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Amazon Echo will now keep you up-to-date on election news

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Amazon Echo
Maybe just go with your brain, too, when you hit the voting booth.
Photo: NBC News

Keeping up with the latest information on the current presidential election just got easier if you’re an Amazon Echo owner.

NBC News has created a new “skill” for Alexa, the Echo’s virtual assistant: Now Alexa can read you top election headlines, candidate bios, election calendar events, and even the latest delegate counts.

Let’s see Siri do that, eh?

Pebble Time, Time Round get permanent $50 price cuts

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Pebble Time now starts at under $200.
Photo: Pebble
Pebble Time
Pebble Time now starts at under $200. Photo: Pebble

Pebble has slashed $50 off its latest Time and Time Round smartwatches.

The permanent price cut lowers the starting prices of these models to $149.99 and $199.99, respectively — and makes them more competitive against other affordable wearables from the likes of Asus, Fitbit, and Jawbone.

PS4 Remote Play is coming soon to Mac and PC

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Prepare your PC for PS4 Remote Play.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
PS4 Remote Play
Prepare your PC for PS4 Remote Play. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Playing PlayStation 4 games on your Mac or Windows PC will soon be possible thanks to Remote Play. Sony has confirmed the feature is making its way to desktops soon as it looks to catch up with Xbox One’s close relationship with Windows 10.

Android Pay is taking its fight against Apple Pay international

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Android Pay is expanding its reach.
Photo: Google
Android Pay is expanding its reach. Photo: Google
Android Pay is expanding its reach. Photo: Google

Android Pay, which made its debut in the U.S. just five months ago, is already gearing up to take its fight against Apple Pay international.

The U.K. will be the second market served by Google’s mobile payments system, according to a new report — and Britons will be able to sign up by the end of March.

Samsung may take on Apple Music by acquiring Tidal

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Apple Music
Apple Music
Apple Music's competition might be changing owners. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Apple Music’s competition might be changing owners. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Tidal, the high fidelity music streaming service owned by Jay Z, has been struggling to compete with Spotify and Apple Music, but according to a new report Samsung is planning to throw the fledgling company a lifeline with a new acquisition deal.

Galaxy S7 jacks iPhone’s front-facing flash feature

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Get better selfies with the Galaxy S7.
Photo: Samsung
Galaxy S7
Get better selfies with the Galaxy S7. Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have a front-facing flash feature that helps you shoot brighter selfies, but it doesn’t come from an extra LED. Instead, the new devices have stolen the same trick Apple uses on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Xiaomi shames iPhone by showing off new image stabilization tech

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Mi 5’s new camera is a-Mi-zing.
Photo: Xiaomi
Xiaomi-Mi-5-white-back
Mi 5’s new camera is a-Mi-zing. Photo: Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s brand new Mi 5 handset boasts a revolutionary new image stabilization technology, and there’s no better way to showcase that than by shaming the iPhone.

In the video below, Xiaomi pits the Mi 5 against the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in an optical image stabilization test — and makes them look downright disappointing.

Forget ‘Likes,’ Facebook gives you 5 new emotions to play with

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Now you can do more than just Like that funny video.
Photo: Facebook
Now you can do more than just Like that funny video. Photo: Facebook
Now you can do more than just Like that funny video. Photo: Facebook

Seven years to the month after Facebook first added a “like” button, the social network has finally acknowledged that there may be emotions other than a vague sense of approval by introducing a range of new emoticons — although, sadly, the much-requested “dislike” is not among them.

Facebook users now have the option of responding to posts with six reactions, including “Like,” “Love,” “Ha Ha,” “Wow,” “Sad” or “Angry.” These are available on both the Facebook website and mobile apps.

iPhone’s perfect ports don’t make up for all the missing features

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Galaxy S7 is pretty, powerful, and packing huge improvements.
Give me a Galaxy S7 over an iPhone 6s... please!
Photo: Samsung
Give me a Galaxy S7 over an iPhone 6s... please!. Photo: Samsung
Give me a Galaxy S7 over an iPhone 6s… please! Photo: Samsung

Samsung is under fire again from iPhone fans for its apparent lack of attention to detail when designing the new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Apparently, the fact that the ports don’t line up on the bottom of these devices automatically means they’re not as good as Apple’s.

But it’s total rubbish.

Fertility study accuses your phone of spermicide

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Sorry, guys: We have some bad news for your berries.
Photo: Holger Schué/Pixabay

We were already worried about keeping hotel keycards in the same pocket as our cell phones, but it turns out that our devices might be erasing some slightly more important things. Namely, men’s sperm.

In a new study, fertility experts claim that men who keep their mobiles anywhere near their reproductive organs — in their front pants pocket, for example — “may bear adverse effects on sperm concentration.” The scientists also found some correlations between lower sperm counts and talking on the phone for more than one hour a day and using the phone while it is charging.

D’oh! Samsung S7’s industrial design is as lazy as ever

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Galaxy S7 in gold.
Photo: Samsung
Galaxy S7 in gold. Photo: Samsung
Galaxy S7 in gold. Photo: Samsung

Samsung may have “borrowed” Apple’s Upgrade Program for its new Galaxy S7 handset, but one thing it seemingly can’t copy is Apple’s perfectionist approach to design.

New photos popping up online highlight how Samsung just can’t seem to afford the ruler it would require to get all of its Galaxy S7 ports, microphones, speakers and jacks to properly line up with one another.

Check out the photos below.

Samsung steals iPhone’s Upgrade Program for Galaxy S7

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Apple doesn’t charge you interest, but Samsung does.
Photo: Samsung
Apple doesn't charge you interest, but Samsung does. Photo: Samsung
Apple doesn’t charge you interest, but Samsung does. Photo: Samsung

Samsung has launched its own Upgrade Program alongside the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to make it easier for fans to get their hands on its latest devices.

It comes in response to Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, but it’s nowhere near as good.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge bring better designs, incredible specs

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Welcome Samsung’s latest Galaxies.
Photo: Samsung
Welcome Samsung's latest Galaxies. Photo: Samsung
Welcome Samsung’s latest Galaxies. Photo: Samsung

Mobile World Congress doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow — and yet Samsung has already stolen the show with its new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

MWC-CoA-2016Packing improved designs that are IP68-certified for water-resistance, always-on displays, and stellar specifications, these are the South Korean company’s best smartphones yet.

Read on to find out what you get under the hood, and when they’ll be available.

LG unveils modular G5 with awesome add-ons, insane features

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LG G5 is more than it looks at first glance.
Photo: LG
LG G5 is more than it looks at first glance. Photo: LG
LG G5 is more than it looks at first glance. Photo: LG

LG is kicking off Mobile World Congress early this year with the anticipated unveiling of its new G5.

MWC-CoA-2016The device sports impressive specifications and an all-new modular design made out of metal, which lets users slot accessories into its bottom edge. LG calls these add-ons “Friends,” and you’ll be amazed at what they can do.

Carrier’s cunning scheme will block all ‘irrelevant’ mobile ads

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Three wants to banish bad ads.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Three wants to banish bad ads. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Three wants to banish bad ads. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Who needs ad-blockers when your carrier has your back?

Three has unveiled plans to begin blocking “excessive and irrelevant” mobile ads at the carrier level so users on its network don’t have to endure them when browsing the web on their smartphones and tablets.

Why you’re going to love a bendable iPhone or Android

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The ReFlex, a prototype flexible smartphone, might make you want to get the bends.
Photo: Queens University

flexible-phone-2016-02-17-01

I’ve never really understood the appeal of flexible smartphones before I saw this video. Now it’s changed things forever for me. I want a flexible iPhone! Or, better yet, a bendy iPad! Because flex tech is going to open up whole new ways to interact with devices.

Google CEO supports Tim Cook in battle against FBI snooping

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Google CEO Sundar Pinchai thinks Apple is doing the right thing on Encryption. Photo: Google
Google CEO Sundar Pinchai thinks Apple is doing the right thing on Encryption. Photo: Google

Google and Apple don’t always see eye-to-eye, but in the matter of encryption, they’re total allies.

Today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai today tweeted words of support to Apple in the aftermath of Tim Cook’s open letter, explaining why Apple was defying a federal order to provide backdoor access to a terrorism suspect’s iPhone 5c.

Spotify baits premium hook with free Chromecast

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Get a free one of these when you buy three months of Spotify Premium.  Photo: Spotify
Get a free one of these when you buy three months of Spotify Premium. Photo: Spotify

If you haven’t already grabbed a free trial of Spotify, you’re in luck – this deal makes joining the streaming music service even more enticing.

Today through February 28, when you buy three months of Spotify Premium for $29.97, you’ll get a free Chromecast.

Google takes a subtle swipe at Apple in new Android ad

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google-takes-a-subtle-swipe-at-apple-in-new-android-ad-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201602Android-Monotune-ad-png
"Be together. Not the same."
Photo: Google
"Be together. Not the same." Photo: Google
“Be together. Not the same.” Photo: Google

Google takes a leaf out of Samsung’s marketing playbook in its latest Android ad, with a subtle swipe at Apple and the lack of choice you get when you choose iOS.

“Monotune” is part of the company’s “Be together. Not the same.” campaign, and it’s nothing short of brilliant.