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Roidmi F8 Storm review

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It wasn’t all that long ago that the concept of a cordless vacuum conjured imagery of underpowered, weak experiences with poor battery life. Want something ultra-portable to clean the steps or furniture? Sure, you can have it, but we’re going to trade off suction strength and virtually endless life.

This is no longer the case in 2019. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen various brands put together much more compelling vacuum experiences. They’re stronger than ever, have longer battery life, and seem to get lighter, too. And prices are getting better.

Roidmi F8 Storm

The Roidmi F8 Storm, originally crowdfunded on IndieGoGo, comes from a familiar smartphone brand, Xiaomi. As part of its Roidmi brand, the product fits in the Mi ecosystem. The vacuum was successfully funded to the tune of more than $600,000 and is now available for purchase in the US and other markets.

The Roidmi F8 Storm is a cordless, battery-powered stick vacuum with a small self-contained bin. Mostly white, with red accents, it offers up a futuristic and simplistic design.

A 270-degree curved handle makes for an easy and comfortable grip from nearly any angle, allowing users to keep a firm grasp of things whether upright or flat on the floor.

In addition to the motorized roller, the Roidmi F8 Storm comes with flexible extension pipe, a small bristled head, long flat suction head, and a spare filter.  Additionally, there’s an attachment designed for mattresses. For most people this is enough to work in home, auto, and office environments.

Whereas a lot of vacuum makers, and consumers, pay attention to the amount of dirt and debris that can be picked up, Roidmi also considers the quality of air that comes out. Indeed, there’s a four-layer filtration system that helps alleviate hair, dust, pollen, allergens, and dander.

When it comes to battery life, we’re impressed with the 40-50 minutes of usage on a full charge. Roidmi claims up to 55 minutes but we routinely topped out just under that.

Switching over from standard mode to an enhanced suction, the battery drops all the way down to ten minutes. If you’ve got a regular schedule of maintenance for rooms, you’ll probably not need this mode. Nevertheless, it does have enough pull to clean up something rather messy.

We’d suggest switching over to enhanced mode on occasion, leaving it at normal for your day-to-day usage. Going this route delivers about a half hour of charge.

Four LED lights on the body of the vacuum provides at-a-glance view of how much battery is left. Charging is pretty smooth as it comes with a magnetic wall mount which doesn’t require nails to install. The cable that clips into the mount is fairly short though, so be sure to place the mount near an outlet.

Snapping the various components or accessories into place, and removing them, is as easy as pressing a button. Each has its own special function, such as cleaning a mattress or grabbing cobwebs from corners. We might have liked a pouch to keep the pieces together when not in use.

We like the aesthetics of the Roidmi F8 Storm as it’s very modern looking; it matches pretty much any home decor. It’s also quiet enough that it works in any environment without disturbing others. It’s not a professional grade or commercial vacuum, but we can imagine someone using it in a business without upsetting anyone.

Conclusion

We’re not a site known for reviews of vacuum cleaners, so it’s up to the reader to determine how much weight to put behind our thoughts. With that said, we’ve enjoyed our time with the Roidmi F8 Storm and have recommended it to a number of friends and family members.

It’s not a cheap unit, but it’s priced comparably to others with similar specifications and features. You don’t get the same suction, unlimited battery, and container space as what comes in a more traditional/corded unit but that’s not the draw. The portability, design, features, and design are what you’re buying.

Availability

Learn more about the Roidmi brand and its vacuum cleaners at its website. To get a background on the F8 Storm, or to check out the details from its crowdfunding campaign, head to Indiegogo. You can purchase the Roidmi F8 Storm for about $290 at Amazon.

Verizon taps NYC for its 11th 5G city

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Verizon on Thursday confirmed that its 5G network will go live in New York City starting September 26.

According to the carrier, its 5G mmWave will be available in uptown, downtown, midtown, Brookly, Queens, and The Bronx. It’s worth noting, though, that Verizon hasn’t offered up a map showing specific coverage or expectations.

Once deployed, New York City will be the 11th market to offer Verizon 5G; the carrier has a goal of hitting 30 cities by the end of 2019.

Verizon 5G

Where is Verizon 5G available?
Verizon 5G comes to select NFL stadiums
Verizon 5G goes live in Phoenix

New York City will be the biggest test of Verizon’s 5G capabilities to date. Given the city is dense with high-rise buildings and skyscrapers Verizon will need to install a large number of nodes.

It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to turn a corner or walk into a building and completely lose 5G. That’s the rub with mmWave technology — it’s incredibly fast but its reach is very limited.

T-Mobile, for its part, has mmWave 5G service live in New York City and offers a coverage map for the sake of transparency. With that said, it’s very sparse and seemingly scattered about town.

We’ve been keeping an eye on the various 5G networks from the big wireless providers. To learn more about how each is doing, and which phones are supported, check out the following.

EZVIZ DB1 review

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When it comes to doorbells with audio and video capabilities, the space is largely occupied by Ring and Nest. Tied to Amazon and Google, respectively, they can be tied to each brand’s ecosystem of connected devices. The problem, however, is that they can be a bit too pricey for some consumers.

EZVIZ, a company that we’ve profiled in the past, has a cheaper alternative that offers up many of the same features, but at a lower cost. While Nest commands $230 for its product, EZVIZ charges about $150 for its DB1 Smart Video Doorbell.

In the Box

Included in the box are three faceplate choices: black, white, and brown. Black and white are about what you might expect, and fit pretty much any environment. The brown leaves much to be desired and is more along the lines of a light chocolate milk.

In addition to the faceplates, there are three options for mounting plates. Each is a bit different from the others and is designed to give you different viewing angles. Changing the faceplates is relatively easy; you’ll just need a small screwdriver

Design and Features

The DB1’s overall design is good, but nothing overly special. It’s a tall bar with rounded edges and has three circles that run up the center. It’s roughly 50% bigger than other models in the video doorbell space.

The 3-megapixel camera records video at 2,048 x 1,536 pixel resolution, higher than the Ring Pro and Nest Hello, and has a wide, 180 degree field of view.

In daylight, the picture quality is more adequate, even if the person(s) at your door have stepped back a smidge. At night, the IR enhances the picture, making it easier to discern, however it comes at a price. Quality drops quite a bit, but that’s generally what happens when dealing with infrared.

While the camera can be triggered via the bottom ring button, it’s also possible to simply pull up the camera for a live feed. Or, let it use IR for motion activation for security, capturing video clips to a microSD card or uploading to a paid, cloud account. It’s worth noting here that the cloud account is only available in select countries.

Working from the basement, we like to occasionally glance to see what the weather is like outside, or why the dogs might be barking. Have an office that’s on the back side of a building? Use the camera to quickly peek at the front door. The app makes this convenient in home and away.

Conclusion

Setup and customization is easy and we appreciate that the DB1 can be adjusted to personal tastes. We also like that the doorbell has 2.4GHz and 5Ghz connectivity as that makes installation and configuration easier.

The camera is fairly quick to detect people and animals, the two-way communication is convenient, field of view is terrific. It’s hard to argue for more when dealing with a $150 price tag.

We’ve enjoyed our time with various EZVIZ cameras over the last few years and are always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Sure, you might feel more comfortable with Nest, Honeywell, or others but you’ll pay for it..

The doorbell itself is big and doesn’t do much to hide itself. That’s a good thing, really, as it’s designed to help you not catch people in the act of theft. Speaking of which, it’s possibly a deterrent as it is so obvious.

If you’ve already got EZVIZ products in your home, it makes perfect sense to consider the DB1. The app experience ties everything together and creates a more seamless experience.

We’d love to see Google Assistant support. Most homes tend to go with either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, often putting their eggs in one basket. EZVIZ does support the virtual assistants for some of its cameras so we may get that in an update. If or when that happens, it makes this one much more interesting and appealing.

Availability

You can learn more about the DB1 at the EZVIZ website and find it for purchase at outlets and retailers like Amazon, Lowe’s, Walmart, and BH Photo Video.

Alcatel intros a 4G flip phone with Google Assistant

Andrew Allen
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TCL has been busy over the last few years as it becomes a bigger player in the Android market with the Alcatel brand and a partnership with BlackBerry. In fact, it’s now the fourth largest phone maker in North America. Now, the company has turned to KaiOS to bring the first “dumb” phones with Google services to the United States.

Essentially, Alcatel offers the same device as two variants: The GO FLIP 3 and the SMARTFLIP. The GO FLIP 3 will be destined for store shelves at T-Mobile and Metro while the SMARTFLIP will be sold by ATT and Cricket Wireless.

  • Go Hands-Free with Google Assistant: With Google Assistant, you can dictate text messages, make phone calls, and open and navigate apps like YouTube, Google Maps and Google Search, all using your voice.
  • Accessibility and speed for all: The GO FLIP 3/SMARTFLIP is powered by a quad-core processor and 4G LTE speeds on an easy-to-read 2.8-inch internal display. Both devices also include a host of accessibility features such as oversized buttons, Real-Time-Text (RTT) for conversational texting, Text Telephone (TTY) mode for the hearing impaired, and a Readout feature for the visually impaired.
  • Reliable performance: Users can enjoy up to 6.8 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge with 8GB of built-in storage and a microSD expandable memory slot supporting up to 32GB.

The GO FLIP 3 will be on sale sometime in October with a firm release date to come later. The SMARTFLIP will be available to purchase on September 27.

Joy Tab

In addition to the KaiOS announcement, TCL is also launching a new Android tablet under the Alcatel name. The JOY TAB is an 8-inch tablet that will be available from T-Mobile and Metro on October 4th. The features on this one are nothing special but will make for a nice offering for those looking for a simple tablet solution with LTE capabilities.

  • Search for what you see: The JOY TAB’s camera is equipped with Google Lens to run a Google search of the world around you by taking photos of what you see. You can also take advantage of Android 9 Pie’s Google Assistant integration to manage hundreds of tasks and services hands-free with the power of your voice.
  • Closer to your entertainment: The JOY TAB is powered by a 4,080mAh battery to bring you uninterrupted streaming, reading, and gaming for up to 8.5 hours over Wi-Fi or 8 hours over LTE. The tablet also features CloserTV, which gathers all of your favorite streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, cable and satellite TV in one spot.
  • Easy on the eyes: The JOY TAB’s Night Light filter helps to relieve visual fatigue by reducing blue light and optimizing the screen’s brightness and tonality in even the most extreme lighting conditions, day and night.

 

Nokia 7.2 arrives in US with 48-megapixel triple camera

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Nokia on Wednesday confirmed that its 7.2 smartphone is available for US consumers. Sold unlocked through online retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H, the $350 phone boasts a 48-megapixel triple camera with ZEISS Optics.

Initially introduced at IFA in earlier September, the Nokia 7.2 runs Android 9 (Pie) and houses a 6.3-inch display at 1080 x 2280 pixel resolution. The PureDisplay tech delivers an incredibly bright image with wide color reproduction. Moreover, the high dynamic color contrast ratio makes for gorgeous, engaging video in HDR quality.

Key hardware specifications include a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with 4GB RAM. Storage capacity is rather generous at 128GB; a microSD expansion card slot allows for up to 512GB of media, apps, and files.

The real draw here is the camera experience as it’s the first Nokia phone to combine a triple camera and PureDisplay. Triple-camera configuration is comprised of a 48, 8 and 5 megapixel sensor and ZEISS Optics.

The hardware and software tech inside includes effects like Live Bokeh for portrait pictures with background blur and Night Mode for low-light shots. Around front is a 20-megapixel front-facing camera for high-res selfies.

Related Headlines

Like other Nokia phones, the Nokia 7.2 has a dedicated Google Assistant button. What’s more, it’s also an Android One device which means two years of Android upgrades and three years of monthly security updates.

You can pre-order the Nokia 7.2 at Amazon for $349 in Charcoal or Cyan Green; it gains a wider release on Best Buy and B&H. The unlocked phone is compatible with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, and their respective prepaid/MVNO brands.

This $35 bundle could start you on the path to making serious money with AWS

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Cloud computing is growing in popularity, and, as such, many businesses are embracing it. Just about every major business has a go-to person for IT and back-end administrative technology.

The ever-changing structure of how work is done creates huge opportunities, particularly for aspiring IT professionals and developers. Amazon Web Services is the perhaps the biggest name in the space, offering its leading cloud computing platform with reliable and scalable services. AWS cloud services are where it’s at.

The AndroidGuys Deals Store has a 7-piece set of training around AWS architecture and development. Valued upwards of $1,000, we’re offering it for just $35, a savings of more than 95 percent.

SEE ALSO

There are nearly 550 lessons spread out over more than 50 hours of education awaiting you. You’ll start with a general understanding of what AWS is and how it works and then move into more specifics.

Your full bundle includes:

  • DevOps on AWS ($99.99 value)
  • Fundamentals for Beginners ($99.99 value)
  • Certified Developer Associate: Practical Guide ($99.99 value)
  • Certified Solution Architect 2019 ($99.99 value)
  • MasterClass: Storage & CDN – AWS S3 & AWS CloudFront ($194.99 value)
  • MasterClass: DevOps with AWS Command Line Interface ($194.99 value)
  • MasterClass: Monitoring & DevOps with AWS CloudWatch ($194.99 value)

Where to buy

You can purchase the entire AWS Certified Architect Developer Bundle 2019 for just $35 in the AndroidGuys Deals Store. Hurry, though, this incredible deal will not last forever. If you want the 96% discount, you will need to act fast.

Save even more!

In addition to the savings above, when you buy through AndroidGuys Deals, for every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your account. What’s more, should you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

If this is your first time buying, then you are also eligible for a further 10% discount when you subscribe for email updates.

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Fossil Collider DIANA could be hybrid smartwatch for Wear OS

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Way back at the beginning of the year it was announced that Google had acquired some of Fossil’s smartwatch tech and some of its personnel. At the time there were no specific products announced or expected but it was reported that Google had purchased “new product innovation” that hadn’t hit the market would be on the horizon.

The first of such products could be the Fossil Collider DIANA, a hybrid wearable that features both digital and analog components.

via: TheVerge

According to a new Wareable report, the Diana model combines mechanical hands with digital display. The DIANA namesake is an amalgam, or blending of digital and analogue.

READ: Fossil Gen 5 review: The best Wear OS to date

In a related note, a post on Reddit seems to confirm the details of the first watch, listing many of the specifications. Popular Dutch retailer bol.com describes the watch as follows.

  • Collider is the first digital and analogue (DIANA) hybrid smartwatch from Fossil.
  • 42mm stainless steel case.
  • A modern “e-ink display” (without a touchscreen) sits behind the hands to show steps, weather, and notifications from your apps.
  • Support for 10 different dial elements.
  • Built-in heart rate monitor.
  • Battery will last for 2 to 4 weeks (depending on use).
  • Connect via Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android phone so you can view all the stats in detail such as calories, steps, sleep, and much more.
  • The time automatically synchronizes with your phone.
  • You can assign functions to the right top button. “Want to start a workout with Google Fit or see your latest WhatsApps? It’s possible with one touch of a button!”

As it appears today, there are three model numbers for the DIANA line: FTW7008, FTW7009, and FTW7010. One figures to have a brown e-ink display, and the other is said to have Google Pay and GPS.

Looking at the photos, it appears the watches have all the hallmarks of a Fossil smartwatch and the complications we’ve come to appreciate in Wear OS.

Pricing for the watch figures to run about $220, or on the low end of what a typical Wear OS watch costs.

 

As to when we might see the Fossil Collider DIANA line, it’s hard to say for sure. Google has an event scheduled for October 15 where it’s expected to introduce new hardware; that would be the perfect venue to show one off, even if it’s not Google-branded.

WOpet DO1 treat tosser and food dispenser review

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The definition of a smart home varies from person to person. For some people it means a fully automated house with schedules, routines, and a whole array of connected devices. For others, it’s more simple.

Some are content with a few, seemingly random products that provide a bit of convenience. Items in this space that come to mind are smart speakers, door locks, and various cameras. They don’t have to be the same brand; it’s not critical that talk to each other.

The WOpet DO1 is an example of something that home owners might appreciate having on its own. However, it gets better if tied to an existing smart home, particularly one with Amazon Alexa. At least in theory.

What is the WOpet DO1?

It’s part pet feeder, part treat dispenser, and part security camera. It’s the sort of device you’d have in your home if you’re prone to spoiling your pets or like to check on them when traveling.

Sitting about ten inches tall, the DO1 is a cylindrical unit around 6-inches in diameter. The front-facing section has an HD camera with night vision, a microphone, status light, manual feeding button, and opening for dispensing treats. The right “side” has a USB port with a cable that’s about four feet long.

The bottom of the unit has four suction cups to help secure and stabilize the dispenser. Up top is a lid which can be easily removed to add more treats.

Setup

The process of taking the DO1 out of the box and getting it set up is short and sweet, and amounts to about five minutes. You’ll plug it in, install the app on your phone, and pair the dispenser to your network. We appreciated the simplicity and the ease; the app walks users through it with just a couple of steps.

Usage

Once you’ve got the feeder in place, you can immediately access the camera through your app. Indeed, we found it works well as an extra set of eyes in the home. You can’t really schedule any recording or snapshots but it’s nice to dip in for a live view.

The app gives users the option to snap photos, record video clips, and listen in or communicate with the feeder. Simply speak into your phone and your pet will immediately hear you.

The videos and pictures you record are accessible in the apps directory or your phone’s media folders and can be shared with others.

The hole for the dispenser itself is a decent size and can spit out treats about the size of a gumball (or smaller). We’ve played with a number of different snacks for our dogs and found it has a pretty strong push. Smaller items, like dog or cat food will likely drop 2-3 pieces and spit them out a few feet.

There’s a fun noise that accompanies feeding which calls to mind the sound of someone tossing something out the window in an old cartoon. We imagine that your pet will eventually learn the noise and come running to the dispenser.

The food hopper holds about one half liter, or what we figured to be a typical bag of dog or cat treats. If we were to make a recommendation here, we suggest a softer treat instead of a dry one. Why? Because the force of shooting out the treat might break more fragile snacks.

Conclusion

Priced about $150, the DO1 does not come cheaply. Then again, you’re looking at about $100 for a decent automated pet feeder. The camera capabilities and two-way communication don’t come standard with these types of products so we are somewhat forgiving.

The WOpet website doesn’t really do the brand justice. Pictures are almost universally not to scale and poorly photoshopped; some of the language is poorly translated to English or misspelled. Don’t let that discourage you, though.

We like the build quality of the DO1 treat dispenser and it comes with a fair amount of interesting features. As pet owners, it’s nice to pop in on them when we’re away just to see how things are going.

The camera is as good as any others in the price point and does a decent job of detail and color. We expected a half-baked attempt at the photo and video component and came away pleased with it. Placed near the dog bowls we can get interesting photos of our beloved animals without disturbing them.

When it comes to dispensing treats, there’s a fair amount of power behind it. We typically saw them get about 3-4 feet with the occasional one going further. Our dogs seemed to enjoy the unit and weren’t shy from the cartoon-like sound or the motorized noise.

We’ve yet to figure out how to integrate the WOpet DO1 with Amazon Alexa so that’s a little discouraging. Not so much because we want to shoot treats at our pet without lifting a finger, but because we’d like to see the camera or communicate with the dispenser. We’ll update this review if/when we better understand that component.

The WOpet is a brand we’re not all familiar with and we imagine most readers aren’t either. On the other hand, how many names do you recognize in that space? For what it’s worth, WOpet is recognized under the Amazon’s Choice for one of its other products, a traditional pet feeder.

If you’re concerned about a potential gamble, rest assured knowing there’s a one year warranty for the WOpet DO1.

Availability

You can learn more about the WOpet DO1 at the brand’s website where it’s also available for purchase. Currently priced at $150, readers can save 10% by using the discount code of LUCKY10 at checkout. This brings the price to just $134.96.

Alternatively, you can also buy the WOpet DO1 at Amazon as it’s listed at $139.95 at the time of publication.

Leaked slide tips Google’s hand for future of Stadia, Android TV, more

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Google has a pretty busy calendar of events planned for its Android TV and Stadia endeavors over the next few years, according to a leak obtained by XDA Developers.

An XDA source providing a photo of a slide being presented by Google at a trade show outlines a number of highlights for the two platforms through 2020. Rather than share the actual photo, the developer website converted the details into text format.

Assuming Google sticks to the roadmap, things will stay busy and interesting for Android TV devices, Stadia, and wherever the two shall meet.

Features expected over the remainder of 2019 include an “Assistant for Operators EAP (Early Access Program),” which is likely a way for developers to test new Google Assistant phrases. Moreover, it looks to be readying a refresh to the Play Store as well as a “pilot homescreen and instream ads.”

For 2020 and Android 11/Android R, Google figures to have a “Hero device advancing next-gen smart home UX” which integrates Google Lens and Android 10’s Live Captions feature. Google plans to have 8,000 Android TV apps launched by the end of 2020.

For 2020, and Android 12/Android S, things are somewhat less clear. There’s mention of various hardware and software optimizations and a goal of 8,000-10,000 Android TV apps, but that’s about it.

According to XDA Developers, Google Stadia support may show up in Android TV as part of an Android 11R update. As to when that occurs, it looks like we’ll be in 2020 before that happens.

Only $31, this 8-course bundle will turn you into a Cisco networking hero

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A company with a proper networked computer system, particularly one based in the cloud, needs to make sure its defenses are up to par. Without the proper protocols and configuration in place, a system will fall victim to malware, hacks, and cyber espionage.

According to Information Age, cyber crime pulls in more than $1.5 trillion per year for the bad guys. That’s a ton of money, right? And that was for 2018. Think about how much is being spent today to ensure networks aren’t susceptible to attack.

To make sure your company’s Cisco-based network doesn’t become the next victim, learn a few ways to defend against threats and attacks. Right now you can do that for next to nothing, and at your own pace.

EDITOR PICKS

Available now for just $31, the Ultimate Cisco Networking Expert Certification Training Bundle is discounted by some 97 percent off the regular price.

This 8-part bundle brings together more than 67 hours of training over 500+ lessons that will have you building, integrating, and maintaining Cisco networking devices into a system. You’ll also learn how to manage security measures to keep vital data and information safe.

This isn’t just best practices, tips, and tutorials, either. Once you get through these courses you’ll have the education needed to sit for various Cisco-related certification exams.

Features

  • Cisco EIGRP Comprehensive Labs Course
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  • Convert Hex to Decimal in Under 30 Seconds
  • Cisco CCNA IPv4 Course
  • Cisco New CCNA R/S Complete Course

Through this extensive training, students will learn the skills to install, operate, configure, and verify a basic IPv4 and IPv6 network. Additionally, they’ll become proficient with network switching and routing concepts, deploy basic firewalling services, learn various WAN technologies, and more.

Where to Buy

You can pick up a lifetime access to the 8-Course Ultimate Cisco Networking Expert Certification Training Bundle for only $31 in the AndroidGuys Deals Store. Valued at approximately $1,400, the whole kit can be yours for 97 percent off.

Save even more!

In addition to the savings above, when you buy through AndroidGuys Deals, for every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your account. What’s more, should you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

If this is your first time buying, then you are also eligible for a further 10% discount when you subscribe for email updates.

How about a freebie?

Not looking to spend any money today? That’s alright, we understand. Why not visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and take something anyhow? Go ahead, grab two!

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