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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Google Play MP3 albums $1, Lexar 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $50, AKG Headphones $120, more

Stephen Hall Mar 17 2016 - 1:19 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:

Google Play MP3 albums $1 ea: Arctic Monkeys, Shinedown and Silversun Pickups

Take home the Lexar JumpDrive 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $50 shipped (Reg. $80)

Amazon Gold Box – AKG K-495NC Premium Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones $120 shipped (Orig. $350)

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

Save big on Apple’s newest laptops: Retina MacBook Pro $1,000 (Reg. $1,299), 256GB 11″ MacBook Air $870 (Reg. $1,099)

Buy or upgrade Parallels ($49-$79) & get 7 Mac apps free: 1Password, Parallels Access, & more (Reg. $269)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Green Deals: Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar USB Charger (refurb) $30 (Orig. $80), Philips Dimmable LED Bulbs $6, more

Amazon Gold Box – Verus High Pro Shield smartphone cases $12 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
Goat Simulator for iOS drops to just $1 (Reg. $5)
Lumsing 8,000mAh Power Bank $10, TechMatte MagGrip Car Mount Holder $5, more
Games/Apps: Nintendo/PS/Xbox gift cards BOGO 20% off, iOS freebies, more
Daily Deals: APC Back-UPS 1080VA UPS $100, LG 49-inch 1080p Smart LED TV $505, more
Networking: TP-LINK 802.11ac router + DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem: $120 (~$150 value)
This garden dump cart is built like a tank and can be pulled by a tractor: $99 (Reg. $130)
Dock and charge your iPhone + Apple Watch in one place for $8 Prime shipped
Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $34)
Apple iPhone 6s/Plus Factory Unlocked up to $100 off, 16GB just $579 shipped (Reg. $649)
Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more
iPad Pro Wi-Fi 128GB in all three colors: $790 shipped (Reg. $949)
Fresh iPad Pro discounts: 32GB Wi-Fi $650, 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular $890

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/710481620034297856 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Bluetooth Speakers: Sony SRSX7 w/ Wi-Fi + AirPlay $130 (Reg. $150+), Bohm SoundBlock $22 (Reg. $50), more

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

Upgrade your Mac with a Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5″ Internal SSD for $135 (Reg. $150+)
Smartphone Accessories: TYLT MFI Lightning PowerBank & Wall Charger $6, more
iOS gamers! Don’t miss your chance to download ‘Train Conductor 2: USA’ for free (Reg. $3)
Green Deals: WORX 19-inch Electric Cordless Mower (refurb) $330 shipped (Reg. $400+), more
Load up on Altoids for less than $0.85 per tin (Reg. $1+/ea.)
Home Theater Audio: VIZIO 25-inch Sound Stand $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones $65 (Reg. $100)
T-Mobile’s latest offer delivers free MLB.TV Premium access to its customers
Fitbit Charge HR Activity Wristband w/OLED Display $100 shipped (Orig. $150)
Offload your spring yard work to Amazon and get a free gift card worth up to $60
The nimble SKEYE Nano drone has on-board camera: $50 (Orig. $69, CA Tax only)
Fashion: PUMA extra 20% off – tees from $10/sneakers from $29, more
Here’s how to get a 2-year sub to Car and Driver magazine for free (up to $25 value), more
Seagate Expansion 3TB Portable External USB 3.0 Hard Drive $90 shipped (Reg. $110+)
This War of Mine for iOS hits its lowest price ever: $4 (Reg. up to $15)
Seiki 42-inch 4K 60Hz LED UHDTV w/ 3 HDMI Inputs: $250 shipped (Reg. $369)
Media: Blu-rays from $10 – Paddington, Big Hero 6, more + iTunes movie bundles on sale
Ringke Samsung Galaxy S7/Edge cases in a variety of styles/colors from $4 (Reg. up to $11)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive $270 (Reg. $305+)
Add 1800mAh of juice to your iPhone USB power block w/ NomadPlus for $15 (Orig. $40)
JBL OnBeat Rumble Boombox Bluetooth Speaker w/ Lightning Dock $125 (Orig. $400)
App Store Indie Game Sale 50% off: The Room Three, BADLAND 2, Mutant Mudds, more
Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop for iPhone/iPod goes free for the first time in months (Reg. $3)
TomTom for iPhone goes free for first 50 miles per month w/ new “GO Mobile” app
Hit the streets with Razor’s A Kick Scooter for $20 shipped (Reg. $30)
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone w/ 2.7K HD Camera: $439 shipped (Reg. $500+)
Pioneer’s Andrew Jones Speakers: Center Channel $70, Floor $91, Subwoofer $110, more
Certified refurb Mohu Leaf HDTV antenna deals from $10 Prime shipped
Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Sony’s PS4 Virtual Reality kit is finally ready for primetime this fall + exclusive titles announced

Turn your paper airplane into a first person virtual reality experience with PowerUP’s FPV kit
Philips introduces new ambient Hue Lights that automatically simulates the sun
WD’s new internal hard drive for Raspberry Pi brings 314GB of additional storage
LG releases a new line of 4K Super UHDTVs with HDR capabilities and big price tags
Rule this summer’s BBQ with Mark Dredge’s new Cooking with Beer guide
Canon’s best-selling DSLR steps aside for the new Wi-Fi-enabled Rebel T6
popSLATE’s second generation iPhone 6/s/Plus e-ink case drops the bulk for a slender design
LittleBits’ latest creation focuses on robotic kits and STEAM education
The new DODOcase Virtual Reality kit for iPhone and Android hits Indiegogo

Alphabet selling Boston Dynamics due to lack of ‘marketable product’ in the next few years

Abner Li Mar 17 2016 - 10:43 am PT

0 Comments

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.

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Google Hangouts now lets App customers video chat with up to 25 participants

Jordan Kahn Mar 16 2016 - 11:07 am PT

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You’ll soon be able to hold video chat meetings with much larger groups as today Google begins increasing the number of participants Apps customers can have in a Google Hangouts video call at any one time. The old limit of 10 participants today gets increased to 25 users.

The change comes to Apps customers only— Business, Government, and Education— while all other Hangouts users will still have the old limit of 10 participants for video.

Google notes that it will only show “the 10 most active video call participants” along the bottom of the video chat to maintain quality, but it will switch on the fly between active users for the new limit of up to 25 participants.

All Apps customers should start to see the new participant limit increase roll out over the next few days.

Google is giving another ranking boost to mobile-friendly pages

Stephen Hall Mar 16 2016 - 9:04 am PT

0 Comments

Google announced in April of last year that it tweaked search results to give a ranking boost to sites that offer mobile-friendly versions, and now the Mountain View company is prepping to give even more ranking weight to these sites. The company is planning a change that “increases the effect of the ranking signal” for mobile searches to put even more mobile pages on the top…

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PSA: Google is now sending out invites (and denials) to I/O 2016 lottery entrants

Stephen Hall Mar 16 2016 - 7:19 am PT

1 Comment

We told you last week that registration for Google’s 2016 I/O developer conference opened up to the public, and now it appears those that entered the drawing are receiving acceptance and denial emails. The lucky lottery entrants that have been accepted this time around, though, are apparently getting an error preventing them from registering…

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SXSW: JJ Abrams-backed ‘Moon Shot’ tells the stories of the Google Lunar XPRIZE contestants

Stephen Hall Mar 15 2016 - 4:11 pm PT

0 Comments

A new JJ Abrams-backed web series called “Moon Shot” officially launched at SXSW this week, telling the stories of the actual scientists behind the teams that are competing for $30 million in prizes. The series spans across nine short films, all of which are now available for download on Google Play and will soon be available on YouTube…

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Google goes with ‘New York Cheesecake’ for the Android N codename

Stephen Hall Mar 15 2016 - 2:57 pm PT

0 Comments

Every year Google hides a little three-letter codename deep in the bowels of Android to represent the latest version, and this year, as Android Police points out, it looks like the Mountain View company is going with NYC, or New York Cheesecake. Note, however, that this isn’t the actual name of the final release — that has yet to be decided — and that you’ll likely never hear of the company officially referring to the update by this name…

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Refurb Galaxy S6 $330, GoPro’s HERO4 Silver camera $299, more

Stephen Hall Mar 15 2016 - 1:04 pm PT

0 Comments

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:

Refurb Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G920A 32GB: $330 shipped (Reg. $400+)

Record all the action with GoPro’s HERO4 Silver Camera for $299 shipped (Reg. $330+)

4K Displays: Dell 24″ $390 (Reg. $600), Dell 27″ $500 (Reg. $700), Acer 28″ refurb $240 (Reg. $500), more

Games/Apps: Guitar Hero Live iOS $50, Battlefield Hardline from $20, GTA Trilogy for Mac $6, freebies, more

Home Theater Audio: VIZIO 25-inch Sound Stand $150 shipped (Reg. $200), JBL Soundbar (Refurb) $70 (Orig. $200)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

End the madness – stop renting your cable modem with these refurb Motorola deals from $35 shipped (Orig. up to $130)

Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop for iPhone/iPod goes free for the first time in months (Reg. $3)
Daily Deals: Kensington Keycover Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad Mini $8
Fill out your wardrobe with Tommy Hilfiger belts, wallets & ties for $20 or less
Green Deals: GreenWorks 20-inch Extendable Electric Hedge Trimmer w/ Battery $109
Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)
Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,049 shipped (Reg. $1,299)
oneSafe Premium Password Manager on iOS goes free for the first time (Reg. $5)
App Store Indie Game Sale 50% off: The Room Three, BADLAND 2, Mutant Mudds, more
Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)
The Room Three mystery-puzzler for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
BADLAND 2 for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
TomTom for iPhone goes free for first 50 miles per month w/ new “GO Mobile” app
Fresh iPad Pro discounts: 32GB Wi-Fi $650, 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular $890
Apple iPhone 6s/Plus Factory Unlocked up to $100 off, 16GB just $579 shipped (Reg. $649)
Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

Storage: QNAP 2-Bay NAS w/ AirPlay + HDMI $289 (Reg. $349), more
Add 1800mAh of juice to your iPhone USB power block w/ NomadPlus for $15 (Orig. $40)
JBL OnBeat Rumble Boombox Bluetooth Speaker w/ Lightning Dock $125 (Orig. $400)
Hit the streets with Razor’s A Kick Scooter for $20 shipped (Reg. $30)
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone w/ 2.7K HD Camera: $439 shipped (Reg. $500+)
Pioneer’s Andrew Jones Speakers: Center Channel $70, Floor $91, Subwoofer $110, more
Certified refurb Mohu Leaf HDTV antenna deals from $10 Prime shipped
Green Deals: X-Dragon Solar USB-Chargers from $28, Tires $100 off $400, more
Smartphone Accessories: Kmashi 15,000mAh Power Bank $13, more
Lenovo 11-inch Chromebook 2.16GHz/2GB/16GB SSD: $129 shipped (Reg. $149)
Holmes Smart WeMo appliances: Air Purifier $150, X-Large Heater $100
Surround Sound 5.1-Ch. Systems: Logitech Z506 $54 (Orig. $100), more
StrimLIGHT bulb offers clear LED lighting and crisp Bluetooth audio: $30 (Orig. $80)
Green Deals: Best-Selling Peel N’ Stick Solar Lights $9 Prime shipped
Get Two Free Large Pizzas when you buy a $25 eGift Card at Papa John’s
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories for iOS drops to $4 (Reg. $7)
Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones + $150 Amazon gift card: $400 shipped ($550 value)
Get a pair of Fandango movie tickets for just $16 (up to $26 value)
Green Deals: GRDE 10000mAh Solar Dual-USB Power Bank $13, more
Download 5 rare Paul McCartney songs in MP3 format for free
Get racing with Anki’s OVERDRIVE starter kit for $120 shipped (Reg. $150)
LEGO project on your iPhone w/ these Belkin cases, deals from $27
Console Wars Kindle e-Book details the battle between Sega and Nintendo for $2 (Reg. $15)
The Blue Fairy Book Children’s Novel as a free Kindle eBook (Reg. $9)
Solartab: Powerful Solar Panel/13,000mAh dual USB battery: $94 shipped ($35 off)
Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $34)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Philips introduces new ambient Hue Lights that automatically simulates the sun

WD’s new internal hard drive for Raspberry Pi brings 314GB of additional storage

LG releases a new line of 4K Super UHDTVs with HDR capabilities and big price tags
Rule this summer’s BBQ with Mark Dredge’s new Cooking with Beer guide
Canon’s best-selling DSLR steps aside for the new Wi-Fi-enabled Rebel T6
popSLATE’s second generation iPhone 6/s/Plus e-ink case drops the bulk for a slender design
LittleBits’ latest creation focuses on robotic kits and STEAM education
The new DODOcase Virtual Reality kit for iPhone and Android hits Indiegogo
Amazon launches more affordable Echo Dot and Amazon Tap Bluetooth speaker
New Normal blends style and PowerBeats-like design for a new take on wireless earbuds

Mountain View planning office releases latest renders of Google’s tent-like campus expansion

Ben Lovejoy Mar 15 2016 - 4:21 am PT

1 Comment

Google’s expansion plans for its Mountain View HQ have been progressing rather slowly, but the company has now given the go-ahead for local planning officials to release the renders of the structures it hopes to build next to its existing Googleplex head office.

The company originally submitted plans for a combination of one dome-like structure and a second building looking like a giant tent. As BizJournals now reports, the latest version appears to have abandoned the dome in favor of a lower-profile structure designed to blend into the local environment (more images below).

Once the campus is complete, you’ll be able to take a walk through it …

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CrowdOptic launches its own hardware as other Glass at Work partners seemingly dying

Stephen Hall Mar 14 2016 - 4:56 pm PT

0 Comments

Update 3/16: Augmate has reached out to clarify the situation, noting that CEO and founder Pete Wassell is indeed not leaving the company. The previous “team” page we linked to on the company’s site didn’t list Wassell’s name, but it appears the page — which has now been taken down — was inaccurate.

CrowdOptic, widely known as one of the larger and more successful of the dozen-or-so Glass at Work partners, has today announced its first in-house developed hardware product. The CrowdOptic Eye streams video via the company’s video streaming stack at the flip of a switch, adding additional opportunities for clients that have until now primarily used wearable devices like Google Glass for a wide variety of purposes ranging from medicine to sports…

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This future LeEco phone concept shows off an edge-screened, buttonless beauty [Gallery]

Stephen Hall Mar 14 2016 - 3:46 pm PT

4 Comments

Chinese company LeEco (previously LeTV) hasn’t launched a phone in the United States yet, but reports from last year say that that’s probably going to change soon. Hopefully, when they do, this is the phone that they’ll launch. We’ve recently gotten our hands on these official LeEco-made renders depicting a future phone concept, sporting a Samsung-like edge screen, and a sleek all-metal buttonless design…

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SXSW: Samsung unveils Entrim 4D VR headset, Waffle & Hum On! Android apps [Video]

Stephen Hall Mar 14 2016 - 2:49 pm PT

1 Comment

Samsung’s Creative Lab — the group within the company that cultivates small startup-like projects within the larger corporation — has unveiled three new projects here at SXSW in Austin, TX. Among them are a new VR technology called Entrim 4D which lets you more intimately feel the VR content you’re experiencing via electric signals sent to your brain, a collaborative social media project called Waffle, and a music creation app called Hum On!..

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 6P from $425, Lenovo 11-inch Chromebook $129, 200GB MicroSD $60, more

Stephen Hall Mar 14 2016 - 11:00 am PT

0 Comments

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

Deal: 32GB Nexus 6P down to $425 (Reg. $499), 64GB down to $475 (Reg. $549)

Lenovo 11-inch Chromebook 2.16GHz/2GB/16GB SSD: $129 shipped (Reg. $149)

Gold Box Monster SanDisk storage sale: 200GB MicroSD $60, UltraFit 128GB USB $25, much more

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Daily Deals: 8TB Seagate USB 3.0 External Hard Drive $200, Asus Touchscreen Laptop/Tablet $155, more

DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone w/ 2.7K HD Camera: $439 shipped (Reg. $500+)
Logitech’s K480 iPhone/iPad/Apple TV Bluetooth Keyboard (refurb) $15 (Orig. $50)
Amazon Gold Box – Easter Toys up to 40% off: Playskool, Board Games, Play-Doh sets, more
Pioneer’s Andrew Jones Speakers: Center Channel $70, Floor $91, Subwoofer $110, more
Certified refurb Mohu Leaf HDTV antenna deals from $10 Prime shipped
Green Deals: X-Dragon Solar USB-Chargers from $28, Tires $100 off $400, more
Smartphone Accessories: Kmashi 15,000mAh Power Bank $13, more
Games/Apps: New Nintendo 3DS XL $175, freebies, more
Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)
Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,049 shipped (Reg. $1,299)
Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $34)
App Store Free App of the Week: oneSafe Premium Password Manager goes free
App Store Indie Game Sale 50% off: The Room Three, BADLAND 2, Mutant Mudds, more
Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)
The Room Three mystery-puzzler for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
BADLAND 2 for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi: $650 shipped (Reg. $799)
Apple iPhone 6s/Plus up to $100 off, 16GB just $579 shipped (Reg. $649)
Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/709399654375489536 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Holmes Smart WeMo appliances: Air Purifier $150 (Reg. $200), X-Large Heater $100 (Reg. $200)

Solartab: Powerful Solar Panel/13,000mAh dual USB battery in iPad form factor: $94 shipped ($35 off)

Surround Sound 5.1-Ch. Systems: Logitech Z506 $54 (Orig. $100), more
StrimLIGHT bulb offers clear LED lighting and crisp Bluetooth audio: $30 (Orig. $80)
Green Deals: Best-Selling Peel N’ Stick Solar Lights $9 Prime shipped
Get Two Free Large Pizzas when you buy a $25 eGift Card at Papa John’s ($55 Value)
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories for iOS drops to $4 (Reg. $7)
Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones + $150 Amazon gift card: $400 shipped ($550 value)
Get a pair of Fandango movie tickets for just $16 (up to $26 value)
Green Deals: GRDE 10000mAh Solar Dual-USB Power Bank $13, more
Download 5 rare Paul McCartney songs in MP3 format for free
Get racing with Anki’s OVERDRIVE starter kit for $120 shipped (Reg. $150)
Lenovo 11-inch Chromebook $179, Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 11.6-inch Ultrabook $275, more
LEGO project on your iPhone w/ these Belkin cases, deals from $27
Console Wars Kindle e-Book details the battle between Sega and Nintendo for $2 (Reg. $15)
The Blue Fairy Book Children’s Novel as a free Kindle eBook (Reg. $9)
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro 512GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD $199, Seagate 5TB Desktop HDD $120
New Nintendo Select title pre-orders now 20% off from $16 shipped
Mackie 5-inch studio monitor speakers w/ Bluetooth streaming (pair) $200 (Reg. $250)
Mpow’s iPhone 6/s magnetic car mount is down to just $5 shipped today
Pebble Time Round Smartwatch $180 (Reg. $200+), Gear S2 $249 (Reg. $300), more

12-inch MacBook now $300 off: 256GB $1,000, 512GB $1,300 + extra $50 savings w/ .edu email

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

LG releases a new line of 4K Super UHDTVs with HDR capabilities and big price tags

Rule this summer’s BBQ with Mark Dredge’s new Cooking with Beer guide

Canon’s best-selling DSLR steps aside for the new Wi-Fi-enabled Rebel T6
popSLATE’s second generation iPhone 6/s/Plus e-ink case drops the bulk for a slender design
LittleBits’ latest creation focuses on robotic kits and STEAM education
The new DODOcase Virtual Reality kit for iPhone and Android hits Indiegogo
Amazon launches more affordable Echo Dot and Amazon Tap Bluetooth speaker
New Normal blends style and PowerBeats-like design for a new take on wireless earbuds

SXSW: Sony’s Future Lab shows off its ‘N’ audio-based wearable, other projects

Stephen Hall Mar 13 2016 - 12:04 pm PT

0 Comments

Earlier this month Sony announced a new R&D initiative called the “Future Lab Program” and a mysterious device simply called “N” was concurrently shown off in a YouTube video. Details on this audio-based wearable were light until today, but the Japanese company set out to fix that by heading to the capital of Texas at SXSW Interactive to take the wraps off…

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Lee Sedol scores his first win against Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo [Video]

Stephen Hall Mar 13 2016 - 11:23 am PT

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Google’s AlphaGo AI may have secured the five-game match with its third win yesterday, but that doesn’t mean the competition is over. As announced today (via Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind), the second-best-in-the-world South Korean Go player Lee Sedol actually managed to score a victory against the Google AI in the fourth game…
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AlphaGo’s historic third game win vs. world’s best Go player seals the match

Cam Bunton Mar 12 2016 - 2:56 pm PT

0 Comments

Demis Hassabis, DeepMind’s CEO and founder, today announced the historic news that its machine, AlphaGo, won its third game in a row versus 18-time Go world champion, Lee Sedol. With the third win under its belt, that’s the five-game match now sealed. A machine has officially beaten the world’s best player at a game which is widely considered to be very difficult to teach a machine.

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SXSW: Hands-on with the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ claw game at the Google Fiber Space [Gallery]

Stephen Hall Mar 12 2016 - 9:49 am PT

0 Comments

We told you a couple of days ago that Google was building a crane game for SXSW attendees, and last night we finally had a chance to try it out for ourselves. Appropriately dubbed “I’m Feeling Lucky,” the huge crane game offers some free swag from the variety of products the Mountain View company offers via its online retail presence (with no SXSW badge required!)…

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Talking Schmidt: Google to soon bring its driverless cars to the UK, humans don’t have eyes in the back of their head yet

Chance Miller Mar 10 2016 - 3:48 pm PT

2 Comments

Speaking in South Korea (where he was also seen using an iPhone), Eric Schmidt addressed the possibility of Google’s driverless cars expanding outside of the United States. In an interview with The Telegraph, Schmidt explained that UK officials have approached the company about bringing its self-driving vehicles to the streets.

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Eric Schmidt caught taking pictures with an iPhone, but is that really a big deal?

Stephen Hall Mar 10 2016 - 2:53 pm PT

8 Comments

Eric Schmidt is in South Korea this week to witness Google’s AlphaGo AI system completely destroy the world Go champion at his own game. Sedol lost the first game yesterday, saying then that he was “very surprised”. Today he lost again. “It was a clear loss on my part,” he said. He had predicted before the matchups began that he would win the five-game series 5-0 or 4-1 “at worst.”

But while the Alphabet Executive Chairman is in South Korea to witness the monumental battle, the Korean press (OSEN, in this case) is clearly focusing on something else. As you can see in the pictures below, Schmidt was caught at a press event this week taking pictures with an iPhone…

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Huawei Watch from $270, Pixel C for developers from $375, more

Stephen Hall Mar 10 2016 - 10:31 am PT

0 Comments

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

Gold Box: Huawei Watches $80-$130 off, start at $270 shipped, Black Stainless: $320 shipped

Google offering developers 25% off the Pixel C: 32GB model $375, 64GB model $449

Two-pack of Google Chromecast Audio Streamers $55 (Reg. $70), $6 Google Play Credit for every Chromecast you have

Surround Sound 5.1-Ch. Systems: Logitech Z506 $50 (Orig. $100), Harman Kardon refurb $140 (Orig. $600)

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Daily Deals: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones $100, JBL Charge 2 Bluetooth Speaker $80, more

Get a pair of Fandango movie tickets for just $16 (up to $26 value)
Smartphone Accessories: Photive 6 Port USB Charger $20 Prime shipped, more
Green Deals: GRDE 10000mAh Solar Dual-USB Power Bank $13, more
Download 5 rare Paul McCartney songs in MP3 format for free
simplehuman trash cans and soap pumps, deals from $12 Prime shipped
Games/Apps: Nintendo 2DS handheld (refurb) from $60, iOS freebies, more
Pick up a DJI Phantom 3 & $10 gift card for $744 shipped (Orig. $1,000)
Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)
oneSafe Premium Password Manager on iOS goes free for the first time (Reg. $5)
Save $100 on Apple Watch and get a free $75 gift card + a watch band of your choice
The Room Three mystery-puzzler for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
BADLAND 2 for iOS gets its very first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
App Store Free App of the Week: Toca Kitchen 2 goes free for the first time ($2 value)
Dr. Seuss Birthday iOS/Android App Sale from $1 ea: The Lorax, many more
Apple iPad Pro Wi-Fi 32GB: $670 shipped (Reg. $799)
Apple iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $930 shipped (Reg. $1,079)
Apple iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi: $800 shipped (Reg. $949)
Entry-level MacBook Deals: 11-inch Air $720 (Reg. $899), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/707975740738953217 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Solartab: Powerful Solar Panel/13,000mAh dual USB battery in iPad form factor: $94 shipped ($35 off)

Smartphone Accessories: Aukey 10000mAh QC 2.0 Power Bank $17 (Reg. $25), more
LEGO project on your iPhone w/ these Belkin cases, deals from $27
Raspberry Pi Model B+ and 8GB SD Card $18 shipped (Reg. $40)
Bluetooth speakers: UE Boom (Refurb) $80 (Reg. $100), more
Canon All-in-One Printers w/ AirPrint: Laser $140 (Reg. $174+), InkJet $119 (Reg. $149)
Console Wars Kindle e-Book details the battle between Sega and Nintendo for $2 (Reg. $15)
WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive: $70 shipped (Reg. $80)
T-Mobile and AT&T both offering Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge in buy-one-get-one rebate deals
The Blue Fairy Book Children’s Novel as a free Kindle eBook (Reg. $9)
Magazine bundles w/ titles from $3.50/yr: Wired, Dwell, GQ, ESPN, many more
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro 512GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD $199, Seagate 5TB Desktop HDD $120
Media: $4.75 Blu-ray Sale – Gangs of New York, Cast Away, Dark Shadows
Power banks: OLALA 4000mAh w/ Micro USB cable $9 (Reg. $13)
UE’s highly-rated MEGABOOM Bluetooth Speaker for $200 shipped (Reg. $270)
New Nintendo Select title pre-orders now 20% off from $16 shipped
Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air in Black: $39 (Reg. $70+)
Fashion: Gap 35% off sitewide – Slim Fit Oxford $32 (Reg. $50), Jeans, Hoodies, more
Get a Free 3 Year Subscription to “Innovation & Tech Today” Magazine ($120 Value)
This TP-Link 802.11n Wireless Travel Router is a no-brainer at $8 shipped (Orig. $40)
Toshiba 1TB USB 3.0 HDD w/ 16GB Flash Drive + 16GB microSD card $50 (~$82 value)
PNY’s LEGO USB Flash Drives: 16GB $7 (Reg. $13), 32GB $13 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
Amazon’s best-selling Kindle e-readers $20 off, deals as low as $60 w/ free shipping
Canon Rebel T5 DSLR w/ 18-55mm & 75-300mm Lens Kit (refurb) $260, more
Big screen 1080p 60Hz HDTVs: Insignia 50-inch $300, Toshiba 49-inch $300
Mackie 5-inch studio monitor speakers w/ Bluetooth streaming (pair) $200 (Reg. $250)
Mpow’s iPhone 6/s magnetic car mount is down to just $5 shipped today
Pebble Time Round Smartwatch $180 (Reg. $200+), Gear S2 $249 (Reg. $300), more
Disney finally shares Blu-ray combo pack release details for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Logitech’s popular MX Mouse lineup is on sale today: Anywhere 2 from $53 (Reg. $70+)
Macphun’s Intensify CK (Pro) image manipulation app for Mac: $40 (Reg. $60)
Put an extra 256GB in your MacBook Air or Retina Pro

12-inch MacBook now $300 off: 256GB $1,000, 512GB $1,300 + extra $50 savings w/ .edu email

Apple Mac Pro 12-core Xeon/64GB/1TB: $8,799 (Reg. $9,599), more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

popSLATE’s second generation iPhone 6/s/Plus e-ink case drops the bulk for a slender design

LittleBits’ latest creation focuses on robotic kits and STEAM education
The new DODOcase Virtual Reality kit for iPhone and Android hits Indiegogo
Amazon launches more affordable Echo Dot and Amazon Tap Bluetooth speaker
New Normal blends style and PowerBeats-like design for a new take on wireless earbuds
LEGO releases four new Minecraft sets
How-to: Save up to $10/month on your cable bill by buying this $40 DOCSIS 3.0 Modem
This attractive Kickstarter timepiece blocks out your schedule on its watch face
DJI’s Phantom 4 drone is coming later this month with a new obstacle avoidance system
Grovemade’s new wooden MacBook Dock offers a Made in America home for your device
Brooklyn’s own Grado Labs introduces its first Made for iPhone earbuds w/ Siri control

Google Store is setting up a crazy huge claw game at SXSW, and we’re going to play it

Stephen Hall Mar 10 2016 - 9:24 am PT

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Google has typically had at least a little bit of presence at SXSW in the past, but we’ve never been there to cover it. That’s changing this week, and it looks like I already have some Google-y fun to look forward to. The Silicon Valley company is heading down to the Silicon Hills to set up a huge game called “I’m Feeling Lucky,” allowing anyone to try their hand at winning some Google Store swag…

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Google+ update makes Circles more prominent, new Create program highlights top creators

Abner Li Mar 10 2016 - 8:52 am PT

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When Google+ launched in 2011, one of its marquee features was grouping people into circles. There was a nifty drag-and-drop interface and the ability to limit posts to specific circles. Last year’s Google+ redesign hid the feature, but an update to the Android app now resurfaces it. The social network is also launching Google+ Create to recognize top content creators and give them access to early features.

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Nest’s GPS-enabled Home/Away Assist feature makes your smarthome devices much smarter

Edoardo Maggio Mar 10 2016 - 7:55 am PT

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Alphabet-owned Nest is best known for its smart thermostat, but the company works on a number of devices which, albeit being generally good at their given task, do not communicate with each other particularly well. And that’s mostly due to the fact that said devices have always had a hard time detecting whether you are actually at home or not.

With the upcoming implementation of GPS support via the Nest app, however, it looks like your house is about to become decidedly more efficient – and smart…

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Google’s AI systems are on a roll as robots learn the best way to pick up objects [Video]

Ben Lovejoy Mar 10 2016 - 7:01 am PT

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As achievements go, learning how to pick up objects doesn’t sound quite as impressive as twice beating the world Go champion – it is, after all, something the average toddler can do. But it’s the fact that the robots themselves figured out the best way to do it using neural networks that makes this notable.

A recent Google report spotted by TNW explains how the company let robot arms pick up a variety of different objects, using neural networks to learn by trial-and-error the best way to handle each. Some 800,000 goes later, the robots seemed to have it figured out pretty well …

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