Sure, Amazon has unmanned delivery lockers to save you the trouble of waiting for a courier, but that human touch could come in handy sometimes. What if you need help with a return, for instance? That's where Amazon's first-ever staffed pickup location, Amazon@Purdue, promises to come to the rescue. The location lets university students and faculty both pick up their online orders and drop off returns (including textbook rentals) in a helpful, trustworthy place -- you shouldn't have to worry about someone swiping your new laptop while you're in class. It's potentially faster, too, as some products qualify for free one-day shipping to the Purdue facility.

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We've been fond of the UE Boom since its arrival in 2013 and I've personally logged dozens of hours biking to its respectable 360-degree audio output. There is, however, only so much sound you can pump out of such a small speaker and Ultimate Ears decided to increase the volume (and size) this year with its new UE Megaboom. This larger model has the same feature set as its predecessor, but the Bluetooth range has been bumped up to 100 feet, the battery life is now rated for up to 20 hours and it's waterproof, just in case the party gets messy. As before, you can pair two of the speakers using the Megaboom app for stereo sound. Like what your hearing so far? Ultimate Ears has been kind enough to provide one of these big beat boxes (err, cylinders) for two Engadget readers this week. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these party rocking speakers.

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Beating last year's Blade is a tall order, but Razer hopes throwing a fancy new 14-inch, 4K touch display into its 2015 gaming laptop will help it do just that. The outfit's using an Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO, for short) panel, and all those pixels are powered by NVIDIA's GeForce 970M GPU that runs on Maxwell architecture. In terms of memory, there's 16GB of RAM (double that of last year) in addition to a maximum 512GB of solid-state storage. All that to say, much like our laptop buyer's guide choice from last year, games will almost assuredly look gorgeous and perform incredibly well here.

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America's roads, railways and public vehicles are aging, and the Department of Transportation believes that if things remain as they are, the system will be a "fossil" that's light-years behind its more high-tech counterparts in Asia by 2045. That's why the DOT has published a study called "Beyond Traffic," (PDF) which warns that if the US government doesn't "encourage... or put a plan in place to regulate" new technologies, the country will fall far behind, with electric vehicles (and similar tech) becoming mere novelties. This study, which is also a draft framework of the department's plans in the next 30 years, suggests the more widespread adoption of transportation tech coming out today. In particular, the paper mentioned anti-collision systems that could prevent more accidents, next-gen location tech that could make airspace safer and plane takeoff/landing faster, as well as apps that relay transit schedules and traffic data to users in real time.

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We spend a lot of time in front of our computers, which could be why we're so keen to track all the times we actually step away from our screens and get a little walking or running done. To that end, every manufacturer seems to be coming out with a fitness band to brandish on your wrist. But when one wearable looks like the others, and they each operate in different ecosystems, it's hard to know which will best suit your needs. We've taken a look at a few recent releases and their reviews, narrowing the field to seven of the better models out there -- plus one you should avoid.

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Well, that didn't take long. A few weeks after reports circulated about Twitter placing ads outside of its app, the 140-character social network officially announced its plans to do just that. Today, the company outed the "first partnerships to syndicate Promoted Tweets outside of Twitter," and those deals are in place with Flipboard and Yahoo Japan. ESPN was also mentioned in early rumblings, but there's no indication that the sports broadcaster has signed on just yet. For now, the ads... er, Promoted Tweets will take on the appearance of other Flipboard content, and if you're itchin' for an early look, there's an example on the other side of the break.

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While many of the devices we use every day depend on WiFi -- everything from our smartphones to our TVs -- most home WiFi networks are still woefully slow compared to their wired alternatives. Enter Eero, a small San Francisco startup that aims to bring home WiFi into the future. How? By combining the functions of a router, a range extender and a repeater into a single device, thus making the Eero a complete WiFi system for the home. Wirelessly connect two or more Eeros together and you've got an instant mesh network, no IT degree required.

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Someone, somewhere thought it was a good idea for HTC to make its own hip hop music video. Whoever approved the project might be regretting that decision right now, but never mind -- at least we get a hilariously cringeworthy tune to stick on repeat for the rest of the day. If you're curious, the man dissing the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 in equal measure is Greg Carr (aka "Doc G") of the musical group P.M. Dawn. He's actually the cousin of Attrell Cordes, or Prince Be, who used to lead the hip hop act during their heyday in the '80s and '90s. Oh, and if you're really interested in how this all came together, HTC has even put up an interview with the rapper himself. Now, just head past the break, sit back and enjoy.

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The man responsible for running revenge porn site 'ugotposted.com' has been found guilty of identity theft and extortion. The San Diego County Superior Court jury decided that Kevin Bollaert could now face up to 20 years in prison for the offenses. According to the WSJ, it's the first conviction of a revenge porn website operator, although the Federal Trade Commission has also acted to shut down photo archives and the public sharing of photos of people without their permission. In fact, while California's new revenge porn law has now been established, it wasn't used in either case.

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The unending march to bring the Internet of Things into all the things continues. While CES 2015 gave us a sneak peek at the near- and long-term future of the IoT movement, there are plenty of WiFi-connected options available today. We've already taken a close look at the Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo (phew!). Now it's time to see how useful a smart coffeemaker can be.

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