Save $100 on the Apple Watch with Target’s latest deal

Apple’s rumored March event is just another month away, and word is that the Apple Watch will be taking the spotlight for at least part of the announcements. Some rumors suggest we could be looking at as little as new band hardware, while other reports point to some much more substantial news, including the launch of upgraded versions of the Watch itself. Changes could include improvements to the wearable’s battery, a new SoC, or on the more extreme end, maybe even an integrated camera for FaceTime support. While we’re still not sure just what we’re getting, if you’re nto afraid of being a little behind the times when that new hardware rolls around, now’s looking like a pretty sweet opportunity to pick up last year’s Apple Watch, as Target gives shoppers a $100-off deal.

$200 Microsoft Band 2 deal rebooted, Surface Pro 4 also discounted by $100

Microsoft doesn’t seem to care too much about the year’s fast-approaching biggest celebration of love, but it’s not going to let George Washington’s birthday go unnoticed, offering a slew of Presidents Day discounts on some of the company’s hottest gadgets.

Through February 20, the Microsoft Band 2 will again be available at $200 a pop stateside, in your choice of sizes, 50 bucks being taken off the cross-platform wearable’s list price for the first time in a couple of months.

How to get older programs to scale on HiDPI displays in Windows 10

One of the most annoying things about high pixel density displays on Windows is how tiny some user interface elements can be when you load older programs that were designed for the standard 72 pixels per inch pixel density that most displays have used for many decades. When Apple started using high-DPI (HiDPI) displays with many more smaller pixels crammed into the same area, they implemented a work-around in the operating system that would automatically pixel-double old programs that were not updated to adjust themselves automatically to the higher pixel density. That works pretty well except of course some interface elements might look pixelated or jaggy, but at least you can see them and understand what they are.

First Marshmallow updates for Samsung phones reportedly ‘delayed’ for February

Samsung has rarely led the way in software support and bumps to the newest Android iterations for even its best smartphones, but it’s never been as late as this year either. Marshmallows are yet to officially roll out to a single Galaxy “star”, unlike LG, Motorola or HTC devices.

Several upgrade timelines were rumored for handhelds as diverse as the Note 5, S6, Note 4, S5, A3 or J5, with the latest flagships initially expected to score 6.0 goodies as early as December, then January, and now February.

Sony owns up to absent Xperia Z5 fingerprint scanners for US release, offers non-explanation

A couple weeks back we got what sounded like good – if not just a few months later than we’d like – news: Sony was just about to bring some of its latest flagship hardware to the US as it prepared to start sales of the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact. Better late than never, though, right? Well, if these were the same Z5 and Z5 Compact as we’d seen elsewhere, perhaps we could learn to be happy that we were getting them at all, but it wasn’t long before a new wrinkle developed in this tale, as we got word that Sony had altered the construction of its phones and removed one of their most interesting features: the side-mounted fingerprint scanners integrated into the phones’ power buttons. Now Sony’s provided a statement to us where it confirms that news, while offering a explanation for its decision that’s a lot less than satisfactory.

OnePlus X picks up manual camera mode in latest OxygenOS update

It’s been just over a month now since we first saw OnePlus begin making available OxygenOS 2.2.0, initially releasing the system software as an update for the OnePlus 2. There the release delivered the company’s latest bugfixes and tweaks, expanding access to removable USB storage, and correcting some issues with dual-SIM settings. It was all well and good, but what about the OnePlus 2’s little brother, the super-affordable OnePlus X? It’s taken some time to prepare 2.2.0 for the five-incher, and we’re only just now about to see it head out, as OnePlus lets us know that the incremental rollout of OxygenOS 2.2.0 for the OnePlus X starts today.

What’s new? Well, just like with the 2.2.0 update for the OnePlus 2, we’ve got plenty of bugfixes and performance optimizations, as well as the latest security updates. But beyond all that, we do see some actual new features, and the most notable ones there concern camera operation.

Latest iPhone 5se hardware rumors paint the picture of a much more capable handset

It finally feels like the home stretch is nearly upon us, and all the rumors we’ve been hearing about Apple’s interest in releasing a new iPhone that looks back to the smaller sizes of older handsets may finally be coming to fruition. Lately, they’ve settled in on the name iPhone 5se, while describing hardware that might look like the iPhone 5, while performing like the iPhone 6, getting that model’s A8/M8 chip pair. But while that older silicon could be sufficient for some users, apparently Apple’s not so sure it wants to bank on a new phone with yesterday’s chips, and now a new iPhone 5se rumor claims that Apple’s also been testing the phone with an A9/M9 setup – and this could be the model we’re more likely to see commercially released.