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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G5 (unlocked) $575, Samsung Gear VR $80, PowerBeats2 Wireless $120, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 4 2016 - 9:57 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 G5 w/ 32GB flash GSM 4G LTE (factory unlocked): $575 (Orig. $650)

Samsung Gear VR Virtual Reality Headset: $80 shipped (Reg. $100) | eBay

Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless In-ear Active Collection Headphones $120 shipped (Reg. $140+), more

Daily Deals: Samsung 28-inch 4K Ultra High Definition Monitor (Refurb) $305, Targus Drifter II 17-inch Laptop Backpack $30, more

 

These are the best Android phones you can buy in May 2016

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Upgrade your Mac w/ a speedy Crucial 500GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive for $130 shipped (Reg. $150+), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Take to the skies w/ DJI’s Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter for $399 (Reg. $499)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Erato’s Apollo 7 is the latest Kickstarter project with a goal of completely wireless earbuds

The best Android phones you can buy [May 2016]

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 3 2016 - 3:03 pm PT
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We’re nearing the end of the first half of 2016, and that means a lot of new Android smartphones have been announced. 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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Google and Chrysler have confirmed a partnership for 100 self-driving electric minivans

Avatar for Fred Lambert May 3 2016 - 2:07 pm PT
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Following a report this morning from Bloomberg suggesting that Google and Chrysler were about to announce a deal that would see Google’s self-driving technology being implemented in Chrysler’s upcoming new Pacifica minivan, the CEOs of both companies have now confirmed an agreement albeit not exactly what was being discussed earlier today.

While this morning’s report suggested a plan to work on a few “dozens of self-driving prototypes” in order to later bring the technology to the production version of the Pacifica, instead the deal would now see Google buying about 100 Pacifica minivans from Chrysler to use as prototypes,  but no exactly like it does with its current Lexus SUVs, and the Mountain View company will provide a “technological crash course” in self-driving technology to Chrysler though the new partnership.


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Bloomberg: Google’s self-driving technology will be in Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans from next year

Avatar for Cam Bunton May 3 2016 - 7:40 am PT
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Four months ago, Chrysler unveiled its 2017 Pacifica minivan range at the Detroit Auto Show. If a report from Bloomberg is anything to go by, this Pacifica Hybrid range could feature Google’s self-driving technology, bringing weeks/months of rumors to fruition. The deal could be signed by Tuesday…


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Support for Android Pay is coming to Uber next week, replacing Google Wallet

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio May 3 2016 - 6:44 am PT
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With the mass distribution of NFC chips (and even fingerprint readers) in most phones, mobile payments are becoming increasingly popular.

Google‘s own Android Pay — as well as a series of other services, like Samsung‘s — has been live for some time in the US, and it looks like Uber is now sending emails out to customers regarding their own implementation of the payments service…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Huawei Watch from $250, 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro $1,600, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 2 2016 - 10:25 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:

Save up to $150 on Huawei Watch for iOS/Android, prices start at $250 shipped: Mesh Band $300 (Reg. $400), more

Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Newest Version) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

Amazon Gold Box – Anker SoundCore Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

Anker’s new 60W USB-C/A 5-port charger can quickly refuel your Android phones, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Amazon’s already insanely low-priced 7-inch Fire tablet gets a fresh 20% discount, now just $40 Prime shipped

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

LG Google Nexus 5X 16GB 5.2-Inch LTE Unlocked Smartphone: $240 shipped

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Leica’s latest $6,000 digital camera drops the built-in display for a throwback look

New MagicMount battery attaches magnetically to your iPhone or Android smartphone

Opinion: CyanogenMod improves the Honor 5X enough to make it my daily driver [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 2 2016 - 9:25 am PT
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After Chinese company Huawei introduced the phone for the US in January of this year, I gave the Honor 5X a full review. But maybe you can’t even call it that. More than a review, it was mostly just some thoughts on the phone that I had pent up after an exhausting week at CES. Basically, the gist was this (although I recommend you read the whole thing): You get a lot for your money ($200) on the hardware side of things with the Honor 5X, but the software leaves a lot (and, really, I mean a lot) to be desired. After that, the phone sat in my drawer and I hadn’t touched it since.

Until yesterday…


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LG developed a display panel with an integrated fingerprint reader

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio May 2 2016 - 3:53 am PT
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In flagship devices today, a fingerprint reader is almost a given. We use it for not just unlocking our device, but also a slew of security features which allow us not to deal with the hassle of passwords, and now a series of mobile payment services — notably Chase banking and Google‘s own Android Pay — are making their way to our phones.

In all handsets, these scanners usually hide underneath a physical home button, or are otherwise implemented on the back of the phones via a dedicated sensor. However,  LG‘s subsidiary Innotek has developed an under-glass fingerprint sensor module, which could come into production as early as this year…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 5X (unlocked) $240, Galaxy S7 32GB (unlocked) $560, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 29 2016 - 10:04 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 Google Nexus 5X 16GB 5.2-Inch LTE Unlocked Smartphone: $240 shipped

Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB (unlocked): $560 shipped (Reg. $695)

Apple 11-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB from $850 shipped w/ .edu (Reg. $1,099), more

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 or $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,499), more

Apple 27-inch Retina 5K iMac 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB: from $1,450 (Reg. $1,799)

Apple 21-inch Retina 4K iMac 3.1GHz/8GB/1TB (newest version): from $1,150 shipped w/ .edu (Reg. $1,499)

Anker’s new 60W USB-C/A 5-port charger can quickly refuel your Android phones, more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Toshiba Canvio 3TB Desktop External Hard Drive $80 shipped (Reg. $100)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Networking: D-Link 802.11ac Wireless Router $25 (Reg. $30+), PowerLine Kit w/ Wi-Fi Extender $80, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Triby is the first non-Amazon portable Bluetooth speaker with built-in support for Alexa

The SteelSeries Apex M500 is a lean mechanical gaming keyboard w/ Cherry MX Red switches

Report: Google once met with Telegram chief to discuss $1 billion acquisition [Update: Telegram says it’s BS]

Avatar for Cam Bunton Apr 29 2016 - 2:55 am PT
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Update: In a comment made to TNW, a Telegram spokesperson denied all acquisition rumors with a strongly-worded rebuttal.

“This is complete bullshit. There were no acquisition talks, no plans for any such thing either.”

You may remember quite a few years ago, it was rumored that Google was looking in to buying WhatsApp for $1 billion, and again later on for $10 billion. Both times, those rumors were denied by Google and — of course — we now know that even if they did bid, the deal didn’t go down.

Facebook bought the popular messaging app for a cool $19B, but Google seemingly hasn’t given up on strengthening its messaging portfolio. Reports from Russia are claiming that Google chief, Sundar Pichai once met with Telegram’s founder to discuss a $1 billion acquisition.


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Google focusing on search, AI, and more in Founders’ Letter from Sundar Pichai

Avatar for Abner Li Apr 28 2016 - 10:37 am PT
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Every year, Larry Page and Sergey Brin write a Founders’ Letter to inform stockholders of recent developments and their vision for the future. For 2016, Page had recently-anointed Google CEO Sundar Pichai write the letter as a majority of ‘bets’ are under his purview. The letter focuses on six main areas.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: VRS Cases for Galaxy S7/LG G5/Nexus 6P $5, D-Link 802.11ac Wireless Router $25, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 28 2016 - 10:17 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:

VRS Cases in a variety of styles for Galaxy S7/LG G5/Nexus 6P & more: $5 Prime shipped

Networking: D-Link 802.11ac Wireless Router $25 (Reg. $30+), PowerLine Kit w/ Wi-Fi Extender $80, more

Headphones: Beats Studio Over-Ear in four colors $140 (Reg. $200+), Bose SoundTrue Around-Ear $80, more

Daily Deals: JBL Charge Portable Bluetooth Speaker (refurb) $50, Amazon Fire TV Stick $35, more

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 or $1,150 w/ .edu (Reg. $1,499), more

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (early 2015) from $700 shipped w/ .edu (Orig. $999)

Android Games: Star Wars Pinball $0.10, LEGO Star Wars Complete Saga $1

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

ZeroLemon SolarJuice 20000mAh External Battery Pack $20 (Reg. $40)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

iHome SmartPlug with HomeKit, Alexa and Nest support: $25 w/ in-store pickup (Reg. $40)

Transcend storage upgrades for your Mac: 512GB Portable Thunderbolt SSD $284, 256GB Expansion Card $170, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Dyson’s new Supersonic hair dryer will leave your hair healthy and wallet empty

This LEGO Imperial Star Destroyer custom build is nearly 5-feet long

HP Chromebook 13, built w/Google is thinner than MacBook, with 3 USB C/A ports, retina display, starts at $499

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Apr 28 2016 - 7:24 am PT
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Albeit not being full-fledged PCs, Chromebooks are becoming increasingly interesting machines for a lot of people, given that the extremely simple and lightweight Chrome OS generally leads in reliability, ease of use and usually highly affordable prices.

However, a few of these computers have stood out for things like higher-end specs and interesting industrial designs — namely Google‘s own Pixels — and it looks like HP may have found a really sweet spot with today’s announcement. Partnering with the Mountain View company, the two are today unveiling the Chromebook 13, an all-metal machine with truly impressive specs and price…


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RIP: Nexus 9 dies a silent death as it disappears from the Google Store

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 27 2016 - 2:08 pm PT
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There’s a reason that I suggested the iPad Air 2 as the “Android tablet” to buy last holiday season. The HTC-made Nexus 9, which was the successor to the much-more-successful Nexus 7 series, just wasn’t a great tablet. We thought it was probably the best way to get pure Android in tablet form when it launched, but consumers never loved it, I never loved it, and tablets as a whole have become less and less useful for the general population as smartphones have gotten bigger.

Now, the Nexus 9 has finally died a silent death in its disappearance from the Google Store…


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Google Calendar update lets you ‘find a time’ for a meeting with your coworkers

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 27 2016 - 9:31 am PT
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The Mountain View company has today launched a new feature for its Calendar app that lets you find the perfect meeting time that works for everyone. After adding the people who are attending the event, the new “Find a time” option analyzes schedules and suggests a time with no conflicts…


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Getty Images blames Google for ‘promoting piracy’ with image search

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Apr 27 2016 - 4:05 am PT
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Google seems to be under fire lately. Less than a week from the European Union’s charges against the Mountain View company regarding supposedly unfair practices towards its hardware partners, TIME is reporting that the famous stock photo agency Getty Images is now accusing the technology giant of “promoting piracy” with its Images search engine…


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Android Marshmallow update for Motorola’s Droid Turbo 2 said to be ‘in full deployment’

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Apr 27 2016 - 3:05 am PT
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Albeit having been released months ago, much like all of its predecessors, the latest Android version, Marshmallow, is still running only on a relatively small number of devices. Much of it can be attributed to carriers and third party manufacturers, which often take a lot of time to properly re-skin, release certifications, and eventually give the green light to updates.

Fortunately for Verizon customers, however, it looks like Google‘s latest software is beginning its rollout for the Droid Turbo 2. In a note released on Tuesday on Google Plus, Motorola‘s David Schuster confirmed that the upgrade is in “full deployment”…


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New data shows Google has met with White House officials over 400 times since 2009

Avatar for Chance Miller Apr 26 2016 - 5:18 pm PT
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Google has long held close ties with politicians in Washington, D.C., and according to new data, nothing has changed. Watchdog group Campaign for Accountability has recently released new data detailing visits to the White House by various companies in the tech sector and other industries. According to the data, Google’s head of public policy Johanna Shelton has met with White House officials 128 times since President Obama took office in January of 2009.


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Hands-on with LeEco’s new Snapdragon 820-powered Le Max2 w/ 6GB of RAM [Video]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 25 2016 - 11:15 am PT
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As we told you would be the case, LeEco held an event in China last week to announce a few new Android phones, a new all-electric vehicle concept, the next-generation of its SuperTV line, and a VR headset. While the Le 2 and the Le 2Pro are great handsets for the price, the phone that really caught my eye was the highest-end Le Max2. The Le Max2 is also a great phone for the price, but it brings specs and performance comparable to the latest-and-greatest Android flagships from Samsung, LG, and others.

Follow after the break for our hands-on video…


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Glass isn’t dead: Augmedix secures $17M as CrowdOptic streams its 10,000th livestream

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 25 2016 - 8:09 am PT
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I’ve said it time and time again over the last couple of years, but maybe this will make you finally believe it. Glass isn’t dead, and as I told you across across several exclusive reports last year, there’s even new hardware being field tested right now.

To further prove this morning that Google’s troubled head-mounted display device isn’t done yet, Glass for Work startup Augmedix — which deploys wearable solutions for healthcare systems and hospitals — announced that it has raised $17 million in funding from five leading healthcare systems across the U.S. And CrowdOptic has announced that it has now surpassed 10,000 Glass livestreams…


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