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You can now quickly rotate images in Google Photos with a keyboard shortcut

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 7 2016 - 8:32 am PT
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If you — like me — have enabled auto-upload to Google Photos on pretty much all of your devices, you’ve surely noticed that some photos just don’t arrive on the site with the correct orientation sometimes. The Google Photos editor — which also has filters, brightness control, etc. — is an easy fix for this (it only take a few clicks), but now Google has made rotating photos in the app even easier with a quick keyboard shortcut that you can use when viewing any photo…


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The best Android phones you can buy [June 2016]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 7 2016 - 7:41 am PT
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The summer is here, and that means we’ve seen a lot of new Android smartphones announced in the first half of this year. Starting off the year was the Huawei Mate 8 and Honor 5X at CES in January, of course followed later by Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge as well as the LG G5 in February at Mobile World Congress. But which ones are the best buys? Keep reading to find out…


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Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Active will be available on AT&T from June 10th

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 6 2016 - 8:08 am PT
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Samsung and AT&T today came out to announce the Galaxy S7 Active, the latest iteration of the duo’s super-rugged smartphone tradition. Just like last year’s Galaxy S6 Active, the phone is basically an S7 with a beefy case built in — which isn’t a terrible idea considering so many people slap an OtterBox on their phone anyway…
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Google’s Deepmind AI to have a Go match with world’s new number one player

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Jun 6 2016 - 4:40 am PT
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These days, Google — as well as many other tech giants — is all about Artificial Intelligence. We’ve seen it shown off in many different shapes at its latest I/O conference, but perhaps one of the biggest achievements in the field was a little far from the consumer-world of Allo or the new Google assistant.

After the recent victory, in fact, it will be Google’s Deepmind team to be put again to the test at Go, this time against the world’s new number one player (via Engadget)…


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This week’s top stories: New Samsung devices, Huawei & Nexus, OnePlus 3, Fadell leaves Nest & more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 4 2016 - 9:44 am PT
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In this week’s top stories: Samsung unveiled new wearables and wireless earbuds this week as hints at the upcoming Galaxy Note 7 surfaced. We also had some more OnePlus 3 announcements and leaks ahead of an official launch, talk of Huawei manufacturing Googles’ next Nexus device, and an interview with Google’s Sundar Pichai discussing Nexus phones and a number of other topics. Head below for the handy links to these and our other top stories from this week. 
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Google is testing a Material Design look for Search on the web

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Jun 4 2016 - 4:31 am PT
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Back at 2014’s I/O, Google unveiled a new all-encompassing design language called Material Design, aimed at drastically reshaping the look of everything Google.

While its first implementations were seen — understandably — on Android, it took a little longer for the transition to take place on the web; we are now seeing Chrome being reworked under Material’s principles, and it now appears that the company’s stronghold, Search, may be on the verge of its long overdue redesign …


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Huawei reportedly ‘doing the Nexus again this year,’ corroborating 2016 Nexus 6P rumors

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 3 2016 - 11:59 am PT
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The rumor mill has all but confirmed that HTC is making the next two Nexus phones (which, as we told you yesterday, will be more influenced by Google), but sketchy rumors suggesting Huawei is planning a reboot of its Nexus 6P have today become a lot less sketchy. Previously, all we saw was a benchmark of a 2016 Nexus 6P with 4GB of RAM and — purportedly — a Snapdragon 820, but now we have a statement from the Chinese company itself…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 128GB Nexus 6P (unlocked) $500, Pebble Time Steel (refurb) $130, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 3 2016 - 9:48 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:

Google Nexus 6P 32GB w/ $50 GC: $419 ($549 value) or 128GB: $500 (Reg. $649)

Add a Pebble Time Steel (cert. refurb) to your repertoire for $130 shipped (Orig. $250)

Smartphone Accessories: Aukey Bluetooth Car Kit with 3-Port USB Car Charger $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $28), more

Apple’s latest 11-inch MacBook Air is on sale from $600 shipped w/ .edu, 13-inch 128GB as low as $800, more

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (latest version) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

VPN Unlimited: Lifetime Subscription for $29 ($500 value)

World Class Mac Bundle: 8 outstanding apps for $25 w/coupon (Orig. $401)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Daily Deals: Yamaha 2-Way Outdoor Speakers $95, more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/738754887341772801 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Best Buy’s 3-Day Sale includes Beats Solo2 On-ear Headphones for $80 (Reg. $120), more

Raspberry Pi 3 bundle has everything you need to get started: $70 shipped (Reg. $90)

Review: Pelican’s impressive Elite Luggage is built like a tank, but is it worth the price tag?

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The Star Wars Ultimate Collection brings incredible recreations of movie props to your home

Huawei’s plan is to take on Samsung and Apple to become the ‘world’s biggest smartphone maker’

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Jun 3 2016 - 5:23 am PT
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Huawei‘s ambition are not small. At the Wall Street Journal and f.ounders-held Converge technology conference in Hong Kong, Huawei director Richard Yu — who heads the company’s consumer electronic business — made it clear that the firm’s short term plan is more than aggressive…


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May’s self-driving car report details how Google teaches its cars to honk

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2016 - 3:55 pm PT
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Every month, Google puts out a report for its self-driving car project. There’s not that much new this month besides the usual updated running totals (miles driven, number of vehicles on the road, etc.), but the Mountain View company did take some time to detail something that many may not have thought about yet: how it’s teaching the cars to honk…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 64GB Moto X Pure + Moto 360 Sport $400, Beats Solo2 $80, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2016 - 10:07 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:

64GB Moto X Pure Edition + Moto 360 Sport (2nd Gen, White or Flame): $399.99 shipped w/ codes CLASSOF2016 & JUNEMOTO360 (Reg. $750) | Motorola

Best Buy’s 3-Day Sale includes Beats Solo2 On-ear Headphones for $80 (Reg. $120), more

Apple’s latest 11-inch MacBook Air is on sale from $600 shipped w/ .edu, 13-inch 128GB as low as $800, more

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (latest version) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

VPN Unlimited: Lifetime Subscription for $29 ($500 value)

Get 83 hours of coding tutorials with the Comprehensive Android Development Bundle: $40 (Orig. $727)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Smartphone Accessories: Anker SoundCore Bluetooth Speaker $25 (Reg. $30), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

AmazonBasics Felt Sleeves for MacBooks up to 15-inches are on sale from $8 Prime shipped

Bring HomeKit control to your lights w/ Philips’ 2nd Gen Hue LED Starter Kit: $170 + varied shipping (Reg. $200)

Philips Smart Lighting: Hue Go Portable LED $80, Wireless Hue Tap Switch $50

Review: Pelican’s impressive Elite Luggage is built like a tank, but is it worth the price tag?

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

SodaStream gets tipsy with its new Beer Bar homebrew beverage maker

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 gets updated to Android Marshmallow

Avatar for Ben Schoon Jun 1 2016 - 2:25 pm PT
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After rolling out a Marshmallow update to the Galaxy S5 yesterday, Verizon is now rolling out the same to its variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. The update carries version number MMB29K.T817VVRU2BPE1 and packs the standard Marshmallow features we’re all accustomed to at this point. Those include Doze, app permissions, and Google Now on Tap among other things…


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Google will be ‘more opinionated’ about Nexus phones, but what does that mean?

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 1 2016 - 1:26 pm PT
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During an interview with Walt Mossberg at Code Conference today, Sundar Pichai spent some time talking about the future of the Nexus line of smartphones. He mentioned that Google would put “more thought” into them, and upon further questioning added that Google plans to add more features atop stock Android to make the Nexus experience better. He also said that Google, which already works closely in tandem with OEMs, would be “more opinionated” about the design of the phones.

But what exactly does that mean?


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Sundar Pichai talks Nexus phones, China, AI & Google Home, more at Code Conference [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 1 2016 - 11:36 am PT
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage at Recode’s Code Conference 2016 today, and while much of what he said were PR-friendly reiterations, he did elaborate and provide more color on some of the moves Google made at I/O late last month. Of course the topics of artificial intelligence, Google Home, Android OEMs, the Nexus program, search, and others came up, and Pichai also elaborated on Google’s bigger plans for the world — namely China and India…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: ASUS ZenFone 2 (unlocked) $269, VPN Unlimited Lifetime $29, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 1 2016 - 10:40 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:

Grab the ASUS ZenFone 2 w/ 4GB RAM/128GB storage: $269 (Reg. $375+)

VPN Unlimited: Lifetime Subscription for $29 ($500 value)

Get 83 hours of coding tutorials with the Comprehensive Android Development Bundle: $40 (Orig. $727)

Amazon is handing out $5 in-app credits when you download select Android games like Candy Crush

Leave InkJet behind and switch to Brother’s Color Laser Printer w/ AirPrint for $143 shipped (Reg. $180)

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (latest version) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Give open-air headphones a try with Audio-Technica’s ATH-AD900x for $115 (Reg. $150)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

AmazonBasics Felt Sleeves for MacBooks up to 15-inches are on sale from $8 Prime shipped

Review: Pelican’s impressive Elite Luggage is built like a tank, but is it worth the price tag?

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

This gorgeous $1,100 SmartBike cannot be stolen according to its creators

9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG Watch Urbane (refurb) $120, HTC One M9 (refurb) $190, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 31 2016 - 9:52 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 Watch Urbane Android Wear smartwatch (refurb): $120 shipped w/ code MAY20 (Reg. $200+) | A4C

HTC One M9 32 GB 4G LTE (refurb): $190 shipped (Reg. $300+) | eBay

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (latest version) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

Apple’s newest 13-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/256GB MacBook Air is on sale for $1,000 shipped (Reg. $1,119)

Amazon Gold Box – storage & networking products up to 60% off: 480GB SSD $94, 200GB microSD $60, much more

Get 83 hours of coding tutorials with the Comprehensive Android Development Bundle: $40 (Orig. $727)

Review: Pelican’s impressive Elite Luggage is built like a tank, but is it worth the price tag?

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

AmazonBasics Felt Sleeves for MacBooks up to 15-inches are on sale from $8 Prime shipped

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Sabrent dock: multiple powered USB ports+ HDMI to your Mac $60 shipped (Reg. $90)

Review: We flew DJI’s impressive Phantom 4 drone towards a wall at 20MPH and nothing happened

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

iDevices’ latest creation brings HomeKit control to nearly any lightbulb in your house

HTC’s long-rumored smartwatch reportedly delayed… again

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 31 2016 - 8:04 am PT
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Rumors of an HTC-made Android Wear watch have been tossed around for more than a year now. Before Mobile World Congress last year, many thought that the company would finally launch its offering as it was rumored that the company had a wearable planned to be shown off. In reality, the company launched a fitness wearable made in partnership with Under Armour. That device never even hit the market.

Recently, well-respected leakster Evan Blass suggested that the long-awaited Android Wear offering from the company would finally launch the week of June 6th. Now, the same guy is pulling that claim, suggesting that HTC has delayed its wearable once again — to the fall…
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Toyota reportedly nearing a deal to buy Google’s Boston Dynamics robotics division

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 27 2016 - 5:33 pm PT
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According to a report from Tech Insider today, Google is nearing a deal with Toyota to sell its Boston Dynamics robotics division to the car maker. This follows a report from two months ago suggesting that Alphabet was planning to sell the division known for its super-creepy animal-like and human-like robots due to lack of a ‘marketable product’ in the next few years…


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Google needs to ‘do better’ with Ara, says the guy that dreamed up Phonebloks

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 27 2016 - 3:19 pm PT
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Google gave us a rare update on Project Ara almost exactly a week ago, showing off the latest prototype of the device and giving us an update on when we should expect it to launch. The company said that a new Project Ara development kit is coming this fall, and that the consumer modular phone is scheduled to launch next year. While those promises may or may not prove to have weight, it’s still good to see the company making some steps forward.

And now Dave Hakkens, the creator of Phonebloks (the project that first inspired Project Ara and other modular phones), has come out with his two cents on the latest Ara update…


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List of Android Wear watches getting the Android Wear 2.0 update

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 27 2016 - 9:38 am PT
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Google announced Android Wear 2.0 at I/O 2016, featuring more customizable watch faces, the ability to go without your phone when you are running or want to track a hike, AI-powered Smart Reply, a handwriting recognition mode, and more. But the question remains: which devices are going to get the update? Read on for a complete list of devices we know are getting 2.0…


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While Nest flails, Tony Fadell is taking a joy ride with his electric go-kart project

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 27 2016 - 7:51 am PT
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According to an alleged Nest engineer a couple months back, the company is on deathwatch. Of course the official word from Fadell himself is that all the bad PR doesn’t represent the company or its culture, but the evidence suggests still that financially and culturally there are lots of problems.

Now, we learn today (via Fortune) that Tony Fadell, Nest’s CEO, has had a little passion project going on in the background. Co-founded with its CEO Dave Bell, Actev Motors makes the Arrow Smart-Kart, a smart first of its kind electric go-kart with app controls and a $600 price tag…


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