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Shatterproof Motorola ‘Bounce’ smartphone leaks, purportedly coming in December

The Moto X Style and Moto X Play only just recently launched last month, but it doesn’t look like Motorola is anywhere close to done for the year. Besides the fact that a slew of Moto 360 announcements are expected for this wek at IFA Berlin, it appears that the Lenovo-owned company is also preparing another smartphone for sometime later this year. It’s purportedly called the Motorola “Bounce,” and it sports a shatterproof screen, and specs very similar to that of the recent Moto X line.

As you can see above, the phone definitely looks a lot like the Moto X Play. In terms of its specs, the phone is also not far off from what the company is already offering. According to Upleaks, the phone packs a 5.43″ QHD display, the Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 processor, storage options at 32 and 64 GB, 3 GB of RAM, a 21-megapixel main camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter, and a 3760mAh battery. Also, the phone is purportedly shatterproof, perhaps why it’s called “Bounce”?

While more details are sure to come, we’re not quite sure at this point to which regions the phone will be coming. That said, if Upleaks is correct — which he/she very often is — the phone will be launching sometime in December of this year. We’ll keep you updated as more details make their way out.

Snapdragon 820 will be first chip to include Qualcomm’s anti-malware Smart Protect feature

In a press release this morning, Qualcomm announced a brand new technology to help keep us protected from potential malware threats on our smartphones. Smart Protect will be built into chips in the near future and provide “real-time, on-device machine learning designed to support accurate and effective detection of zero-day malware threats for improved personal privacy and device security”. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chip will be the first to feature the new technology when it hits the market in 2016.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 128GB Galaxy S6 Edge for Verizon $350, Bose SoundTrue headphones $80, 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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals

Galaxy S6 edge w/ 128GB storage Verizon Wireless (w/ 2-year contract): $350 shipped (Reg. $500) | Best Buy

Bose SoundTrue on-ears in black $80 (Reg. $120), Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth 4.0 $60 (Reg. $100), much more

Power Banks: Anker PowerCore 15600mAh w/ dual USB ports $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $33)KMASHI 10000mAh $9, more

Chromecast (Manufacturer Refurbished): $24 shipped (Reg. $35) | Groupon

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB: $500 shipped w/ code DEAL80OFF (Reg. $800) | T-Mobile

Brand new LG G4 32GB 4G LTE smartphone (unlocked): $420 shipped (Reg. $550+)

HTC is offering a free $100 Google Play gift card with the purchase of an HTC One M9

VIZIO 49-inch 120Hz 4K LED Smart HDTV $600 (Reg. $720), 43-inch $548 or $528 w/ Prime (Reg. $599)

Back to school gift guide: essential tech gear every student should be using

Giveaway: Jaybird’s new X2 Bluetooth earbuds are the ultimate workout counterpart ($180 value)

More new gear from today:

Storage: WD 3TB portable HDD (multiple colors) $130 (Reg. $150), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD $150 (Reg. $170+)

More deals still alive:

PS4 Batman or Last of Us Bundle w/ 3 mo. PS Plus, Madden 16 & another game $399 ($500+ value)

Get a free download of the AirPano Travel Book iOS app courtesy of Apple ($3 value)

New products & more:

Samsung introduces new multi-room speakers alongside an improved Android and iOS app

Sensel’s Morph is an ultra sensitive Force Touch Trackpad look-alike

82% think it’s rude to use a smartphone at a social gathering, but 89% do it anyway

A Pew study on mobile etiquette found that 82% of Americans think it hurts the conversation when people use smartphones at social gatherings, but 89% did so anyway at the most recent one they attended.

When asked for their views on how mobile phone use impacts group interactions, 82% of adults say that when people use their phones in these settings it frequently or occasionally hurts the conversation […]

In spite of this […], 89% said that they themselves used their phone during their most recent time with others.

Many do at least have the excuse that some of the smartphone use is related to the gathering, 45% posting a photo or video taken there, 41% sharing something that happened there and 38% getting information they thought would be interesting the group.

The majority thought it was fine to use a smartphone while walking down the street, on public transport and while waiting in line – but not at a restaurant, at a family dinner or during a meeting. The worst places to use a smartphone were said to be a movie theater and a church.

Photo: Samsung

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Canon WiFi printer/scanner $68, Chromecast (refurb) $24, 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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals

Amazon Gold Box – Canon PIXMA Wireless Color Photo Printer w/ Scanner & AirPrint $68 shipped (Reg. $95)

Chromecast (Manufacturer Refurbished): $24 shipped (Reg. $35) | Groupon

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB: $500 shipped w/ code DEAL80OFF (Reg. $800) | T-Mobile

Brand new LG G4 32GB 4G LTE smartphone (unlocked): $420 shipped (Reg. $550+)

HTC is offering a free $100 Google Play gift card with the purchase of an HTC One M9

Daily Deals: TDK Life on Record TREK 360 Wireless Speaker $50, M-Audio Studiophile Active Studio Monitors $99, more

Back to school gift guide: essential tech gear every student should be using

Giveaway: Jaybird’s new X2 Bluetooth earbuds are the ultimate workout counterpart ($180 value)

More new gear from today:

Bluetooth Headphones: SoundPEATS In-Ear $17 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), MEElectronics Over-Ear $38 shipped (Reg. $62), more

More deals still alive:

Free Xbox Live Gold Games for September: Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Battlestations Pacific, more

Free PS Plus Games for September: Grow Home, Super Time Force Ultra, Twisted Metal, more

New products & more:

Sensel’s Morph is an ultra sensitive Force Touch Trackpad look-alike

The new limited edition BIT.TRIP vinyl LP comes with free game download codes

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Samsung Galaxy S6 $500, Toshiba 2TB Portable HDD $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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB: $500 shipped w/ code DEAL80OFF (Reg. $800) | T-Mobile

Toshiba Canvio Connect 2TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive in Red $70 shipped (Orig. $130)

 

Brand new LG G4 32GB 4G LTE smartphone (unlocked): $420 shipped (Reg. $550+)

HTC is offering a free $100 Google Play gift card with the purchase of an HTC One M9

Giveaway: Jaybird’s new X2 Bluetooth earbuds are the ultimate workout counterpart ($180 value)

More new gear from today:

Aukey Power Banks w/ Prime shipping: Dual USB 10000mAh $10 (Reg. $20), 3000mAh $6 (Reg. $10), more

More deals still alive:

Canon T5 DSLR w/ 18-55mm lens kit (refurb w/ 1 yr warranty): $250 shipped (Orig. $549)

New products & more:

The iBackPack Indiegogo project is loaded with all the back-to-school technology you can imagine

Nintendo’s fall release plans revealed: Super Mario Maker bundle, Star Fox Zero, Mega Yarn Yoshi, more

Report: New Android Wear devices from LG, Motorola, Huawei, ASUS coming at IFA

In what is probably one of the lesser surprising reports to come out this year, CNET this morning claims that four handset manufacturers — namely, LG, Motorola, Huawei, and ASUS — are all planning to launch new Android Wear smartwatches at the IFA consumer electronics show kicking off late next week. Much-rumored and long-awaited (and highly-leaked?) second generation Moto 360, anyone?

We’ve been seeing leaks of the new Moto 360 for a while now, and ASUS already made its ZenWatch 2 public earlier this year (albeit with very little fanfare). Huawei showed off the Huawei Watch a long time ago, and has yet to deliver, so that company will probably take the stage at IFA to actually announce pricing and availability details. LG is mostly a mystery right now (mostly), but we’ll see what’s up their sleeves soon enough.

We’ll be on the ground at IFA to keep you in the loop, and until then, feel free to read up on the latest on the Moto 360, and check out our Android Wear smartwatch comparison page.

IDC: China slowdown cuts smartphone forecast, Android will continue to hold lead through 2019

IDC released an updated forecast today lowering its expectations for worldwide smartphone shipments this year with a continuing slowdown of growth in China cited as the biggest contributor to the lower than expected shipments. It also shared some insight into the future of Android, expecting its current 81% share of the global smartphone market as of 2015 to hold strong through 2019, citing continued price sensitivity in the markets with the biggest growth potential (read: China, India, and everyone else in the Asia-Pacific region).
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Stagefright vulnerability fixes for HTC One M9 and M8 on AT&T now rolling out

Google may have promised to keep its Nexus devices updated once a month, and was one of the first to push fixes for the vulnerability in Stagefright, but that doesn’t mean owners of other phones will see such prompt updates. Today, weeks since Nexus devices were patched, AT&T’s HTC One M9 and M8 are receiving over-the-air updates to keep you safe when sending MMS messages.

You can find information about both the HTC One M9 update and that for the HTC One M8 over at AT&T’s website. The OTA for the M9 comes in at just 55.53 MB, while the M8 update is 28 MB. These are pretty tiny numbers for OTA updates, so you shouldn’t expect much more from this update than the patch for Stagefright. It goes without saying that it’s still important to update though.

Head over to the Settings app and mash that refresh button, or just wait until your device tells you that you’re ready to go.

 

BlackBerry Passport ‘Silver Edition’ w/ Android Lollipop purportedly caught on camera [Video]

Evan Blass — otherwise known as Evleaks — shared with us an image last week showing what looks to be some silver variant of the much-rumored BlackBerry Passport running Android Lollipop. Tech blog 4GNews then went on just before the weekend to share images of what it called Passport Silver Edition. It turns out those images were from Dudu Rocha Tec., an Android-related Brazilian YouTube channel, and now we have a look at what is likely the much-rumored BlackBerry device in its full glory…
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Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard review: Ultra-thin, versatile keyboard for your Android tablet or smartphone

The Android tablet accessory market may not be as full of keyboards as the iPad market is, but even when you find one, chances are it’s terrible. The Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard wants to be the one to change that trend. It’s small enough to carry around in your pocket when folded, and works with Android, Windows and iOS devices. What’s more, you can have it paired to two devices at once and switch between them with the press of a button. It’s safe to say that this is one of the most versatile and portable Bluetooth keyboards on the market. This review was written entirely on it.


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Project Ara was delayed in part due to electropermanent magnets not holding together well (Updated)

Update: Project Ara has just tweeted that the strength of the magnetic forces holding together the Ara phone modules is not, in fact, a problem — apparently that was a joke. We’ve since heard that the strength of the magnetic fields produced by the magnets being used is approximately 30 Newton-meters, more than enough strength to hold a 30 gram electronic module in place. The comments about building a better attachment/detachment solution still seem to be true, however, with the tweet also saying that, “We have been configuring a new solution. It’s better too.” The team is also working on improved camera and battery modules.

Google’s Project Ara, the name of the modular smartphone system the company is building that would enable anyone to put together a phone on their own, has run into problems that have impacted its public test roll-out. The team behind it has been cheeky and somewhat coy in explaining why it has delayed a test launch of the unique system, but a concise message posted to Twitter today might at least partly explain the delay.


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Opinion: Fake HTC leak proves smartphones have become totally commoditized


Vice president of market research firm IDC Bryan Ma speaking to CNBC last week after Samsung’s unveiling of the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+:

If you look at the rest of the Android space, admittedly even the stuff they announced last night, it kinda just blends in with the rest of the market. I don’t know if there was that much that differentiated it from the rest of the pack aside from some minor features. And that’s what’s hitting other players like HTC… It’s really just the case where a lot of these products are becoming a lot of the same thing.

I’m not trying to be a negative nancy here, but to prove Ma’s statements here look no further than the “leak” of a purported new HTC phone that spread around the blogosphere this morning (mockup turned out to be one that popular leaker @evleaks created back in 2013). 6-inch display, 4GB RAM, 3,500mAh battery capacity, water-resistance, extremely thin bezel, similar rear design to every other flagship HTC smartphone from the past few years — nothing outlandish, nothing hard to believe.

And that’s kind of the point. It’s so easy to make up a spec sheet like this out of thin air, and there wouldn’t be many around to doubt that HTC might make another phone with just marginal changes. I could have made up a spec sheet in real-time as I wrote the post about it and mine would’ve been similar to the one that spread around this morning.

Not that this lack of annual user-facing revolutionary hardware changes is a bad thing….
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Project Ara delayed until 2016, looking for new locations in US

The Project Ara team just announced through its Twitter account that its modular smartphone won’t hit the public until next year. It had initially planned to get a test launch up and running towards the end of this year, but it seems Google has come up against some stumbling blocks. As it explained on Twitter, chief stumbling block was not being able to predict the number of variations possible. It stated there were far more iterations than they’d originally thought.

Just before announcing the delay, the company stated that it’s looking for new locations to test the product in the U.S:
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Samsung’s first Galaxy Note 5 commercial airs: It’s all about that S-Pen

Samsung pushed its first Galaxy Note 5 TV commercial to YouTube today, and no surprise, it’s all about what you can do with that S-Pen. Set to a fast-paced percussion soundtrack, with speedy cuts in the edit, it has been designed to make you excited at all you can do with the stylus as well as convey a sense of productivity and speed.


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High quality Huawei Nexus renders published based on “detailed blueprints”

Yesterday the well-known leaker, Steve Hemmerstoffer teamed up with uSwitch to leak digital renders of the purported upcoming LG-made Nexus. Today, the two are back with their first look at what could be this year’s flagship Nexus device. As rumored multiple times, this device is expected to be manufactured by Huawei, one of China’s biggest Android OEMs.


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Google ‘recalculating’ plans for Project Ara modular smartphone, says will update next week

Engadget noticed that Google’s Project Ara team had posted a confusing series of tweets about its Project Ara modular smartphone, making it unclear how the company now plans to proceed.

After a long period of radio silence following a photo posted from Google I/O back in May, the project’s Twitter account posted first that it had some updates to share, then that there would be a “market pilot re-route” but “don’t worry, #ProjectAra isn’t going anywhere, #just recalculating” … 
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy S6 Edge (unlocked) $580, HTC RE waterproof camera $100, 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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 64 GB (factory unlocked): $580 shipped (Reg. $1,000) | eBay

Daily Deals: HTC RE 16 MP Waterproof Camera $100, CyberPower Standby Series UPS w/8 Outlets $35, more

Xiaomi 16000mAh Portable External Battery: $18 shipped (Reg. $28) | eBay

 

Up to 50% off Android on eBay: LG G Pad V410 $90, Samsung Note Pro P905 32GB $400, more

Get 12 months of Adobe’s Photography Creative Cloud plan for $100 ($20 savings)

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

Samsung 850 Pro 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drives: 256GB $115 shipped (Reg. $150+), 1TB $430 shipped (Reg. $465)

More deals still alive:

 

D-Link DCS-5029L 720p HD Pan & Tilt Day/Night Wi-Fi Camera: $100 shipped (Reg. $150)

New products & more:

WalkCar looks like a four-wheeled MacBook that you can ride

Solenica’s solar-powered Lucy lamp shines light into the dark spaces in your home

The coolest Apple-certified MFI Lightning cables you can buy for your iPhone, iPad and iPod

Both LG and Huawei Nexus phones rumored to share features, including USB Type-C, fingerprint sensor, more

Alleged Huawei Nexus prototype/dummy

Well-known leakster, Steve Hemmerstoffer has leaked further information regarding the upcoming purported Nexus devices. Using his OnLeaks account, he shared some detailed specifications an features of both the rumored smaller LG device and larger Huawei-made smartphone.

Information passed to Steve by his sources suggests that both phones will feature front-firing speakers, USB Type-C compatibility and a fingerprint sensor on the back. Although both are rumored to likely feature a metal chassis, the dimensions will be different. LG’s Nexus is purported to measure in at 9.8mm thick, 147mm tall and 73mm wide while the Huawei device is allegedly going to be 8.5mm thick and measure at around 12.5mm taller and 5mm wider than LG’s Pure Google phone.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Xiaomi 16000mAh power bank $18, Android deals on eBay up to 50% off, 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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Xiaomi 16000mAh Portable External Battery: $18 shipped (Reg. $28) | eBay

 

Up to 50% off Android on eBay: LG G Pad V410 $90, Samsung Note Pro P905 32GB $400, more

Headphones: Powerbeats2: $110 (Reg. $200), JBL J56BT Bluetooth on-ears $42 (Reg. $60)more

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

The best-selling Brother Monochrome Laser Printer is on sale for $43 shipped (Orig. $120), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/631117498646183940 align=’center’]

More deals still alive:

 

NomadPlus converts your iPhone USB wall charger into a 1800mAh power bank: $20 shipped (Orig. $40)

New products & more:

Solenica’s solar-powered Lucy lamp shines light into the dark spaces in your home

Thermos’ latest water bottle will nag you with iOS notifications to make sure you stay hydrated

 

Panasonic CM1 review: Now the best camera definitely is the one in your pocket [Video]


We’ve all heard the phrase that the best camera is the one you have on you, and now with the Panasonic CM1, that could finally be true. It’s possible to have a smartphone that takes amazing pictures. With a 1-inch sensor, Leica lens and some useful software tools, this is easily the best camera setup ever built into an Android device.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Toshiba 13-inch Chromebook 2 (refurb) $200, PNY 128GB microSD $52, 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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Daily Deals: Toshiba 13.3″ Chromebook 2 (refurb) $200, ZILU 40w 5-Port USB Charger $12, more

Amazon Gold Box – PNY storage up to 50% off: 64GB USB3 Flash Drive $16, 128GB microSD $52, 64GB SDXC $22, more

Giveaway: Olio Model One Black Collection Connected Timepiece for iOS and Android ($795 value)

More new gear from today:

VIZIO 49-inch 4K 120Hz Smart LED UHDTV $650 shipped (Reg. $770), more

More deals still alive:

Back to school essentials you may have overlooked: Litographs tees, dorm decor, GE alarm kit, more

Bose SoundTrue On-Ear Headphones in black or white: $90 shipped (Reg. $120)

New products & more:

Thermos’ latest water bottle will nag you with iOS notifications to make sure you stay hydrated

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