Monthly Archives: August 2015

2016 Nissan Maxima Review – Bold style, bolder promises

2016 Nissan Maxima Review – Bold style, bolder promises

Cars, , , , , ,

Nissan calls the 2016 Maxima a “four-door sports car” but it takes more than branding and some fighter-jet inspired design tweaks to make a true performance sedan. With 300 HP under the hood, lashings of segment-above level luxe in the cabin, and aesthetics that are certainly striking, the Maxima makes a strong jab at living up to its billing. Question is, has all that punch been pulled with a CVT transmission?
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https://www.slashgear.com/2016-nissan-maxima-review-bold-style-bolder-promises-08396014/

iPhone 6s September 9 event tipped with Apple TV

iPhone 6s September 9 event tipped with Apple TV

Phones, , , , , ,

Apple will hold its big iPhone event on September 9, insiders say, with a new Apple TV also expected along with revamped iPads. Widely expected to see the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus smartphones announced, the event is scheduled for the week beginning September 7th, “with Wednesday the 9th being the most likely date” sources tell Buzzfeed.

That certainly wouldn’t break form from previous years, with Apple scheduling a special event that week in September for nine years of the past decade.
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https://www.slashgear.com/iphone-6s-september-9-event-tipped-with-apple-tv-07396008/

Oculus warns VR coders its new SDK breaks old apps

Oculus warns VR coders its new SDK breaks old apps

Wearables, , , , , , ,

Oculus has warned developers to get their virtual reality apps up to date, launching a new PC SDK that breaks some backward compatibility. Oculus PC SDK 0.7, set to hit on August 20, promises a cut in latency, more stability, and an alternative to the little-loved “Extended Mode”; however, in doing so, the Facebook-owned VR firm has broken compatibility with apps built with SDK 0.5 or earlier, along with anything built with Unity 4.x.
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https://www.slashgear.com/

shield

NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Plex app adds 4K support

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NVIDIA’s SHIELD Android TV console just became a little more appealing, at least for Plex faithfuls who prefer to stream their content in the highest quality possible. Today NVIDIA announced that the Plex software that comes pre-installed on its SHIELD Android TV console has been updated with new features, and among those new features is 4K-resolution streaming and HEVC (H.265) support. The app can be updated now through the SHIELD Android TV device by opening the software.
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https://www.slashgear.com/

Nico Gerard Made A Luxury Analog Watch With An Apple Watch Attached To It

Nico Gerard Made A Luxury Analog Watch With An Apple Watch Attached To It

Wearables, , , , , ,

Want to try an Apple Watch, but not ready to give up the pleasures of having Swiss-made movement ticking on your wrist? No, wearing one watch on each arm probably isn’t a good idea. And while we’re not sure whether putting two watch cases on the same band is a good idea either, you can decide for yourself with the Nico Gerard Pinnacle.

That’s right, someone made a timepiece that combines two watch cases on a single band – a fancy, luxury chronometer timepiece on one and Cupertino’s smartwatch on the other. They’re situated such that when one case is on top of your wrist, the other sits at the bottom, so you don’t have to look at two watch faces at the same time, which might get confusing when one ends up being a few minutes late or something.
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https://www.coolthings.com/nico-gerard-pinnacle-apple-watch/

Liquid Station Desktop Organizer Makes Your Office Supplies Look Like They’re Suspended In Ice

Liquid Station Desktop Organizer Makes Your Office Supplies Look Like They’re Suspended In Ice

Wearables, , ,

Ever wished you can tidy up all the items on your desk in a water tank, instead of an organizer? Except, you can’t actually do it, because nobody wants all their office supplies soaked and their electronics busted. If you’re fine just making it look like your gear is submerged in a water tank, you can trade in those cups and valets for this Liquid Station Desktop Organizer.

Designed by Catalan-based Eugeni Quitllet, it’s a desk organizer that makes it look like your pens, staplers, and office supplies are submerged in some kind of water tank. No, they won’t be floating around like debris in water or swimming like tiny aquarium fish – just peacefully in repose like a whole load of gear partly suspended in a block of ice.
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https://www.coolthings.com/liquid-station-desktop-organizer/

Swincar ATV Uses Spider-Like Suspension And Tilting Wheels To Handle The Most Insane Terrains

Swincar ATV Uses Spider-Like Suspension And Tilting Wheels To Handle The Most Insane Terrains

Cars, , ,

ATVs are fun. The Swincar, though, takes ATV fun to the next level, equipping itself as some sort of “mechanical spider on wheels.” Seriously.

Designed by France-based Pascal Rambaud, Jerome Arsac, and Thierry James, the vehicle boasts a suspension system resembling spider-like limbs, moving up and down independently to accommodate the most uneven of terrains (it can ride on two completely different tracks, if needed). Seriously, watching this thing drive through extreme slopes and huge ruts is downright bizarre (check out the video at the end), looking like a legged robot adjusting its limbs on the fly.
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https://www.coolthings.com/swincar-atv-spider-suspension-tilting/

Olympus Air A01 Puts A 16-MP Camera With Interchangeable Lenses On Your Smartphone

Olympus Air A01 Puts A 16-MP Camera With Interchangeable Lenses On Your Smartphone

Cameras, , , , , , , ,

Remember that new category Sony pioneered with their QX line of smartphone cameras? Well, everybody else is getting in on that game now. One interesting entry is the Olympus Air A01, a mirrorless, interchangeable-lens camera that you can control from a smartphone.

Like similar products, the camera can be clipped onto the edge of a phone, aimed using your hand (so you can focus it at unusual angles while keeping your eye on the scene), or mounted on a tripod. It also pairs wirelessly with your phone (it has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), using the handset’s display as its viewfinder and controller.
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https://www.coolthings.com/olympus-air-a01-smartphone-camera/

LEGO’s New Mercedes-Benz Arocs Set Comes With Pneumatic Crane Arm, Moving Dump Truck Parts, And More

LEGO’s New Mercedes-Benz Arocs Set Comes With Pneumatic Crane Arm, Moving Dump Truck Parts, And More

Wearables, , , , ,

It’s going to be hard to top the Ferrari F40 as the most exciting LEGO kit to come out this year. But, I’m a huge mark for motorized LEGOs of heavy-duty construction machines, so you can understand why I’m really digging the new LEGO Technic Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3245, which lets you build an 8×8 Arocs dump truck with a long pneumatic crane arm.

Touted as the “largest LEGO Technic model ever produced,” the set consists of 2,793 pieces that allow you to build a model of Daimler’s heavy-duty construction truck in glorious detail, complete with an advanced pneumatic system that enables multiple motorized functions. Whether you want to haul sand for the beach diorama you’re building, erect tall structures with miniature cinder blocks, or just run down an army of zombies, this beast should be fully-equipped to help you carry out the deed.
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https://www.coolthings.com/lego-mercedes-benz-arocs-set/

The Lexus Hoverboard Is Real And You Can’t Own One

The Lexus Hoverboard Is Real And You Can’t Own One

Cars, , , ,

It’s time to accept it — we’re not going to have hoverboards in 2015 like Back to the Future promised. At least, not one that can ride on sidewalks and carve street corners in. Heck, not even one we can buy. None of that means we’re not in awe of what the Lexus Hoverboard actually accomplished, though, because it’s seriously cool.

Yes, Toyota’s luxury car brand made a hoverboard. Actually, they paid an ad agency to pay some engineers to make a hoverboard with Lexus branding based on good, old mag-lev technology. And while not exactly novel, this is easily the best mag-lev hoverboard we’ve ever seen. Sorry, Hendo Hoverboard, you just got outdone.
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https://www.coolthings.com/

Matador Surface Is A 58×38-Inch Work Space That Can Fold Into Your Pocket

Matador Surface Is A 58×38-Inch Work Space That Can Fold Into Your Pocket

Wearables, , ,

We’re big fans of Matador’s Pocket Blanket, which gives folks a functional picnic blanket they can literally keep in their pants pocket. This time around, the outfit is taking their folding-into-a-tiny-pile expertise to garage work with the Matador Surface.

Like the Pocket Blanket, it’s pocket-sized bundle that can unfold into a large ground cover. Instead of giving you a place to sit down during picnics and outings, though, it’s meant to give mechanics, both amateur and professional, a clean and contained work area, so they can labor on a car, bike, or boat on top of a submersible that has tank treads without having their gear scattered all over the place.
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https://www.coolthings.com/matador-surface-pocket-workspace/

2016 Yamaha XSR700 Pairs Retro Style With Modern Tech

2016 Yamaha XSR700 Pairs Retro Style With Modern Tech

Cars, , ,

Retro is in when it comes to motorcycles, so much so that Ducati has entered the fray with their 70s-style Scrambler. Yahama is likewise embracing the beautiful lines of the past, even going so far as to debut a new design philosophy called “Faster Sons,” which combines classic styling with advances in modern riding technology. The 2016 Yamaha XSR700 is the first production motorcycle to come out of that new philosophy.
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https://www.coolthings.com/2016-yamaha-xsr700-retro-motorcycle/

Android app tells you if you have 'Stagefright' vulnerability

Android app tells you if you have ‘Stagefright’ vulnerability

Wearables, , , , , , , , ,

Got Stagefright? Not the fear of an audience, but an Android vulnerability that could hijack your smartphone via a garden-variety MMS. The company that discovered the flaw, Zimperium, has now released a tool, the Stagefright Detector App, to at least let you know if you’re patched against it. Google issued a fix a while ago, and you’re protected if you have a Nexus device. But if you own nearly any other smartphone — even a brand new one like Samsung’s Galaxy S6 — you’re probably still at risk.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/stagefright-patch-detector/

Gnarbox puts a video editing suite in your back pocket

Gnarbox puts a video editing suite in your back pocket

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , ,

Gnarbox is a modern solution to a modern problem. Right now, if you’re shooting video outdoors, you’ll either need your laptop with you, or (more likely) have to wait until you get back to base to make an edit. By which time, the moment has gone, and your footage risks ending up stockpiled on a memory card or hard drive. Gnarbox tackles this issue by bundling a WiFi hard drive with a quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, a dedicated GPU, about seven hours battery life and a comprehensive mobile app. With just the paperback-sized device and a phone you can make decent edits, even with 4K video, and share them right after the wave/ride/moment.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/gnarbox-video-editing-suite/

Firefox has a new security hole, but you can already patch it

Firefox has a new security hole, but you can already patch it

Wearables, , ,

Yesterday, someone noticed that an ad from a Russian news site was exploiting a serious vulnerability in the Firefox browser. According to a Mozilla security post, the attacker was able to bypass the browser’s “origin policy” (its front line of security), inject a malicious javascript script and download sensitive local files to a server in the Ukraine. Mozilla said the attack was “surprisingly developer-focused for an exploit launched a general audience news site,” because it hunted browser and FTP configuration files. It added that the “exploit leaves no trace that it has run on the local machine.”
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/firefox-security-flaw-patched/

24 hours with Sony's A7R II full-frame mirrorless camera

24 hours with Sony’s A7R II full-frame mirrorless camera

Cameras, , , , , , , , , ,

If that RX100 IV point-and-shoot isn’t powerful enough for you, Sony has a couple other new cameras to fit your needs: the A7R II and RX10 II. For now, our focus is on the A7R II, a full-frame mirrorless beast that’s been one of the most anticipated shooters of the year, and for good reason — it packs high-end specs in a surprisingly small body. It’s definitely smaller than your average DSLR. Sony’s second-generation A7R comes with a whopping 42.4-megapixel Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor (35mm) and BIONZ X processor, both high-end components that are expected to make this one of the sharpest and fastest cameras on the market.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/05/sony-a7r-ii-sample-images/

Microsoft Studios lead talks Kinect and the future of Xbox

Microsoft Studios lead talks Kinect and the future of Xbox

Wearables, , , , , , , ,

You might not know who Microsoft’s Kudo Tsunoda is, but you know his work. He was the driving force behind Kinect and HoloLens. And more recently, he’s taken control of a large part of Microsoft Studios, the company’s in-house video game publishing and development arm. As part of his position, Tsunoda leads Rare, Lionhead and other first-party studios, and also oversees the development of key Xbox exclusives published by Microsoft, such as Scalebound, Quantum Break and the new Crackdown. I sat down with Tsunoda for a chat at Gamescom, and quizzed him on the future of Xbox, HoloLens and gaming at Microsoft.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/06/microsoft-studios-lead-talks-future-of-xbox/

24 hours with the Sony RX10 II, a 4K-ready superzoom camera

24 hours with the Sony RX10 II, a 4K-ready superzoom camera

Cameras, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The market for superzoom cameras is a niche one. But manufacturers continue to churn them out for people who want them, as small a group as this may be. And while Canon is designing models that can fit in your pocket, Sony’s latest high-end superzoom is a very different kind of device. The RX10 II has a big, DSLR-like body (similar to its predecessor), which it needs to accommodate that Zeiss 24-200mm (35mm equivalent, constant f/2.8) zoom lens. Coupled with this fixed glass is a 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel Exmor RS BSI CMOS sensor and a BIONZ X image processor for fast and sharp shooting. Aside from being just a superzoom, though, the RX10 II is also being marketed as a premium video camera: It records 4K (3,840 x 2,160) at up to 30 fps and offers an insane slow-motion setting at 960 fps. After shooting with it for a day, I can say that everything comes together nicely — and you’d hope as much considering its $1,300 asking price.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/06/24-hours-with-the-sony-rx10-ii-a-4k-ready-superzoom-camera/

Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is coming to the NFL sidelines

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 is coming to the NFL sidelines

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , ,

With NFL teams set to kick off their pre-season next week, Microsoft today announced that the Surface Pro 2 won’t be used during games anymore. Instead, the upcoming 2015-2016 season will see its Sideline Viewing System, which lets players and coaches review game photos instantly, be powered by Surface Pro 3s for the first time. But that’s not the only change being made. Microsoft and the NFL are also going to start testing video as part of the Sideline Viewing System, including replays of questionable calls that referees can watch via the custom-made device. Even though this is only going to be a test run (over 20 pre-season games), it will be a significant move if it ends up being implemented in the regular season. Microsoft’s laptop/tablet hybrid has already replaced the traditional paper method for most teams, and it could do the same with monitors on the field — the current way of watching replays by officials.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/microsoft-nfl-surface-pro-3/

This is how you'll customize the Xbox One 'Elite' controller

This is how you’ll customize the Xbox One ‘Elite’ controller

Wearables, , , ,

We got up close and personal with the Xbox One’s incredibly expensive Elite controller at E3, but how do all those modular bits and bobs work? A new video from Microsoft out ofGamescom sheds some light on just that. The Elite’s customization goes much deeper than just swapping out different lengths of thumbsticks: you can adjust trigger deadzone, download custom button-binding profiles for certain games, tweak haptic feedback intensity on a motor-by-motor basis and even completely remap button functions. Long story short: if standard gamepads regularly fall short for your high-level needs, this is the paddle for you.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/xbox-one-elite-controller/

Google Maps on iOS won't blind you at night anymore

Google Maps on iOS won’t blind you at night anymore

Wearables, , , , , , ,

When you’re using Google Maps in the dark, the iOS app’s blinding bright white display can kill your night vision. Good thing then that a new update addresses that and adds a few other welcome improvements. Now you can label waypoints on your map and in search suggestions according to the patch notes, and even alter captions for photos that you’ve added as well. Of course, there’s the usual bug fixes along for the ride as well, but it’s not like those will keep you from going blind on your way home from the bonfire you checked into via Facebook.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/google-maps-ios-night-mode/

PlayStation Vue streaming TV comes to Dallas, Miami

PlayStation Vue streaming TV comes to Dallas, Miami

Wearables, , , , , , ,

Sony has announced that its PlayStation-based streaming television service,Vue, has just become available in the cities of Dallas, TX and Miami, FL. Users with a PS4 or PS3 can take advantage of the service, choosing from three multichannel packages: Access, Core, or Elite. Subscription prices start at $49.99 per month, and the service’s main strength is its mix of both local and cable channels. Those living in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami-Fort Lauderdale areas can sign up starting today.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/07/playstation-vue-tv-dallas-miami/

Apple has new iOS 9 and watchOS 2.0 betas for you

Apple has new iOS 9 and watchOS 2.0 betas for you

Wearables, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apple has released iOS 9 beta 5 for iPhone and iPad, as well as watchOS 2 beta 5 for Apple Watch, as it nears the final versions this fall. The new software, which requires either an Apple developer account or beta program membership in order to access, paves the way for features like WiFi Calling on the iPhone across more carriers, as well as smarter switching of WiFi and cellular data for faster browsing, while on the smartwatch there’s a new Time-Lapse face among other tweaks.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-has-new-ios-9-and-watchos-2-0-betas-for-you-06395891/

Reservations for the Pebble Time Steel start now

Reservations for the Pebble Time Steel start now

Wearables, , , , ,

Pebble definitely doesn’t waste any time. Pun totally intended. It was barely two weeks ago when it put its color-toting Pebble Time up for grab by non-Kickstarter backers. Now, due to popular demand, and we’ll just presume it is really popular, it is doing the same for the steel-clad Pebble Time Steel. With an important caveat. This isn’t the start of retail availability of the new smartwatch just yet. Instead, Pebble is only taking reservations on its website, with a promise to start shipping sometime in September.
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https://www.slashgear.com/reservations-for-the-pebble-time-steel-start-now-06395906/

Huawei Nexus 8: this is (probably) it

Huawei Nexus 8: this is (probably) it

Phones, , , , , , , , , , , ,

This past month we saw case leaks for the next Nexus smartphone, today we see the full back of the device. Earlier this year we first heard rumors that Huawei was up next for the Google Nexus smartphone crown. Today we hear those rumors again. This device has been rumored to be coming later this year with a quad-HD 6-inch display (that’s 2K) that may well end up replacing the Nexus 6. With a fingerprint sensor, of course.
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https://www.slashgear.com/huawei-nexus-8-this-is-probably-it-06395897/

Microsoft unloads a bunch of apps for smartwatches

Microsoft unloads a bunch of apps for smartwatches

Wearables, , , , , , , , ,

Since it doesn’t have a smartwatch of its own (no, the Microsoft Band doesn’t count), it seems that Microsoft is quite content to puts its software on others wrists instead. Catering to both the Android Wear toting and the Apple Watchwearing crowd, Microsoft has just announced new and updated apps for both types of wearables. And since Microsoft is now all about helping you become productive, these apps focus on wearable versions of its productivity suite, plus one completely new addition to the family.
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https://www.slashgear.com/microsoft-unloads-a-bunch-of-apps-for-smartwatches-07395919/

ZTE Obsidian budget phone has LTE, is coming to T-Mobile

ZTE Obsidian budget phone has LTE, is coming to T-Mobile

Phones, , , , , ,

T-Mobile has a new Android smartphone on the way, and it hails from Chinese maker ZTE. Listed as coming soon, the ZTE Obsidian is a lower-end handset sporting a 4.5-inch display and Android 5.1 Lollipop, and it’ll bring the best of both worlds: a low price tag, but with decent specs and a newer version of Android than many competing products. The phone won’t be turning heads, but at $99 USD it won’t be breaking bank accounts, either.
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https://www.slashgear.com/zte-obsidian-budget-phone-has-lte-is-coming-to-t-mobile-06395871/

ASUS’ Indian ZenFones are quite interesting

ASUS’ Indian ZenFones are quite interesting

Phones, , , ,

It seems that ASUS has caught the LG naming fever that behooves it to put out variants of the a hit flagship product, whether or not they have any resemblance to the original. This partly seems to be the case with the new batch of smartphones that the manufacturer has just revealed in India. Taking adventage of the popularity of the ZenFone 2 name, ASUS’ new ZenFone 2 Deluxe, ZenFone 2 Laser, and ZenFone Max put a slight twist to the flagship, inundating the market yet again with more choices.
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https://www.slashgear.com/asus-indian-zenfones-are-quite-interesting-07395926/

Rolls Royce Wraith “Inspired by Music” promises the most exclusive audio experience

Rolls Royce Wraith “Inspired by Music” promises the most exclusive audio experience

Cars, , , , , , , ,

Rolls-Royce makes much of its super high-end cars by hand and has a number of custom and bespoke options that buyers can choose for their cars. One of the bespoke options that can be chosen is a Bespoke Audio system. Rolls is taking the Bespoke Audio system further than ever before with a new Wraith “Inspired by Music” version of the luxury car.

The Bespoke Audio system in the Wraith has used copper color since it was first unveiled and in the “Inspired by Music” version of the Wraith that copper colored is carried over to more than just the speakers themselves. Rolls Royce calls the audio system in this special version of the Wraith the most exclusive music venue.
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https://www.slashgear.com/rolls-royce-wraith-inspired-by-music-promises-the-most-exclusive-audio-experience-07395942/

Olio’s luxury smartwatch adds Rose Gold, gets price cut

Olio’s luxury smartwatch adds Rose Gold, gets price cut

Wearables, , ,

These days almost anyone and everyone is putting out a smartwatch or a smartband in one form or another, so what’s the harm in another one, right? Olio’s Model One, however, isn’t something you can probably call “yet another smartwatch”. For one, it tries to go against the flow of trying to cram your smartphone on your wrist. For another, it’s not something you can easily afford, practically luxury timepieces, even if Olio is now offering a temporary $250 discount off its regular pre-order prices.
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https://www.slashgear.com/olios-luxury-smartwatch-adds-rose-gold-gets-price-cut-07395936/