There are a lot of great new features in Android 5.0 Lollipop but one that’s gone rather unheralded has been the addition of a kind of “kill switch” that can be used as a major deterrent to would-be smartphone thieves. Forbes reports that the new feature, dubbed “factory reset protection,” essentially prevents anyone from wiping and resetting your device if it’s stolen. If thieves can’t factory reset your device, then they won’t be able to successfully resell it since it will be obvious that the device has been stolen.

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Apple made plenty of big announcements during its press conference Thursday — along with one ridiculously small announcement — and details surrounding its first big revision of iOS 8 were among them. While it may look just like Apple’s previous mobile software version, iOS 8.1 is a huge deal, mainly because it will finally bring Apple Pay to iPhones and iPads. Apple announced that it is already working with more than 500 partners on its mobile payment solution, and down the road it could clearly be a huge boost for Apple’s bottom line and an added convenience for Apple’s customers.

But Apple Pay isn’t the only new addition in iOS 8.1.

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Sometimes you see people who are so fashionable and stylish that it makes you feel like your own wardrobe is a disaster. And then you see something like the Drunk J. Crew Tumblr and instantly feel better about yourself.

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At first blush, Sony’s new PlayStation TV doesn’t make much sense. It’s a standalone console, but it has been built on the back of an existing platform. It uses a controller, but not the most recent one. It connects to your TV, but it doesn’t have any internal storage. The PlayStation TV is at odds with itself. After spending a few hours with it at home, I still haven’t found a compelling reason to use it over any of my other PlayStation branded devices. Given time, PS TV could be a major competitor in the set-top box market, but right now, it’s the cheapest console available for one very good reason — it just doesn’t work that well.

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HBO wants to compete with Netflix in a lot of ways, but one of those ways probably won’t be pricing. The Information’s sources claim that HBO will charge at least $15 per month for its standalone streaming service, which will match what subscribers pay per month to get HBO as part of their cable bundles.

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Contrary to rumors and speculations, neither the iPhone 6 nor the iPhone 6 Plus came with a sapphire display on board, and soon after Apple launched its 2014 iPhones, GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) filed for bankruptcy. Apple appeared to be surprised by the news, as GTAT should have provided sapphire for Apple’s devices, but GTAT seems to indicate Apple’s draconian contract is to blame for its downfall.

At the same time, the leaked parts of the contract show Apple intended to make sure it’ll have a steady supply of sapphire from its partner, having considered this material choice more than two years ago. They also show how difficult it can be to work with Apple.

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Worried that your iPhone 6 Plus might feel uncomfortable to carry around — or worse, that it might get bent — thanks to your small pants pockets? You don’t have to worry about it if you buy the device from Chinese carrier Unicom. Business Insider notices that China’s People’s Daily has posted a picture of an iPhone 6 launch event at a Unicom store in which the carrier has hired a tailor to enlarge buyers’ pockets on site to help them more easily carry the device around in their pants.

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Sony’s biannual releases have been a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the Xperia line is one of the more visible smartphone lines on the market with four flagship releases in less than two years. On the other, the minor iterations from one model to the next have culminated in the Xperia Z3v, a device which doesn’t stack up against any of the best Android devices. If a leak from AndroidOrigin is to be believed, that might finally change in a big way with the next generation.

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Google is finally done putting the finishing touches on Android 5.0 Lollipop, as the company revealed when it unveiled the new Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet earlier this week. Both new devices represent a big departure from Google’s previous-generation Nexus phone and tablet, which both focused on affordability. With the new Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, however, Google and its partners built premium devices at premium prices.

But you don’t need to pay those steep prices to get Android 5.0 Lollipop’s awesome new look.

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Predicting the behavior of consumers is notoriously tough, but nowhere is it harder than in the rapidly evolving video streaming market. Pretty much nobody expected Netflix’s streaming service to bloom into the huge mainstream success it currently is. A few years ago, many viewed Netflix’s streaming operation as fatally hamstrung by the narrow and often low-quality movie selection. And this autumn, almost nobody predicted just how much a $1 summer price hike would dent the company’s momentum.

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