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Avatar for Stephen Hall

Stephen Hall

stephenjhall

Stephen is Growth Director at 9to5. You can find his current work at 9to5Mac, 9to5Google 9to5Toys, Electrek, 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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CM13 comes to Wileyfox Swift & Storm and Moto RAZR, Droid RAZR, Droid Bionic, Droid 4

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 21 2016 - 8:45 am PT
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wileyfox-lead-wp

We’ve covered both the Wileyfox Swift and Wileyfox Storm in detail (read & watch our reviews here and here, respectively), and now the two phones—which by default run Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Android Lollipop—are getting CyanogenMod 13 nightlies (via Android Police). We’ve said that the British-made and well-specced handsets are a great deal for the price if you live in the UK, even though they may not have anywhere near the hype or brand recognition of OnePlus…

You can find CM13 download links for the two phones here:

In addition, it seems a few ancient handsets also just starting receiving their first CyanogenMod 13 nightlies. The Motorola RAZR, Motorola Droid RAZR,  Motorola Droid Bionic, and Motorola Droid 4 are all joining ranks among dozens of other handsets. Marshmallow builds for these phones and others have been popping up here and there, but if you’ve been waiting on the tried and true (although maybe not in this case, as these are nightlies after all) CyanogenMod, you’re in luck.

Be sure to watch our own Cam Bunton’s video reviews of the Swift and Storm, and subscribe to us on YouTube for even more Wileyfox content in the future.

PSA: Verizon’s LG G3 now receiving Android Marshmallow over-the-air

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 21 2016 - 8:25 am PT
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LG-G3-1

The LG G3 is a tank of a phone, and it still holds up pretty well in 2016 even as the Korean company is planning to unveil the LG G5. If you’re running a Verizon-branded LG G3 as your daily driver, I have some good news: Many people just like you are reporting (via Reddit) that the phone is getting its over-the-air update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

As is usually the case with phones any more than a year old, it’s really a gamble whether or not devices will get the latest version of sweet-and-secure Android. Owners of the LG G3 D855 model, F400L/K/S models, and now Verizon owners, have all hit the jackpot as of yet. You can read more about Marshmallow compatibility with the LG G3 here.

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Microsoft’s ‘Mimicker Alarm’ Garage Project helps you start your day with mini games

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 21 2016 - 8:11 am PT
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microsoft-mimicker-alarm-games

Microsoft is back with another Garage Project (cute and novel apps made for iOS and Android phones), and this time it’s an alarm clock called Mimicker Alarm. At first glance, the style of this app looks eerily similar to that of the stock Android Clock app, but a deeper dive shows us that there’s a little more to it. Microsoft wants you to actually wake up when your alarm goes off, and to help you do that the company makes you play mini games powered by its Project Oxford machine learning APIs…


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Xiaomi’s upcoming Mi 5 leaked again, but this time it’s a spy shot of the white model

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 20 2016 - 12:47 pm PT
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xiaomi-mi-5

We told you last week that a Xiaomi Mi 5 online listing revealed its high-end specs, and now it appears that one of the first photos of the device in the flesh—and in its white variant—has surfaced online (via TimesNews). The leaked phone looks exactly as we would expect, and sports a Mi logo on the top-left hand corner, a home button that looks a lot like that of a Samsung phone, and a nice glass and aluminum build that looks a lot like an iPhone…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G4 (unlocked) $340, Nexus 5 32GB (refurb) $160, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 20 2016 - 9:58 am PT
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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: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

lg-g4-leather-plasic-case-leak

LG G4 w/ 32GB flash GSM 4G LTE (unlocked): $340 shipped (Reg. $600) | eBay

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Nexus 5 32GB (refurbished): $160 shipped (Reg. 200+) | Daily Steals

spigen nexus 6 case

Spigen Hybrid/Wallet/Thin Fit Nexus 6 cases: $3.50 shipped (Reg. $6.49 and up)

choetech-1

USB-C cables w/ Prime shipping: 6.6-ft for $7, 9.9-ft for $8, wall chargers + more

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Bose SoundTrue Around-Ear Headphones $80 (Orig. $180)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

upgrade-easyacc-2nd-gen-10000mah-power-bank-brilliant-external-battery-pack-2-4a-smart-output-classic-portable-charger

USB Power Banks: 10,000mAh $12 (Reg. $18), 3-port 22,400mAh $19 (Reg. $33), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

ravpower-car-jumpstarter (1)

Grab some peace of mind with this RAVPower 12,000mAh Car Jump Starter and Power Bank: $48 (Reg. $70)

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LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch: $200 shipped (Reg. $259)

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Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members – Final Fantasy XV, more: $48 ea (Reg. $60)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

amazon-dash

The first Amazon Dash Replenishment devices are now available for order

grovemade-walnut-entryway-collection (1)

Grovemade’s new entryway collection brings handcrafted charm to your home

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Deal: Spigen Hybrid/Wallet/Thin Fit Nexus 6 cases from $3.50 shipped (Reg. $6.49 and up)

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 20 2016 - 8:17 am PT
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spigen nexus 6 case

The Nexus 6 may not be the latest Nexus phone on the block, but it’s still widely used. Amazon was just last week selling the device new from $250 (one 32GB model is still available with delivery around January 28th), and at that price it’s one of the best Android phones for the money. If you already own a Nexus 6—or you were one of the many that picked up Amazon’s deal from last week—there’s never a better time than right now to get some protection.

Spigen via Amazon is offering some Neo Hybrid cases for the Nexus 6 from $11.99, but if you use one of the codes below, the price drops down to $4. The company is also offering some inexpensive bumper-style cases that are down to $3.50 w/ code. Free shipping is available for Prime members, or you can get free shipping by ordering through the Spigen listing that ships from CA and is not fulfilled by Amazon.


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LlabTooFeR corroborates sketchy rumors of two new HTC-made Nexus devices

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 19 2016 - 2:49 pm PT
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htc

LlabTooFeR on Twitter, an account known for reliably leaking many HTC handset details, has come out to give a little smidgen of confirmation to the super-sketchy rumors we saw about HTC-made Nexus devices earlier this week. While it’s not surprising for HTC to be making some Nexus devices in one sense (they were Google’s first Nexus partner, after all), it’s interesting considering Google’s new buddy-buddy relationship with Huawei…


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Deal: USB-C cables w/ Prime shipping: 6.6-ft for $7, 9.9-ft for $8, wall chargers + more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 19 2016 - 1:33 pm PT
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choetech-usb-c-cables-power-charger

Choetech via Amazon offers its 6.6-ft USB 2.0 Type A to Type C cable for $8.99, but when you use the code L3JGFC9V the price drops down to $6.99. Similarly, the company offers its 9.9-ft USB 2.0 Type A to Type C cable for $9.99, but when you use the code WTZ35GDZ the price drops down to $7.99. Both of these deals are $2 off the regular sale prices and the lowest we’ve seen them sold for at Amazon…


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‘Documents for Android Wear’ lets you view Google Docs and PDFs on your watch [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 19 2016 - 10:24 am PT
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document viewer android wear

A new app called Document Viewer for Android Wear was recently released by appfour, and you’re probably either excited or rolling your eyes. I’m definitely in the latter category. But then again, most times developers have tried to take apps that typically require a decently sized screen and shrink them to the size of teeny tiny Android Wear, the results haven’t been great. I’m looking at you, emulators that are definitely cool–proofs–of–concept-but-completely-impractical.

This one may not be as ridiculous as running a PSP game, but I’d say—and I mean absolutely no offense to appfour—it’s very unlikely to become an app you use daily…


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9to5Toys Last Call: 2nd gen. Moto X $243, USB-C and QuickCharge deals from $6, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 19 2016 - 9:23 am PT
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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: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

lg-g-watch

LG G Watch Android Wear refurb: $65 shipped (Reg. $110) | A4C

moto x g

2nd gen. Moto X (unlocked) $243 shipped, 2nd gen. Moto G w/ free dock $100 shipped

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USB-C Flash Drive $10, QuickCharge USB Wall Chargers from Anker $6

6.6ft USB-C to USB-C iOrange-E cable: $10.99 Prime shipped w/ code

family-of-3-pebbles

Pebble Smartwatch for Android and iPhone (Refurb): $50 (Orig. $150)

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Daily Deals: Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM Bluetooth speaker (Refurb) $180, ViewSonic 28-inch 4K LED Monitor $275, more

swiss-gear-backpacks

Amazon Gold Box: Top-rated SwissGear Laptop Backpacks up to 60% off, deals from $34 Prime shipped

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‘Tap 10’ gets you a free Chromecast after you use Android Pay 10 times ($35 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

The-Lorax-movie-image

Media: iTunes $10 book-inspired movie sale – The Lorax, Wizard of Oz + others, Mel Brooks collection $19, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

lg-watch-urbane-android-smartwatch

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch: $200 shipped (Reg. $259)

zac-brown-band

Google Play albums from Zac Brown Band and more on sale for $0.99 each

amazon-prime-pre-order-promo-01

Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members – Final Fantasy XV, more: $48 ea (Reg. $60)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

blipcast-kickstarter

Blipcast uses your Wi-Fi to beam HDTV audio to multiple iOS or Android devices

8bit-do-speaker-angle

This Nintendo-inspired Bluetooth speaker is just about perfect in every way

Facebook adds Tor support to its Android app via The Tor Project’s Orbot app

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 19 2016 - 7:44 am PT
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Facebook 2-1

Today, Facebook announced that it is bringing Tor support to its Android app, a couple years after the company decided to make Facebook available directly over the Tor network in October of 2014. Facebook says that “a sizeable community of people” are using the site over Tor, so bringing the feature to mobile via Android seems like the next logical step…


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PSA: ASUS just pushed Android for Work support, bug fixes to the ZenFone 2

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 19 2016 - 6:33 am PT
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ASUS Zenfone 2 Review! - YouTube 2015-06-19 12-51-56

ASUS just pushed a maintenance release to the ZenFone 2, according to a thread posted by the company on its ZenTalk forum. The update fixes several issues as you can see below, as well as adds support for Android for Work and a new “Screenshot sound settings” menu.

Here’s the full change log:

1.Fixed video sound issue.
2.Fixed google play stop service .
3.Fixed SD cards issue.
4.Fixed SmartBox not read the phone issue.
5.Fixed can not control the volume of YouTube when using miracast.
6.Fixed the issue of displaying wrong operator name when roaming and searching network.
7.Fixed phone hang-up issue in Russia
8.Fixed PosteMobile NFC issue (ZE551ML only)
9.Support Android for Work
10.Improve ASUS ZenUI Launcher stability
11.Improve Cell Broadcast stability
12.Fix the failure to share Photo Collage picture via Email
13.Several Apps update
14.Improve power usage of Email App

#        New Features
1.Add Screenshot sound settings

As far as we can tell, the update is still Lollipop, and is only going out to the standard ZenFone 2 at the moment. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you’re already seeing the update—my handy ZenFone 2 is still update-less.

Google’s doodle honors Martin Luther King Jr.

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 18 2016 - 1:24 pm PT
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martin-luther-king-jr-day-2016-4899278629634048-hp2x

Unsurprisingly, Google’s Doodle for today honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You can find the logo on the Google homepage, and clicking the logo does a quick search for “Martin Luther King Jr. Day”. The search page shows a smaller version of the logo in the top left corner, and you can find a full-resolution version over at Google’s blog post for today.

Said post reads:

Today’s doodle honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, community activist, philosopher and humanitarian. His leadership of the American Civil Rights movement,Nobel Peace Prize for non-violent civil disobedience in the face of racial injustice, and eventual martyrdom for the cause, cements his place as a hero for peace and justice worldwide.

As per Google’s Doodles site, the reach of today’s logo is unsurprisingly restricted to the United States. Many of those residing in the US of A—especially grade school and college students, as well as government employees—are probably enjoying this federal holiday off, so you might actually have time to read about some of the logos Google has put up on its homepage on this day in the past.

Deal: 2nd gen. Moto X (unlocked) $243 shipped, 2nd gen. Moto G w/ free dock $100 shipped

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 18 2016 - 12:59 pm PT
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moto x g

Best Buy offers the 2nd generation Moto X 16GB (unlocked) smartphone in black for $242.99 shipped, which is $57 below its retail price and the lowest price we could find for a brand new model. If you’re looking for its cheaper little brother, though, B&H offers the 2nd generation Moto G 8GB (unlocked) smartphone in black for $99.99 shipped w/ a free Belkin PowerHouse microUSB dock. That’s a savings of $95 compared to what these items would cost at retail…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG Watch Urbane $200, Ooma VoIP Home Phone $75, Fitbit Aria $89, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 18 2016 - 9:52 am PT
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9to5toys-header

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:

lg-watch-urbane-android-smartwatch

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch: $200 shipped (Reg. $259)

ooma-telo

Ditch your landline with Ooma’s Telo Home Phone Service for $75 shipped (Reg. $110)

fitbit-aria

Track your body fat percentage & BMI w/ Fitbit’s Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale: $89 shipped (Reg. $130)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

zac-brown-band

Google Play albums from Zac Brown Band and more on sale for $0.99 each

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

aukey2

USB Power: 5-Port QuickCharge 2.0 Charger $18 (Reg. $30), 5-pack microUSB cables $4

s6-edge

New 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge for $490 shipped (Reg. $715)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

8bit-do-speaker-angle

This Nintendo-inspired Bluetooth speaker is just about perfect in every way

phaz-lightning-headphones

Phāz takes note of iPhone 7 rumors with new Lightning-connected headphones

Huawei’s Honor 5X is a peek at the future of budget phones, hopefully with better software

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 15 2016 - 2:19 pm PT
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honor 5x

I’ve been using my Honor 5X on and off for about a week now, and my thoughts on the phone pretty much align with what everyone else is saying: The phone’s significance is not that it’s an amazingly great phone, but that it’s yet another inch toward driving down the price of good phones in general.

In the future, a “budget” phone (you know, the $150 Moto Gs of the world) will offer everything that today’s flagships tout. They will be made of metal, they will have fingerprint sensors, they will have more than capable processors, they will have great cameras, and they will have good software.

To me, the Honor 5X is our first peek at such a future. But it’s definitely not without its flaws…


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9to5Toys Last Call: Nexus 5X $380, Aukey 5-port charger $18, Android Pay promo, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 15 2016 - 10:11 am PT
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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: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

CYygATCWcAA9qgG

ZeroLemon solar dual-USB 20000mAh power bank: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $48)

Nexus_5X.0.0

New LG Nexus 5X 32GB (unlocked): $380 shipped (Reg. $400) | eBay

aukey2

Aukey USB Power: 5-Port QuickCharge 2.0 Desktop Charger $18 (Reg. $30), 5-pack microUSB cables $4

Android pay logo

Android Pay Rewards ‘Tap 10’ looks to give away Google Play downloads, Chromecasts

nexus-6-product-photo

Motorola Nexus 6 factory unlocked 32GB in blue/white: $250 shipped (Reg. $330)

wd-elements-2tb-box

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive: $69 shipped (Reg. $80+)

amazon-prime-discount

Amazon is discounting its Prime 2-day shipping service down to $73 this weekend (Reg. $99)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

braven-770-bluetooth-speaker (1)

Daily Deals: BRAVEN 770 Weatherproof Bluetooth Speaker $75, PNY 32GB Flash Drive $7, more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

2016-01-14 11_53_11-9to5Toys Last Call_ LG G4 $350, LG G3 (refurb) $170, LG 34″ QHD Monitor $570, mo

Samsung Gear S2 from $250 shipped, Gear S2 Classic from $300 shipped w/ code 50OFFJAN | Adorama

If you don’t mind rebates, you can get an additional $50 off both models.

 

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

phaz-lightning-headphones

Phāz takes note of iPhone 7 rumors with new Lightning-connected headphones

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]

Android Pay Rewards ‘Tap 10’ looks to give away Google Play downloads, Chromecasts

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 15 2016 - 9:21 am PT
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Android pay logo

Update: It looks like 1st, 2nd, and 6th taps get you 3 free songs on Google Play, and the 10th tap gets you a free Chromecast. Great deal.

It doesn’t look like Google has made any official announcement about this yet, but we’ve been tipped off today on a new Android Pay Rewards program called “Tap 10” that looks to give away free Chromecast devices and Google Play music downloads to some Android Pay users…
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This Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge concept is pretty, but it doesn’t make much sense [Gallery]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 14 2016 - 2:41 pm PT
3 Comments

samsung galaxy s7

Case manufacturers are already making cases for the Galaxy S7 (and its design doesn’t look much different than the Galaxy S6), but that’s not stopping Curved from posting the Galaxy S7 of its dreams. Curved’s designs are always pretty, but as is the case with this one, they’re not always the most logical. As you can see, this design puts the USB Type-C port on the top of the device, a microSD slot on the bottom, and another edged screen along the bottom of its face…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto G (2nd gen.) $100, Gear Live $80, Galaxy S6 Edge $490, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 14 2016 - 9:53 am PT
0 Comments

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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: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

moto-g

Motorola Moto G (2nd gen.) 8GB black: $100 shipped (Reg. $180) | Best Buy 

gear-live

Samsung Android Wear-powered Gear Live: $80 shipped (Reg. $150) | eBay

s6-edge

New 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: $490 shipped (Reg. $715)

2016-01-14 11_53_11-9to5Toys Last Call_ LG G4 $350, LG G3 (refurb) $170, LG 34″ QHD Monitor $570, mo

Samsung Gear S2 from $250 shipped, Gear S2 Classic from $300 shipped w/ code 50OFFJAN | Adorama

If you don’t mind rebates, you can get an additional $50 off both models

lg g3 beat

LG G3 Beat 8GB unlocked Android phone: $130 shipped (Reg. $200) | Amazon

philips-hue-bloom-kit (1)

Philips Friends of Hue Bloom Luminaire Starter Kit: $100 shipped (Orig. $180)

harman-kardon-esquire-copy

Bluetooth Audio Deals: Harman Kardon Speaker (refurb) $70, Over-Ear Headphones $17, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

lumsing-combo-deal

USB Power: Lumsing 40W 5-Port Charger + Lightning cable $20 (Reg. $30+), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

motorola-sb6121-6141-cable-modems

It’s 2016, stop renting your cable modem: Motorola refurb DOCSIS 3.0 deals from $40 (Orig. up to $220)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

kiba-family-camera

The Kiba camera wants to sit on your shelf and record life’s biggest moments

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]

Future versions of Chrome will have Chromecast support built-in

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 13 2016 - 2:57 pm PT
2 Comments

Screenshot 2016-01-12 at 11.48.34 AM

As of today, the ability to cast content to your Chromecast from the desktop comes in the form of a Chrome extension called Google Cast. As of the latest beta build of Chrome, though, you can now cast content from the web without said extension installed. All you have to do is right-click the content and use the “Cast…” menu…


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Lenovo’s Lemon 3 launches in China, is clearly a direct competitor to the Redmi 3

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 13 2016 - 1:27 pm PT
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lenovo-lemon-3-official

Lenovo has today launched a budget phone in China, and it’s called the Lemon 3. Notably, this is different than the phone that leaked last year that also had a citrus-y name. While the Lemon X (which launched in Chinese markets a couple of months ago under the name Vibe X3) is aimed at the mid-range, the Lemon 3 is aimed at the lower end of the market…


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Google Play Books comes to Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and 5 more new countries

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 13 2016 - 10:34 am PT
1 Comment

play books

This one’s a quick one. Google has today launched Google Play Books in 9 new countries, bringing the total number of locales that have access to the service to 75. Those residing in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates will find that they can use Play Books effective immediately.

On a related note, Google updated Play Books this time last month with a new Night Light mode that lets you read in the dark without killing your eyes. Hopefully they’ll bring this feature to the OS as a whole soon, just like Apple is planning to do with the launch of iOS 9.3. Most of us have been using this on our desktops with F.lux.