Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on gadgetnewsonline.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.
Contact Jordan with news tips and long-winded complaints:
T-Mobile is currently offering the best price around for a new Nexus 6 by dropping $100 off the device’s regular retail price. That means you can pick up the 32GB model for $549 (usually $649), or the 64GB model for $599 (usually $699).
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After first announcing and showing off new licensing plans with Pro Tools 12 in January, today the latest version of Pro Tools has arrived at last alongside the new subscription plans on Avid’s online store.
Highlights for Pro Tools 12 include a new “Avid Cloud Collaboration” feature that lets users collaborate in real-time from different locations using built-in chat and other collaboration features, and a new “Avid Marketplace” for finding talent and accessing apps, plug-ins and third-party content.
For the first time, Avid is making Pro Tools, with version 12, available through license subscriptions starting at $29.99/month. An annual update is available for $199 (the one-time price of Apple’s competitive Logic Pro X), while the annual subscription plan will go for $299. Lastly, Avid has perpetual licenses starting at $899.
(via The Loop)
Apple’s latest top of the line Mac mini is getting a big discount today as it returns to Apple’s official refurbished store for $150 off its retail price.
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Many Black Friday deals are officially going live today with others likely arriving tonight and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. We’re tracking deals for all platforms and gadgets, but below we’ve rounded up only the best accessories for iOS devices and Mac seeing big discounts this weekend.
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Hyper, the brand behind a number of popular Mac and iOS products we’ve reviewed in the past, is today offering its best deals ever for Black Friday. The sale includes big deals on external battery packs and other iOS accessories including the world’s only external MacBook battery.
Some of the notables: A $10 3600 mAh battery pack (Reg. $49), a $20 7200mAh battery pack (Reg. $70), and up to $50 off the company’s external battery for MacBooks. Head below for the full list of deals.
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Following an announcement last month that the latest entry in the popular Civilization strategy game series would hit Mac sometime this holiday season, today Civilization: Beyond Earth has officially arrived for Mac users. The game, developed by Firaxis and brought to Mac users by Aspyr, first hit PC on October 24th.
Beyond Earth offers a fresh take on the traditional strategy gameplay of previous entries with a new sci-fi theme that lets users explore deep space and other futuristic settings.
As part of an expedition sent to find a home beyond Earth, you will write the next chapter for humanity as you lead your people into a new frontier and create a new civilization in space. Explore and colonize an alien planet, research new technologies, amass mighty armies, build incredible Wonders and shape the face of your new world. As you embark on your journey you must make critical decisions. From your choice of sponsor and the make-up of your colony, to the ultimate path you choose for your civilization, every decision opens up new possibilities.
The Mac version arrives today with all of the features included in the PC counterpart including cross platform multiplayer and save syncing between all platforms.
The game is available today through all of the usual suspects including Steam, the Mac App Store, and developer Aspyr’s own GameAgent store. It cost $49.99, but the $41 preorder deal is still live through Cyber Monday from Aspyr and Steam has it for $35 right now.
Features:
- Seed the Adventure: Establish your cultural identity by choosing one of eight different expedition sponsors, each with its own leader and unique gameplay benefits. Assemble your spacecraft, cargo & colonists through a series of choices that directly seed the starting conditions when arriving at the new planet.
- Colonize an Alien World: Explore the dangers and benefits of a new planet filled with dangerous terrain, mystical resources, and hostile life forms unlike those of Earth. Build outposts, unearth ancient alien relics, tame new forms of life, develop flourishing cities and establish trade routes to create prosperity for your people.
- Technology Web: To reflect progress forward into an uncertain future, technology advancement occurs through a series of nonlinear choices that affect the development of mankind. The technology web is organized around three broad themes, each with a distinct victory condition.
- Orbital Layer: Build and deploy advanced military, economic and scientific satellites that provide strategic offensive, defensive and support capabilities from orbit.
- Unit Customization: Unlock different upgrades through the tech web and customize your units to reflect your play style.
- Multiplayer: Up to 8 players can compete for dominance of a new alien world.
Gameplay trailer below:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfQyG885arY]
Google just bought RelativeWave, the company behind the mobile app prototyping software Form, and with the purchase it’s making the previously $80 Mac app available for free on the Mac App Store. The company made an announcement on its website noting that it will continue working on the Form app after joining Google:
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SanDisk is today launching a new Made-for-iPhone/iPad product called iXpand that integrates a Lightning connector into a traditional USB Flash Drive device. Like similar products that have recently started hitting the market, the iXpand makes it easier to transfer content between iOS devices and computers with standard USB ports by including Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector in addition to a traditional USB plug.
Head below for more details:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdPT-TzgU84]
Microsoft today announced a new Bluetooth keyboard accessory that doesn’t just work with non-Windows devices like some of its past keyboards, it also includes a function for easily switching between Windows, Android, and iOS as well as dedicated keys for the other platforms.
Microsoft even includes a CMD key normally reserved for Mac/iOS keyboards in its proper location in addition to a dedicated home button for both Android and iOS. Not only that, but the keyboard is a Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod touch product, which means it also has Apple’s seal of approval.
As we’ve done in the past, gadgetnewsonline is teaming up with GameAgent to offer readers 75% off one of the best Mac games around: Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition.
Regularly $39, the Game of the Year Edition comes with a number of extra goodies with 4 add-on content packs that originally cost extra when the game was first released. It also includes 2 new playable DLC characters, first level cap increase, and new battle areas and items. In addition, GameAgent is giving you the chance to win a fully loaded 15-inch MacBook Pro just by signing up for an account at the site…
RadioShack is offering one of the best discounts you’ll find on a new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c on contract. These are in-store prices, but for just $79 (Reg. $199) you’ll be able to get a 16GB iPhone 5s on new or upgraded two-year contract. That includes AT&T, Verizon and Sprint and you can even slash that price further from $79 to $0 by taking advantage of RadioShack’s trade-in offers for the iPhone 4s.
RadioShack is also offering a similar discount on the iPhone 5c. The entry-level 16GB model (Reg. $99) is available for just $29 (or for free with an eligible trade-in). That deal is also available on all three carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Both of these deals are approximately $20 under the best deals we see pop up from time to time through various retailers.
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Walmart just slashed the price of its 16GB iPad minis by $30 just in time for Mother’s Day this weekend. We see the iPad mini get as low as $50 off from time to time, but this might be your best deal of the day and weekend if you need to pick up an iPad for mom.
The 16GB iPad mini is available for $269 (Reg. $299) and the latest generation iPad mini w/ Retina display is available for $369 (Reg. $399).
Another option is to go with Target, which is currently offering a $50 gift card with any iPad Air or iPad mini.
If you’re looking for other possible Mother’s Day gifts, you can check out gadgetnewsonline guide on the best deals on flowers, jewelry, gadgets and more here.
Microsoft is launching a cheaper ‘Personal’ Office 365 subscription today that will give you access to the cloud services and mobile apps for $69/year or $6.99/month opposed to the $99/year Home subscription. The new Personal subscription only provides access for one Mac (or PC) and iPad (or tablet) instead of the 5 PC or Macs and 5 tablets you get with a Home subscription.
You might want to hold off on the new subscription, however, as Amazon is currently selling the full Home subscription for just $63 (37% off). That’s cheaper than the new $69 Personal plan, but it’s possible Microsoft could soon end that discount and change prices on Amazon now that the new Personal subscription is launching.
Microsoft Office 365 Home subscription for $63 (37% off)
First introduced at CES in January, Samsung today quietly started taking preorders for a new billion-color, 3,840 x 2,160 28-inch 4K monitor. The UD590 includes two HDMI 1.4 and one DisplayPort, audio out, and introduces a slick brushed metal look with thin bezels and a ’T-shaped’ stand that minimizes the machine’s overall footprint. Perhaps the most intriguing part about Samsung’s new display is the price: $699 makes the UD590 an extremely competitive option to monitors from Dell, Sharp, Asus and others with similar specs but much higher price tags. Also included is a new “Picture-by-Picture” mode that lets you “connect two PCs to the same monitor and see the desktops of both simultaneously on one screen that’s divided into two.”
The monitor will be released and ship on April 18, but you can preorder it from Amazon now for $699 with free shipping using the link below:
In case you missed it, Microsoft finally released its suite of Office apps for iPad today with the introduction of standalone Word, PowerPoint, & Excel apps in the App Store. The Office app for iPhone remains the same apart from dropping the requirement of a 365 subscription (it’s now free for all!), but the new iPad versions of the Office apps WILL require an Office 365 subscription to create or edit documents. So, if you plan on using the Office apps on your iPad in the future, you’ll want to take advantage of a big discount on 365 subscriptions currently on Amazon.
Normally $99/year or $10/month, you can grab a 1 year Office 365 Home Premium subscription for $67.15 with free shipping. That’s a savings of $32.84 (33%) and gets you an access code for 5 Macs or PCs with access to all Office 365 app and services. That includes 20GB OneDrive storage for each for up to 4 household member, 60 minutes of Skype calls per month and all the apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.
1 year Office 365 Home Premium subscription for $67.15
Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are now available on the App Store.
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Amazon announced earlier this month that it would launch 2-weeks of gifts through the US Amazon Appstore to celebrate the store’s third birthday this Saturday. Today we get one of the best deals yet with the company offering 14 premium Android apps that usually sell for over $50 for completely free.
14 free hit Android apps from the Amazon Appstore
The free apps include many popular and hit apps including Polaris Office (Reg. $13), Runtastic (Reg. $5), Swype (Reg. $4), Monopoly (Reg. $5), Sketchbook Pro (Reg. $5), and many more. The full list is below and you can head over to Amazon for all the deals launching today.
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Motorola announced today on its blog that its releasing a new “College Collection” of customization options through Moto Maker that will allow those purchasing a Moto X to apply custom school colors and logos for a long list of schools in the US. The news also comes with a nice discount for students that brings the current $399 off-contract price down to $339.
Students can get it for $339 by registering at Motorola.com/college using a valid .edu emails address.
Amazon has a couple notable deals on the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 today. That’s the 2014 edition first introduced at IFA with some impressive high-end specs. Normally $549 for the entry-level 16GB model, Amazon has it today for $499 + free shipping. You can also get the 32GB model for $529 + free shipping (Reg. $599).
Specs for the tablet including Android 4.3 out of the box, a 1.9GHz Samsung Exynos 5420 Quad-Core processor, 3 GB RAM, an 8MP rear camera, and a 10.1-inch 2560×1600 WQXGA display.
It’s unclear if this is just an Amazon sale or Samsung’s new price on the tablets, but we’d suggest getting one now in case prices go back to normal tomorrow.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 2014 Edition 16GB – $499 (Reg. $549)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 2014 Edition 32GB – $529 (Reg. $599)
Another notable Samsung tablet deal today comes from Groupon, which currently has the 16GB 8-inch Galaxy Note 8.0 (refurbished) for $229.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ8ZS2BKdz4]
Logitech just announced a new Harmony Smart Keyboard that it says is specifically designed for controlling Apple TV and similar living room devices. The idea is that the Harmony Smart Keyboard, with support for “225,000 home-entertainment devices and over 5,000 brands,” will become your ultimate living room controller. The keyboard packs in a touchpad on the right hand side, a ton of quick launch functions for changing channels, browsing menus, and controlling media, and a number of interesting new features powered by the included Harmony WiFi hub and companion app. It’s essentially the best of both worlds from Logitech’s keyboard and Harmony remote products. 
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Oceanhouse Media, the publisher of the official Dr. Seuss books in app form, today announced that it’s putting over 60 of its titles on sale to celebrate Theodor Seuss Geisel’s upcoming birthday on March 2. That includes all of the 44 original Dr. Suess storybooks for iPhone and iPad and many more. Here’s a sampling of what’s available in the App Store:
5 Best-Selling Titles- 99 cents (regular prices $3.99-$4.99)
–The Cat in the Hat
-Green Eggs and Ham
-One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
-Dr. Seuss’s ABC
–Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
All other titles- $1 OFF
-Includes classic Dr. Seuss & The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library
Collections-
–Beginner Book Collection #1– $8.99 (regular price $14.99)
-Beginner Book Collection #2– $8.99 (regular price $14.99)
-Dr. Seuss Short Story Collection– $5.99 (regular price $9.99)
The deals kick off today and last through March 6th.
For a limited time, popular case maker OtterBox is offering 50% off its entire Armor Series of cases through its website. It’s also offering discounts on its Preserver Series Collection and more with 15% off orders of $100 or more.
For products other than the Armor Series, OtterBox is still offering 15% off orders of $100 or more, 10% off orders of $75+, and 5% off orders of $50+ with coupon code “AM2014“.
50% off its entire Armor Series of cases for iPhone, Samsung, and more
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If you happened to miss out on that recent Valentine’s Day sale from Motorola, the company announced on Twitter that it’s offering the Moto X for 1 cent on contract through Verizon or $70 off unlocked. That means you can pick up the 16GB Moto X customized through Moto Maker starting at $329 off contract. The penny deal will require you to sign up to a two-year contract through Verizon, and an additional $50 on either of the deals will bump you up from the 16GB to the 32GB model.
An even better deal is available through Amazon, however, with an additional $100 bill credit for those activating a new Verizon line on-contract. You might also be able to take advantage of that bill credit through Moto Maker for devices activated on Verizon, but there’s no mention of the offer on the site. 
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Kicking off today, popular accessory maker Griffin announced that it’s offering 20% off site-wide on its large collection of iPhone, iPad, iPod, laptop and smartphone accessories. Griffin makes a lot of popular cases, stands, and charging solutions for iDevices as well as audio accessories for smartphones and tablets and lines specifically designed for kids. The deal lasts for a limited time until Feb. 20 and requires code “WARMUP” at checkout. Hit the link below to check out the site.
20% off Griffin products site-wide with coupon code “WARMUP”
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If you want to pick up one of the most popular protective cases around for iPhone, look no further than the Defender and Armor series from OtterBox. Not only can you grab 25% off a huge selection of the company’s extremely popular Defender cases, it’s also offering 50% off all Armor series cases. No word on exactly how long the limited time offers will last, so hit the links below quickly to take advantage:
50% off all OtterBox Armor series cases
25% off select OtterBox Defender cases
If the OtterBox case you’re after isn’t included in the sales above, OtterBox is also still offering 15% off orders of $100 or more, 10% off orders of $75+, and 5% off orders of $50+ with coupon code “AM2014″.
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Update: While the buy 1 get 50% off deal is now over, OtterBox is still offering 15% off orders of $100 or more, 10% off orders of $75+, and 5% off orders of $50+ with coupon code “AM2014“.
We see some of OtterBox’s most popular cases go on sale for as low as $15 and below quite often on gadgetnewsonline, but not often does the company offer a Buy One Get One Half Off deal on its entire site. That includes its entire iPhone and iPad lineup and just everything else on the site. No word on exactly when the deal will end, but it is a limited time offer for the holidays.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R52I9sprmmI]
In case you missed our last mega deal for Mac gamers, we’ve once again teamed up with our friends over at GameAgent to get an exclusive deal on one of the hottest Mac titles around. This time you’ll be able to get 75% off Borderlands 2 Game of The Year Edition for Mac. Here’s what you’ll get with the GOTY edition:
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Skype is offering a discount for the holidays with 30% off its gift cards ranging from $10 – $200. The cards are good for Skype credits of course, and the cheapest $10 option will get you around 400 minutes of calling. Redeemable wherever you can use Skype including Xbox One, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows devices. The deal is good until January 15.
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It might not be as good as the $0 offer available through some of the smaller regional carriers, but if you want a discount on a new iPhone 5s this weekend from one of the big guys this might be the best deal we see. Best Buy just let us know it’s offering the iPhone 5s on the usual two-year contract for $75 off. That puts it at $125 instead of the usual $199 up-front cost of the device, and the deal is good for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. That’s the price of the 16GB model, but the deal also extends to the 32GB model for $225, and the 64GB model for $325.
If you’d rather go with T-Mobile, the carrier currently has a $0 down deal on iPhones, but that won’t really save you much on the cost of the device. The monthly instalment plan is $27 a month instead of the usual $20, so you’ll still pay off the cost of your device after two years. Still a great way to get an iPhone for $0 down if you’re a T-Mobile customer or into its no-contract plans. Walmart seems to have the only decent discount on the iPhone 5c at $45 ($30 off) on-contract.
Best Buy’s iPhone deal will last today and tomorrow only. The company also just announced it’s offering $50 off the white and space gray iPad mini.
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Lots of companies aren’t waiting until tomorrow to officially kick off some great Black Friday deals. This morning Logitech announced its sale, and today Adobe is starting to offer great deals on a few of its products. Starting today, through Dec. 2 (Dec. 7 for Lightroom) you can get big discounts on Lightroom 5, Photoshop Elements 12, Premiere Elements 12, and more through Adobe’s online store:
Starting today:
Photoshop Elements 12: $54 (Reg. $100)
Lightroom 5: $109 (Reg. $150)
Black Friday:
Photoshop Elements 12 & Premiere Elements 12 bundle 50% off w/ promo code PEPE50: $74.99 (Reg. $150)
Cyber Monday:
Lightroom 5 60% off w/ promo code LR60: $89 (Reg. $150)
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Logitech has just announced some pretty awesome deals for Black Friday and the best part is that you won’t even have to wait until tomorrow to take advantage. Starting today through Monday, Dec. 2, the company is offering up to 60% off some of its most popular speakers, headphones, and keyboards.
Some of the notables include $149.99 for the Logitech UE 9000 headphones (reg. $400), $49 for the UE Mobile Boombox (reg. $100), and $199 for the UE Air Speaker (reg. $400). That’s not all, however, a full list of deals available through Logitech starting today is below and the company is also offering free shipping on all orders over $50.
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According to a leaked internal memo posted by TmoNews, T-Mobile is going to be dropping the upfront price of both the iPhone 5s and 5c to $0 down on its usual installment plans for Black Friday. That cuts the usual down payment for the iPhone 5s down from $149 and the iPhone 5c from $49. The deal will officially kick off on Friday and last through Sunday, but the report notes that “a select number of stores will be accepting orders from Thursday evening.” After getting your iPhone for $0 down, you’ll pay around $20 a month for 24 months on T-Mobile installment plans.
Some regionals carriers are also gearing up for big discounts this Friday. Appalachian Wireless announced it will offer the 16GB iPhone 5, 5C or 5S for a penny on contract today only and nTelos will also have the iPhone 5c for $0 on Friday. Appalachian is also advertising the penny deal for Black Friday on its site, but no word if iPhones will be included after today. T-Mobile definitely beats Walmart’s best deal with the iPhone 5c for around $45 on contract, but we’re thinking other retailers and carriers might announce iPhone discounts for Black Friday too.
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Ahead of some big Black Friday deals coming this week from Best Buy and just about every other retailer, the best deal to get your hands on a new Galaxy S4 on contract is already available. Starting today, Best Buy is offering the device on most major carriers for $0 on the usual two-year contract. If you already planned on signing up with the devil for two years to avoid the $600+ retail cost of the S4, you definitely won’t be able to find a better deal than this. Currently available for Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T, BestBuy has the S4 in Blue Arctic, Black, Purple, Red and White, and is also offering the rugged Galaxy S4 Active on AT&T in both blue and gray. The deal is available to new customers, but also for those adding a new device to an existing account or upgrading with a two-year contract extension. These devices usually run $199 – $249 on contract, so you’ll want to take advantage of this deal today while it lasts.
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BestBuy and Sprint are offering a truly rare deal for students leading into the holidays this year. Starting today, students in the US that purchase a smartphone from BestBuy will be able to get 12 months of free talk, text, and data for 12 months. You’ll have to pick up an eligible Student Activated Price device in-store with an Unlimited, My Way plan, but that won’t require a contract and there are plenty of great phones to choose from.
You’ll pay a little more for BestBuy’s student pricing. For example, $699 for a 16GB iPhone 5s or $599 for a Moto X, but the free year of service (normally $70/month) will still save you a ton of money by the end of the first year. There will also be a $36 activation fee per line.
In addition, Best Buy is offering an additional 12 months of free service by adding another phone line to the same account on a two-year contract.
After your free year of service is up you’ll have to cancel your service or hand over the $70/month that the My Way unlimited plan with 1GB of data normally goes for. The deal will be available in BestBuy stores until January 4. A full list of eligible devices with pricing below:
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Black Friday ads have been leaking all week with some pretty great deals and today we got our hands on a first look at upcoming discounts from h.h. gregg on everything from TVs to tablets available starting 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving day.
Some of the highlights of the h.h. gregg sale: entry level iPad mini for $249 (after mail-in rebate), the UE Boom bluetooth speaker for $69, and Logitech UE over ear headphones for $99. You’ll also find discounts on iPhones, iPods, a ton of Android device including the Galaxy Tab 3, and some decent discounts on a wide selection of TVs, cameras, appliances, and furniture.
In addition, h.h. gregg will be offering a $100 gift card with the purchase of any LTE smartphone or mobile hotspot on a two-year contract.
Head below for an exclusive look at the entire 10-page h.h. gregg Black Friday ad below:
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2K announced today that it is hosting a Halloween sale on the App Store that discounts a number of its most popular iOS games to as little as 99 cents. The games below will be on sale until November 2nd, so you’ll want to get them now before prices return to normal on Saturday. Head below for links to all the deals:
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The Moto X has already received price drops down from $199 to $99 or less through Amazon, BestBuy, and elsewhere, but today the AT&T version of the device gets its first price drop for purchases through MotoMaker. Now available for $99 from MotoMaker.com (or $149 for the 32GB model), this is the first time you can get the device for this cheap and still take advantage of the over 2000 customization features available through the MotoMaker ordering tool. MotoMaker is still for the time being exclusive to AT&T, so this is the only way to pick up the Moto X on contract and customize the colors of the device. The other guys still only carry the white and black models of Moto X.
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It wasn’t long after the device’s launch that retailers began offering discounts on Apple’s new colorful iPhone 5c. The device was supposed to hit retail for $99, but Walmart, BestBuy and RadioShack quickly dropped down to $79 on the usual two-year contract and then eventually to just $49. As it did with the $79 deal, Target has informed us that this weekend it will begin matching the $49 deal offered by other retailers through its Target Mobile centers in over 1,500 of its stores across the country. As usual, it will also offer an additional 5 percent off for customers with a Target REDcard.
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Today Logitech is offering a huge discount on one of its nicest pair of over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones, the Logitech UE 9000 wireless headphones. Normally $399, Logitech is currently offering 37% off with coupon code “logi_ue9000_101013″ making your final price just $249. Logitech’s UE brand makes some of the nicest headphones on the market at just about every price point and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a nicer pair of over-the-ear Bluetooth cans for anything close to $250. There is a limit of two per customer and the deal will last through tomorrow.
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Belkin today announced its latest product for iPad with the introduction of the new Express Dock for iPad. The dock comes with a built-in 4-foot Lightning connector, and thanks to an adjustable dial you can position the Lightning connector to accommodate cases and dock just about any iOS device:
Belkin’s new Express Dock has an adjustable dial integrated to the back of the dock. When turned, the dial raises or lowers the Lightning connector that connects to your iPad so it will work with a variety of case sizes and styles. It makes every day docking faster and more convenient—even with the case on.
While Belkin is branding the product the Express Dock for iPad, the company says it will work with iPad 4, iPad mini, iPhone 5, and iPod touch 5th generation. That means you’ll likely have no issues with your iPhone 5s either, but there’s no mention of 5c compatibility.
The Express Dock is available through Belkin.com and select retail partners starting today for $59.99.
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Earlier this week Valve made the first of three big announcements being teased on its website with the introduction of SteamOS: a Linux-based, open and freely licensable operating system that will run any number of devices and deliver the Steam experience in the living room. Today the company announced the second part of the puzzle with the launch of a hardware beta program for “Steam Machines” that will run the operating system:
Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the hardware that makes sense for you, so we are working with multiple partners to bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014, all of them running SteamOS.
Valve has designed a “high-performance prototype” and it will ship 300 of the boxes to Steam users for free in order to test the platform:
While these products are still in development, we need your help. As always, we believe the best way to ensure that the right products are getting made is to let people try them out and then make changes as we go. We have designed a high-performance prototype that’s optimized for gaming, for the living room, and for Steam. Of course, it’s also completely upgradable and open.
The company is accepting sign-ups for the beta program until October 25. Here’s how to apply:
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Belkin has just introduced a new YourType Wireless Keypad made to match your Mac that adds 28 keys to your setup and connects over Bluetooth. There are other options around, like turning your iPhone into a numpad using an app or using Mobee’s $23 overlay for Apple Magic Pad. But for physical keys and a design clearly made to look a lot like Apple’s own Magic Trackpad and fit in with your aluminum Mac, you can pick up the YourType Wireless Keypad for Mac from Belkin’s website now for $59.
Rockstar has released an official iOS companion app today for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V console title set for release tomorrow. The app, called Grand Theft Auto: iFruit, will let users stay up to date on the latest GTA news, launch other Rockstar Games apps, and sign in to the Rockstar Games Social Club. However, perhaps the most notable feature of the app is the ability to customize vehicles that will be used in the game:
Also choose from paint jobs, window tints, smoke colors, wheels, hoods and spoilers. Upgrade your engine, brakes, exhaust, suspension, and accessorize with new lights, horns, tires and body armor. Place your order on-the-go and find it waiting for you in the garage the next time you play Grand Theft Auto V, or send your order in while playing and get a call from your local mechanic to swing by. You can even create and reserve custom license plates for both Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online – order your personalized plates before they’re gone!
The app also includes “Chop the Dog”, a virtual pet game that can change the way Chop acts towards the character Franklin in the full console title:
Looking after Chop successfully is reflected in his behavior in Grand Theft Auto V in a number of ways:
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gadgetnewsonline is teaming up with MacGameStore today to offer a special price on a Ubisoft game bundle that includes 5 great games that individually normally cost more than the entire bundle. For $19.95, you can pick up Driver San Francisco, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Assassin’s Creed 2 Deluxe Edition, The Settlers 7 Paths to a Kingdom: Deluxe Gold Edition, and Heroes of Might & Magic V. All of these Mac games normally sell for between $20 and $30, which means you’ll save around $100 when purchasing through the gadgetnewsonline bundle.
Driver San Francisco (normally $19.99)
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (normally $29.95)
Assassin’s Creed 2 Deluxe Edition (normally $19.99)
The Settlers 7 Paths to a Kingdom: Deluxe Gold Edition (normally $19.99)
Heroes of Might & Magic V (normally $29.95)
TiVo is officially taking the wraps of its latest family of Wi-Fi enabled DVRs today dubbed “Roamio”, which appear to be replacing the company’s high-end Premiere offerings. In addition to inking some new deals with cable providers and redesigning its interface, TiVo is adding a ton of features with the new boxes, including a number of streaming options and support for the DIAL protocol (the same one used by Chromecast) for streaming and controlling apps like Netflix from mobile devices.
Six built-in tuners allow the device to record all your favorite shows at once. It is also moving to a new HTML5 engine for a smoother native app experience and introducing an “out-of-home” streaming feature that will launch for iPhone and iPad later this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZOKAsNRTn8
Update: Sold out! Don’t miss out next time. Follow gadgetnewsonline for all the latest deals… Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+
Zagg, the company that made its name creating military grade “invisibleShield” screen protectors (and more recently some of our favorite iPad keyboards), is teaming up with gadgetnewsonline to offer 50% off any invisibleSHIELD for a limited time.
Through tonight, you can get 50% off invisibleSHIELD products through Zagg’s website using the discount code “9to5ZAGG″ at checkout. The deal ends at 11:59 PM MDT tonight and the code is valid for up to three items per order.
Not only does Zagg offer invisibleShield protectors for iPhone, iPad, and iPods, it also offers the incredibly tough transparent shields for MacBooks/laptops, digital cameras, watches, and wide range of other devices.
invisibleSHIELD by ZAGG 50% off for a limited time with checkout code “9to5ZAGG”
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If you watch a lot of video on your iPad 4, you’ll definitely want to check out Belkin’s new Thunderstorm Home Theatre iPad case. We previously reviewed the 30-pin version for iPad 2 and 3, which integrates a powerful front facing speaker, amplification system, and integrated air channels that give you that rumble of the big the screen moviegoing experience. Today the Lightning version of the product is finally available to order and, if you’d prefer not to lug your favorite Bluetooth speaker around, it’s worth every penny Belkin is asking.
Belkin is selling the Thunderstorm for iPad 4 for $199 through its website, but you can order it now through Amazon for $44 off at just $156.34. Check out our hands-on video of the product below:
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Long before Apple introduced the ability mirror your Mac’s display onto a TV using AirPlay and an Apple TV, we already had the functionality through the third-party solution dubbed “AirParrot.” Today Apple announced some new features coming to Apple TV with the new OS X Mavericks, including the ability to use your TV as a second display using AirPlay. You won’t have to wait to get the feature, however, with AirParrot you can already use your TV as a second display for any Mac running OS X 10.6.8 and up.
We’ve teamed up with the developers to offer 9to5 readers an exclusive 25% off AirParrot (normally $9.99), which also includes features such as specific app mirroring, 1080p mirroring on Apple TV 3, stereo audio, Retina support and much more. Use coupon code “9to5Maverick” at checkout to claim the discount.
Earlier today we noted that well known iOS and Mac developer MacPhun was making its ColorStrokes for Mac photo editing app available for free for a limited time to celebrate the launch of the new MacPhun store. Now we’ve teamed up with the MacPhun to offer the first 100 9to5 readers an exclusive “Lifetime App Supply” for just $99 that won’t last long.
Why is it awesome? This year we plan to release at least 3 new photography apps, priced between $30 and $100 each. We also have 2-3 new products scheduled for 2014. You will get them for free and save hundreds of dollars on amazing image managing and editing software. If you have Fx Photo Studio PRO, Snapheal and ColorStrokes, you get this offer with discount. Contact Alex at alex@macphun.com to get the code.
For that price users will get Snapheal, Fx Photo Studio PRO, ColorStrokes and all future updates. Not only that, you’ll also get access to all of MacPhun’s future app releases and the company tells us it plans on launching 3 new photo apps this year priced between $30 and $100 each. With the lifetime supply you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars.
Lifetime App Supply- Snapheal, Fx Photo Studio PRO, and ColorStrokes for Mac | $99