Author: Clinton

I appreciate that I’ve told readers about this deal already.  But it is one of those deals that is just too good to pass up.  Over at Amazon you can still pick up the Nextbit Robin for $169.  Originally the deal was only on the Mint color but now it is also on the darker Midnight color option.  Regardless of which color you choose, you are getting a solid mid-range phone with great specs and performance.  I reviewed the Robin a few months ago and at the time I said it was a pretty good deal at $299.  At $169, it is one of the best deals on a phone with these specs out there.

For those that don’t recall, the Nextbit Robin has some great features and offers a unique device-meets-cloud storage solution.  It has 32GB of onboard storage merged with 100 GB online storage, so you always have the space you need. Robin seamlessly backs up your apps and photos, intelligently archives the stuff you’re not using, and easily restores items when you need them.  The idea is that you never run out of space.  Those less used apps are backed up into the cloud but then are instantly available when you want them.  You’ll know an app has been backed up into the cloud as it will be grey on your Robin.

The Google Chrome team has posted on Google blog some improvements that are available in the browser today with other new features that are in the pipeline.  Starting now, with a behind-the-scenes change, the browsers Data Saver feature works on videos.  Previously, Data Saver worked on text and images and when you had the feature enabled, Google would compress everything before sending it to your phone.  Essentially it acted like a proxy and the data savings were huge.  Initially the company rolled this out in India given the bandwidth constraints and costs in that country but the feature has now rolled out globally.  Back to this update, if you enabled Data Saver and view a site with a MP4 video, that video is now compressed before it hits your phone, saving you that extra bandwidth.

If you haven’t tried Data Saver, you can enable it on Chrome by going to Settings>Data Saver and enabling it.  I have been using it for months and I’ve had no ill effects on sites plus I’m saving on average 55% of the bandwidth the sites I visit would have required.  It’s pretty impressive.

Microsoft has rolled out yet another new app for Android today that brings quick and easy copying of text from one app to another.  Clip Layer allows you to copy a page or section of text from one app by pressing and holding the Home button on your phone, then opening another app and copying that text to that app.  While Android natively has the ability to do this on most apps, Clip Layer makes it very easy with just simple taps to copy sections of text instead of having to tap-and-drag.  Plus, the app has the ability to take that copied text and share it with others right from within the app.

The magic of how the app works is within the Assistant settings of Android.  By allowing the app to become your Device Assistance app, that enabled the Home button to become the trigger for copying text.

Good news this morning for T-Mobile customers who are rocking the LG G5.  Android Nougat is out and available for your phone.  The 1.2GB update is coming to the G5 as an OTA update and along with bringing you all the goodness of Nougat, you are also getting the November security update for Android included in the update.  The updated build is NRD90U and T-Mobile has pushed the big red button to get the release out to customers.  You can check for the update on your G5 by going to Settings>About Phone>Software Update and manually check for it.  Because of the size, you are going to need to make sure you are on Wi-Fi to download the update file then will need at least 70% battery life to install it.  As with other updates, your phone will be rebooted in the upgrade process.

Thanks to a leak from Vodafone Australia, it looks like owners of the Nexus 6P and Google Pixel lineup will be seeing the Android Nougat 7.1.1 update starting next Monday, December 5th.  For the Nexus 6P, the updated build will be NMF26F and will bring app shortcuts to the phone as well as the December Android Security Update.  As readers will remember, the 7.1.1 update has been in beta for a few months now and the second and expected to be final Developer Preview dropped last week.  Google has said very early on that the 7.1.1 update would be coming in early December so the December 5th date lines up well with what has been publicly stated from the company.

Today’s Deal is almost unbelievable.  Right now you can get the Intel i5 powered Google Pixel Chromebook (2013) for just $363.99 on Amazon.  This model retailed for over $1200 when it was the flagship so you are saving a whopping $837 on this sale.  The sales is on Amazon but is being sold by Google.

Don’t remember all the specs of this killer Chromebook?  Here are the highlights:

Google Pixel Chromebook 2013

• 3:2 Photographic Format Display Designed for Web and Multitouch Capabilities
• Dual Core 1.8Ghz Intel i5 Processor and 4GB DDR3 RAM
• Bluetooth 3.0 , Webcam, and Dual Band WiFi Built in
• Weighs only 3.4 lbs. and measures just 0.6″

Now admittedly, the Bluetooth 3.0 specs are a bit behind given we are now at 4.1 or 4.2, but this is a Google Chromebook!  These are hard to get hold of these days, the 2013 or the 2015 model.

The Google Pixel Chromebook is in stock at Amazon and includes free standard shipping.  This sale is not Amazon Prime eligible so keep that in mind as you shop.

This deal is likely to go very quickly so if you are wanting a powerhouse of a Chromebook at an insane price, head over to Amazon now and get your order in on it.

Google Pixel Chromebook 2013 – $363 – Amazon