera $279, microSD Cards from $10, more

710Ynwli6AL._SL1500_

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-ultra-200gb-microsdxc-1

SanDisk’s groundbreaking microSD card will stuff an extra 200GB in your MacBook, GoPro, more

bolt-briefcase1

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

WD My Passport Ultra 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $80 shipped (orig. $140)

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)

New products & more:

madcatz-lynx-gaming-controller

Mad Catz brings console style controllers to Android devices with the L.Y.N.X.3

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

galaxy tab 4 10

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T530 10.1″ 16GB WiFi Android Tablet: $245 shipped (Reg. $299)

g flex

Black LG G Flex (first generation) L23 32GB, 4G LTE, unlocked for GSM carriers: $230 shipped (Reg. $300)

samsung-smart-hdtv-deal

Samsung 55-inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV $700 shipped (Reg. $800+)

logitech-z623-deal

Logitech 330W 2.1-Channel Desktop Speaker System $100 shipped (orig. $150)

southwest-orlando-flight-sale

Southwest Airlines has one-way flights from $73 to cure your winter blues

More new gear from today:bose-quietcomfort-20-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones-sale-01

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 Prime shipped (orig. $130) | 9to5Toys 2015-02-25 13-27-54

New products & more:

leica-safari-camera

MagicPlay brings native Apple AirPlay support to Play Music on rooted devices

Site default logo image

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:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Galaxy Note Pro and Tab Pro tablets hitting the US from 13th Feb, but wifi-only for now

Site default logo image

Samsung-Galaxy-NotePRO-12.2-Press-Image-003-1280x853

If you liked the look of the four new tablets Samsung announced at CES back in January, you don’t have long to wait until they go on sale – but for now, only the wifi models will be available, and the Tab Pro 12.2 won’t ship until next month, reports re/code.

You can preorder the Wi-Fi-enabled Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, Tab Pro 10.1 or Tab Pro 8.4 now from various retailers, including Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon. But the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 isn’t expected to ship till March … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

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.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Google makes it easier for Android & iOS devs to deploy cloud backends w/ Cloud Platform updates

Site default logo image

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:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Flipboard brings personalized magazine feature to Android devices

flipboardusermagsandroid01

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.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Galaxy Note 8.0 launched, takes Apple’s iPad Mini head on

Site default logo image

After lots of leaks, rumors and outright company forecasts,  Samsung today announced the Galaxy Note 8.0, an 8-inch iPad Mini competitor. The 1280×800 pixel display will have a slightly better PPI of 189 than the Mini and match camera specs and a quad core processor. Samsung’s Note 8.0 will also double up the Mini with 2GB of RAM and add an S-Pen for those who need/want it as well as expandable storage via the Micro-SD card slot. Just like the Galaxy Tab 7 2 it has an IR blaster with a rebranded Peel station navigation. On the down side, it won’t have LTE (only HSPA+) and it will run a slightly out-dated 4.1.2 version of Android Jelly Bean. It also weighs almost an ounce more than the iPad Mini.

Oh and it can make calls like a huge phone.

Will this go head to head against the Mini? My gut reaction is no. Samsung’s Touchwiz overlay and pen will keep these out of the hands of mainstream users. No price or launch date is yet planned but the specs tell me (720P TFT display) that Samsung is aiming for a low price. I’d expect to see this at $250 in the US probably just after it launches in the 2nd quarter in a number of Asian and EU territories.

https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/305507515855167489

Press release follows:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google’s VP of Product talks Flipboard integration and enterprise, demos Hangouts on iPad [Audio]

Site default logo image

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfQrhMb18dY]

Google’s Vice President of Product Management Bradley Horowitz announced a Google+ partnership with Flipboard and teased an enterprise version of the social network at Le Web 2012 in London this morning, but he also demonstrated Hangouts…on an iPad.

According to TheNextWeb, the Flipboard partnership will stream Google+ feeds into the app as part of the Mountain View, Calif.-based Company’s new Google+ APIs that now sport limited availability for developers. The integration will also allow Flipboard users to get access to posts, media, and other data without visiting Google+ directly. Other social networks on Flipboard include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Horowitz further demonstrated Google+ Hangouts at the conference with an iPad. TheNextWeb’s Jamillah Knowles was on-hand to ask the executive why he chose Apple’s tablet over an Android device for the conference, but his response was vague (as heard in the audio clip above).

The Googler was also obscure in regards to numbers. He noted the 170 million-user base for Google+ as a “stale” estimate, and he would not give specific stats on whether Google+ apps prod interaction. He did mention, however, that Google has dreams for its social network in the enterprise.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Leaked Flipboard for Android app gets first update

Site default logo image

Flipboard for Android is set to officially début on the Galaxy S III when it launches May 29 in Europe, as we learned during Samsung’s press event earlier this month. However, before the app even launches, the currently iOS-exclusive Flipboard has leaked to those looking to install the social-network aggregation/magazine-format application on their Android device. Version 1.8.4 was pushed today— to those who have downloaded— in the form of an over-the-air update. As The Verge noted, the update brings a fix for the app crashing on older versions of Android and other performance enhancements, but some users are findng errors when trying to update. Nonetheless, it looks like Sammy is getting Flipboard ready for its official Android début.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Flipboard for Android now unofficially available to all

Site default logo image

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.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Google Propeller reportedly launching in a few weeks

Site default logo image

Google’s Propeller app is reportedly launching in a couple weeks says AllThingsD. The new app will be available on both Android and iPad tablets, and will act like Flipboard providing content from many different sources. Publishers will be able to package their content in a web app to be presented on tablets in HTML 5.

Propeller will launch with a frenzy of publications and be integrated into Google+ — like Google is doing with most of their products. Launching before Propeller however is Yahoo’s Livestand which will also have similar content delivery functionality. But I think we all know which is going to be better, right?

Amazon gearing up for Kindle Fire tablet launch with video and magazine deals

Site default logo image


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…


Expand
Expanding
Close