News
October 29 is National Cat Day. While many cat parents may balk and say they celebrate this occasion every day, this holiday in particular was created to raise awareness of the many cats and kittens that are currently in shelters, waiting for their forever homes. Of course, the day is meant to celebrate all cats, especially your own. Hit the jump for ways you can treat your feline friends on National Cat Day and beyond.
Throughout 2018, Amazon has been expanding its autonomous Go retail stores. In the past few months, it has brought the forward-thinking grocery stores to several new locations. Today, Sam’s Club is taking on Amazon’s cashier-less shopping experience with a new store of its own opening in Dallas. Sam’s Club Now will mainly focus on an automated shopping experience, all while offering the usual assortment of products its other locations are known for.
This morning Hive introduced its new View Outdoor Security Camera. Not only is this is the brand’s first foray into weatherproof cameras, this new release arrives on the scene with a fairly attractive design. As you’d expect, the Hive View Outdoor features full 1080p support, motion detection, and the usual control panel of smartphone features. A fairly notable sub-$200 price tag with the option for pre-order discounts has us thinking this security camera may give Nest, Arlo, and others competition this holiday season.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is probably one of the most anticipated games of 2018. Launching two weeks ago, this game has quickly become one of my favorite CoD games ever, possibly my all-time favorite. In our full Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 review, we’ll take a look at all game modes and gameplay.
From a revamped multiplayer to a brand-new Zombies storyline and the new Blackout game mode, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be on most gamers wishlists this holiday season.
Expand
Expanding
Close
What do you get when you mix an Amazon Echo Dot with Apple’s HomePod? The answer appears to be Huawei’s new AI speaker. The company announced the upcoming speaker during its Mate 20 series event. Like many of Huawei’s products, the AI speaker borrows designs from other tech companies. Its shape along with a single power cord that stems out of the back is reminiscent of HomePod, while the top of the device looks like an Amazon Echo Dot with Huawei’s name in the center. The new speaker has six microphones that allow users to interact with “Xiaoyi”, Huawei’s very-own virtual assistant.
Expand
Expanding
Close
As you know, Black Friday 2018 is approaching and will be here before you know it. We are in the final countdown to some of the best sales of the year and one of our favorite sister-brand companies, GAP, Old Navy and Banana Republic, will be sure to bring you large discounts this year. This is a great way to update your wardrobe and score great deals on gifts for your loved ones. Head below to find out how and when you’ll be able to take advantage of these savings.
Back in September we reported that Hasbro would be teaming up with Epic Games to recreate iconic weapons from Fortnite as Nerf blasters. Now we’re getting a first look at this upcoming line of foam-shooting weapons. Hasbro has unveiled the new Nerf Fortnite SCAR Blaster. Head below for more info on how it will help you win the next Nerf Battle Royale.
Today, Anker announced three new additions to its product lineup. You have the Nebula Capsule II, an update to the company’s projector. The PowerPort Atom PD 1, its smallest 27W USB-C PD charger yet. And lastly the SoundCore Model Zero+ portable speaker with Dolby Audio.
Leica has released its latest camera today, the M10-D. Following in the footsteps of its recently-released M10-P, the M10-D shares a very similar appearance aside from the immediately obvious omission of a screen. A deliberate move by Leica to help photographers focus on the moment happening in front of them instead of viewing it on a display. Even though Leica’s latest camera ditches some digital features for a nostalgic and analog feel, the company attempts to make up for this by shipping a new companion smartphone app for interacting with it.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Winter snow and rain can ruin your favorite pair of shoes. Especially, when shoes are expensive, you’ll want to keep them nice. With just a few supplies and some easy steps, you can clean every type of shoe. That’s why today, we are sharing easy ways to keep your kicks looking fresh all season long under $15.
Despite how popular home consoles are, PC gaming still has one notable exclusive to entice PS4 and Xbox owners. Highly immersive virtual reality still eludes both consoles and at the forefront of premium virtual reality, the eagerly awaited Pimax 8K VR headset is now available for pre-order. Head below for an in-depth look.
Earlier this week we detailed the best Black Friday rewards programs out there to enhance your holiday shopping experience. While these programs, which are mostly free deliver some notable perks, there are some other ways to save if you’re willing to go to the next-level this holiday season. Amazon’s in-house credit cards offer substantial rewards and cash back, which can be particularly enticing during Black Friday. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card includes 5% cash back on all Amazon purchases along with added perks at Whole Foods and other retailers. Head below for a full breakdown.
It’s official, Black Friday 2018 is just under a month away and be prepared, because this year’s batch of deals from top retailers is going to be major. If you’re in need of sprucing up your home or just a gift for a loved one, you will not want to miss West Elm’s Black Friday specials. Also, don’t forget that West Elm x Pottery Barn kids launched a new collection with modern nursery items and other great gift ideas. What else can you expect during this year’s West Elm’s Black Friday Sale? Find all of the most important details below.
Following last month’s Amazon Go opening in Chicago, the online giant is back again with another autonomous grocery store. This time around, it’s in San Francisco. Today’s news completes predictions from analysts back in May that detailed Amazon’s plans to expand its cashierless locations across the United States. The sixth Go grocery store location sits on a pricey bit of real estate at 300 California Street in San Francisco, which is right in the middle of the financial district.
Along with today’s Go grocery expansion, Amazon is also rolling out grocery delivery and pickup for Prime members in an additional six cities. As its partnership with Whole Foods continues to grow, this popular perk is finding its way to more locations around the country. Head below for more.
Intellivision Entertainment has announced that it is working on a new console nearly 40 years after its release of the original Intellivision. The new system is called Amico and is heavily focused on being an option that “parents want to buy”. Although the console is in the very early stages of development, the company has provided a plethora of details about features that the new system will offer. Standouts include 8 player connectivity, Qi controller charging, and a promise that all games will go through a strict approval process that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Expand
Expanding
Close
One fall trend that we’ve been loving this season is corduroy. This style was very popular in the 90’s and it has made a comeback for this season. With styles for both men and women, the majority of major retailers selling these styles in about every color imaginable. Not only is corduroy very stylish, but it will also help to add warmth in cool weather with its thick material. That’s why today we are rounding up our favorite pieces under $50.
Update 11/2 @ 5:00 PM: LEGO and Blizzard have officially debuted all six of the upcoming Overwatch kits. They’ll be available on January 1st, with preorders now available direct from LEGO. The kits will sell for the prices that we announced before.
Since we first got wind of LEGO and Blizzard’s partnership to release official Overwatch sets, we’ve been eagerly-awaiting the full roster of kits. The two companies teased 2019’s lineup with the debut of an exclusive Omnic Bastion kit, but other details were nowhere to be see. That is until now. Thanks to Target jumping the gun, we’ve gotten a look at all six sets from the LEGO Overwatch line. Head below for a closer look.
The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is back with over 800 gift ideas for your entire family. When you think of Neiman Marcus, expensive price tags usually come to mind. However, almost half of these gifts are less than $250, with several carrying price tags of less than $20. Even better, you can find top brands including UGG, YSL, Chanel and many more. Head below to find our top picks from the new book under $100.
eBay has announced a new program for listing smartphones that takes away much of the headache typically associated with using its services. Speaking from experience, listing an iPhone on eBay can leave you feeling like you’re on pins and needles. From the anticipation of hoping that your device sells for a high amount to dealing with potentially sketchy buyers, eBay’s new Instant Selling program takes aim at bypassing these hurdles while offering consumers a better value than many competing trade-in services.
Expand
Expanding
Close
If you’re an avid wood worker or even weekend warrior, you probably know that making precise cuts is easier said than done. You can draw lines and try to follow them, but hitting a knot in a slab of wood can very easily take your saw off-course. With the upcoming release of the Shaper Origin power cutter, there may be a futuristic solution on the horizon. The tool uses augmented reality to “scan a surface and generate a map” of where cuts need to be made. In order for the Origin to identify where the user wants to cut, they simply use what the company refers to as, “Shaper tape.”
Do you have a small closet or space to hold your clothing? Pottery Barn Apartment has created an abundance of storage options to help you create a walk-in style closet for any space. With organizers from floor to ceiling, Pottery Barn Apartment has made it possible for you to maximize your capacity. Closet space is important because it holds everything from your favorite sweaters to your memorable jewelry and more. Getting ready everyday and utilizing the closet you have is so much more fun when everything inside your closet is accessible. That’s why today we are showing you our favorites from the new collection.
Earlier this year, LEGO and Blizzard announced that the two companies would be joining forces to release a line of brick-built Overwatch sets. Since then, fans of both LEGO and the hit multiplayer game have been eagerly awaiting the release of these sets. Last week we got a first look at what the collaboration has in store, with the release of the Omnic Bastion 75987 set.
We’ve finally gotten our hands on the new release, so head below for an in-depth look at how the first LEGO Overwatch set stacks up.
We’ve been ramping up our Black Friday coverage lately as the year’s biggest shopping event is just over a month away. Our guides focused Amazon, Target, Best Buy and many more are designed to help you plan for Black Friday as we get closer. Today we’re focusing on B&H Black Friday, which has historically been one of the best places for under-the-radar deals. But a big change to some of B&H’s policies this year may make consumers more wary.
Sam’s Club announced earlier today that it will soon offer grocery delivery at over half of its stores. In its press release, the company touted that the timing of its rollout will be great for consumers this holiday season. While this is clearly a significant undertaking, the company said that it will be able to pull all of this off by the end of October. This is largely due to the fact that it has partnered with Instacart to carry out customer deliveries.
Just released today, Supreme and The North Face are at it again, releasing a new collaboration for fall and winter. The new collection features leather items including heavy parka jackets, waist bags, shoulder pieces, and six-panel baseball hats. Each piece comes in four versatile and unique colors: black, red, green, and purple. With prices starting at $88, this collection will standout wherever you go. Head below to find out more about these new pieces.
In the past few years, some of our favorite kits have come from the crowdfunding campaigns carried out by various builders at LEGO Ideas. Today, Ideas is celebrating a decade of fan-designed kits by releasing its latest in the series, the LEGO Pop-Up Book. With nearly 860 pieces, the kit looks to bring two classic fairy tales to life with a brick-built, functioning pop-up book. Head below for more details.
While Apple deals, massive UHDTVs and clothing tend to dominate the Black Friday deal season, there are loads of deals for music producers too. Guitar Center Black Friday deals are always filled with the hottest new recording gear, instruments and everything you need to kick-off your podcast career. You’ll want to watch out for that distracting sitewide sale they usually offer and focus in on the early online deals to maximize your savings if last year is any indication. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Head below to make sure your prepared for this year’s biggest Mac/iOS music and audio production deals at Guitar Center.
Expand
Expanding
Close
If you’ve been on the fence about giving your child a smartphone, let alone an additional Apple Watch, Verizon may have a compelling option for you. Following up to its GizmoGadget, the wireless carrier is now offering the GizmoWatch. The new wearable from Verizon is aimed at children between the ages of 3-11 years old, offers LTE connectivity, and packs a faster processor than its predecessor.
Toys are always some of the hottest items during the holiday season and ahead of Black Friday we’re getting a look at the Dollar General Toy Book for 2018. With everything from discounted LEGO, Mattel and more, there are a few surprising deals that will draw shoppers in. Head below for more.
Gap recently launched a new activewear line for men and it’s top notch. It’s called Hill City and it was designed to re-create high performance apparel that will take you through every element of your day. Like Athleta, the new line carries over 60 new items of athleisure pieces. With a wide array of athletic and casual wear, the new collection features pieces including shorts, pants, hoodies, and jackets. Prices start at just $14, however the average price point is around $80. Head below to find our top picks from the new brand.
mophie is a well-known brand when it comes to portable power. With accessories from cables to portable batteries and more, the company has a solution for any power problem. Today, the company announced the mophie powerstation USB-C 3XL.
The mophie powerstation line of batteries are designed to give you extra power on all of your devices. This new powerstaion USB-C 3XL brings 45W USB-C PD and more to your bag, making sure your devices are always topped off.
SimpliSafe is one of the top contenders in the home security game. They’ve been championing the space with their expandable, no-contract security system for quite some time. Now the company is expanding its line of compatible products. Rather than just being an accessory, SimpliSafe’s new Video Doorbell Pro is a standalone addition to its ecosystem. Head below to see how it stacks up to the competition.
If you’ve been following along at 9to5Toys, you know that we’ve been ramping up our Black Friday coverage in recent weeks. We’re just over a month away until the year’s biggest shopping event and retailers are beginning to detail their plans. Today, Target has announced a reimagined toy experience for the holidays. With Toys R Us closing, many retailers are seeing an opportunity to take advantage of a void in the toy space. Target will be offering remodeled kid-focused departments in its flagship stores along with a new digital shopping experience online. Head below for more.
Rocket League is a game that took the world by storm. After announcing earlier this year that Hot Wheels would team up with Psyonix to bring Rocket League to life, the Rocket League RC Rivals Set finally has a release date.
This set will let your kids bring their favorite game to life. Hot Wheels has partnered with Rocket League before, but this takes it to a new level. You’ll get two cars in the kit, plus a ball and stadium. Your iPhone or Android device will be the controller, meaning that there are fewer parts to lose. Keep reading to learn more.
TiVo is a brand name that is well known when it comes to recording TV shows. It was one of the original digital video recorders (along with ReplayTV). I purchased the Series 2 TiVo in 2003, and I used it for four years before retiring it for a Comcast branded DVR when I got my first HDTV in 2007. Even after switching to a non-TiVo DVR, I missed the familiar interface. Even to this day, I’ve used countless DVR solutions from various companies, and nothing touches the simplicity of the TiVo. Will the TiVo Bolt OTA for Antenna live up to the hype?
With Nintendo’s launch of NES and SNES classic consoles plus Sony’s original Playstation reboot, companies have been working harder than ever to bring old games back to life. These systems store games directly on the console and let you play them without the need for additional hardware. While this is likely the preferred method for most, it certainly comes with its own set of problems. One of the major ones being that the games you want to play may not be available.
To solve this problem, third-party companies like Analogue are fully embracing the retro experience by offering consoles that accept original game cartridges. Analogue’s latest offering, the Mega Sg, was announced by the company earlier today and will play over 2,000 original cartridges made for Sega Genesis, Mega Drive, and Master System.
Expand
Expanding
Close
For LEGO shoppers, the holiday season began last Friday when we got a glimpse at the 2018 toy book. In fact, Black Friday is just over a month away. To make sure you’re ready for everything the biggest shopping event of the year has to offer, you’ll want to head below to prepare for LEGO Black Friday.
This morning, Amazon has announced its newest Kindle E-reader, the next generation of its popular Paperwhite handheld. Long known as Amazon’s most popular device in its E-ink lineup, the new Paperwhite arrives on the scene today with a thinner and lighter design along with a waterproof case. Amazon is also sweetening the pot with six free months of Kindle Unlimited with purchase. The new Kindle Paperwhite is set to arrive on November 7th just before the holiday shopping season. Bundling the added subscription service is sure to make it a hit with Black Friday shoppers. More below.
Recording on Android, especially music production related tasks, has never been quite as deep and supported as Apple’s mobile platform. However, there are a fair share of great Android audio interfaces out there along with a series of dedicated companion apps on the software side of things. Companies like IK Multimedia already have a slew of multi-platform solutions out there, but today we are turning towards the new Android Spire Studio system.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Philips Hue is synonymous with smart home lighting these days, but it’s also synonymous with expensive pricing. Philips Hue does offer some nice features, like HomeKit, Assistant, and Alexa integration among many in-app bonuses as well.
But, it’s possible to achieve the same look of Philips Hue for less. You can sometimes expect to pay up to $80 or more for a single LightStrip from Philips. If you want to outfit a den or office with these strips, it can get very expensive, very quick. Keep reading to find out how you can get the same look at a much lower price point with these Philips Hue alternatives.
Perhaps one of the things that Nintendo is best-known for is its ability to cash in on nostalgia. If this was not evident before, the company’s NES and SNES classic console releases over the past couple of years have certainly highlighted it. With rumors floating around that Nintendo is working on an N64 classic release, it seems that the level of success that the company has seen may be partially responsible for Playstation making its own classic console. Whatever the case may be, today’s news is that Nintendo will be offering a special edition Diablo III-branded Switch console in a few weeks.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Like it or not, Black Friday 2018 is closing in fast. We’re already getting our first batch of ads, guides and more from big name retailers. Amongst the most popular retailers, Walmart is sure to draw in massive amounts of shoppers during the year’s largest shopping event. To beat crowds, you’ll want to plan ahead on how to best tackle all of your shopping. So be sure to head below get crash course on how to prepare for Walmart Black Friday.
ABC’s hit show Shark Tank is now in its 10th season and funding more projects than ever before. Now Amazon is becoming the official Shark Tank retailer, making it the first place you’ll find official releases from the show. Along with this news, Amazon will also be offering a $15,000 credit to its cloud computing services for Shark Tank entrepreneurs to help get their storefront off the ground.
Amazon and Shark Tank have been intertwined for sometime. The reality show famously passed on funding DoorBot, the smart home doorbell which later went on to become Ring. Amazon purchased the brand earlier this year and its CEO has since become a regular guest on the show. Head below for more details on today’s announcement.
Earlier today, Amazon announced on its developer blog that it is providing new ways for Echo devices to communicate with smart doorbells and cameras. More specifically, developers now have access to three new APIs called Doorbell Event Source, Motion Sensor, and Alexa.RTCSessionController. It’s a move that is not too surprising considering that Amazon bought Ring, a pillar of the smart doorbell industry, earlier this year for around a billion dollars.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated holiday season, we’re getting our first look at the LEGO Holiday 2018 Toy Book. Be sure to head below and get a glimpse at what sets LEGO will be assembling come the holidays.
Like any other LEGO catalog, the 2018 Holiday Book showcases a wide assortment of themed kits from the company. You’ll find the usual offerings of LEGO Shop exclusives to Star Wars, Disney, City and many other notable brands. At 40-pages long, this year’s winter catalog is shorter than we’ve seen in past years.
This year has been filled with some pretty eye-catching LEGO kits. Ideas assembled a mighty Voltron and we were able to ride in style with a souped-up Aston Martin. But now that the fall lineup of LEGO releases is here, we’re getting a look at some more must-haves. While the new Cloud City set has taken the spotlight, another new release debuted just last week. Stacking up to over 800 pieces, the new Star Wars LEGO Porg 75230 may just be the cutest kit yet. Head below for our full hands-on review.
Black Friday 2018 is rapidly approaching and some retailers are already divulging ads and shopping guides. Amazon is one of the most popular destinations for Black Friday shopping, so it’s imperative that you’re ready to go on the big day. Head below to find out how to prepare for Amazon Black Friday.
Calling all couples. Before we know it, Halloween parties and festivities will be here. If you and your significant other haven’t planned a costume yet, we’ve found the best options for you under $100. Whether you’re looking for a hero or a villain, head below to find our top picks.