More Google Home base colors now available starting at $20

If you have already bought your Google Home connected speaker, but want to change the color of its rather dull looking base, you now have that option. The Google Store is now selling six different colored versions of the Google Home base, so there should be at least one that suits your taste and home or office decor.

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13 hours ago

Three of the six new bases come in fabric (33 percent nylon and 67 percent polyester that surround a polycarbonate body) with color choices of  Mango, Marine, and Violet. They are available for $20 each. The other three bases are metal (painted steel over, again, a polycarbonate body) that are available in Carbon, Copper, and Snow colors. They will set you back $40 each. All of these bases connect to the top of the speaker magnetically, which should make them easy to change once the need arises.

Again, all six bases are now available to purchase in the Google Store, with free shipping to boot. Which Google Home base color and/or material is your favorite and what other colors do you want to be added to this selection, if any, in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Get it at the Google Store

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Magnets found in the Google Pixel and Pixel XL could lead to smart flip cases

Magnets are cool. They offer a lot of functionality besides sticking things together, and in recent years, a number of manufacturers have figured out ways to take advantage of their interesting properties. One of the most memorable of these manufacturers is HTC, who mystified everyone with the introduction of the Dot View case for the HTC One M8. This case allowed the user to unlock their phone when opening the folio, and also introduced some additional functionality like seeing basic information via small holes in the cover. Now, it seems like the manufacturer has opted to retain this magnetic functionality in the new Google Pixel and Pixel XL.

Although not officially listed as a feature, many users have discovered that Google's new flagship devices do indeed react to magnetic fields introduced to the phones. Magnets placed near the Google 'G' logo on the rear of the phones seem to wake and sleep the devices, meaning we could see some very interesting cases being released in the future.

So these magnets, how do they work? HTC's implementation uses something called a 'Reed Switch", which is  small pair of electrical contacts sealed in a glass tube. By introducing a magnetic field to the area, the contacts switch from a closed to open or open to closed position, either restricting current or adding it. It's a pretty nifty piece of technology that could lead to a number of cool implementations down the road.

Would you be interested in a magnetic flip case? Something like HTC's Dot View would be pretty cool to see on the Pixel and Pixel XL.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Vine may live on after all, Twitter is reportedly looking to sell it

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Last month, we learned that the much loved video service platform Vine would be killed off by Twitter. Vine essentially lets users upload six second videos and has been sort of a creative mecca. Well, according to TechCrunch, Twitter has received a significant number of bids to buy Vine and is currently in the process of narrowing down the pool. Is PornHub one of them? We may never find out…

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May 26, 2016

According to multiple sources, since Twitter announced the death of Vine, the company has received more than 10 bids. It is reported that LINE – the company behind an insanely popular messaging platform – is one of the bidders, which does not surprise me at all given its ongoing expansion into the entertainment area.

Of course, money is going to be the fundamental decider. Twitter decided to kill off Vine primarily because it was spending over $10 million a month to provide the necessary infrastructural support, so if these bids are less than that (which at least some are, according to one source), they might not look too enticing.

However, as TechCrunch points out, Twitter could potentially still generate money even if it's not paid a handsome sum. If Vine is run by a company that could not only help the video platform grow but also maintain the integration between the two apps, Twitter could attract more users. Not only that, brands who pay Vine stars to promote their products might also turn to Twitter to promote those videos.

Long story short, there is still hope for Vine: Twitter is said to have narrowed the list of bidders down to five. Whether there will be a deal or not, and who will end up acquiring Vine if a deal is reached remain to be seen.

Long story short, there is still hope for Vine: Twitter is said to have narrowed the list of bidders down to five.

Are you a fan of Vine? Who do you think should buy the video platform? Let us know by commenting down below!

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LG G5 Android 7.0 Nougat update begins rollout in South Korea

The Android 7.0 Nougat update for the LG G5 has started its slow rollout. The company revealed that South Korean owners of its modular-themed smartphone that launched earlier this year can now get the update to Nougat over the air.

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April 15, 2016

LG previously offered a preview program for 2,000 G5 owners in South Korea to try out the Nougat update earlier this year. It would appear that test was successful as the public rollout in that country has begun. LG said that the Nougat update will be released for all the other G5 phones "in the Americas, Asia and other markets in the weeks to come."

LG previously launched its V20 phone with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, and it looks like the company is committed to serving Nougat updates for its older phone as well. This news comes on top of Samsung's reveal that it will begin its own Nougat beta testing program for some owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in the UK and the US starting on Wednesday, November 9.

If you own the LG G5, are you excited about the prospect of downloading Android 7.0 Nougat on your smartphone in the (hopefully) near future?

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The limited edition Really Blue Pixel phones will go on sale again

If you thought you might have missed out on getting the Really Blue limited edition versions of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones when they sold out in October, this might make your day. Google has confirmed it will be selling that rare color variant for those phones again in the US sometime in the future, via the Google Store.

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4 hours ago

The news comes from Android Police, who got in touch with a Google spokesperson after rumors that the Really Blue editions might not become available again, at least for the US.  The company said that rumor was not true, and that the deep cool blue color variant would show up again for sale. Details such as a launch date or how many might be available were not revealed.

We would highly suspect that the Really Blue Pixel phones will show up without any prior warning in the Google Store. The company has stated that people who want to be alerted to when they actually go on sale should use the site's waitlist feature. Even with those kinds of alerts, it's likely the next shipment of Really Blue Pixel phones will sell out in minutes, if not less.

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Blue Coral Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge pre-orders live at AT&T, shipping by November 22

AT&T appears to be the first wireless carrier in the U.S. to start accepting pre-orders for the Blue Coral version of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The new color for the smartphone was first leaked in October, and was later officially confirmed by Samsung.

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1 week ago

Aside from the very cool looking blue color, we're sorry to say there's nothing else different about this version of the S7 Edge. It does share the same color as one found on the now discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7. AT&T is selling the blue version at the same price as all the other color variants of the S7 Edge, either with a 30-month payment plan of $26.50 per month or for $794 for the full upfront price without a contract.

AT&T's site says that pre-orders for the for Blue Coral S7 Edge should start shipping between November 18 and November 22. We would expect other US carriers to begin listing the new color version of the smartphone on their online sites any day now. Are you interested in getting this sleek blue version of the S7 Edge for yourself? Let us know what you think of the new color in the comments below.

Get it at AT&T

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Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Nougat beta will start on November 9 in the US

Samsung has confirmed it will begin testing on some models of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in the US with Android 7.0 Nougat on Wednesday, November 9. The company previously confirmed a similar Nougat testing program for the UK, which will also begin on Wednesday.

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How Android updates will change with Nougat

September 16, 2016

Samsung's FAQ page on the Nougat beta states that it will be offered to customers of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge on Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the US. It looks like AT&T buyers of those phones will not be able to participate in the beta, nor will any owners of the unlocked versions. It also won't be available for people who have the Olympic Edition or the Batman Injustice Edition of those phones.

If your phone does qualify for Samsung's Nougat beta, you will first need to establish a Samsung account. Once that is set up, you will need to download the Galaxy Beta Program app from the selection of Galaxy Apps on your S7 or S7 Edge. After that, you will need to submit your application to participate in the beta via the Registration menu inside the app.

There's no word on how many people will be selected for the Nougat beta, but Samsung says it is scheduled to last until sometime in mid-December. If your phone qualifies for the test, will you be signing up to try out the Nougat beta on your Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge?

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