Amazon

Following the launch of the Type-C equipped Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Pixel C devices, Google engineer Benson Leung set out to save us from all the dodgy non-compliant cables and adapters available on Amazon. Without the correct technical compliance, a Type-C adapter could charge a device too slowly, or at worst, ruin the product. Following Leung’s extensive testing, Amazon has now prohibited the sale of non-compliant accessories.

Before former Android head Andy Rubin left Google, he headed up Google’s robotics efforts. In 2013, Google acquired numerous companies and added 300 robotics engineers. The crown jewel was Boston Dynamics, already known for their animal- and human-like robots. However, Bloomberg is now reporting that Alphabet is selling Boston Dynamics.

According to CRN and other sources, iCloud will soon be partially powered by the Google Cloud Platform by way of a deal that could also be used as leverage to cut its cloud costs with Amazon and Microsoft. Such a move is a big win for Google’s burgeoning cloud enterprise business.
Google might just be admitting a notable defeat in its battle with Amazon, with the latter company today saying that Nest thermostats will soon work with Alexa-powered devices. According to a report from Re/code, people familiar with the matter have said that Alphabet’s Nest unit explored the idea of building an Echo-like device at some point, but eventually came to the conclusion that customers wouldn’t be able to trust such a device that was built by the search engine behemoth…
We heard a couple of months ago that Amazon was working on a smaller, more portable version of its Echo voice assistant speaker, and now it’s here. Actually, Amazon has announced today two new Alexa-enabled devices, the Echo Dot (which is the aforementioned smaller version of the larger Echo), and the Amazon Tap, which is essentially an Alexa-enabled portable speaker…

When Alcatel OneTouch (now just Alcatel) launched the 5.5-inch Idol 3 last year, I think it’s fair to say many of us tech reviewers were pleasantly surprised. For a device costing under $300 it had an array of high end features, including a crisp, colorful big screen, great stereo sound and fantastic battery life. Of course, it also helped that the software was clean and almost stock Android.
Huawei recently announced the Mate 8 for intenernational markets and brought its low-end Honor 5X to the United States, but the company apparently isn’t stopping there. Today, the Chinese company began selling another smartphone in the United States. As per its Amazon listing the US version of the Huawei GX8 is available for $350…

Update 2/1 8:29 AM: Best Buy is now offering an additional free $25 Best Buy gift card when you buy a Nexus 6P.
Update 1/29: Newegg is now also offering the Matte Gold variant of the 32GB Nexus 6P for $449 shipped with a free FREMO 11000mAh power bank (a $23 value).
Amazon is offering the Matte Gold variant of the 32GB Nexus 6P for $449 shipped, bringing the recently-announced color down $50 to the lowest price we could find. Amazon is also offering the 64GB model for $50 off at $499 shipped, and both models are also available at Best Buy for the same prices. Alternatively, Google is offering a $50 purchase credit toward a Huawei Watch when you buy any color Nexus 6P…

Amazon has a “fail fast” mindset that results in them creating many services and then quickly shuttering them if they don’t succeed. According to a report from The Information, Amazon is having another go at smartphones, though this time without hardware and instead through software partnerships with OEMs, not taking the failed Fire Phone approach.

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Yesterday, at CES 2016, Huawei clearly signaled its intent to build its presence in the US. It’ll do so through its own main brand and Honor, it’s more affordable sub-brand. With the Huawei Mate 8 and Honor 5X joining the Nexus 6P, the company now has a strong portfolio of devices available with premium features and build, at different price points…
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.

With the ramp up to Christmas well and truly underway, retailers will spend the next couple of weeks offering discounts on some great products. Even though Black Friday weekend has come and gone, there are still some noteworthy discounts out there. On Amazon, right now, you can pick up the 2nd generation Moto G for just $99, unlocked. That’s a discount of $80 on the original $179 price-point. Incidentally, that’s the same price it’s being sold for at Motorola and Best Buy currently.
As specs go, it’s a respectable smartphone, especially given the outlay. It has a 5-inch 720p display, 2070mAh battery, quad-core processor and runs an almost-stock version of Android. What’s more, Motorola has committed to bringing Android 6.0 Marshmallow to it at some point over the next few weeks.
At this price, I can’t imagine anyone will regret buying it. For the past few years, the Moto G has set the standard for other budget smartphones to follow. That’s why the most recent model, the 3rd gen Moto G, made it on to my list of 2015’s best budget smartphones.

Amazon, today, launched a brand new version of its 8-inch Android-based Kindle Fire tablet. The Kindle Fire 8 Reader’s Edition comes with some software and service benefits bookworms will love, and ships with an attractive leather case. It’s available to pre-order for $249 from Amazon now…

If you thought Amazon’s 2-hour delivery was impressive, the company has teamed up with OnePlus and OlaCabs in India to make 2 hours seem like an age to wait. OlaCabs, similar to Uber, lets you order transport via a simple smartphone app and has joined forces with OnePlus to offer 15-minute OnePlus X deliveries in 7 Indian cities.

Without an invite, buying a OnePlus 2 has been pretty much impossible up until now. Today, however, the company has made its ‘2016 flagship killer’ available invite-free on Amazon India to local customers.
The open sale is only live until Friday, when the company will launch its global Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend holiday deals. Those planning to order are limited to just one device each, costing 24,999 Indian Rupees (roughly $377 USD).
OnePlus has been both praised and criticized for its use of an invite-only system for purchasing its smartphones. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, when you actually want to buy one for yourself, having to wait for an invite can be a frustrating experience. Despite that, the experience has arguably been better with the OnePlus 2. It’s already held a couple of open sale days, has sent more invites out, even extending their expiration and introduced a new extended warranty to make it a more pleasant buying experience.

Just a couple of weeks after the huge tablet was officially launched, the Samsung Galaxy View is already being sold at $100 off its original full retail price. Initially, the 18.4-inch Android tablet was being offered for $599 despite having decidedly mid-range specifications. At $500, the device is much more palatable. Although — being a very niche product — it’s not likely to sell by the millions.
The Samsung Galaxy View runs Android 5.1 Lollipop, features a full HD resolution screen and is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor. There’s 2GB RAM and 32GB storage, which you can expand up to 128GB using a MicroSD card. Samsung boasts that it can be used for 8 hours straight without needing to be charged.
From the outset, it’s been clear this device is primarily designed to be a multimedia hub that you can move around. It’s far too big to be a regular tablet you take everywhere with you. However, to stream video in any room in your house, it’s ideal. Rather than having a TV or screen in every room, you can pick up the Galaxy View and take it with you to the kitchen, bedroom, or wherever else you might want to catch up on Daredevil, or Jessica Jones. To boost the multimedia experience, there’s a pair of 4W speakers on the back.
If you want a huge tablet, or second/portable screen to take around the house, the Galaxy View is available now for $499 on Amazon.
At the September launch event, Google put heavy emphasis on its recently launched web store being the sole place to buy the latest Nexus devices in the United States. That looks to be changing, however, as the Nexus 5X is now available for purchase from Amazon and at B&H Photo Video.
All storage configurations and colors are currently available at both stores, with B&H throwing in a free tempered glass screen protector and expedited shipping (1-3 business days).
It’s unknown is if the Nexus 6P will also become available in other stateside stores. The larger Nexus saw early availability constraints from Google and Huawei’s stores, though that has now cleared up and the phone is available through the Google Store in all options.
Previous Nexus devices have been sold in carriers stores and at other retail locations like Best Buy, and that is still the case outside the US.

Amazon has announced that its popular Black Friday sale event will begin this week, and last eight days. From Friday, new deals will be added “as often as every five minutes” for eight straight days leading right up until Black Friday. What’s more, the company will offer 10 ‘Deals of the Day’ on Thanksgiving with ten more on Black Friday…

Update: The device appears to have sold out already as the Amazon listing now shows the it as unavailable.
BlackBerry’s venture into the Android marketplace has gradually been making its way into the United States via carrier stores and websites, but now the device has become available in an unlocked fashion via Amazon. The device is available on Amazon now, with free Prime shipping, for the standard $699 price tag.
Buying the Priv via Amazon offers several incentives, including free two-day shipping and, in some states, a tax-free purchase. The $699 sticker price, however, doesn’t offer any discounts over how much you’d get the device for from other retailers like AT&T, although the model sold on Amazon is unlocked.
Specifications of BlackBerry’s first Android device include Android 5.1, a 5.4-inch Gorilla Glass 4 display plus a slide-out physical keyboard, an 18MP back shooter, a 3410 mAh battery, and 32GB storage expandable to 2TB with the microSD card slot. The Priv also. of course, features a DTEK app from BlackBerry that keeps an eye on the security level of your device.
You can read our review of the BlackBerry Priv here. By no means is the device perfect, but for those who want a physical keyboards its one of the very, very few devices to offer one. Head over to Amazon to purchase the Priv now.
A Google engineer by the name of Benson Leung is one of the many proponents of USB Type-C at the Mountain View company, and he’s now doing us the kind service of reviewing dozens of third-party Type-C cables on Amazon. Why? Because some of the cables coming from a variety of manufacturers could be “dangerous,” according to Leung, and are likely less-than-functional…
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