Verizon’s Nexus 6 is now available in-store and online

That didn’t take long, did it? If you were scarred by the one-week delay of the Nexus 6 on Verizon you’ll be happy to know that the phone received a full retail launch today (those who preordered online last week should already have it in their hands). You can order one online right now and have it shipped to your door as soon as tomorrow, or simply stop into a brick and mortar location to get one in person.

Verizon has one model available — Midnight Blue in 32GB — and it’ll run you 0 on a one-year contract, .08 per month on Verizon Edge, or 0 outright. If the lack of the 64GB or Cloud White options bothers you, you can always opt to buy one straight from Motorola or Google and get it activated in no time (though that obviously means you will have to pay full price).

And here’s the best part of this entire story: Verizon doesn’t install an obnoxious amount of bloatware during the setup process, and their logo is so easy to remove from the rear that it’ll probably fade off on its own at some point. Head here to buy if you’re interested.

Verizon makes it official: Nexus 6 launches online March 12th, in-store March 19th

It took Verizon an obnoxious amount of time to join the Nexus 6 party, but the nation’s largest carrier has finally set an official date. It’s March 12th — a date we’ve given you before thanks to trusty insiders — and it’ll largely be the same Nexus 6 available everywhere else (with exception to that sore thumb of a logo, of course). Note that it will only be available through Verizon’s online store tomorrow. Those hoping to run into a store to grab one will have to wait until March 19th.

This is Verizon’s first officially supported Nexus phone since the Galaxy Nexus debacle of 2011. That particular handset was marred by a couple of big shortcomings: bad battery life (likely due to the infancy of LTE) and Verizon’s lengthy upgrade schedule. We’re hoping things have changed all these years later and that they’ll be able to deliver the same quality Nexus experience that everyone else currently is.

Verizon’s Nexus 6 will cost you 9.99 with a new two-year activation or .08 per month for 24 months with Verizon Edge. It’ll come with support for Advanced Calling 1.0 out of the box thanks to it shipping with Android 5.1 Lollipop — perhaps the update’s arrival was Verizon’s sole reason for delaying their launch.

Oh, and if you buy one before the month is over you’ll even get 6 free months of Google Play Music service. Not bad at all. Take the plunge online starting tomorrow.

[via Verizon]

Google Wallet teams up with ChowNow to provide easier online ordering for restaurants across the US

After an update to the Android app on Friday brought both Maps integration and keyword search, Google Wallet continues its expansion across the US with ChowNow partnership. ChowNow is an online ordering platform for small businesses that provides convenient to-go orders and marketing for independent mom-n-pop restaurants.

Starting today, all of ChowNow’s clients — which include thousands of restaurants across the US — will now accept Google Wallet at checkout. When buying online from a restaurant with ChowNow, you’ll run into the “Buy with Google” button on their site and with a single tap, you can on your way to bringing some kickin’ kung pow chicken home for dinner. Because really, nobody likes manually punching in their credit card info.

While it’s sure a thousand restaurants around the US may not sound like much, but it’s a small step into making our lives easier and more convenient. At this point, we’ll take whatever we can get.

[ChowNow]

Say hello to the Google Store, Google’s awesome new online gadget shop

Google’s exciting gizmos and gadgets no longer have to compete with a horde of games, apps and other digital goods available in Google Play — they have an online storefront of their own now. This is the Google Store, a one-stop shop for Nexus phones and tablets, Android TV boxes, Android Wear smart watches, Chromebook notebooks and, of course, the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Everything is as you’d expect for an online store. Each device category gets its own section, and diving deeper into each one will show you all the options available to you. You’ll get a good look at specs, features and accessories, too. Decide you want to order one? There’s a handy order button that remains visible even as you’re scrolling.

The Google Store isn’t a new idea or some grand innovation. It’s a store. But it represents Google’s desire to increase their retail presence and spread their consumer brands, whether it be in a small corner inside the UK’s biggest electronics store or a click away in your web browser. This is the first step, and we can’t wait to see what else Google’s looking to do to make sure Android, Chrome and all the wonderful products based on those platforms get as much of a spotlight as their rivals’ products in Cupertino do.

Visit the Google Store right here

Here’s where you can buy the HTC One M9 online for Sprint, AT&T or unlocked today

March 27th has finally arrived, folks — this is the day you can buy an HTC One M9. We’ve already asked which of the two big heavy hitters for 2015 you’re buying, and if you voted for HTC’s pride and joy then here’s where and how you can buy it. There are two routes you can go:

Without contract

T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T variants for the HTC One M9 in Gunmetal Grey and Silver are available for 9.99 each. The developer edition, which ships with an unlockable bootloader, can be had in those same colors for the same price. There’s also the network-unlocked edition that will come in Grey, Silver and Gold options for

With contract

Only AT&T and Sprint are offering the device with contract for shipping today. T-Mobile will offer it at some point down the line, while Verizon has no current plans to offer the device through HTC’s online store (though we know they will be holding an early April launch of their own).

AT&T has it for 0 on a two-year contract or .64 per month through AT&T Next 24. Meanwhile, Sprint will offer it for the same price on-contract, and per month for 24 months through Sprint Easy Pay.

You can take a look at all of these options by starting at HTC’s online storefront right here. Let us know if you order one!

Keep your data and online activity secure with 2 years of NordVPN for $39

The internet can be a scary place. People can track your location, hack your personal accounts, and even steal your identity. Sometimes you might want to browse the web with a little more privacy. A VPN (virtual private network) allows you to use the internet through an encrypted network. This means all of your private data is hidden from prying eyes.

Over at AndroidArea we have a sweet deal on NordVPN. For just (usually 0) you can get a 2-year subscription to this handy service. The deal ends in two days, so act fast. What exactly does get you?

• All data sent through NordVPN’s private tunnels is double encrypted (double data SSL-based 2048-bit encryption), keeping you anonymous and hiding your information


• Secures any Internet connection: public Wi-Fi hotspots, cellular networks & more


• Bypass content restrictions and stay anonymous


• Strict no-log policy: your activity is not recorded anywhere


• 43+ worldwide server locations in 25 different countries for online access anywhere


• High speed connections for streaming video and content access


• Easy to use and set up; custom versions for each specific device


• Automatic kill switch shuts down your site as soon as the VPN connection drops, so no data is revealed


• All DNS queries stay secure and protected


• Secret notes that auto-destroy & encrypted chat function


• Connect two devices simultaneously


• No limit on data


• Web proxy extension for Google Chrome

Snag this deal right here before it ends. If you’ve been looking for a VPN service, or have been curious to try one, this is a nice deal.

Samsung Gear VR for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is now available online for $199

Samsung told us the Gear VR for their Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge would be available today, and sure enough you can go ahead and buy one. The virtual reality headset is available to buy online for 0. Unfortunately you won’t be able to head into Best Buy stores to buy it in person until May 15th, though waiting another week for the convenience of doing so hardly seems unfair.

The Samsung Gear VR for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge shouldn’t be all that dissimilar to the version we reviewed for the Galaxy Note 4 back in 2014. It’ll allow you to drop your phone in, slap it to your face and view videos and play games in virtual reality 3D goodness.

Samsung has been building a library of content fit for the headset which you can find within the Samsung Apps Store and Samsung’s Milk VR app. You can also view 360-degree videos on YouTube, an experience that’s absolutely nuts if you haven’t already tried it. Add to those facts that Samsung is teaming up with one of the leaders in consumer VR tech — Oculus Rift — and we’d have a hard time finding any reason not to buy one.

Unfortunately consumer-grade virtual reality is still in its infancy (which explains why they still call these things “Innovator Editions”) so there won’t be a huge repository of content waiting for you once you get it in your hands. That said, it’s always nice being on the cutting edge and being able to take it all in while it’s happening. Grab it from whichever source you prefer using the links ahead.

Samsung Gear VR for S6 and S6 Edge at Best Buy

Samsung Gear VR for S6 and S6 Edge at Samsung.com

Here’s where to watch the Google IO live stream online today starting with the 9:30AM PST keynote speech

It’s May 28th! Aside from it being the awesome day known as Thursday, it’s also the day that Google IO kicks off this year. We’re on the ground in San Francisco and ready to not only take it all in, but bring you the latest news and all the coverage you can handle.

But what better way to be made privy to all the details than to see it all for yourself? As usual, Google will be live streaming much of the goings-on at the Moscone West this week, and you can watch it right here on our Google IO Live portal. The fun starts promptly at 9:30AM Pacific — that’s 12:30PM Eastern — with a keynote speech scheduled to run 2 and a half hours.

Beyond that, Google will be live streaming many of their code sessions, workshops and Q&A events. You can expect video archives of nearly everything shortly after the event has concluded, too. Whatever you do, though, you don’t want to miss the keynote so be sure to carve some time out, give your bosses a fair notice and let the games begin!

A 7-inch mid-range HTC tablet has been spotted at an online export database

HTC has taken their time to reenter the tablet market (not counting the Nexus 9, of course), but recent murmurings have suggested the company would look to test the waters of the mid-range sector of the still-iffy product category. And now we have our first indication that those rumors were true.

A mid-range 7-inch HTC tablet has been spotted at online import/export database Zauba. The database surprisingly lists a few detailed specs, such as the fact that it has 16GB of internal storage and sports a 1.2GHz quad-core chipset. It will also support dual-SIM cellular connectivity and has 1GB of RAM inside.

Those aren’t the makings of an iPad or Galaxy Tab killer, but if HTC can get this thing onto the market at a respectable price point (around 0 is our guess) then they might have something compelling on their hands. Of course, the company has more important things to worry about in the meantime so we’ll have to see if this device ever sees the light of day.

[via PhoneArena]

Groupon To Go is an upcoming online ordering platform that looks to give GrubHub, OrderUp a run for their money

Groupon was all the rage when it launched back in 2008, one of the internet’s first daily deals sites that offered up discounted gift certificates on local food or activities. A few years later, the company began to fizzle out, reporting quarterly losses in the millions of dollars range.

Recently, we’ve seen Groupon branch out its business into new areas with a new app called Snap by Groupon that rewards shoppers with real cash instead of coupons. But it appears that’s not all Groupon has up their sleeve, with a new online ordering platform called “Groupon To Go” set to kick off sometime in the near future.

It doesn’t appear Groupon has made anything official yet, but the landing site is already live. There aren’t any deals populating it quite yet, but we discovered Groupon is already hiring To Go management positions in the Chicago area and recently picked up a trademark for their service so we’d imagine it’s coming very soon.

Once launched, Groupon To Go will let users search for local businesses offering up delivery in their area. It’s not too unlike services like GrubHub or OrderUp with Groupon acting as the middle man by digitizing participating restaurants’ menus and giving them their own business page on Groupon.com.

Once orders are received, Groupon will send them to businesses either by fax, email, or through their online merchant center. If restaurants want to further drive business, they can even create deals that will be broadcasted across Groupon’s online site, email news letters, and mobile apps.

It’s an interesting entry into the food delivery market and with Groupon’s already huge user base, should be enticing to both customers and businesses alike. We expect to learn more once the service officially launches, but in the meantime, you can watch their promo video for business on Vimeo.

Here’s where to watch today’s Oculus Rift announcement live online at 1PM Eastern

Oculus Rift is making a big announcement today, and you guessed it: it’s being live-streamed. It’s all going down at 1PM Eastern, and we expect to hear details about the consumer launch of the virtual reality headset, including possible pricing, release date, a new name and — of course — a look at the final design they’ll be going with for its life on store shelves.

That its launch is being streamed on Twitch also suggests we’ll be in store for some new gameplay demos. Recent rumors suggest Oculus Rift will look somewhat similar to the latest Crescent Bay prototype that developers have been using to whip up their content.

A leak from the company’s own website seemingly contradicted that, though Oculus Rift noted that the devices spotted in the images on their website were “ancient” placeholder renders. Whether that’s just a convenient excuse to throw us off the trail remains to be seen, but we suppose the point is moot considering there are only a couple of short hours before all the details are spilled. Be sure to use the Twitch embed above to follow along once 1PM arrives.

Google adds new accessories to Androidify for an online Pride parade

Google has a long history of supporting the LGBT community. Last year they even changed the logo at Google HQ to reflect the rainbow flag. This year they are doing a global “online Pride parade.” The basis of the event is Android’s “Be together, not the same” mantra.

The Androidify service has been decked out with appropriate accessories for the Pride parade. They even started a new hashtag, so you know how serious this is. The hashtag is #andproud. Some celebrities have already shown support by using the hashtag and showing off their Androidified characters.

Want to be included in the parade? Create an Androidified version of yourself before June 27th and share it on Google’s special landing site. You can also share it on various social networks with the hashtag #andproud. Get out there and show some pride!