Check out the first Windows VR headsets from Dell, HP and Acer

Just a few days after Lenovo unveiled its Windows 10 VR headset, Microsoft showed off what HP, Dell and Acer are working on at a CES media event. Unfortunately, they were all under glass, so all we could do was ogle at the hardware. Still, the designs look pretty interesting. Acer’s looks like it comes straight from its gaming design crew, while HP’s has a cool black aesthetic. I was particularly surprised by Dell’s headset, which resembles the PlayStation VR in a few ways.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about these headsets yet, unfortunately. We hear they’re all going to be available this year, with the cheapest going for around $300. Microsoft reps say they should work with integrated laptops in graphics, but of course, we’re taking that with a grain of salt. The only thing that’s certain right now is that it’s going to be a big year for Windows Holographic and VR in general.

Instagram Adds Support for Wide Color and Live Photos

At Apple’s September 2016 special event, Instagram announced several new features for its app to take advantage of various iPhone capabilities. Today, co-founder Mike Krieger announced that two of the features, wide color support and Live Photos support, are rolling out to users.

Instagram had to revise its photo filters to support the iPhone 7’s new camera capabilities. The new photo filters will allow users with an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus to see and capture a wider variety of hues in their photos.

Live Photos support for Instagram Stories has also been implemented. This allows users to upload GIFs into their Instagram Stories without using the standalone Boomerang app. To upload a Live Photos to Instagram Stories, users just have to 3D Touch on the Live Photos they want to upload before they upload it.

The other big feature Instagram announced in September, the ability to use the iPhone 7 Plus’ telephoto lens for one-finger zoom, has not yet gone live. Neither wide color or Live Photos support for Instagram Stories require a user to update the app.

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Sony’s Koov is a fun way to get your kid into programming

Kids’ toys are getting the high-tech treatment at CES this year with the Sony Koov set.

Curious to see if your kid has knack for programming? You need something like Sony’s Koov, a vibrantly colored LEGO-like toy that enables kids to build things and then program them to come to life.

There are seven colors of translucent blocks. Once you’ve concocted your creation, you can “code” the assembled figure with the aid of a desktop application (programming through an iOS and Android app is in the works). The app uses “if-then-else” logic, which is relatively simple for anyone new to programming to learn.

Koov is part of the Sony Global Education, a major initiative on the company’s part to promote STEM education in the mainstream. The blocks are developed by a Japanese company called Artec Co., while Sony provides the software, tech, and marketing.

Unfortunately, Koov is only available in Japan and China for now.

T-Mobile starts issuing $10 credits for unlimited customers using less than 2GB per month

T-Mobile ONE plan gets rid of hidden fees and taxes: What you see is what you pay.

T-Mobile is always trying to mix things up. At its latest “Uncarrier” event at CES this week, the company borrowed from Bill Maher’s bag of tricks by announcing a slew of “New Rules” for T-Mobile customers on the T-Mobile ONE plan.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced that their new plan would include all monthly fees and taxes into the advertised price, so when you sign up for a plan at $70 for a single line (which is the base plan for T-Mobile ONE), your bill will read $70 every month. T-Mobile says that under the current industry practise, “customers end up handing over an extra $17.2 BILLION extra every year in monthly fees and added taxes”. This new plan looks to help mitigate that by including all taxes and fees up-front in the advertised price, and they’re hoping, as always, to lead the charge for the other carriers to follow suit.

Behind the PR speak: T-Mobile is really pushing for all customers to switch over to a T-Mobile ONE plan.

Other features included in the updated T-Mobile ONE plan include an option to receive up to a $10 credit when you use less than 2GB of data on a line. You still get unlimited data with the T-Mobile ONE plan, but T-Mobile seems to have determined that 2GB is what the average customer needs, so if you come in under that magic number on one or more of your lines, they’ll kick back some cash in the form of a credit. T-Mobile has also guaranteed that they will never change the price of their plans once a contract has been signed, with customers holding the power to modify their pricing plan while under contract.

What’s kind of hidden behind the PR speak here is that T-Mobile is really pushing for all customers to switch over to a T-Mobile ONE plan. They still offer single line and family plans with set amounts of 4G LTE data included, but it’s pretty clear that they’re pushing real hard to transition everyone over to their unlimited plan. They’re also offering a “tax rebate” in the form of $150 for every line you switch over to T-Mobile ONE, up to four lines. If you’re sick of dealing with hidden monthly fees and keeping track of your data usage, T-Mobile might just be speaking your language here.

T-Mobile also announced their preliminary results from the fourth quarter of 2016, which include 4.1 million net postpaid phone customers, the best results in the industry.

How to get ADB and Fastboot utilities without installing the Android SDK

You can now grab the current version of the Android platform tools directly from Google.

Using adb and Fastboot to do things like flash an update or factory image to your Nexus or Pixel isn’t that hard. But it still involves using a command line, and potentially making a bit of a mess. Google just made it a little easier.

Previously, you had two choices — install the Android SDK to your computer, or grab a copy of the necessary tools from somewhere else. The Android SDK is big and cumbersome for anyone not using it to develop Android apps, so this led most people to do the latter and get a copy from somewhere besides Google. These could be out of date, incomplete or, worst case, have dodgy stuff added to it. Not a good situation at all.

Here’s the fix: Google software engineer Elliot Hughes let us know that Google is now hosting current versions of the Android platform tools for Windows, macOS and Linux as standalone downloads. Grab the correct file, unzip it somewhere on your computer and everything is ready to run. It’s just as simple as it was before, but better since we’re getting the files directly from the source. Download links are below.

Download the Android SDK tools for Windows

Download the Android SDK tools for MacOS

Download the Android SDK tools for Linux

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Nexus 6 gets its long-awaited Android 7.1.1 update

It took long enough, but the Nexus 6 is getting Android 7.1.1!

As promised, Google has issued the long-awaited Android 7.1.1 update for the aging (but still virile) Nexus 6.

Bundled in build N6F26Q, the software gives ‘Shamu’ all of the features bestowed upon other Nexus devices on 7.1.1, such as app shortcuts, updated emojis, image keyboard and rounded icons, along with important bug fixes, but absent are the Pixel’s Night Light and Google Assistant.

If you’re in a hurry, you can always grab the OTA file at Google’s official factory images page, or just wait until the update machine spits it out in a week or so. The update also includes the latest January 5, 2017 security bulletin.

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LG’s 14-inch ‘Gram’ laptop is the world’s lightest

LG’s big computing reveal for CES was a refreshed 14-inch “Gram” laptop. It’s said to be the lightest in its class, weighing in at only 2.13 pounds (that’s a sub-kilogram weigh-in). That, combined with the promise of between 21 and 24 hours of battery life sounds like an incredible combination. Unfortunately, it may be too good to be true.

CNET notes that LG was using battery rundown tests from 2007, which assumed no WiFi use and was just generally less taxing than the sort of tests reviewers are likely to use today. That’s almost definitely how LG got such great runtime. That said, the laptop still packs a 60Wh battery that’s almost double the capacity of the company’s older 14-inch Gram laptop. (That’s also bigger than the 13-inch MacBook Pro’s battery.) LG says it saw 17 hours on a charge during more realistic (read: modern) rundown tests, which is still pretty damn impressive.

Aside from that probably-overrated battery life, the Gram is a stylish ultraportable, albeit one made mostly of plastic. It’s not… terrible, but my preferences skew toward metal builds. They feel more reassuringly solid. Yes, the Gram is light, but that comes with some flimsiness.

That said, despite some other super thin and light laptops, the laptop’s 14-inch IPS screen does still support touch. Under the hood, you get either an Intel Core i7 or i5 processor. There are also both USB 3.0 and USB-C ports, as well as HDMI-out if you’re looking to connect to projectors or bigger screens. Despite all those battery life statistics, LG isn’t offering a launch date or price, but judging by the cost of both the last-gen 14-inch Gram and the 15-inch version when they landed in the US, you could expect to pay over $1,000 depending on the configuration.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save almost 50 percent on a Sony E 55-210mm lens

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

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.

Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS

Street price: $350; MSRP: $350; Deal price: $180

A big discount on a lens we’ve never seen refurbished before. New models of this lens go for $340 and rarely have any discounts available, so if you’re willing to buy refurbished, this is a huge $160 off. It includes a full year of warranty service.

The Sony E 55-210mm is our versatile and affordable zoom pick in our Sony lenses guide. The WC staff wrote, “The performance of this general-purpose zoom is surprisingly good for the money. It’s a solid choice for sports, landscape, and wildlife.”

Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells

Street price: $260; MSRP: $290; Deal price: $236

The best price we’ve seen on these dumbbells, which typically hover around $260 and almost never drop below $250. While we used to see holiday promos where you’d get the companion dumbbell stand, a $100 value, we haven’t seen that sale pop up in years.

The Bowflex SelectTech 552 are our pick for the best adjustable dumbbells. Mark Bixby wrote, “…the Bowflex SelectTech 552s are our pick because they offer the most complete overall package that will appeal to beginners and experienced users alike. In addition to offering great performance and adjustability, they have zero intimidation factor thanks to a terrific set of instructional materials that other manufacturers would do well to emulate. But even without the great introductory materials, we found in testing that the SelectTechs are easy to adjust, offer a wide variety of weight levels, and excelled in testing during all of our different exercise regimens for both strength training and conditioning workouts. All this adds up to a set that’s more approachable than anything else we looked at, which means you’ll be more likely to get started and stick with them.”

Honeywell UberHeat HCE200W space heater

Street price: $35; MSRP: $40; Deal price: $30

This deal is just in time for those of you who are realizing that your room isn’t nearly warm enough to survive the winter. While not a huge drop in price, this is the first decent sale we’ve seen on our runner-up pick space heater (in black only, white is presently out of stock). Since this is a newer product, it doesn’t have much of a price history, but this is the best discount we’ve seen so far.

Honeywell UberHeat HCE200W is our runner-up pick in our guide to the best space heaters. Seamus Bellamy wrote, “If you can’t get the Lasko, we suggest the Honeywell UberHeat HCE200W. The UberHeat was the fastest heater we tested this year and it raised the temperature of our test area higher than any others—at 89.4 degrees Fahrenheit after 120 minutes of operation, it was 2 degrees higher than the nearest competitor. It’s not our pick because of price—usually about $10 more than the Lasko—and to a lesser extent because it’s louder and it’s a new product with an unproven record on reliability.”

Water Right 400 Series garden hose

Street price: $70; MSRP: $100; Deal price: $34

This is a great deal on our step-up garden hose pick, and the best price we’ve seen so far. Since the price on this hose has risen over the past few months, this sale is an even bigger drop from the street price than usual.

The Water Right 400 Series is our step-up pick in our guide to the best garden hoses. Oliver Hulland wrote, “If you have some extra cash, our absolute favorite model is the Water Right 50 Ft 600 Series 5/8″ Polyurethane Garden Hose. It pulls straight with no kinks and has enough volume to give your spray power. This Water Right hose uses food-grade polyurethane and contains no lead, phthalates, or BPA. Its fittings are also made of a lead-free brass alloy.”

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.

Order around this Samsung refrigerator with your voice

Home appliances may not be the most exciting side of CES, but every year massive companies like LG and Samsung show off weird additions to the vast range of refrigerators, washing machines and other exciting devices. Take Samsung’s “Family Hub 2.0” refrigerator, for example: This massive monolith has a 21.5-inch touchscreen built into it for playing video and audio, leaving your family notes and to-dos, ordering groceries, looking up recipes and much, much more.

However, if Alexa and Google Home have taught us anything, the days of having to physically interact with our devices are coming to a close. Samsung is right on that curve: You can talk to the Family Hub 2.0 fridge and ask it to do a handful of tasks for you. That includes adding items to a grocery list or shopping cart in InstaCart, checking out using your voice, launching apps like Pandora, and having the fridge read back recipes to you.

In some ways, this makes a lot of sense. The kitchen is often a dirty place, and being able to have a hands-free assistant is definitely useful. Of course, for the vast majority of people, it’ll make way more sense to spend $180 on the Amazon Echo rather than spend upwards of $5,000 on a new fridge whose “smart” features will be out of date in a few years. But hey, if you’re building a new kitchen and want the fanciest fridge you can get, this is certainly a contender. That said, I might rather have LG’s Alexa-enabled refrigerator instead.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Whirlpool’s Zera Food Recycler easily turns food scraps into compost

Though several municipalities like San Francisco, New York and Portland have city-wide composting services, not everyone can enjoy this luxury. Most people still have to compost their unwanted food the old-fashioned way: by putting them in a stinky composter and going through the labor-intensive process of adding manure, keeping it moist and turning it every so often so that it doesn’t rot. Otherwise, all those orange peels and rotten carrots will just end up in the trash. Whirlpool’s new Zera Food Recycler, however, could be the solution to that. It’s a new kitchen appliance that will turn your food scraps into rich fertilizer with hardly any work on your part at all.

The way it works is pretty simple. Plug it in and then throw all your food scraps into the chute. The only things you can’t put in it are bones and pits, because they’re too tough for the Zera’s blades to cut through. The top of the Zera is also conveniently counter-height, so you can just sweep all your leftovers into the bin with one fell swoop. From there, just make sure it has a carbon filter installed (this is to reduce odor) and add a plant-based additive to assist in the breakdown process. The additive is based mostly on coconut husk and baking soda and is wrapped in paper, so the whole thing should decompose fairly easily. Keep putting in food scraps for about a week, and by the end of it you’ll get a pile of freshly made fertilizer, perfect for your lawn or garden.

The Zera was designed by W Labs, an internal Whirlpool incubator tasked with coming up with unique gadgets for the home. One of its first devices was the Vessi homebrew beer fermentor, which was successfully funded on Indiegogo last year. Similarly, the Zera will launch on the crowdfunding site as well. This isn’t to actually raise money for it — Whirlpool is a pretty profitable corporation after all — but more to gain early support for an untested market. Plus, a Whirlpool spokesperson said that it likes hearing from Indiegogo backers on how to improve their products.

That said, it’s pretty expensive. The Zera Food Recycler will retail for $1,199 later this year at select retailers like TreeHouse and Williams-Sonoma. But if you want it cheaper, for a limited time you can purchase it through Indiegogo, where it’s selling for a much more reasonable $699.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.