Android

Update (11/22 12:50pm):

• Target is now offering the Nintendo 2DS Mario Kart 7 bundle for $72 using code LIST during checkout. Some users are even getting the bundle to drop down to $69.99 by using codes LIST and TGTSCVPV. There looks to be free shipping and free in-store pickup here, but shipping availability appears to vary based on location.
• Amazon is offering the very highly rated and best selling Razer DeathAdder Ergonomic Gaming Mouse for $39.99 shipped (Reg. $50+, best we can find)

Walmart is offering the Nintendo 2DS in Crimson Red or Electric Blue for $79 shipped. That’s about $50 under the original listing, $20 below GameStop and Amazon and the best price we can find. Walmart is also offering the Nintendo New 3DS Handheld Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer Bundle for $179 shipped. That’s well under the usual $220+ this bundle fetches and the best price we can find.

For you amiibo fans out there, we are seeing the lowest price ever on the the Power A amiibo End Level Display at $19.99 Prime shipped on Amazon. That’s more than $10 below the average selling price and $5 below the lowest we have seen. You’ll want to take a look at the Walmart Black Friday ad and our Best of Black Friday Games roundup for the best deals on Nintendo over the season. 

As for consoles, Amazon is still offering the Xbox One 1TB FIFA 16 Bundle with a free copy of Fallout 4 for $399 shipped and you’ll find several bundles at GameStop currently available with free games. Walmart is offering the 500GB Gears of War (white or black) or LEGO Movie game Xbox One bundle, plus Star Wars Battlefront, an additional controller, and a Turtle Beach headset for $399 shipped ($480+ value). And Newegg has the LEGO Movie bundle on its own for $305.48 shipped using code EMCKBNK22 at checkout. That’s within $5 of the basic Black Friday discount, and without the headaches. 

Amazon has already kicked off its Black Friday Countdown game deals and today’s Gold Box Deals features up to 55% off Logitech gaming mice and keyboards. Also for today only, you’ll find up to 40% off Disney Infinity character bundles. Tearaway Unfolded on PlayStation 4 is now at $19.99 Prime shipped (Reg. $40, best we can find).

Best Buy is offering PlayStation TV for $19.99 (Reg. $40+) and Lords of the Fallen Complete Edition on PS4 and Xbox One for $19.99 (Reg. $30), both with free shipping over $35 or free in-store pickup

This weekend’s most notable Mac/iOS price drops include The 7D Mine Train: FREE (Reg. $5), Hack RUN: FREE (Reg. $3), File Manager Pro App: FREE (Reg. $5), Paprika Recipe Manager: $3 (Reg. $5), Draw Pad Pro: FREE (Reg. $3) and many more in our previous roundup. MacPhun offers up to 85% off Creative Kit 2016 for Black Friday and be sure grab the latest App Store Free App of the Week: Stackables

Ongoing game deals/promotions:

• Black Friday gaming deals: GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart and more
• Guitar Hero Live is still matching its lowest price ever at $69.99 shipped (Reg. $100)
• Grand Theft Auto V is just over $34 shipped (Reg. $50+, Prime only)
• Xbox One 1TB FIFA 16 Bundle with a free copy of Fallout 4 for $399 shipped.
• Star Wars: Battlefront on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One for $50 (Reg. $60)
• Uncharted: The Nathan Drake (physical disc) for $42.99 shipped (matched at Walmart)
• Prime members: Fallout 4 for $49.99 shipped (Reg. $60)
• Fallout 4 Survival Guide Bundle for $77.99 shipped (Reg. $100, best we can find)
• Japanese interactive dictionary app goes free for the first time in years (Reg. $7)

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Human curation matters. We trust recommendations from friends and experts more than suggestions by the best computers. That’s why millions of people come to 9to5Toys, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google each month to discover our product recommendations!

Product reviews are great if you know the exact product you want to buy, but they rarely cover all the best products in one place. That’s why Curate With Me is here — to connect you with curated lists of great products recommended by friends and experts.

Curate With Me helps you canvas categories of products, apps, and dining experiences that other people are recommending, combining the power of Reddit-style upvotes with Pinterest-like visuals. Lots of experts, including the 9to5Toys team, are already creating Curate With Me guides. It’s a place where gadget fans, beauty mavens, foodies, gamers, home decorators and everyone with product knowledge can come together to spotlight the best of everything!

Want a shot at winning this year’s best holiday gift? Sign up for Curate With Me at this link and contribute ideas to our Most Coveted 2015 Holiday Tech Gift list. After one week, the person who contributed the most upvoted item in the Guide will get to pick one or more items from the list (worth up to $200), courtesy of Curate With Me! So get curating right away to maximize your votes! More details are below…. (Update: Congrats, Victor M!)

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It seems like everyone has a wearable these days. Apple Watch is a favorite amongst fanboys and Fitbit appears set for a huge holiday season, with Black Friday deals throughout many of our ad leaks. But what about those that would prefer a more classic look as opposed to the techie flavorings that are so popular right now?

What Watch out of Switzerland has an answer to that question. Its Bluetooth-connected watches are coming to the United States and are worth a look. With classic and modern stylings, plus iPhone/Android connectivity, these new timepieces are set to make a splash.

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The Room franchise is one of the most popular puzzle mystery games on mobile, with the first two games in the series garnering a 5 star rating from nearly a half a million reviews across the App Store and Google Play. Today, developer Fireproof Games took to its Twitter account to announce the release of The Room Three.

Unfortunately, the game is only available to iOS users as of right now. Fireproof Games has no specific dates for Android, but says it is currently working hard on it.

Head below for the release trailer and to find out more about the latest entry in the BAFTA and Apple Game of the Year award winning series:
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It’s not healthy to look at your iPhone before bed. I know, we all do it. The white light of your device actually sends signals to your brain to produce energy, which isn’t ideal before you start counting sheep. That tricky thing called melatonin is actually pretty important. What if a lightbulb could actually help manage all that?

That’s where GE comes in with its new line of smart LED lightbulbs, simply called ‘C’. These two lights offer different variable settings that adjust throughout the day to improve your circadian rhythm. Think Hue meets Advil PM…or something like that.

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There is a lot of technology in your iPhone. Each generation picks up more power and improved optics for photos. We regularly hear about companies that are leveraging that technology to create unique products. One of the latest examples is the eora 3D. A new “highly accurate and affordable” three-dimensional scanner that uses your iPhone or Android device to capture virtual representations of just everyday objects.

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After enjoying one of the most successful multi-platform runs in recent memory, Minecraft is back again with its newly released Story Mode title on iOS and Android, as well as other platforms. This new rendition, from Telltale Games, builds on the success of the original title by bringing campaign-style play to the mix.

Jesse, the main character, adventures through the Overworld in the first episode The Order of the Stone. For the first time, Minecraft gamers will experience dialogue and have choices that effect the outcome of each episode. The voice-overs are handled by a number of celebrities including Patton Oswald, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter and others. There are a total of five sections to the game, which can be purchased at a 25% discount through the app.

Minecraft: Story Mode is available today in iOS and Android app stores for $4.99. Head below for a gameplay trailer and a full description. Have a child interested in Minecraft? Learn to code with these polygonal-inspired guides as a part of today’s Amazon Gold Box.

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We’re under two weeks until the NBA season officially tips off and I cannot wait. There are so many questions that linger… Will the Warriors repeat? How good are the Spurs? Will Boogie Cousins hurt George Karl?

In the meantime, I’ll have to virtually ball out. Thankfully NBA 2K16 for mobile devices has hit and is ready to download for $7.99 on iOS and Android today. The console version dropped a few weeks back to rave reviews, so I’m looking forward to playing the handheld rendition.

This year’s game includes updated graphics, a new control system that is more in line with the console experience and a full featured MyCareer mode. You can take full control of your team with season modes, crafting your virtual line-up to your exact specifications. That means Paul George will have to play the four spot, whether he likes it or not!

Head below for a full description and more gameplay pictures.

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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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EA has now unleashed the new Need for Speed: No Limits on both iOS and Android worldwide. Previously soft-launched in the Netherlands and Taiwan, No Limits is the very first original NFS title developed exclusively for mobile devices.

Head below for more details and some gameplay footage:
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Timex is taking another stab at fitness tracking. After releasing its One+ GPS fitness tracker a little over a year ago, the popular watchmaker is back with a new smart timepiece. The Metropolitan+ removes all the excess of Timex’s previously released tracker in favor of a classic design focused on long-lasting battery life. It will have all the looks and functions of a traditional analog watch with Bluetooth connectivity added in.

Even better, you’ll be able to avoid the overly technical look of some smartwatches with this model. Making it a perfect pair for more formal events. 
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Logitech has pulled the veil back on the newest addition to its family of universal remotes: the Harmony Elite. Touted as the company’s “top-of-the-line” option, this new model brings a refreshed touch screen interface and added support for smart home devices like Philips Hue lights and SONOS speakers.

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Watch out 94Fifty. Your smart basketball is getting some competition. Today, Wilson is getting into the mix with a new leather roundball that is laden with sensors to track your game. The sporting goods company is no stranger to sporting gear of all kinds but the Wilson X Connected Basketball steps them squarely into the Internet of Things world.

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The beauty of having a connected home is when products come together that ultimately make our lives easier. With HomeKit-ready devices popping up at many online retailers, now is the time to invest in upgrading your home with the latest internet-connected gear.

Smart locks for our front doors are not a new invention by any means. Schlage has been at the forefront of this movement for sometime. Westinghouse is now making the jump as well with a new product that has an integrated camera, door bell and many of those same smart functions that we’ve seen before.

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Today, the Pokémon Company has announced that it is partnering with Nintendo and Alphabet-owned Niantic to produce a new upcoming mobile game called Pokémon Go. This title will be available on both iOS and Android devices for free. The main focus of the game is collecting, training and battling Pokémon characters against other users based on their GPS location.

However, this new adventure will be supplemented by an optional wearable. Imagine a Pokémon smart watch of sorts.

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Most fitness trackers offer similar features, such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and step counting. It is simply becoming more difficult for companies to separate themselves from competitors as new models are constantly being released. Yesterday, Jawbone took a shot at redesigning its popular UP2 tracker.

In addition to new physical features, updated software is also being released across the entire lineup of current Jawbone models. Read on for more details.

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Update (9/4 7:30am): Now available for pre-order at Amazon and Best Buy.

Ever since the first Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer hit during Thanksgiving weekend last year, there has been one character that has stood out amongst the rest. Everyone fell in love the BB-8 droid and now it’s coming to your living room with smartphone-connected controls. 
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In the battle of online streaming services, Hulu has slowly taken the lead over its competitors. Netflix has made a push to increase its original content offerings while Hulu has focused on adding movies, current season television shows and hit syndicated re-runs like Seinfeld. The former has always held one distinct advantage over its competitor: no ads. Until today. Hulu has announced that will now offer its catalog sans advertisements. But it will come at a price.

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Last we heard from popular robotic vacuum maker Neato it was releasing its latest D-series Botvacs. And now it is back with the new Neato Botvac Connected robotic smart vac. Along with smartphone control, the new vacuum is being billed as “the best cleaning robot the company has ever designed.”
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Update (9/5 12:15pm): Our winners are: @adamandrew, @frankvincent90 and @JeffBaynham – thank you for entering our contest!

Smart home automation is getting a lot of attention these days. With Apple’s HomeKit right around the corner, now is the time to outfit your living room, kitchen and outdoor spaces with the latest technology. Belkin and 9to5Toys are partnering together to bring three lucky readers a complete WeMo lighting package, including the new Lightify series, valued at over $400.

Head below to learn how you can win.
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If you’re an avid bike rider, there is no doubt that you’ve wondered how to bring smartphone integration into your daily commute or exercise routine. There are plenty of iPhone or Android bike mounts, like this one from iOttie, that will suffice but still require riders to focus in on a display that may be difficult to read while riding.

SmartHalo is a new project on Kickstarter that attaches a simple round display onto the handlebars of a bike. It connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth so directions can be transmitted from the iOS or Android app. From there, SmartHalo provides turn-by-turn navigation, amongst other data, until you’ve arrived at the destination.

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App development is surprisingly easy with the right tuition. The Hot Java Android Coding Bundle teaches all the necessary skills through five beginner-friendly video courses. You can currently grab it for $29 at 9to5Toys Specials.

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After being announced back at E3, Lara Croft GO has officially been released on iOS and Android. The turn-based puzzle game will offer a new look into the world of Tomb Raider with its animation based design. Square Enix leans heavily on the success of Hitman GO, melding its board game style navigation with the world of Tomb Raider. The gameplay is based around simple puzzles with beautiful graphics. Head below for a full description and a gameplay trailer.

While Rise of the Tomb Raider is still a few months away for console gamers, with some pretty sweet bundles available, Lara Croft fans can get their fix on the small screen for now. Lara Croft GO is available on iOS as a Universal app and on Android for $4.99. Late to the party? iOS users can grab all three previous releases with the Tomb Raider Pack featuring Lara Croft for $4.99.

Be sure to check out our daily apps/games roundup for the best deals.

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Samsung continues to take aim at SONOS as it further pushes into the whole home audio market. Today, the electronics manufacturer has revealed three new 360-degree multi-room speakers. The R1, R3 and R5 are smaller and lower priced models than the $500 R7 that Samsung first detailed back in April.

Significantly dropping the entry level price should spike interest amongst consumers that are looking for an alternative to other ecosystems currently on the market.

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Amazon has launched a new service for Android users that will deliver “over $10,000 in paid apps, games and in-app items” for free. Amazon Underground is replacing the popular Free App of the Day promotion. The promotion page teases Frozen Free Fall, Star Wars Rebels: Missions, and Goat Simulator amongst others that will be available as a part of this promotion.

Here is how you claim your free apps:

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Kids are headed back to school or off to college for the first time, so backpacks are flying off the shelves in anticipation of heavy course loads and spelling tests. There are some pretty cool options out there from Ogio, Under Armour and Herschel, but some times a little more technology is in order.

That’s where the iBackPack comes in. It’s a fully loaded satchel that recently hit Indiegogo and has raised nearly 500% of its $50,000 goal. While the name may not be that original, the specifications on this bad boy will help you get over it.

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TechMatte via Amazon offers its MagGrip Magnetic Air Vent Universal Car Mount for iPhone and Android devices for $8.99. Applying coupon code NOW6Q2NN drops the final price down to $3.99 with free shipping for Prime members or on orders of $35+. That’s good for $24 off the original listing, $3 better than the regular price, $1 less than our previous mention for a similar mount and the best price we can find.

Over 1,800 Amazon customers rate TechMatte’s mount 4.5/5 stars. It is compatible with most smartphone devices and mounts directly to your car’s air vent. Instead of utilizing a snap in cradle, this magnetic mount allows users to “effortlessly” remove their device without needing to press a button.

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Family owned since 1924, Beyerdynamic is not only known for being one of the oldest audio companies in the world, but also for its high quality. Its pro-audio DT-series headphones rival anything in the price range, and now the company is announcing the latest in its street-style headsets with the new CUSTOM STREET:
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Unlike most phone networks, FreedomPop offers unlimited talking and texting with no contract. 9to5Toys Specials currently has one year of service bundled with the second generation Moto E for $150 shipped.

9to5Google’s review was unapologetically positive calling it the “best small Android phone that (a very little amount of) money can buy”

Motorola’s 2nd generation Moto E handset is universally recognized as an outstanding combination of quality and affordability. It runs a very recent Android Lollipop on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, displays content on a vivid 4.3-inch qHD screen, and has all-day battery life in the literal sense. We’re kicking it up a notch with this bundle, which comes with FreedomPop’s generous service, including 500MB of 4G data per month.

With this deal, you also get the Premier upgrade, which offers a ton of extra features, such as voicemail, data rollover, tethering, and VPN. As a bonus, you can switch to FreedomPop’s free plan at any time, and there are no termination fees if you decide to go elsewhere.

The deal takes 78% off the price of the Moto E with FreedomPop.