• Apps & Updates
• Android
• Google
• Apps and Updates
• Material Design
• advertising

AdSense v3.0 for Android receives Material Design treatment

AdSense, Google’s publisher ad network used by millions of websites across the web, has just seen its Android app brought up to the company’s Material design language standards.

The app itself is mostly read-only, meaning you can quickly see data on your performance like how much money you’ve made from your ad placements over different time periods, but you cannot create new ads to place on your site from within the app. That would be cumbersome from a mobile device, though, as it requires copying and pasting HTML code into your site’s backend.

AdSense 3.0 also brings with it a new logo the company unveiled back in June. It looks like this:

And for the curious, here’s what the app looked like before today’s update:

The update hasn’t propagated completely in Google Play yet, but it’s available as a direct download through APKMirror right now.

• Android
• Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Moto X
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Motorola

Moto X Play available in Canadian retail stores this Friday, August 21 (Update: $420 CAD)

Update: Canadian mobile operator TELUS has just posted its pricing for the Moto X Play, and it will be $50 CAD on a 2-year plan or $420 CAD unlocked.

Are you a Canadian eagerly awaiting the day when you can finally get Motorola’s new Android-powered Moto X Play in your hands? Well, this weekend is going to be great for you, as Motorola Canada has just announced that will be available in retail stores starting this Friday.

[tweet https://twitter.com/Motorola_CA/status/633735528110649348 align=’center]

Earlier today we saw Motorola begin to accept orders for the Moto X Play online through its Moto Maker personalization tool for approximately $400 USD. Orders through that system have been displaying an estimated delivery date of the 26th and 27th for some of the 55 countries (Europe, Latin America, and Canada) that the new phone is being sold in. Motorola Canada’s website has yet to be updated with pricing information, and the company has traditionally only sold its phones through carriers in Canada — not unlocked. There’s no word on when the Moto X Play will make it to retailers in the other 54 countries.

The Moto X Play is quite similar to the Moto X Style, also unveiled at the same time, but compromises on internal specifications in favor of a water-repellent design and quoted 48 hours of battery life. Where the Moto X Style is more beastly than the X Play is in its display, processor clock-speed, and total RAM — the X Style has a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, a 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, and 3GB of RAM, whereas the X Play has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615, and 2GB of RAM. You still get the same 21 megapixel camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and the battery capacity is 3630 mAh versus 3000 on the X Style.

As with all Motorola smartphones these days, expect a very light Android experience (Lollipop until Android Marshmallow comes out) with almost no Motorola-preinstalled software save for well-regarded features like Moto Assist. That is, after all, one of the main selling points of Motorola phones today aside from their reasonable prices off-contract.

Motorola Canada’s The United States was left out of this phone’s release, but Motorola says that it will be bringing more new offerings stateside sometime in the near future.

• 9to5Toys
• Deals
• Ads
• Lunch Break
• MacBook

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Acer Chromebook 15 $259, amiiqo $73, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Klipsch (Sub-12HG) Synergy Series 12-Inch 300-Watt Subwoofer: $199 shipped (Orig: $499)

Acer Chromebook 15 Laptop: $259.99 shipped (Orig: $350)

Apple 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB in all colors: $1,500 shipped (Orig: $1,599)

MORE DEALS FROM TODAY:

Mackie CR3 powered speakers + Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Pro Headphones: $130 shipped (Orig: $199)

• Rayovac AA Batteries (20-Pack) Blue/Red $7 (Orig: $12)
• $100 Sears Gift Card for $85 shipped (15% in savings)
• Save 10% on eBay gift cards w/ email delivery
• The Neat Company NeatDesk for PC Sheetfed Scanner (refurb) $200 (Orig: $400)
• 2-for-Tuesday: Eveready Compact LED Area Lights $10 + $5 shipping (Orig: $20)
• KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer-2 Colors $230 + $5 shipping (Orig: $430)
• Soundlogic 4-Piece Travel Micro USB Charging Kits $10 (Orig: $20)
• Beats Pill Character Speaker Holder (Red) $39 (Orig: $50)
• 5 Pack Durable Transparent Case for iPhone 6 $10 (Orig: $28)
• HP X4000b Bluetooth Mouse (refurb) $7 (Orig: $25)

Back-to-School Essentials up to 80% off – Sharpies, notebooks, scissors, Kitchen Food Scale $8 (Reg. $14+), more

Today only, as part of its Gold Box Deals of the Day, Amazon is offering up to 80% off a wide selection of Back-to-School Essentialsincluding notebooks, binders, Sharpies, post-it-notes, scissors, tape, pens, and just about everything else you’ll need. One standout is the 3-Pack of Scotch 8-inch Precision Ultra Edge Scissors (1458-3AMZ) for $9.95 with free shipping for Prime members (free trial) or on orders over $35. That’s as much as $14 under some bloated listings and the best price we can find by $3+.

Perfect for going back to school or around the office, these multi-colored scissors are the best selling option on Amazon and have received a 4.7/5 star rating from over 1,600 Amazon customers. Here are some more of our top picks from the sale:

• 24-Pack Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker, Assorted Colors $9.50 (Orig: $19+)
• Westcott Axis iPoint Evolution Electric Heavy Duty Pencil Sharpener $24.99 (Orig: $40+)

DEALS STILL ALIVE:

• Apple’s Handpicked app sale from 50% off: Day One, Terraria, Bloons, djay 2, Sky Guide, Notability, many more
• Review: The Turtle Beach 800X Elite headset brings Xbox One games to life but lacks in one key area
• App Store Free App of the Week: Time Surfer – Endless Arcade Magic ($1 value)
• Goat Simulator for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($5 value)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 hits iOS a decade after its initial release
• PDP Energizer Dual Charging Station for $20 Prime shipped (Orig: $30).
• Cirka S91 Classic Retro Controller for SNES Super Nintendo $9.55 Prime shipped (Orig: $13)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

With the Fotokite Phi, flying a drone is as easy as walking your dog

Use amiiqo to play with Nintendo amiibo characters you don’t actually own

Store your gear in style with This is Ground’s Tech Dopp Kit

• Anker 9-foot Apple Certified MFi Lightning to USB cable (black or white) $11 shipped (Orig. $16), more
• The “world’s first flexible display product” is set to wrap a screen all the way around your wrist
• Samsung follows the mothership again with new gold on-ear wireless headphones
• Nike extra 20% off clearance: Free 4.0 Flyknit Running Shoes $76 (Reg. $120), Dri-Fit Shirts/Shorts, Shoes, more
• Home: Philips AirFryer (refurb) $120 (Orig. $230), Worx 8-in-1 Yard Cart (refurb) $115 (Orig. $170), more
• Show your support for the Empire with this limited-edition Darth Vader Sony PlayStation 4 system, coming this November
• iHome’s SoundFlask is the naughty-looking Bluetooth speaker that plays nice with phones, tablets + computers, now 20% off
• Back to School! 40% off everything at Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic. Free shipping over $50
• Panasonic eneloop 16-Pack AA Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: $33 Prime shipped ($2/ea)
• Quirky Aros Smart Window Air Conditioner: $149 shipped (Orig. $300)
• Apple’s Handpicked iOS app sale from 50% off: Day One, Terraria, Bloons, djay 2, Sky Guide, Notability, many more
• BLACK + DECKER 16V Lithium Cordless DustBuster Hand Vac: $40 shipped ($86 off list) #BestSeller
• Keen Home’s iOS connected Smart Vents keep you comfortable and save money in the process
• Review: The Turtle Beach 800X Elite headset brings Xbox One games to life but lacks in one key area
• Home: Hamilton Beach Electric Sandwich Maker $20 (Orig. $30), Keurig brewers 50% off – K10 mini $50, more
• Make nearly any HDTV a giant Android touchscreen tablet with the Touchjet WAVE
• App Store Free App of the Week: Time Surfer – Endless Arcade Magic ($1 value)
• Home: Hamilton Beach Single-Cup coffee maker (refurb) $26 (Orig. $60), stainless steel electric kettle $18 (Orig. $30), more
• Samsung’s new 15TB SSD fits world’s highest-capacity hard drive in 2.5″ enclosure

• Moto E
• Tech Industry
• Motorola
• Lenovo
• Ads

Motorola shows off its new manufacturing facility in India with Moto E cameo [Video]

Motorola and its parent company Lenovo recently opened a new manufacturing facility in India that is predicted to output as many as 6 million smartphone units annually. Motorola India published a video to YouTube today showing off the plant — in it you can see some of the individual steps that go into putting together a 2015 Moto E, much of which still seems to be done by hand.

The new plant has been created in support of a “Made in India” campaign that the government there has been pushing in order to get more companies manufacturing in India. The campaign so far has attracted big names including Microsoft, Xiaomi, LG, ASUS, and several others. India’s government hopes increased manufacturing investment in a handful of sectors including electronics will spark job creation and GDP growth, a good measure of living standards that is still low in the country. Lenovo earlier today tweeted a picture from a press event celebrating the company’s new plant.

Maybe this means India will finally get access to Moto Maker?

• Samsung
• 9to5Toys
• Deals
• Ads
• Headphones

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nikon D3200 $299, Amazon Fire HD 6″ 8GB $70, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

 

Acer 13-inch Chromebook Laptop (refurb): $208 shipped (Orig: $380)

Nikon D3200 DSLR with 18-55mm VR Lens: $294 + $5 shipping (Orig: $447)

 

Brother Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer w/ AirPrint: $129.99 + $2.99 shipping using coupon code EMCAWKV25 at checkout (Orig: $250)

MORE DEALS FROM TODAY:

• Amazon Fire HD 6″ 8GB $70 (Orig. $100)
• RCA Indoor HDTV Antenna $10 (Orig. $30)
• Samsung HW-H7501 8.1 Channel 320 Watt Wireless Audio Soundbar $300 (Orig. $800)
• APC BE650G1 Back-UPS 650VA 8-outlet Uninterruptible Power Supply $55 (Reg. $70)
• Panasonic Eneloop 8-pack AAA Rechargeable Batteries $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $27)
• Philips AirFryer with Rapid Air Technology in black or white $119.99 shipped (Reg: $250)
• The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt $44.09 w/ code EXTRA (Reg. $49+)

Nike 20% off clearance: Free 4.0 Flyknit Running Shoes $76 (Reg. $120), Dri-Fit Shirts/Shorts, Shoes, more

 

Nike is currently knocking off an additional 20% on already reduced clearance items when promo code BACK2SPORT is applied at checkout. Gear up for back to school or grab some new workout clothes for the fall. Free shipping is available for Nike+ members (sign-up here for free) or on orders or $150+.

Shop a wide selection of shoes, athletic gear, and accessories in the men’s department. Nike’s Free 4.0 Flyknit running shoes can be had for $75.98 when the aforementioned coupon code is applied. Five colors are available with different sole combinations to ensure a killer look for your new shoes.

• SB Skyline Dri-Fit 3/4-Sleeve Crew (multiple colors): $31.97 (Orig. $50)
• SB Everett Knit Shorts (multiple colors): $39.97 (Orig. $65)
• Dri-Fit Touch Fleece Full-Zip (multiple colors): $47.97 (Orig. $75)
• KD Hyper Elite Power Basketball Shorts (multiple colors): $39.97 (Orig. $65)
• Ultimate Dry V-Neck (multiple colors): $31.97 (Orig. $70)
• SB Lunar Stefan Janoski (multiple colors): $71.97 (Orig. $110)

DEALS STILL ALIVE:

• Apple’s Handpicked app sale from 50% off: Day One, Terraria, Bloons, djay 2, Sky Guide, Notability, many more
• Review: The Turtle Beach 800X Elite headset brings Xbox One games to life but lacks in one key area
• App Store Free App of the Week: Time Surfer – Endless Arcade Magic ($1 value)
• Goat Simulator for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($5 value)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 hits iOS a decade after its initial release
• Civilization: Beyond Earth has dropped to $20 (Reg. $50)
• Cirka S91 Classic Retro Controller for SNES Super Nintendo $9.55 Prime shipped (Orig. $13)
• Intocircuit 11200mAh Dual USB Portable Battery Pack w/ LED Flashlight $12.99 Prime shipped (Orig: $22.99)
• Innogie 3200mAh Lipstick Style Portable Battery Pack in black $6 Prime shipped with coupon code 74QV74AQ (Orig. $11.99)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

iHome SoundFlask Bluetooth speaker: $40 with coupon code 9to5mac at checkout (Orig: $50)

Two limited edition Star Wars: The Force Awakens PS4 bundles

Samsung Level On Wireless Pro headphones, available soon in black and gold

Cover Girl Star Wars-themed makeup kit

• Solenica’s solar-powered Lucy lamp shines light into the dark spaces in your home
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 hits iOS a decade after its initial release
• Build the wildest NERF Blaster you can imagine with Amazon’s new N-Strike Modulus design tool
• Here’s the first look at The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land gameplay for iOS and Android
• Amazon’s Kindle First delivers Prime members early access to books for free, see August’s picks
• Utinni! This unbelievably detailed Sandcrawler might be one of the coolest Star Wars LEGO customs ever
• Thermos’ latest water bottle will nag you with iOS notifications to make sure you stay hydrated
• The new Graava action camera uses your heartbeat to capture the best moments and make a highlight reel
• The CydeKick uses renewable energy to charge your iPhone while you ride
• Blizzard brings the new World of Warcraft: Legion expansion & character class to Gamescom 2015
• DJI reveals a new Phantom 3 for beginner pilots loaded with specs
• Bang & Olufsen brings it all together with new whole home audio capabilities for existing products
• Review: Sony’s RX100 IV is the best compact photo/video camera that money can buy (Video)
• The Lexus Hoverboard is here: watch as it flies around a skatepark and over water
• Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain gets brand new trailer & gameplay footage w/ commentary
• EA Gamescom 15: deep Need for Speed campaign mode, new Battlefront gameplay, more
• Microsoft announces new Halo 5 Limited EditionXbox One Console, DVR functionality, games and more
• Epson’s new EcoTank printers have enough ink for “two years” right out of the box

 

• Android
• Apps and Updates
• Facebook
• photos
• Mobile device

Add a beautifully illustrated cover art photo to your Facebook Event from Android

More than 75 million pages for private events were created on Facebook last year, and to keep its Events product growing the company is rolling out something that it believes will increase engagement for user-created events without much extra work on the part of the host: cover art themes.

If you’ve ever visited a group, event, or personal page on Facebook, you’ve seen cover art. The big photos which act as banners on these pages provide users with a little added personalization while keeping things within reason (*cough* MySpace *cough*). But at least in the case of events pages, it hasn’t been easy to add cover art from a mobile device — especially considering how the Events product is buried in a “More” menu within the Facebook app. And you have to find a good photo to use in the first place. With the addition of cover art themes to the Facebook app on Android, finding a beautiful, relevant photo to enhance your event is as easy as telling Facebook what the theme of your event is. The app will then present you with a pack of illustrations designed in-house and by outside designers.

The different cover art themes include everything from “Seasons,” which features illustrations of everything you might associate with the different seasons like summer and backyard BBQs, to “Recreation,” which within you might find an illustration of people jumping into a pool. There are 36 pieces of cover art to initially choose from, organized into categories like the aforementioned seasons and recreation. Facebook says it will periodically be adding new themes and illustrations over the coming months.

The big thing that Facebook wants to emphasize with the release of these cover art themes is engagement. The company says that it has found through feedback from users that adding a cover art photo to an event positively impacts the engagement (i.e. RSVPs) it sees. Launching this new Events product feature first on mobile makes sense simply because 55% of all Events activity (and most activity on Facebook period) happens from mobile devices. It’s Android and US-only for now, and will be coming to iOS soon.

• Android
• Google
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• Verizon
• stagefright

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S4 receives Stagefright patch, other fixes

Stagefright isn’t totally a solved issue just yet, but device manufacturers and carriers have continued work on rolling out a patch that mitigates the OS vulnerability until another one of Google’s monthly security updates. Today we get an update for Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 which includes that patch and then some.

The update, rolling out over-the-air (OTA) and first spotted by Android Police, includes nothing new at all but quite a few fixes for software bugs to go along with addressing the Stagefright vulnerability. Device carriers and manufacturers that make them have felt almost unanimously responsible for rolling out fixes for the issue due to its sheer potential for damage and ease of exploitation, to name just two reasons.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon, expect to receive a notification when the update hits your device, sometime within the next few days. You can also check for it manually by visiting Settings > About phone > System updates.

• Google
• Google Express
• donation
• backpack
• School supplies

Use Google’s same-day delivery service, help give school supplies to kids in need

The beginning of a new school year is almost here and with it many stores have begun to fill their aisles with supplies and pepper the media with advertisements to get kids, and their parents, in the door. Many students can’t afford to get everything they may need, however, which could start the year off on a wrong, anxious foot. Google, in partnership with Volunteers of America Operation Backpack, is using its Google Express same-day delivery service to give away 10,000 backpacks full of supplies to disadvantaged children.

Operation Backpack^® provides new backpacks and school supplies to disadvantaged kids, giving them a sense of confidence in knowing that their education is important and that somebody believes in them.

Here’s how it works: Spend at least $50 on Google Express between now and the 17th of this month, and Google will donate a backpack to Volunteers of America Operation Backpack, up to 10,000 backpacks. The website isn’t specific as to whether or not the $50 has to be in one transaction, but I assume so. And since there’s just a limit on the maximum amount of backpacks they’ll donate, you should be able to make multiple $50 orders and have a backpack donated each time until they hit that limit.

Google Express is Google’s same-day delivery service for getting everything from electronics to fruits and vegetables delivered right to your door within hours. It’s the same idea as the popular Instacart delivery service, except that Instacart delivers a more limited selection of items — mainly food and healthcare products. Express, like Instacart, procures its inventory from local stores which vary depending on the city you’re in, and you can either pay $5 for delivery, or a $95 annual membership fee to get unlimited free deliveries on orders of at least $15 in value. Google Express is only available in a few major US cities right now, though:

• San Francisco
• Peninsula & San Jose
• West Los Angeles
• Manhattan
• Chicago
• Boston
• Washington, DC

• Android
• Google
• Tech Industry
• Sprint
• stagefright

Sprint rolling out Stagefright vulnerability patch for HTC One M8

Like every other US carrier, Sprint has been working diligently to release a patch to the Stagefright vulnerability in Android to its lineup of phones, and today HTC One M8 owners get the fix.

The release notes for the update only list a “Patch for critical security vulnerability (‘Stagefright’)” as being included in this update, so don’t expect anything else.

Stagefright is a vulnerability spotted in Android’s default MMS behavior that makes delivering and executing code on an Android-powered smartphone as simple as delivering a rich text message. Android has the ability to fetch the contents of a message before the user even opens it (this functionality itself is called “Stagefright” in Android), and most messaging apps previously didn’t prevent this from happening because, why not? Pre-fetching contents would be ideal as it means the user doesn’t have to wait for something to download when they tap and open a message.

Unfortunately, however, it’s also an easy way for bad guys to gain control of your phone. Google’s default text messaging app on Android, Messages, as well as its Hangouts messaging app, have both received updates to solve this from happening. Other popular messaging apps have followed suite, but Google’s vulnerability patch means that more apps won’t need to do the same.

Since this is a carrier update it’s being rolled out in stages, so it could be a few days before you see it hit your device. You should receive a notification when it’s available, otherwise you can manually check by visiting Settings > About phone > System updates.