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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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‘Save the Date’: Google is holding a mysterious competition for devs, possibly for I/O 2017 tickets

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Update 3: It’s not clear who is getting these or why, but some smart developers who solved the puzzle early do indeed seem to be receiving free tickets to I/O (via Twitter DM from @GoogleDevs).

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Update 2: The puzzle has been solved. No free tickets to be had. :(

Update: Google’s I/O website has been updated for I/O 2017, although no details have been provided yet.

The Google Developers Twitter account tweeted out a cryptic message (with a link to a cryptic website) this afternoon, which means that Android and Google developers might have a chance to win something important — although we have no idea what that might be yet. The use of the ‘#savethedate’ hashtag, however, suggests that this might be related to Google I/O 2017.


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Report reiterates that 2nd gen. Huawei Watch will bring cellular model

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A new report today says that Huawei is planning a second generation Huawei Watch for potential launch at Mobile World Congress next month in Barcelona, Spain. The watch is said to bring a “sportier” look compared to the first device, as well as a to-be-expected 42mm size and a 1.4-inch display. One major feature mentioned in the report, however, sounds awfully familiar…


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Deal: Honor 6X pre-order w/ free VR headset, battery, headphones: $250 shipped ($445 value, tax NY only)

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If you’re considering Huawei’s Honor 6X as a budget option, this might be the best deal you’ll find on the phone for a while. B&H offers a pre-order of the Honor 6X for $250 shipped (tax only in NY, and it should be shipping soon, since other retailers are already shipping) with a free pair of headphones, a VR headset, and a battery pack. Those freebies add up to a value of $195, which is notable considering the phone is only $250 to start with…


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PSA: OnePlus 3T is now available for immediate shipping

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It’s not secret that OnePlus has had a hard time shipping its phones over the years, but today marks one of the brief moments in time when you can actually navigate to the company’s website, click a few buttons, and actually have their newest device ready to ship to your home within a day or two. The OnePlus 3T, in its 64GB Gunmetal variant, is now available…


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Alphabet’s Nest gets its former VP Yoky Matsuoka back after brief stint at Apple

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Apple lured five-year VP of Technology at Nest and co-founder of Google X Yoky Matsuoka to work on its health initiatives in May of last year, but now she has seemingly jumped back over to the Mountain View, Company subsidiary. According to her LinkedIn profile, Matsuoka is now serving as Chief Technology Officer at Nest…


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Android Basics: How to customize Quick Settings tiles on Google Pixel

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Quick Settings can be helpful, but sometimes there are some buttons sitting around that you just don’t use all that often. Thankfully, the latest version of Android, which the Google Pixel ships with, conveniently allows you to rearrange your Quick Settings tiles from the notification shade…

Note: The basics of this guide should apply to most Android Nougat phones, although some details may not be entirely accurate.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 40% off first Google Express order, Tronsmart 4.8A USB Wall Charger w/ Quick Charge 2.0 $7.50, more

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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:

google-express

Take 40% off your first Google Express order with this code – save on electronics, food, more

tronsmart-dual-usb-wall-charger-1

Smartphone Accessories: Tronsmart 4.8A USB Wall Charger w/ Quick Charge 2.0 $7.50, more

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Daily Deals: Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro 256GB $1,275, Belkin Dual-Outlet/USB Charger + 3000mAh Battery $20, more

27-inch-apple-imac

Trusted eBay Seller Electronics Valley offers Apple-certified refurbished 27-inch 5K iMacs for up to $500 off w/ warranty

angry-birds-space-01

Angry Birds Space for iPhone/iPad goes free for the first time in over a year (Reg. up to $3)

best-nintendo-switch-accessories

The Best Nintendo Switch Accessories: Chargers, Console Stands, Backpacks and more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

onkyo-av-receiver-4k-airplay

Onkyo’s 7.2-Ch. A/V Receiver does it all – 4K, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Hi-Res Audio and more: $299 shipped (Reg. $400+)

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The best-selling Logitech HD Pro 1080p Webcam is back down to just $50 shipped (Reg. $65+)

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

 tp-link-hs105

TP-LINK’s new Wi-Fi Smart Plug has a slimmer design and Alexa control: $35 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)

Control up to five outlets wirelessly in your home: Aukey 5-piece kit with two remotes for $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $28)


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Purported photos of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 battery testing lab surface [Gallery]

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Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle officially wrapped up yesterday (or at least we hope), with the Korean company announcing that flaws in batteries from two different suppliers were to blame for the device’s explosions. Now, a series of photos showing what appears to be the company’s Note 7 battery investigation facility have popped up on Twitter…


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CyanogenMod is (kinda) back: LineageOS builds go live for Nexus 6P, 5X, Nextbit Robin, more

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Cyanogen essentially shut down in December, and a blog post from CyanogenMod at the time said that for various reasons (including the “PR stain,” “shared sources,” and more), it would be shutting down as well. Now, CyanogenMod lives on in the form of LineageOS, and builds of the new Android-based operating system are now available for a select few devices.


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Samsung says it won’t be unveiling the Galaxy S8 at Mobile World Congress 2017

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Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said (via Reuters) that the Korean company will not be showing off the latest version of its S line of flagship smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, breaking with a many years-long tradition. This is consistent with a recent report suggesting that the company made plans to host a dedicated event in New York City in April…


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New ‘Instant Tethering’ feature in Google Play Services automatically sets up tethering between devices

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Tethering your various devices to your phone to get connected to the internet is a common use case for many people these days, but the experience in getting it set up definitely has room for improvement. Now, there’s a new feature rolling out through a Google Play Services update (it seems to be version 10.2 in this case) that will let you tether your devices to a hotspot hosted on your phone with just a single tap…


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Former Google Search SVP Amit Singhal heads to Uber as SVP of Engineering

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Amit Singhal, the former longtime SVP of Search at Google, is now headed to ride hailing company Uber as SVP of Engineering (via TechCrunch). Singhal was employee number 176 at Google, and departed the Mountain View company in February of last year with a letter on Google+ suggesting a plan to retire. Now, he finds himself back near the top of a Silicon Valley giant…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto X Pure 64GB $250, Mpow Car Air Vent Phone Mount $10, more

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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:

best-buy-two-day-saleMotorola Moto X Pure 4G 64GB Android (Unlocked): $250 (Reg. $350)

Best Buy Two-Day Sale: Pioneer 7-inch CarPlay Receiver $500 (or less), Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse $65, much more

mpow-car-air-vent-magnetic-phone-mount

Smartphone Accessories: Mpow Car Air Vent Magnetic Phone Mount $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $13), more

best-buy-visa-checkout-deal

Save an extra $25 off $100+ at Best Buy w/ Visa Checkout: Powerbeats3 $129, Fitbit Charge 2 $105, more

mpc-x-namm-2017

Best of NAMM 2017: Pocket Synthesizers, new Logic Pro X features, iOS Interfaces, MPC X and much more

best-nintendo-switch-accessories

The Best Nintendo Switch Accessories: Chargers, Console Stands, Backpacks and more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

13-inch-macbook-pro-touch-bar

Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch 512GB MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar in both colors for $1,800 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

Best Buy offers the latest 13-inch 256GB MacBook Air for as little as $975 shipped (Reg. $1,199)

You can get a brand new Apple laptop today for less than $800 shipped: current gen 13-inch MacBook Air $200 off

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

 tp-link-hs105

TP-LINK’s new Wi-Fi Smart Plug has a slimmer design and Alexa control: $35 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)

Control up to five outlets wirelessly in your home: Aukey 5-piece kit with two remotes for $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $28)

caseology-iphone-7-6-plus-deals

Save on Caseology’s latest iPhone 7/6/s/Plus and Galaxy S7 cases w/ these exclusive promo codes, from $7 Prime shipped


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Android Basics: How to enable landscape home screen on Google Pixel

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Android is flexible and customizable, but sometimes the sheer number of options you have can be a bit overwhelming — even with a device that’s relatively simple and user-friendly like the Google Pixel. One of the many Google Pixel features you might not know how to enable is the landscape home screen, so read on for a quick walkthrough…


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How to watch Trump’s inauguration live on YouTube, Android, Chrome OS, and Android TV

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Today is the 2017 Presidential inauguration for President-elect Donald Trump and there are many ways to watch the events unfold live on your Android phone, Chrome OS laptop, or Android TV. On top of live official coverage on Twitter from PBS, there are also live video streams from the big TV broadcasters that are available in Android and Android TV apps as well as through Facebook and various websites if you’re watching on your desktop. There are even some 4K and 360-degree live streams available for all on YouTube. Telemundo will have Spanish coverage. 


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Lenovo 13-inch Chromebook 4GB $180, TP-LINK Wi-Fi Smart Plug $35, Canon PIXMA Printer $20, more

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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:

lenovo-20gl0000us

Lenovo Thinkpad 13-inch 4GB Chromebook: $180 shipped (Reg. $300)

tp-link-hs105

TP-LINK’s new Wi-Fi Smart Plug has a slimmer design and Alexa control: $35 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)

Control up to five outlets wirelessly in your home: Aukey 5-piece kit with two remotes for $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $28)

canon-pixma-mg2922-wireless-all-in-one-printer-blue

Daily Deals: Canon PIXMA Wireless All-In-One Printer $20, more

Print photos from your iOS/Android device on-the-go w/ the mini ZIP Polaroid mobile printer for $102 shipped (Reg. $130)

13-inch-macbook-pro-touch-bar

Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch 512GB MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar in both colors for $1,800 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

Best Buy offers the latest 13-inch 256GB MacBook Air for as little as $975 shipped (Reg. $1,199)

You can get a brand new Apple laptop today for less than $800 shipped: current gen 13-inch MacBook Air $200 off

best-buy-visa-checkout-deal

Save an extra $25 off $100+ at Best Buy w/ Visa Checkout: Powerbeats3 $129, Fitbit Charge 2 $105, more

resident-evil-7-biohazard-sale-01

Best Console Game Releases in January: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Yakuza 0, Gravity Rush 2, Kingdom Hearts, more

nike-band-ouluoqi-9to5toys

Review: does this Nike+ look-alike Apple Watch Band live up to the hype? Exclusive discount and more inside…

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

mackie-cr3

Amazon’s #1 best-selling speakers, the Mackie CR3 Studio Monitors, are on sale for $75 shipped (Reg. $100)

tp-link-ac3150-router

Make the jump to 802.11ac Wi-Fi w/ this TP-Link Gigabit Wireless Router for $150 shipped (25% savings)

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

bose-solo-15-dealImprove your home theater: The Bose Solo 15 Series II TV Sound System is on sale at Amazon for $319 shipped (Reg. $380+)

caseology-iphone-7-6-plus-deals

Save on Caseology’s latest iPhone 7/6/s/Plus and Galaxy S7 cases w/ these exclusive promo codes, from $7 Prime shipped

amazon-lightning-dock-clock-radio-1

Dock, charge and play music from your iPhone: AmazonBasics Lightning Clock Radio for $37.50 Prime shipped (all-time low)

Dock and charge your Apple Watch on this aluminum stand that includes a MFi charger: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)


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Teardown reveals Google Photos on mobile will soon let you edit time & date for your pictures

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Google Photos does a great job of automatically organizing your photos based on their EXIF data, but sometimes that data isn’t exactly correct — leading to some out of place photos in the timeline. On the desktop version of Photos, it’s pretty easy to edit the time and date of a photo with just a few clicks, but that functionality has long been missing from the mobile apps. That’s about to change…


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LG to add Chromecast multi-room & Google Home support to its line of Music Flow speakers

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According to a post made buy an LG staff member on the LG Music Flow support community (via AP), LG’s line of Music Flow speakers will soon be updated with support for both Chromecast multi-room functionality and the Google Home voice-activated speaker. This comes almost two years since the speakers first became available, and after lots of feedback was provided by various users of said forum (and more people on the Google Product Forum, too)…


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Touch latency on the OnePlus 3/3T is still irritating, even after recent Nougat update

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I’ve had the OnePlus 3T for about a month now, but there’s one flaw with this otherwise awesome phone that I just can’t get over. As you may have heard before, the phone has a touch latency issue. It’s not terrible — definitely not as bad as some of the bottom-of-the-line Android phones you might be familiar with. But it’s enough of an annoyance that I — and plenty of others — notice it every day.

And while OnePlus told us last month that the phone would be getting some “optimizations” relating to its touch latency with the release of OxygenOS 4.0 (which brought Android Nougat), we can’t really tell if there is any improvement in the new version. So we thought we’d bring it up again…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: WD 1TB Portable Hard Drive $40, Polaroid mini Android printer $102, Aukey USB-C charger $18, more

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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:

wd-my-passport-1tb-hdd

Daily Deals: WD My Passport USB 3.0 1TB External Portable Hard Drive $40, Beats EP Over-Ear Headphones $65, more

polaroid-mobile-printer-01

Print photos from your Android/iOS device on-the-go w/ the mini ZIP Polaroid mobile printer for $102 shipped (Reg. $130)

aukey-29w-dual-usb-charger

Smartphone Accessories: Aukey 29W Dual-port USB-C/A Wall Charger $18 Prime shipped, more

13-inch-macbook-pro-touch-bar

Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch 512GB MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar in both colors for $1,800 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

Best Buy offers the latest 13-inch 256GB MacBook Air for as little as $975 shipped (Reg. $1,199)

You can get a brand new Apple laptop today for less than $800 shipped: current gen 13-inch MacBook Air $200 off

best-buy-visa-checkout-deal

Save an extra $25 off $100+ at Best Buy w/ Visa Checkout: Powerbeats3 $129, Fitbit Charge 2 $105, more

resident-evil-7-biohazard-sale-01

Best Console Game Releases in January: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Yakuza 0, Gravity Rush 2, Kingdom Hearts, more

nike-band-ouluoqi-9to5toys

Review: does this Nike+ look-alike Apple Watch Band live up to the hype? Exclusive discount and more inside…

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

bose-solo-15-deal

Improve your home theater: The Bose Solo 15 Series II TV Sound System is on sale at Amazon for $319 shipped (Reg. $380+)

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

samsung-gear-iconx-cordfree-fitness-earbuds-with-activity-tracker-3

Samsung Gear IconX Cord-free Fitness AirPod competitor w/ 4GB internal storage $130 or $105 w/ Visa Checkout (Orig. $200)

caseology-iphone-7-6-plus-deals

Save on Caseology’s latest iPhone 7/6/s/Plus and Galaxy S7 cases w/ these exclusive promo codes, from $7 Prime shipped

amazon-lightning-dock-clock-radio-1

Dock, charge and play music from your iPhone: AmazonBasics Lightning Clock Radio for $37.50 Prime shipped (all-time low)


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Allo 5.0 rolling out w/ Chrome Custom Tabs, selfie-generated sticker packs on the way [APK Teardown]

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With every Allo update has come features that almost no one is asking for, and the latest version of the app, 5.0, isn’t much exception. The new version is rolling out now on the Play Store with one major addition: Chrome Custom Tabs, for viewing web pages without leaving the app. But a quick teardown of the app we did shows that there are other — yep, you guessed it — sticker-related features right around the corner…


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Google’s LG-made Android Wear 2.0 watches are the ‘Watch Sport’ and ‘Watch Style’

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Google confirmed last month that it would be launching two new Android Wear watches in early 2017, and now we’re getting our best look yet at what they’re actually going to look like on paper. A new report out of the usually-reliable Evan Blass (via VentureBeat) says that both devices will be LG-made and will be dubbed “LG Watch Sport” and “LG Watch Style”, as well as details each of the devices’ specifications…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Samsung Gear IconX Cord-free Earbuds $105, Galaxy S7 cases $7, more

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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-gear-iconx-cordfree-fitness-earbuds-with-activity-tracker-3

Samsung Gear IconX Cord-free Fitness AirPod competitor w/ 4GB internal storage $130 or $105 w/ Visa Checkout (Orig. $200)

Save on Caseology’s latest iPhone 7/6/s/Plus and Galaxy S7 cases w/ these exclusive promo codes, from $7 Prime shipped

13-inch-macbook-pro-touch-bar

Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch 512GB MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar in both colors for $1,800 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

best-buy-visa-checkout-deal

Save an extra $25 off $100+ at Best Buy w/ Visa Checkout: Powerbeats3 $129, Fitbit Charge 2 $105, more

resident-evil-7-biohazard-sale-01

Best Console Game Releases in January: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Yakuza 0, Gravity Rush 2, Kingdom Hearts, more

nike-band-ouluoqi-9to5toys

Review: does this Nike+ look-alike Apple Watch Band live up to the hype? Exclusive discount and more inside…

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

ravpower-filehub-plus

RAVPower’s FileHub Travel Router, SD Card Reader and 6000mAh battery is a must-have for road warriors: $30 (Reg. $40+)

mpow-magnetic-bike-phone-mount

Smartphone Accessories: Mpow Magnetic Bike Phone Mount $9.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $13), more

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

amazon-lightning-dock-clock-radio-1

Dock, charge and play music from your iPhone: AmazonBasics Lightning Clock Radio for $37.50 Prime shipped (all-time low)

oittm-four-port-usb-apple-watch

Charge your Apple Watch + up to three other devices: $18 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

1byone-antenna-amazon-deal

Ditch your cable provider and save with a 50-mile Over-the-Air HD Antenna + USB amp for $24 Prime shipped (Reg. $30+), more


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