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Today’s can't miss deals:

Android Deals: LG G Flex 2 for $249, Optimus Zone 2 for $12, Boost ZTE Speed down to $29, more

LG G3 D850 32 GB unlocked new 32 GB: $240 shipped (Reg. $400+) | eBay

proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39 ($375 value)

Bluetooth Sport Earbuds w/ Prime shipping: Aukey Around-Neck $17 (Reg. $30), more

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year's must-have holiday gifts

More new gear from today:

Get ready for Halloween with Best Buy's $5 horror Blu-ray sale: The Silence of the Lambs, Mad Max, more

• Games/Apps: LEGO Jurassic World from $30, Lara Croft Go gets its first price drop, more
• Logitech K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard $35 shipped (Reg. $50)
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface + Sennheiser HD600 + Condenser Mic $400 shipped ($655 value)
• TP-Link Archer C7 802.11ac Router + DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $130 shipped ($155+ value)
• Amazon Gold Box – Lucky Brand Jeans 50% off: Classic Straight Leg $50, more
• iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi 64GB in Silver, Gold, or Space Gray: $460 shipped (Reg. $499)
• iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi 16GB in Silver or Space Gray: $230 shipped (Reg. $269)
• Get a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air 2 for less than Apple charges for 16GB: $490 shipped (Reg. $599)

More deals still alive:

Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped

• GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera w/ built-in LCD display: $329 shipped (Reg. $400)
• VIZIO 2.1 Sound Stand w/ subwoofer & remote $100 shipped (Orig. $250)
• Timbuk2 40% off Sale: Dashboard MacBook Messenger Bag from $59 (Orig. $109), more
• KMASHI 10,000mAh Battery $9 (Reg. $14), 6-Ft. Braided MFi Lightning Cable $8.50, more
• Freebies: Game of Thrones + Batman Adventures eBook + Cotton Candy + More!
• Media: Peanuts Holiday Collection HD Download $5 ($60 value), more
• Bluetooth Speakers: Mpow Armor Waterproof $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $36)
• Networking: TP-Link AV1200 Powerline Kit $53 (Reg. $80)
• 2.1-Ch. Home Audio: LG Soundbar 120W (refurb) $65 (Orig. $149)
• Acer Chromebook 1.50GHz/4GB/16GB SSD: $249 shipped (Reg. $279)
• Ticket To Ride goes free on iPhone for the first time in years (Reg. $2)
• 50% off Fashion Sales: PUMA – Down Jacket $75 (Orig. $150), more
• Samsung Smart 4K HDTVs: 40-inch $550 (Reg. $700+), 50-inch $699 (Reg. $1,000+)
• Jawbone UP Move Activity Tracker: $20 w/ in-store pickup (Reg. $50)
• Display your iPhone 6/s w/ this Mpow Car Air Vent Mount $5 shipped (Reg. $9)
• Save 20% off iTunes Digital Gift Cards: $25 for $20, $50 for $40, more
• Adjustable iPad mount for $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

New products & more:

Garmin drops the bulk and adds color with its new Forerunner wearables

D-Link's latest surveillance cameras go wide-angle with "less distortion" than the competition

• Libratone introduces multi-room audio alongside two new colorful ZIPP speakers
• Guitar Hero Live lands on iOS with a new mobile instrument bundle
• Gold is Best: This one-off Macintosh is a must see with its walnut enclosure and shiny keyboard
• This mini Segway hopes to take-off with its affordable price tag and compact design
• You'll have to hurry to grab one of these limited edition Fallout 4 Xbox One controllers
• Waylens is the iOS-connected dashboard camera you've been waiting for
• It took about 500,000 LEGO bricks to put this life-size Batmobile together
• These futuristic looking headphones could be straight out of the Transformers movie series
• NBA 2K16 hits iOS and Android with new gameplay, controls and updated graphics
• Minecraft: Story Mode launches on iOS and Android with a new multi-episode campaign mode

Filed under: Tech Industry Tagged: 9to5toys, Android, Android deals, Google, Google deals, LG, LG G Flex 2, Lunch Break, optimus zone 2, Smartphone

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Google’s driverless car project has been long in the making. The company lead development in the field since 2009 and as of September 30, they have accumulated 1,210,676 miles on autonomous mode through 2 fleets: one in Mountain View, CA and  one Austin, TX. Google’s latest official comments on the timeframe of the project suggested a commercialization of the technology around 2020, but a consultant on Google’s driverless team revealed that the vehicle could be ready in less than 3 years…

Larry Burns, former GM Chief Technology Officer who is now consulting for Google’s driverless car project, was speaking at the a National Press Club conference last week and said that Google’s technology could be ready as early as 2018.

Burns is an engineer by training. He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from GM Institute in 1975 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Berkeley in 1978. He was a senior executive at GM from 1998 to October 2009 where he led the company’s research and development. He has been doing consulting and teaching work since leaving the company.

The engineer has been promoting self-driving technologies for their potential to save lives. During his talk at the a National Press Club conference, he referred to the Association for Safe International Road Travel’s statistic that 90% of the more than 1.2 million deaths on roadways every year are attributable to human error – around 3,000 per day.

Burn said:

"If we can solve this one day sooner, we can save 3,000 lives."

He argues that safety should be the main driver of innovation in the sector, but there are also financial incentives to develop self-driving technologies. Burns says that full adoption of autonomous vehicles could save Americans “anywhere from $2 trillion to $4 trillion a year.”

Filed under: Self-Driving Car Tagged: 2018, Google, google car, self-driving

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Alphabet has today — for the very first time since the company’s major restructuring earlier this year — posted Google’s earnings for Q2 2015. The company reports revenue of $18.7 billion, which is up 13%. Net income for Q3 2015 was $3.97 billion. More importantly, Google is initiating its first buyback program, planning to buy $5,099,019,513.59 of its Class C capital stock.

Meanwhile, Alphabet stock is soaring.

 

Of its total revenue, advertising consisted of right about $16.7 billion, with Google's own websites accounting for about $13 billion. Advertising revenue is up 13 percent year over year, while that of Google’s own sites are up 16 percent year over year. Aggregate paid clicks rose 23 percent in Q3, while cost-per-click rates fell 11 percent compared to Q3 of 2014.

Google is holding a webcast at 1:30PST/4:30EST further discussing its earnings for the first quarter of 2015, and you can find that stream embedded below.

Filed under: Alphabet Tagged: 5 billion, alphabet, buybacks, earnings, Google, stock

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As usual, iFixit has cracked into the latest Nexus device, Google's Nexus 5X manufactured by LG, to give us our first look at the insides of the device and some insight into just how repairable it will be for owners.

Google's Android team already filled us in on why it left out Qi Charging on the new Nexus devices (the reversible USB Type-C included is simply more efficient, it said), but we didn't get an answer on why it didn't take advantage of Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology. It turns out the device actually includes a chip that supports the feature, the Qualcomm SMB1358, Quick Charge 2.0 IC, as confirmed in the teardown earlier today. And Qualcomm supports the Nexus 5X's new USB-Type C connector, so it's still a possibility the feature could be enabled for the device in the future.

But apart from getting a look inside of the device for the first time, the teardown doesn't reveal many details we didn't already know. It does, however, show that Nexus 5X is easily repairable compared to much of its competition with a score of 7 out of 10 meaning most components of the device will be easy to swap in and out or fix. The one downside iFixit noticed included a fused display assembly, which it noted means the "glass and LCD will need to be replaced together if one or the other breaks."

The positives include the fact that several components "are modular and can be replaced independently," according to iFixit, and that a standard Phillips screw driver, and not proprietary tools and parts like other devices, is all that's necessary to open the device.

You can check out iFixit's full tear down here.

Filed under: Android Tagged: Android, LG, nexus 5x, Qualcomm, quick charge, repair, SMB1358, teardown

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App publisher Glu today announced its latest game for Android, which is also its latest celebrity partnership with actor Jason Statham starring as the game's main playable character. The free game is a first-person shooter that some players will notice bears a similarity and seems to borrow from some of Glu's past FPS games including the Contract Killer series.

"As Glu's first male celebrity partner, Jason Statham's over 55 million social followers add a new demographic to the company's celebrity gaming platform," said Niccolo de Masi, Glu Chairman and CEO. "Mr. Statham's creative input throughout the game's development has ensured a unique and authentic action-adventure experience his fans will enjoy worldwide."

As part of Statham's elite paramilitary team SPEAR, players work side-by-side to dismantle terrorists and rogue states that conventional forces can't touch. Enemies of freedom can run, but they can't hide from Sniper X!

The celebrity tie-in, featuring Statham's name, likeness, and voice, follows Glu's successful "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" game that reports last year said was on pace to take in around $200 million.

Sniper X with Jason Statham is available on Google Play now for Android smartphones and tablets. The game is free to download but includes in-app purchases for in-game items, which is also the approach Glu took for the successful Kim Kardashian game.

Official trailer from Glu below:

Filed under: Android Tagged: Android, app, first-person shooter, FPS, glu, Google Play, jason statham, sniper x

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A short while ago, Google revealed a new redesign for its mobile Play Store which, among other changes, would separate apps and entertainment content. From today, you could see that new design hit, and when it does, you won’t be able to miss it.

In the redesign, a huge featured app carousel sits on top with the search bar, as well as two prominent tabs for ‘apps & games’ and ‘entertainment’. Underneath that, you’ll be served Material-design cards showing off some personalized recommendations. As you’d expect, the apps and games tab still has lists of the top downloads, games and categories, while the entertainment section has all the movies, music and books organized similarly.

The new store design has been hitting new devices since last night, but seems to be a staggered rollout. Android Central was among the first to report seeing the change.

As well as the obvious aesthetic change, Google has updated the Play Store to accept fingerprint authorization for purchases, similar to Touch ID on the iPhone. Availability is pretty limited right now. It only supports devices running Android 6.0 and, obviously, requires that they have a physical fingerprint sensor built-in. That limits it to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, which aren’t exactly in everyone’s hands yet. As more devices with fingerprint sensors are updated to Android 6.0, however, this feature will roll out to more users.

Android Police notes that, by default, the fingerprint authorization option is switched off. If you have one of the new Nexuses, and the latest version of the Play Store installed, you need to access the Play Store settings. You’ll find the ‘fingerprint authentication’ toggle under ‘user controls’.

Filed under: Android, Google Play Tagged: Android, apps, fingerprint, Google Play, Play Store

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Google is releasing the beta of Chrome 47 today that introduces as number of new features across platforms including new splash screens for Android web apps, improved management for push notifications on the desktop, enhanced multitasking and more.

For the new splash screens, developers will be able to take advantage of splash screens when their web apps are launched from an icon saved on the homescreen. Google points out that  "apps can take a few seconds to load" and presenting a nice looking splash screen will "allow apps to show something meaningful to users as the app loads, improving perceived performance" for users.

In addition, Chrome 47 beta brings an improved push notification experience for desktop users on Mac, Linux, Chrome OS and Windows by introducing auto dismissing notifications:

"Sites such as social media or email can generate a large number of push notifications that take up screen space and aren't particularly relevant unless viewed soon after posting. The new version of Chrome now allows developers to configure automatic dismissal of desktop notifications, improving the experience for these kinds of notifications. Sites can set NotificationOptions.requireInteraction to indicate the notification should remain onscreen until the user dismisses it."

And lastly, the 47 beta release brings what Google refers to as "Cooperative multitasking with requestIdleCallback()", something developers can take advantage of to improve performance by allowing apps to run during "idle time" when resources aren't being used by other tasks.

Google has more info on the release here.

Filed under: Chrome/OS Tagged: Android, beta, Chrome 47, desktop, notification, notifications, splash screen, web apps

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Instagram is expanding its range of apps further today by introducing a new video-looping service to rival the likes of HTC Zoe and the iPhone’s baked-in Live Photos. Boomerang takes a quick burst of photos in-app, and then turns them in to a moving photo, or video, that loops forward and backward. Don’t call it a GIF though, it’s a Boomerang…

Boomerang joins Hyperlapse and Layout in Instagram’s portfolio of individual apps, and offers yet another way for you to share your life in short bursts with your friends and followers. As you’d expect, you can share your Boomerangs on Instagram and Facebook, in both portrait or landscape modes. The company announced its latest move on its official blog:

Capture a friend jumping off a diving board, defying physics as she flies back and forth through the air. Transform an ordinary selfie with your friends into a funny video. Get that exact moment your friend blows out his birthday candles, then watch them come back to life again and again.

Press a button and the app does the rest. Boomerang takes a burst of photos and stitches them together into a high-quality mini video that plays forward and backward. Shoot in portrait or landscape. Share it on Instagram. Boomerang automatically saves it to your camera roll. We're inspired by the visual stories you tell on Instagram.

Boomerang will be available to download from the Google Play Store today. At time of writing, the page isn’t yet live, so be patient and it should arrive over the coming hours.

Filed under: Android, Apps and Updates Tagged: Android, apps, apps and updates, boomerang, Hyperlapse, Instagram, layout, Play Store

For more information about Android, Android, and Apps and Updates continue reading at 9to5Google.

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We’re on the ground at the Big Android BBQ 2015, one of the largest Android developer events of the year. And while this is largely a developer event without much in terms of press-facing announcements, this is the first year — as we told you this past summer— that Google Developers is partnering with IDEAA to make it bigger and better than ever. We’re here to meet interesting people in the community,

If you’re a developer, or just an Android enthusiast that’s curious about what the BABBQ is like this year, we’ll be keeping this post updated with anything we stumble on that might be interesting…

10/22 10:20 AM: Weather for Dallas looks super horrible today, but the keynote has officially kicked off, I’ve gone through registration lines and gotten my badge, and this place —Hurst Convention Center — is absolutely packed to the brim with Android developers.

By the way, on the way up I saw that HTC has parked an HTC Vive Live truck outside. Maybe we’ll get some hands-on time with the Vive later today (and some other stuff?)

10/22 10:30 AM: Some people from General Assembly — one of the event’s sponsors — “announced” the Android Development Immersive (a 12-week career accelerator that appears to have been already announced).

10/22 10:40 AM: Colt McAnlis, a developer advocate from Google, showed up on stage like a normal person at first… but then he put on a plaid shirt and a straw hat and… started acting like a Texan from the 19th century. It’s been about 20 minutes and he’s still talking a lot about Android fragmentation, Automated Testing, and other stuff in an exaggerated Texas accent.

10/22 11:38 AM: Chet Haase, software engineer at Google, is giving the “What’s new in Android” session, going over some of the new APIs in Android Marshmallow, new features in Android Studio, and more.

Here’s that keynote:

10/22 12:30 AM: I had to leave day one early, but I’ll be around all day for day two. See you tomorrow!

Updating — reload this page for more…

Filed under: Android Tagged: Android, babbq15, bbq, big android bbq, event, Google

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The HTC One A9 has received a lot of attention over the past few weeks and months. Even before it launched, there were concerns that it would look a little too much like an iPhone 6/6s. Afterwards, the response has been almost unanimous. Even some of the most passionate Android fans and blogs seem to be of the opinion that the HTC One A9 looks like an iPhone clone, albeit one with a few ‘interesting’ differences…

Speaking at the Taiwan launch of the One A9, Jack Tong (the company’s North Asia president) stated the following: “We’re not copying. We made a uni-body metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back.” His statement echoes those made during the US launch. He followed that statement with “The A9 is made thinner and more lightweight than our previous metal-clad phones. This is a change and evolution, and we’re not copying.”

HTC’s argument isn’t without its validity. Back when the iPhone was made from plastic, HTC was using solid unibody metal chassis’ in its phones. The One M7 was genuinely the first all-metal unibody phone with antenna bands on the back. At the time, it was an engineering breakthrough.

Because this is an ‘evolution’ and not a ‘copy’, HTC also plans to use the design across its other series’, as reported by Focus Taiwan. The company’s president commented that HTC would be looking to extend the design to the One M series as well as to the Desire family of smartphones. The plan is to make devices that are more fashionable, in order to claim back some of the market share it has lost, and boost revenue and profits, which have been slipping.

As for the A9 design, we’ve got ours and yes the skin-deep design definitely says iPhone knockoff. But there’s a lot more to this phone than that. It is at the sweet spot between the iPhone’s two 4.7-inch and 5.5 inch sizes, it has higher fidelity sound and of course it runs Android 6.0. Heck, we know how “Copying Apple” turned out for Samsung.

 

Filed under: Android Tagged: Android, HTC, htc one a9, iPhone 6, One A9, smartphones

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With the holiday season looming, retailers and manufacturers are clamoring to sell as many products as they can. That means two things: There are new products on the market, and the older ones are being heavily discounted. Whether you’re looking to snag a great former-flagship for less than retail price, or pick an entry level phone as cheaply as possible, you’re not short of options. Our roundup of today’s best deals includes a twelve dollar smartphone and the LG G Flex 2 among others…

Twelve Dollar Smartphone

Head on over to BestBuy.com and you can pick up the Verizon Wireless Prepaid LG Optimus Zone 2 for $11.99. Regardless of specifications, twelve bucks for a touchscreen smartphone is insane value for money. The Optimus Zone 2 runs Android 4.4 KitKat, and is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor and is equipped with 3G data speeds. What’s more, there’s a 3.5-inch, 380 x 420 resolution display and a 3MP camera. Whether you’re looking for a basic smartphone as your first device, or just need a backup in case of extreme emergencies, you probably won’t regret spending $12 on a phone. I’ve spent more in one sitting at McDonald’s.

LG G Flex 2

The LG G Flex 2 was the Korean manufacturer’s second attempt at a unique curved-screen smartphone. The second time around though, the company improved all the areas necessary to make it a competitive device. It has a full HD 5.5-inch curved AMOLED display, 13MP camera with OIS, Snapdragon octa-core processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. You can now snag one for just $249 on eBay. The seller notes that although the device is locked to AT&T, it ships with an unlock code, allowing you to unlock it and use it on other carriers’ networks.

Boost ZTE Speed

The ZTE Speed is sold for use on Boost Mobile and includes a host of decent-enough specifications for an entry-level smartphone. The Boost ZTE Speed has a 4.5-inch 854 x 480 resolution display, 5MP rear camera, 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 processor and 8GB internal storage (expandable via MicroSD). What’s more, it’s LTE-equipped and has a 2,000mAh battery built in. At $29 on Walmart’s online store, the phone’s price has dropped significantly from the original list price of $79.88.

ASUS ZenFone 2

It’s perhaps not as big a discount as some of the others on the list, but ASUS’ ZenFone 2 is one of the most disruptive phones this year. It was one of the first to introduce 4GB RAM, and is now available for just $279 (w/$20 rebate) at Newegg.com. The 5.5-inch full HD screen, 64-bit Intel quad-core processor and 64GB storage should ensure this is one of the most highly-specced phones below $300.

OTHERS

• Aukey[Qualcomm Certified]  Quick Charge 2.0 10400mAh Portable External Battery Fast Charger (16.2W / 5V 9V 12V Supported, Quick Charge Input and Output) – Silver $16.99 w/code: 6PHZZRAF
• Aukey Quick-Charge 2.0 turbo wall charger for $6.99 with code DBVITSZB
• Inateck Bluetooth 4.1 weatherproof earphones $23 with code 5QQAWHVN
• 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge on 2-year Verizon plan $49.99 at Best Buy
• AT&T GoPhone – ASUS ZenFone 2E with 8GB storage – $99.99 at Best Buy

Filed under: Android Tagged: accessories, Amazon, Android, aukey, boost mobile, Deals, Ebay, LG G Flex 2, lunch, Newegg, quick charge, smartphones, ZTE

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It’s not every day that a digital startup gets offered between €50k and €1M ($56k to $1.2M) in funding without having to hand over a single share in return, but that’s exactly what Google has today announced in Europe.

The company is offering grants – not loans or investments – to companies looking to innovate in the field of digital journalism.

The DNI Innovation Fund aims to tackle that problem by providing non-refundable support for projects that demonstrate new thinking in the practice of digital journalism, that promote the development of new business models or maybe even change the way users consume digital news.

The fund, which opens for applications today, is part of a Digital News Initiative first announced back in April. It was promoted by Google finding itself in conflict with a number of news organizations concerned that it was effectively stealing their content. The company has since been working hard to attempt to make friends with publishers.

Photo: AP Photo/Marcio

Filed under: Google Corporate Tagged: Google, Google Digital News Initiative, Google News

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According to data obtained by Canalys (reported by WSJ), Huawei became the largest smartphone maker in China, overtaking Xiaomi during Q3 this year. The smartphone maker’s shipments grew a huge 81% year-on-year, while Xiaomi saw its own shipments drop in the same period. It’s a significant achievement for Huawei, and marks the first time the company has been in top spot in China.

Although Canalys didn’t reveal exact sales figures for the third quarter, it did say that it will release a detailed report at the end of this month. It did note however that Xiaomi’s year-on-year drop in shipments is also a first, suggesting the two companies are moving in opposite directions.

It’s an interesting time for both companies. On the global scene, Huawei has seen its brand become far more recognizable over the past 12 months. Now, with the launch of the Nexus 6P and Huawei Watch, the manufacturer is on the cusp of becoming one of the ‘big brands’ in terms of sales and mindshare among consumers. In stark contrast, Xiaomi relies on sales in its homeland, China for its growth. With Huawei outperforming Xiaomi in China, and the Mi-makers not having a well-known brand outside Chinese borders, it could spell a slowdown in momentum for the once all-conquering Xiaomi. What’s more, Xiaomi is no longer the only company producing competitive phones at low prices. Brands like OnePlus, Oppo and Meizu are all producing similar devices.

While Xiaomi uses Chinese social media to create buzz in its home nation, Huawei has been far more active in its marketing abroad. What’s more, Huawei has its own sub-brand — Honor — which sells great value handsets in Europe offering performance and build quality that’s hard to beat at their price-points. Devices like the Honor 7, which we unboxed recently, offer a near-flagship experience for a fraction of the price.

Filed under: Android Tagged: Android, China, Huawei, Nexus 6P, smartphones, xiaomi

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