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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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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Acer Chromebook $120, GoPro HERO4 Black $360, Spigen Nexus 6 case $5, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 27 2015 - 1:35 pm 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:

acer-cb3-111-c670

Acer Chromebook 2.6GHz.2GB/16GB SSD (refurb): $120 shipped (Orig. $170)

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GoPro HERO4 Black 4K Action Camera: $360 shipped (Reg. $500)

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Spigen Nexus 6 Case Ultra Hybrid (mint color): $5 shipped (Reg. $25)

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Unlocked Motorola Moto G (2nd generation) 8GB white: $129.55 shipped (Reg. $180) | Amazon

polk-audio-s2-speaker

Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

More new gear from today:

Amazon Gold Box – Audio-Technica M-Series Headphones over 40% off: ATH-M30x $49 shipped (Reg. $69), more

More deals still alive:

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Fitbit Charge HR Activity Tracker $115 shipped (Reg. $150), Fitbit Surge $195 (Reg. $245)

New products & more:

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The eora 3D scanner uses your phone to create 360-degree models of anything

Verizon also offering its employees a bright red DROID Turbo 2

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 27 2015 - 12:43 pm PT
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Droid-Turbo-2-Employee-Edition-4

Right before Verizon and Motorola took the stage earlier today to show off its new Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2 smartphones, a red version of the former showed up on the red carrier’s website. And while we now have a clear look at everything the phone offers, it’s interesting to note nonetheless that Verizon seemingly intends to carry on with the “Employee Edition” tradition…

As is the case with the regular Droid Turbo 2, the device’s listing that popped up earlier today showed that it has a lightweight design with a Snapdragon 810 system-on-a-chip from Qualcomm, a 5.4-inch QHD display, and a couple of great 21-megapixel and 5-megapixel cameras (although those are pretty standard for 2015). This particular phone seems to only be available in 64 GB.

While Verizon has already pulled the page detailing the phone, we can assume that it’s not going to be available to consumers — at least for now — anyway. It is the “Employee Edition,” after all. Be sure to read up on the regular Droid Turbo 2 and Droid Maxx 2, and if you’re really pining for some red on your Droid, you’ll be happy to learn that you can now use Moto Maker on the Turbo 2.

Verizon & Motorola announce DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 27 2015 - 8:35 am PT
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Screen Shot 2015-10-27 at 15.23.45 (2)

Verizon and Motorola have today announced both the Droid Turbo 2 and the Droid Maxx 2, a pair of smartphones that give Verizon customers some really great flagship and sub-flagship options. The big announcement here is the shatterproof screen coming exclusively to the higher-end Droid Turbo 2, but that reveal is coupled with the announcement of a mid-range, all-around good phone, the Maxx 2. Here’s everything we know…
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New DROIDs from Verizon and Motorola coming your way at 11 AM ET [Livestream]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 27 2015 - 8:05 am PT
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In case you didn’t know, Verizon and Motorola are prepping to launch a couple of new Droid phones today, and they say that our “expectations will be shattered.” And while we are on the ground ourselves in New York City to find out if that turns out to be true (I’m betting against it, personally), I’m happy to report that Verizon has indeed provided a livestream if you want to tune into the action yourself.
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You can now buy the waterproof HTC RE camera for just $50 shipped (Reg. $200)

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 27 2015 - 6:57 am PT
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HTC RE

HTC’s RE camera hasn’t exactly been the blowout hit, and at least a few times over the last several months we’ve seen it as low as $100 brand-new. Now, you can buy the HTC RE from the company’s website for just $50 shipped, which is $150 less than its regular $200 retail price and the lowest price we’ve seen.

The HTC RE, importantly, has a waterproof build — which makes it the obvious choice for water sports and outdoors filming. The camera also sports a 146° wide angle lens, and a 16-megapixel, 1/2.3″ Sony CMOS sensor. It has just one button, made for when you’re out with friends and just want to quickly capture a moment.

HTC’s website is currently offering the device in four colors: silver, orange, blue, and green. The device is compatible with both iPhone and Android platforms, and also brings the RE Live Stream feature, which lets you stream up to 30-minutes of footage directly from the device to YouTube. It’s nearing impulse buy at this price.

Buy the RE camera | HTC United States 2015-10-27 08-52-32

Google adds more train information to Google Flights in Europe

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 3:28 pm PT
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Add New Post ‹ 9to5Google — WordPress 2015-10-26 17-19-04While this might not make much sense to North American readers, high-speed trains are commonly a very smart alternative to flights when traveling across the European continent. Due to this, it makes sense that Google would add train information to Google Flights in Europe. Now, when browsing flights in Google Flights, users will be able to quickly see when it might make more sense to go by rail.

Here’s the low down:

Every year, billions of people travel across Europe for personal and professional reasons — often choosing high-speed rail as a convenient option. Now Google Flights makes it easy to compare the time and cost to ride vs. fly when trains are a logical and good alternative to many flight routes in Europe.

We started by adding train options for routes in Italy and Spain. Today we’re excited to announce a partnership with Deutsche Bahn in Germany to bring their expansive, fast rail service to Google Flights.

According to Google, this launch brings train options for 56 destinations and hundreds of routes across Northern Europe. The company says that Frankfurt-Munich and Hamburg-Stuttgart are popular routes, as well as Zurich-Frankfurt and Frankfurt-Amsterdam. As of today, you should be able to see these Northern Europe train options in the app, and even more routes in Italy and Spain, as well.

Opinion: I’m now a VR believer, and Google’s Tilt Brush app is particularly breathtaking

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 3:12 pm PT
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Late last week, I got a chance to give HTC Vive a test run at the Big Android BBQ in Hurst, Texas. I feel almost ashamed to say this, but I hadn’t even touched virtual reality at all — besides Google Cardboard, of course — until Friday. And while this probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to those out there that have already played with devices like Oculus and Vive in the past, I’m absolutely, completely, thoroughly, fully, a believer in virtual reality. Here’s how it went down…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 2nd generation Moto G (unlocked) $119, USB power deals, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 1:57 pm 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:

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Unlocked Motorola Moto G (2nd generation) 8GB white: $119 shipped (Reg. $180) | Amazon

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USB Roundup: Aukey 5000mAh Charger + MFi Lightning Cable $15 (Reg. $21), Lumsing 13400mAh Power bank $23, more

polk-audio-s2-speaker

Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

best-buy-in-store

Best Buy lands the first major blow in this year’s battle for holiday shoppers

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

More new gear from today:

amazon-fashion-deals

Fashion deals at Amazon – extra 20% off fall athletic/outdoor shoes: Caterpillar boots $52, ASICS running shoes $40, more

More deals still alive:

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Gift Cards up to 20% off: JCPenney, Sports Authority, more

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App Store Free App of the Week: Dr. Panda’s Mailman ($4 value)

New products & more:

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Dyson’s pricey 360 Eye robo-vac finally sees the light of day

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Use your smartphone as a controller for these AirConsole Mac/PC browser games

 

Google uploads Android Marshmallow factory images for Nexus 6P

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 1:05 pm PT
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AH-Huawei-Nexus-6P-Render-7.jpg (1200×972) 2015-09-27 16-52-02

Google has today uploaded Android Marshmallow factory images for the Nexus 6P, just as devices are starting to arrive for those who were part of the first batch of preorders. This isn’t overwhelmingly exciting news considering the 6P ships with Marshmallow, but it’s great that developers can now manually restore if something goes wrong while tinkering around.

Here they are, direct from Google’s servers:

If you need help installing one of these, feel free to check out our guide to installing Marshmallow factory images.

Hilariously, Google’s factory images site (at the time of this writing at least) has them listed as being for Android 5.1.1. Their build numbers clearly correlate with Android 6.0.0, though, so I’m going to assume this is a simple typo.

Factory Images for Nexus Devices  |  Nexus Files for Developers  |  Google Developers 2015-10-26 15-02-54

Facebook bolstering Android Notifications tab with sports scores, birthdays, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 11:49 am PT
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A More Useful Notifications Tab on Mobile | Facebook Newsroom 2015-10-26 13-25-16

If you’re a Facebook user, you’re definitely familiar with the Notifications tab in the company’s Android app. Although it has barely evolved from being a simple stream of your notifications since its introduction many years ago, Facebook has today come out to outline some changes on the way to make it more useful and personalized.
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Android Marshmallow stock ROM appears for LG G4 as OTA rollout delayed

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 7:28 am PT
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lg-g4-options

LG said earlier this month that Android Marshmallow is coming to the G4 soon (possibly quicker than pretty much every other non-Nexus smartphone), but a new post by the Korean company on its Poland Facebook page says that the update have been “temporarily suspended” due to technical issues (via AndroidBeat):

Nicolas, update is temporarily suspended due to technical reasons. We will keep you informed about the changes!


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9to5Toys Last Call: Galaxy Note 4 (unlocked) $300, HooToo Wireless Travel Router $40, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 23 2015 - 3:39 pm 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:

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $300 shipped (Reg. $700) | eBay

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HooToo Wireless Travel Router and 10400mAh External Charger: $40 shipped (Reg $60)

google-express-shopping

Get started with Google’s Express delivery service: $35 credit for $10

acer-chromebook

Acer Chromebook 1.50GHz/4GB/16GB SSD: $249 shipped (Reg. $279)

best-buy-in-store

Best Buy lands the first major blow in this year’s battle for holiday shoppers

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

More new gear from today:

 

logitech-performance-mx

Daily Deals: Logitech Performance Mouse MX $45, SanDisk 64GB Flash Memory Card for MacBook Air $44, more

More deals still alive:

Get a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air 2 for less than Apple charges for 16GB: $490 shipped (Reg. $599)

proXPN-VPN-9to5toys

proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39 ($375 value)

New products & more:

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The MiniBrew launches on Indiegogo as an iPhone-connected way to make your own beer

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Bird of Prey’s prone-style bicycle puts the rider facedown while riding

PSA: Several early Nexus 6P orders are now shipping

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 23 2015 - 3:15 pm PT
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AH-Huawei-Nexus-6P-Render-7.jpg (1200×972) 2015-09-27 16-52-02

If you ordered a Nexus 6P, this one’s for you. According to various reports across Twitter, Google+, and Reddit, many Nexus 6P orders are shipping this afternoon. From the looks of it (and that includes at least two different Reddit threads), those who ordered the 32 GB aluminum model are getting first dibs…

If you’re one of the lucky few who have a phone shipping this afternoon and you ordered with overnight shipping, you’ll probably see your phone at your doorstep on Monday. The rest of of the Nexus 6P variants — assuming you ordered on launch day — will likely begin shipping out sometime next week.

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Yes, the new emojis in iOS 9.1 are coming to Android… eventually

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 23 2015 - 2:36 pm PT
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IMG_0005.jpg (1200×738) 2015-10-23 16-27-13

A couple of weeks ago, Hiroshi Lockheimer was formally named senior vice president of Android, Chrome OS, and Chromecast operations. And while his involvement with Android definitely isn’t new, it seems he wants to kick off this position of slightly higher stature on good note.

On Twitter late last night, Lockheimer confirmed that the new emojis from Unicode 7 and 8 —  the ones that Apple just pushed to iOS devices in version 9.1 of its mobile OS — are on their way…
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9to5Toys Last Call: LG G Flex 2 (unlocked) $250, LG Optimus Zone 2 for $12, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 22 2015 - 3:37 pm 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:

deals-feature

Android Deals: LG G Flex 2 for $249, Optimus Zone 2 for $12, Boost ZTE Speed down to $29, more

lg-g3-fan

LG G3 D850 32 GB unlocked new 32 GB: $240 shipped (Reg. $400+) | eBay

proXPN-VPN-9to5toys

proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39 ($375 value)

mpow-bluetooth-sport-headphones

Bluetooth Sport Earbuds w/ Prime shipping: Aukey Around-Neck $17 (Reg. $30), more

amazon-prime-same-day

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

dell-black-friday-ad-leak-2015

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts

More new gear from today:

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Get ready for Halloween with Best Buy’s $5 horror Blu-ray sale: The Silence of the Lambs, Mad Max, more

More deals still alive:

seagate-4tb-sale-deal

Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped

New products & more:

garmin-forerunner-235

Garmin drops the bulk and adds color with its new Forerunner wearables

dcs-2630l_lifestyle1

D-Link’s latest surveillance cameras go wide-angle with “less distortion” than the competition

Alphabet stock soars: Q3 2015 Google earnings show $18.7 billion revenue, $5 billion in buybacks planned [Livestream]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 22 2015 - 1:23 pm PT
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Q3 2015 Earnings Call - YouTube 2015-10-22 15-23-06

Alphabet has today — for the very first time since the company’s major restructuring earlier this year — posted Google’s earnings for Q2 2015. The company reports revenue of $18.7 billion, which is up 13%. Net income for Q3 2015 was $3.97 billion. More importantly, Google is initiating its first buyback program, planning to buy $5,099,019,513.59 of its Class C capital stock.

Meanwhile, Alphabet stock is soaring.

goog - Google Search 2015-10-22 15-17-46 
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Follow along as we explore Big Android BBQ 2015 [2-day Liveblog]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 22 2015 - 7:26 am PT
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We’re on the ground at the Big Android BBQ 2015, one of the largest Android developer events of the year. And while this is largely a developer event without much in terms of press-facing announcements, this is the first year — as we told you this past summer — that Google Developers is partnering with IDEAA to make it bigger and better than ever. We’re here to meet interesting people in the community,

If you’re a developer, or just an Android enthusiast that’s curious about what the BABBQ is like this year, we’ll be keeping this post updated with anything we stumble on that might be interesting…
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Play Store listings now tell you when an app has Android Wear support

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 21 2015 - 2:23 pm PT
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Screenshot_20151021-160942

Since day one of the Apple Watch, iOS users have been able to get a quick glance at which apps have a companion Apple Watch app and which ones don’t. Android users have never had this luxury, and have instead been left guessing — or reading a site like this one — to find out whether or not a given app will have a wrist companion. Now, that has changed thanks to a new Android Wear icon that’s appearing on the Play Store…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: HTC One A9 $399 for a limited time, KMASHI 10,000mAh Battery $9, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 21 2015 - 12:33 pm 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:

The HTC One A9. Topaz Gold. - YouTube 2015-10-20 11-29-04

HTC is offering limited time deal on pre-orders of the HTC One A9 at $399 

kmashi-usb-power-deal

USB Power Deals: KMASHI 10,000mAh Battery $9 (Reg. $14), 6-Ft. Braided MFi Lightning Cable $8.50, more

nexus-6p-lead

Nexus 6P sold out at Google Store, but still available via Huawei for $499 and up

mpow-isnap-x-one-piece-u-shape-self-portrait-monopod-extendable-selfie-stick-with-built-in-bluetooth-remote-shutter-for-iphone-6-iphone-5s-samsung-galaxy-s6-s5-android-black-e1445447617307

Mpow Extendable Selfie Stick with built-in Bluetooth Remote Shutter: $5 Prime shipped (Reg. $15)

lg-g3-fan

LG G3 D850 32 GB unlocked new 32 GB: $240 shipped (Reg. $400+) | eBay

kindle-paperwhite_car

Save $20 on select Kindle e-Readers, deals start at just $59 with free shipping

dell-black-friday-ad-leak-2015

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts

More new gear from today:

gopro-hero4-black-camera-chdhx-401 (1)

GoPro HERO4 Action Cameras: Black 4K $389 (Reg. $500), Silver w/ LCD Display $329 (Reg. $400)

More deals still alive:

seagate-4tb-sale-deal

Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped

dell-ultrasharp-34-inch-curved-led-lit-monitor-u3415w-sale-01

21:9 Displays: Dell UltraSharp 34″ Curved $650, LG 34″ Curved $720, more

New products & more:

dcs-2630l_lifestyle1

D-Link’s latest surveillance cameras go wide-angle with “less distortion” than the competition

libratone-zipp-speakers

Libratone introduces multi-room audio alongside two new colorful ZIPP speakers

Spotify support is now landing on the original Chromecast via firmware update

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 21 2015 - 8:38 am PT
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chromecast

We first reported last month that Google was bringing Spotify support to the Chromecast, and those who already have the second-generation Chromecast in their possession (like myself) have probably been toying with the feature for a while now. Google did mention at its event last month, however, that support for the streaming service would be coming to the first-generation Chromecast at some point within a few weeks. It looks like that update is now rolling out…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G3 (unlocked) $240, Seagate 4TB Portable HDD $150, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 20 2015 - 1:44 pm 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-g3-fan

LG G3 D850 32 GB unlocked new 32 GB: $240 shipped (Reg. $400+) | eBay

seagate-4tb-sale-deal

Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped

aukey-15000mah-quick-charge-2-0-power-bank-w-usb-charging-cable

Aukey 15,000mAh Quick Charge 2.0 power bank: $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)

lg-g4-press-render-710

LG G4 brand new smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $380 shipped (Reg. $800) | eBay

dell-ultrasharp-34-inch-curved-led-lit-monitor-u3415w-sale-01

21:9 Displays: Dell UltraSharp 34″ Curved $650, LG 34″ Curved $720, more

kindle-paperwhite_car

Save $20 on select Kindle e-Readers, deals start at just $59 with free shipping

More new gear from today:

uncharted-the-nathan-drake-collection-ps4-bundle-sale-01

Games/Apps: PS4 Nathan Drake bundle w/ Guitar Hero Live $399, The Witcher 3 $32, R.B.I. Baseball 15 $2, freebies, more

More deals still alive:

shakira-google-play

Free MP3 Downloads: Greatest Hits from TLC, Muddy Waters, more plus Shakira Deluxe Edition

New products & more:

ninebot-mini-segway

This mini Segway hopes to take-off with its affordable price tag and compact design

vault-boy-xbox-one-controller

You’ll have to hurry to grab one of these limited edition Fallout 4 Xbox One controllers

 

HTC almost announces a GPE One A9 without the name — but does it smell as sweet?

Avatar for Stephen Hall Oct 20 2015 - 12:53 pm PT
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HTC One A9

Google Play Edition (GPE) devices are a thing of the past, but that’s not keeping HTC from tackling that very same segment of the market — the one that GPE devices failed to capture — with the “unlocked edition” of the HTC One A9.

In what feels like last-ditch effort to appeal to Android handset buyers that are usually targeted by Google itself with the Nexus line, the “unlocked edition” HTC One A9 offers updates within 15 days of Google’s Nexus line receiving them, less bloatware and pre-installed apps (no carrier software), and freedom to use the device on the carrier you choose…
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