News

This morning, Amazon quietly introduced two new pieces of hardware within its Fire tablet lineup. Its Show Mode Charging Dock turns Amazon’s Fire HD into an Echo Show-like device, displaying pertinent information and serving as a stand for watching content. We’re also getting a new Fire HD 10 Kids Edition tablet as well that sports the largest display in Amazon’s child-friendly line. More details below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Back in August, we got a glimpse of the latest fan-made builds that would be making their way to store shelves as bonafide sets thanks to the LEGO Ideas crowd-funding program. While the highly-anticipated Ship in a Bottle kit was released earlier this year to an overwhelmingly positive reception, today LEGO is showcasing the second of late 2017’s announced kits, Voltron. 

Stacking up to just over 2,300 pieces, the upcoming set is the “biggest buildable LEGO mech ever” and can be separated into five posable lion builds just like in the hit 80’s TV series. Head below for all the details and a closer look at LEGO’s next impressive set.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Fortnite has taken the world by storm. As of a couple of weeks ago it was made available on Nintendo Switch, putting it on all three major consoles, iOS, PC and Mac. Many players may be surprised to know that before the Fortnite became a wild success, it was also available as a physical disc. With the game now having over 125 million players, physical copies are being deemed as collectibles and are listed on Amazon for up to $1,000.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Earlier this week Nintendo announced that it would be pairing its newly-released cardboard accessories with the fan-favorite Switch title Mario Kart 8. While we took a look at what the team-up would mean for the hit racing game in our announcement coverage, we figured only a hands-on could really show if Labo’s first shot at mainstream use is worthy of the star treatment or if cardboard should stick to being a pizza box. So head below to see us put Labo’s cardboard motorbike accessory to the test.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Finding a new watch can be tricky. One of the great things about this season is that there are so many more choices than ever before at every price point. If you’re on the hunt for a new watch, then you’ve come to the right place because today we are rounding up the best time pieces that are under $50. Whether you’re looking for a classic piece or something a little more unique, keep scrolling to find our top picks below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

When it comes to gaming on consoles, one thing that people always complain about is storage space. Whether you bought a 500GB Xbox One or 2TB, there’s just never enough space for games. I have a 1TB Xbox One X and 1TB PS4 Pro and both are almost always at max capacity.

Fantom Drives has long made external storage devices for Xbox, but the company’s latest release will give you a massive 5TB of additional game space along with three extra USB 3.0 ports. This gives you room for up to an additional 125 games at 50GB a piece, and has no wires, cables, or ugly drives to hide.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Just last week, Minecraft for Nintendo Switch got a major update which, among other things, allows for cross-platform play between Nintendo’s latest console, Xbox One and PCs. One glaring omission from that list is the PlayStation 4 which currently will not allow players on other platforms to match with PS4 gamers. And that includes Minecraft, Rocket League and the ever popular Fortnite. Sony has yet to officially alter its position on blocking cross-play and the like, but a new statement from the company hints that might be changing. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Even though it’s not even July yet, Amazon is looking forward to another school year with its new Back to School and Off to College stores. Designed as a way for students, both young and old, to save cash, this new Amazon venture piggybacks on its previous education-focused Prime initiatives.

Inside each storefront you’ll find the usual smattering of clothing, school supplies and more. There’s also special partnerships with brands like Crayola, Bic, GoPro and others specifically for this new collection. Amazon is also making both storefronts available for voice-shoppers on compatible Echo devices. More below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

While adorning your shelves with massive kits from the Ultimate Collectors Series may be the goal for many LEGO fans, minifigures are an equally coveted part of the whole LEGO experience. In recent years we’ve seen over 20 sets of collectible figures, and today LEGO has announced 22 new releases.

Hot off of last week’s announcement of two new Hogwarts-themed builds, LEGO is back with an all-new minifigure series stemming from the wildly popular Wizarding World. And just like the recent releases, today’s debut can be split into two different groups, those from the original Harry Potter series and those from the more recent Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei, once a primarily cell phone driven company, has been trying to expand its portfolio into other areas. Its MateBook line has been widely popular among tech reviewers, and we recently saw the launch of the MateBook X Pro, the latest in Huawei’s line of premium laptop offerings.

The Huawei MateBook D is the latest in the company’s lineup and is designed to hit the market with a much more manageable price of $629. With AMD’s Ryzen platform, a 14-inch display, and weighing in at just 3.5 pounds, this could become a must-have for students and professionals alike.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Kruschhausen, a company based in Germany, has a new foldable bike available for order starting today. It is called The Fiiz, and it attempts to rethink foldable bikes with a breathtakingly simple design that can be go from ridable to portable in just 20 seconds. It also sports useful features that make it require less maintenance than a standard bike.
Expand
Expanding
Close

With every new season, it’s a great time to switch out your perfume or cologne. Whether you’re looking for a fresh scent with citrus notes or a bold fragrance of beautiful florals, summer is the perfect time to get a new aura. Keep scrolling to find our top picks of new cologne and perfume for summer.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Originally detailed back a CES 2018, LG’s B8 OLED 4K TV was slated to be a much-anticipated release this year. Priced from $2,300, it’s one of the most affordable OLED offerings from LG in recent memory. Well, after much anticipation, this Google Assistant-equipped TV is finally available for purchase. Even better? It’s getting a launch day discount. More details below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Having been out for just two months, Nintendo’s recent cardboard-based endeavor, Labo, has been off to a great start. While fan reception has been solid across the board, at E3, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé went on the record saying that Labo met the company’s expectations and would definitely be something Nintendo is “going to continue to support well into the future.”

Many thought that we wouldn’t be seeing any significant updates to the DIY accessory platform until the end of the year at least, but last night Nintendo announced that Labo and Mario would be teaming up. Soon you’ll be able to pair your cardboard motorbike creation with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and try to tackle the Mushroom Cup in style.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Nintendo Switch has become the world’s #1 hand-held gaming console of recent years, sporting both new and old games alike. There are many games that play traditionally, in fact, most of them do. You play in landscape mode and have the Joy Con grips on either side of the display. There’s also a kickstand that lets you play with the Joy Con controllers separate, or use the Nintendo Pro Controller.

Some games, however, are more arcade-style and play with the Switch rotated 90-degrees, which can be difficult to do without a separate stand. Flip Grip is a handheld accessory that turns the Switch into a vertical gaming machine with Joy Cons on either side of itself, giving you a much better arcade experience.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The well-known VR company Oculus released its TV experience for its inexpensive all-in-one Go headset today. The new experience lets you watch your favorite shows from Hulu, Netflix and more, on a virtual TV that the company touts as being the equivalent of 180-inches in real life.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Building a top-notch battlestation is a task many pride themselves on. I, alongside many of the other writers here at 9to5 have spent a considerable amount of time either creating custom PCs to handle our workloads, playing with different monitor layouts and experimenting with tons of peripheral devices. The folks over at Cemtrex have debuted their latest product, which tries simplify the process of crafting an impressive desk setup with the launch of its new SmartDesk.

Opting for an all-in-one workstation design, SmartDesk packs many of the essential elements of an over-the-top setup like three touchscreen monitors, built-in scanner and more into a minimalistic form-factor. That is, as minimal as something so overblown can be. Hit the jump for the full details.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Are you throwing a Fourth of July party this weekend or next week? If you’re planning on entertaining this Fourth of July, there are plenty of easy ways to get in the spirit of the holiday. Pamper your home and outdoor areas in patriotic style with red, white and blue wreaths, decor, dinnerware and more. Below, we are sharing our favorite decor and accessories to make your home standout just in time for your get together. Even better, all items are under $20.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Microsoft impressed many when it showed off around 50 titles at this year’s Xbox E3 event. We caught a glimpse of Halo: Infinite, Forza Horizon 4, Kingdom Hearts 3, and our game of the show, Cyberpunk 2077. But one title that may have gotten overshadowed by the big hitters is The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. It is a sort of intro or prologue to the upcoming Life is Strange sequel, available today on most platforms and is completely free.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Amazon has announced that it is rolling out full Prime member benefits at Whole Foods nationwide starting Wednesday, June 27th. Today’s news comes just a few weeks after the program was expanded to an additional 10 states. In late May, we first caught wind of Amazon’s plan to roll out aggressive offers and new perks for its members, which include a full 10% off some of the most popular items found at Whole Foods locations. Today, we’re learning more about how Prime members are being wooed.

Expand
Expanding
Close

When it comes to listening to audio, dedicated speakers are important. Sure, headphones exist, and your TV probably has decent built-in speakers, but for a proper listening experience, having a purpose-built set of drivers is a must. In those speakers, there are a number of technologies that we’ve come to expect. Google’s Home Max has Assistant built-in, while Apple’s HomePod has Siri, and Amazon has the Echo Plus with Alexa.

When it comes to smart speakers, that’s about it, along with Sonos, but there is no real new design here: a speaker is a speaker. In comes Leo from Constellation Audio, with beautiful design, multiple input sources, and a nice array of speakers, this could be the latest audio device to find its way into our homes.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Valve began shipping the latest version of its Knuckles controller to developers yesterday. Since doing so, the company has shared many details about the controller’s new features and also why these features were implemented.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Earlier this year in the build up to New York Toy Fair, LEGO announced that after nearly a decade, it would be bringing back the fan-favorite line of Harry Potter kits. While we only got a glimpse at a single set back at the convention, today LEGO has officially announced the next two sets hailing from the wizarding world.

Expand
Expanding
Close

At the beginning of the month, Amazon announced the new $119 Fire TV Cube, a hybrid Echo device and streaming media player that promises a glimpse into the future of content consumption. As set-top boxes from Apple, Roku and now Amazon have grown in popularity over the last few years, two key issues have repeatedly popped up for viewers. How to best manage an overflowing chest of content and the headache that comes with multiple remotes.

Fire TV Cube looks to cure that with an all-in-one solution centered around its Alexa voice platform. In our hands-on testing, it delivered as a means for sorting through content but fell short as an intuitive hub for home theaters. The potential is there, but don’t count on it changing the game just yet.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Lululemon has recently teamed up with the brand 7mesh, a high performance cycling apparel company, to create a unique clothing line that “pushes the boundaries in advanced technical apparel”, says Lululemon’s CFO. The new collection features lightweight and stretch material designed specifically for cycling including jackets, tops, pants, bibs, socks and more. Plus, all of the items feature a reflective logo that helps to keep you visible in low light. Prices range from $20 to $225. Keep scrolling to find out more about each piece.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Whether looking at massive new hard drives or even faster and energy-efficient SSDs, storage technology has made significant leaps as of late. And yesterday one of the world’s leading manufacturers in memory and storage, Samsung, has announced its latest high-capacity solid state drive. The new NVMe NF1 SSD manages to pack a massive 8TB of storage into a compact form-factor boasting state-of-the-art performance with optimizations that make the new drive ideal for enterprise customers and data centers.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Things are heating up over at Bethesda as the major publisher is claiming a smaller studio stole its code to create a new Westworld mobile game. Warner Bros. and HBO dropped more information on the new iOS and Android Westworld title just a few days ago as the official App Store Twitter account revealed the June 21st release date. Only problem is, it looks like the developers ripped the game off the famous Fallout/Elder Scrolls creator and Bethesda is not happy about it.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Just yesterday, we wrote about AMC’s new movie subscription plan that gives you 3 movies a week of any showing for $20 per month. In lieu of that, MoviePass has made a slew of its own announcements, some good, some not so good.

MoviePass is kind of the original around here when it comes to movie theater subscription services, though the company has taken a lot of backlash in recent months due to policy and offering change. Now MoviePass is at it again, this time with three large changes that are set to happen before summer ends.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The battle royale genre took off with PUBG a little while back and now Fortnite has taken the helm of what can only be described as the biggest gaming phenomena since Pokémon GO. While Fortnite has mostly stolen the thunder from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the popular Call of Duty franchise announced it was stepping into the space with a new mode for Black Ops 4 back in May. But there’s a smaller battle royale-style game known as Darwin Project that has also caught our attention.
Expand
Expanding
Close

With the wide range of smart home platforms currently on the market, opting to center your home’s automation around Z-Wave may not be your first thought. But adopting Z-Wave over alternatives like HomeKit and Alexa has some serious perks that are worth considering for anyone contemplating a more in-depth smart home. 

Expand
Expanding
Close

Fourth of July is less than two weeks away and it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to wear for the weekend’s festivities. Between barbecues with friends and family, splashing around the pool or lake, or watching firework displays, this holiday always comes in as one of our favorites. That’s why today we are rounding up a few of our favorite pieces for July 4th that are under $20.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Leica has long been known as one of the premiere camera manufacturers in the world, delivering fine German craftsmanship to a wide range of products. While they have dabbled in other areas, the iconic brand is now shifting its focus to timepieces. For the first time, Leica is unveiling a pair of watches that lean on the familiar designs we’ve seen from its other offerings. More below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Companies have long been cashing in on the retro gaming craze that’s returned in full force in recent years. We’ve seen products that look to breathe new life into formerly abandoned consoles, a wide range of emulators and even extremely popular releases from Nintendo. And while E3 focused on the titles we’re looking forward to play in the future, a new console was announced that aims its focus on games of the past. Based around a module design, the Polymega can play everything from NES, SNES and Genesis games to PS1 and TurboGrafx-16 titles.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Earlier today, a new company called Aquio announced that it has partnered with iHome to release a bottle for carrying both cold and hot liquids that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. It holds 16 ounces of liquid, packs a 5-watt speaker, and an IP67 dust/water resistance rating in a sandproof design, making it a great choice for frequent beach-goers.

Expand
Expanding
Close

This morning, Amazon has announced that its Prime Wardrobe has officially left beta and is now available for United States shoppers. A Prime membership is required to take advantage of this service that delivers clothing direct to your doorstep. Since first being announced a year ago, Amazon says that “thousands” of items have been ordered.

Making the move to broader availability will hopefully bring this service to more Prime members while simplifying the at-home shopping experience along the way.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Movie subscription services have been around for ages. Starting with Netflix and other similar services with DVD mail-order options, we’ve now moved onto plans that allow you to see movies in theaters for a monthly fee. At the head of this service category is MoviePass, but AMC is looking to dethrone them.

MoviePass costs $10/mo and gives you the ability to see any movie every day of the week, as long as it’s a standard showing…and it’s a participating theater…and it’s the same day you want to see the movie…and you’re within 100 yards of the theater…and you haven’t seen the movie before. AMC counters that with the ability to see any showing, any format, multiple times, allows you to order tickets ahead of time, and more.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Charging your phone can sometimes be a drag. Finding the wall adapter, cable, now an outlet no one is using… With people having increasingly more technological devices, open outlets are becoming harder to come by in houses.

There are things like Anker’s multi-port USB charging hubs, and AUKEY’s dual-port USB charger, but they still require you to have a USB cable handy and take up counter space. In comes Rabbit Charger, a uniquely designed wall outlet that has a dual-ended USB cable built into it to keep your devices topped off easily.

Expand
Expanding
Close

For many of us, assembling the first computers we could call our own was a right of passage to the freedoms that came with owning them. The same can’t be said for those growing up today, as often times the first device many receive is a hand-me-down smartphone, tablet and laptop.

Kano, one of the better-known companies in the STEAM and educational market, has a new kit in which kids, or really anyone for that matter, can assemble their very own portable computer and experiment with coding thanks to a variety of interactive tutorials.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Eating healthy, especially during the summer can be tough. However, new summer cookbooks can make it easy to try new recipes and stay on track with a healthy diet. Plus, eating healthy will help you feel and look your best during swimsuit season. Also, if you get invited to a barbecue and don’t want to go empty-handed, any of the cookbooks below would be the perfect gift for a hostess. Keep scrolling to see our favorite new cookbooks of the summer.

Expand
Expanding
Close

As a father of three small children, I’ll admit that parenting can be challenging. Even after having three, I’ll still argue that the first one was the biggest shock to our lives. It changes things so drastically that you sometimes are just wondering what has just happened.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Classic games can sometimes be hard to find at affordable prices. I’ve long been a fan of Project Cars, DOOM, Battlefield 4, and then there are series like Uncharted and Last of Us that all of my gaming friends try to get me to play. Paying full retail for these titles isn’t ever enjoyable years after release, and Sony realizes this. With that information, Sony has announced PlayStation Hits, a selection of well-known and best-selling titles for just $19.99 each, read on for more information.

Expand
Expanding
Close

This morning we got some interesting news out of Amazon as the online retail giant is making moves on condo lobbies. The new Amazon Hub will be rolling out across major US cities soon but for now it’s time for the company’s Best Books of 2018. The Amazon Editorial team is now ready to share its top 20 books of the year (so far) from “compelling memoirs and page-turning novels to unpredictable thrillers”.
Expand
Expanding
Close

This morning, Amazon announced Hub, its latest invention to make deliveries easier and bring more Prime benefits into your life. This new delivery solution will roll out to over 500,000 residents in New York, San Francisco and other cities with the intention of reimagining how your Amazon packages arrive. Today’s official announcement comes one-year after Amazon first detailed the service in beta.

Designed with keeping your valuable deliveries safe, Hub by Amazon works with any service and retailer as a front-door storage solution for apartment high-rises. Each resident will then have a designated unit that keeps their packages secure until they arrive at home. More details below.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Nintendo Switch is a world-renowned gaming console at this point. With millions upon millions of units sold, Nintendo really has a hit on its hands here. At E3, the gaming icon announced games like Super Smash Bros. and others, but something that didn’t get much press was a dual-Switch gaming configuration that can really bring a new perspective to gaming.

Generally, gaming, though three-dimensional during gameplay, is very two-dimensional, even when doing multi-player. You’re both on the same screen (or your own screen) and each has a similar view to the other. It’s as if you each have an identical system giving you the same feedback, just at a different position on the track or map. Through the demoed gameplay at E3, this new two-Switch style of gaming could change that.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Based on the 1973 film and its subsequent sequel, HBO has struck gold with the Westworld TV series. Both the films and the TV run are perfect for a game adaption, so it was no surprise when Warner Bros. and HBO started teasing a new interactive experience. That was well over a year ago, but it looks like the release of the new Westworld iOS game is just around the corner now.
Expand
Expanding
Close