Justin is the Editor-in-Chief at 9to5Toys. For well-over a decade he has covered everything from video games and smart home devices to iPhone and MagSafe accessories, EDC gear, and just about everything in between. A professional audio engineer/producer, he also specializes in home recording, microphones, digital audio, and streaming gear. See something cool out there? Developing the next viral Apple gear accessory? Or just want to talk deals? Contact him directly at justin@9to5mac.com for tips, pitches, and more.
Master & Dynamic is an audio company that focuses on premium materials for its range of headphones, speakers and accessories. Today the company is set to “reinterpret customization” with the launch of the new MW50+ headphones.
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Along with the unveil of its new Subharmonicon all-in-one modular-synth, Moog is continuing its push into the Eurorack space with a new semi-modular analog synthesizer known as Grandmother. After the DFAM garnered popularity among the synth/modular crowd, Moog is now offering the Moogfest 2018 Edition for pre-order at Guitar Center ahead of a full release.
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(Update 4/15 12:30pm): You’ll find the brand new Rage 2 gameplay trailer down below along with some additional story details.
With the world’s biggest gaming event of the year right around the corner now, excitement is raging for the next major releases. But that month before E3 can also be a precarious one for game devs and publishers as they fight back against leaks and the like. However, Bethesda has decided to play in to it this year after Walmart (accidentally) posted listings for the sequel to Rage 2 a couple of weeks back. Bethesda begun teasing the game on Twitter and elsewhere leaving an announcement all but imminent.
Well today is that day, Rage 2 is officially a thing and we have the announcement trailer for you below.
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Today, Nintendo and Mojang announced that an upcoming update for Minecraft will finally unify just about all of the major platforms the game supports. While Sony is still not playing nice with cross-platform multiplayer, the definitive version of the game for Switch will allow players to slay monsters together no matter which platform they are on starting next month.
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Nintendo and Sony have now announced that Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate will be hitting the Switch in just a few months time. While many felt the monster hunting on Nintendo’s hardware was gone for good after Capcom shifted to PS4 and Xbox One with its latest release, Generations Ultimate is coming back with a fresh coat of paint and more.
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We are in the midst of the re-release era. Whether it be the countless number of classic titles being re-launched for current generation hardware or the specialty consoles that have taken the retail world by storm over the last year or more, gaming nostalgia is at an all-time high. Nintendo’s miniature consoles have been insanely popular and now Sega is ready to jump on board along with Japanese gaming company SNK.
Last month the company teased what appeared to be some kind of mini console release loaded with its classics games, akin to the SNES Classic Edition. While that is not exactly the case, we are certainly getting a specialty console from SNK, it is miniature and we have the first pictures of it down below.
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This time around, WaterField is setting its sights on the business professional with its newest product. The company today has announced the release of its new Pro Executive Backpack and Folio.
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This month’s best game deals include some classic re-releases like the debut of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and the Mega Man Legacy Collections on the Switch. Quantic Dream’s cinematic interactive title Detroit: Become Human hits this month and we are also getting Demon Souls Remastered and much more. Head below for everything.
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After Fortnite went battle royale-style and more recently adding loads of new content in the way of both gaming changing events, new stories and more, it is easily one of the most popular titles out there right now. Developer Epic is constantly updating and enhancing the experience in order to stay a step ahead of competitors in the genre like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which doesn’t seem to have the infrastructure for continued evolution the way Fortnite does. These kinds of things weigh heavily on the success of a free-to-play MMO, and Epic Games has done a fantastic job of keeping interest at an all-time high.
And now the game is set to launch a limited cross over event that will team it up with the most popular thing in movies right now, Marvel superheroes. Or more specifically Marvel’s ultimate bad guy.
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Fittingly enough, Disney and Lenovo are announcing the latest update to the Star Wars: Jedi Challenges iOS/Android AR game as we celebrate May the Fourth. The VR headset meets mobile AR game combines some of the latest technology in the space with everyone’s favorite sci-fi franchise. The two companies are launching a new update today that will allow players to challenge each other in one-on-one Lightsaber duels.
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LifeProof has been a well-known brand name for a quite a while now. Alongside companies like Otterbox, it provides some of the toughest and robust smartphone cases on the market to keep your precious gear safe in the most rugged locales.
While the brand already offers other options like apparel, charging solutions, cables and more, today it is bringing its legacy in protective gear to the new active backpack lineup.
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IK Multimedia has created some of the best and most affordable audio production gear out there for years. Whether it’s a MIDI controller keyboard with a built-in interface, guitar rigs or high-quality iOS recording solutions, the company offers just about everything. It most recently launched (and has continued to support) its Syntronik Software Instrument collection, of which you can check out our review right here. Now, the company is stepping into the hardware synthesizer space for the first time.
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Rockstar doesn’t put out very many games, but when it does, the entire gaming world shuts down to pay attention. We already know Red Dead Redemption 2 is scheduled for release this year and today we are getting a brand new trailer. While we are yet to see the game go gold (ready for consumer manufacturing) and after several delays pushed its release to late 2018, it looks as though the folks at Take-Two are confident the game won’t get pushed back again.
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Considering the franchise has been largely quiet for so long when it comes to new releases, Mega Man’s 30th anniversary run is turning out to be quite fruitful for fans of the series. With the announcement of the Mega Man X Collection and subsequent releases on Nintendo Switch for both Legacy bundles, not to mention Mega Man 11, the Blue Bomber is set to have a solid 2018 already. But, we had a feeling something interesting would be on the way from the folks over at iam8bit to mark the occasion as well, and here it is.
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No matter how old school board games and the like may seem these days, they just won’t seem to go away. Even with the amazing experiences we get on mobile and how far developers can take realism in the AAA console space, there’s just something about those vintage tabletop games that continues to bring friends and families together. While it has certainly been a while since we saw some kind of interesting innovation in the cardboard dice-rolling world, these new internal CIA training board games certainly caught our attention.
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After what seemed like years of waiting, Nintendo has finally started putting some of its most iconic characters on iOS and Android devices. While the success of the Switch continues to cannibalize the company’s hand held 2DS/3DS market, Nintendo is ramping up development for Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems.
Super Mario Run has been successful for the company and we already know some of its other major IPs are getting the mobile treatment soon, but it now looks like Nintendo has some new, original titles on the way for iOS/Android.
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KORG has been slowly pushing its Gadget music making application and collection of instruments on to various platforms since it hit iOS back in 2015. The Mac version released early last year to solid reviews, but now KORG is looking to bring its all-in-one music making app to Nintendo’s hit gaming console.
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Quantic Dream, led by game designer David Cage has been responsible for some of the most interesting and unapologetically cinematic experiences in gaming. The studio has heavily leaned on interactive storytelling and player ownership to create its most recent AAA titles. And now we are exactly one month from the release of the studio’s latest project known as Detroit: Become Human.
After officially going gold this week, Sony has announced the new Quantic Dream title will definitely be released next month and is now offering players a chance to give it a try early.
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Nintendo has experienced almost nothing but major success over the last year or so. The release of the Switch has skyrocketed the company back to where it should be in the home console space and the NES/SNES Classic Edition hardware has been one of the hottest products (barely) on store shelves. While Nintendo’s legal team is constantly busy destroying the hopes and dreams of the home-brew modder community, it looks like the company might actually have a serious problem on its hands with a new Switch security flaw.
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Whether it’s creating their own custom Nintendo consoles or mining hidden NES games found inside the Switch operating system, we have covered some extremely interesting projects from the gaming hacker/modder community over the years. While many of them are less than legal, the ingenuity of these individuals continues to astound us.
After an extremely popular fan-made hack of Super Mario 64 went viral late last year, one of the master minds behind the project is back with the new Super Mario 64: Ocarina of Time mash-up.
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We have covered our fair share of interesting music-related iOS apps over the years. While most of our attention is spent on the more professional side of things with products from Moog, Cubasis, Akai and other companies of that nature, every once in a while a new product pops up on the more casual side of things with some interesting tech.
The new HumBeatz for iOS and Android caters to lesser experienced musicians, but its hassle-free design for quickly recording ideas along with the proprietary audio-to-MIDI translations have certainly caught our attention.
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The Nintendo Classic Edition re-released consoles have been some of the hottest commodities in gaming over last couple years. Now, several of the most nostalgic names in the business are following suit. We already know Atari will release its own gaming hardware later this year and Sega finally announced it was getting into the miniature vintage console market earlier this week.
While excitement for the Sega MegaDrive Mini is at an all-time high, another popular Japanese gaming company is ready to go mini in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
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Microsoft has been teasing the new Xbox One avatar system for quite a while now. We first got a good look at the new online personas back at E3, but the system has since missed most of its early launch targets. We expected to see the system in place on Windows systems by the end of 2017, but it looks like most of that is getting pushed to next month or later. Just recently, a now removed video of the system was leaked on to YouTube giving us a much better look at what we are in for when the new Xbox/Windows avatars finally make it to prime time.
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Konami has announced a new game in the Castlevania series. While it might not be the big AAA console experience many would have hoped for, Grimoire of Souls looks to be bringing the series’ classic side scrolling combat to iOS later this year along with a healthy dose of multiplayer action to go along with it.
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It’s shaping up to be a busy couple of weeks for the folks at Sega. The long-time gaming company has now decided to jump on the retro re-release train with the announcement of the upcoming Sega MegaDrive Mini. Chances are its response is going to be in-line with the Nintendo Classic Edition consoles and we expect stock to be limited once it finally hits store shelves later this year. But that won’t be the only way to play classic Sega titles on modern hardware in 2018.
Sega is planning on bringing a nice collection of its most iconic vintage titles to Switch as individual downloads via the Nintendo eShop this summer.
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have notable price drops on Evergrow, Noti:Do, Deemo, Out There Chronicles, Dungeon Rushers, Earth 3D – Amazing Atlas and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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(Update): Both the Mega Man Legacy and Mega Man X Legacy Collections for Nintendo Switch are now up for pre-order at 20% off for Best Buy GCU and Amazon Prime members.
The Mega Man series is one of the most iconic in gaming right up there with the likes of Mario, Yoshi, Samus and others. While Capcom has struggled to carry the Blue Bomber into the current generation of gaming, the Legacy Collections for the original titles are the best ways to hunt down robot masters on the latest hardware. While long time fans of the series certainly appreciate the original main line series, the Mega Man X titles brought the game to Super Nintendo with an array of new abilities, features and updated gameplay mechanics.
And now everyone’s favorite Maverick Hunter is making his way to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC with the new Mega Man X Legacy Collections.
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Pad & Quill is back at it again today with another full-grain leather accessory. This time around the company has set its sights specifically on travel with its new Classic Leather Passport Holder. Once again, you can expect the company’s usual attention to detail here and a special discount for 9to5 readers.
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Ultimate Ears is well-known these days for its portable Bluetooth speakers and well, consumer level audio gear. But the company also makes in-ear monitors for musicians and audio professionals that are getting a refresh today. The new UE Live in-Ear Monitors feature some notable tech along with the company’s new proprietary driver and cable systems.
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have notable price drops on Emoji Camera, Iesabel, Solar Walk, and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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We are pushing five years since the release of Sony’s PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One from Microsoft. After higher-end versions of those machines hit store shelves with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, some industry analysts suggested this could be the last console generation. Meaning we were likely to see updated internals or some kind of jump to a completely new style of gaming platform before another traditional console generation hit. While that seemed like an interesting idea, it also seemed like it might be a little too soon for the big players to completely jump ship from the traditional business model and a new report suggests PlayStation 5 is already well underway.
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There are loads of interesting apps out there than combine preset DJ-like techniques with actual music sequencing and composition. One of our favorites in that category, while it certainly leans more towards the pro side of things, is KRFT. But today, we are taking a look at a new product from the folks over at MIXVIBES that is looking to make original music composition even easier and more fun than ever. Question is, will the somewhat suspicious IAP business plan ruin it all?
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have some solid price drops on Trimaginator, Remote Pad for Mac, Easy Spending – Budget Planner and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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It has been a big week for the folks over at Insomniac Games. Yesterday, the developer announced the official release date for its upcoming project, Marvel’s Spider-Man. And today, it is looking like a Spyro remastered trilogy will be hitting store shelves before long.
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With the release of the new God of War just a couple of weeks out now, Sony’s exclusive 2018 lineup is starting to heat up. One other major title coming to the Sony platform but not Microsoft’s is the new Spider-Man game. Originally shown off at E3 2016, the game is a collaboration between Sony, Marvel Studios and the talented folks at Insomniac Games. Needless to say, while skepticism remains, Spider-Man is certainly one of the most anticipated PS4 exclusives of the year.
Today, we are getting an official release date (it’s coming this year!), details on the collector’s editions, more gameplay information and a brand new trailer.
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April is here, and with it comes new game releases. Last month saw the release of Far Cry 5, Sea of Thieves, Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered and much more. This month, we are seeing God of War’s triumphant return as Kratos takes on Norse mythology, the latest Yakuza title makes it stateside, and Nintendo’s cardboard Toy-Con finally come to life.
All that and more in April’s best game releases down below:
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JLab Audio is launching a brand new pair of throw-back style headphones. The new Rewind Wireless Retro harken back to that 80’s look when the Walkman reigned supreme. Although JLab has implemented just about all of the modern amenities we have come to love in headphones these days including wireless connectivity, virtual assistant support and much more, the company still managed to keep them at an impossibly affordable price tag.
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No Man’s Sky is coming to Xbox One within the next few months. The open-world space exploration game took a fair share of criticism at launch, but developer Hello Games is pushing ahead with major new updates and a fresh start this summer on Microsoft’s console.
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In today’s best game deals, Best Buy is offering Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition on Xbox One and PS4 for $29.99. That means GCU members can grab it for just $23.99 with free in-store pickup or free shipping in orders over $35. It currently sells for $30 and up on Amazon.
ICYMI: The Xbox One & PSN Spring Sales now live w/ up to 67% off: Rocket League, Cuphead, MGS, more
Down below you’ll find more console game deals and new products. Your daily iOS/Mac app sales are on the way!
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It has been a big year for Marvel with the incredible success of Black Panther, and now we are getting a new iOS title starring most of the universe’s biggest names. The new Marvel Strike Force released today on iOS and Android alongside the debut launch trailer…
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have some solid price drops on Arkanoid vs Space Invaders, TripTrap, Cardinal Land, Bloons Supermonkey 2, the entire GO Trilogy, Thimbleweed Park and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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Today we are going to be taking a look at some of our favorite options for storing our sample libraries and other files for content creation. No matter what it is we are creating, at some point or other, storage is a must, whether it’s for project assets, backups or archival purposes. While this particular roundup will be focusing mainly on music producers and their sample libraries, many of our suggestions will work with other applications as well.
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Today, ROLI is announcing the availability of the Songmaker Kit. The bundle brings together two of company’s latest multi-touch controllers with the Loop Block and over $400 worth of software along with them. The previous kit offered for a very brief time earlier this year and for a limited time in 2016 sold out so quickly the company decided to give it another run.
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Moog’s legacy in the electronic music and synthesizer world is second to none. The company has been pumping out some of the most amazing instruments on the planet since the 70’s, including one of the world’s first portable synthesizers known as the Minimoog Model D. The pricey icon of yesteryear may have at some time only really been available to big time acts like Nine Inch Nails, Kraftwerk and Dr. Dre (just to name a few), Moog is now bringing a lovingly recreated version of the Model D to iOS for the rest of us.
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Guacamelee’s interesting blend of Mexican folklore, humor and action packed gameplay garnered it critical praise as one of the best indie releases of the year. While that was way back in 2013, a sequel has been in the works for quite some time now. After the debut announcement trailer hit YouTube back in October of last year (see below), we now have an official release window and more details from the game’s appearance at GDC 2018.
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What the Golf? is a new game from Triband studios out of Copenhagen. Set for release later this year, this new indie golf game is really everything but a golf game and looks completely ridiculous in the best way possible.
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We first heard word of Atari’s upcoming new home console in summer 2017 as the company confirmed it was getting back into the hardware business. The nostalgic brand has been largely quiet since its golden age some 40 years ago now, but today we are getting an official name for the new Atari machine as well as an official pre-order window.
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It has been a busy couple of weeks for the folks at Pad & Quill. The company’s handcrafted accessory lineup got some major updates including new all-leather Rolltop backpacks and messenger bags for your MacBook and iPad. Before that, Pad & Quill launched its very first TechFolio to keep all your smaller gadgets and accessories organized. And there’s no reason to stop there.
Today Pad & Quill is launching what might be its nicest looking leather bag yet with the Heritage Leather Duffle.
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