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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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It’s real: Samsung starts teasing Iron Man-themed Galaxy S6 Edge

Artists rendition of what the phone might look like

Artist’s rendition of what the phone might look like

Korean media reported earlier this month that Samsung was working on a new Iron Man-themed Galaxy S6 in partnership with Marvel, and now that smartphone’s existence has been confirmed by Samsung itself. The South Korean company has taken to Twitter to show off what appears to be the packaging for the device, sporting a galactic background and labeled “Coming Soon”.

We don’t know what “Coming Soon” means exactly, but Samsung says that “detailed availability in markets may differ by region.” It’s also not clear at this point exactly which regions the phone might be coming to, but it’s assumable that the South Korean and United States markets are at least two of the targeted locales considering the popularity of The Avengers: Age of Ultron…

https://twitter.com/SamsungTMRW/status/599167406460669952

 

 

Google’s ‘Designed for Families’ Play Store program likely to launch at Google I/O

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Google has begun sending out an email to developers, asking them to opt-in their family-friendly apps and games to the Designed for Families program. The Mountain View company first started inviting developers to take part in the initiative about a month ago, aiming to increase discoverability of family- and kid-friendly apps on the Play Store…
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Google Chrome team says there are ‘no plans’ to bring extensions to mobile

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According to a statement from a member of the Google Chrome team, there are currently “no plans” to bring extensions to the mobile version of the browser. It’s a feature that has long been wanted, but the Chrome for Android Technical Program Manager says that they haven’t been able to implement them and still provide a good UX.

As per the AMA from yesterday:

There are no plans to add extensions support on mobile. We haven’t been able to implement these on mobile and still have it be a good user experience.

This seems a bit like the team is dodging the question here, and they don’t provide any details as to what exactly it is about the mobile experience that gets worse with extensions in the picture. One of the most popular extensions, AdBlock, would put an end to mobile ads—many of which Google themselves serves. Maybe this is what’s keeping extensions from allowing a “good user experience.”

LG Watch Urbane charging cradle now available on the Google Store

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This may not be the most exciting new product ever, but you can now purchase a replacement charging cradle for the LG Watch Urbane on the Google Store. This comes as the second of a couple updates that the Mountain View company seems to have rolled out on the Store today, the first being the removal of the Samsung Gear Live smartwatch from purchase…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 6 from T-Mobile $550, Pebble Steel $150, Galaxy Gear S $185, 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:

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T-Mobile is currently offering the Nexus 6 (32GB/64GB): $549 (Reg. $649) OR $599 (Reg. $699)

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Pebble Steel smartwatch for Select iOS and Android Devices: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)

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Samsung Galaxy Gear S R750 SM-R750A smartwatch: $185 shipped (Reg. $350)

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HTC One (M8) w/ 32 GB flash storage, 4G LTE, GSM (unlocked): $220 shipped (Reg. $499)

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Acer Chromebox Celeron 1.4 GHz 2GB DDR3L 16GB Chrome OS: $140 shipped w/ code EBATESAIO512 (Reg. $200)

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Over $110 in Android Apps/Games for free: Fleksy, Genius Scan+, Photo Studio Pro, much more

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Gold Box Gaming: Crucial 512GB SSD: $171 or 256GB $90, Trendnet AC router: $20, Dell 24″ display: $200, much more

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Small States: Feltmark’s Wald lighting combines simplicity and function, multiple giveaway winners

More new gear from today:

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Audio-Technica AT2020USB Condenser USB Microphone $80 shipped (Reg. $99)

More deals still alive:

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Yamaha RX-V377 5.1-Channel 4K A/V Receiver w/ USB $172 shipped (Orig. $300)

 

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Portable Bluetooth Speakers: Logitech UE BOOM $129 (Reg. $199), Mpow MBOX $38 (Reg. $50)

New products & more:

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Just throw the Lily Camera drone in the air and it will automatically record

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Sony’s new LED Lightbulb has a built-in Bluetooth speaker with iPhone controls

HTC’s new colorful J Butterfly for Japan is probably preferable to the One M9

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HTC J butterfly HTV31 specs and reviews | HTC Japan 2015-05-14 12-52-30

HTC has today brought to the world (or just Japan, actually) the announcement of its HTC J Butterfly flagship, likely to come to other parts of the world under the Butterfly 3 moniker. The phone is a colorful new handset with a waterproof plastic build, packs some very powerful internals, and even brings with it some features that HTC left behind for its One M9 flagship…


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PSA: WhatsApp stable channel updated with Material Design

WhatsApp got Material Design in beta a few versions ago (and most avid users of the service have probably been on that version for a while), but now the official Play Store listing has been updated to version 2.12.84, bringing Material Design with it.

Other than a visual overhaul, this version doesn’t appear to pack any substantial changes. It was just recently, however, that the app was updated to bring voice calling to all users—another feature that WhatsApp had been testing for months before it was pushed to the masses.

You can grab the latest version of WhatsApp on the Play Store for free.

Huawei to announce its United States plans on June 2nd, phone launch likely incoming

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Huawei has today sent out invites to an event happening on June 2nd, and it looks like this date might mark the first time the Chinese company will launch consumer hardware in North America. According to the invite, the event in New York City is scheduled to show off “what’s new from Huawei” and provide the latest information on the “company’s US strategy.”


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Samsung Wallet is getting the boot on June 30th to make room for Samsung Pay

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Samsung has begun sending out an email to Samsung Wallet users notifying them that the service will no longer be available as of June 30th (via SamMobile). The email says that coupons clipped with Samsung Wallet will no longer be available after the termination date, but that all “tickets & reservations” will still be available by visiting partner applications…
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Snake Rewind (from the creator of the original Snake) lands on the Play Store

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Snake Rewind has been getting a lot of hype, mostly because it was—at least partially—created by the maker of the original “Snake” mobile game from the 90s. Taneli Armanto in partnership with a game studio by the name of Rumilus Design announced the game earlier this month, but now it has officially landed in the Play Store.

The game is definitely inspired by the ancient dumbphone game, but this version has been updated to meet the tastes of a 2015 mobile gaming crowd. You’ll find a variety of fruit that the Snake can eat, 10 levels all with their own style and music, and the ability to compete against others via leaderboards and Facebook connect.

Here’s the full feature list:

– Rewind the snake to continue the game even after crashing!
– Many different types of special fruit, with unique powers and effects!
– 10 levels with distinct visuals and music, unlocked by completing fun and challenging missions!
– Fruit store where boosters and items can be upgraded and purchased, using fruit that you collect while playing!
– Compete against other players for higher scores and rankings on the leaderboards, connect with friends on Facebook and Game Center!
– Fill the whole screen with the snake and find out what happens then!

You can get Snake Rewind on the Play Store for free (but don’t be surprised if you stumble on a few in-app purchases along the way).

 

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy Gear S $185, Mpow Bluetooth headphones $20, HTC One M8 $220, 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:


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Evleaks basically confirms Galaxy S6 Active existence, shares press renders

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The Galaxy S6 was announced with nary a mention of a variant besides the famed Edge model, but a new leak surfaced yesterday showing what appeared to be spy shots of a previously unheard-of Active variant of Samsung’s latest flagship. While those shots might have looked a bit sketchy, another leak posted today by renowned leakster Evleaks corroborates the existence of the device we saw yesterday…


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2nd gen Moto 360 possibly spotted going through Bluetooth certification

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Moto 360

We’re nearing the one year anniversary mark of the first generation Moto 360’s original unveiling, and it’s about time for Motorola to show us what it has up its sleeves for the next iteration of its famed circular smartwatch—if said next generation does exist in the first place. If a newly surfaced filing from Bluetooth SIG is to be believed (via droid-life), the product does indeed appear to have a successor, and it might be closer than we think…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: HTC One M8 (unlocked) $220, Logitech gear up to 60% off, Pebble Steel $150, 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:

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HTC One (M8) w/ 32 GB flash storage, 4G LTE, GSM (unlocked): $220 shipped (Reg. $499)

Logitech gear up to 60% off: Bluetooth mouse $22, Speakers w/ sub $55, wireless touchpad keyboard $20, more

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Pebble Steel smartwatch for Select iOS and Android Devices: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)

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Acer Chromebox Celeron 1.4 GHz 2GB DDR3L 16GB Chrome OS: $140 shipped w/ code EBATESAIO512 (Reg. $200)

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Daily Deals: Retro-Bit NES/SNES/Genesis 3-In-1 System $56, more

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Small States: Feltmark’s Wald lighting combines simplicity and function, multiple giveaway winners

More new gear from today

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Seagate 2-Bay Network Attached Storage $100 shipped (Reg. $170), more

More deals still alive:

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55″ 1080p HDTVs: VIZIO $598 (Reg. $798), Samsung 3D $1,000 (Reg. $1,400+)

New products & more:

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The CHIP $9 computer has 4GB of on-board storage and can go portable as well

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Latest Google Play build for Android TV brings ‘Update all’ functionality, more

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A new version of the Google Play Store for Android TV has started rolling out this morning (via Android Police) with version number 5.4.12. The update doesn’t bring any drastic changes, but it does pack some notable minor improvements. First, you’ll find that there’s now an “Update all” button to update all of your currently-installed apps at once, and secondly, you’ll notice that the interface has slightly larger tiles.

Other than those two things, the latest version doesn’t seem to bring anything that’s front-facing (although you can be sure there are at least a few bug fixes here and there). If you want to grab the latest version, numbered 5.4.12, it’s readily available at AKMirror. Now we just need some more content in the store and some more games to play using our Nexus Player controllers.

 

Cyanogen receives more ‘strategic investment,’ this time from Foxconn

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The details are very scarce at this point, but a fresh press release this morning reveals that Cyanogen has received a “strategic investment” from Foxconn, closing out its series C round of funding. While an exact number isn’t mentioned (in fact no details are really mentioned), the release does say that Cyanogen has raised a total of $110 million in funding to date, assumably including the amount that Foxconn has invested.

Cyanogen received $70 million in an investment round in January, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Some amount of that was from Microsoft, another company that Cyanogen calls its partner. Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen’s CEO, was quoted as saying that the company plans to “take Android away from Google,” and apparently Foxconn—like Microsoft—will happily support this venture.

Cyanogen Receives Strategic Investment from Foxconn

Leading Consumer Electronics Manufacturer Invests in Cyanogen’s Open OS Vision

PALO ALTO, CA–(Marketwired – May 12, 2015) – Cyanogen Inc. announced the strategic investment from Foxconn and closed out its series C round of funding. With offices in Palo Alto and Seattle, Cyanogen is leveraging the investment to accelerate talent hiring and the development of its open OS platform. The platform will create a more open, level playing field for 3rd party developers, enabling seamlessly integrated experiences within the operating system.

Foxconn is the leader of contract manufacturing and FIH Mobile is the leading end-to-end provider for world’s best known handset brands. Along with Cyanogen’s other investors, the strategic investment from Foxconn will help advance Cyanogen’s commercial adoption and growth in major markets around the world.

“We’re evolving Android and creating an open computing platform that will change the way consumers interact with their mobile devices,” said Kirt McMaster, CEO of Cyanogen Inc. “Foxconn and our diverse group of strategic investors and partners reflect the mobile value chain, from device manufacturers and mobile network operators to chipset makers and 3rd party developers. They see the great potential of what we’re doing in creating the next major paradigm shift in mobile computing.”

To date, Cyanogen has raised a total $110 million in funding. As the third leading mobile operating system, Cyanogen is known for its commercial operating system, Cyanogen OS, and open source community distribution CyanogenMod that the company backs.

About Cyanogen Inc.
Cyanogen is reimagining mobile computing, giving power to the people to customize their mobile device and content experiences. The CYANOGEN® operating system is built on Android and known for its revolutionary personalization features, intuitive interface, speed, improved battery life, and enhanced security. With a rapidly growing global user base and a vibrant community of developers, we’re intelligently connecting smartphone and tablet consumers to people, apps, and things they love. For more information, visit Cyanogen’s website, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.

About FIH Mobile Ltd.
FIH (http://www.fihmb.com) is a vertically integrated manufacturing service provider for the mobile device industry worldwide. It provides a wide range of manufacturing services to its customers in connection with the production of mobile devices. Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Limited is the ultimate controlling shareholder of FIH (Hon Hai), and Hon Hai and its subsidiaries (as a group commonly known as the Foxconn Technology Group) is the leading global manufacturing service provider in the 3C (computer, communication and consumer electronics) industries.

Official Google I/O app beta channel updated for 2015, download it here

Update: Google has now updated the I/O app in the Play Store with the changes below ahead of May 28 – May 29 event. Grab it on the Play Store now.

The Google I/O app has received a few major updates over the last few years, each one landing right around the time of Google’s huge developers’ conference taking place in San Francisco, California. Now, some users who joined the beta channel of the Google I/O app last year have started receiving the update to its Google I/O 2015 version, and it packs a nifty super-Material redesign…


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Report: More than 90% of smartwatch display panels are made by LG

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According to market research firm DisplaySearch, LG Display—the sole company currently making displays for the Apple Watch—brought in over $186 million during the first quarter of 2015, a number more than 90% of the overall market estimated to be worth a total of $240 million (via Business Korea). Other players in the market have tiny shares in comparison, with Samsung Display in second place with a 3.1% share, followed by Japan Display at 2.1%…


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Yu Yuphoria has decent specs & low-end price, is a great competitor to the Moto E

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Amazon.in: Yuphoria: Electronics 2015-05-12 09-03-44

Yu—a subsidiary of Micromax—announced their first device (the Yureka) late last year, but today the company has announced their second entry: the Yuphoria. At first glance you’ll probably notice that the device has a smaller overall build and a metal frame—and that’s exactly the realm of devices that Yu seems to be after with this launch (think the Galaxy A series)…
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Android 5.1.1 factory image for the Nexus 9 now available, here’s how to install it (Update: LTE too!)

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Update: Both the Nexus 9 LTE OTA download link and factory image are now available.

Android 5.1.1 has been rolling out for a while, and now the 5.1.1 factory images for the Nexus 9 are starting to show up. Google’s factory image download page was just updated with Android Lollipop 5.1.1 (build LMY47X) for the WiFi-only Nexus 9, and the build for the LTE variant is surely just around the corner…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Acer Chromebox $130, HTC One (M8) $270, SOL Republic Bluetooth speaker $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:

acer-chromebox-cxi-zoom-big

Acer Chromebox Celeron 1.4 GHz 2GB DDR3L 16GB Chrome OS: $130 shipped (Reg. $200)

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HTC One (M8) w/ 32 GB flash storage, 4G LTE, GSM (unlocked): $270 shipped (Reg. $499)

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SOL REPUBLIC x Motorola DECK Bluetooth Speaker with NFC and Mic: $49.99 (Reg. $199.99)

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Select Modal Portable Bluetooth Speakers: $20 shipped (Reg. $40)

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Headphones: V-MODA On-Ears $80 (Orig. $230), Beats Solo 2 & Studios (open box) from $110 (Orig. $200+), more

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Small States: Feltmark’s Wald lighting combines simplicity and function, multiple giveaway winners

More new gear from today:

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Power up your morning routine: Panasonic Arc3 Wet/Dry Shaver $45, Oral-B Electric Toothbrush $16, more

More deals still alive:

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Lexar 128GB Micro-SD Card (95MB/s) for $86 shipped

New products & more:

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This stand up paddle board inflates itself & has a built-in motor w/ wireless controls

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Yooka-Laylee is the new adventure game from the studio behind Donkey Kong

Google temporarily shutting down Map Maker to remedy spam situation

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Google’s Map Maker has been getting hit hard with spam over the last few months, with one of the most recent and widely publicized incidents involving an Android logo urinating on an Apple logo in the middle of Pakistan. Now, the company is telling users of the Map Maker website that the service will be temporarily shut down as of tomorrow, May 12th…
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