• The Pixel 5, starting at $699, sounds like a much better deal than last year’s Pixel phones and several 2020 Android flagships.
• But that’s not entirely so, as the Pixel 5 is rumored to feature mid-range specs, which would be a first for the Pixel series.
• There’s also increased competition from iPhone, as Apple’s fall lineup will be more aggressive than ever.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Google’s Pixel phones have appeared in a few leaks on Monday. The Pixel 4a that’s reportedly going to be unveiled in early June, and the Pixel 5 is due in October. One of the new reports said Google will remove the radar chip from Pixel 5. The more exciting rumor came from a Google survey that listed purported prices for the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. The cheaper phone might cost $349, according to this questionnaire. Pixel 5 will start at $699. That sounds like a great price to pay for a brand new Pixel 5 premium phone in a world where the Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 8 Pro start at $999. It’s even cheaper than the Pixel 4’s original $799 price and matches the iPhone 11’s $699 tag. The problem is that even a $699 Pixel 5 might be too expensive if a particular rumor is to be believed.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: 70¢ face masks, 85¢ toilet paper, $20 wireless earbuds, free Echo Dot, more
3. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more

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1. This bird went completely extinct, and then it came back
2. Earliest US coronavirus cases might date back to December
3. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline

Why the $699 Pixel 5 might be too expensive originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 19 May 2020 at 06:50:53 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Some of the millions of Americans who are still waiting to receive their coronavirus stimulus payment will be getting theirs in a format that’s different from the paper checks and direct-deposited payments that have been sent out so far.
• The Treasury Dept. announced on Monday that it will begin mailing out almost 4 million stimulus payments this week in the form of free, prepaid debit cards.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

If you caught our report from earlier today, then you’re aware that the deadline has now passed for you to give the IRS your direct deposit banking information so that the tax agency can quickly send out your coronavirus stimulus check. Last Wednesday was the deadline to give the IRS that information, which means that going forward the agency will deposit funds into the accounts of everyone remaining who’s already shared their bank details, in addition to sending out paper checks to most everybody else.

We say “most everybody else,” because on Monday the Treasury Dept. also announced a third way that some of you will be receiving your stimulus payment, which will be as much as $1,200 for individuals and up to $2,400 for married couples (along with an extra $500 for each eligible child). Starting this week, Treasury and the IRS are sending out almost 4 million coronavirus stimulus payments in the form of prepaid debit cards in lieu of paper checks. For some people, this will no doubt be a relief, since it collapses the time between receiving the money and being able to use it. You don’t have to drive to your bank to deposit the check or use a mobile app to scan it and wait for it to show up in your account. The debit card is essentially money in your hand, ready to be spent immediately — in-person, or online.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Woot!’s discount on Amazon Fire 7 tablets and cases is pure fire
3. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
2. Earliest US coronavirus cases might date back to December
3. iOS 14 leak reveals fascinating new features coming to the iPhone

Still waiting on a stimulus check? You might get yours as a prepaid debit card originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 23:47:55 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• As part of the US’ country-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC is recommending that people wear cloth face masks whenever they’re in public, in addition to practicing social distancing.
• Carole Baskin, whose story figured prominently in the Netflix hit series Tiger King, has started selling cloth cat-themed face masks, with proceeds that go toward helping first responders as well as the rescue of big cats.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Carole Baskin, the antagonist of “Tiger King” Joe Exotic in Netflix’s hit docu-series, is using her newfound spotlight to sell her own branded coronavirus face masks that also depict her quirky greeting to “all you cool cats and kittens.”

That’s according to the Tampa Bay Times, which reports that the CEO of Tampa-area nonprofit animal sanctuary Big Cat Rescue is selling the masks on tread365.com to raise money that will be used in part to support first-responders during the coronavirus crisis. The money also “goes directly to support the big cats,” according to the sale page. And it’s money that’s sorely needed, since Baskin’s animal sanctuary has lamented at bigcatrescue.com that it’s losing around $160,000 a month in tour revenue as a result of being closed due to the pandemic.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Woot!’s discount on Amazon Fire 7 tablets and cases is pure fire
3. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more

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1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
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3. Facebook Avatars are blowing up – here’s how to create your own

Carole Baskin of ‘Tiger King’ is now selling coronavirus face masks for all you cool cats and kittens originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 22:11:17 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• The upcoming Pixel 5 flagship will ditch Google’s proprietary radar technology introduced last year, a new leak says.
• The Pixel 4 is the only handset in the world to feature a radar chip that can detect hand gestures and movement.
• However, the Soli-powered Motion Sense is more of a gimmick than a must-have smartphone feature, and it ruins the Pixel 4’s screen design.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Google announced several Pixel 4 features several months before the phone itself was revealed, including the dual-lens rear camera design and the 3D face recognition system on the front, powered by the Project Soli radar chip. That Soli radar chip forced Google to use an all-screen design unlike anything ever seen on an Android phone. The Pixel 4 got a couple of large asymmetric bezels, with the top one being especially ugly. That’s because Google had to place all of the selfie camera components that make 3D face recognition possible and the Soli chip inside that bezel. Therefore, a notch design like the iPhone X or a hole-punch display like the Galaxy S10 wasn’t possible.

Once the Pixel 4 was unveiled, we learned just how sophisticated the entire Motion Sense system was. It’s also pretty much useless, as it offers limited benefits for Face unlock and limited touchless control of the handset. So, it’s no surprise to hear that Google is considering ditching Motion Sense on the Pixel 5.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more
3. Face masks starting at 70¢ are flying off the shelves in Amazon’s new mask section

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1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
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3. Scientists explain mysterious ‘lava flows’ on Mars

Pixel 5 might not get the Pixel 4’s most innovative feature originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 21:09:32 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Volcano-like features on Mars may actually be the result of mud flows rather than lava, researchers now say.
• Using simulated Mars conditions, researchers were able to create mud flows that look a lot like cooled lava flows.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

You don’t have to be a space science fan to realize that Mars is everyone’s obsession right now. Both NASA and the ESA are poised to send missions to the Red Planet (though the ESA will now be waiting until 2022 to do so), and scientists are studying every aspect of the planet’s geology, climate, and even how often it shakes.

One of the more interesting observations that captured the imaginations of Mars researchers is what appears to be lava flows on the surface. The shape of these landforms makes them look a lot like cooled lava which oozed out of the surface long ago, but an international team of researchers now has a different explanation, and it might be even more interesting than flowing lava.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more
3. Face masks starting at 70¢ are flying off the shelves in Amazon’s new mask section

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1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
2. Facebook Avatars are blowing up – here’s how to create your own
3. A face mask that can kill coronavirus on contact is in the works

Scientists explain mysterious ‘lava flows’ on Mars originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 20:07:56 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Doctors in the UK have observed five blood test parameters that can be used as markers for the severe COVID-19 syndrome affecting some children.
• A mix of toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, the syndrome can be fatal to some children who were infected with the novel coronavirus.
• The blood test can serve as a warning of complications, and a current study in Europe will now monitor the condition.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

The novel coronavirus mainly affects adults. Older patients and people who have preexisting conditions are at the highest risk of developing life-threatening complications. Children are more likely to get a mild version of the disease, but some of them are at risk of developing a dangerous syndrome that can be deadly.

UK doctors issued a warning about the new COVID-19 condition a few weeks ago, and then it was observed in other countries, including the United States. Some children died from these unexpected COVID-19 complications in Britain and New York as the number of cases continued to mount. But UK doctors think they’ve figured out a way to predict whether children will get the COVID-19 syndrome or not.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more
3. Face masks starting at 70¢ are flying off the shelves in Amazon’s new mask section

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1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
2. Facebook Avatars are blowing up – here’s how to create your own
3. More coronavirus stimulus checks are coming: Everything you need to know

Blood tests might help predict severe coronavirus syndrome in children originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 19:36:15 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Sony reportedly had a PS5 event scheduled for June 4th, but it has since been delayed.
• A new report claims that Sony will hold an event in “early June” that will feature first-party and third-party PS5 games, and likely the reveal of the console’s design as well.
• Microsoft and Nintendo have very different strategies for Xbox Series X and Switch.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

About a week ago, VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb posted a makeshift calendar on Twitter that documented all of the video game events that were scheduled for this summer. Many of the events had already been announced, but some had not, including a so-called “State of PlayStation” event supposedly slated for June 4th.

Grubb refrained from sharing any details about the leaked dates, but on Sunday, he followed up on the Twitter thread, noting that some of the dates had shifted and that he would provide an explanation on Monday. That explanation has arrived, and it sounds like we might be waiting a touch longer for PlayStation 5 news.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more
3. Face masks starting at 70¢ are flying off the shelves in Amazon’s new mask section

Trending Right Now:

1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
2. Facebook Avatars are blowing up – here’s how to create your own
3. More coronavirus stimulus checks are coming: Everything you need to know

PS5 reveal event might be delayed, not as ‘hefty’ as expected originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 19:05:50 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• An effective coronavirus medication might be ready by the end of the year, according to researcher Dr. Nevan Krogan.
• Krogan answered a number of coronavirus-related questions during a Reddit AMA earlier today.
• A coronavirus vaccine, meanwhile, likely won’t be ready in 2020.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

One of the more perplexing aspects of the coronavirus pandemic has been how quickly many have been to embrace nonsensical conspiracy theories about the virus and, in turn, spread misinformation far and wide. Just last week, for example, an asinine and intellectually dishonest film about the coronavirus — titled Plandemic — went viral and amassed millions of views.

Especially in times like these, it’s worth listening to reputable scientists as opposed to championing far-fetched theories that often rest on flimsy evidence. In light of that, virus expert Dr. Nevan Krogan had an AMA on Reddit earlier today that’s worth drawing attention to.

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more
3. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday: 70¢ face masks, toilet paper, AirPods Pro, $4.50 smart plugs, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
2. Trump official says unhealthy Americans are to blame for the high US coronavirus death rate
3. Here’s how most Americans spent their $1,200 stimulus checks

Top researcher believes an effective coronavirus treatment could arrive this year originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 18:34:21 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Ahead of the official reveal of all the new features we can expect from iOS 14 — the next major update of Apple’s mobile software — a steady stream of leaks has continued to generate news over the past few weeks.
• One of the newest such iOS 14 leaks involves the apparent disclosure of a new AR app in the code that supports partnerships with third parties like Starbucks.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

A flood of iOS 14 leaks has helped spoil a lot about Apple’s next major mobile operating software update over the past few weeks, which probably is to be expected given that this year’s WWDC (which will be online-only for the first time, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic) is only a little more than a month away now. The latest leak comes from former TechCrunch reporter-turned-VC Josh Constine via his Moving Product newsletter, in which he teases a possible forthcoming augmented reality app called Gobi in iOS 14 that seems to be able to read a new kind of QR code (formated with colored cones) which can open up things like the Apple Watch website, as well as a sign-up page for a Starbucks Card, as well as movies within iTunes.

“Apple is embracing the camera as a utility with a new augmented reality app called Gobi and new AR features in its Find My app,” Constine writes. “A source has provided me with a dump of leaked files from iOS 14, expected later this year. They reveal Apple-branded QR codes with a colorful new format, a preview of Gobi’s Starbucks partnership, and how Find My will use sound & haptic feedback to point you in the direction of your missing device.”

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Today’s Top Deals

1. $50 accessory makes your home internet so much faster
2. Today’s best deals: Apple Watch and AirPods Pro at all-time lows, 70¢ face masks, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $20 earbuds, more
3. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday: 70¢ face masks, toilet paper, AirPods Pro, $4.50 smart plugs, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Stimulus check update: Here’s what happens if you missed the direct deposit deadline
2. Trump official says unhealthy Americans are to blame for the high US coronavirus death rate
3. Here’s how most Americans spent their $1,200 stimulus checks

iOS 14 leak reveals fascinating new features coming to the iPhone originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 18 May 2020 at 18:03:06 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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