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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 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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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 64GB Nexus 6 (New) $300, Google Play movie & music deals, 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:

nexus-6-product-photo

New Google Nexus 6 64GB by Motorola (might not arrive for Christmas): $300 shipped (Reg. $600) | Amazon

Google Play Movies

Google Play Discounts: Save 75% on a movie rental or 50% off one music album

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Nexus 6P is $50 off at the Google Store with free overnight shipping

amazon-holiday-central

Amazon’s Xmas shipping cutoff for Prime is today, take advantage of last-minute deals & gift ideas

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Apple 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (newest version): $800 or $750 w/ .edu (Reg. $999), more

gift-guide-2015

9to5Google Gift GuidesStephen, Abner, and Cam’s favorite Chrome and Android-powered products

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

adobe-creative-cloud-software

Get 12 months of Adobe’s Creative Cloud plan with Photoshop for $96 (20% savings)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick

SanDisk Connect Wi-Fi iOS/Android Flash Drive: 32GB $25 (Reg. $40), 64GB $40 (Reg. $60)

philips-m2l-lightning-headphones

Headphones: Philips Over-Ears w/ Lightning Connector $199 (Reg. $240+), SoundPEATS Bluetooth Earbuds $9more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

hamwells-eshower

The new iOS-connected Hamwells e-Shower recycles your water with eyes on saving energy

pavilion-bluetooth-speaker

Hult blends copper and concrete in a stunning modern take on the Bluetooth speaker

Searching ‘bubble level’ in Google Search now presents you with an interactive level

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One Googler took to Reddit last week to tell the world about a new feature that his team (presumably) added to Google search. Now, if you search for “bubble level” in search from the Google app or Chrome on your mobile device (yes, including the iPhone), you’ll get access to an interactive bubble level mini-app directly from the results page itself.

And that’s about it. This doesn’t need much explaining, does it? Personally, I think this is a pretty nifty little feature to have whenever I need it. That said, I wouldn’t use this for any professional jobs that need exact precision. At least in my experience, this little widget isn’t nearly as accurate as the standalone apps on the Play Store or the iOS Compass app.

Rumor: Samsung’s Gear S2 Classic coming in new platinum and rose gold variants

gear s2 classic

This is definitely in the realm of “unsubstantiated rumors,” but it looks like the popular Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch — which runs a custom build of Tizen and sports a rotating dial on its bezel — is getting a couple new colors. This comes from a WinFuture.de writer on Twitter, suggesting that the two new variants will be in “platinum” and “rose gold” colors for the Gear S2 Classic version of the watch…


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PSA: First CyanogenMod 13 nightly for Nexus 4 released

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CyanogenMod 13 nightlies — which are based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow — have been rolling out for a couple of months now, and now you can grab the custom Android ROM for the Nexus 4. While this may not be a vanilla build of Android Marshmallow, it is yet another method of bringing the latest that Android has to offer to a phone that’s more than three years old…


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Ceramic and Champagne OnePlus X models are now available in Europe & Hong Kong

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Forgetting OnePlus’ annoying invite system, the OnePlus X is actually a pretty solid option when it comes to budget smartphones. Our own Dom Esposito went as far as to say that it’s the “best budget phone available.” Now, as expected, OnePlus says that you can buy both Ceramic and Champagne variants via open sale in Europe and Hong Kong for a limited time…


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9to5Toys Last Call: Brand new Nexus 6 $250, Samsung Galaxy Gear Live $80, 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:

nexus-6-product-photo

New Google Nexus 6 32GB by Motorola: $250 shipped (Reg. $350+)

gear-live

Get a fully-capable Galaxy Gear Live Android Wear smartwatch for just $80ah-huawei-nexus-6p-render-7-jpg-1200c397972-2015-09-27-16-52-02

Nexus 6P is $50 off at the Google Store with free overnight shipping

SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick

SanDisk Connect Wi-Fi iOS/Android Flash Drive: 32GB $25 (Reg. $40), 64GB $40 (Reg. $60)

gift-guide-2015

9to5Google Gift GuidesStephen, Abner, and Cam’s favorite Chrome and Android-powered products

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

philips-m2l-lightning-headphones

Headphones: Philips Over-Ears w/ Lightning Connector $199 (Reg. $240+), SoundPEATS Bluetooth Earbuds $9more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

seagate-backup-plus-5tb-desktop-external-hard-drive

Seagate Backup Plus USB 3.0 5TB Desktop External Hard Drive $115 (Orig. $180)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

pavilion-bluetooth-speaker

Hult blends copper and concrete in a stunning modern take on the Bluetooth speaker

canary-security-ios

Get Canary’s all-in-one home security system + air quality sensor for $179 (Reg. $200)

Amazon now officially sells the Nexus 6P, offering 64 GB model for $499

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While the Nexus 6P has been listed on Amazon for quite some time, it was only available through third-party sellers until today. The phone’s availability is currently rolling out now as sold by Amazon itself, and while the 32 GB and 128 GB models are not yet available (at the time of this writing, at least), the 64 GB model is currently listed at $499, which matches the current price on the Google Store.

The Nexus 6P’s availability has been broadening as of late, most recently becoming available at Best Buy as we told you would happen. The gold “Special Edition” model has also become available in India through FlipKart, and we expect that availability of that version will spread to the United States soon. In other related news, you would be foolish not to pick up the 32GB Nexus 6 at $250 via Amazon.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow now rolling out to the NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet K1

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NVIDIA released the refreshed SHIELD Tablet K1 last month, and now it’s getting a huge software update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The biggest additions here are nothing new — they’ve been hitting devices since Marshmallow first started rolling out to the Nexus line earlier this year — but there are a few things unique to the K1…


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Deal: Get a fully-capable Galaxy Gear Live Android Wear smartwatch for just $80

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If you’re looking to grab a smartwatch for an Android lover this holiday season, but would prefer something closer to a stocking stuffer than jewelry, this is your chance. DailySteals is offering the Samsung Galaxy Gear Live Android Wear smartwatch for just $79.99, and shipping to get it to your doorstep before Christmas should only be a couple bucks more.

While some of the latest Android Wear hardware does add a speaker (which has yet to be actually enabled by the software), the experience on the latest devices isn’t much different than when the platform first launched. The Galaxy Gear Live debuted Android Wear alongside the LG G Watch R, and it’s still a fully-capable smartwatch for someone looking to dip their toes.

For more great deals in the days leading up to Christmas, be sure to check out our roundup of last-minute picks for the Android lover.

The Nexus 5X may not be the hottest phone of 2015, but one unit did spontaneously catch fire

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The two new Nexus handsets this year have been received completely differently. While Huawei’s Nexus 6P is widely regarded as one of the best — if not the best — Nexus phones ever, LG’s Nexus 5X has been given the title “worse than the Nexus 5” on more than one occasion. I agree with that sentiment to some degree, and I would highly recommend you go with the Nexus 6P regardless of the size of your hands. There are some great advantages to a rebirth of the classic Nexus 5, but right now the phone is crippled by a software and hardware combo that leads to some unacceptable performance issues.

And now it looks like the phone is crippled by another problem in the case of one owner. Not unlike dozens of other phones over the years, it appears that at least one Nexus 5X unit had a faulty battery leading to a firey explosion…


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9to5Google Gift Guide: The best last-minute deals for the Android enthusiasts in your life

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If you’re looking to shop for the Google lovers in your life, time is running out if you want to receive items by Christmas. Thankfully, the Google Store is offering free overnight shipping until December 22nd, and Amazon Prime members of course have the option to go with free 2-day shipping on a huge number of items. We’ve compiled a list of the best of the best products from the gift guides that we’ve put together over the last months or so, and all of these items — should you order them within a day or two of this publishing — should make it to your doorstep in time for Christmas…


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9to5Toys Last Call: FitBit Charge HR $110, Microsoft Band 2 $200, $50 off Nexus 6P, 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:

fitbit-charge-features

Fitness Trackers: Fitbit Charge HR $110 (Reg. $130+), The Microsoft Band 2 $200 (Reg. $250)

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Nexus 6P is $50 off at the Google Store with free overnight shipping

 

 

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Various Huawei Watch models are $50 off at Amazon and the Google Store

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Games/Apps: Bastion for iOS $1 (Reg. $5), 50% off Final Fantasy 1-7, freebies, more

 

PayPal Digital Gifts

Gift Cards w/ Email Delivery: JCPenney $60 for $50, Toys R Us $100 for $90, more

 

gift-guide-2015

9to5Google Gift GuidesStephen, Abner, and Cam’s favorite Chrome and Android-powered products

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

linksys-usb-3-0-ethernet-adapter

Linksys USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter: $14 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

 

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

seagate-backup-plus-5tb-desktop-external-hard-drive

Seagate Backup Plus USB 3.0 5TB Desktop External Hard Drive $115 (Orig. $180)

USB Chargers w/ Prime shipping: Imneed 10,000mah Slim power bank $12, Nylon Braided Lightning Cable $8more

Anker USB Power Deals: Astro E7 26,800mAh Power Bank $40 (Reg. $60), Braided Nylon MFi Lightning Cables from $8more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

tiny-arcade-kickstarter

Tiny Arcade puts those 80’s gaming cabinets in the palm of your hand

yeti-usb-mic-in-silver-or-platinum-sale-01

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Trevor’s Holiday Gift Guide: The perfect accessories for travel – backpacks, cord management, more

Dan’s Holiday Gift Guide: rare Apple collectibles & swag for the techie who has everything

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

canary-security-ios

Get Canary’s all-in-one home security system + air quality/temperature sensor for $179 (Reg. $200)

Check out this 360 degree holiday tour of the White House on YouTube [Video]

360 Holiday Tour at the White House - YouTube 2015-12-18 15-24-15

360 degree video has taken off this year, and now yet another creation use of the technology is hitting YouTube. Just in time for the holidays, the White House has taken to YouTube to upload a 360 degree video tour of the decked out temporary residence and workplace of the President of the United States.

Beyond just being a 360 video that you can pan around, this video also offers 3D options for those that have a pair of classic 3D glasses laying around. Also, as with any 360 degree video on YouTube, you can also head over to your mobile device and pan around the video using your phone’s gyroscope. There’s also Google Cardboard support.

Here’s how to manually access a public WiFi login page on Android

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If you’ve ever used public WiFi before, you’re probably familiar with one common problem that just about everyone runs into every once in a while. You’ve selected the theoretically open WiFi network that you want to join and your phone tells you that you’re successfully connected, but when you head to Chrome and try to load up a page, you get nothing. In the Android WiFi settings menu, you may see a message along the lines of “Connected. No internet”. I ran into this problem myself a few times just this week, but now I’ve found the solution…


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Google wants to make Hangouts better at Hangouts, planning to strip SMS support to do so

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The well-connected Derek Ross took to his Google+ profile yesterday, sharing a post entitled “Things that’ll piss people off”. In said post, he details something that — indeed — will piss people off. According to Ross (who has a pretty good track record when it comes to Google software), the Mountain View company is planning to strip SMS support from Hangouts in an effort to make the app better at its job…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 6P from $450, refurb Nexus 6 $250, Moto X Pure Edition $350, 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:

ah-huawei-nexus-6p-render-7-jpg-1200c397972-2015-09-27-16-52-02

Nexus 6P is $50 off at the Google Store with free overnight shipping

nexus-6-product-photo

Refurbished Google Nexus 6 by Motorola: $250 shipped (Reg. $300+) | eBay

moto-x-pure-sale-discount

Moto X (2015) 32GB Pure edition: $350 shipped ($50 off), more

huawei-watch

Various Huawei Watch models are $50 off at Amazon and the Google Store

Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch K811 Keyboard for Mac

Amazon Gold Box – Logitech Accessories up to 60% off: Wireless Keyboards $19+, Mice $14+, Desktop speakers $8+, much more

Bowers Wilkins A5 AirPlay

Bowers & Wilkins recert: P3-P5 headsets $90-$140, AirPlay A5-A7 Speakers: $300-$500 shipped

PayPal Digital Gifts

Gift Cards w/ Email Delivery: Sears $100 for $85, Cabela’s $50 for $40, Spotify $60 for $50, more

gift-guide-2015

9to5Google Gift GuidesStephen, Abner, and Cam’s favorite Chrome and Android-powered products

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

yoshi-wooly-world-01

Games/Apps: Yoshi’s Woolly World $35, Xbox One bundles from $291, Wii U bundles from $250, freebiesmore

calvin-klein-goldbox

Fashion: Amazon Gold Box – up to 75% off last minute gifts, Calvin Klein Fleece $41 (Reg. $90) + J.Crew Factory 70% off

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

imneed-10000mah-slim-portable-charger

USB Chargers w/ Prime shipping: Imneed 10,000mah Slim power bank $12, Nylon Braided Lightning Cable $8more

Anker USB Power Deals: Astro E7 26,800mAh Power Bank $40 (Reg. $60), Braided Nylon MFi Lightning Cables from $8more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

fluxo-kickstarter

The FLUXO Smart Lamp lets iOS and Android users paint their walls with light

yeti-usb-mic-in-silver-or-platinum-sale-01

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Trevor’s Holiday Gift Guide: The perfect accessories for travel – backpacks, cord management, more

Dan’s Holiday Gift Guide: rare Apple collectibles & swag for the techie who has everything

Skip the holiday blues with these practical stocking stuffers

Top 10 holiday movies you can stream right now on Netflix

Google’s Project Blackrock sought to bring autonomy to drones w/ computer vision [Video]

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blackrock.mp4 2015-12-17 10-29-53

Many of Google’s internal projects go unannounced for a variety of reasons, but now we’ve uncovered one of them thanks to a year-old video hidden deep in the archive of a Silicon Valley filmmaker’s Vimeo account. Called Project Blackrock, this initiative from Google sought to make quadcopters autonomous with the help of a pair of cameras and a computer…


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Sources: Women’s Huawei Watch variants coming at CES, 2nd gen. model later in 2016

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The Huawei Watch is without a doubt one of the hottest wearables of 2015. The watch made waves this year as one of Huawei’s big breakout product launches in the United States, paired with the Nexus 6P — which is also a hit, widely regarded as the best Nexus phone ever. Now, people familiar with the matter have told 9to5Google that the Chinese company is planning to launch a made-for-women version(s) of the watch at CES 2016, and has already begun development of a second generation watch scheduled for the second half of next year…


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Google to soon begin selling Nexus 6P via Best Buy, offer the gold variant in the United States

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Before the Nexus 6P launched, it seemed — thanks to some early render leaks — that four different colors of the phone were going to be available for consumers. Come the Nexus event in September, only three colors (Aluminium, Graphite, or Frost) were available in most regions, with only Japan announced to be getting access to the last “Special Edition” gold variant. According to people familiar with the matter, the company is planning to soon begin selling the Nexus 6P via Best Buy, and finally launch the gold variant in the United States after only just recently making it available to Japanese customers through cellular carrier SoftBank…


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Huawei’s Honor brand to enter the US at CES 2016, likely with the Honor 5X

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We told you a few days ago that Honor, a brand of primarily low-end smartphones owned by Huawei, sent out invites for an event early next year at CES. The wording in that invite was very vague, mentioning only new “creative and smart technology,” but now we have more of an idea what the company has planned. As we previously speculated, it appears Honor is planning to officially enter the United States market…

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Honor’s 2nd anniversary festival is in full swing, and we’re in China to check it out [Gallery]

honor

Honor, Huawei’s sub-brand of lower-tier smartphones popular in developing countries, invited us out to Shenzhen, China to check out the company’s 2nd anniversary festival. It kicked off yesterday morning, filled with tons of carnival games and shows that encompass “bravery,” several sponsored booths from Honor‘s partners in China, huge stuffed Huawei mascots walking around, Chinese pop music from half a dozen artists, and more. It’s been fun to say the least…
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9to5Toys Last Call: ASUS ZenPad S $170, Moto E for Straight Talk $20, Bluetooth Earbuds $17, 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:

91BfXVQ42VL._SL1500_

ASUS ZenPad S 8 8-inch 32 GB tablet: $170 shipped (Reg. $200) | Amazon

k2-_ae437ebe-7d1b-411d-8642-9f32e5b755b4.v5.jpg-04145834ca7d0e2b8ba349088da8a24e5b587d08-webp-450x450

Straight Talk Moto E XT830C Prepaid Smartphone: $20 shipped (Reg. $50) | Walmart

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Google Nexus 5X 16GB flash black smartphone: $330 shipped (Reg. $380) | Amazon

Google Nexus 5X 32GB flash black smartphone: $380 shipped (Reg. $430) | Amazon

google-nexus-7-deal-staples

ASUS Google Nexus 7 16GB 7″ Android tablet w/ cover: $110 shipped (Reg. 200+) | Groupon

 

soundpeats-q9a-bluetooth (1)

Headphones: SoundPEATS Sport Bluetooth Earbuds $17 shipped (Reg. $30), more

yeti-usb-mic-in-silver-or-platinum-sale-01

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Giveaway: SanDisk USB flash drives for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

samsung-850-pro

Samsung 850 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drives: PRO 512GB $198, EVO 500GB $138

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

samsung-ultra-slim-black-optical-drives

Samsung Ultra-Slim 8X USB DVD-R Optical Drive for Mac/PC/Android: $18 shipped (Orig. $26)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

moley-robot-cooking

The future is (almost) here with Moley’s robotic kitchen that prepares meals from start to finish

omate-rise1

The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant success

Google thinks you might want to cover their $200 router with a $450 plywood slinky

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OnHub Makers 2015-12-08 15-18-45

Since routers work better when they’re left out in the open (rather than hidden down in the depths of the cabinets of the desk in your 1st floor office), Google thought it would be a good idea to make that one of the main selling points of OnHub. The new router platform is actually a really pleasant experience as a router (and looks a lot better than most of the current options), but the TP-LINK model’s price tag is just really hard to swallow. And rather than introducing a cheaper OnHub, Google recently decided to launch a more expensive one from ASUS.

Not much about the OnHub makes sense at this point, at least from my perspective.

Now (in hopes of making the platform more attractive?), Google has launched three new stylish covers for the already-$200 TP-LINK router. The Mountain View company is calling them shells, and they’re available in both bamboo and plastic. Oh, and Google is inviting creators to create their own shells as well through OnHub Makers…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: $50 off 16GB and 32GB Nexus 5X, Nexus 7 w/ cover $110, more

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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Nexus_5X.0.0

Google Nexus 5X 16GB flash black smartphone: $330 shipped (Reg. $380) | Amazon

Google Nexus 5X 32GB flash black smartphone: $380 shipped (Reg. $430) | Amazon

google-nexus-7-deal-staples

ASUS Google Nexus 7 16GB 7″ Android tablet w/ cover: $110 shipped (Reg. 200+) | Groupon

k2-_ae437ebe-7d1b-411d-8642-9f32e5b755b4.v5.jpg-04145834ca7d0e2b8ba349088da8a24e5b587d08-webp-450x450

Straight Talk Moto E XT830C Prepaid Smartphone: $20 shipped (Reg. $50) | Walmart

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Nova Launcher Prime via the Play Store is on sale for the holidays: $1 (Reg. $5) | Play Store

yeti-usb-mic-in-silver-or-platinum-sale-01

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Giveaway: SanDisk USB flash drives for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices

gift-guide-2015

9to5Google Gift GuidesStephen, Abner, and Cam’s favorite Chrome and Android-powered products

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

urge-basics-plus-speaker

Bluetooth Speakers: URGE SOUNDBRICK PLUS $17 (Reg. $30), Amazon Large $60 (Reg. $80), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

afterlight-image-editing-app1

Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)

ravpower-filehub1

This RAVPower Travel Router provides Wi-Fi, a battery pack, and more for $30 (Reg. $50)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

omate-rise1

The latest Omate smartwatch for iOS/Android hits Indiegogo w/ instant successminecraft-wii-u-edition

Minecraft finally makes the jump to Wii U w/ exclusive Nintendo content coming soon