Simon Walsh

Amazon has dropped several gift guides alongside its Countdown to Black Friday which we’ve broken down in detail here. In this post we’ll be covering the Amazon Active Lifestyle Gift Guide and why it’s beneficial. Continue reading to find our top picks and many helpful details.
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With lots of new technology being pushed out during the Fall, Verizon has some of the most exciting products available come holiday season. This can make Verizon one of the most exciting places to shop during Black Friday, especially if your current smartphone, tablet or smartwatch is starting to show its age. Continue reading to see what our expectations are for Verizon Black Friday.
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Barnes & Noble Black Friday sales are bound to be exciting if the company chooses to follow in last year’s footsteps. Lots of product categories received generous discounts, including toys, games, NOOK tablets, and more. It should go without saying, but traditional books are certain to see price cuts too, helping ensure that Barnes & Noble makes it on the Black Friday shopping list this year. Continue reading for a breakdown of what we expect to see in 2019.
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Most would agree that when it comes to online shopping, Amazon is king. One area that the company has lagged behind its competitors though is grocery delivery. While there are probably loads of reasons why it has been difficult to pull this off, pressure from Walmart and other competitors is likely part of why the company has ditched its previously-required $15 monthly subscription fee for Prime members.

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While BuyDig may not be the first retailer that comes to mind for Black Friday, it has been known to deliver incredible savings on big name products. In this guide we’ll break down when BuyDig is likely to kick off festivities, if it’s likely to drop a Black Friday ad, whether or not it will price match competitors, and more. We’ll even mention some of what we’ve seen in the past. Continue reading for a preview of what we expect at BuyDig.
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With big retailers like Walmart and Amazon setting out to dominate Black Friday, it can be very easy to miss out on incredible discounts at lesser-known, yet reputable storefronts like Rakuten. Here at 9to5Toys we’ve been surprised throughout 2019 with brand new products like Google Nest Home Hub Max and PowerBeats Pro receiving first discounts at Rakuten before anywhere else.

For those unfamiliar, Rakuten has everything from electronics to home goods and every bit of it is sold much like eBay with storefronts such as BuyDig, Monoprice, and Dyson being the actual merchant of the product in question. This results in a large amount of product types along with a reliable service experience.
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With rumors swirling about an in-ear AirPods design, a pair of foam tips dubbed Comply SoftCONNECT has landed to help address potential fit issues. These EarPod and AirPods tips combine soft foam with a silicone sleeve that slides over the top of Apple’s earbuds.

Given the nature of foam, these are focused primarily on fit and do not aim to offer any sort of noise cancellation. Comply touts that its new AirPods tips are able to be easily inserted and removed thanks to a soft design that strays from what it typically uses in its other products.

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When it comes to screen size, there’s no doubt that projectors tend to offer the best bang for your buck when compared with TVs. This further compounds when opting for Anker’s value-conscious Nebula projectors and even more so when jumping in on the company’s Kickstarter campaigns. The latest of which includes Nebula Cosmos and Cosmos Max, 1080p, and 4K HDR10 offerings that both run Android, opening them up to a whole slew of apps.
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Earlier today, SwitchBot took on companies like IKEA by officially announcing a small wireless device that automates existing curtains. SwitchBot Curtain appears to be dead simple to install, with the company touting it as a mere 30-second process. While SwitchBot has successfully shipped products before, it is worth noting that initial orders are taking place at Kickstarter, where it has already blown through its initial $20,000 funding goal.

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When it comes to PC gaming, every peripheral counts. But upgrading to a high-performance monitor is a solid investment that’s bound to make a substantial difference. When it comes to gaming brands, Razer is well known, but has yet to delve into the monitor-manufacturing space. That officially changes today with a new Razer monitor hitting the scene.

Dubbed Raptor, Razer’s new monitor is a 27-inch display with a WQHD resolution. It features a wide array of connectivity options including USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, and more. Even with a WQHD resolution, Razer Raptor delivers a smooth 144Hz refresh rate.

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Leading up to and following the release of Apple HomePod, we’ve seen a large spike in top-tier audio products combined with smart speaker functionality. With the largest tech companies making their own speakers, it’s undoubtedly more difficult for those primarily-focused on audio to compete on a mainstream level. To garner attention they must deliver something drastically different or make lofty claims. Linn Series 3 takes the latter approach, promising the ‘best sounding wireless speaker in the world.’
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When it comes to at-home blood pressure monitors, that’s a product category that Omron is well-known for. It’s had a wide variety of offerings for several years now and today the company has delivered a complete redesign for many of its most-popular models. There are a total of seven new blood pressure monitors ranging from wrist to upper arm and wired to wireless.
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For many of us, time is more valuable than money. With the official launch of InHome Delivery, Walmart is doing everything it can to put that time back in your day. While the service was announced early this summer, it took until now for the company to unleash the first rollout of it.

At launch it is limited to three cities, providing a leveled up grocery delivery service to over 1 million customers. Although the rollout is small, it’s arguably ahead of AmazonFresh as groceries get put away for you.
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When it comes to truly-wireless headphones, AirPods have become exceptionally popular and have essentially created a new market. A common criticism of AirPods is cost, with the earbuds listing at $159. Several competitors have come, some even pull off the AirPods look while keeping cost low, but few can compare with Jam Live Loud’s $40 price. This cheap AirPods competitor delivers a ‘sleek, no-frills design’ that’s heavily-focused on affordability.

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Over the years I have had a tendency to flip-flop between all sorts of technologies. One area in which I haven’t wavered for roughly a year now has been Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem. While it’s far from perfect, the sheer value and overall reliability have made my investment in Echo devices extremely worthwhile. In this Echo Dot Diary, I’ll share my Alexa review covering some of what I love, hate, and the ways that Amazon’s assistant has proven to be a success and a failure.
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Not too long after the Anker-owned brand Eufy debuted its 2K Video Doorbell, the company is back at it again with a smart floodlight. As was the case with eufy Video Doorbell, this Anker floodlight takes aim at Amazon’s lineup of Ring security products. This could not be more clear with its strikingly close resemblance to Ring Floodlight. So how does it compare? Continue reading to learn more and find out how to unlock a 25% savings.

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Shortly after Amazon announced the latest version of eero routers, TP-Link has introduced two new Wi-Fi 6 offerings. While neither are mesh systems, both are very affordable routers. The most robust of TP-Link’s new units is the Archer AX3000 and it boasts dual-band speeds of 3Gbps. Slightly lower on the totem pole is Archer AX1500 with a 1.5GHz Tri-core CPU and 1501Mbps performance.
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When it comes to camping, many look forward to setting most amenities aside. This is not the case for all though, with motorhomes being another popular way to camp. With the Swan 699, Bravia Mobil sets out deliver ‘a motorhome for your highest expectations.’ It’s heavily-focused on comfort, with its base comprised of a Mercedes Benz Sprinter. This vehicle was chosen for its spaciousness, which Bravia Mobil has set up to sleep four. 
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About eight months after rolling out Target Plus, the company is launching a new customer loyalty program that’s worth a look. Dubbed Target Circle, the company’s latest incentive for customers to buy its products includes cash back, the ability to vote on how and where the retailer donates, and much more. Best of all, it’s free to join, making it a slam dunk for every Target shopper. Continue reading for a further breakdown of Target Circle’s perks.
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Walmart and Roku have teamed up to deliver the onn Roku Smart Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer, two new and individually sold products. Both releases come roughly one year after Roku unveiled its Wireless Speakers during the 2018 holiday season. Roku’s new onn Smart Soundbar follows in the footsteps of Roku TV Wireless Speakers with similar features like automatic volume leveling and cable-free pairing.

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Rockstar Games has a knack for creating titles that a majority of people (even non-gamers) can enjoy. While the company is best known for Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption is up there too. Its most recent addition to the series, Red Dead Redemption 2 has been available on PS4 and Xbox One for about a year now, with a PC release being officially announced earlier today. It will even be a launch title on Google Stadia.
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With USB-C growing in popularity outside of the Apple ecosystem, demand for hubs and dongles is likely to increase. While there is no shortage of options for Apple products, alternatives heavily-focused on support for operating systems like Windows, Chrome, and Linux are not necessarily as common. Cable Matters is paving the way though, with a new triple monitor hub that supports up to 8K resolutions.
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It’s hard to argue that the last few years have left us with an overabundance of retro consoles. We’ve seen releases from Nintendo, Sony, Sega, and others. Outside of Analogue, many retro consoles offer a limited number of playable games. This is not the case for Atari VCS though, as it is set to offer streaming subscribers access to more than two thousand officially-licensed games.

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Over many years, Dyson has become a main innovator in the vacuum, fan, and air purifier space. Not only do the company’s products have a tendency to tackle problems that the rest of the market has missed, its inventions often look better, too. That was the case six months ago when it launched a USB-C smart lamp and today following the debut of its new Pure Cryptomic air purifiers.

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Qi charging is far from new. But like many other technologies, popularity was significantly bolstered once iPhone received support. Since then we’ve seen all sorts of unique and high-end wireless chargers flood the market. With HyperX ChargePlay Base, Kingston is now offering a dual Qi-charger that should fit in nicely with the company’s gaming peripherals and many other devices that support the now-popular wireless charging standard.
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With Sony and Bose’s latest headphones often being hailed as the gold standard, it’s hard for many companies to compete. While Skullcandy is certainly well-known, its offerings can have a hard getting attention when compared with the big players. This could be in for a change however, thanks to the introduction of a new pair of over-ear bone conduction headphones that are seemingly without direct competition.
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Throughout 2019, AUKEY has delivered an entirely new lineup of chargers. Each model features Dynamic Detect technology which is capable of not only safely reducing charge speeds of an individual port, but can also redirecting every bit of available juice to a single USB-C output. While each of its new chargers benefit from this technology, an upcoming 100-watt model with four ports is what will truly allow the technology to shine.
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When it comes to computing, having great peripherals can seriously boost productivity. This is not only true for office work, but also when gaming. With Logitech’s new G604 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse, the company appears to have added yet another robust option in its broad peripheral portfolio. This specific model delivers a ‘best-in-class High Efficiency Rated Optical 16K Sensor’, 15 programmable controls, lag-free connectivity, and more.
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When it comes to streaming and recording hardware, Blackmagic’s offerings in many ways, are the gold standard. This means that its equipment is typically reserved for those with deeper wallets than your average streamer. With Blackmagic ATEM Mini, the company aims to deliver multi-camera production capabilities to streamers and vloggers with more modest means.
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Laser TVs are exciting. They attempt to take the best features found in other TVs and projectors, and merge them into one product. From Optoma to LG, all sorts of manufacturers are investing money in laser TV development. Epson today unveiled its latest laser TV, which aims to be quite competitive thanks to the inclusion of an ambient light-rejecting screen that the company touts as delivering ‘a stunning picture in virtually any lighting environment’.
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Razer is a company that’s heavily-focused on gaming. It makes PCs, peripherals, and even a 120Hz smartphone, all of which are designed to provide a top-tier gaming experience. Despite this, the company is smart enough to know there are loads of mobile gamers that use an iPhone. For this reason, the company is unleashing two Razer Arctech iPhone cases that feature designs and materials made to reduce operating temperatures of both Apple’s current and just announced smartphones.
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With massive gaming and computing displays starting to increase in popularity, LG is attempting to further blur the lines between TVs and monitors. Its latest announcement confirms that some of its 55 to 77-inch TVs will receive a firmware update that yields G-Sync compatibility. The addition of G-Sync to some of its latest televisions should be appealing to PC gamers as it can ultimately provide a smoother gaming experience.
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Another day, another retro console. For several years now, we’ve been inundated by a flurry of game console re-releases. Whether it be the NES, SNES, or PlayStation Classic, a large majority of what we’ve seen has typically been retro hardware released directly from its original manufacturers. Evercade, an upcoming console, takes a different approach by supporting a wide range of titles thanks to direct partnerships with several major publishers.
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As time passes, I become increasingly intrigued by ways to eliminate traditional TVs in my home. When turned on, televisions look fantastic, but this is not necessarily the case when toggled off. Like Samsung’s Frame TV, a new laser projector from Optoma makes it quite simple to bring a modern and sophisticated look to the living room.

Originally unveiled in January at CES 2019, Optoma’s new CinemaX P1 Smart Laser Projector is now available for pre-order. The all-in-one device can project up to a 120-inch 4K image and is paired with a premium NuForce sound bar. Compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT provide a variety of smart integrations.

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Jabra has announced a follow-up of its truly-wireless Elite 65t Earbuds. The new model is dubbed Jabra Elite 75t and has received several notable upgrades including USB-C charging, 50% more battery, and a smaller form-factor that is being touted as a ‘more secure, comfortable fit’.

With up to 28 hours of battery life with the charging case, Jabra’s new earbuds tack on about 15% extra power when compared to AirPods. The charging case now has magnets inside to aide in opening and closing the case, a move Jabra claims was inspired through customer feedback.
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With TV manufacturers innovating by leaps and bounds, the pressure is on the projector market to remain competitive. Optoma is keeping its head down and moving on with three new models hitting the market soon. The model with the highest pixel count is the UHD52ALV, which is a smart 4K projector that features 3,500 lumens of brightness. The other two models are HD39HDR and GT1080HDR. Both of which peak at 1080p, but deliver a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
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Large OLED displays are trending these days with more offerings available than ever before. Just a couple weeks back Dell helped propel the computing industry forward by announcing an Alienware-branded 55-inch OLED 4K Monitor with a killer 120Hz refresh rate. Today we’ve heard that a massive LG 8K 88-inch OLED TV is being readied for launch and will support both Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit technologies.

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Tracking feet in VR has proven to be complex. Top this off with just how ridiculous and uncomfortable it can be to strap on a ton of wearable gear and it’s pretty clear there’s a large number of hurdles that need to be overcome in order for it to become mainstream. With the upcoming launch of 3dRudder on PlayStation VR, Sony’s popular console is receiving another simple way to enjoy even more immersive experiences.
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When it comes to phenomenally large displays, projectors have been one of the most readily available and cost-effective ways to go. While Sharp’s upcoming 8K TV fits neither of those criteria, it’s still a peek into what the future of TV may look like. With a massive 120-inch screen and insane 8K resolution, Sharp’s teased TV is likely to be absolutely stunning.

Sharp’s incredibly large 120-inch 8K TV is pegged to make its first public appearance at IFA, the same trade show where JVC debuted an 8K projector last year. On top of already-impressive specifications, the yet-to-be-shown TV also features 5G connectivity which should provide enough bandwidth to stream massive 8K footage with ease.
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While smartphones have been able to shoot 4K60 video for a few years now, the majority of DSLR and mirrorless cameras have noticeably lagged behind. Despite the fact that many 4K-ready cameras exist, most top out at 30 frames per second. Panasonic leapfrogs this by delivering S1H, a mirrorless 6K camera that can shoot 4K/60 without breaking a sweat.

We first got wind of Panasonic’s 6K camera a few months back, but at that point it was still a prototype. With pre-orders now available, release of the Panasonic S1H is more certain than ever. Continue reading to learn more.
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Sound bars have covered a lot of ground over the last decade. Technology like Dolby Atmos has significantly reduced the gap between surround systems and a mere sound bar with subwoofer. Simple connectivity seems to be the latest push in the space with the launch of two new Denon AirPlay 2 sound bars.

Dubbed DHT-S516H and DHT-S716H, both new models are marketed as premium with 4K HDMI input(s), Class-D amplification, and HEOS, for easy to manage multi-room playback with compatible speakers. Users of Alexa or Google Assistant will also be able to control these sound bars when using either voice assistant.

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It’s been a busy year for Amazon-owned IMDb TV. Debuting less than nine months ago as Freedive, in just a short while its name has been changed, catalog size tripled, and now, mobile streaming is on the way. With IMDb TV on mobile, this business venture is very likely to receive its biggest boost yet, but a lack of transparency surrounding the current number of users makes it unclear if its actually eating any of Netflix or Hulu’s lunch.
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I gave up routine grocery shopping several months ago once I could opt for pickup, and it has been delightful. The next best thing would be delivery, which is a service that is not quite available in my neck of the woods. Despite this disappointment, news of increased AmazonFresh availability boosts my hopes of grocery delivery extending its reach to rural locations over the next several years.
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When it comes to modern home security systems, SimpliSafe goes head-to-head with big players like Ring. With loads of companies jumping on the smart lock bandwagon, today’s announcement of the SimpliSafe Smart Lock isn’t too much of a shock.

The SimpliSafe Smart Lock differentiates itself from the competition by being the ‘thinnest on the market’, while still managing to have physical buttons. Thanks to a competitive price point and acceptable feature set, this lock aims to be the obvious solution for existing SimpliSafe Security System users.

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The launch of AirPods created a booming market for truly wireless earbuds. While Beats’ on- and over-ear headphones have taken a page or two out of AirPods’ playbook with the inclusion of Apple’s in-house wireless chip, none have tried to ditch the band. There is now more pressure than ever with the release of Human Headphones which are ‘the first true wireless over-ear headphones’.

Not only do they ditch the headband, they also can be turned into a ‘powerful Bluetooth speaker’ when both headphones are snapped together. Ambient sound can be configured by tapping the outside of an earpiece, allowing users to choose how much exterior noise makes it in.
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