Trevor Daugherty

When going for extended bike rides, I often outfit my two-wheeler with iOttie’s smartphone mount to track my progress and in some cases, find my way home. But I am also in constant fear that my device could take a spill if the terrain gets a little out of hand. SmartHalo is a new bike accessory that delivers many of those same smartphone features in a handlebar add-on. That includes an integrated display, navigation and fitness monitoring all in a tidy package.

Of course, it is iPhone and Android compatible, so you can leverage those features without feeling like your device is exposed. SmartHalo’s add-on design promises to bring just about any bike in the modern age, and thankfully the price is rather affordable.

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Bose has this morning unveiled its first truly wireless headphones, dubbed the SoundSport Free. Much like Apple’s own AirPods and Jaybird’s latest Run in-ears, Bose is taking aim at active users looking for an audio solution during exercise.

As one of the biggest names in audio, Bose is taking its established tech and cramming it into earbuds that weigh just 0.35-ounces each. A wireless carrying case will handle charging, much like what Apple and Jaybird has instituted with their own headsets in recent releases. However, its a new antennae system that Bose claims will truly set its new release apart from the competition.

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This morning, AOC continued to expand its lineup of attractive (and affordable) monitors with the new 32-inch Agon Curved FreeSync Gaming Display. Officially priced at $429.99, the latest from AOC sports a number of features that are sure to attract the attention of gamers. That includes a 144Hz refresh rate, near frameless design and built-in USB charging.

We recently went hands-on with AOC’s 40-inch 4K monitor, which delivered solid performance at a budget price. Their newest release looks at a different subset of users, however. Head below for more details.

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Amazon’s top-of-the-line Fire tablet, the HD 10, is getting a refresh this morning with an updated display and other new features. In fact, this is the first tablet to sport a full 1080p panel since the now discontinued Fire HDX nearly five years ago. Along with the upgraded specs, Amazon is also dropping the price down to $150. The $80 decrease is sure to make the HD 10 a hit with consumers that are not tied to Apple’s iPad ecosystem.

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Nearly a year ago, Fabriq hit the scene as one of the first third-party Alexa speakers on the market. While its Echo Dot competitor offered some intriguing features, it never really took off. Fast forward to today and Fabriq has returned with a larger version called the ‘Chorus’ that may grab the attention of those looking for an alternative to Amazon’s in-house speakers.

One big improvement over the original version is the inclusion of far-field microphones. Unlike the previous iteration that required a press of a button to activate Alexa voice services, today’s new model operates just like Amazon’s own speakers. Fabriq also includes a unique wireless charging system that allows Chorus to go just about anywhere…

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In this week’s Best of 9to5Toys: Apple’s keynote on Tuesday stole the show, so we have rounded up all of the best iPhone 8 offers, as well as covered the top accessories for Apple TV and Watch. You’ll find our full review on Jaybird’s new Run headphones (and a giveaway!) along with the rest of this week’s best deals just below.

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This week we’re partnering with Jaybird to give away its new Run truly wireless headphones. Retailing at $180 and featuring a water-resistant design, these in-ears could be your next pair of headphones. Head below to find out how you could win.

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Pre-orders for Apple Watch Series 3 officially went live this morning, and hopefully you were fortunate to get yours placed before shipping times started to slip. Whether this is your first wearable from Apple or you’re simply upgrading, you’ll likely want to buy a few extra bands for different occasions.

Any good 9to5Toys reader knows that Apple’s official first-party bands are way over-priced. While the quality is good, you can often find two or three nice alternatives on Amazon from other manufacturers for the price of one band at Apple. We’ve put together a list of our favorite bands below, covering a wide range of materials from leather and nylon to silicone and stainless steel. Head below for our top picks.

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Today’s the day. Aside from iPhone 8 pre-orders kicking off, the new 4K Apple TV is also up for pre-order (and still available for September 22nd delivery in most cases). If you’re still rocking a 1080p or worse, 720p TV, now may be the time to upgrade. Apple is making a serious effort to roll out more 4K content than ever before and its latest streaming box plays a huge role.

We’ve rounded up the best 4K Ultra HDTVs below that will be an excellent partner to the new Apple TV. Our top picks start at around $600 from trusted brands like LG, Sony, and VIZIO. Hit the jump to see the entire list.

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If you’ve seen any of our desks here at 9to5, whether it be from videos or reviews, you know that we often have bobbleheads or other trinkets laying around. Well, this week I added a few more to my workspace and gaming setup. PDP’s Pixel Pals lineup takes classic characters, such as Mario or Zelda, and puts it in a miniature 8-bit light-up form.

At around $15 each, this is a must-have for any gamer. Head below for a quick hands-on.

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Amazon offers the Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat with HomeKit support for $94.34 shipped. That’s good for $35 off the original price, down $10-$15 from most retailers and an Amazon all-time low. Although it doesn’t sport as nice a look as the Nest Thermostat, Emerson’s alternative still has HomeKit compatibility, smartphone features, scheduling and more. Rated 4.1/5 stars by over 3,500 Amazon reviewers.

Other notable Green Deals today include:

• Sun Joe 14A Electric Blower / Mulcher: $84 (Reg. $105) | Amazon
• Philips 6-pack 65W BR40 Dimmable LED Light Bulbs: $44 (Reg. $55) | Amazon
• Wemo Insight Alexa-enabled Smart Plug hits Amazon all-time low at $35 shipped

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Jaybird has today unveiled the newest addition to its lineup of sports-focused headphones, taking its first shot at a truly wireless experience in the process. The new Run in-ears feature all of the active lifestyle features that one expects from Jaybird, including a sweatproof and water-resistant design. But in an already crowded market, will it will find a place dominated by AirPods and other major players?

I was able to get an early run with Jaybird’s latest over the last few weeks. Taken from an Apple-geared perspective, here are my thoughts on the new $180 Jaybird Run truly wireless headphones.

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One of the interesting tidbits from yesterday’s Apple keynote is that the latest iPhones will support wireless charging for the first time. There are already a number of Qi-approved chargers available for purchase today that will fit the bill. But to no surprise, industry veterans Belkin and Mophie were prepared for yesterday’s announcement with two new wireless charging products.

Both brands will be rolling out these new accessories in Apple stores over the coming weeks as the latest iPhones begin to ship. Coincidentally, each product will be priced at $60 with varying designs.

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If you caught today’s Apple event, you know the latest iPhones out of Cupertino will now support Qi wireless charging. And while Android users have enjoyed this technology for a while now, Apple users may just be diving in for the first time. We’ve rounded up the best Qi wireless chargers for iPhone 8/Plus and X so you can be ready on day one. Head below for our full list.

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Nintendo has had an incredible run over the last 12 months. It can hardly keep Switch consoles on store shelves as we lead up to the holiday season. Not to mention, demand is through the roof for its upcoming SNES Classic release.

This morning, Nintendo put out a bit of news that is sure to excite gamers. Not only will production of its SNES Classic console be ramped up in the coming months, Nintendo also announced that the original NES Classic from 2016 is coming back too. If you recall, this vintage gaming platform was one of the hottest releases last holiday season as pre-orders continually sold out. Full details below.

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While you might be focused on all of our Apple event coverage today, there’s another leak that you might want to see, too. A new report this morning from AFTVNews details Amazon’s upcoming refreshed Fire TV lineup that includes a new Fire TV stick and an Alexa-focused set-top streamer with a familiar design.

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In this week’s Best of 9to5Toys: Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pro gets a huge discount, we go hands-on with the latest LEGO Star Wars kits and more!

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It’s the close of another week and that means it’s 9to5Rewards time. This go around we’re partnering with SanDisk to give one lucky reader its new iXpand Base backup system for iPhone. Head below to learn how you could win.

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As Alexa continues its steady march towards all of our beloved devices, we wonder each week which new iteration will pop-up next. Today, it is the new iHome IACS16 Alarm Clock. This old-school take on your bedside timepiece delivers a wide range of modern day features.

That includes Alexa voice assistance, along with support for Amazon Music, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Of course it also has the expected USB ports and a built-in speaker, checking most of the boxes we’d hope to find on a product like this in 2017.

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Huawei today announced that it is making its Band 2 Pro fitness tracker available for purchase in the United States. Priced at $69.99 and now available at Amazon, this wearable renews the brand’s focus on its in-house fitness vertical. With features like GPS and heart rate monitoring, Huawei clearly hopes that it can undercut similar offerings from Fitbit and the like that are more costly.

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Today Fujifilm has unveiled its new X-E3 mirrorless camera. With a lesser footprint than the aging X-E2, this is now the smallest of the brand’s viewfinder-equipped offerings. But despite its stature, Fujifilm has loaded this camera down with features. It’s headlined by a 24.3-megapixel sensor and full 4K video support, along with wireless connectivity. All of this comes in at under $900, making it a viable option that may pry some Canon and Panasonic die-hards away from their beloved cameras.

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This morning, Spotify and Hulu announced that the two services will now be bundled together for students for $4.99 per month. Considering the streaming music already offer an education-focused plan for the same price, this essentially delivers Hulu for free. We’ve already seen Apple and Amazon both announce aggressive offers for the all important student demographic, it’s no surprise that Spotify is making this move to remain competitive.

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Projectors are an excellent way to go from a typical home theater setup to the next level. But one of the most common complaints that comes along with this tech is the unsightly design typically found on most ceiling mounted options. Going with a short-throw projector can help solve that problem and Epson’s latest seems to fit the bill.

The new Home Cinema LS100 is described as an “ultra short-throw” display that uses laser technology to recreate a 120-inch 1080p display while sitting very close to the wall. Epson is pumping out 4,000 lumens on its new projector, which is sure to provide an immersive experience in nearly every environment.

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It’s been years since Nike first introduced its NikeID online custom design studio. And while others have tried to replicate this service, the response simply hasn’t been the same. Nike is looking to extend its dominance in this area with the new Live-Design Experience, a 90-minute in-person shoe design studio that will officially open in New York City later this month.

The Nike Makers’ Experience will be housed at the Nike By You Studio in New York, but don’t just expect to walk right in. As an invitation-only service, you’ll need to know the right people to enjoy the shoemaker’s latest creation.

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In this week’s Best of 9to5Toys: Labor Day sales from Best Buy, Nike, Canon and others headline the best deals while new releases at IFA stole the show. Head below for more…

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This week we’ve partnered with Western Digital to give away its just announced My Cloud Home 4TB storage solution. Just released on Wednesday, this new hard drive offers fully wireless backups of your devices and more. Head below to learn how you could win one for yourself.

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Are you done with 4K? Because according to Sharp, you should be. Today at IFA the display manufacturer announced that it would soon be shipping 8K panels across the globe. New AQUOUS televisions sporting 7,680 x 4,320 resolutions will hit China in December, with Taiwan and Europe on the docket for early 2018.

Sharp first unveiled its 8K displays back in 2015 but the whopping $130,000 price made it a virtual non-starter for most everyone. Not to mention a complete lack of content for the medium as well. Along with today’s announcement, Sharp is also unveiling an 8K ecosystem that it says will launch this ultra-ultra high resolution in the mainstream faster than expected…

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It’s been a huge 2017 for Alexa as Amazon’s voice-assistant has made its way to a variety of third-party devices in recent months. After Anker unveiled its more affordable Echo Dot competitor, we’re now seeing Harman Kardon make a run, too.

The Alure Smart Speaker features a design that, well, leaves something to be desired. It’s not the most sleek release from Harman Kardon in recent memory by any means. But for those looking for Alexa capabilities in a more powerful package, this new device might fit the bill.

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Sphero has announced at IFA 2017 that it is expanding its Star Wars-focused lineup today with two new droids. With The Last Jedi set to hit theaters on December 15th, Sphero is looking to cash in on this year’s latest release. Today’s announcement delivers R2-D2 and BB-9E remote control droids with full iOS and Android connectivity. Much like the popular BB-8 from a few years back, you’ll have full control over these adorable characters…

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Today Western Digital and SanDisk launched the “world’s highest-capacity microSD card” with an incredible 400GB of storage. That’s double the previous record held by SanDisk. With more devices supporting larger external storage than ever before, SanDisk is looking to meet the ever increasing demands of users with today’s announcement. For example, many of LG’s flagship devices would in theory support upwards of 2TB, if needed.

Western Digital claims that it was able to achieve this larger capacity by developing a new proprietary technology and design. But that’s naturally going to come with a high price tag.

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Along with a new Apple Pay competitor and refreshed vívoactive wearable, Garmin has also today introduced the new vívosport fitness tracker. What makes this announcement notable is Garmin’s intriguing positioning of its latest device.

At $200, it’s easily seen as a high-end fitness tracker when compared to Fitbit’s offerings. Conversely, some of its smartphone-connected features make it feel like an entry-level smartwatch. Built-in GPS and up to a week’s worth of battery life are among a long list of features that might entice you to make the newest Garmin your next purchase.

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A few months back, Logitech first unveiled its Powerplay line of accessories designed to deliver professional-level gaming performance in a wireless package. Fast forward to IFA 2017 and Logitech is expanding its lineup with two new products featuring the same LIGHTSPEED technology.

Today’s announcement includes the G613 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard, a product that covers a few buzzwords that typically don’t go together. It’s hard enough to make a solid wireless mechanical keyboard, but one that’s designed for gamers? The new G603 wireless mouse is also making its first appearance today. Hit the jump for more.

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Today, D-Link has introduced a new affordable mini HD Wi-Fi Camera, the DCS-8000LH, that features 720p video for under $60. While it may not blow you away from a technical perspective, the slim, unassuming design makes it a great buy for those looking to dabble in home security for the first time.

D-Link’s latest release is an excellent starter security camera for a number of reasons, including its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and integrated smartphone apps. Head below for the full press release and more.

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Today, at IFA 2017 in Berlin, Bang and Olufsen has announced a new partnership with LG resulting in its first foray into OLED TVs. By hooking up with the industry leader in this technology, B&O all but guarantees a first class experience that delivers on tech and design.

The BeoVision Eclipse sports a 4K display and a unique 450 watt audio system that seemingly floats freely. Our favorite feature? The motorized stand that wheels itself to any location around the room to ensure optimum viewing angles. More below.

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Following Monday’s official merger of Amazon and Whole Foods, we’re still grasping the full breadth of changes coming down the line for both retailers. And so is the competition. After a rough month of August for the online giant’s stock, prices bounced back this week as news about upcoming Prime members perks and other changes were announced.

Amazon’s always had a long-term eye on integrating groceries and food delivery into its constantly expanding services. Its acquisition of Whole Foods is just the beginning of what’s likely to turn the industry upside down.

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