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Stephen Hall

stephenjhall

Stephen is Growth Director at 9to5. You can find his current work at 9to5Mac, 9to5Google 9to5ToysElectrek, and more. If you want to get in touch, follow me on Twitter. Or, email at stephen (at) 9to5mac (dot) com, or an encrypted email at hallstephenj (at) protonmail (dot) com.

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Conflicting reports emerge regarding Deutsche Telekom talks with Comcast to sell T-Mobile

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German Manager Magazine (via Reuters) reports today that Deutsche Telekom is in talks with Comcast and others to sell T-Mobile US. Sources say that these potential buyers include satellite TV provider Dish (as corroborated by Reuters), but Comcast is seen as the most attractive option from the point of view of the German telecom, due to its financial strength and ability to buy T-Mobile’s shares in whole:

Deutsche Telekom is in talks with U.S. cable company Comcast about a potential sale of T-Mobile US, German Manager Magazin reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Deutsche Telekom is in talks with several parties, including satellite provider Dish, according to the magazine, but Comcast is viewed as a more attractive buyer by the German telecoms provider’s management.

Comcast would be a better candidate as it is financially stronger and would be able to make an offer to buy all shares in T-Mobile US, Manager Magazine reported.

As reported by Bloomberg, T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom shares rose slightly following the news:

T-Mobile shares rose as much as 3 percent in early trading, before the U.S. markets opened. Deutsche Telekom traded 1.8 percent higher at 15.31 euros at 1:44 p.m. in Frankfurt. T-Mobile, which is the fourth-largest U.S. mobile-phone company and is about 66 percent owned by Deutsche Telekom, has a market value of $31.5 billion.

A conflicting report has since surfaced, thanks to a “Comcast source” for ArsTechnica. According to the person familiar with Comcast’s thinking, the company isn’t actually interested in buying T-Mobile. As of yet, no official statement has been made by Comcast or T-Mobile, but Deutsche Telekom has said that it “does not comment on rumors and speculation.”

Fairphone 2 is less like Project Ara, more like a movement to build fairer electronics

Fairphone 2: Modular design for you to open and repair - YouTube 2015-06-17 09-26-03

The Fairphone 2 is an interesting concept, and its promotional video might have you believe that the company just wants to jump in and compete with Project Ara before Google gets to even introduce its modular phone. But while the Fairphone 2 is definitely modular in its own right (although not quite the same way Project Ara is), the phone represents a push across the board to rethink how smartphones are made—from mining to reusability…
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Google releases an Android version of Topeka, its Material Design example code

Last year, Google launched the Topeka web app as an “Open Source example” of what material design should look like on the web, and now they’re doing much the same—but for Android. The company took to its Android Developers’ blog to announce the Android version of Topeka, which the company hopes will help demonstrate the same Material Design principles for its mobile platform.

Today, we’re publishing a new material design example: The Android version of Topeka. It demonstrates that the same branding and material design principles can be used to create a consistent experience across platforms.

Like the Topeka web app, you can find Topeka for Android on GitHub. Within, you’ll find many examples of transition implementation, Material animations, vector drawables for displaying icons, unit and instrumentation tests, and more.

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Free LG G Pad from T-Mobile, Father’s Day GoPro deals, Moto X 2014 $299, 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:

Screen-Shot-2015-06-16-at-16.24.39-660x374

Get dad a free T-Mobile LG G Pad tablet from T-Mobile starting tomorrow

Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas: GoPro Bundles, Gift Cards, 2-day shipping, more | 9to5Toys 2015-06-16 14-41-56

Father’s Day GoPro bundles: 64GB Lexar microSD card, gift bag and free 2-day shipping

moto x 2nd gen

No-contract Moto X 2014 $299 after automatic $50 rebate with 30-day risk-free trial

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7 - Best Buy 2015-02-19 11-54-02

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $105 shipped (Reg. $150) | eBay

sharkkc2ae-aluminum-bluetooth-keyboard-ultra-slim-with-dedicated-buttons-ios-windows-android-300-hour-battery-life

SHARKK Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard $15 (Reg. $40)more

kano-computer-kit2

Quick Review: Kano’s Raspberry Pi 2 computer kit shines as a learning tool for kids and DIYers alike

More new gear from today:

yamaha-receiver-deal

Yamaha 7.2-channel Wi-Fi AV Receiver with AirPlay + Bluetooth $450 shipped (Orig. $850)

 

 

More deals still alive:

timbuk2-command-deal

Timbuk2 30% off sitewide: Command Messenger Bag 2015 $97 (Reg. $149), much more

apc-back-up-bge90m

Keep your Wi-Fi and iPhone running during a power outage w/ APC’s Back-UPS Connect for $48 shipped (Orig. $80)

New products & more:

The Last Guardian E3 2015

E3 2015: Sony shows Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII remake, Uncharted 4, Star Wars, more

E3 2015: Microsoft unveils new hardware, 360 compatibility + Forza 6, Halo 5, more

E3 2015: Bethesda’s real life Pip Boy for iPhone/Android, Dishonored 2, Doom, more

E3 2015: Xbox Live Gold Members can enjoy EA Access for free this week

belkin-9to5toys-wemo

Belkin is set to take on Philips Hue with its new WeMo smart home LED bundles

Pushbullet’s new ‘Portal’ app lets you move files from your computer to your smartphone effortlessly

Introducing Portal, WiFi file transfers made easy - YouTube 2015-06-16 12-02-00

Pushbullet is an essential part many an internet user’s every day routine, and now the company behind the cross-platform file moving app has released a new — and yet very old — way of transferring files from one device to another. The company’s new app, called Portal, lets you effortlessly transfer files from your computer to your smartphone or tablet directly over your local WiFi connection. It’s simple and lightweight, but that’s what makes it powerful.
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Latest Chromium build tests prompting users to install web apps for sites they visit often

Screen Shot 2015-06-16 at 10.52.44 AM

If you’ve been following the latest with Chrome for Android, you probably know that Google has been making a big push with web apps. In Chrome for Android beta 42, Google added banners that recommend users install web apps to their home screens, and in beta version 43, the Chrome for Android app now has banners that push native apps on users as well. Now, in the latest build of the Chromium—the open source project that is the basis for Chrome—browser, Google is testing banners suggesting that users add sites to their app shelf.
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Sony’s Xperia Z4 comes to the United States as the Z4v for Verizon

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When the Sony Xperia Z4 was announced earlier this year, we weren’t sure when—if ever—it would be coming to the United States. Now, as has been announced this morning by Verizon, it looks like the Japanese company is bringing the device to North America by way of the Big Red. As we noted before, the device definitely isn’t a drastic departure from what we know of as the Xperia Z3. But the Z4v brings some improvements and features that the Z4 doesn’t have…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: New Moto X 2014 $299, 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 $105, 10,400mAh power bank $10, 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

No-contract Moto X 2014 $299 after automatic $50 rebate with 30-day risk-free trial

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7 - Best Buy 2015-02-19 11-54-02

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $105 shipped (Reg. $150) | eBay

lumsing-10400mah-power-bank

$10 Lumsing Father’s Day deals: 10,400mAh power bank (Reg. $20), Bluetooth speaker w/NFC (Reg. $16), USB chargers, more

timbuk2-command-deal

Timbuk2 30% off sitewide: Command Messenger Bag 2015 $97 (Reg. $149), much more

apc-back-up-bge90m

Keep your Wi-Fi and iPhone running during a power outage w/ APC’s Back-UPS Connect for $48 shipped (Orig. $80)

 

Belkin is set to take on Philips Hue with its new WeMo smart home LED bundles

kano-computer-kit2

Quick Review: Kano’s Raspberry Pi 2 computer kit shines as a learning tool for kids and DIYers alike

More new gear from today:

Seagate 8TB Backup Plus USB 3 Desktop Drive: $250 shipped (6TB: $200, 5TB: $134)

samsung-portable-t1-ssd

Samsung’s T1 Portable SSDs are smaller than a business card, now on sale: 250GB $98, 500GB $198, 1TB $398

More deals still alive:

ravpower-36w-4-port-usb-charger

Charge up to four USB devices at once w/ this RAVPower Desktop Charger for $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $16), more

New products & more:

parrot-minidrone-9to5toys2

Parrot details new drones with upgraded specs for land, water and air

Adobe releases Photoshop Mix and a few Creative Cloud apps for Android

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Adobe has today released a new Photoshop app for Android called Photoshop Mix, a new attempt at bringing the company’s photo editing software to mobile. While Photoshop Express has been around for a while, it’s not exactly the most powerful photo editing tool on the Play Store. Adobe Photoshop Mix, in light of Photoshop Touch’s removal from the store, is an attempt at filling the gap for those that are looking for something a little more robust.
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Skype for Web now supports instant messaging on Chromebooks

If you’re a heavy Skype user, you probably aren’t a Chromebook user—and that’s probably because the two have never really played very well together. That’s at least starting to change starting today, though, as Microsoft has announced that Skype for Web is now expanding to be available worldwide, as well as bringing support for IM on Chrome OS and Linux.

Update: We’ve been hard at work and are pleased to announce that Skype for Web (Beta) is now available worldwide! Please see below for a list of supported languages. Also, good news for Chromebook and Linux users: you can now access Skype for Web (Beta) for instant messaging.

If you’re an Internet user—ha—and you have any of the supported browsers (or now, a Chromebook), you can access the Skype web app at any time for free. While today’s update does indeed bring support for instant messaging to Chrome OS, it’s unfortunate to note that there’s no voice and video support quite yet, as those require a separate plug-in.

NVIDIA SHIELD updated to 1.2 w/ support for 4K photos, better streaming, more

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NVIDIA’s SHIELD Android TV box is already becoming known as one of the best set-top boxes to ever exist, and now it’s getting even better. Thanks to a recent update, version number 1.2, the device is getting support for 4K resolution in the Photos & Videos app, optimized streaming of Netflix and Google Play Movies, enhancements to NVIDIA’s GameStream service, and other enhancements.
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HTC ‘strongly denies’ rumors of possible ASUS acquisition

TAIWAN-TELECOM-HTC-COMPANY-EARNINGS

Following a report on Friday morning from Reuters, rumors began flying about a potential ASUS acquisition of struggling HTC. The original report was clear, with ASUS Chief Financial Officer David Chang quoted as saying that “the chances of an actual takeover are not big…” This morning, however, HTC has come out to say matter-of-factly that it “will not consider the acquisition.”

We strongly deny the news. We didn’t contact Asusteck[sic] and will not consider the acquisition. As an international brand, HTC will continue to design world-class innovative smart devices through its pursuit of brilliance brand promise.

HTC has been struggling over the last few years, and the problems have been amplified as of late following the company’s launch of its lackluster HTC One M9 smartphone. HTC CEO Cher Wang came out to apologize publicly for the company’s poor performance earlier this year, and it slashed its performance guidance for the April-June quarter following a 20% drop in its stock early last week.

New (tiny) Moto X 2015 press render leak gives credence to previous sketchy rumors

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Maybe the smallest press render ever leaked?

The above image? That’s the latest Moto X 2015 leak, straight from the infamous Upleaks leakster himself (or herself?). Unlike most of Upleaks’ credible leaks, though, this one is a little bit on the small side as you can see. We have what looks to be a Moto X design with a metal band on the back, what might be an AT&T logo stamped on that metal strip, and what is assumably the company’s “Active Display” feature around front.

It’s nothing all too spectacular. But what makes this leak interesting is that it corroborates a much sketchier leak—so sketchy that we passed reporting on it—that has been making the rounds for the last few weeks. It comes from a guy by the name of TK Tech News, also known as Total Tech. He has a pretty bumpy history to say the least. But it looks like he might be right this time, as his leaks line up perfectly with what we’re now seeing from Upleaks.

So let’s take a look at what we might know about the next Moto X, given this new image…
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Moto Maker likely coming to India on June 15th

MotoMaker

Moto Maker has gradually been expanding its scope since being introduced in 2013. And following the phone customization service launching in China earlier this year (and several other notable countries over the last couple of years), it appears that Motorola is ready to bring it to India—a market favorite due to its emerging economy—as well…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG Watch Urbane $300, LG G2 32GB (unlocked) $190, Moto E (unlocked) $50, 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:

LG-Watch-Urbane

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear watch: $300 shipped (Reg. $350) | Amazon

g2

LG G2 5.2-inch 32GB for AT&T off-contract: $190 shipped (Reg. $475) | eBay

moto-e

First generation Moto E (unlocked): $50 shipped (Reg. $120)

ravpower-36w-4-port-usb-charger

Charge up to four USB devices at once w/ this RAVPower Desktop Charger for $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $16), more

Fathers Day-sales-012

Father’s Day: Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, more up to 50% off, DEWALT tools & gift cards from 20% off, more

More new gear from today:

samsung-850-evo

Daily Deals: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-inch SATA III Internal SSD $90, more

More deals still alive:

 

sony-MDR-7506

Sony MDR-7506 Professional Folding Headphones $70 shipped (Reg. $100)

New products & more:

oculus-rift-touch-vr-headset-e3-02

Oculus finally unveils the retail version of its Rift VR headset

kuai-bluetooth-headphones-9to5toys

These Multisport Biometric Headphones are a fitness tracker and Bluetooth headset

ASUS reportedly hasn’t ruled out acquiring struggling HTC

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asus

According to a report this morning from Reuters, Asus still hasn’t ruled out the possibility that it could acquire struggling HTC. It’s clear that this doesn’t actually suggest that a takeover is going to happen, but the fact that Asus chairman Johnny Shih seemingly doesn’t deny the possibility might be telling…
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Leaked screenshots show the upcoming Hangouts app for Android Wear

The upcoming Hangouts 4.0 update was shown off by Android Police yesterday, but now the publication is sharing images of its Android Wear counterpart—something that, for some, might be even more exciting than the full app. It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like Google is finally preparing to officially bring its popular messaging platform to the wrist…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G Pad tablet $65, Chromecast free movie rentals, Transcend flash storage, 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:

lg-g-pad-16gb-wifi-722-inch-quad-core-android-tablet

LG G Pad 16GB Wi-Fi 7-inch Quad-Core Android Tablet (refurb): $65 shipped (Reg. $150)

freerentaldeal

Chromecast free movie rental offer includes American Sniper, Interstellar, and more hits

transcend-sale-goldboxssd

Amazon Gold Box: Transcend Micro/SD Cards, USB sticks & SSDs: $18 for 64GB, $288 for 1TB SSD

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7 - Best Buy 2015-02-19 11-54-02

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $120 shipped (Reg. $150) | eBay

d-hero

LG is offering buy one get one free on its attractive leather covers for LG G4 | LG

Fathers Day-sales-012

Father’s Day: Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, more up to 50% off, DEWALT tools & gift cards from 20% off, more

More new gear from today:

samsung-un40hu6950-40-inch-4k-ultra-hd-60hz-smart-led-tv-2014-modelDaily Deals: Samsung 40″ 4K Smart TV $550, Toshiba 1TB External HDD $50, more

More deals still alive:

Pay what you want Mobile-First Developer’s Bundle ($1,740 value, currently $6)

New products & more:

Sony RX100 IV Camera (PRNewsFoto/Sony Electronics)

Sony’s new RX100 IV prosumer digital camera is loaded with features

holus-holographic-1

Holus uses 3D holograms to bring images from phones and tablets to life

Google Docs ‘Slides’ app updated with Chromecast and AirPlay support

Show up, don't set up: Google Slides supports Chromecast and AirPlay - YouTube 2015-06-11 12-28-44

Google announced today that it updated its Slides app, available for Android and iOS, to both support Google Cast and AirPlay. The update comes following the announcement of the Remote Display API that Google showed off at its I/O developers conference at the end of June, which allows developers to present more intricate applications and games on a remote screen.
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Press images of the new ‘Nest Cam,’ redesigned Nest companion app leak out

new-nest-camera2

We told you Wednesday that Nest has some new hardware in the works (likely to be announced at its upcoming June 17th event), and now droid-life has come out with press images of the new Nest Cam—an update to the hardware and branding of the current Dropcam Pro. We also mentioned yesterday that Nest has a new app in the works that will work with all of Nest’s hardware, and it looks like we get to take an early peek at that too…
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Nest’s new Thermostat, Protect, and Dropcam are on the way, alongside a new app to unify them

nest-solarcity

Nest has a press conference planned for June 17th, but Tony Fadell and company haven’t mentioned—nor hinted—up to this point what they might be working on. Possibilities range from a refreshed Nest Thermostat, to new hardware for the company’s Protect CO2 and smoke alarm, to new Dropcam hardware, to a sweet new smart mailbox (maybe based on Google’s April Fools joke from earlier this year?).

Reports have claimed that the Google-owned company has an entire lineup of new hardware in the works, including new versions of all of these products (sans the mailbox, of course). We can corroborate this information, as we’ve also heard from people familiar with the products in testing that Nest does indeed have new hardware being trialled in small groups, along with a brand new app that will tie everything together…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy Tab 4 (7-inch) $120, BOGO LG G4 leather covers, Lexar 128GB microSD $73, 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:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7 - Best Buy 2015-02-19 11-54-02

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 SM-T230 7″ White 8 GB: $120 shipped (Reg. $150) | eBay

d-hero

LG is offering buy one get one free on its attractive leather covers for LG G4 | LG

lexar-128gb-microsdxcLexar High-Performance MicroSDXC (Up to 95MB/s Read) w/USB 3.0 Reader Flash Memory Card $72.99 (Orig. $159.99)

onkyoc2a05-2-channel-network-av-receiver

Daily Deals: Onkyo 5.2-Ch Network A/V Receiver $185, Lexar High-Performance MicroSDXC $73, more

crucial-m500

Crucial M500 960GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive: $290 + $4 shipping (Reg. $340+)

Pay what you want-MobileFirstBundle

Pay what you want Mobile-First Developer’s Bundle ($1,740 value, currently $6)

Fathers Day-sales-012

Father’s Day: Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, more up to 50% off, DEWALT tools & gift cards from 20% off, more

More new gear from today:

sony-srsx3-portable-nfc-bluetooth-wireless-speaker-white-with-speakerphone-sale-02

Sony Bluetooth speakers: SRSX3 in white $80 (Reg. $128), SRSX5 in black $95 (Reg. $150)

Slayin-iOS-sale-02

Games/Apps: Captain Toad Treasure Tracker $33 Prime shipped, Slayin for iOS goes FREE, more freebies

More deals still alive:

apple-ipad-mini-3

Apple begins selling iPad mini 3 on its refurbished online store

New products & more:

june-oven-iphone-connectivity

June Oven has better specs than MacBook & was designed by former Apple engineers

Evidence of new ‘Smart Burst’ feature appears in latest Google Camera update

google play camera iconIn a teardown of the official Camera app’s most recent update, evidence has surfaced that Google is likely working on introducing a new “Smart Burst” mode. Taking “burst” photos isn’t a new concept, usually leaving the user with dozens of slightly-different images to sift through (and manually pick the ones that are worth keeping). As its name suggests, “Smart Burst” is probably a smarter version of burst photography, picking the best photos for you based on a variety of metrics.

Of the metrics that Google will reportedly be using to grade photos are the number of faces in the photo, streaking, facial expressions, whether eyes are open, and more.

While bringing a burst mode to the Camera app isn’t exactly groundbreaking (especially as this feature has been done by countless Android OEMs, Apple, and others), it’s nice to see Google bringing more features to its feature-light Camera app. And rather than just copying what others have done, it looks like Google is really trying to improve on an already-existing feature.

But maybe the app’s straightforward and low-bloat interface—with limited features—is one of the reasons the Camera app is so popular. Either way, this feature is almost certainly on the way, and it would make sense that Google would maybe tie it in with better camera hardware in a future Nexus (now wouldn’t that be great?).

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For now, you can get version 2.5 of the Camera app, which is where all of this information was pulled from, via the Play Store.