Facebook announces Featured Events capability to show human-curated list of recommendations

Facebook today has announced a new Featured Events capability that will make it even easier for users to find nearby ongoings right in the Facebook app itself. While Facebook already has support for Events, with 550 million people taking advantage of it each month, the company hopes that Featured Events will give more a more personalized experience.

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Filed under: Apple

Review: Monowear Brown Leather Deployant band for Apple Watch [Video]

The folks over at Monowear sent over one of its bands for me to try, and I shot a brief video showcasing the band in action. Monowear makes several band styles from leather, mesh, nylon and metal. The band it sent over is a brown leather band featuring a handy deployant clasp. The deployant clasp creates a perpetual look that makes the leather band super-easy to put on and take off. Have a look at our video review inside to see it in action. more…

Filed under: Apple

Renders imagine what Apple’s new darker “Space Black” iPhone 7 might look like

Details of a new darker Space Black iPhone color arriving with the next-generation device this fall have surfaced, but what might the new color option look like? 

Earlier today we reported that iPhone 7— if that’s what we’re calling it— now seems likely to come in Space Black to match Apple Watch and replace the current Space Gray option. Several other reports had noted whispers of a new darker color (at one point described as a deep blue) and we noted today that it’s something we’d heard from one of our own sources that’s being considered.

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Filed under: Apple

Hands-on: Apple TV Remote App for the 4th-generation Apple TV [Video]

The new Apple TV Remote app, which Apple TV owners have been expecting since Eddy Cue acknowledged its development, is now available for testing. Available directly as an IPA installable via iTunes, the Apple TV Remote app can be installed by registered Apple developers.

The Remote app has been designed to, as Apple states in its release notes, bring the “best of the Siri Remote” to iOS devices. Not only will the Remote app allow users to easily navigate the Apple TV interface, it can also be used as a controller to control basic games.

How well does the new Apple TV Remote app work? Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough to see it in action. more…

Filed under: Apple

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Apple Watch Band $9, Nest Thermostat $199, Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD $200, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

moko-apple-watch-bands

Just $9 Prime shipped for a new Apple Watch band? Sounds good to me.

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The Nest Learning Thermostat will help lower your energy costs throughout the summer: $199 (Reg. $249)

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You can store everything on this Seagate 8TB external hard drive for $200 shipped, more

We thought you needed 5TB of extra space, here’s a Seagate Expansion hard drive for $110 shipped (Reg. $130)

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PowerTime Apple Watch Charging Dock w/ 3 USB Ports: $39 shipped (Reg. $49)

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The iPhone 5c (16GB GSM Unlocked Refurb) makes a great first phone for the kids at only $100 shipped (Orig. $550)

Get an iPhone 5s 16GB (refurb) w/ a month of FreedomPop’s Unlimited for $160

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App Store Free App of the Week: Give It Up! 2 rhythm-platformer goes free for the first time (Reg. $1)

Runtastic’s Road Bike GPS Cycling App goes free for the first time in a year (Reg. $5)

One of the best RPGs of all-time just went 50% off on iOS: Secret of Mana $4 (Reg. $8)

Ticket to Ride on iOS and Android drops to its lowest price in years: $2 (Reg. $7)

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Apple’s Thunderbolt Display has been put out to pasture, here are the best alternatives at every price point

Vansky’s $23 USB LED light strip gives you multi-color mood lighting

Review: Jaybird’s new Freedom Wireless headphones score high marks on design, sound [Video]

How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery) 

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Amazon Gold Box has something for everyone: ECCO Shoes, High Sierra Backpacks, GoT, Pets, Humidifiers

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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JBL’s Charge 2 Bluetooth speaker is a solid option for your party this summer: refurb for $60 (Orig. $150)

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Smartphone Accessories: 2-Pack of Mpow MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $14), more

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Filed under: Apple

iPhone 7 now seems likely to come in Space Black to match Apple Watch, as other rumors emerge

While a previous Macotakara report suggested that the iPhone 7 would be available in a deep blue color, replacing Space Gray, the blog is now suggesting that this is not the *case*.

I have heard another information that space grey would not be disconnected, but would be possibly updated to much darker color. Also, the new color would not be deep blue, but possibly formal black which is close to black.

This tallies with something heard from one of our own sources …

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Filed under: Apple

More Chinese patent battles likely upcoming for Apple as local companies max out on patent filings

Apple’s record as the biggest target in the world for patent claims doesn’t look likely to change any time soon. The WSJ reports that three Chinese companies top the rankings for the most international patent filings: Huawei, Qualcomm and ZTE.

Last year, Huawei, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker and the leader in the telecommunications-equipment market, was the largest filer of international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, which makes it easier for companies to file patents in multiple countries […]

Patents are also playing a role in the harsher mobile landscape Apple and Samsung are navigating in China, where regulators increasingly insist that foreign companies play by Beijing’s rules.

We recently got a very stark view of what ‘Beijing’s rules’ means when it comes to patent battles …

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Filed under: Apple