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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.

Tile, the popular stick-anywhere Bluetooth tracker, has announced a new generation of its product. After selling more than two million units worldwide, it’s now time to upgrade the hardware with new features and improved software. This iteration has been redesigned to make sure that users are losing less and finding more of the things that are most important to them.

Head below for full details and to find out how you can order one today.

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The new amiiqo is a small Android-connected disc that allows users to store and share their amiibo collections. Pre-loaded with 10 characters, the small device will essentially act in place of the actual figurine once its data has been transferred from the companion Android app. Nintendo isn’t going to be happy about this:
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Flasks have always been cool. They’re symbols of mischief, designed solely to carry and conceal mysterious drinks — the only beverage container that whispers “adults only” before quietly disappearing back in your pocket. That’s why iHome’s new SoundFlask is such an ingenious idea for a powerful, pocket-sized speaker system. It looks naughty, but plays nice with any Bluetooth audio device you may have — iOS, Apple Watch, Android, or computer.

Equipped with two speakers, a microphone, and a rechargeable battery, SoundFlask is built to deliver much louder sound than whichever device you’ve paired with it. If you don’t want to sneak it into a pocket, you can wear it with an included case. Think it’s the ideal speaker for you, or a great gift for someone you know? Below, we’ll show off the SoundFlask, and give you a great deal if you order one right now…

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At one point, gaming headsets with microphones were reserved for the hardcore gaming enthusiasts that spent hours online at a time and craved the boost of a locked-in environment. Over the last few years, companies like Turtle Beach, SteelSeries and Razer have flooded the market with headset options at all price points. However, Xbox One users have settled in with one company in particular as the go-to for supplying top-notch audio for their gaming experience.

The Turtle Beach Elite 800X hit the shelves of retailers a few months ago, labeled as “the most advanced gaming headset ever”. That’s a lofty description, but with wireless connectivity, DTS 7.1 surround sound, custom audio profiles and luxury materials, we knew we had to see if this headset lived up to the hype. 
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We have touchscreens basically everywhere now: phones, tablets, refrigerators, etc. It only seems natural that someone would come up with a simple system to convert just about any modern HDTV into a touchscreen. Sure enough, a crowdfunding campaign has launched to bring this familiar technology to your living room.

The Touchjet WAVE kicked off its project a few days ago and has already blown past its goal.

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Update (8/15 10:10am): @Pixelbud is our winner – thank you to everyone for entering our contest!
Back in March we were introduced to Olio’s Connected Timepiece, the brain child of former Beats by Dre and Google product designer Steve Jacobs. Since then, this Apple Watch competitor has enjoyed monstrous success as it sold out of its entire first run of watches.

These high-end devices were thoughtfully crafted to curate the myriad of notifications that come from iPhone and Androids so users aren’t bombarded with a constant stream of distractions. This unique design delivers an individualized “personal assistant” experience.

Today, 9to5Toys is happy to announce that we’ve partnered with Olio to giveaway one of its gorgeous Black Collection timepieces, valued at $795. Head below to find out how you can enter to win it.

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The benefits for Prime members are widespread and growing regularly. Kindle First is one of those perks that subscribers to Amazon’s two-day shipping service can enjoy. This program affords Prime members early access to new Kindle books across different genres from Amazon Publishing. Full terms and details and be found below.

To get started, visit the Kindle First page and peruse the selection of six books that have been chosen by Amazon editors. From there, Prime subscribers can choose one of the six titles to download to a Kindle device or the iOS/Android app. Non-Prime members are able to select one Kindle First release for $1.99. These books become a permanent addition to customers’ libraries. It’s a perfect opportunity to get into some new literature without having to pay any additional money, aside from your Prime membership.

In addition to Prime members receiving two-day shipping and Kindle First perks, they are able to access the Instant Video library, Amazon’s Music service as well as unlimited backup of photos from iOS or Android devices to the cloud. Additionally, subscribers get exclusive rights to deals on electronics, books, videos and more. Interested? Start a free trial to see if you like it.

This month’s selection of Kindle First books includes:

• The Girl from Krakow
• The Good Neighbor
• About That Fling
• City of Echoes (Detective Matt Jones Book 1)
• Young Babylon
• The Hundred-Year Flood

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