Nest Seasonal Savings program is now free for all thermostat owners

Your Nest thermostat can now help you save energy automatically.

What you need to know

• Google is making its Seasonal Savings feature free for all Nest Thermostat owners.
• Until now, the feature was only available to customers of utilities with Seasonal Savings programs.
• The Seasonal Savings feature can make small schedule tweaks that will help users save energy and lower their bills.

Google's Seasonal Savings feature, which allows Nest thermostat owners to lower their energy bills, is now available for free to everyone. The feature was previously available only for customers of utilities with Seasonal Savings programs.

The Seasonal Savings feature helps you save energy and reduce your bills by making small schedule tweaks. It basically functions as a personal energy monitor, ensuring users save energy without compromising on comfort. Google claims the average customer can see up to 5 percent in energy savings on their home's HVAC systems with Seasonal Savings.

Seasonal Savings will begin rolling out to all Nest thermostat owners in the U.S. and Canada (except Quebec) starting this month. If you own a Nest thermostat, you will receive a notification on your device and in the Nest app to opt-in to Seasonal Savings. Once you opt-in, your thermostat will begin helping you save energy.

Google is also joining hands with various energy companies to offer Rush Hour Rewards to Nest thermostat owners. If you decide to sign up, your Nest thermostat will make changes to your home temperature when there's a peak in energy demand in your area, helping lower the demand while making sure you still stay comfortable.

The Nest thermostat can also use its sensors and your phone's location data (if you allow it) to check if you have left the house. It can then adjust the temperature to avoid wasting energy cooling an empty home. Once you come back, the thermostat will readjust the temperature to your preferred setting.

Google Nest Thermostat E

$169 at Amazon $170 at Best Buy $149 at Walmart

Google's Nest Thermostat E can not just adapt to seasonal changes but also learn your temperature preferences and make adjustments accordingly. It has a 6-wire configuration and happens to be compatible with 85% of all HVAC systems.

China Says India's Ban on Chinese Apps May Violate WTO Rules

China said on Tuesday that India's move to ban 59 Chinese-origin mobile apps could be a breach of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, and urged New Delhi to create an open and fair business environment.

OnePlus Nord will launch in these countries. Is yours on the list?

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

 

• OnePlus has revealed all the OnePlus Nord launch countries.
• The countries are restricted to Europe, although Indian users can pre-order via Amazon.

---

 

The OnePlus Nord is coming this month, and the company has already revealed that it will be a sub-$500 smartphone at the very least. We also know the phone will largely be missing North America, and we now know all the launch countries too.

The manufacturer and serial tipster Ishan Agarwal both noted the list this week, saying these countries will be eligible for pre-orders. It’s also interesting to note that all these OnePlus Nord launch countries are restricted to Europe. You can check out the list below.

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland

• Italy
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Latvia
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovenia
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

It’s worth noting that while India isn’t on this particular list of OnePlus Nord launch/pre-order countries, Indian users can pre-order the phone via Amazon India. In any event, the European and Indian availability lines up with the firm’s previous statements.

North American users at large won’t be able to buy the phone, but OnePlus confirmed yesterday that a “select number” of users on the continent would be able to participate in a limited beta program after launch.

This latest news comes shortly after Qualcomm confirmed that the OnePlus Nord will pack one of its 5G chipsets. The phone is rumored to offer a Snapdragon 765 series processor, so this seems like the most likely option.

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Don't miss out on this limited-time Chase Sapphire perk increase

Heads up! We share savvy shopping and personal finance tips to put extra cash in your wallet. Android Central may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network. Please note that the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.

As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue, U.S. spending habits have shifted dramatically from even earlier this year. While road trips are sputtering back to life, travel overall is still dramatically down.

Since April, credit card issuers have been quick to catch on, adding in new limited-time bonus categories, annual-fee reductions, and other credits that could be used from home. These changes were intended to keep certain cards — especially travel rewards cards — to be top of mind for those that hold them.

Just last month, Chase announced a slew of benefit updates for two of its most popular cards — the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve. Those perks included the new Pay Yourself Back program and flexible use of the Sapphire Reserve's $300 travel credit.

Now, Chase is back with yet another round of extras specifically for its Sapphire lineup — and it all starts on July 1.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Limited-time perks on Instacart through Sept. 30:

• 5x points on Instacart delivery and pickup orders — on up to $3,000 across the three-month promotional period
• Up to $50 in statement credits towards an Instacart Express membership (annual or monthly)

New bonuses categories through Sept 30:

• 5x points at gas stations — on up to $1,500 across the three-month promotional period
• 10x points on select streaming services (such as Spotify or Netflix) — on up to $1,500 across the three-month promotional period

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Limited-time perks on Instacart through Sept. 30:

• 3x points on Instacart delivery and pickup orders — on up to $3,000 across the three-month promotional period
• Up to $50 in statement credits towards an Instacart Express membership (annual or monthly)

New bonuses categories through Sept 30:

• 3x points at gas stations — on up to $1,500 across the 3-month promotional period
• 5x points on select streaming services (like Spotify or Netflix) — on up to $1,500 across the three-month promotional period

Details of the limited-time perks

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers will earn 5x total points and Chase Sapphire Preferred will earn 3x total points on all Instacart delivery and pickup orders – up to $3,000 in spend across the three months. In addition, cardmembers will also receive up to $50 in statement credits towards an Instacart Express membership (annual or monthly) — including $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on orders of $35 or more.

With a new, limited-time bonus on gas, Sapphire Reserve cardmembers will earn 5x total points and Sapphire Preferred cardmembers will earn 3x total points – on up to $1,500 in spend across the three months.

Finally, Chase is also announcing a new bonus on select streaming services including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube TV. Sapphire Reserve cardmembers earn 10x total points and Sapphire Preferred cardmembers earn 5x total points. This also can be used on up to $1,500 in spending across the three-month promotional period.

For all of these offers, no activation is required and they will automatically begin on July 1 and end on Sept. 30, 2020.

*Bonus valuation based on TPG valuation and not provided by issuers.

Delivery and pickup through Instacart open the door to a hefty bonus at a number of retailers, including groceries and other household items. From Costco to Petco to Target and more, it will be easy for many cardholders to maximize this bonus during the three-month span.

Like the previously offered grocery bonus. the increased earnings on gas and streaming are new categories entirely — complementing the existing travel and dining bonuses on the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Finally, with a $50 credit to Instacart Express, you would be able to receive half off of an annual subscription or three months free on a monthly plan.

With an Instacart Express membership, you'll get the following perks:

• $0 delivery fees on orders of $35 or more (typically $3.99-$7.99 for non-Express)
• Reduced service fees (typically 5% for non-Express)
• No busy pricing fees during peak delivery hours

Bottom line

With the limited-time grocery bonus ending on most Chase cards, this is a stellar replacement — as long as you are a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder. Chase appears to be doubling down on benefits for its most popular cards, which ultimately leaves some Chase cardholders in the dark.

If you're currently a Sapphire cardholder — or interested in applying — these offerings through Sept. 30 can be a lucrative addition to your summer spending. Even if you aren't yet comfortable traveling far from home, you'll be able to maximize these bonuses with delivery and pickup, driving around town, or streaming yet another movie from the couch.

Featured photo by The Points Guy.

Comments by North founders strongly hint at new consumer based Google smart glasses

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Motorola Moto G 5G Plus to be launched alongside the Moto G 5G

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According to (also known as @evleaks), the Moto G 5G Plus is "incoming" alongside the regular Moto G 5G. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no word on exactly when Motorola intends to announce and release these two handsets.

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B&H's 4th of July sale is now live with discounts on PCs, TVs and much more

With the 4th of July only a few days away, now's the perfect time to start looking for a deal on a new laptop, 4K TV, or another expensive purchase you've been meaning to make in the last few months. B&H's 4th of July sale is one that's live right now so you can find that new TV or PC you've been looking for and save a few hundred bucks on it in the process. Of course, B&H has plenty of other tech on sale too, from smart home devices to streaming media players, along with tons of cameras and accessories. Plus, standard shipping is free for most items, with expedited shipping free on most orders over $49.

Unlocked smartphones are on sale during B&H's 4th of July sale too. For instance, this OnePlus 6T device is not only $200 off right now but also includes a Ting Sim Card Kit that gives you $60 worth of prepaid phone service free-of-charge.

Anyone looking for a new TV should consider the Samsung TU8000 75-inch 4K Smart TV. This is the latest model to come from Samsung and today's deal brings its cost down to $997.99, saving you $200 in the process.

Another discount you shouldn't overlook is on the GoPro Hero7 Black Action Camera. At $100 off, you'll pay $229.99 for this mini camera that is designed to capture all the action wherever you bring it. It includes a full 1-year warranty with the purchase, along with a few helpful accessories and free expedited shipping.

B&H's 4th of July sale is just one of many that is live right now. If you don't find anything at B&H worth picking up right now, we have a whole guide comprised of the best 4th of July sales to give you some other options.

What is Google Keen? A look at the new rival to Pinterest

Google has launched many social networking services that have never caught on with the general public. That includes Google Plus, which started out in 2011 with a lot of hype, but finally closed in 2019. In June 2020, the company quietly revealed it was working on a more modest social networking project, Google Keen.

So what is Google Keen? That’s what we are going to reveal right now.

The origins of Google Keen

Google Keen was first revealed in a Medium.com post by company team member Cj Adams. In his post, he said that the idea for the service came about when his wife wanted to share information, links, and more about her birding hobby with her husband. Adams, along with three other Google team members, decided they wanted to create a service that made sharing info and resources about hobbies easier.

The four members worked on Keen as part of Google’s Area 120 experimental project division. They also collaborated with the company’s People and AI Research (PAIR) team, which is developing machine learning-based systems to help people out.

What platforms are available for Google Keen?

The service is currently available as a web app at Staykeen.com. It’s also available as an Android mobile app, via a web wrapper.

Is Google Keen free?

The service is free to use, although you will need to access it via a free Google account.

How does the service work?

In the end, Google Keen both looks and operates a bit like the popular Pinterest service. When you sign up with your free Google account, all you have to do is type in a title. For example, you may be interested in the original Star Trek TV show.  On both the Keen web site or via the web mobile app, just type in Star Trek The Original Series, and then tap or click on the Next box in the bottom right corner

You will then see a series of Google Search-related web links based on your title. Click or tap on the links that are closest to your interest. Finally, click or tap on the Create box, again in  the bottom right corner.

You should see your newly created Keen page. Click on it and you will be taken to your main page. There are three tabs on your Keen page. The one that’s displayed first is Explore, where you can see the articles that are shown on your subject via a Google Search. There’s another tab called Gems, and each entry in the Explore page has a gem icon on it. Tap or click on the gems to save the articles you most want to access on your page. Finally, there’s a Searches tab, which allows you to add more search topics to your Keen page.

You can manually add new photos, links, or even texts on your Keen page via the Add button on top. You can also use the button to add more via search or you can add new sections to your Keen page. There’s also the Edit button, which allows you to add more collaborators to your page. Finally, there’s the Share button, which lets you send a link to your Keen page to anyone, or invite someone to access and add to the page.

One interesting think about this service is that it uses machine learning to offer up suggestions for new links and content for your page on a regular basis.

Will it last?

Google Keen is designed as an experiment, and it’s currently in its infancy. Many of the company’s Area 120 projects end up shutting down, although features from these projects sometimes show up in other products. It will be interesting to see if Keen will end up in its own stand-alone service, or if it will also be shut down.

Have you signed up for Keen, and if so what has your experience been like with the service?

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Get two months of Amazon Kindle Unlimited for free

If you're looking for more ways to stay entertained in self-isolation, then you can't go wrong with Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Especially if you can try it out for free. A two-month trial of the all-you-can-read eBook service is yours for the low, low price of $0 for a limited time giving you endless reading material for the next several weeks stuck indoors. The deal is only available for new or former Kindle Unlimited users and expires at the end of August.

The subscription service normally costs $9.99 a month, so you're saving $20 with this deal. Last July, Amazon gave away three months of the service to its Prime members but unlike that offer, this deal does not require you to be a Prime subscriber so anyone can get in on it.

Kindle Unlimited gives you access to over a million titles, spanning from technical documents to cookbooks to fantasy novels to nonfiction. Even some audiobooks are included. Need a self-help book? Want to re-read the Harry Potter books for the seventeenth time? It's all there, and it's all free with your membership. You don't need a Kindle or Fire tablet to read, either. Amazon makes it easy to read thanks to its free Kindle reading apps for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac.

With its myriad of titles, Kindle Unlimited could keep you reading non-stop if you wished. You can keep up to ten titles at a time, and when you feel like swapping them out, the process is seamless. After the two months are up, it will renew automatically for the normal rate. You can cancel at any time with no penalties for doing so, though you might find that $10 per month is a great value for all that Kindle Unlimited offers.

Looking for more ways to stay entertained from the comfort of your own home? Various streaming services are offering free trials and free access right now to keep you busy and informed during the next few weeks. Check them all out here.

Xiaomi's new Redmi 9A and 9C are sub-$100 phones with 5000mAh batteries

Both phones come with a single 13MP camera on the back.

What you need to know

• Xiaomi's entry-level Redmi 9A and 9C smartphones are now official.
• The Redmi 9A comes with a MediaTek Helio G25 chipset, a single 13MP rear camera, and a 5000mAh battery.
• Redmi 9C features a slightly more powerful Helio G35 chipset and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Xiaomi Malaysia today quietly announced the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C entry-level phones. Both phones are powered by MediaTek chipsets and promise excellent battery life.

The new Redmi 9C comes with a 6.53-inch HD+ display featuring a waterdrop notch cutout with a 5MP selfie camera. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 octa-core chipset, paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. The phone has a single 13MP camera on the back and packs a massive 5,000mAh battery. It also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Redmi 9A, on the other hand, runs on a slightly less powerful MediaTek Helio G25 chipset, clubbed with 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage. Like the Redmi 9C, the Redmi 9A has a 6.53-inch HD+ display with a 5MP selfie camera housed within the waterdrop notch at the top. The rest of the phone's key specs are also identical to the Redmi 9C. The only notable difference is the omission of the fingerprint sensor.

The Redmi 9A has been priced at RM359 ($85) in Malaysia and will be available through Lazada starting July 7. Redmi 9C will be going on sale in the country by the end of July for RM429 ($100). While Redmi hasn't confirmed any details yet, the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C are expected to soon make their way to a few other markets such as Europe and India.

Best Xiaomi Phones in 2020

Swiggy Money Launched as Swiggy’s Digital Wallet to Enable Seamless Food Order Transactions

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TikTok booted from app stores in India, but it might be temporary

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• TikTok has been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India.
• The company released an official statement about its ban.
• The ban on TikTok in India might be temporary.

---

Viral video-sharing app TikTok has been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India after the country banned 59 Chinese apps on Monday. However, those who already have the app installed continue to have access to it.

India and China are at loggerheads right now due to an ongoing border dispute. Because of this, there’s a widespread call to boycott Chinese apps and goods in the country and the removal of TikTok from Indian app stores is a direct repercussion of that. According to the Indian government, the short-video app, along with 58 others, engages in “activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”

Weirdly enough, other Chinese apps like SHAREit, UC Browser, and WeChat which are also on the list of banned apps continue to remain available on both Google’s and Apple’s app stores.

What does TikTok have to say?

In response to these sudden sanctions from the Indian government, TikTok posted the following statement today on its Twitter account.

pic.twitter.com/0DZQ3Ucqcl

— TikTok India (@TikTok_IN) June 30, 2020

From what we can read, there’s still a chance that TikTok might be reinstated on app stores in India. The company clearly states that it will be meeting with government stakeholders to review the situation and that it stands by its data privacy and security practices.

However, it’s not always been a smooth ride for TikTok in India. The app was also banned in the country last year for allowing pornographic and sleazy content. It then undertook several steps to ensure the safety of its users in order to be reinstated.

For now, the Indian government has said that the ban on TikTok and other Chinese apps is an interim measure. It will give these apps an opportunity to present their case before a committee including representatives from various ministers. The committee will then make recommendations on whether the apps should remain banned or should be cleared for use.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is getting these new features

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 firmware has popped up online
• It shows a bunch of new features coming to the watch.
• The upgrades include new watch faces, a revamped weather app, and more.

---

It seems like the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is approaching fast. The firmware for the new smartwatch has now popped up online and serial tipster Max Weinbach has dissected it to reveal some new features.

To start with, Weinbach reports that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 will be getting a bunch of new watch faces. Some of these watch faces will also display activity, heart-rate, and other information on the edges. The tipster says that these outside lines are called “Informative Digital Edge” and are customizable in terms of color and the information that they present. You can scroll through Weinbach’s tweet thread below to check out all the watch faces for the Galaxy Watch 3.

I really like this one https://t.co/RoWsuuKBQk pic.twitter.com/vvx9AtxQyS

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) June 30, 2020

Moving on, the Galaxy Watch 3 is also reportedly getting a revamped weather app. The app will now display backgrounds that match the weather that it’s showing. For instance, if it’s cloudy or raining, the app’s background will change accordingly to reflect the weather conditions outside. Here’s how that’ll look.

Credit: Max Weinbach

Next up is a new health-tracking feature for women. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 firmware shows that it’ll add support for menstruation tracking. Besides this, there’s also a new weekly preview feature in the calendar app that’ll make it easy for users to glance through the week’s events.

Samsung is adding cycle tracking pic.twitter.com/Jt6RPz2jUr

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) June 30, 2020

Other additions to the Galaxy Watch 3 include rich notification icons, new app icons, a new music widget, and the Outlook email app instead of Samsung Email. Weinbach also confirms that there’s 8GB internal storage on the watch, 5.3GB of which is available to users. He adds that Spotify will come preinstalled on the Galaxy Watch 3 in the US.

You can see a summary of all the new Galaxy Watch 3 features discovered from the firmware in the tweet below.

To sum up what I found in the GW3 firmware:

Rich notification icons
New watch faces
New weather app
Outlook replaces Samsung Email (further going with my theory Samsung email will be replaced by Outlook)
New Music widget
Information edges in watch faces
More customizable faces

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) June 30, 2020

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Google is holding its first ‘Smart Home Virtual Summit’ on July 8

You can look forward to some "exciting new and upcoming features" for smart home devices.

What you need to know

• Google will be hosting a "Hey Google" Smart Home Virtual Summit next week.
• The search giant will be diving into some new and upcoming features for both smart home developers and users at the event.
• The "Hey Google" Smart Home Keynote will begin at 13:00 ET on July 8.

Google has announced that it will be holding a "Hey Google" Smart Home Virtual Summit next week to share new and upcoming features for smart home developers and users. Since the Google I/O had to be canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the summit will provide an opportunity to the company to be able to engage with developers and users "in person."

Michele Turner, Product Management Director of the Smart Home Ecosystem, will be sharing Google's recent smart home product initiatives in the keynote, which is set to begin at 13:00 ET on July 8. Turner will also share new tools that have been designed to make it easier to develop with Google Assistant.

Google will host a "Hey Google" partner panel as well, where several industry leaders will talk about the impact of COVID-19 on their business and the overall state of the Smart Home industry.

As announced by Google earlier this month, Smart Displays will soon be able to access AMP web content. More web content categories are expected to be enabled for Google Assistant Smart Displays later this year. The Assistant has also gained the ability to save session information for multiple users on a single device, which means users can resume playback of podcasts and videos across compatible devices.

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Xiaomi Redmi 9A, 9C launched: A ton of phone for under $90

Credit:

Xiaomi/Lazada Malaysia

• Xiaomi has launched the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C in Malaysia.
• The Redmi 9A retails for ~$84, while the Redmi 9C will set you back ~$100.
• Both phones offer big batteries and all-new MediaTek chips.

---

We’ve known about the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C for a couple of weeks now, and Xiaomi Malaysia teased the launch earlier this week. Now, the regional division has launched the budget-focused phones in the market, and you’re looking at two very cheap devices.

Xiaomi Malaysia confirmed on Facebook that the Redmi 9A starts at 359 Malaysian Ringgit (~$84), making it a very affordable purchase. However, the phone will have a flash sale price of 319 Malaysian Ringgit (~$75) when it goes on sale on July 7. For the price, you’re getting a 6.53-inch HD+ screen, MediaTek Helio G25 chipset, 2GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and a single 13MP rear camera (plus a 5MP selfie shooter).

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Redmi 9C has a recommended price of 429 Malaysian Ringgit (~$100), and you’re getting a couple of extras for the price. More specifically, you’re getting a slightly better Helio G35 SoC, a rear fingerprint scanner, and a 13MP triple camera setup. Otherwise, you’ve still got the same screen, battery size, and selfie camera.

This also marks the first time we see MediaTek’s Helio G25 and G35 processors, and the Taiwanese firm has been marketing them as gaming-focused SoCs. But truth be told, these chips look like the previously announced Helio P22 and Helio P35 processors.

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The best phones under 15,000 rupees in India

Companies like Xiaomi have changed the game in India, with budget-friendly smartphones offering impressive performance and features. Many have followed suit, and even major players like Samsung and LG have jumped into this budget-friendly category …

We’ve got the same octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU (albeit at 2Ghz and 2.3Ghz respectively), a budget-focused PowerVR GE8320 GPU, and a 12nm manufacturing process. However, the firm says these chips are equipped with the HyperEngine suite of technologies, allowing for more efficient resource management, and faster switching between Wi-Fi and LTE.

Nevertheless, we wouldn’t recommend buying phones with these processors specifically for gaming, but these new devices still look like great entry-level phones for the price. We’ve contacted Xiaomi for more details on wider availability and will update the article accordingly.

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