The Wirecutter’s best deals: A Roomba, studio monitors and more
This post was created in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read their continuously updated list of deals at TheWirecutter.com.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
VIZIO M43-C1 43-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV
Street Price: $600 MSRP: $600 Deal Price: $550 + $20 Prime discount
This is the first time we’ve seen this model go on sale, and if you have Amazon Prime you’ll save an extra $20 at checkout. Even without the added discount, it’s still a great deal. If you don’t have Prime, but do have a membership with Costco, you can get the same price there.
The Vizio M43-C1 is our 4K pick in our guide on the best $500 TV. Chris Heinonen said, “We don’t think 4K is worth the investment on a TV in this price range, but if you must have it, this set is the best choice.”
Bose Soundtrue On-Ear Headphones Black
Street Price: $100 MSRP: $150 Deal Price: $80 with code EMCAWNV67
This is a great deal on an awesome pair of on-ear headphones from Bose. With promo code EMCAWNV67 this deal matches the price these fell to for Amazon Prime Day back in July. The deal is only available on the black model of the headphones.
The Bose SoundTrues are our pick for the best on-ear headphones at any price. Lauren Dragan writes, “The Bose SoundTrues are our top pick because they strike the perfect balance of being extremely comfortable, lightweight, and compact—plus they sound really good. This isn’t something many other headphones could claim.”
M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Active Studio Monitor Speakers
Street Price: $125 MSRP: $200 Deal Price: $99
The best price we’ve seen on these was $80, but that was a brief B&H sale that expired a few hours after we posted it. This is the best regular non-lightning deal we’ve seen on these at Amazon in a couple of years.
These speakers are our pick for the best computer speakers. Brent Butterworth wrote, “In our tests, no other computer speaker came close to offering the combination of sound quality and value we found in the M-Audio Studiophile AV 40. With one possible exception, it equaled or bested the sound quality of any other speaker we tried. Yet at $119, it was one of the least expensive models.”
iRobot Roomba 650 Cleaning Robot (Refurbished)
Street Price: $400 MSRP: $400 Deal Price: $280
If you don’t have anything against refurbished products, this is a great opportunity to save $120 off the street price of this robot vacuum. Unlike most refurbs, this one comes with the same 1-year warranty that new models get. We’ve seen the 650 drop down to $320 new a few times, but $40 off of that for a unit with a full warranty is a good deal.
The iRobot Roomba 650 is our pick for the best robot vacuum. Liam McCabe said, “It gets floors cleaner more quietly than the competition, and it’s generally more pleasant to live with. Also, its modular design makes maintenance and repairs easy.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
Filed under:
Misc
Tags: bose, deals, irobot, m-audio, maudio, roomba, thewirecutter, vzio, wirecutter
Playdate: We’re screaming through the teen-horror of ‘Until Dawn’
By now you’ve (hopefully!) read our review of Sony’s latest PlayStation 4 exclusive, Until Dawn. I’d also like to think that you’ve gazed upon its faces and gorgeous cinematography too. If you’re still on the fence about buying it though, well, maybe our Twitch stream starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT will change that. We’ll be broadcasting two hours of the teen fright-fest today and I’d like to you join Sean Buckley and myself because the decisions we make in the game will be entirely up to you. That’s right: You’ll choose who lives and who dies, the paths we take through a Canadian mountainside and a whole lot more this afternoon. Are you ready for that kind of responsibility? Perhaps the better question is if you’re ready to hear my shrill screams. Let’s find out. Together.
So, join us here on this post, twitch.tv/joystiq or the Engadget Gaming homepage and follow along as we try to not lead a group of randy high schoolers to their untimely demises.
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[We’re streaming Until Dawn at 720p through OBS, so rest assured this game will look dramatically better on your TV, through your PlayStation 4 at home.]
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Tags: gaming, HaydenPanettiere, hd, hdpostcross, horror, peterstormare, playstation, playstation4, ps4, sony, supermassivegames, twitch, untildawn
Apple becomes the second-biggest wearables maker, behind Fitbit
The big question surrounding the Apple Watch is how well it’s selling, but Apple isn’t saying just yet. Without concrete numbers, we’re forced to turn to various projections — and one of the more reliable sources says that Apple’s first wearable is doing well. According to IDC, Apple shipped 3.6 million Apple Watches during the second quarter of 2015; that’s good for second place in the global wearables market, behind market leader Fitbit.
Fitbit shipped about 4.4 million wearables in the quarter, a huge increase over the 1.7 million it moved a year ago. But due to the emergence of Apple and Xiaomi (which shipped 3.1 million wearables in Q2), Fitbit’s market share slipped from over 30 percent down to 24.3 percent. Overall, Fitbit, Apple and Xiaomi were the top three manufacturers, with Garmin and Samsung rounding out the top five. The emergence of Apple and Xiaomi combined with Fitbit’s gains contributed to overall market growth of 232 percent year-over-year. Outside the top five, IDC’s “other” manufacturers category grew from 2.6 million to 5.7 million, a clear sign that companies big and small are taking advantage of this new market category.
Apple’s position looks even stronger when you look at devices it more directly competes with — IDC has a “smart wearables” category that tracks devices capable of installing third-party apps. In that segment of the market, the Apple Watch dominates: IDC estimates that two out of three smart wearables shipped in the quarter came from Apple. That’s despite the fact that the Watch sits at the high end of the price spectrum. There’s likely some post-launch excitement that drove those numbers, so we’ll have to wait and see if Watch sales keep growing throughout the year. Cook said on Apple’s recent earnings call that sales of the Watch were accelerating post-launch. How long that trend can continue remains to be seen.
Source:
IDC
Tags: apple, applewatch, fitbit, idc, sales, shipments, SmartWatch, watch, wearables, xiaomi
The Dexcom G5 lets diabetics track blood sugar on their phone
Keeping tabs on a body’s glucose levels is a way of life for diabetics — a ritual performed several times a day, often before or after meals. It’s an essential chore, but it often requires special hardware for reading blood test strips or stand-alone receivers for patch-devices that read blood sugar levels under the skin. Thankfully, a better way is coming: the FDA recently approved an iOS-compatible glucose meter that can send constant updates directly to your phone.
The Dexcom G5 Continuous Glucose Monitoring system is technically just the latest in a long line non-intrusive glucose meters, but until now they all relied on a dedicated hardware receiver to report blood sugar levels. The new version can push updates to directly to iOS devices over Bluetooth, making it possible for your phone to alert you the moment your blood sugar changes. That’s more data, more control and less to carry around.
Don’t fret if you just bought the Dexcom G4, though — folks who purchased the company’s previous glucose meter after July 25th will get a free upgrade to the G5 after it ships. Customers who bought it earlier will be able to upgrade for $200-300, depending on when they bought it. The system is expected to ship sometime later next month.
Filed under:
Misc, Science, Mobile
Via:
Medgadget
Source:
Dexcom
Tags: bloodglucose, bluetooth, cluclose, dexcom, dexcom65, diabetes, diabetic, ios, mobilepostcross, smartphone
New Moto 360 leak compares upcoming second-generation model to its predecessor
The second-generation Moto 360 smartwatch will be announced on September 2nd, at the IFA in Berlin. After Motorola posted a video on Twitter revealing the new device form factor, a new leak shows us the device next to its predecessor, giving us an idea of its smaller size.
The leaked picture comes from HellomotoHK’s Facebook page, and shows us the supposedly new Moto 360 next to its larger predecessor. There has been rumors that the new device will come in two sizes, which might help Motorola make the watch more appealing to more customers, as the first generation Moto 360 was quite large. The two variants, known to be the Moto 360S and 360L are still yet-to-be announced, and more leaks will most likely show up before the official announcement next Wednesday.
Source: HellomotoHK (Facebook)
Via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: New Moto 360 leak compares upcoming second-generation model to its predecessor
Turing Robotic Industries schedules a release date for the Turing Phone
Turing Robotic Industries, the company developing the upcoming Turing Phone, is ready to announce when its first device will be shipping and who is be making it. Along with that, the company detailed a special edition of the Turing Phone.
The Turing Phone will ship on December 18, 2015. Turing Robotic Industries partially chose this date because it coincides with the release of the next Star Wars film and many of the company’s employees are huge fans of the franchise.
People that made a reservation for the Turing Phone will receive their invites on September 21.
Although the release date is still four months away, you should be happy to know that Foxconn is manufacturing the Turing Phone. Foxconn is a familiar name as the manufacturing company’s clientele includes Apple, Microsoft, and Sony. Turing Robotic Industries is going with a trusted name to manufacture a phone that is meant to be unbreakable in terms of both hardware and software.
A special edition of the Turing Phone called Dark Wyvern (seen above) will be up for pre-order on September 24, the same day that customers will be asked to pay for the phone. Turing Robotic Industries noted that many asked for a special Turing Phone and Dark Wyvern is what they came up with.
The Dark Wyvern special edition, which has 128GB of internal storage, is priced at $999.
Come comment on this article: Turing Robotic Industries schedules a release date for the Turing Phone
Google aims to help you track dangerous storms more easily this hurricane season
Following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina ten years ago, Google began ramping up its efforts to display satellite imagery of affected areas in Google Earth and even helped build searchable databases to help people keep in touch with their loved ones. And this hurricane season, Google is making it much easier to track dangerous storms through Search results. The company today announced that it’s bringing some improvements to weather forecasts and Public Alerts in Google Search. With these new improvements, searching for a particular storm or tornado might bring up the following:
- A map showing your location in relation to the oncoming storm
- Visualizations of its forecasted track, wind severity and arrival time, courtesy of NOAA
- Concise instructions for preparing and staying safe, customized for the estimated intensity of the storm and its arrival time relative to your location, from FEMA and ready.gov
Google says the safety recommendations you receive will be tailored to reflect the current status of the storm, as well as your context. For instance, searching for a specific storm that’s a few days away will bring up a map of the storm developing and a recommendation to start preparing for an emergency. Searching for a storm that’s only hours away from your location will bring up a reminder to start charging your phone or tips on how to avoid injury from fast moving water or flying debris.
These new improvements to storm tracking in Google Search are rolling out in the United States starting today.
8 Material Design apps to unify your experience
When Google unveiled Android Lollipop last year, what came with it was the largest design overhaul Android has ever seen. It was dubbed it “Material Design” and was meant to become the design language for all Android apps. However, we are approaching a year after Lollipop’s official release and there are still few apps out there that adhere to Google’s new design guidelines.
In this list, we will take a look at some apps that wonderfully utilized Material Design. Each one was picked to fulfill users basic needs while providing them with a unified Material Design interface.
Weather – Weather Timeline
There are a ton of weather apps that use Material Design, and most of them look amazing. However, Weather Timeline provides the best overall experience when it comes to a weather app. It has the basic features that all weather apps should have such as a 24-hour forecast and a 7-day forecast. There is a very nice radar feature that also makes use of Material Design. Weather Timeline also provides information about moon phases, humidity, dew point, pressure, visibility, and a “feels like” temperature.
One feature that I find interesting is their “Time Machine” which allows you to see weather forecasts weeks, months, and years into the past or future! I cannot vouch for its accuracy several years into the future, but looking ahead a couple of weeks has seemed to be decently accurate. Weather Timeline gives you the options to customize virtually anything you can see in the app. Colors, icons, and more can be tailored to exactly what you want. It even allows you to customize your Android Wear notification.
You can pick up Weather Timeline for an affordable $0.99 in the Play Store and get access to every feature immediately!
Voice recorder – Wear Audio Recorder
Selecting a voice recorder was simple because I had found Wear Audio Recorder earlier this year and it quickly became my go to app for recording audio. Its utilization of Material Design is fantastic with every animation and movement thought out. There are settings for audio quality, audio gain, compression, noise suppression, and more. There is also wonderful Android Wear support (hence the name).
The free version provides basically everything you could need, but the paid version adds a few useful features. In the paid version, you get more control over the Android Wear part of the app as well as automatic backup to the cloud via Dropbox or Google Drive.
You can get Wear Audio Recorder for free from the Play Store and upgrade to the paid version for only $2.99.
News/RSS reader – Palabre
Finding an RSS reader for this list proved to be challenging because many apps that claim to use Material Design either do not look good or do not work well. I finally found Palabre, and it was obvious that time had been spent on the design and features for this app. For Feedly users, you will be happy to hear that this app supports full Feedly integration, and all you have to do to get your RSS subscriptions is sign in with your Feedly account.
The app itself is polished and smooth, offering a nice card-style layout for your news stories. You can change how the articles are displayed as well as switch to their slick dark theme. The only problem with this app is that the free version is ad supported. While the adds are not intrusive and simply fit into your news list like another article, they can be annoying if you do not like them. Thankfully, there is an ad-free version that can be upgraded to from within the app.
You can download Palabre for free from the Play Store and upgrade to its ad-free version for $2.47.
Calendar – Today Calendar
Today Calendar is a no brainer when it comes to a calendar app that does an amazing job following the Material Design guidelines. The look, feel, and animations in the app show just what an app can be when it uses Material Design correctly. This app features integration with Google Calendar allowing for an easy switch between the two.
It defaults to a split view which shows the month at the top of the screen and a list of events for a certain day at the bottom. There are also options for an Agenda view, Day view, Week view, and Month view. You can change the two main colors used Today Calendar, but you will need to get the Pro version to take advantage of the Dark theme along with a few other features. The free version includes everything needed to make this app usable and enjoyable, but some may find a few more features worth upgrading for.
You can grab Today Calendar for free in the Play Store or buy the Pro version for $2.99.
Music player – Shuttle
Finding the best Material Design music player was not easy because there are quite a few and many of them suffer from a lack of important features. Shuttle is probably the best all-around music player that uses Material Design. It is easy to understand, uses animations and elements that show off Material Design, and has some nice features built into the free version.
You are given the option to change the theme (yes, there is a dark theme), the color, and the accent color. You can also enable a colored status bar. The only main feature missing from the free Shuttle is the option to edit song information from inside the app. You can upgrade to Shuttle+ to get access to this feature and many more. Shuttle+ also give you Chromecast support, which is enough reason to upgrade right there.
You can pick up Shuttle for free in the Play Store and upgrade to Shuttle+ for $1.75.
Twitter – Giza
The official Twitter app for Android is a complete mess, but there are few options out there that provide a good experience plus Material Design. Giza came out of no where, and provides a nice experience with a wonderful Material Design feel. Aside from some visual changes, features like a dark theme and compact timeline, and a simple interface, this app is still undeniably Twitter.
The app itself is free, but unfortunately it is ad supported. The adds are normally seen when viewing other peoples’ profiles, but they are generally unobtrusive banner ads. If you really do not want adds in your app, you can get the ad-free version.
You can download Giza free from the Play Store and upgrade to ad-free for $2.99.
Instagram – Imagine
Finding an Instagram app that used Material Design well was not easy, but once we found Imagine, we knew it was the right one. The app itself is nice and minimal, just like Material Design apps should be. There is a floating action button that allows you to add or take a new photo or video. To access things like your profile, activity, or likes, there is a nice slide out menu on the right that holds all of those options.
Everything that is needed to make this a usable Instagram replacement is included in the free version, but if you really want to customize the app, you will need to purchase the Premium version. With Premium, ads are removed, and you are given the option to add multiple accounts, change the theme, enable a colored navigation bar, and view nearby posts. The main problem with this app is that to add photos and videos, you must have the official Instagram app installed on your device too.
You can pick up Imagine for free in the Play Store and upgrade to Premium for $2.49.
File manager- File Explorer
There are many file managers out there that use Material Design, but the features that File Explorer offers puts it above the rest. You have basic features such as access to all areas of your file system, view changes (grid, icon, etc), and more. You are able to open multiple locations at one time with the ability to switch between them available in the hamburger menu to the right.
The one feature that proves to be extremely useful is the Split View option. Much like Samsung’s Multi-Window feature, this allows you to view two separate locations on your screen at once. This makes transferring files from one place to another extremely easy. You do not have to switch between places because they are both on your screen. You are also given the option to change the theme and colors in the app. The best part about File Explorer is that all the features are available without purchase.
You can get File Explorer for free in the Play Store.
These eight apps should provide you with great Material Design replacements for apps you use every day, but we are not stopping there. We want to know what other everyday apps you would like a Material Design alternative for. Perhaps a flashlight app or a to do list app? Whatever app you have in mind, let us know down in the comments. And keep an eye out for the next set of Material Design apps to unify your experience.
The post 8 Material Design apps to unify your experience appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Noteworthy: Is it time for Samsung to make a Galaxy Note…Mini?
The Galaxy Note is certainly deserving of some smaller consideration if the Galaxy S is worthy of a larger one.
Since its inception, the Samsung Galaxy Note series has always been about one thing: big screen productivity. The device gave birth to the whole phablet genre and revived the hallowed stylus for modern times. And yet. Each installment has always held true to a stubborn staples, namely size increments of at least 5.5 inches or greater. To this day, nine models exist: 5 phablets and 4 tablets. To this day, no one has ever contested that size isn’t everything, even if the pen is mightier than the sword.
What I am about to propose is mind-boggling. It’s so outlandish that it just might seem logical. And in truth, it is. The claim to fame? It’s time that Samsung unveils the Galaxy Note…Mini.
If mainstream can go big, why can’t niche go small?
For years now, Samsung has built its key brands on a simple yet effective premise: the Galaxy S series is comprised of mainstream, “standard-sized” products. The premiere flagship is the standard “S” release. As the industry screen size average began to increase (which was largely Samsung’s doing) a more portable variant was introduced, starting with the Galaxy S3 Mini. By the time the Galaxy S5 hit last year, we had the Active line, which offered better support for more rugged use. In some cases, the specs were altered, however Samsung still opted for the S naming nomenclature instead of using a different letter.
Does the Galaxy S6 Edge+ have a legitimate reason for being big? The Note Mini would have the same one for being small.
This year, we have the Galaxy S6 Edge+. The device, which has polarized some of us, is a large Galaxy S6 Edge. Absolutely nothing more, and nothing less, especially now that its sole unique feature has been ported to the smaller size option. Samsung had never felt the need to make a large non-Note flagship before, yet so convinced this is what customers want, it has actually, deliberately, chosen to deny Europe the opportunity to buy the Galaxy Note 5.
If Samsung has decreed that the Galaxy S can go big for no reason other than because there isn’t a big Galaxy S, by that very same logic the Galaxy Note should go small for no reason other than because there isn’t a small Galaxy Note.
Logic…and lots of it
While the equation I’ve just created might seem almost comical, in truth the idea at hand is quite logical. Consider for a second, that stylus-based devices had originally been significantly smaller than the products we’re using today. Some 20 years ago, long before smartphones were even a possibility, we had PDAs. These devices, Personal Digital Assistants, were basically digital organizers that came with some media functionality, perhaps more depending on the OEM that produced it. These devices were also one of the most mainstream products to feature a stylus, as in dealing with screens that were smaller than kids these days can even imagine, users needed a small tool to poke away at the resistive touch screens.
Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+
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Samsung had tried to justify the return of the stylus -reimagined as the Wacom-powered S-Pen- by offering it with a large screen smartphone, but there isn’t any reason it couldn’t include one on a smaller form factor. Indeed for any number of people, even 5 inches is still a gigantic display size to deal with. These potential customers, who may actually be interested in the idea of the Note, will never actually buy one simply because they either can’t operate such a large device, or else they simply don’t want to. There is, as a result, a potential market of untapped cash to capitulate.
Aside from the LG Vu series, no other mainstream legacy OEM has come forth with a “small” Note-type device. Even LG itself arguably struck out given that the Vu, or Intuition as it was known in the USA, opted for a 4:3 aspect ratio that while easier to write on, was not appealing to customers long since acclimated to widescreen. Again, Samsung can thereby be first again with the Note series, and actually make consumers rethink the product line itself, something that at the very least, will generate buzz.
The software side
Now I know what you’re thinking at this point. “The contention is stupid. This post is pointless.” The basis? Inevitably some of it will have to do with software. Samsung has, since the beginning, made the Note series all about productivity. And who could possibly be productive on a small device. Putting aside the entire PDA genre mentioned, a genre that lasted for about a decade for reference, there is a valid point to be made for software. One of the Galaxy Note series staples is its multitasking ability: split screens and pop-up apps.
And yet, has anyone stopped to realize that basically all of Samsung’s products do this now? While some of the more budget-friendly variants lack the horsepower needed to run simultaneous split-screen applications, the Galaxy S flagships most certainly have Multitasking now. And notice what reviewers typically point out with regards to it: “While it has multitasking we don’t know why you would want to use it on such a small screen.” Perhaps you might not know why, but clearly Samsung feels someone will want to use it.
The Galaxy Note Mini will never appeal to those with phabletitis, but then again it’s not meant to.
If the Galaxy S6 supports multitasking, and has all the horsepower and RAM technically needed to run the Galaxy Note SDK (consider the Note 4 also had 3GB of RAM) then there is no reason it couldn’t. And really, no reason it shouldn’t. Would Galaxy Note users be smitten with this idea? No, but then again this proposed product isn’t meant to target those customers in the first place.
Plan B: sell the S-Pen
Perhaps my idea should be expanded to an even larger one: rather than make a Galaxy Note Mini, perhaps what Samsung should actually do, is make its S-Pen compatible with the Galaxy S line on the whole. Not only would this potentially spike the demand for the S-Pen, but it could actually charge a nominal fee to customers to download the “Note Suite for S” or else build it into the cost of the “S-Pen for Galaxy S.” This would immediately allow customers who want extra productivity options to get such from Samsung. This would also allow Samsung to have another edge over its competitors, at least for the time being, and it would allow for such with basically no real R&D costs whatsoever.
Consider, for example, that the low-end Galaxy Tab A actually has a variant that comes with the S-Pen. The tablet, which is really equivalent to the Galaxy E series of smartphones, is able to run the Galaxy Note software suite without any real problems, and it has but 2GB of RAM. The problem has never been one of specs really, just Samsung’s decision to limit the form factor to which it’s compatible.
This idea would also work wonders on those who feel the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has wasted the opportunity to put the extra screen real estate to good use, and it would immediately calm down -at least to some degree- those who feel slighted their country isn’t deemed “worthy” to get the Galaxy Note 5 this year. In fact, it would actually negate the existence of the Galaxy Note series as a whole, a crusade that some critics are accusing Samsung of having begun with last year’s Note 4.
A Mini for the rest of us
While the Galaxy Note Mini will never manage to capture the hearts and wallets of those afflicted by phabletitis, it would provide for an entirely new market for Samsung to market to. Provided the screen was around 5 inches or so, it wouldn’t even be that obscene to imagine. Granted a larger prospect will always have an advantage in terms of productivity, but not all hands are created equally. Furthermore, the ability to sell a Galaxy Note Mini at a lower price range, perhaps add in extra accessories or options, and Samsung could conceivably have a win up its sleeve.
What do you think? Would the idea of a Galaxy Note Mini sell? Do you know anyone who might want it? Should it have flagship specs or something less? Leave us your comments below!
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ARCHOS’ new 4G LTE-capable Diamond Tab will be available this October for just £179
Although ARCHOS just recently unveiled the budget-friendly Diamond S and 50e Helium smartphones, that’s not stopping the French smartphone maker from announcing yet another Android device prior to the IFA 2015 trade show. Dubbed the Diamond Tab, this new 4G LTE-capable tablet will be available for purchase sometime in October for only £179.
When it comes to specifications, the Diamond Tab features a 7.9-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2048×1536, a 64-bit 1.7 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT8752 processor, 3GB of RAM as well as 32GB of on-board storage. It also has a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facing shooter, a 4800mAh battery and runs a near-vanilla version of Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box.
Considering the impressive list of specifications and seemingly solid build quality, £179 is certainly not a bad price for this tablet. And just like the company’s newest smartphone offerings, the Diamond Tab will be shown off at IFA 2015. We’ll be attending IFA this year, and we’re hoping to get some quality hands-on time with the newest devices from ARCHOS.
AIVAnet 