Trevor Daugherty

The BLOCKS modular smartwatch hit Kickstarter today and in just a few short hours it has flown past its initial $250,000 goal. There was a lot of hype initially surrounding its launch, which has proven to be well deserved.

BLOCKS was first teased back at CES with a promise of hitting the crowdfunding circuit this summer. The build-your-own watch offers a unique alternative to Apple Watch and Android Wear examples that are largely limited in function by their software capabilities. Although it took a little more time than originally expected, today’s response has been through the roof. Head below for more details.

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Savant has spent the last ten years as the go-to home automation company for the ultra-wealthy. Steve Jobs even leaned on this company to deck out his infamous Venus yacht. But now, Savant is aiming to bring its beautiful functional home control system to the masses by reducing prices.

Its first foray into the mass consumer market comes way of a new universal remote. There is no denying, this thing is beautiful. Watch out Logitech, you have some competition on your hands…

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I’d be willing to bet your home has some sort of smart or internet-connected device. Whether it’s a Nest Thermostat or WeMo smart plugs, the internet is invading our home one small piece of plastic at a time. The struggle with many of these devices, such as the Nest, is that it only provides a data point for one location in your home. While it is possible to add additional thermostats, that’s not a cost-effective solution for most consumers.

That’s where Koto comes in. Its recently launched Indiegogo campaign offers three different sensors that each collect and report on important measurable data in your home, like air quality or dust count. By doing so, Koto is able to paint a more reliable picture of your home’s health and can even recommend on how to improve it…

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Is more better? According to the inventors behind the new 16 lens Light digital camera, it is. This new startup out of Silicon Valley hopes to bring DSLR-quality images to a smartphone-form factor. Something that has been talked about for years but has struggled to be fully realized.

So how do you cram 52 megapixels worth of imagery into a palm-sized camera? Light plans on leveraging the power of all 16 lenses to capture ultra-high resolution images. The science behind it is really intriguing.

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Say what you want, doing laundry isn’t easy. Nor is often fun. We’ve come so far, I don’t even have to get off the couch to unlock my front door anymore. Laundry machines haven’t seen as much advancement. There are some pretty cool washer and dryer options these days, but there is still some labor involved in the process.

Thankfully, Panasonic has partnered with Seven Dreamers in Japan to develop a unique laundry solution, called Laundroid, that takes most of the work out of cleaning your clothes. The good news: it folds your clothes by itself. The bad? It takes up to seven hours to complete a load…

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Shnoopcom (100% positive feedback from 29,000+) via eBay Daily Deals offers the Sony MDR-XB950BT/B Extra Bass Wireless Bluetooth NFC Headphones for $134.99 shipped. Today’s deal is $65 off the original listing, $64 better than Amazon, a match of our previous mention and the lowest price we can find from a reputable seller. Rated 4.5/5 stars. Features include Bluetooth and NFC connectivity with apt-X support, a built-in microphone, 40mm drivers and up to 20 hours of playback on a single charge.

Next up, Amazon has a couple of nice price drops on Beyerdynamic Over-Ear Headphones. First, is the DT-770 Pro 250 Ohm for $169.99 (Reg. $200). These headphones have a closed, diffuse-field design with 250 ohms of resistance and velour ear-pads. Rated 4.6/5 stars.

Amazon also has the Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro 250 Ohm Over-Ear Headphones for $199.99 (Reg. $270+). Features include a semi-open design, “analytical sound”, soft ear pads and a carrying case. Rated 4.6/5 stars. Pair these powerful headphones with Beyerdynamic’s A200p Portable DAC for iPhone/Android devices, which is currently on sale for $140 (Reg. $200).

More Headphone Deals:

• Adidas Originals by Monster Limited Edition Headphones: $90 (Orig. $300) | Groupon
• SoundPeats M20 In-Ear w/ Microphone: $10 Prime shipped w/ code MQ2EPFTH (Reg. $20) | Amazon
• Blackzebra Bluetooth 4.1 In-Ears w/ Remote: $16 Prime shipped w/ code C16F6T23 (Reg. $24) | Amazon
• JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth In-ears (White): $90 (Reg. $130) | Amazon
• Bose SoundTrue Over-Ear: $100 (Reg. $120) | Amazon
• Bose SoundTrue In-Ear (Red): $68 (Reg. $80) | Amazon
• Sennhesier HD 429s Over-Ear: $35 w/ code EMCKAAT223 (Reg. $60) | Newegg
• Bluetooth Earbud Options from $20 | Amazon

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We love build it yourself kits around here, especially those that bring technology to the masses. From Kano to Robo Wunderkind, there have been some intriguing DIY projects released in the last year. littleBits has been around for a while now, but its new Gizmos and Gadgets kit is bound to get the creative juices flowing for all ages.

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DJI is responsible for some of the most beautiful drone video footage on the web today. Its Phantom 3 line of products is the industry standard for capturing aerial videography. In recent years, DJI has made the move to reduce the price on some of its products to a more consumer-friendly level.

Today, a new camera from the high-flying optics company has been announced. The Osmo is a camera mounted on a motorized rig with a stabilizing arm to capture smooth video and photos. It’s basically a very fancy selfie-stick. An expensive one at that…

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We first heard whispers of Amazon launching a made by hand store back in the spring as the online retail behemoth considered a run at Etsy. Today, Handmade at Amazon has launched with “thousands of unique products” made from more than 60 countries around the world. Each piece of inventory comes from a factory-free environment as every artisan piece is made without the use of automated machinery.

We have the full details on Amazon’s new store, how you can get started selling goods, and our top handmade picks.

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In recent years, Dyson has become known for its heating and cooling options as much as its popular vacuum cleaners. The bladeless fan has been welcomed by parents and senior citizens alike for its added safety, particularly with the heating elements. Dyson has offered air purification in its cooling fans before, but this is the first model that combines heat and cold into one package. Read on for more details on the new Pure Hot + Cool bladeless fan from Dyson.

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Following the release of its new Harmony Elite universal remote, Logitech is back today with a fresh add-on for your home theater setup. The new Harmony Home Hub Extender brings compatibility for Zigbee and Z-Wave products. This move further puts Logitech out in front of the competition when it comes to smart home control.

While Apple continues to develop its HomeKit platform, Logitech has slowly collected support from some of the biggest names in the smart home world. After all, what’s better than unlocking the front door with your remote?

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Kickstarter has delivered some pretty cool projects over the last couple of years. One of our favorites to come out of the crowd-funding world is the Kano Raspberry Pi microcomputer. As coding has taken off with the success of iOS and Android’s app stores, we are seeing more educators and parents take an interest in using it as a medium for learning. Kano was one of the first coding projects for kids on Kickstarter and we loved it.

Fast forward a year later and another Kickstarter campaign is focused on marrying robotics and coding into a kid-friendly package. Robo Wunderkind uses LEGO skills and iOS/Android connectivity to enable children to build their own robot. So far the response has been through the roof.

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Virtual reality (VR) is no longer an experience reserved for science-fiction movies or training for technical jobs. This technology has seen significant strides in recent years that now allows consumers to have greater access to VR products. This growth has been spurred by companies like Oculus, which has put significant resources into developing consumer-focused products.

Now, Mattel has joined in on this trend to remake its classic View-Master toy into a smartphone-connected virtual reality headset. Make no mistake, this is not the plastic viewfinder you enjoyed as a kid. This updated View-Master, first announced in February, includes top-of-the-line content from National Geographic and others. Trust us, this is guaranteed to hit everyone’s Christmas list this year.

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It has been five long years since we’ve had a new Rock Band release from Harmonix. We were thrilled when it was announced back in the winter that the fourth generation of the popular franchise would be making its way to Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Along with that announcement came word of updated accessories, including a Band-in-a-Box bundle from Mad Catz with a Fender Stratocaster-inspired guitar.

So after five years, what does Rock Band 4 have in store for its loyal following? Aside from updated hardware, a new feature allows gamers to add their own “personal signature” on each song with freestyle guitar solos and drum fills. The game is set to ship tomorrow and we’re ready to tell you about our experience rocking out at home.

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Update (10/10 11:00am): @JessMessOhYes is our winner. Thank you for entering our contest this week!

There are thousands of headphone options on the market today. Most consumers (and our readers) are pretty picky about the style and connectivity used to enjoy their music. Some are fans of over-ear designs while others prefer earbuds.

No matter your preference, build quality is likely at the top of your list if you’re looking for a serious pair of headphones. We recently reviewed the Trinity Delta earbuds, which are one of the more unique pairs of earbuds that we’ve seen. Primarily because each set is individually carved out of a solid block of aluminum. It’s quite impressive.

Head below to find out how you can win a pair for yourself plus an exclusive 20% discount for 9to5Toys readers.

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It has been a big month for electric vehicles, with Tesla notably stealing the show with its event earlier this week. On the lower end of the cost spectrum, there is an ever increasing interest in affordable battery-driven transportation. We have already seen motorcycle and skateboard prototypes that each offer a unique alternative to traditional counterparts.

The eBike community is growing as well. One of the more intriguing electric bikes on the market comes way of Sondors. After previously raising over six million dollars on Indiegogo, Storm and his crew are back with a refreshed model and a lower price tag on Kickstarter that makes this affordable eBike more attractive than ever.

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Wireless headphones have become more of the expectation than the exception lately. With advancements in Bluetooth capabilities and Apple Watch support for storing music, cutting the headphone cord is easier than ever. While wireless often means greater freedom, one of the challenges is managing battery life. Even the top brands in this category struggle to get more than eight hours of listening time.

One of the more intriguing solutions to this problem is leveraging the power of your device to charge your headphones. There has been some movement with this idea from JBL and others but it’s a largely untested idea. A new Kickstarter campaign has set out to bring a new pair of earbuds to market that use both Lightning and microUSB ports to recharge on-the-go. Judging by the amount of money pledged, there is some serious interest from consumers as well.

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I love to tailgate at football games. Nothing beats throwing the ball around and blaring some music while you get pumped up. Typically, we have a Bluetooth speaker going like the JBL Xtreme and a NERF Vortex whizzing around. But what if it was possible to combine both of these tailgate must-haves into one product?

The new BRO Ball does just that. According to this Kickstarter project, it is the “world’s first” Bluetooth speaker in football. The design itself looks pretty sweet and would likely be the hit of your next tailgate or day at the beach. After spending a lot of time on the design and securing patents, the BRO Ball is ready for funding. Head below for more details.

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Amazon offers the UE ROLL 360 Bluetooth Speaker in five colors for $89.99 shipped. Also available at Best Buy in additional colors. Today’s deal is the first discount that we have seen on this recently released speaker and $10 less than than the next best price.

The UE ROLL 360 was released this summer featuring a “pint-sized” design with 360-degree sound. It has an IPX7 waterproof rating, 65-ft. of wireless bluetooth range and nine-hours of battery life. A “marine grade” bungee cord attaches to your backpack, bike or just about anywhere else. Amazon users have rated the UE ROLL 360 4.5/5 stars.

We positively reviewed this speaker when it was first released:

Overall, the UE Roll is a winner. I love that you can throw it in a bag for the weekend without having to bring a charger or a box to keep it from becoming crushed. I love that you can leave it outside in the rain or keep it near a pool without having to worry about it getting wet, stepped on, or hurt in any way.

More details below.

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We’ve hit the end of September and it’s now time for Sony to reveal its list of October’s free games for PS Plus members. All together, there are six titles that will be going free next month. Head below for the full list.

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The DVR has become an instrumental piece of nearly every respectable home theater setup. With streaming services like Netflix and Hulu offering an on demand approach, many consumers expect the same from their cable or satellite service. TiVo started this revolution back in 1999 but since then its set-top boxes have largely remained the same in design and function.

Today, TiVo announced the Bolt, a new DVR that sports a stunning new design and is loaded with features. This is the first product from TiVo in years that has truly caught my attention and has me reaching for my wallet. 
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Bose is amongst our favorite audio manufacturers for Bluetooth speakers and home theater equipment. Today, news comes way of a fresh version of its popular SoundTouch 10 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker system. The new SoundTouch 10 speaker will offer both mediums of connectivity and also serves as a means for piecing together a multi-room audio setup.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a big day at SONOS, that yielded a refreshed PLAY:5 speaker. Read on to find out how the latest Bose offering stacks up. 
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Keurig – the company that made us all single cup of coffee addicts – has announced a new product that will bring some of the biggest names in carbonated beverage to its brewing system. The new Keurig KOLD operates and looks much like its traditional coffee brewer, but instead delivers ice cold glasses of soda. Aside from some intriguing carbonation technology, it’s the price tag of each individual drink that has caught our attention.
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As if you needed more reasons to become a Prime member, its included streaming music service just got a big boost. Amazon announced today that a large selection of “popular and award-winning” Universal Music Group artists will be appearing on Prime Music with unlimited streaming. Head below for a sampling of artists that are now available.

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For better or worse, we’re using our phones more and more each day. While technology has made our lives easier, it is also a potentially dangerous tool. The hazard of driving and using a smartphone is well known. While there are car mounts that elevate your device to eye-level, some users desire a more refined experience. CarPlay has made its push into the automotive industry but the reception has been somewhat mixed.

This is where Exploride comes in. A transparent head-up display (HUD) unit that shows all of your pertinent information, including vehicle diagnostics, smartphone notification, GPS directions and more. Since its launch on Indiegogo, Exploride has blown past its initial goal and is enjoying massive support from online backers.

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Update (10/2 10:00am): All of the consoles have now been released and are ready for pre-orders. See the full list and details below.

Microsoft is going all in on Xbox One during the last three months of the year. Aside from launching a top-notch line-up of games, it was announced on Friday that five new console bundles would be revealed this week. Each day a new collection will be detailed and we’ll round them all up.

Today, we have our first look at the newest bundle that will be joining the Xbox One family. Head below to see for yourself.

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Just in time for the holiday season, GoPro is rounding out its line-up of action cameras by adding a lower cost alternative today. The new HERO+ positions itself between the $129.99 entry-level model and the $299.99 LCD camera that was released back in June. This move sets the $199.99 GoPro HERO+ squarely in the mix for consumer’s attention across all ability and interest levels. Head below for more details.

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JBL first announced its new Xtreme Bluetooth speaker back in July alongside the revamped Flip 3. It is the largest and most expensive speaker in JBL’s portable Bluetooth lineup. As such, slim and quiet are not terms that we’d use to describe this new product. Instead, JBL has packed this speaker full of battery life and power to fill large spaces with sound while still remaining portable.

Read on for more details on JBL’s newest Bluetooth speaker.

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How does going 35mph on a surfboard sound? No, it’s not a gadget in the upcoming James Bond film. J-Force, out of Germany, has developed a new electric powered board that puts out substantial power and is completely controlled by a wearable glove.

It doesn’t just stop there, J-Force also has a gorgeous new Jet Ski that produces zero-emissions and promises to be a much friendlier alternative to traditional gas operated watercraft. We have the full details below on both models.

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Smart connected devices for our homes are becoming more commonplace, with technology giants like Apple and Samsung leading the way with support for a myriad of devices. Even Amazon has an internet-connected speaker that will control your lights, thermostat and more.

One of the biggest issues with this technology is price. Many consumers are not willing to pay the premium that comes with support for Apple’s HomeKit or other platforms like Z-Wave or Zigbee. Simply put, the deadbolt has worked in its existing state for decades, why upgrade it now?

Kwikset has been leading the charge on smartphone connected locks with its Kevo Bluetooth-enabled product. But for roughly $200, the adoption rate has been slow. Today, the lock maker has released a new deadbolt that drops a number of features but retains its internet connectivity in exchange for a lower price point.

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Today at Oculus Connect 2, Founder and CEO Palmer Luckey announced that the Windows 10 version of Minecraft would be compatible with the upcoming Oculus Rift Headset. While details are somewhat sparse at the moment, you’ll find everything we know so far.

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September is coming to a close and that means it’s time for Microsoft to reveal the October list of freebies for the Games with Gold Program. All together, there will be four games available on Xbox One and 360 next month. Head below for full details.

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If you’re anything like myself, it’s not uncommon to have the TV on, iPad propped up and iPhone on hand. The other night was a great example: I was playing Forza 6 on my Xbox One, with Monday Football on my iPad and Twitter going on the iPhone. Thankfully iOS 9 has brought multitasking and picture-in-picture to our favorite tablet, but still having multiple devices going at once can be a struggle.

There is a new Kickstarter campaign that launched yesterday with an eye on simplifying this first world problem. Skreens is a set-top box with up to four inputs that collects all your favorite sources and puts them on one screen. For example, your gaming console, Roku box and DVR can all be shown on one screen.

After just 20 hours, this project has already raised well over three times its original goal. Read on for more details.

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Polk Audio has announced a new addition to its family of Omni multi-room speakers, the S6. This speaker comes in at the high-end in comparison to its siblings the S2 and S2R. With a $350 price tag and improved specifications, Polk is using the S6 to compete with other popular multi-room speaker systems from SONOS and Denon. Read on for more details on this new release and how it stacks up to the competition.

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Tanga currently offers the Speck CandyShell Grip Case for iPhone 6/s in three color combinations for $13.99 shipped. Today’s deal is $21 off the original list price, up to $14 better than Amazon and the lowest price that we’ve ever posted for this iPhone case.

Speck’s CandyShell Grip Case features “military-grade” drop protection with two layers of protection wrapped around your device. Rubber striping around the case adds a no-slip grip for extra security when when taking pictures or the like. There are designated cutouts for volume and power buttons for easy access.

Over 1,200 Amazon customers rated this case 4.7/5 stars. We found it to be an excellent solution for protecting your iPhone during our review. Learn more about Speck’s new iPhone 6s offerings here, which are compatible with all iPhone 6 cases.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, idealpoint via Amazon offers the Trent iPhone 6s Rugged TPU Case for $7.45 Prime shipped after coupon code KQ6C3NPY is applied at checkout. Rated 4.6/5 stars by some 6,600 Amazon customers.

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3D printers have become one of the most intriguing technologies to come down in price for consumers in recent years. We have already seen a flood of them on Kickstarter and price drops at Amazon. In hopes of standing out from the pack, a new product is utilizing a multifaceted robotic arm that can handle 3D printing in addition to milling, laser engraving and electronics assembly. Even better, Makerarm is pretty good looking too.

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Instilling a creative imagination in a child is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Toys such as LEGO and K’NEX have created generations of ingenious minds that have created some of the coolest products later in life. A new Kickstarter campaign desires to bring that same level curiosity to a larger scale.

Infento is a project that delivers all the parts and tools for children to build their own bicycles, tricycles, snow gliders and more. The coolest part of the product is its ability to evolve over time as kids grow and have different needs. Best of all, it’s entirely put together by a simple hex key tool. Having raised nearly five times its goal, there is a clearly a lot of interest for this product to reach the market.

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Update (9/26 4:00pm): @CodyMcDavis is our winner – thank you to everyone that entered our contest.

It has been a big month for Apple devices, with new iPads, iPhones, Apple TV and impending updated software releasing across all platforms. With multi-tasking coming to Apple’s tablets, it’s as powerful as ever for professionals that create content on the go. All of this technology means that we’re carrying around more gear than ever.

One of our favorite products for hauling this gear comes way of Los Angeles and This is Ground. The recently released Mod Laptop 2 features top level craftsmanship and an acute attention to detail. With space for all the aforementioned gear this new leather bag checks all the boxes for us.

Read on for more details and to learn how you can win a Mod 2 Laptop in your choice of color and style.

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Coffee drinkers are a fanatical group. Everyone has a preferred method of brewing that perfect cup. Even within certain styles – like pour-over – there are raging debates on which product makes the best joe. There is a coffee aficionado that is taking a new product to Kickstarter with the goal of simplifying the brewing process…oh and raising about a million dollars, as well.

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