Google has announced its Valentine's Day sale on its online store, offering discounts on some of its smartphones, accessories, and home devices.


Other discounts include:

• Two-pack Google Home mini bundle for $58 ($40 off)
• Chromecast and Google Home mini bundle for $64 ($20 off)
• Chromecast Audio for $15 (20 off)
• Pixel Buds for $110 ($50 off)
• Save up to $350 on Nest products
• Save up to $40 on various headphones and support cases for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

When combined with the Philips Hue Lighting Kit, you can use your voice to say “Alexa, turn on the lights.” You can also sync your Hue lights with Gaming, Music, and Movies using your PC via the Hue Sync app. You can connect up to 50 Hue lights on one Hue Hub (included) without adding a Wi-Fi extender or extra router. You can even control your smart lights when your travel, even by setting timers when you are away from home. Philips Hue smart light bulbs are said to last up to 22 years.

The wireless headphones which usually retails for $350, can be purchased with its $150 discount on Amazon and Best Buy and is available in either black or gold.

source - TechCrunch

Facebook Portal was the social network's first step into consumer hardware with their introduction of two smart displays that kept you connected to your Facebook account at all times. Now with 'Project Ripley' Facebook plans to take it one step further.


source - Cheddar

The Palm runs Android and comes with various customizations which make it unique

• Life Mode - Lets you eliminate distractions by silencing incoming calls and notifications whenever your Palm screen is turned off. This lets you enjoy your surroundings and company without peeking at your device. You can control what you want silenced, and your Palm will reconnect to all your services once the display is switched back on.
• Facial Recognition - The camera on the Palm can be used to quickly and securely unlock your device
• Gesture Pad - Access your apps by swiping up from the bottom of your lockscreen and drawing the first letter of the app you want to open

The full Palm specifications follow:

Besides unveiling new Pixel phones, the Pixel Slate and Home Hub during the Made by Google event, the company also took the covers off their third generation Chromecast.

Instead of adding new features, they have opted for a slight tweak to the design with some hardware improvements this time around. The glossy plastic from the third generation has been replaced with a more simplistic matte finish and a small "G" for Google logo on top. In terms of hardware improvements, the new Chromecast is now 15 percent faster, and allows 1080p streaming at 60fps.


Google is also planning a future update to the device which will allow it to play music in sync with other Google Home speakers, a feature which currently requires Chromecast Audio. While it was rumored that Google will include Bluetooth connectivity to the Chromecast, this feature is still missing.


The third generation Google Chromecast will be available in Charcoal gray and Chalk white to match the companies other range of products. It can now be purchased from the Google Store for $35.

The Google Home Hub is a smart display from Google, combining a 7 inch display to a speaker and offered in a few colorful options. Besides acting as a photo frame when not in use, the Home Hub is also a great assistant in the kitchen and full manages your home automation.

Intelligent Picture Frame

Google claims that their Home Hub is the "world's best photo frame" with Google Photos integration. It features Live Albums, which displays photos of people or objects you choose, updates them as you do, and uses machine learning to discard blurry or underexposed photos.



Kitchen Helper

You can use the Home Hub to help you in the kitchen with recipes and how-to videos. You can use the hub to set timers or play some music while you work.

Home Automation

The Hub can control your smart home appliances with the new Home View interface. You can use the Voice Match feature to see your personalized events, commute, reminders and more.

You can use the Hub to control your lights at night, with phrases like "Hey Google, Good Night", to turn off the lights or use the Ambient EQ feature to dim the lighting in your room.

Pricing and Availability

You can pre-order the Google Home Hub for $149 from the Google Store, and it will be available starting October 22 at Best Buy, Walmart and other retailers. Your Cloud Home purchase will include 6 months worth of YouTube Premium.

Facebook has joined the consumer hardware market with the release of the Facebook Portal and the Facebook Portal+ - Two smart displays that use Amazon's Alexa as their virtual assistant.


Facebook Portal





Facebook Portal+






source - Facebook

Besides unveiling the Nokia 7.1 during a special event in London, HMD Global also unveiled two new cable-free audio products - Nokia Pro Wireless earphones and Nokia True Wireless earbuds.




The Nokia Pro Wireless earphones are priced at just €69 and like the Nokia True Wireless earbuds will be released sometime in November.

Besides unveiling the Nokia 7.1 during a special event in London, HMD Global also unveiled two new cable-free audio products - Nokia Pro Wireless earphones and Nokia True Wireless earbuds.

The Nokia True Wireless earbuds are black in color, and come packed in a tall cylindrical carrying case. The tiny earbuds weigh in at only 5 grams each, promising a solid 3.5 hours of playback or 4 hours of talk time endurance between charges. These numbers can increase to 14 and 16 hours with the help of the case.

While this may not be as impressive as the 24 hours of listening time boasted by Apple's AirPods, Nokia's True Wireless earbuds also feature sweat and splash resistance, as well as easy Universal Bluetooth 5.0 support.



The Nokia True Wireless earbuds are priced at €129 and set to be released in Europe in November.

The Rakuten Kobo Forma is a new feature packed e-Reader that aims to compete with the Amazon Kindle Oasis, which was upgraded last year. Its marketed as the "largest and lightest 8-inch display eReader".









source - Rakuten Kobo

The Surface Headphones also feature touch controls on the ear cups, which will allow users to pause, play and skip tracks. In terms of battery life, Microsoft claims you can get up to 15 hours of music playback over Bluetooth or up to 50 hours when plugged in with 2 hours of charge. You also get fast charging, with Microsoft claiming "almost an hour of music with just 5 minutes" of charging.

The new headphones can be pre-ordered from the Microsoft Online store on November 15, and will ship out to customers on November 19. While these headphones can be paired with macOS, Android or iOS, one of Microsoft's key selling points is its "hassle-free" pairing with your Windows PC.

source - Microsoft